Officially PhinisheD

March 6 holds significant importance in my academic calendar for two key reasons: 

 

In 2014, I experienced a deeply emotional moment on this date. I was doing a presentation on a hands-on model that I developed to illustrate the law of mechanical energy conservation. Instead of assessing my model based on the marking criteria, one of the panelists mocked me with some personal criticism. Although she complimented the visual appeal of my model, she criticised that there is no criterion for grading its beauty. Her repeated comments stirred discomfort and embarrassment in the whole room, prompting me to flee the venue abruptly after my presentation was over. My supervisor consoled me when I expressed to her my thoughts of withdrawing from my studies. Fast forward to March 2, 2022, my perseverance paid off when the Department of Intellectual Property, Thailand, granted me a Petty Patent (18158) and certificate of invention for developing a novel, original, and innovative hands-on model.

 

Same day this year, after immersing myself religiously in pursuit of the answer to the research question I projected four years ago, I have officially reached the end of this quest. These past years of my doctoral voyage have been a rollercoaster, with days and nights engrossed in the iterative process of my daily rituals – reading, writing, eating, and sleeping. And repeat. In the process, I faced relentless trials, balancing academic work with other responsibilities, often feeling overwhelmed. I experienced an endless trial, challenging my endurance and grit to their limits, and testing the muscle of my resiliency and perseverance. Addressing my research question signifies more than just earning a title, qualification, or authorship of a 294-page monograph. It stands as a potent testament to the belief that I could do something big in my life without considering surrendering an option. 

 

Thesis Link: 

https://eprints.qut.edu.au/247168/1/Dumcho%2BWangdi%2BThesis%281 %29.pdf

 

However, I did not embark on this marathon of PhD journey alone. In the spirit of an African proverb, it takes a village to raise a child, I offer my gratitude to all who have encouraged, supported, and guided me along the way. I am afraid that I may be biased in mentioning only a few names because it has been way too long to remember all and countless invisible hands and prayers that have contributed during this extensive academic odyssey. This astonishing academic feat owes itself to scores of individuals and entities, both near and far, who have been part of my transformative journey. 

Supervisors

I count myself incredibly fortunate to have embarked on my studies under the doting supervision of caring supervisors: Assoc. Prof. Alberto Bellocchi (Principal Supervisor) and Assoc. Prof. James Davis (Associate Supervisor) whose supervisory assistance helped me to navigate till to completion of my PhD study. Assoc. Prof. Alberto has not only consented to be my Principal Supervisor but also directed me in exploring metacognition in the light of sociological perspectives. I thank him for his motivation, patience, intellectual and emotional support, and academic guidance throughout my studies. I immensely thank Assoc. Prof. James Davis for his intellectual prowess, scholarly attributes, critical thinking, and accessible mentorship. The construction of my thesis is the outcome of their magnificent scholastic engineering. 

 

Panels, Confirmation of Candidature

I thank Assoc. Prof. Denise Beutel and Assoc. Prof. Reece Mills, whose valuable insights helped me to refine the quality of the dissertation during my Confirmation of Candidature. 

 

Panels, Final Seminar 

I thank Prof. Karen Dooley (Chair), School of Teacher Education and Leadership, and Dr Natasha Arthars, Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice, panels during my final seminar, for providing me with incisive comments on the earlier draft of my thesis. I offer my sincere gratitude to Prof. Karen Dooley for thoroughly reading my thesis draft and providing me with a marked-up hard copy that consisted of thought-provoking questions seeking clarification of ambiguities, as well as typos needing correction.

 

Anonymous External Examiners

I also thank the dynamic duo of external reviewers who delved into the depth of my thesis for their valuable comments. Realising that their insightful feedback could shape my thesis into a readable and impactful piece deepens my gratitude.

 

QUT Postgraduate Research Award Scholarship & QUT Tuition Fee Scholarship 

I am appreciative of the scholarship support I received from the QUT Postgraduate Research Award Scholarship and QUT Tuition Fee Scholarship. These scholarships offered me a great opportunity to focus on my studies without having to worry about the financial burden of sustaining myself. If it were not for this scholarship, my dream of pursuing PhD would have succumbed to immature tragedy in the first place. QUT scholarships enabled me to take advantage of the free academic events offered by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), thereby advancing my knowledge, skills, and employability prospects.

 

QUT’s Faculty, Staff, & Management

A special thanks to QUT’s Faculty, HiQ, library, and other staff for helping make my PhD experience as simple as possible. I am particularly thankful to Ms Vanessa Callaghan, Ms Sara Romig, HDR Liaison Officers, Graduate Research Centre, and Ms Harriet Walsh, Disability Advisor, Student Services. The prompt assistance I received whenever I requested it allowed me to execute all the study requirements seamlessly, without a tinge of inconvenience. 

