The International Astronomical Union’s Office of Astronomy for Education (IAU-OAE) India Centre had conceptualised the study, which was jointly hosted by the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, and the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE-TIFR), Mumbai, in collaboration with various institutes across India.Manager of IAU-OAE Centre India and one of the co-authors Aniket Sule told reporters: “It is probably the first large-scale national assessment of astronomy learning in Indian schools. The results indicate the valuable opportunity and an urgent need to strengthen astronomy education in India.”Former post-doctoral fellow at IUCAA and lead author Moupiya Maji said the researchers focused on questions such as the extent to which students internalised astronomy content in the syllabus, what were their expectations, whether they could connect the knowledge with their daily lives or cultural heritage and whether there were any differences in students’ responses based on their gender and/or socio-economic status. “Such data is essential if science education reforms are to be evidence-based, rather than driven by assumption,” Maji added.Associate professor at IUCAA and deputy manager of IAU-OAE Surhud More said textbooks must first explain fundamental astronomy concepts in simple terms — taking into account the different mental models students already have. For example, the astronomical reasons behind what students observe in the sky or experience around them are often not explicitly addressed. “We need to engage with children and guide them to reason their way towards correct scientific explanations,” he said.The second crucial step is teacher training, More said. “Astronomy education must be integrated into teacher training programmes to ensure concepts are taught accurately in schools since many teachers themselves hold misconceptions. We must nurture students’ curiosity by improving access to observational resources, telescopes, planetariums and sky-watching opportunities — not just in private or well-resourced schools, but down to the village-level govt schools,” he added.
