Bal Chandra Luitel

• PhD
• Professor (Full) at Kathmandu University

This chapter presents success stories from an integrated school gardening undertaken in a community school at an old Newari settlement-Dapcha. These stories depict how once a bustling commercial hub, and a historic trade route located high in the hillsides have been set in a state of revival while the authors worked with co-researchers for more tha...

As STEAM scholars (both the authors) and a science teacher educator (the first author), we recognize that traditional teacher-centric methods of prospective science learning cultures have improved and transformed towards authentic, inclusive, and meaningful learning. In this regard, the driving question of this article is: How has Pratima experienc...

Contemplation as a spiritual practice has taken various forms across different religious traditions and regions worldwide. Over the years, various contemplative practices have evolved and become popular even outside religious traditions to promote the well-being of all for inner and outer selves’ transformation. In education, many scholars worldwid...

STEAM Education is an innovative approach to learning that integrates science, technology, engineering, arts/humanities, and mathematics. STEAM education is gaining popularity these days in the educational field as one of the alternative modes of nurturing students to produce critical and creative human citizens. STEAM approaches have been in pract...

This research explores two methods through which ten preservice math teachers develop an understanding of trigonometric values. Using the unit circle, preservice math teachers engage in knowledge-building activities such as paper folding and GeoGebra application. Grounded in Altman and Kidron's 2016 didactical design research, this study examines t...

Integrating information and communication technology (ICT) in mathematics education has been increasingly recognized as a powerful tool for increasing students' interest and performance. It is widely discussed that students' understanding of mathematical ideas is not satisfactory, especially in terms of conceptual understanding. Using narrative inq...

In this methodological paper of my PhD journey, I attempt to showcase the Nepali Cultural Worldview (NCW) grounded transformative praxis for reconceptualizing the conventional approach of scientific literacy that forgets our axio-onto-epistemic roots. Theory, values, and practice are the foundation of transformative praxis (Freire, 1996). Therefore...

Enhancing mathematical creativity requires more learning activities that foster creative thinking. However, teachers need more resources and activities to nurture students' creativity in mathematics effectively. Therefore, this study aimed to design STEAM-based geometry activities using the Engineering Design Process (EDP) to explore how such proje...

Contemplation as a spiritual practice has existed in various forms in different religious traditions and parts of the world. Over the years, various contemplative practices have evolved and become popular even outside religious traditions to promote the well-being of all for inner and outer selves’ transformation. In education, many scholars worldw...

As mathematics educators, we have grown up in the post/positivist research culture that ignores and devalues local cosmological knowledge systems and realities, ways of knowing and empathic values which have grown out of non-Western countries. Post/positivism further becomes the powerful weapon of imposing colonial/imperial practices in mathematics...

Western-induced epistemologies, rooted in individualism, rationalism, and empiricism, have been criticized for their shortcomings in addressing complex, interdisciplinary issues and for sidelining non-Western knowledge systems and/or Gyana Pranali. These critiques underline the need for more inclusive and diverse epistemological approaches aligned...

Generative AI chatbots like Google Bard-now named a Gemini, ChatGPT-GPT-3.5 or GPT-4, Bing Chat-now called a Copilot, and Wolfram Alpha are increasingly adept at solving math problems. These bots can understand and generate math expressions, providing step-by-step solutions and explanations. This paper examines the efficacy of generative AI chatbot...

Nutrition education at school can contribute to developing healthy nutritional behaviours in schoolchildren. This paper critically reflects on how participatory action research (PAR) empowered university researchers and a school community to co-develop a school-based nutrition education programme (SBNEP) that pro- motes healthy nutritional behaviou...

This paper explores the hegemonic pedagogical-cultures-based narratives that I experienced in my science teaching and learning journey. Furthermore, in this paper, I also envisage different methods for deconstructing the overwhelming influence of hegemony in the science classroom. I focus on two research questions: (1) In what ways could I explore...

The authors discuss their experiences working in blended learning environments to teach and learn to create an engaged pedagogy in various semesters at Kathmandu University School of Education, Nepal, that involves their (PGD, Master, MPhil, and PhD) students of the 2019-2022 batches in techno-pedagogy and its trend in learning. This chapter descri...

