Research by CT Nepal Practitioners

‘Baseline Study on Existing Classroom Teaching Learning Practices in Nepal’, ASD/OSI, May 2010. by Ganesh B Singh

Effective classroom teaching learning helps in improving quality of education. Quality of
education is reflected in the quality of students’ learning. If students’ are made to rote
memorize textbook content and reproduce them in the examination paper, then other
essential aspects of education might be ignored. Rather than a thinking being, students are
treated as empty vessels to be filled up by the teacher’s knowledge. A thinking and
inquiring mind should be aimed at today’s education and Critical Thinking should be
promoted in the classrooms.
This is baseline study of existing classroom teaching learning practices in the Nepalese
schools carried out before implementation of the Critical Thinking methodologies at the
school level. At present 62 people within University teachers and National Centre for
Educational Development of Ministry of Education are receiving Training of Master
Trainers on Critical Thinking methodologies organized by Alliance for Social Dialogue/
Social Science Baha, Kathmandu with the support from Education Support Programme,
Open Society Institute, New York. These master trainers will train school teachers on
Critical Thinking methodologies after completion of their training. This study intends to
provide baseline information to compare classroom teaching learning practices after
Critical Thinking training input in the schools.
The research team undertaking this study benefited from supports, inputs and interactions
with individuals, institutions and key stakeholders. On behalf of the research team I would
like to express sincere gratitude to all of them.
We are thankful to Ms. Svetlana Batrak, Senior Program Officer, OSI; Mr. Hari Sharma,
Director, Alliance for Social Dialogue; and Mr. Deepak Thapa, Director, Social Science
Baha for entrusting this study to us. Advice and technical support given in connection with
this study by Prof. Kedar Bhakta Mathema; Prof. Dr. Prakash Man Shrestha, Dean, FOE,
TU; and Dr. Saurav Dev Bhatta have been very useful to us. Research team considerably
benefited from the advice, support and resources from CT International Trainers Ms.
Veronica Cretu and Mr. Nicu Cretu. Ms. Sanju Koirala, Program Officer, ASD contributed
in this research as a research team member as well as facilitated in smooth conduction of
the study by providing prompt administrative support. We had considerable support at the
field from Ms. Bijaya K. C., Mr. Bishnu Poudel and Mr. Eakraj Bhandari. Support of Mr.
Anup Singh for data management was of great help in timely completion of the report.
Research team expresses heartiest gratitude to all of them.
Head teachers/Principals, teachers, students, parents and School Management Committees
of the visited schools; and District Education Offices of the visited districts were also of
great help in the process of going ahead with this study. We sincerely thank them all for
their cooperation.
More importantly we thank Goreto Nepal for logistic support for facilitating and providing
required support in the task of completing the study.
Ganesh Bahadur Singh
Researcher
May 2010

2009-01-13-crowdedclassroomEffective classroom teaching learning helps in improving quality of education. Quality of education is reflected in the quality of students’ learning. If students’ are made to rote memorize textbook content and reproduce them in the examination paper, then other essential aspects of education might be ignored. Rather than a thinking being, students are treated as empty vessels to be filled up by the teacher’s knowledge. A thinking and inquiring mind should be aimed at today’s education and Critical Thinking should be promoted in the classrooms.

This is baseline study of existing classroom teaching learning practices in the Nepalese schools carried out before implementation of the Critical Thinking methodologies at the school level. At present 62 people within University teachers and National Centre for Educational Development of Ministry of Education are receiving Training of Master Trainers on Critical Thinking methodologies organized by Alliance for Social Dialogue/Social Science Baha, Kathmandu with the support from Education Support Programme, Open Society Institute, New York. These master trainers will train school teachers on Critical Thinking methodologies after completion of their training. This study intends to provide baseline information to compare classroom teaching learning practices after Critical Thinking training input in the schools.

The research team undertaking this study benefited from supports, inputs and interactions with individuals, institutions and key stakeholders. On behalf of the research team I would like to express sincere gratitude to all of them.

We are thankful to Ms. Svetlana Batrak, Senior Program Officer, OSI; Mr. Hari Sharma, Director, Alliance for Social Dialogue; and Mr. Deepak Thapa, Director, Social Science Baha for entrusting this study to us. Advice and technical support given in connection with this study by Prof. Kedar Bhakta Mathema; Prof. Dr. Prakash Man Shrestha, Dean, FOE, TU; and Dr. Saurav Dev Bhatta have been very useful to us.

Research team considerably benefited from the advice, support and resources from CT International Trainers Ms.Veronica Cretu and Mr. Nicu Cretu.

Ms. Sanju Koirala, Program Officer, ASD contributed in this research as a research team member as well as facilitated in smooth conduction of the study by providing prompt administrative support. We had considerable support at the field from Ms. Bijaya K. C., Mr. Bishnu Poudel and Mr. Eakraj Bhandari. Support of Mr.Anup Singh for data management was of great help in timely completion of the report.

Research team expresses heartiest gratitude to all of them. Head teachers/Principals, teachers, students, parents and School Management Committees of the visited schools; and District Education Offices of the visited districts were also of great help in the process of going ahead with this study. We sincerely thank them all for their cooperation.

More importantly we thank Goreto Nepal for logistic support for facilitating and providing required support in the task of completing the study.

Ganesh Bahadur Singh

Researcher

May 2010