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.
Day 1: 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
Day 2: 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 school visits and mentoring
Peer learning groups on WhatsApp
Access to resource banks of experiments and session plans
Follow-up webinars and review circles for reflection
What Shiksha Samvad does ?
Project Summary
Shiksha Samvad is a pan-india continuous engagement program with teachers from multiple local body schools, NGOs and educational institutions. It introduces teachers to the PBL (Problem based Learning) method in conventional teaching and other important aspects using the constructivism approach of education.
The program runs for 2 days (5 hours each) with minimum 10 teachers to foster the development of PBL in their own classrooms as well as become role models for their students when it comes to life. Organization did conduct several Shiksha Samvad programs for the last 4 years in metro cities, semi towns and rural urban setups. We were engaged with education sector NGOs like Learning Links (Mumbai), Gram Shiksha Sanstha (Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan), Vidya Chetana (Kolhapur), TANDA (an TISS initiative) so far.
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.
🤝 Our Partners in Nurturing the Program
📍 Impact in Kolhapur
Since its inception, Science Shiksha Samvad has made a measurable difference in the Kolhapur region:
👩🏫 65 teachers trained
🏫 125 government schools engaged
💡 60% of trained teachers adopted PBL methods in daily teaching
🧪 Classrooms now include local experiments and student-led projects
🌟 Stories of Change
🔗 [Read more…]
The Road Ahead
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.