 

PhD Senior Colleagues 

Pursuing a PhD in the Learning Science and Innovation Laboratory (LeSIL) team was like driving with ambitious, wise, and inspiring colleagues. They showed me to drive on the right lane of PhD journey by sharing their research findings, providing experience-laden constructive criticisms, and devoting time to deliberate ideas that always transpired to knowledge co-elaboration. Thanks to Dr Sonam Choegyal, Dr Subashni Appanna, Dr Priscilla de Campos, and Dr Tshewang Namgyel (named in order of their graduation milestones). 

 

Research Assistance (Data Collection, Translation, & Assorted Tasks)

Mr Damcho Wangchuk (Physics) and Mr Ugyen Dorji (Chemistry), teachers, at Bajothang Higher Secondary School, Wangdue, deserve a special mention for assisting me in collecting data. It would not have been possible without their unswerving support and altruistic commitment because my travel to Bhutan was limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I also thank all the students who participated in my research, parents for consenting their children to be my research participants, and the school administration for granting me access to execute my study in the school. 

 

Special thanks to Lopen Sangay Dorji and Lopen Kinley Dorji, Bajothang Higher Secondary School, for the assistance in the translation of my data. 

 

Mr Tashi Wangchuk and Mr Sonam Wangdi (Scouts Division), Mr Karma Norbu (SEN Division), Ministry of Education and Skills Development,

 

Mr Sonam Yeshey, Mr Kinley Wangchuk, and Ms Pema Choden, Bajothang Higher Secondary School, and,

 

Mr Ugyen Phuntsho, Trongsa Primary School, is also acknowledged for helping me in assorted capacities.

 

Research Assistance (Establishment & Settlement)

I specifically thank Dr Sonam Choegyal and Ms Phuntsho Wangmo for generously accommodating us for several months during our arrival here in Australia. I appreciated Sangay Kuenchab Choegyal’s consideration in tolerating us converting his study room into our family’s mini home. It was all due to their genuine hospitality that my family experienced a home away from home, particularly at the time when the world was engulfed by the COVID-19 pandemic. I will never forget to remember them for their boundless love, compassion, and munificence. 

 

I am genuinely grateful to Mr Sonam Dorji M and his family, and Mr Kezang Norbu and his spouse for their immense assistance during our initial settlement period.  

 

I also thank Mr Tshering Chophel and Ms Dechen Wangmo for their advice, support, and guidance in my life, including throughout this PhD journey. 

 

The Royal Government of Bhutan

I thank His Majesty the King and the Royal Government of Bhutan for providing free education in Bhutan. Had it not been for free education, I never would have considered attending the school, much less finishing my studies at a renowned international institution such as the QUT, which has an international prominence in the domain of academia for the real world. 

 

Beloved Parents & Siblings

My sincere gratitude always extends to my beloved parents and siblings for supplying me with their unwavering love and steadfast support throughout my life. The consistency of grit to excel in my life has always been sustained by their organic and lavish emotional succour and faith, so this achievement is truly an offspring of their blessing.

 

My Family

I am always obliged to my lovely lady Sonam Tshomo for her sacrifices and commitments in support of whatever I do in my life. Putting the family first, she sacrificed her academic laurels for the sake of my professional development, believing in the decent advantage it would fetch for our family. Over the past 16 years, I have been fortunate to have a woman who continually inspired me with her sage wisdom, insightful ideas, genuine affection, and ingenious talents. Even for the accomplishment of this doctoral voyage, the secret recipe is one part my luck, hard work, and talent, and the other part, her authentic support. I celebrate this thesis in her honour and look forward to a similar boost. My beautiful little princess Tshering Choden Wangdi for enduring the erratic tsunami of annoyance due to venting my frustrations during the study period. I deeply regret that, in my relentless pursuit of academic commitments, I have inadvertently deprived her of the quality paternal love she deserves.  

 

My Students 

Eventually, the currency of inspiration to embark on my PhD journey began in the 2016 Year 9 class. I had the privilege of mentoring these students as their class teacher for two consecutive years. The bonds I forged with them were extraordinary – the more I embraced a friendly and approachable demeanour, the more profound our connection became. This connection had a ripple effect, shaping how they interacted socially and emotionally with each other. It was this bonding that deepened my desire to explore students’ social bonds. This piece is dedicated to each of them.

 

The School Week Debate

We have witnessed enough drama surrounding the controversial debate over whether to keep or eliminate Saturday from the school week during the political common forums. The spark of the debate has reignited as the government that pledged during political campaign to keep Saturdays off disclosed to the media regarding the committee's suggestion to retain Saturday as regular working days. 

