Education In Bhutan Research Articles

Examining Bhutanese Science Teachers’ Epistemic Views of Scientific Inquiry

AbstractScientific inquiry is regarded as the bedrock of science education in Bhutan. Bhutanese science teachers, for example, are increasingly required to possess accurate and deep epistemic views of scientific inquiry. Hence, this cross-sectional study was carried out to examine Bhutanese science teachers’ epistemic views of scientific inquiry. The study recruited 301 science teachers using convenience and snowball sampling procedures. Data was collected using Views About Scientific Inquiry (VASI) questionnaire administered through an online survey mode and analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistical methods. Findings from this study revealed Bhutanese science teachers as being ignorant of epistemic aspects related to questions and hypotheses, procedures of investigations, results, and procedures of investigations, scientific data and scientific evidence, and scientific explanations and scientific theories. The independent sample t-test revealed no significant difference between Bhutanese male and female science teachers’ epistemic views of scientific inquiry (p > .05). The one-way ANOVA revealed significant differences amongst Bhutanese science teachers’ epistemic views of scientific inquiry based on academic qualification (p < .05). The Tukey HSD post hoc test, however, showed the differences existing only between science teachers with master’s degree and certificate qualification in favour of the former (p < .05). The three-way ANOVA revealed Bhutanese science teachers’ epistemic views of scientific inquiry as being independent of individual and interaction effects of school type, teaching subject, and teaching experience (p > .05).

Developing a Conceptual Framework to Study Primary Education in Bhutan

Developing a Conceptual Framework to Study Primary Education in Bhutan

Challenges and instruments for admission into tertiary education system in Bhutan

Bhutan's tertiary education system has grown significantly in a short period of time. Despite unprecedented growth and development, tertiary education in Bhutan continues to face challenges such as an inefficient transition from secondary to tertiary education due to a lack of multi-career pathways to absorb the growing population of high school graduates; quality of education and alignment of student knowledge, skills, and competencies with the world of work; and access to tertiary education through multiple admission processes. This study presents comprehensive reviews on the subject matter including the best practices of the tertiary education system in the Netherland and Singapore.

Nurse Educators, Clinical Nurses and Students’ Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Nursing Education in Bhutan

Abstract Background: In Bhutan, the Health School started in 1972 providing a 2-year certificate course for community health workers, assistant nurses and assistant technicians. In 1982, the Diploma course for nurses commenced and was assisted by the RAK College of Nursing Faculty, New Delhi, India, in formalising the curriculum and also carried out the evaluation of the first batch of nursing students. Objective: The study assesses the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of nurse educators (NEs), clinical nurses and students undergoing the Diploma in Nursing and Midwifery training towards nursing education in Bhutan. Methods: The methodology was a quantitative study using a self-administered questionnaire. The first section had demographic data, and the second had questions on KAP. The participants were NEs, students and clinical nurses. The study was done in the nursing institute, the national hospital and the district hospitals. The instrument, i.e. questionnaire, had a five-point Likert scale from ‘excellent, good, fair, poor, to very poor’ Results: In the results, students rated the KAP of NEs and clinical nurses as ‘good’. On the contrary, the attitude of students towards ‘gaining knowledge from the clinical area’ and their ‘eagerness to learn nursing’ are rated ‘fair’ Conclusion: The KAP provides a detailed view of the status of nursing education, and the data obtained from the study provide strong baseline information for nursing education in the future.

