Service Learning Science Camps Among Tribals as a Tool for Capacity Building Among Students – A Step Toward Inclusive Chemistry Education
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Priya Dharshini Augusthian [1] ; Raju Lipin [1] ; D. Reuben Jonathan [1] ; Rajadurai Vijay Solomon [1] ; Paul Wilson [1]
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[1] Madras Christian College, India
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- Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 99, Nº 4, 2022, págs. 1700-1707
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
The tribal communities in South India, especially those in the Wayanad region in the proximity of Kerala state, have low literacy rates and occupy a socio-culturally marginalized status among various demographic clusters in India. The pedagogies employed through mainstream schooling do not appeal to the students in the tribal community, resulting in high dropout rates. Therefore, Madras Christian College, Chennai, has identified tribal communities as an underrepresented group in Indian science education proposing to engage them through “Service Learning Science Camps”. Herein we document our activities as formative assessment through teaching chemistry to tribal school children and consolidate the experiences gained by both the student volunteers and tribal students for prospective research. The program enabled the student mentors to explore their leadership skills while administering the science camps. In addition to this, the camps created a pleasurable environment for learning chemistry for the tribal children and increased their inclination toward science. This exercise helps students to change their perception toward tribals and bridge the gap between them by providing a welcoming and supportive environment for pleasurable learning. We propose these camps as a model to reach out and popularize chemistry among the overlooked communities, simultaneously nurturing the minds of college students toward creating an inclusive future.