Drawing from my experience as a former schoolteacher, I have always longed for the Ministry of Education to remain isolated from the clutch of politics. It was a terrible and frustrating ordeal to be at the receiving end when education was politicised. For every five years, teachers would find themselves conforming to the whims of directives from the ruling political parties to dance to the tunes of their party manifestoes - only to witness their efforts swiftly scrapped by the incoming parties upon assuming power. The aftermath they produce after prostituting the education ministry due to their myopic visions was enough to leave teachers chaotic, irritated, and disoriented. But for now, the idea to discuss this complex web of politics in education is not my interest and therefore, beyond the scope of this article. Instead, I zoom in on the controversial debate surrounding the fate of Saturdays in the school week.

Generally, the decision of whether to have Saturdays off for the school largely depends on the educational system and its contextual settings. For example, in countries where education system is thriving, the idea of Saturday as a weekend holiday is not even a matter of debate. Despite schools having only a five-day school week with Saturdays off, these countries have high-end education systems.

However, in Bhutan, perhaps in a quest of fulfilling the much-touted quality wholesome education, our experts have venerated the longstanding tradition of holding classes even on Saturdays. Whether we are fulfilling the ideals of quality wholesome education is still debatable, two things are evident; First, our teachers unlike their counterparts worldwide, juggle multiple non-curricular roles alongside teaching. Second, the much-espoused quality wholesome education that we aspire for, still lacks clear (contextual) definition or conceptual framework of our own, remaining as the most contested subjects in our society. Let alone others, this ambiguity challenges even our (education) experts, to clearly delineate what falls within the scope of this controversial subject. 

Categorically speaking, whether it was born of genuine necessity or calculated political maneuvering, the arrival of democracy has triggered the debate concerning the exclusion of Saturdays from school week. In political arena, the debate has become more than a phenomenon and worse than a pandemic. That is why in every political campaign, we witness the recurrence of this issue, often materialised as a political bait to garner votes. At one point, the Druk Nyamrog Tshogpa (DNT) issued directives to consider Saturdays optional for regular school week. However, this ambiguous (which I explain later) order was short-lived, as a new political party reinstated Saturdays back into conventional school routine. 

This contentious game of removing and reintroducing Saturdays now raises a fundamental question: What drives us to trigger this controversy?

If the reasons are political, I am not the one to discuss them. If it is educational, I may have some opinions to offer, considering my stint as a teacher for over a decade. Although the details are not exhaustive, following the latter perspectives, I outline the benefits of incorporating Saturdays into the school week, followed by the consideration of keeping Saturdays off. I then offer an insider’s views (emic perspective) to highlight observations and occurrences on Saturdays in our schools that are largely taken-for-granted.

 

Keeping Saturdays as School Days

Having additional days means more instructional hours, which could potentially contribute to a thorough coverage of curricular requirements. That is, beyond academics, the extra day may offer opportunities for delivering the much-espoused wholesome education by including extracurricular activities (e.g., games and sports, clubs) and character-building programs (scouting, value education, agriculture) in the schools. 

Studies have indicated that Bhutanese curriculum is oversubscribed and content laden (Childs et al., 2012; Schuelka et al., 2018; Sherab & Schuelka, 2023). Unless we streamline our curriculum by focusing only on essentials, using Saturday in the regular school week would be a viable alternative to optimise curriculum coverage – perhaps due to which it is continued until today. Teachers may have the flexibility to distribute the teaching materials more evenly, reducing the anxiety to rush through lessons. This extended timeframe may allow for a more in-depth exploration of subjects and possibly facilitate a thorough engagement during teaching-learning process. 

Keeping Saturdays Off 

Keeping Saturdays off from the school week also offers equal, if not greater, share of merits. For example, having Saturdays off will provide both teachers and students with two full days to take a break (not rest), rejuvenate, or engage in extracurricular activities (e.g., hobbies, hiking, pilgrimage, sports, or socialisation). By breaks, I mean, an active period of engagement in teaching-learning process whereas rest implies a more passive state of recuperation. Teachers and students having breaks can contribute to their overall well-being and work/study–life balance. 

Keeping Saturdays off from teaching can facilitate both the quantity and quality of family time. For parents who reside away from their kids attending boarding schools, these days would be an excellent opportunity to reunite and share meals with them. Even if the meals provided in the schools are of top quality, at times, we often have that craving for home-cooked meals. Such opportunities for frequent meetings can arguably strengthen family bonds. From sociological lens, social bonds (social and emotional connections) between individuals are constantly being formed, maintained, disrupted, or repaired. Scheff (1997) argues that social bonds, if not being formed, maintained, or repaired, may be broken. Emotions are cultural phenomenon (Barrett, 2017; Markus & Kitayama, 1991; Pugh et al., 2022; Retzinger, 1991), with an individual’s emotions being constantly shaped by the cultural ideas and practices prevalent in their society. The theory suggests that when individuals have secure bonds, they experience the feelings of solidarity or social cohesion. When insecure or loose bonds are formed, it leads to feelings of isolation/alienation. In Durkheimian ideology, social isolations and disconnect are referred to have associations with higher likelihoods of suicidal ideation (Durkheim, 1897/1952). Hence, sociological theories have acknowledged social bonds as fundamental for fostering social solidarity (Collins, 2004; Collins, 2020; Scheff, 1997) which is critical to uphold particularly in this modern social contexts where the nature and culture of work are increasingly leading to social distancing by limiting our interactions. 