Tutor Quality, Facilitating Conditions, and Perceived Usefulness as Predictors of Pre-service Teachers’ Satisfaction in an E-learning Environment

Student satisfaction is one of the components used to measure the success and effectiveness of e-learning. This study examined the determinants resulting in pre-service teachers' satisfaction in an e-learning environment. Using structural equation modelling, student satisfaction was assigned as the endogenous variable, while tutor quality, perceived usefulness, and facilitating condition were the exogenous variables. Similarly, the construct was tested for its mediation effect towards student satisfaction from teacher quality and facilitating conditions, respectively. A total of (n=471) pre-service teachers enrolled in one of the colleges of education in Bhutan voluntarily responded to the survey questionnaire that followed a cross-sectional design. The results of the structural equation analyses indicated that student satisfaction was significantly determined by its antecedents, with tutor quality and facilitating conditions taken together resulting in an R2 of 0.82. Moreover, it was observed that tutor quality and facilitating conditions exerted a positive direct effect on the satisfaction dimension. The results also revealed that perceived usefulness has a statistically positive mediated effect on student satisfaction through tutor quality and facilitating conditions. The model proposed and tested in this study demonstrates that the tutor quality, facilitating conditions, and perceived usefulness can measure the e-learning satisfaction of students. The findings of this research may be helpful for administrators, policy planners and practitioners in the field of e-learning development to identify the elements that affect student satisfaction and further strengthen the existing e-learning programmes, particularly in developing Asian countries.

Influence of Study Abroad Experiences in Australia on Teacher Education in Bhutan’s Education Colleges

Tertiary education in Bhutan has changed with the establishment of the Royal University of Bhutan in 2003, and the two constituent colleges of education have brought many developments in the education system in Bhutan. As the majority of the faculty members in the education colleges are Australian alumni, this case study was focused on how their Australian educational experiences have influenced professional practice in teacher education. This focus was part of a qualitative study which revealed influences in teacher education, research, and leadership as three critical changes that were attributed to the Australian educated faculty members of the education colleges. Inculcating international best practices in teaching pedagogy, curriculum development taking into account the Bhutanese context, and development of Early Childhood Care and Development curriculum are reported in this paper along with discussion of the implications for the Bhutanese education system.

Offline and Online Practices for Assembly Language Programming with 8085 Microprocessor

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that distance teaching and learning at educational institutions since 2020 has become common place. The Ministry of Education in Bhutan has taken the initiative to educate students using learning television and Internet-based online education instead of traditional classes. Thus, the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB) and its ten constituent colleges have been swift in transitioning to online teaching through Moodle and varieties of other applications such as ZOOM, Big Blue Button and Google classroom since March 2020. Since then, offline and online blended teaching began at the College of Science and Technology (CST) under RUB in January 2021. In this paper, we focus on offline and online teaching and learning practices for assembly language programming with the 8085 microprocessor. A Zoom meeting is used for the online practical. Firstly, a tutor gives an 8085 assembly program lesson, which is common to both offline and online teaching practices. In the case of the offline practice, students assemble the assembly program into Hexadecimal code, by looking up a table of the 8085 instruction set. Finally, the Hexadecimal code is input and executed on an 8085 microprocessor trainer, and students confirm the output from the trainer. Here, the trainer is a small computer composed of a microprocessor, peripheral/communication interfaces, timer, memory, input device and output device. In the case of the online practice, on the other hand, students input the assembly program directly on a Web-based 8085 microprocessor simulator. We developed an 8085 microprocessor simulator using JavaScript. Then, students confirm the output from the simulator on a Web browser. The students took 6 offline learning practices and 4 online out of a total of 10. According to a questionnaire survey about the comparison of the offline and online practices from the students, they say offline practices are much better than online ones, because direct communication is important to understand the learning contents. We conclude that there is room for improvement in the online teaching methods.

