Foldscope Embedded Pedagogy in Stem Education: A Case Study of SDG4 Promotion in India

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This is an informative paper on a government initiative, which uses an educational innovation to improve the quality of instruction and inclusion in STEM teaching. It is interesting and ready easily, but there are practically no sources, or engagement with the education literature, considering the UN SDG4, or the UNESCO Sustainable Education goals. Those could be considered in the Theory section, to be placed between the Introduction and Methods.

Please, provide some additional information from students in Section 3.1.2, point 5. Your questionnaire hints that you should be able to provide some information on demographics and satisfaction of students.

There are also some technical omissions:

In Section 3.1.2, point 4, the sub-sub heading is missing.

In Discussion (Section 4), please introduce sub-sections, when you discuss SDG4 and ESD goals.

Transform Table 1 so that you avoid multiple lines being reproduced over and over.

Author Response

1. A theory section elaborating SDG4 aligning with our research has been inserted.
2. The demographics have been inserted in 3.5 as Participants.
3. The satisfaction of students has been included by providing their written feedbacks in the result section (4.1.2) sub-point 5 and their ‘aha moments’ (A-E).
4. In Section 3.1.2, point 4, the sub-sub heading has been added. Track changes reflect the addition, “Study of parasites.”
5. In Discussion (Section 4), sub-section 4.1 has been introduced for SDG4 and 4.2 has been introduced for ESD goals. Track changes reflect these changes.
6. Transform Table 1 has been transformed to avoid multiple lines.

Reviewer 2 Report

Hi.

could you, in a short time, enter some numerical data (how many classes or how many schools, which territories, etc.) and report some sentences of the students?

 

Author Response

Dear Reviewer

Thank you for your comments. 

1. The number of schools and colleges were 70, this has been mentioned in the manuscript in section 3.4.
2. The territories were mentioned in the introduction, “We conducted several workshops at government schools and colleges in underprivileged settings in Jharkhand, Bikaner, Pune, Mumbai, Ranchi, Vashim, Vishakhapatnam and Delhi.”
3. Student sentences have been included by providing their written feedback in the result section (4.1.2) sub-point 5 and their ‘aha moments’ (A-E).

Reviewer 3 Report

Thank you for doing this study. You addressed a valuable question; however, the manuscript needs some revisions before publication.

1.       Introduction: Line 37-51; you claimed many things, e.g., India is a country that contains one of the largest human resources in the world, but most of them live below the poverty line (No citation). Please add a citation to support your claims/facts.

2.      Methods: All the participants in the study were enrolled in the second semester of BSc. Zoology Honors program; so what was your population? How many of them did you select? How did you select? Please add more details.

3.      Add more details about questionnaires. How did you collect feedback? You mentioned an online questionnaire; how many responded? Which platform did you use? Please explain every step in detail.

4.      How did you analyze students' responses? Add a few examples.

5.      Conclusion: An excellent concluding section notes the study's limitations. It should mention the scope for further research as well as the implications/application of the study.

Please add a labeled photo of the foldscope where it is appropriate. 

Author Response

Thanks for your comments:

1. The citation has been added from the World Bank report as reference no. 1.
2. The details for the selection of students has been added to 3.5, “The students in the second semester were selected to conduct this study because they have the experience of the classes in semester 1 that provided only 3-6 working simple/ compound microscopes for the entire strength of 38 students of Indian origin.”
3. The detail of the questionnaire has been added to 3.8. The result of the 38 completed questionnaire has been elaborated in Result section 4, sub point 5, Student response.

“The students completed an electronic questionnaire via google forms. All students answered the questionnaire. We received 38 complete responses to the open-ended questions. “

4. Analysis of student response has been elaborated in Result section 4, sub point 5, Student response.
5. Conclusion elaborating the limitation and future scope of the study has been added.
6. Labeled picture of foldscope has been added as figure 1