Indian primary schools and pluralism education - a qualitative view

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BackgroundDevelopment of healthy food behaviors in childhood is significant for optimum growth and development of children as well as future health. However, many Indian children display unhealthy dietary habits including poor intakes of fruits and vegetables and excessive consumption of calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods and sugar-sweetened beverages. Therefore, the factors that influence their daily diet need to be explored for developing future interventions and policies. In this light, the present inquiry was designed to examine the various influences on the food behaviors of Indian primary school children.MethodsInformed by the socio-ecological framework, this study used an exploratory qualitative research approach to conduct semi-structured interviews with 22 primary school children, 19 mothers, and 18 teachers residing in Varanasi, India. For children, the interviews were preceded by a drawing session where the interviewees were asked to draw their preferred and non-preferred food and beverage items. Interviews were carried out in English or Hindi and digitally recorded. Interviews were conducted until data saturation was achieved. Digital recordings were transcribed verbatim and translated to English (where necessary) for the purpose of thematic analysis. The transcripts were coded both deductively and inductively using the NVivo software program.ResultsIndividual level influences included taste and nutritional knowledge. At the interpersonal level, the family food environment and peers emerged as key determinants. The physical environment also played a pivotal role in determining food behaviors, with the school food environment and food availability in the marketplace being significant. Lastly, at the societal level, television and internet advertisements were frequently cited as important determinants of children’s food behavior.ConclusionsThe collective insights from the three stakeholder groups have the potential to inform public health nutrition policies and interventions targeting the different socio-ecological factors to encourage healthy eating in Indian primary school children.

This research paper explores the potential of creative dance as an innovative pedagogy for experiential learning in Indian primary school children. The study investigates the impact of incorporating creative dance into the curriculum on various aspects of child development, including cognitive skills, social-emotional growth, and physical well-being. Through a mixed-methods approach, including quantitative assessments and qualitative observations, the research examines the effectiveness of creative dance in enhancing learning outcomes and overall educational experiences. The findings suggest that creative dance can serve as a powerful tool for experiential learning, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and holistic development among Indian primary school children.

IntroductionFood and nutrition education (FNE) is vital for shaping lifelong dietary behaviours and advancing sustainable development goals related to food security and responsible consumption. Despite global initiatives, India lacks a standardized framework for FNE in primary schools, resulting in inconsistent curricula and limited teacher preparedness.MethodologyThis mixed-method study examined 350 stakeholders, including 110 primary school teachers, 187 parents, and 53 students in Tamil Nadu through structured surveys and qualitative interviews. Quantitative findings revealed that 73% of participants supported weekly FNE sessions.Results76% of teachers reported inadequate training in food processing and nutrition, and 68% preferred FNE as a standalone subject. Statistically significant differences emerged between urban and rural stakeholders in sustainability awareness (χ2 = 10.94, p < 0.01), and teacher confidence in nutrition education correlated positively with successful FNE implementation (r = 0.68, p < 0.001).AnalysisQualitative analysis identified three key themes: (1) limited institutional frameworks for sustainable FNE, (2) strong sociocultural influences on food choices, and (3) disparities in sustainability awareness across regions.DiscussionThe findings support policy-driven reforms, such as mandatory teacher training, curriculum restructuring to embed FNE, and community engagement programmes. This study contributes practical insights for education policymakers aiming to enhance children’s food and nutrition literacy and promote sustainable dietary practices across Indian primary schools.

Children in developing countries such as India will experience severe consequences of climate change. Primary school students, in particular, are the most vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, such as heat waves intensifying due to climate change. This will adversely impair their development, well-being, and learning outcomes. However, significant research gaps exist in understanding and mitigating children’s vulnerabilities. There is an urgent need for a deeper understanding of the impact of heat waves on children’s health and well-being in India. Further, the discussion on the state of heat safety in Indian primary schools is limited. This study addresses these gaps by surveying 335 primary school teachers in seven Indian cities. The data gathered from the field survey offers a better understanding of classroom experiences and challenges encountered by children and teachers during heat waves. It underscores several aspects of students’ vulnerability to heat exposure and its adverse impact on their health, such as absence from school, physical symptoms of heat distress, etc. Furthermore, it highlights the pressing need for classroom heat risk management in light of climate change and makes several policy prescriptions in primary schools.