An Explorative Study on Leadership Styles of Principals of Thimphu Thromde, Bhutan

Modern education in Bhutan was introduced as early as 1914, it has come across numerous reforms and development since then. The Royal Government of Bhutan has always placed a top priority on its advancements and rethinking as it grows. Quality of education is one major concern and opportunity in the country in the education sector. Second being the quality of the teachers and educators. Considering the national concern and importance bestowed upon the educators and teachers’ professionalism in particular, the study to explore the leadership styles of the principals has been undertaken. The study is an explorative assessment using the mix method approach using Rensis Likert’s Leadership Styles model. A sample size of 289 respondent teachers from among 19 schools has been collected using 21 item four-point likert-type semi-structured randomly distributed questionnaires and one to one interview questions. The data were analyzed using a statistical package for social sciences version 21 to derive descriptive and inferential statistics. The most popular type of leadership styles perceived to be in practice in the study sample is consultative leadership (75.8 percent), which is followed by benevolent authoritative leadership (14.5 percent) and participative group leadership (9.7 percent). The content analysis of the interview also revealed that the principals were very supportive and engaging and in full support of their subordinates. The study therefore, hopes to create new insights for the policy makers and education sector of the country for rethinking and development as recommended in the study.

School leaders’ attitudes to the implementation of inclusive education in Bhutan

ABSTRACT An online questionnaire investigating the attitudes of Bhutanese school leaders towards inclusive education was conducted in 2016. The respondents were 20 school leaders, 16 males and 4 females, with an average age of 41 years, and teaching experience ranging from 8 to 32 years. Responses revealed that this group of school leaders had generally positive attitudes towards inclusive education; however, they were uncertain about including children with high support needs resulting from socio-emotional, cognitive and behavioural difficulties. Results confirmed that the school leaders’ religious beliefs did not negatively influence their perceptions of disability and inclusive education. The findings from this exploratory study highlight the need for a legal and educational framework to underpin inclusive education in Bhutan. Such a framework will guide the provision of adequate professional learning for school leaders, appropriate resourcing, and the implementation of further systemic support.

Pro-poorness of rural economic growth and the roles of education in Bhutan, 2007–2017

Among south Asian countries, Bhutan has the second lowest poverty incidence; but, there is a large difference in poverty incidence between urban and rural areas. While urban areas registered a very small poverty incidence, 12.0% of rural population were still below the national poverty line in 2017. Poverty is by and large a rural phenominon in Bhutan. Against this background, this study examines whether Bhutan’s rural economic growth was pro-poor from 2007–2017 by using the Bhutan Living Standard Surveys. It also conducts an IV probit analysis to explore the determinants of poverty. Even in rural areas, growth is necessary for the reduction of poverty. Besides relying on trickle-down effects from hydropower projects and tourism, promotion of agriculture-based small scale industries is essential for the acceleration of rural economic growth, where further development of basic industrial and transportation infrastructure and socioeconomic facilities is imperative. The country also needs to promote and strengthen basic education since education is found to have played an important role in reducing poverty. Many rural households are vulnerable to poverty. To prevent vulnerable households from falling into poverty, more effective social safety net programs may be necessary based on regional differences in factors affecting living conditions.

Impact of online teaching on students’ learning and satisfaction during the pandemic: Business education in Bhutan

Impact of online teaching on students’ learning and satisfaction during the pandemic: Business education in Bhutan

School Principals’ Experiences of Implementing Inclusive Education in Bhutan

The experiences of school principals implementing inclusive education in Bhutan is the focus of this study. The results draw on data gleaned from structured interviews of six principals (four males and two females) from the SEN integrated schools in Bhutan. Thematic coding and computational analysis were employed. The results highlighted that these principals were supportive of inclusive education. Within a short period of implementing the inclusive education program in schools, commendable progress has been achieved, especially in making appropriate accommodations and adjustments through the provision of additional teacher support, differentiation of classroom pedagogy, and modification of the assessment and evaluation of learning outcomes. The principals reported a strong sense of faith and confidence in the resilience of their teachers, and they emphasised their own commitment to lead inclusive education efforts in their schools. The positive experiences of the principals are particularly noteworthy in view of the lack of resources, infrastructure, and facilities accessible to all children, the inflexible curriculum, a lack of pre-service and in-service professional learning for teachers and inadequate understanding and knowledge of parents and the Bhutanese society in general. Inclusive Education was identified by the principals as a rights-based approach to education.

