Shiksha Samvad Project
Empowering Teachers, Enriching Classrooms
Program Purpose
Shiksha Samvad goes beyond training — it cultivates a shift in how science is taught and understood. The program enables teachers to:
- Replace rote lectures with real-world exploration
- Facilitate discussions, experiments, and student-led problem solving
- Make classrooms dynamic hubs of inquiry
Program Summary
Science Shiksha Samvad is an innovative teacher development initiative by Vidyoday Muktangan Parivar Foundation, focused on transforming science education in government schools through practical, hands-on, and problem-based teaching methods.
Launched in 2016 in the Kolhapur district of Maharashtra, the program aims to shift classrooms away from rote learning and toward curiosity-driven, experiential learning. By training teachers in Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and constructivist pedagogy.
The 'Samvad' (संवाद): 2-Day Workshop
Our immersive 2-day workshop (5 hours/day) follows a thoughtful structure combining theory, practice, and peer interaction.
Understanding & Reimagining
- Introduction to constructivist teaching methods
- What is PBL and how it works in Indian classrooms
- Interactive experiments using local materials
- Discussions on behavioural dynamics and student mindsets
Practicing & Planning
- Microteaching using real-life case studies
- Hands-on classroom management techniques
- Designing a complete PBL-based lesson plan
- Teachers create an action plan for implementation
Post-Workshop Support
We ensure that learning continues after the 2 days through:
On-site Mentoring
School visits and in-person guidance
Peer Learning Groups
WhatsApp communities for ongoing support
Resource Banks
Experiments and lesson plans library
Follow-up Webinars
Review circles for reflection and growth
What Shiksha Samvad Does
Understand the concept of PBL education
Identify creative tools for PBL education and start using them in classrooms
Recognize common behavioral issues in students and find effective ways to deal with them
Identify and use simple classroom management techniques that help reinforce PBL
To help teachers plan and conduct PBL sessions
Impact in Kolhapur
Since its inception, Science Shiksha Samvad has made a measurable difference in the Kolhapur region:
Teachers Trained
Government Schools Engaged
Teachers Adopted PBL Methods
Classrooms now include local experiments and student-led projects
Voices from the Field
"After Shiksha Samvad, I stopped relying solely on textbooks. I now teach through simple, hands-on experiments and ask my students to explore scientific solutions to real-life problems in our village."
"I built a flood indicator to help my village stay safe during heavy rains! Before this, I never thought I could do something like this with science."
- Ishan
Class 7, Kumar Vidya Mandir, Shiradwad
Our Vision Forward
We're expanding from 30 to 60 schools in the next phase, aiming to create a district-wide network of science facilitators.
Our long-term vision is to mainstream PBL across rural government classrooms in Kolhapur and beyond.
Support Teacher Empowerment
Help us expand this transformative program to more schools and empower more teachers.