Misfortunes and Milestones of 2018

While some misfortunes and shortfalls in our systems are involuntary, a majority of these wrinkles can still be ironed. After all, the system itself is man-made.

The blame game malady that has plagued our system strangulated my privilege to receive the medal of the dedicated service bestowed by His Majesty the King this year. While my batch (2007 graduates) were adorned with such recognition from the Golden Throne for their ten-year service, my name was mislaid from the eligible list.

On asking the District Education Office why my name was missing, “the list of the entitled recipients from your school has not been submitted on time to the district office” I was told. 

I asked the school administrative assistant the management, to which they replied, “We have already submitted the list of those eligible teachers”. 

 

Instantly, I was roasted with the flames of frustrations and choked with a throbbing defeat of this very blame game. I have witnessed the drama of blame game occurring repeatedly in every part of our system and came to realise that it has officially become a culturally approved phenomenon.  

Unless rewards and recognition are drifting into the tunnel of our direction, cautiously delivering our service, even if we are mandated to, has now become a forgotten story.    

Had it not been the recognition from His Majesty the King, I would not mind slipping other accolades, for I have achieved some other things based on my calibre. 

Realising that life isn’t a dress rehearsal, I have nonetheless, solaced myself to entomb the memory of this misfortune with some embroidering milestones I conquered this academic year 2018.

    

Even if the act was deliberate ignorance or accidental negligence by the people who had a power and were tasked to do it, I only wanted to focus on what I have achieved thus far. 

My Milestones

   

PISA-D Science Coder and Test Administrator 

Following the endorsement of Bhutan’s participation in PISA-D – an international standardised assessment to measure 15-year-old students’ knowledge, skills, and competencies in the three domains of reading, mathematics, and science during the 18^th National Education Conference held at Phuentsholing, I was nominated as one of the six Science Coders amongst hundreds of school PISA-D focal persons. It took almost a week to be a qualified science coder after running through a series of evaluating processes based on international standards. 

In my capacity as the school PISA-D focal person, I conducted a preliminary assessment on PISA-D preparations under Wangdue district. The manuscript, after subjecting to a blind-peer review got published in the Bhutan Journal of Research and Development (BJRD) – an academic journal maintained by the Royal University of Bhutan.  

  

International Journal Publication

One of the manuscripts supervised by my advisors during my post-graduate study at Mahidol University got published in Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching. This same academic paper was rejected twice for publication by high-impact factor-bearing journals.

The journal which is indexed in Scimago sufficed my thirst for academic publication.  

The Precious Princess

The most precious gift, not for this year alone but for my entire life is my little princess. More than infusing me with complete happiness and joy of an unfathomable measure, the birth of my daughter Tshering Choden Wangdi brought me a stroke of luck. 

Nothing in my life gave me durable happiness of this sort, which is unequivocal and infinite. She has now been the synonym of my life’s purpose and my vision for the future. The love between us knows no distance that we miss each other even if we are separated by a wall. 

6^th Young Professionals Leadership Program

19 days after my little angel was born, I was selected for the prestigious Young Professionals Leadership Program held at Royal Institute for Governance and Strategic Studies (RIGSS) at Phuentsholing.

RIGSS, a premiere leadership training institute is a brainchild of His Majesty the King. YPLP is a course intended for mid-career professionals based on meritocracy and their potential to be prospective future leaders.

The birth of my little lucky charm blessed me to be the recipient of this prestigious program. Having an audience with His Majesty the King for more than an hour itself was equivalent to this dedication medal.   

     

Sherig Endowment Fund

I have been the recipient of the Sherig Endowment Fund, the research grant bestowed by the Ministry of Education to bolster research enterprise at the school level. 

While the proposal of some schools could not make even once, I was lucky to be the recipient of this grant twice. The study conducted last year through this grant was published in RABSEL – the CERD Educational Journal. This year’s manuscript is currently under blind peer review.  

Facilitator for Action Research Workshop

I was humbled to facilitate Action Research Workshop for 88 School Principals of the five western districts (Punakha, Wangdue, Gasa, Tsirang, and Dagana).

My presentations were grounded in 3Rs: 

Research, 

Resources, and 

Reinforcements. 

I also shared some tips on using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) by beginner researchers.