A longer weekend can be beneficial in minimising stress and burnout for both students and teachers. It allows them to revitalise and prepare for the upcoming school week. I have often noticed that students feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of homework they get from different disciplines – resulting in incomplete tasks most of the time. This is not their fault because they are juggling multiple subjects with different homework requirements. While a well-structured school homework timetable might seem like a practical solution by appearing as tangible solution of addressing students’ homework, we are well familiar with its impracticality. When works remain incomplete, students feel even more overwhelmed and academically lost, potentially resulting to withdraw their interest in learning. Such experience of negative emotions and sentiments may trigger mental health issues such as anxiety or stress.

With Saturdays off, both teachers and students will have the flexibility to schedule appointments, attend events of their own, or engage in social activities that might otherwise be challenging during a typical school day. This will contrast with the current trend where teachers use their casual leave on Saturdays while other civil servants derive dividends of fully paid weekends. For students, this time off can be used to pursue extracurricular interests, participate in community service, or simply relax and refresh. Overall, such educational arrangement may enable a more balanced and adaptable learning environment that supports the diverse needs and interests of both teachers and students.    

Studies have begun to evidence that keeping long weekends contributes to more efficiency, happier employees, lesser turnover rates, and inviting more people to apply for the work. We cannot overlook such possibility in our context as well, especially when we are experiencing significant teacher attrition. Perhaps, more than a salary hike, who knows, this option could be one noble approach to retain experienced teachers and attract enthusiastic individuals to join the teaching profession. 

 

What is Happening in Our Schools on Saturdays?                                                

During the 19th National Education Conference (NEC), the then-Ministry of Education advised schools not to hold classes on Saturdays and instead use them for Professional Development (PD) programmes and extracurricular activities. This resolution also implied that students would take leave while teachers engage in PD activities. However, the notification stirred a sea of confusion, including those conference attendees, about whether Saturdays should be part of the school week. Consequently, many interpreted the notification as optional, leaving it up to school Principals to decide the fate of Saturdays at their respective school. The ambiguity and the side-effect of a resolution endorsed through a show of hands have resulted in some schools observing Saturdays as PD day while others remained closed.

The 19th NEC also endorsed a resolution requiring every teacher to attend 80 hours of PD, of which 40 hours will be provided by the Ministry, 20 hours by the District, and 20 hours by the schools. However, not only is achievement of this resolution largely questionable, but the way our education leaders and school managers conceptualise and organise PD is appalling.

By OECD definition, PD programmes are engagements that offers teachers learning opportunities to enhance their knowledge, skills, and pedagogical practices. Ironically, PD courses in our schools often end-up doing mundane school chores such as result analysis, developing test blueprint, or assigning inchargeships, just to meet the school's 20-hour PD requirement. 

Although teachers make up a significant component of our civil service, the cost of delivering PD programs for them may be relatively frugal than in other sectors. This is because, PDs for teachers are largely held within or nearby schools, accessing school mess targeted to reduce financial implications.

If Saturdays are to be utilised effectively, PDs should offer unique and engaging learning opportunities, rather than organising to satisfy the quota of required PD hours. Conducting PDs in new environments, (not necessarily in high-end hotels as other sectors do), may add an element of novelty and excitement for teachers, breaking the monotony of workshops in familiar settings. Even if it falls on Saturdays, such a shift may boost teachers’ motivation and engagement, making them feel valued and fostering a growth mindset. Recognising teachers’ contribution and giving authentic opportunities for PD may result in a more favourable attitude towards PD, thereby inspiring them to implement novel ideas, renew their energy, and contribute to their overall well-being and professional growth. Again, such simple scheme may contribute to limiting the alarming rate of teacher attrition.

In boarding schools, Saturdays hardly qualify as weekends.  For example, a teacher-on-duty (TOD) responsible for running the school throughout the day must remain on campus. The associated hazards and vulnerabilities of students’ that may endanger their safety and wellbeing are often interpreted as TOD’s accountability, necessitating TODs being in the schools throughout the day.  

The list of tasks teachers perform in schools on Saturdays may vary depending on different contexts. These includes the type of school (boarding/day-school; remote/urban), the amount of teachers (excess/shortage), school managers (myopic/ farsighted) and of course, kind of non-curricular activities (e.g., games and sports, scouting, agriculture, clubs, house competitions) held on Saturdays.