Participatory Action Research (PAR) represents an esteemed methodology within the realm of Social Science Research. Renowned for its capacity to foster cooperative learning and holistic advancement, PAR exhibits the potential to facilitate practical interventions tailored to specific contexts. Furthermore, it affords the opportunity for community-l...

Being a physics educator for the last two decades, the first author of this paper observed some disturbing scenarios in the educational landscape of diploma in engineering in physics theory portion. Students' academic achievements in the physics final examination conducted by Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) indicated...

This paper examines different layers of participation while conducting Participatory Action Research (PAR). In the journey of three years of fieldwork with teachers, many realizations were made about becoming co-researchers and engaging in a collaborative knowledge-building process for developing an engaged pedagogical approach. The paper had two p...

Technology-integrated pedagogy creates an engaged learning environment that supports conceptual, relational, and procedural understanding. This study explores the roles of the GeoGebra Application (GA) in teaching trigonometry. The data were collected after and before the seven-day online training programs on using GA in teaching trigonometry throu...

AI-based chatbots are appearing as a powerful tool for solving mathematical algorithm problems. These chatbots, trained on extensive datasets and natural language models of text and/or code, can understand and generate mathematical expressions. They can show step-by-step solutions to math problems and explain the associated concepts. This paper eva...

This paper discusses experiences from school-based needs assessment within a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project aimed at facilitating quality education in public schools of rural Nepal. Being often a first stage in the process of research-action, Participatory Needs Assessment (PNA) offers space for community members’ perceptions and attit...

This paper reflects the perspective of identity transformation of mathematics educators through the lens of transformative learning, foregrounded on Tara’s doctoral research journey. The process of identity transformation seeks to foster reformative skills at various levels by altering individuals and their identities. This is achieved by posing qu...

As humanity progresses in civilization, it becomes increasingly clear that comprehending the complexities of life goes beyond a purely material, physical, or technological perspective. Educators recognize the need for broader approaches to shape our existence. It could be the reason that numerous scholars and educational practitioners emphasize the...

The chapter highlights the significance of an ecopreneur model, which integrates entrepreneurship and sustainable practices within the framework of environmental sustainability. Drawing from the research, the chapter offers insights and recommendations, suggesting that Nepal should reconsider its policies on local curricula to incorporate the conce...

Ensuring proper menstrual hygiene among girls in Nepal, particularly in rural schools, is challenging due to limited access to sanitary pads, inadequate toilets, and a lack of waste management facilities. To improve menstruation hygiene practices among teenage girls, the authors conducted participatory action research in one of the community school...

The first author conducted participatory action research (PAR) with schoolteachers to design STEAM-based pedagogical approaches in two of the schools in a rural part of Nepal. This study's initial objective was to investigate innovative pedagogy contributing to improved teacher and student performance. The authors collaborated with schoolteachers a...

Equal opportunity for the continuous professional development of female teachers seems insufficient in the schools of Nepal. This chapter explores the gender-equitable strategies to support female teachers for their professional development. This chapter is based on the authors' lived experiences while facilitating the continuous professional devel...

Guided by the question, how does transformative praxis work as a means of promoting action learn-ing? In this chapter, the authors discuss the notion of transformative praxis (TP) in their pedagogies as university faculties and practitioners. Likewise, the authors argue that TP is an effective method for promoting action learning (AL). TP is a peda...

Collaborative Autoethnography (CAE) arises from an anthropological-critical research tradition that aligns with cultural-historical and constructivist onto-epistemologies. In CAE, two or more researchers collaborate to write about their personal experiences related to a specific topic (Gal et al., 2013) and writing is based on collaborative, autobi...

Since the integrated curricula were implemented in grades 1-3 in Nepali schools two years back, there is still a chaotic situation among school stakeholders (headteachers, teachers, students, and parents). Being graduated with discipline-based education and teaching a particular subject for years, teachers are still not able to grasp integrated tea...

In this reflective paper, the authors discuss their experiences of developing e-learning courses to teach and learn to create an engaged pedagogy in various semesters at Kathmandu University School of Education, Nepal, that involves their (PGD, Master, MPhil, and Ph.D.) students of the 2020-2022 batches for ensuring higher learning outcomes. This p...