According to a recent study, school can make you sick. But the poor water-supply and sanitation conditions in many Indian primary schools have spurred on some determined staff to work with the children to find innovative solutions, and educate the community.

While the MDGs and SDGs seek to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education, they rarely address the issue of Medium of Instruction (MOI).Increasing attention is being paid to appropriate and feasible language-in-education policies in LMICs and evidence which demonstrates the benefits and challenges of various policy options.Research in this field, though, tends to be diversified, with a range of small-scale empirical studies scattered among a number of disciplinary contexts.There is therefore a need to consolidate and systematically identify the extent to which this diverse body of literature has evaluated the various languagein-education policy options.To this end, this paper reports on a rigorous literature review of MOI-related research on Ghana and India, whose language-in-education policies represent two contrasting models of use of local languages and the development of competence in English.The paper begins by briefly overviewing the language-in-education policy in these two countries and sets out the methodological approach underpinning this review.It then turns to the initial findings, which are discussed in two parts: The first categorises the three areas of research explored in the empirical studies reviewed, namely the effectiveness of language-in-education policies, problems hindering the implementation of these policies, and attitudes to these policies.The second provides an overview of the recommendations for how, given the obstacles in implementing the current policies, to better ensure the effectiveness of language-in-education policies in Ghana and India.Together these findings show that similar issues arise that contribute to challenges of providing equitable, quality education, and similar recommendations have been put forward as a result.This paper thus provides a valuable overview of key issues in the role of language-in-education policies in improving equity and quality in education in LMICs.

Unlocking Hidden Potential: Teachers Strategies in D.El.Ed that can enhance inclusive learning with children with Special Needs (CWSN) in Indian primary schools

ABSTRACTThis paper reports on a rigorous literature review of research into medium of instruction in Ghana and India, whose language-in-education policies represent two contrasting models of use of local languages and the development of competence in English. The paper begins by briefly overviewing the language-in-education policy in these two countries and sets out the methodological approach underpinning this review. It then turns to the initial findings, which are discussed in two parts: the first categorises the three areas of research explored in the empirical studies reviewed, namely the effectiveness of language-in-education policies, problems hindering the implementation of these policies, and attitudes to these policies. The second provides an overview of the recommendations for how, given the obstacles in implementing the current policies, to better ensure the effectiveness of language-in-education policies in Ghana and India. Together these findings show that similar issues arise that contribute to challenges of providing equitable, quality education, and similar recommendations have been put forward as a result. This paper thus provides a valuable overview of key issues in the role of language-in-education policies in improving equity and quality in education in LMICs.

This chapter examines the ways in which education for rural students has been understood by teachers in India, especially in light of the new expectations of students emphasised in child-centred reforms. Nali Kali and Learner Centred reform ideals have constructed the student as ‘creative’, ‘different’, ‘active’ and ‘independent’, and as being able to ‘think independently’, ‘act independently’, ‘problem solve’, ‘work in groups’ and ‘construct meaning’. These complex and often highly individualised expectations of the child are in stark contrast to the child’s position as passive learner in the textbook-oriented, rote-based pedagogies predominantly found in Indian primary schools. This chapter shows how teachers in Mallige and Kamala clusters understood the role of the school and shaped their expectations of the rural student with respect to new child-centred discourses and the broader social contexts of their work.

This study investigates the cognitive performance of primary school children in India who are English Language Learners (ELL) and live in poverty. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Das-Naglieri Cognitive Assessment System (CAS2 was not constructed). There is a scarcity of studies on participants who are both ELL and live in poverty, and many such children are often found to be intellectually deficient. This study examines the performance in PASS measures (Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, Successive) and their correlation with academic achievement, particularly in reading and mathematics. We assessed the performance of 80 primary school students residing in slum areas (mean age: 9.8 years), matched in age and grade with 70 regular school students from areas outside the slum (mean age: 9.11 years). It was hypothesized that ELL regular school students would exhibit average Das-Naglieri CAS scores as per established American norms.

