SOUMYA DAS*
Coming from a research background to teaching, I find one of the most notable aspects of Pathashaala to be its emphasis on project-based learning— where students gain hands-on experience with academic concepts, making learning a deeply immersive process.
We all carry ideas within us and want to see change in the world, whether it is finding more sustainable ways to live or solving everyday challenges. However, as students, bridging the gap between academic learning and real world application can be challenging. That is why Pathashaala nurtures a space where students do not just learn concepts but apply them to create something meaningful.
For classes 5–8, we introduced Seed of an Idea, which, as the name suggests, nurtures the sparks of curiosity that arise in young minds. The questions they ask while walking to their learning spaces or the dining hall—Why are leaves suddenly turning yellow this time of year? Can water be used more sustainably? How can water be purified and used for daily chores? Why is there excessive plastic waste; can we do something about it? Can we make a paper plane that flies longer? It is scorching today; is there a DIY way to cool down the room?—become the starting points for projects that merge learning with exploration.
While students have intriguing ideas, they may struggle to persist long enough to find answers, as their curious minds swiftly move on to new questions. This is where good facilitation plays a crucial role. They are guided to stay with their questions, prompted with further questions that help unravel their thoughts. Structured steps keep them engaged, especially when they see real-world applications; they are more likely to persist if they can connect their learning to how things actually work.
After the success of Seed of an Idea, we extended the initiative to senior school students last year, introducing Ignite, Innovate, Inspire, following up on a proposal I made in this regard. This platform allows senior students to take on more intricate projects that require deeper research, creativity, and knowledge beyond their curriculum. They explore various concepts in practice and apply theories to working models and solutions. Some examples include developing an atmospheric water generator, analyzing how advertisements impact a company’s profit, designing accessible storage solutions for visually impaired individuals, building RC (remote controlled) cars, and experimenting with the chemiluminescent chemical luminol’s reaction with iron.
I have largely facilitated these projects, with the help of other teachers. When students approach me with a question, my role as a facilitator is to guide them through the following steps:
- Understanding the intention: The first step is to articulate the reason behind choosing a topic. Identifying the specific interest and the problem being addressed ensures a clear purpose and motivation to persist with the project.
- Breaking down the question: Deconstructing the idea into manageable parts allows for reflection and refinement. Structuring the thought process helps create a clear plan for exploration.
- Researching: Gathering relevant information provides a strong foundation for the project. This could involve collecting data for an economics-related study, exploring electrical circuits for a physics experiment, or studying chemical reactions for a chemistry investigation.
- Developing a practical approach: Applying the acquired knowledge in an experimental setting or implementing original ideas brings the concepts to life. Whether testing bacteria growth, designing a prototype, or setting up an experiment, this stage transforms theoretical learning into tangible outcomes.
- Communicating their findings: Presenting the process and conclusions in a structured manner ensures clarity for different audiences, from junior students to teachers. Expressing insights effectively strengthens communication skills while inspiring others to think creatively and independently.
Sample projects
A student worked on predicting exchange rates. After understanding her intention, I asked these questions one by one as she progressed with her project: What factors affect exchange rates? How do you plan to find data for these factors? How will you organize and analyze this data? How do you build a model based on the collected information? How do you check if your model is accurate? How does this entire process relate to your academic curriculum and global economic trends?
Another student worked on building a drone. He began with a simple yet profound question—how do I make a small machine fly? This led him to explore motors, sensors, electrical circuits, and programming using Arduino. Assembling the drone required applying physics, debugging code, troubleshooting hardware, and refining the design, turning it into a holistic, hands-on learning experience.
Similarly, an ambitious experiment on using biotic factors for dry-waste management began with identifying worms that could potentially digest plastic. How do we confirm that the worm is truly digesting plastic and not merely shredding it? If the plastic decomposes, is it due to microbial action or the worm itself? What happens if the worm ingests plastic but cannot digest it? Would that be harmful to the organism? These questions drove scientific experimentation and meaningful discoveries.
This project-based approach to learning has allowed not only our students but also interested learners from other schools to participate in in-person as well as online (during COVID) Kondattams (celebratory learning sessions), which have been hosted by Pathashaala for twelve years now. The Sustainability Symposia organized and anchored by Senior School for the past three years has also built on this possibility with other schools. Recognizing the significance of hands-on learning and real-world engagement, we explored further opportunities to enhance project-based education.
During the peak of COVID in 2020, we discovered the potential of hybrid learning at Pathashaala. A large number of resident teachers lived and worked from the school in a primarily online mode, while also experiencing first-hand the deep learning opportunities provided by the school’s autonomous use of natural resources. To keep the spirit of project-based learning alive, our Principal proposed The Courtyard School in 2020. It is a hybrid space of inquiry-based learning, a way to utilize Pathashaala’s unique environmental and pedagogic design for students’ project-based questions and initiatives across schools.
Now, after Pathashaala’s recovery from the COVID years, there is space again to take this idea forward, albeit on a small scale. It offers plus-two level students a unique opportunity to step beyond textbooks and dedicate time—whether a day or a week, in person or online— to work on a project, evolve an idea, or engage with sustainable technologies.
Questions remain: is a project a sufficiently anchored way to help students persist with their long-term interests? Or, as we sometimes wonder, do questions really get addressed, let alone answered, by projects or does ‘way lead on to way’? One truth that sometimes emerges from our review discussions is that in the welter of ‘doing’, much that was valuable in the thinking, ‘the soul of a question’, can wash away. Much depends on the facilitation.
Project-based learning is not just about completing assignments; it is about building ideas together. It is about asking questions, persisting, and refining with them, embracing and learning from failures, things that don’t work, iterating on possible solutions, and seeing learning as a continuous journey. By navigating challenges, engaging with new information, and experimenting with different approaches, students develop resilience and confidence. They learn that setbacks are not obstacles but stepping stones toward deeper understanding. As they take ownership of their learning, academics ceases to be just a requirement and become a transformative process, one where curiosity fuels discovery.