This paper aims to share the professional development of teachers through virtual mode during COVID-19. The paper is a part of PhD research conducted by the first author, the second author is the research supervisor, and the third author is the critical friend of the first author. Participatory Action Research (PAR) was conducted in one of the rur...

We have encountered the views of research as apolitical, ahistorical, aculture, and value free: the most powerful weapon for the imposition of Western-Eurocentric thought. It does not embrace the voice and epistemology of Othered people. Against this backdrop, we offer significant features of postcolonial autoethnography. It has three major attribu...

Workplace spirituality is a complex construct and is perceived differently in different cultures and contexts. The purpose of this study was to construct the meaning of workplace spirituality from the perceptions of employees in an Eastern context, particularly Nepal, which is primarily dominated by the Vedic and Buddhist spiritual traditions. This...

This study attempts to develop a reliable, practical, and efficient process for developing online and distance courses. The study aims to develop e-learning online and distance education courses. ICT and e-Research course development processes have shown significant learning opportunities and outcomes. A substitute for raising these opportunities i...

This policy brief shares an urgent need to develop a School-based Continuous Professional Development Model in Nepal. We argue that the existing teachers' Professional Development Model is perceived and developed from non-context-responsive perspectives as it seems the deficiency-based model and therefore promotes disharmony among community school...

For several years, science and art have been viewed as separate entities in school education in Nepal. The dominant discourse on science was regulated by Western Modern Worldview (WMW), assuming that seeking universal truth should be the central aim of the exploration. In this article, science refers to the absolutist/rigid nature of different disc...

This action research study explored how peer assessment can help students and teachers evaluate algorithm problem-solving skills in mathematics. The study used a self- and peer-assessment activity in Moodle to assess 18 out of 40 Grade X students (10 boys and eight girls) from a Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, school. The students solved algorithm problem...

A learning management system (LMS) is a digital learning platform for developing, delivering, and managing courses, learning resources, activities, assessments, etc. Traditional classroom-based, online, blended, and distance learning are all possible learning methods that could be executed in LMSs. The use of learning management systems and their a...

The educational sector has significantly advanced through the application of technology and cutting-edge tools. Global education has been further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has not been seen in decades. Several schools and institutions in nearly every region of the world have been closed in 2020 or switched to online or remote lear...

This reflective paper explores Tara's doctoral research journey of realization and adaptation in auto/ethnography as a transformative research methodology. While reflecting on Tara’s journey, the auto/ethnographic paper emphasizes cultural perspectives, interpreting one's own experiences, thoughts, actions, and behaviors relating to society and cul...

In this study, we use a self- and peer-assessment activity in Moodle to look at students' self- and peer-assessment skills in mathematics. Students upload answer sheets of 24 questions converted to .pdf to the Moodle platform that is graded by their peers using a mathematics teacher-determined grading scale as a rubric or marks scheme or aspects an...

The STEAM, composed of the aesthetic components of our society and STEM disciplines, has been considered one of the transformative learning approaches. It is observed to be significant in promoting progressive pedagogical activities. The decontextualized nature of mathematics, pedagogical practice, and professional development of teachers was c...

This paper reflects upon and discusses the case of a participatory action research project in a public school in Nepal with the aim of exploring the possibilities for participatory approaches to contextualised teaching and learning. We discuss how research-degree students and school stakeholders involved in participatory needs assessment identified...

The main purpose of this study was to explore the undergraduate level female mathematics student’s identities construction in Nepal. The study adopted narrative inquiry methodology with four female participants from Tribhuvan and Kathmandu University, Nepal. There is an attempt to explore how females have been able to construct identity with the ba...

Conventional mathematics education practice glorifies the hypothetico-deductive reasoning and accompanying reductionist and piecemeal pedagogy and pushes us into the grips of pouring and 'one-size-fits-all' approach (Freire, 1993; Luitel, 2009; Lamichhane, 2021). It is still being practiced and occupies the dominant role in our schools and universi...