Connections of Transformative Education with Bhutan’s Pedagogical Ideas for Promoting Sustainability Education

The study aims to clarify how transformative education teaching and learning ideas have been incorporated into sustainable development-focused education in Bhutan. Sustainable development is included in various ways in the Educating for Gross National Happiness Training Manual (GNH TM) developed by the Ministry of Education of Bhutan in 2013. GNH-focused education aims at developing students’ respect and critical thinking for the well-being of human beings and the environment. The article provides an overview of 26 selected articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals from 1991–2021. Altogether, 12 sustainable development-focused transformative education articles were analyzed in detail using qualitative content analysis. The results of the study show that transformative education is reflected in many ways in the teaching goals, objectives, contents, and methods introduced in the GNH TM units. Consequently, transformative education and teaching have become part of teaching in Bhutan’s schools, with an emphasis on sustainable development and protection of the environment. However, for a sustainable future, active student-centered teaching and learning methods should be used in a more diverse way.

Postgraduate Surgical Education in Bhutan.

Postgraduate medical education in Bhutan began in 2014 which marked a new era in the medical education in the country. From a mere handful of surgeons in 2003 to the numbers today, general surgical services have come a long way in Bhutan. Medical education has progressed tremendously to adoption of modern medical educational methods promoting objectivity in all aspects. This article dwells with the historical perspective as well as the state of the general surgical education and the services in Bhutan. It is the first of its kind of article to be written.

Bhutanese Teachers' and Students' Perceptions about Environmental Issues in Bhutan

Bhutan aspires to achieve Gross National Happiness (GNH) through sustainable environmental conservation and socioeconomic development. However, the country is facing increasing environmental challenges. Education is considered to be a key component in a range of efforts to remediate current environmental threats in Bhutan. As part of this agenda, the optional school subject of Environmental Science was introduced in 2015 for Classes IX–XII with the aim of equipping young people with the knowledge and values to protect the environment and promote sustainable and equitable use of natural resources in the pursuit of GNH. This paper focuses on the qualitative aspect of a broader mixed-method research project that explored the effective implementation of Environmental Science in secondary schools in the Samtse region of Bhutan. This study answers the research question: “What are teachers’ and students’ views about environmental problems in Bhutan?” Drawing on interviews of 14 teachers and 194 students engaged in Environmental Science, the results showed that participants were aware of various environmental problems; however, they lacked knowledge and awareness about climate change issues in Bhutan. The results suggest the need for more emphasis on climate change education in Bhutan. The student participants believed in collectivism to address the environmental challenges, indicating a strong cultural influence that schools could leverage to address sustainability issues through community participation.

Gender Sensitivity in Textbooks in Secondary Education in Bhutan

This study was carried out to understand gender stereotype in the curriculum framework and textbooks which form the main curricular materials in schools in Bhutan. The curriculum framework for Accountancy, Economics, Mathematics, Science, Geography, History and English were reviewed by the researchers. Except for science curriculum framework which states that science curriculum should be gender-sensitive in terms of materials used, language used and ensuring the equal participation of boys and girls in activities, other frameworks were all silent on gender. Textbook reviews were carried out by teachers (22 female and 54 male) teaching classes IX to XII in the form of clustered workshops using the Blumberg model of textbook analysis which was employed to analyse gender biases in Vietnamese primary school textbooks. The findings revealed a presence of imbalance of gender among the authors, reviewers, editors and designer as well as the presence of gender biases, gender stereotyping in the content, illustrations and student activity. It calls for curriculum developers and textbooks authors to integrate gender in the curriculum framework which will then guide the development of gender-sensitive textbooks.