Madam Tashi Lhamo, the Chief of the Teacher Professional Support Division on her visit to assess the program acknowledged my voluntary academic contribution. I am yet to collect my acknowledgement certificate which I am told to do so.  

Writing Project Work with Research Components

Writing Project Work with Research Component which has now converted as one of my personal annual academic events since 2016 is a platform where I impart to students of grades 9-12 how to write a research-based project work.

The new science curriculum demands that students submit work largely based on investigations, inquiries, experiments, and explorations. But the majority of our students are still stagnant with the conventional form of writing project work, having only introduction, body, and conclusion.

No matter who recognises me, by this year, I have impacted hundreds of students. In a move to make it inclusive, I extended my volunteerism to teach grade 12 Arts students how to undertake qualitative research as well. 

BCSE Physics Test Developer

Never in my wildest dreams that I saw myself developing a Board Examination paper for the nation. Thanks to the Bhutan Council for School Examinations and Assessment (BCSEA) for entrusting this sacred duty. It was an eye-opener for me to learn about developing competency-based questions, the kind of which our national-level exam papers are made up.

  

Presiding Officer for the National Elections

Without the slimmest hesitancy during the political debates, any candidate sodden with a political temper would opine on the availability of electricity, mobile connectivity, and road linkage in every nook and corner of the Kingdom. Repentantly, this claim of accessibility is largely a definitional morass in the arena of politics. 

This only device that could receive signal exactly at this spot for me to report voter turnout

Declaring the election results

Reporting the election results

 Having presided over during the primary election 2018 at Wogyal was a bitter-sweet experience. Wogyal is a small hamlet under Wangdue district, situated at the forehead of the nation’s acclaimed Punatshangchhu Hydro-power project but lacks energy accessibility. Mobile connectivity is 99.9% sterile while the motorable road is left halfway. 

Physics Guide and Extension Book

Around 2000 copies of a comprehensive Physics guide and extension book jam-packed with 420 competency-based questions were published from the Kuensel Corporation Limited, Thimphu. 

With this publication, I got the taste to embark into the publishing business, right from receiving a registration number from Bhutan Info-Com Media Authority (BICMA) to getting ISBN from the Centre for Bhutan Studies (CBS) to bargaining the printing cost with the publisher.  

 

Speaker at Faculty-Student Research

 I have done an oral presentation on one of my academic papers at the Faculty-Student Research Convention at Samtse College of Education. Presenting in the attendance of professors, college faculties, enthusiast trainee teachers and M.Ed professionals was not only enriching but fulfilling. I travelled the Phuentsholing-Dorokha Highway, the most peaceful, safe, and unused highway.  

Chief Visiting Examiner

I was entrusted with the role of a Chief Visiting Examiner for Physics at Nima Higher Secondary School during the Bhutan Higher Secondary Education Certificate (BHSEC) by the BCSEA. 

As an examiner, I had the opportunity to evaluate science project works and conduct science practical examinations for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology along with two Biology and Chemistry professional examiners. 

Another Manuscript Submitted

Following the critical reviews and suggestions from the editors, I have submitted another manuscript for publication in the Turkish Journal of Science Education which is also indexed. Since I have made the required amendments with justifications, I am hopeful that it merits publication. 

Facilitator for Action Research 

At the request of the Principal of Samtengang Central School, I have facilitated Action Research Workshop for 35 teachers. The elucidation of the action research model (Maxwell’s model) popularly followed in Bhutan, developing research questions and generating their own research proposal was done successfully. 

At the end of the workshop, the principal gracefully endorsed the action research topics submitted by 5 subject departments. My appreciation to the Principal who assured me to render administrative support and financial incentives for the team to complete the action research next year on their proposed topic.   

  

Chief Marker for Physics

More than 13,000 grade ten students have appeared at BCSE this year. 38 physics teachers along with thousands of other subject teachers will assemble at the College of Science and Technology for the winter evaluation camp. 

Thanks to the BCSEA again for giving me this privilege to coordinate the marking of Class ten Physics this year. With the generous guidance from the organization and 37 other markers, I wish things will sail smoothly.

May the Kenchog Sum bless me as always!!!

‘The best achievement in life is doing something you think you can’t do” – Anonymous

          

Action Research Workshop for Principals

        53 principals from the three districts of Punakha, Wangdue and Gasa are undergoing a 5-days action research workshop in Bajothang Higher Secondary School.