Introduction:Background noise affects the listening environment inside classrooms, especially for younger children. High background noise level adversely affects not only student speech perception but also teacher vocal hygiene. The current study aimed to give an overview of the classroom listening conditions in selected government primary schools in India.Materials and Methods:Noise measurements were taken in 23 classrooms of four government primary schools in southern India, using a type 2 sound level meter. In each classroom measurements were taken in occupied and unoccupied conditions. Teacher voice level was measured in the same classrooms. In addition, the classroom acoustical conditions were observed and the reverberation time for each classroom was calculated.Results:The mean occupied noise level was 62.1 dBA and 65.6 dBC, and the mean unoccupied level was 62.2 dBA and 65 dBC. The mean unamplified teacher speech-to-noise ratio was 10.6 dBA. Both the occupied and unoccupied noise levels exceeded national and international recommended levels and the teacher speech-to-noise ratio was also found to be inadequate in most classrooms. The estimated reverberation time in all classrooms was greater than 2.6 seconds, which is almost double the duration of accepted standards. In addition, observation of classrooms revealed insufficient acoustical treatment to effectively reduce internal and external noise and minimize reverberation.Conclusion:The results of this study point out the need to improve the listening environment for children in government primary schools in India.

The Indian primary education system plays a crucial role in the nation’s socio-economic development and human capital formation. Despite progress in expanding access to education, challenges persist, particularly regarding educational equity. In a diverse country like India, ensuring educational equity is complex due to factors such as income inequality, caste disparities, regional variations, and resource access. Globally, educational equity has gained prominence in research and policymaking, recognizing its profound impact on individual lives and societal progress. In India, persistent disparities in access, quality, and outcomes highlight the urgency to address educational equity. Previous research emphasizes the influence of socioeconomic factors on educational attainment. However, understanding these mechanisms requires an interdisciplinary lens. Structural modeling, particularly Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), offers a robust framework to unravel the relationships between socioeconomic factors and educational outcomes. This research aims to contribute to the discourse on educational equity in Indian primary education and provide evidence-based policy insights. Using a structural modeling perspective enriched by qualitative case studies, we explore the intricate relationships between socioeconomic factors and educational outcomes. By integrating quantitative analysis with qualitative inquiry, we offer a comprehensive framework to address socio-economic disparities and promote a more inclusive education system in India.

The efficacy of nutrient interventions to prevent/reverse stunting is considered to be restricted to early life. Whether such interventions are equally effective in later childhood is not clear. The present study evaluated the effect of a food-based high-quality protein and micronutrient intervention on the linear growth of Indian primary school children. A secondary analysis of a one-year milkprotein and micronutrient fortified food product intervention (protein-energy ratio: 12.8%) on the height of 550 children aged 6-10 years, of poor-socioeconomic background, was carried out. Height and weight increments were compared between groups of each year of age using multiple linear regression. Comparisons in prevalence of stunting and underweight between these groups was also made. The overall mean height increment at the end of 1-year was 6.10±1.07 cm, the highest being for 6-year olds (6.38±0.84 cm). The mean height increments in 6, 7 and 8-year-olds were significantly higher (all p<0.05) than the expected median growth. Height-forage score increased across all age-groups (by 0.14±0.18) and was significantly higher in 6-year olds compared to the rest. Stunting reduced by 12% in 6- year olds in comparison to the older age-groups. No significant association was observed between height gain and gender. The increased BMI-for-age scores were significantly lower for the 6-year olds compared to older children. Food supplements containing high-quality protein (like milk) along with micronutrients, can continue to influence height of children even in primary school, although the most effect is seen in younger children.

Although the impact of job demands and work–family conflict (WFC) on burnout has been extensively discussed and analysed in the past literature, the role of WFC as a generative mechanism has been neglected. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the mediating effects of WFC between job demands and burnout. The studied sample consisted of 713 Indian primary school government teachers who completed a self-report questionnaire assessing job demands, WFC and burnout. The results confirmed that WFC partially mediates the adverse association of job demands with burnout. Primary schools should, therefore, be encouraged to provide effective practices to manage work–family interfaces.