A monthly series by WWF-India that highlights niche and unconventional green careers through the stories of well-known personalities from the field of environment and conservation.
One morning, while cleaning the ceiling fan at home, I noticed that the dust on the blades contained tiny coloured fibres, not just black soot. When I examined a sample under a microscope, I found small particles that appeared to be microplastics. This led me to develop methods to collect, detect, and count microplastic particles, which I later used with school students to explore environmental issues.
I grew up in a small village in Maharashtra’s Beed district, surrounded by farms, trees, insects, and animals. While I always questioned how things worked, I did not know that studying learning could become a career. While I completed my education in Microbiology, my trajectory changed when I discovered a Ph.D. in Science Education at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Mumbai. During this course, I realised I could study how people learn science, design educational experiences, and pursue research as a career.
As a learning scientist, I study how people understand scientific concepts and design activities. As a science education researcher, I examine how teachers teach, how students grasp or struggle with ideas, and how we can improve curricula and learning tools. These fields remain new in India, but leave a meaningful footprint.
Focus on the environment
I often focus my work on environmental education. At the Centre of Excellence in Teacher Education at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, I design activities that connect students with visible ecosystems and microscopic worlds. A major highlight has been my collaboration with Prof. Manu Prakash from Stanford University. He developed the “Foldscope”, a low-cost paper microscope that allows users to observe microorganisms and other tiny structures in remarkable detail. What makes it truly unique is that students can explore entire living microbial worlds without removing them from their natural habitat or harming them.
Studying how people learn science | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
My profession requires me to divide my time between teaching and research. Every day, I spend a few hours instructing pre-service teachers and Master’s students in Biology Education, Nature of Science, Science Education, and Cognition and Learning. I use the remaining time to plan studies, visit schools, analyse data, write papers, mentor students, write papers and more. On some days, I conduct workshops, allowing students to explore microscopic and environmental worlds firsthand through the Foldscope and hands-on, place-based activities.
Working with school students is rewarding. Watching their curiosity and creativity come alive during projects or investigations reminds me why I do this. I also value collaborating with colleagues from diverse backgrounds, travelling, and producing research papers and educational resources. Some of this work has been recognised through fellowships such as the Swachhata Sarathi fellowship from the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.
At the same time, challenges remain. Securing funding can be difficult as Learning Sciences and Science Education Research are still emerging fields in India. Engaging with international research communities is also tricky, since contexts and resources often differ. I address these challenges by building networks of learning scientists and researchers within India, and by focusing on environmental themes that are locally relevant, such as microplastic pollution and biodiversity
In the future
Looking ahead, I hope to expand this work to reach more students, educators, and researchers while strengthening India-focused research in the Learning Sciences. For youngsters considering this path, I advise exploring internships or short projects at institutes that focus on learning, cognition, or science education. These provide a concrete sense of the questions researchers ask, the type of work they do, and will help you decide whether this is the right path for you.
Observe, ask, analyse, and engage with learners. Those who care about the environment can use this field to combine science, education and environmental responsibility in a career that makes a true impact.
Published - January 25, 2026 08:00 am IST
