Nurturing Minds for Tomorrow

Bharati Baveja is a distinguished scholar in the fields of cognitive psychology and pedagogy, with a career spanning nearly four decades of research and institutional leadership. She formerly served as Dean and Head of the Faculty of Education and Director of the Women’s Studies and Development Centre at the University of Delhi, one of India's premier institutions. Initially trained in Life Sciences (Zoology), she brings a unique interdisciplinary lens to education. Her work synthesises cognitive psychology with socio-cultural and biological perspectives, offering a profound understanding of how biological foundations and cultural contexts intersect in the learning and development processes. An awardee of the British Technical Cooperation Scholarship (1983–1984), her academic outlook is shaped by both Eastern pedagogical traditions and global psychological frameworks.Garima Bansal is an inspiring educationist, researcher, and visionary leader in science education, curriculum design, and teacher professional development. With a doctoral grounding from the University of Delhi, she has nurtured educators across universities, schools, and national institutions. Formerly Head of Professional Learning at Australian Council for Educational Research (India), she led transformative teacher learning initiatives and research collaborations. A recipient of prestigious international scholarships and fellowships across the USA, UK, Ireland, and South Africa, she is a published author and global scholar who blends inquiry-based pedagogy with compassionate leadership—igniting classrooms with evidence-informed practice and hope.

Nurturing Minds for Tomorrow, edited by Professor Bharati Baveja and Dr. Garima Bansal addresses the challenges inherent in organising education to meet the demands of today’s complex, uncertain, and challenging environment. Focusing on transforming pedagogical culture in vogue, the contributions included in this volume promote the notion of “learning community “. Building on the insights from past research and theorisation the volume ventures to a careful analysis of ground realities of marginalization and epistemic justice in the Indian and other contexts. The volume convincingly advances the case for a pedagogy based on social constructivism and critically explores the potential of the Indian Knowledge System as an alternative paradigm which can augment adaptive competence. Another attractive feature of the volume is that it showcases a variety of pedagogical interventions planned and implemented in various parts of the globe. Taken together, the chapters strongly suggest that education must evolve to meet the global challenges, especially those related to sustainable developmental goals. The volume is a must read for scholars as well as policy makers concerned with education, human development and social change. It’s a welcome addition to the emerging tradition of culturally informed analysis of social and educational issues. Girishwar MisraFormer Vice Chancellor, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya Wardha

• Introduction PART A: BIOLOGICAL IMPERATIVES AND THE SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT OF LEARNING 1. A kind beginning: unfolding human nature through the lens of childhood prosociality 2. Everyday Cultural Experiences of Munda Tribe Children and their Participation in Formal Education 3. A cross-cultural comparison between South Africa and India: Perspectives on inquiry-based school science learning 4. Learning ecology of urban middle-class children PART B: RECEPTIVITY TO ALTERNATIVE EPISTEMOLOGIES 5. Reclaiming Wholeness in Education - Epistemic, Ethical, and Embodied Knowing: An Indian Knowledge System Based Alternative to Western Educational Frameworks 6. Indian Knowledge Systems in Science Classroom: Teachers’ Understanding and Way Forward 7. Finding Freedom from FOSS: Insights from Urban Elementary Teachers on an Ambitious Science Teaching Professional Learning Community Experience 8. From conceptual to performative blending: an enactive cognition framework to systematically bridge the gap between curricula and scientific practice PART C: PEDAGOGY AS A BRIDGE FROM CURRICULUM TO LIVED REALITY 9. Making Learning Meaningful: A Socio-cultural Approach to Teaching Social Science 10. Beyond Decontextualized Learning: Psychological Tools Theory Lens to Middle School Science Education 11. Inclusive Pedagogies for a Sustainable Tomorrow: Teachers’ Perspectives and Practices of Scaffolding 12. Contextualizing Pedagogy: Leveraging Storytelling for Understanding of Basic Astronomy PART D: EQUITY AND TECHNOLOGY 13. Reimagining Learner-Centered Education for Sustainability in India: A Perspective Grounded in Epistemic (In)Justice 14. Culturally Responsive Assessment for Foundational Learning in India: From Principles to Practice and SDG 4.1.1 Reporting 15. Empowering Marginalized Voices: AI Literacy as a Tool for Emancipation in K-12 Borderland Spaces 16. Bridging the Digital Divide: Sociocultural Perspectives on STEM Education in India’s Borderland Schools