Doing Activities in Science: A study of middle school classrooms

Abstract

This study examines the nature and purpose of science activities in middle school classrooms across a cross-section of schools in Delhi and explores the relationship between teachers’ beliefs about science education and their classroom practices. Using a qualitative microethnographic approach, the researcher observed 24 science teachers from nine low-, middle-, and high-fee schools in Delhi over six months and conducted semi-structured interviews with them. The findings reveal considerable disparities in the availability and use of science activities across different school contexts. In most classrooms, activities were primarily used to verify concepts already taught rather than to promote inquiry, exploration, or the development of scientific process skills. Students were often expected to follow prescribed procedures or merely record experiments without actively engaging in scientific investigation. Teachers identified constraints such as limited resources, lack of time, heavy workloads, examination pressures, and insufficient institutional support as barriers to implementing experiential learning. The study concludes that meaningful science education requires not only improved infrastructure but also sustained professional development, supportive school environments, and pedagogical reforms that encourage inquiry-based learning. These findings are particularly relevant in the context of the National Curriculum Framework (2023), which advocates active, hands-on engagement as the foundation of science learning.