Research workshop Synthesis of all 4 sessions:

-Saranya, Poonguzhali, Poovizhi, SandhiyaBala, Vaishnavi, Gunavathi, Thenmozhi, Aarthi, Sevanthi

SAIIER (Sri Aurobindo International Institute of Educational Research) is organizing a research workshop to encourage people who are working on education to take up social sciences research. STEM Land also falls under SAIIER and this is giving us all an opportunity to work on the ideas that are important for us and to put them together as research.

Session 1 – Introduction to Research

Research means exploring a question in a systematic and thoughtful way to gain new understanding.

It can be:

• Theoretical – to understand ideas deeply.
• Applied – to solve real-life problems.

Writing is an important part of research. It helps us think clearly and share our ideas with others.

We learned how to:

• Choose a topic that matters to us.
• Form a clear research question using “who, what, why, where, how.”
• Understand different qualitative research types we may use:
  Action Research (improving our own work),
  Autoethnography (reflecting on our experiences),
  Case Study (studying one real example deeply).

Session 2 – Refining the Research Question

A literature review means reading what others have already studied about your topic.
It helps us understand what is known and what is missing.

We learned how to:

• Search for good sources (using Google Scholar, AI tools like Perplexity, etc.).
• Read academic papers carefully and critically.

Motivation explains why we care about our topic.

Research Problem is the issue or gap we want to explore.

Research Question focuses that problem into a clear question.

Hypothesis is a prediction or what we think we might find.
Example: Using art in math classes might make students enjoy learning more.

Session 3 – Research Methodology

Methodology explains how we will do our research, the tools, people, and process.

It includes:

1. Research design (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed).
2. Participants (who you study and how many).
3. Data collection (interviews, surveys, observations, group discussions).
4. Data analysis (how you study your results).
5. Ethics (consent and confidentiality).

Qualitative research explores ideas and feelings.

Quantitative research uses numbers and statistics.

We also learned how to cite sources properly to give credit to other researchers.

Session 4 – Research Methods and Tools

Focused on practical tools for data collection. How to gather information carefully and ethically.

Tools we can use:

1. Interviews – asking open questions to understand experiences.
2. Surveys – collecting responses from many people.
3. Observations – watching behaviours in real settings.
4. Focus Group Discussions – small group conversations to share ideas.

We learned how to design good questions that are clear, simple, and unbiased.

Observation notes should include:

• Descriptive notes (what we saw and heard).
• Reflective notes (our thoughts and learnings).

Surveys often use a Likert scale (like “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree”).

“The more we concentrate on the goal, the more it blossoms forth and becomes precise.” – The Mother

Additional Support:

The research desk team provided one-on-one meetings with the participants to gain more clarity and translate the learning into action. Their suggestions and inputs were very valuable, and some of them are actually working on real research papers.

Reflections from the team and Isai Ambalam Teachers:

My name is Saranya I deeply care about equality and perseverance for myself and for others. What I learned about myself is that research is about asking questions and finding answers through observation and reflection. It helped me understand my work and experiences better. I feel more confident to explore and learn in a structured way. This program made me more thoughtful and curious in my learning.

Poonguzhali:

My name is Poonguzhali, and I stand for courage for myself and others. Through the research workshop, I learned many new things about how to do research in a clear and organized way. I understood how to write good research questions and how important it is to connect them with the objectives and methods. I also learned how to look at other studies and use them to support my own work. I felt more confident after the sessions because the examples and discussions made the ideas easy to understand. I realized that research is not only about finding answers but also about being curious, patient, and open to learning. This workshop inspired me to explore my topic more deeply and continue improving my research skills.

Poovizhi:

My name is Poovizhi, and I stand for equality and equity for myself and others. I have been part of writing and publishing research papers before, but I was not fully aware of how to approach the process professionally. By attending the research workshop, I now understand the nuances of what research truly is and the many ways it can be carried out. This workshop has helped me see the depth, structure, and clarity required in professional research, and I feel more confident in contributing meaningfully.

SandhiyaBala:

My name is SandhiyaBala, and I stand for courage, care, and happiness for myself and others. I am learning how to read and understand research papers, explore research topics, and identify secondary sources and website references. I also wrote a research paper with the help of our steward, Sanjeev Ranganathan, for the Azim Premji Conference. I learned a lot while working on the paper, and I thank the SAIIER research team for conducting the workshop.

Vaishnavi:

My name is Vaishnavi. K. I stand for Kindness, Unity, and Respect.Through this research workshop, I understood better what research really is and how it should be done. The way the team guided us made me feel that our work has value and can help solve real problems. I also met new people and learned from their ideas and experiences. This motivated me and made me feel more connected. I thank the Research Desk for organizing this workshop in a simple, clear, and meaningful way. It helped me learn and grow.

Gunavathi:

My name is Gunavathi, I stand for Happiness for Myself and Others .This research workshop provided me with a strong foundation in understanding the principles, structure, and methodology. I learned how to formulate clear research questions, construct a well-organized introduction, and prepare an overall paper. These skills helped me with the logical flow in research writing. One of the most valuable aspects of the workshop was the one-on-one meetings with the facilitators. These personalized sessions offered clear guidance on improving my writing, organizing my ideas, and identifying gaps in my understanding. I am truly grateful for the support provided by SAIIER Research Team .The workshop also strengthened my ability to read and analyze research papers efficiently. Another highlight was the use of real examples, including actual research papers and sample structures. These demonstrations helped me clearly see how the concepts are applied. As I am working on ongoing research work, it is really helpful me and gives me new ideas to work on future projects.

Thenmozhi:

My name is Thenmozhi. I authenticate truth and love for myself and others. Actually, I do not have the habit of reading books. I thought this research would have a greater impact on my learning. The very first day of the session was completely new to me, and I was afraid it would be very difficult to do research. After the first session, I was unable to attend for a month due to medical leave. However, I did not give up on my research. We, the teachers, shared all the information about the sessions, and I utilized my medical leave effectively. I developed my own interest in learning more papers about the ancient history of mathematics, which also increased my interest in math. This experience fostered deep learning and more creative thinking in me. The research desk encouraged and supported further research. After attending this research, my approach to teaching children has changed, especially in problem-solving and project work. This research sparked greater interest in learning more deeply about technologies and ancient history. Overall, it has been very useful in enhancing creativity in our lives.

Aarthi:

My name is Aarthi, I stand for perseverance for myself and others. I gained practical skills in starting a research paper, specifically learning how to write a strong introduction. I also became proficient in finding and sourcing quality research papers online. The most significant realization was that the research question is the pivotal and most important part of the entire study. The one-on-one meetings were extremely valuable, as they quickly clarified my questions and confusion. I feel I am continuously learning and progressing with every session. I plan to use this knowledge to eventually contribute meaningful information to society.

Sevanthi:

My name is Sevanthi, and I stand for love and happiness for myself and others. Initially, I felt nervous and lacked a fundamental understanding of the research process. However, the subsequent sessions quickly guided me through the basics, starting with defining what research is and introducing the various types of research methods. This foundational knowledge allowed me to progress to reading and analyzing professional research papers, particularly focusing on their methodologies. Following these classes, I was motivated to conduct further, independent research on my topic, which has cultivated deep learning and a strong sense of curiosity about the subject matter.