In cultural and institutional contexts, autoethnography examines personal and professional experiences. While conducting and representing autoethnography, these considerations raise ethical challenges for self and others. This expository paper examines and explores the various forms of the ethics of self and others in autoethnography in South Asian...

The existing Western modern worldviews (i.e., post/positivism) or Western induced paradigm(e.g., critical and postmodern) seem insufficient for ensuring harmonious learning spaces in the context of the continuous professional development of Nepali school teachers. In this paper, we discuss context-responsive sociocultural perspectives of multiple E...

Autoethnography is a qualitative research methodology that combines ethnography, autobiography, and self-analysis. It employs knowledge of the subject, its context, and other people within the similar contexts in order to comprehend the relationships between life and research. This article aims to introduce the collaborative autoethnography methodo...

This study used a self-and peer-assessment activity in Moodle, a learning management system, to investigate the self-and peer-assessment abilities of student-teachers. To enhance self-and peer-assessment in some author-taught courses, students submitted online texts graded by their peers using a grading scale determined by course facilitators as a...

Abstract The conventional banking model (Kalsoom, Kalsoom & Mallick, 2020) of rote-recall culture of pedagogical practices might promote subject-centric memorizing, rather than understanding and critical exploration of knowledge. Critical reflection might articulate the depth and breadth of experiences of learners and might build connections betwee...

This paper explores the use of the Workshop activity in teaching mathematics courses. Using a workshop as a learning and evaluation tool for the MPhil in Mathematics Education's Graph and Network course, the study's goal was to find the best way to get students involved in learning and peer assessment. The Workshop activity in Moodle is, to some ex...

The history of mathematics education in Nepal had not been explored until the end of the twentieth century. After exploration, it was not included in mathematics curricula due to the invasion of western modern mathematics since 1853. It is quite disheartening that the students who graduated from the university remained ignorant about Nepal's mathem...

The author draws on his Eastern wisdom tradition of Hinduism-Buddhism to narrate his decades-long scholarly journey to expand the mathematics teacher education program of his university, culminating in the establishment of postgraduate programs (MEd, MPhil, PhD) in STEAM Education. The goal of these programs is to empower teachers in schools across...

Since the integrated curricula were implemented in grades 1-3 in Nepali schools two years back, there is still a chaotic situation among school stakeholders (headteachers, teachers, students, and parents). Being graduated with discipline-based education and teaching a particular subject for years, teachers are still not able to grasp integrated...

The long tradition of the conventional nature of education characterized by a behavioristic model of educational practices in Nepal and beyond appeared as unhelpful and disempowering enterprises. Such a model of education survived under the compartmentalized nature of curriculum where pupils did not find the connection of one discipline/subject to...

Critical pedagogy is a pedagogical philosophy and social movement founded on the notion of critical social theories and paradigms. Critical pedagogy encompasses a wide range of topics, including future and hope. Whilst developing educational programs, implementing pedagogies, and responding to humanitarian crises, critical pedagogy becomes a basis...

The rapidly accelerating pace of technology along with new economic order in the world have demanded learners equip with a certain set of soft skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration, etc. One with the explosion of such skills could adapt to the complex nature of the work envi...

Teacher-centered pedagogical practices seem insufficient for promoting students' active learning in semester-based teaching. Therefore, we argue that integrating participatory pedagogy as a strategy to the teacher-centered pedagogical practices contributes to the existing semester-based teaching, learning, and assessing practices. Inspired by livin...

The purpose of this paper is to unpack and critique different forms of solipsism and whether its impacts on autoethnographic inquiry are overly self-referential. This paper offers thoughts on Western and Eastern perspectives on the self. It is argued that autoethnography as a genre and method of inquiry confronts challenges and tensions in terms of...

This paper explores the paradigm shift in using ICT tools while teaching mathematics remotely within the TPACK framework. Remote teaching is not only one of the primary modes of teaching and learning in the present context throughout the world but the transition from paper to the digital world, where mathematics teachers struggle to visualize the c...

While conducting participatory action research, an adaptation of a single paradigm seems insufficient for ensuring a harmonious learning environment for common good. Through this paper, we argue that rather than choosing one paradigm, using context-responsive components of multiple paradigms support us to enhance inclusive perspective and/or qualit...