How I was introduced to the crowd

A handful of published journals

Conferences and presentations I have attended as a speaker

        I was honoured to have been invited as the guest speaker to share how I have embarked on the journey of researching enterprise: the challenges and opportunities.

My presentation title

            My presentation was based on the pillars of 3Rs: Research, Resources and Reinforcements. Later as requested by the facilitators, Madam Phuntsho Om Namgyal and Dr Rinzin Wangmo, Education Monitoring Officer, Ministry of Education, I also briefly introduced how to use SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) software for the data analysis.  

Three main pillars of my presentation

        Research is indeed never a new idea for many of us. It is only that it has been left without practising it. But late recently, in a view to upgrading the professional growth of the teachers, the Teachers Professional and Support Division, Ministry of Education has embarked on a journey to provide workshops for the principals so that they become equipped to encourage and motivate their subordinates in the schools to carry out research.

            By the virtue of having few research publications, I was entrusted to share some of the challenges faced by the beginning researchers. Apart from sharing how to get the required academic journals and resources from the websites, I talked about some common mistakes committed by beginning researchers. I shared the floor on how wrong research tools can provide inaccurate results, overambitious plans can cause disaster in methodology and how improper research ethics can be risky, particularly in the arena of social research.

        Resource constraint for the beginning researchers particularly the teachers is one critical challenge that is detrimental to research curiosity. Besides other confronting research issues such as not having access to the journals, vague research topics, improper methodology, less sample size or required data, I shared with the forum the aspects of extrinsic and intrinsic resources.

            On asking how I was able to manage some research publications given the demanding teaching schedule in the school, I informed the gathering of how our passion and commitment shape our priority of doing things. It is not only the time or the expenditure factor that regulates our passion for doing research, more often, in the institution where we work particularly the schools, but it is also the sterile internet connectivity that demotivates one to carry out internet-dependent work. Having no workable Wi-Fi facilities is as good as not having access to sound research mining. 

Extrinsic factors that inhibit the researchers

Intrinsic factors that are detrimental to research enthusiasts

        Similarly, the absence of giving credits on the professional front (such as increment or raising the professional ladder) as prevalent in the universities abroad is further discouraging. Training and seminars related to research are needful if the importance of research has to be attached as proclaimed in many public documents. Speaking on an intrinsic front, I told the gathering that a little breeze of moral reinforcement and support, motivation and collaboration particularly from the managers and bosses works wonders. After all, as much as they seek recognition from our work, as subordinates, we also yearn for an authentic acknowledgement from our very own bosses. Just authentic!  

        Eventually, despite the tsunami of challenges, I shared what really reinforces me to maintain the flame of my interest towards the research burning consistently thus far. It was ultimately back to passion and commitment. However, I told the gathering that it was my passion in building the strength of my Curriculum Vitae (CV). In this 21^st century, research expertise is one vertebra that forms the spinal column of one's CV. The recent opportunity to participate in the 6^th Young Professionals Leadership Program (YPLP-6) is the premier leadership institution, the RIGSS at Phuentsholing for one month was also largely associated with my CV. Of the 30 participants, 27 of them were already in managerial posts.

            Another reason that keeps me furthering into research work is social networking. I have records of how I have helped a handful of unknown school principals, foresters (College of Natural Resources, Lobesa) and teacher-colleagues to complete their thesis, design research proposals and analyze the data. Not boasting though, with my little idea in writing a Statement of Purpose and research proposals, I have assisted in dispatching a few of my friends to Australia for the studies.

            When little things that I can do is able to stretch the muscles of smiles in the faces of people, whether known or unknown, that is one thing I am always passionate to continue. But more than everything, as an educator for the last 10 years, I know, meaningful self-learning occurs only in the process of teaching others.

            

            As an additional package for my presentation, I have shared how to use SPSS for data analysis. I have also briefed them that SPSS is not only the solution for data analysis. In fact, there are myriads of other alternatives such as Microsoft Excel that can almost function like SPSS. They were also informed about choosing the right statistical test based on the data gathered from their study. 

            In the next week, I have been given another privilege to share with 33 principals from the two districts of Tsirang and Dagana.  

