Summary of SyMETRI meeting
Date: October 14th, 2026
Host: Dr. Cynthia Nicol
Welcome to the 2026 SyMETRI meeting series, a forum for STEM graduate students and faculty in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP) to discuss and reflect on our journeys and research in STEM education. Dr. Cynthia Nicol, a professor of mathematics education, and Suresh, a third-year PhD student in science education, will co-organize the 2026 series. The first session took place on October 14 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. via Zoom. Cynthia began the session with a land acknowledgment, followed by a brief introduction to the SyMETRI series and short introductions from each participant. The session then proceeded to the day’s presentation by Suresh.
Suresh is preparing his research proposal for his PhD dissertation, tentatively titled “Climate Change Education in Nepal: Teaching It while Living It.” Suresh presented the context of his research setting, referring to Nepal’s geographical, cultural, and social diversity. He also highlighted the country’s vulnerability to climate change, citing the recent “Mountain Tsunami” (Not a scientific term, though) on August 26th.
In the context of the lived realities of climate change, Suresh argues that discussing the mechanisms of climate change alone is insufficient. These discussions must connect to the lived experiences of teachers and students while also guiding informed action on climate-related issues. He explored a socioscientific issues-based approach in science education as a theoretical framework for climate change education. Several features of socioscientific issues-based teaching were discussed (Image ). Features such as exploring scientific phenomena and engaging in scientific modeling prioritize the development of an understanding of scientific knowledge, processes, and the nature of science. Features such as systems dynamics and multiple perspectives encourage consideration of alternative explanations, as well as moral and ethical reasoning related to these issues. The remaining features encourage learners to reflect on their own positions and actions while carefully identifying biases and reliable sources of information.
Suresh explained the methodological approach as a multi-phase, multiple-case study design. Phase One examines the contextual details of each case and explores teachers’ orientations toward climate change education as a socio-scientific issue. Phase Two engages teachers in professional development sessions that culminate in the co-design of teaching modules. It also examines the teacher-designed modules and the rationale behind them. In the final phase, teachers implement the co-designed climate teaching modules. This phase explores teachers’ reflections on and enactment of the modules.
After the presentation concluded, the discussion centred on the challenges and complexities of recruiting and retaining participants for the longitudinal studies, particularly in contexts where teachers are already overloaded with existing commitments. Additionally, the degree of flexibility in the curriculum, the level of autonomy granted to teachers, and the values held by participating schools and teachers were identified as factors affecting participation.