In the year 2017, the Government of Nepal (GoN) launched Green School Guideline with the notion of One Garden, One School, whereas in 2020, curriculum development center under GoN started implementing integrated teaching and learning through the Integrated Curriculum (IC) in all grade levels. This paper examines how we can develop integrated teachi...

The declining interest of learners in mathematics in the learning process has resulted in poor achievement (Yeh et al., 2019). To get rid of these poor achievements, we explored project-based teaching in four topical areas (e.g., mathematical concepts of coordinate geometry, trigonometry, sequence, and series) in the school mathematics in this rese...

Modern Western curricula influences the university education of Nepal. There has been discussion regarding its domination and imposition on the education system and questioning whose knowledge matters? The purpose of this paper is: A) to explore the status of the curriculum in integrating Indigenous Knowledges in the curricula of the Master's Progr...

The purpose of this presentation is to question the existing methods (e.g. in-depth interview, focus group discussion) of interaction introducing context-responsive methods to explore and thereby address disharmonious learning environment in the context of a community school teachers' professional development in Kavre, a rural part of Nepal. Based...

Participatory inquiry (Heron & Reason, 1997) seemed enough to make sense of teachers' dis/harmonious professional practices in the context of school-based professional development of basic level teachers in rural Nepal through a participatory action research project. However, we

Recently myriads of research are conducted on the benefits of integration of Arts in STEM. Furthermore, these days, the focus is given to integrated teaching rather than subject-specific teaching. In schools, Arts is a neglected subject with more focus on content and assessment of other conventional subjects. With the COVID-19 pandemic, many studen...

In what ways can we as teachers touch the untouchables (beliefs, values, attitudes and emotions of students) so as to promote non/linear mathematics pedagogy? Subscribing to this issue based on MPhil research carried out by the first author using writing narratives as a method of inquiry within an arts-based auto/ethnography as a research methodolo...

In what ways can we as teachers touch the untouchables (beliefs, values, attitudes and emotions of students) so as to promote non/linear mathematics pedagogy? Subscribing to this issue based on MPhil research carried out by the first author using writing narratives as a method of inquiry within an arts-based auto/ethnography as a research methodolo...

Autoethnography covers a wide range of narrative representations, thereby bridging the gap of the boundaries by expressing autoethnographers’ painful and gainful lived experiences. These representations arise from local stories, vignettes, dialogues, and role plays by unfolding action, reaction, and interaction in the form of self-narration. Likewi...

In what ways can STEM education research contributes to improve researchers' professional praxis? How can research in STEM education help transform the researcher's self as a teacher/educator? In what ways can STEM education embrace the agenda of research for all? Considering these key questions as a means for opening new vista for thinking about S...

In what ways have we been dancing our ways of teaching mathematics through transformative pedagogy? Orienting to this key question based on the research studies (Luitel, 2009; Pant 2015; Shrestha, 2018), in this paper we explore how we experienced culturally decontextualised mathematics pedagogy, thereby working for the agenda of transformative (au...

In Nepal, teaching Mathematics has been guided by the notion of transferring knowledge and skills from teachers to students. The overemphasis on "rule-centric" approach of mathematics teaching and the focus on pre-defined algorithms as the ultimate way of solving mathematical problems since the yearly years of schooling have been creating problems...

There is limited evidence of underachieving students' mathematical experiences and the challenges they face in mathematics classes in the context of Nepal. This study explores the lived experiences of underachiever students in learning mathematics in a public school in Kathmandu, Nepal. The study participants were three ninth-grade students (two fe...

Use of human excreta as fertilizer is not a new concept. However, with the use of the modern water-flush toilet, human excreta becomes mixed with water and causes environmental pollution. To reemphasize the nutritional value of human urine in the field, a urine diversion toilet was constructed in a community school situated in Kavre, Nepal. The pur...

Use of human excreta as fertilizer is not a new concept. However, with the use of the modern water-flush toilet, human excreta becomes mixed with water and causes environmental pollution. To reemphasize the nutritional value of human urine in the field, a urine diversion toilet was constructed in a community school situated in Kavre, Nepal. The pur...