Began teaching SPSS in a small way

  “Gaining knowledge is the first step to wisdom. Sharing it is the first step to humanity” – Unknown  

The Researching Enterprise

                With one of my manuscripts getting published in the RABSEL – the Centre for Educational Research and Development (CERD) journal, I have now a few publications under my belt. 

                In 2016, I have presented at the National Seminar for Combating Sexual Violence for a Better Society hosted by the Samtse College of Education. In early spring last year, I was also one of the presenters during the first International Conference on Challenges of Anthropocene held at the premier learning institution in Bhutan – the Sherubtse College. 

                In May 2017, the Ministry of Education granted a research grant of Nu. 20,000 under the Sherig Endowment Fund for my research proposal entitled, “Effect of 5E Learning Instructional Unit on Students’ Understanding of the Law of Mechanical Energy Conservation, which is currently under a blind peer-review process. excitingly, this year, two of my manuscripts got published in the Bhutan Journal of Research and Development and RABSEL – the CERD Educational Journal respectively.

Abstract of the published manuscript

            I have realized that stimulating oneself to continue with an interminable research interest is one thing while doing without any enticements is dreadfully another. But engaging in such research enterprise within a dense teaching schedule and that too, under sterile internet paraphernalia is simply draining and madness-provoking. 

            But one thing is certain: the downpour of self-contentment follows when one’s hard work takes the shape in the form of publication. It academically decorates the Curriculum Vitae and boosts the stamina to work further.       

     

            Academic writing is not a cup of tea for everybody. It is quite technical and hence has lots of i’s to dot and t’s to cross. It is a journey and not a destination. At times, if we are uncertain of what we express in the findings, we are doomed to academic suicide in the hands of the reviewers in the middle of the journey towards publication. If we are caught with the fever of being impassionate and uncaring, such writing jobs become needlessly complex because it’s like pitching our ideas on a fixed template. Fiction lovers or for that matter, suspense or thriller addicts will certainly hate academic writings because there is no room to garnish the words with humour. The constitution of communication in research is such that it has to be direct, simple and comprehensible.

            Nonetheless, as one tastes the taste of academic writing, dissipating the time swimming through the pool of journals and academic papers is worth repeating. Even if our publication – though small and young, do not garner better job, promotions and yearly bonus as prevalent in other countries, keeping ourselves on track with researching enterprise certainly keeps us abreast of research temperaments and unwavering inclinations towards it.

Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought” – Albert Szent Gyorgyi

Measuring 15-year old’s Competency

                The assessment of the educational reforms by international standardized assessments has increasingly gained momentum in the process of education policymaking at both national and international levels. The indicators and data obtained particularly from such international benchmarking assessments are extensively used as policy guides while targeting any educational reforms. Due to such significance, just within the last two decades, several international surveys have been institutionalized in assessing the students’ knowledge and competency in various domains such as reading, mathematics and science.  

The abstract of our published manuscript

 

International Tests  

      

   The first of its kind established in 1995 and repeated every 4 years to test learners of 10-14 years was Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

   Five years later, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) was established to assess learners of 15 years in reading, mathematics and science. Established as a project of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the PISA test is administered repeatedly after every three years. 

       The following year, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), which was also responsible for the establishment of the TIMSS, offered another international survey called the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). The PIRLS is repeated every 5 years and studies 10-year-old learners’ abilities in reading and literacy.

            Since its launch in 2000, the PISA in particular has witnessed a growing number of countries joining it after every assessment survey was conducted. This international survey which was initially envisaged as a means of providing data to base educational policy for the OECD countries later gathered more non-OECD countries. Today, it has reached globally to a greater extent and is not just limited to Europe. The rise in figures has augmented the pressure on OECD to cater to the needs of a larger and more diverse set of countries. In response to this challenge, the Programme for International Student Assessment for Development (PISA-D) was launched precisely for the middle and low-income countries to implement PISA framework-based assessment instruments which are designed in accordance with the PISA’s technical standards and usual practices.

PISA-D in Bhutan  

            The gravity of importance played by such global benchmarking assessment has been taken so seriously by the Ministry of Education that Bhutan’s participation in PISA-D was endorsed during the 18^th National Education Conference held at Phuentsholing last winter in the presence of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Lynchoen Tshering Tobgay. 