International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 2021 Vol. 6, Issue3, ISSN No. 2455-2143, Pages 36-44Published Online July 2021 in IJEAST (http://www.ijeast.com)36AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON QUALITY OF EDUCATION:A CASE STUDY IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN WANGDUEPHODRANG DISTRICT,BHUTAN

Since 1914 education in Bhutan has progressed by leaps and bounds, however, the quality of education system has alwaysbeen a matter of inquiry and onfrequent question. Hence, there havebeen numerous efforts to help improvethequality of education in the last decade. Also deriving inspiration from the His Majesty the King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on the efforts to revamping education system in the country, the study was undertaken to understand the quality of education and educational services in the country through a case study in Wangduephodrang District. The study is an empirical quantitative analysis. It used the SERVQUAL instrument. The data was collected through randomly distributed questionnaires through a convenience sampling method. Sample size of 334 was determined using an online survey monkey tool.The data was analysedusing excel to obtain descriptive statistics and individual value data plot. Paired two sample t-test was also performed to compare means and to see the significant difference between expectation and perception of the services of each of the items and dimensions as a whole at hypothesized mean difference of zero,alpha value of 0.05. The average gap score is at -0.4 which means that the expectations have not been met and quality of education services is unsatisfactory. Similarly, differencesbetween the means of overall average and all the five dimensions are found to be statistically significant. Interesting to note that ASSURANCE and TANGIBILITY requireimmediate attention. Some of the key findings are lack of adequate teachers and staff, lack of educational and instructional materials,need to foster and widen student-teacher bondsand need to cultivate a sense of assurance. On the contrary, teachers/schoolshave been found to be very proactive in assisting

Gender Enrolment Trend in Higher Education Disciplines: A Situational Analysis of Higher Education in Bhutan

This study aimed to study the gender enrolment trend in different disciplines in higher education in Bhutan. The study was carried out using secondary data of the Annual Education Statistics 2015-2020 published by the Ministry of Education annually. A desk review of relevant materials was done to support the results. The study revealed growth in Gender Parity Index (GPI) in secondary schools over the six years from 1.06 to 1.11, meaning there were more female students in secondary schools compared to male students. Although overall growth at higher education increased by 4.4 percent over six years, GPI at higher education indicated a marginal rise from 0.79 to 0.95. The gender disparities have been mostly observed in disciplines such as science and technology, business study, engineering, and traditional medicines. However, female student outcast its enrolment in the study of law, nursing, education, and general disciplines. To address issues relating to uneven gender disparity amongst the discipline, higher education in Bhutan will have to carry out strategic interventions to create awareness on gender and higher education. There is also a need to carry out rigorous analysis to establish a deeper understanding of gender disparities in higher education and implementing interventions to bridge gaps.

Introducing Medical Humanities to Health Professional Education in Bhutan: A discussion on challenges and possible solutions

Healthcare around the world is facing a series of challenges. Though there is publicity given to the technical dimensions, there is an urgent need to make healthcare more humane. This has become more essential given the volumes of information available in current context. The available information has resulted in patient knowing more than the health professionals about their own health needs. The concept of medical humanities is new and gaining awareness. This could be solution to ailing medical practices not just in Bhutan but also globally. This is reflected in many of the policies where medical humanities is gaining attention.

Gender Sensitivity in Textbooks in Secondary Education in Bhutan

This study was carried out to understand gender stereotype in the curriculum framework and textbooks which form the main curricular materials in schools in Bhutan. The curriculum framework for Accountancy, Economics, Mathematics, Science, Geography, History and English were reviewed by the researchers. Except for science curriculum framework which states that science curriculum should be gender-sensitive in terms of materials used, language used and ensuring the equal participation of boys and girls in activities, other frameworks were all silent on gender. Textbook reviews were carried out by teachers (22 female and 54 male) teaching classes IX to XII in the form of clustered workshops using the Blumberg model of textbook analysis which was employed to analyse gender biases in Vietnamese primary school textbooks. The findings revealed a presence of imbalance of gender among the authors, reviewers, editors and designer as well as the presence of gender biases, gender stereotyping in the content, illustrations and student activity. It calls for curriculum developers and textbooks authors to integrate gender in the curriculum framework which will then guide the development of gender-sensitive textbooks.