Many teachers in Nepal have been facing various issues on teaching their subjects using informing pedagogy, thereby developing disciplinary egocentrism. However, this autoethnographic research study showed that transformative STEAM pedagogy helps them heal the informing pedagogical practices through critical self-reflection by finding and reducing...

The purpose of this study was to explore the critical life-events of the first author's journey of learning and teaching mathematics that prompted critical thinking about his past experiences as a student and teacher. It portrays a paradigmatic shift from a traditionalist thinker to a constructivist actor in the classroom from the critical life-eve...

Reflecting on Participatory Action Research (PAR) experiences in a Nepali community school, this paper showcases how collaborative approaches, such as cross-sectoral, teacher-student, interdisciplinary, and cross-professional action-reflections, created contextually relevant environments for improving teachers’ professional development. Considering...

Emerging ICT tools, techniques and methodologies (TTM), which might be helpful for pedagogical practices, for a synchronous and asynchronous mode of teaching and learning mathematics in online and distance mode of education. This action research reported from the underpinning practices of the authors as trainers, course facilitators, educational re...

The ongoing in-service teacher learning or formal teacher professional development (TPD) is too conventional and de-escalating as the disciplinary skills and knowledge of teacher is insufficient to solve real world problems which are multidisciplinary in origin. Thus, there is a critical need to explore and introduce multidisciplinary pedagogy with...

Needs assessment is a method to find out the current needs of the school that can be considered for providing quality education to the students. This paper presents the needs of five community schools intending to bring changes in the school community. Thus, this paper aims to identify the needs of the five community schools of Kavre, Nepal, and re...

Transformative learning is to observe one's experience that makes one conscious of one's knowledge and one's changing view in the learning community. This paper presents reflection on transformation in learning both the theory and practice of participatory action research as experienced through field visits and interacting with the participants. Cr...

This paper is based on the first author's auto/ethnographic inquiry into pedagogical practices based on his MPhil dissertation. The second author being the dissertation supervisor has played a facilitative role in developing the structure and content of the paper while the third author has provided critical comments and inputs on overall aspects of...

Transformative praxis covers a wide range of scholarly pursuits for social change via reflexive research and practice. Praxis is used to raise the consciousness of researchers, participants and social actors through a constant embracing of a critical stance toward text, discourse, and the lifeworld. A host of images are used to conceptualise the no...

This paper is based on the first author's auto/ethnographic inquiry into pedagogical practices based on his MPhil dissertation. The second author being the dissertation supervisor has played a facilitative role in developing the structure and content of the paper while the third author has provided critical comments and inputs on overall aspects of...

This paper is based on the first author's auto/ethnographic inquiry into pedagogical practices based on his MPhil dissertation. The second author being the dissertation supervisor has played a facilitative role in developing the structure and content of the paper while the third author has provided critical comments and inputs on overall aspects of...

This paper is based on the first author's auto/ethnographic inquiry into pedagogical practices based on his MPhil dissertation. The second author being the dissertation supervisor has played a facilitative role in developing the structure and content of the paper while the third author has provided critical comments and inputs on overall aspects of...

School and higher education faced several challenges to arrive at this state. The world wars, several economic crises and pandemics, etc. were the fiascos that the education system had faced. However, human beings survived and continued developing education that solved those contemporary problems and created a new future. These different phenomena...

Being a teacher, educator and researcher with transformative sensibility, how can we incorporate non/linear aspects of teaching and learning of mathematics so as to reduce the pedagogical ecotone and students' learning ecotone? Subscribing to this issue based on MPhil research done by the first author under the supervision of the second author, we...

I (first author) spent a significant time to search for better ideas, tricks, as well as pedagogies for teaching mathematics in better ways. For this, I realized that curriculum of mathematics plays an important role. The ever-changing beliefs about the mathematics curriculum informed to seek better alternative in teaching it. Keeping those meaning...

In this paper, we discuss the need for personal transformation in the rapidly changing environmental context. We also provide a short reflective and analytical framework for climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and its linkages with vulnerability, resilience, and livelihoods and reflect on how CSA can impact positively on the livelihoods of smallholder...