        Participating in the PISA-D is expected to gather baseline data on 15-year-old Bhutanese students’ knowledge, skills and competencies in the three domains of reading, mathematics and science. In addition, the relevant stakeholders responsible for improving the national education standards will be drawn together to devise strategic plans for redefining the competency of our students to perform at an international parity. With these noble perspectives, the schools located across the kingdom that caters schooling to the grade nine students were mandated to institute the PISA-D club and conduct tests as a part of their instructional schedule.

PISA-D in Wangdue District

                In Wangdue district, the PISA-D tests were a part of the school curricula, particularly for the four schools: 

• Bajothang Higher Secondary School, 
• Gaselo Central School, 
• Phobjikha Central School and 
• Samtengang Central School (later Nobding Lower Secondary School joined). 

        These schools were by default the participating schools as they accommodated the schooling of the 15-year-olds. This national programme mandated to be functioning smoothly in the schools often encountered some critical challenges such as inexperience of the teachers pertaining to the conduct of PISA-D tests, inaccessibility of the test materials and other relevant resources. Yet despite these resistive factors, the preparation for these international tests was executed in these four schools with the direction and status of its progress still unmeasured.

Preliminary PISA-D Preparation Survey

            As much as these tests were necessary, an evidence-based perspective to determine the progress of this national enterprise implemented within the district level was apparent and needful. In an attempt to analyze the preparatory progressions towards the PISA-D under Wangdue district, with the generous support from the Chief District Education Officer and my Principal, we have undertaken a preliminary PISA-D preparation survey. The manuscript later got published in the peer-reviewed journal of the Royal University of Bhutan, - Bhutan Journal of Research and Development. The publication has not only given me the insight to prepare for the greater test in 2021 (PISA), but it has also added another academic feather to my publication lists.

My Role as a Science Coder

            Later that year, I was also privileged to be the first of the six Science Coders to evaluate the Science Literacy Domain of the PISA-D tests conducted in Bhutan. The results are expected to be out sometime by October this year.

Acknowledged as the Coder for Scientific Literacy Domain

“Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know” – Daniel Boorstin

Sexuality Education at Home

            2 years ago,  I conducted a study entitled, Adolescents' Perception of Parental Communication about Sexuality, which I presented during the National Seminar on Combating Sexual Violence for a Better Society at Samtse College of Education and later got published in the RABSEL - the CERD Educational Journal after a rigorous blind peer-review process. 

                The study was conducted to

i) Explore the adolescents’ perceptions of parental communication about sexuality;  

ii) Examine if the gender of the parents influenced the gender of adolescents in terms of having sexuality communication and

iii) Determine the main source of sexuality communication.

            The findings revealed that there was infrequent communication regarding sexuality between adolescents and parents. Interestingly, of the frequent sexual communication that transpired at home, it was the mothers who have done their roles as compared to the fathers. Likewise, sexuality communication was relatively higher in frequency between female adolescents and mothers. Both male and female adolescents perceived mothers as the main source of sexual communication.

            This study has a high bearing particularly in the context of today’s global awareness day of Menstrual Hygiene Day because the information on menstruation was one component incorporated under the construct of human growth and development in my study. 

"Breaking the silence" - Boys showing the support

            Unlike other societies, there is not much literature in Bhutan on considering menstruation as a social, cultural, or religious taboo. But in general, sexuality communication at home is seldom an affair due to its nature of being delicate and sensitive. While adolescence is the transition period of human life that is exposed to numerous life-changing or life-threatening situations, as parents, it is only apt that we provide them with the required support to make informed choices about their physiological and psychological health and well-being. 

Counselor Choki highlights the importance of good menstrual hygiene

            Literature has it that the onset of consistent sexuality education at home can drastically narrow the incidents of negative health consequences such as unhealthy relationships, unwanted pregnancies, illegitimate children and sexually transmitted diseases to name a few. It is high time to consider that the knowledge of sexuality is important not only for adults but is vital for adolescents as well. After all, when adolescents suffer, it is the nation’s asset that is often threatened.

            Thus, it is not only menstruation that requires awareness, the priority has to be in general to improve the knowledge of the sexual and reproductive health of young people. Parents must not shy away to initiate sexuality education at home. In the end, it is sexuality education that assists adolescents to channel their sexual instinct in the right direction, appreciating physical growth, accepting sexual facts and thus living a healthier and happier life.

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough” – Albert Einstein.