How a Keralam teacher’s ‘portable chemistry lab’ is sparking students’ interest in experiments
A chemistry teacher in Kerala, India, has developed a 'portable chemistry lab' called 'Rasappetti' to help high school students engage with experiments. The kit contains essential lab equipment and chemicals, allowing teachers to demonstrate reactions directly in the classroom.
Why it matters
This initiative addresses the practical limitations of school laboratory access, potentially increasing student interest and comprehension in science education.
Imagine a science teacher holding two pieces of chalk in his hands to explain a chemical reaction in a high school class. As the chalk in one hand is slowly and slightly tilted while the other is held tight, he says, “Suppose these are two test tubes and we are pouring chemicals from one of them into another...”
Not many students would understand the “chemistry” behind it even after such a classroom experience, believes Abhilash Thiruvoth, a Chemistry teacher in the vocational higher secondary wing of the Government Vocational Higher Secondary School for Girls, Nadakkavu, Kozhikode, Keralam.
“In a 40-minute period, high school teachers may not get enough time to demonstrate a chemical experiment. Taking all the students to the lab at one time is not practical either. Many students may end up being disinterested in Chemistry as a result,” he says.
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