- Birendranagar-8, Surkhet; Karnali Province, Nepal
Rajan Kumar Kandel
Tribhuvan University, Department of English Education, Faculty Member
- Development Studies, Public Health, South Asia, Nepal, English language education, Mobile Learning, and 24 moreTeachers' professional development, English Language Learning, Technology for Language Learning, Education, Human Resource Management, Human Resources, Social Sciences, Philosophy, Teaching English As A Foreign Language, Language Planning and Policy, Multilingual Education, ELT in Nepal, Higher Education, E-learning, Teaching English as a Second Language, Academic Writing, English for Academic Purposes, English for Specific Purposes, English for Engineering & Technology, Design-based research, English for Science and Technology, English for Medical Purposes, Test Development, and Educational Technologyedit
- I am a Lecturer of English Education at Tribhuvan University, Surkhet Campus (Education).edit
This policy position paper discusses the importance of inclusive participation of persons with disability (PWDs) in every social and governmental unit in the context of Nepal concerning international practices, and national and... more
This policy position paper discusses the importance of inclusive participation of persons with disability (PWDs) in every social and governmental unit in the context of Nepal concerning international practices, and national and international policies including the United Nations. It identifies how and to what extent even a small help to needy people can be life-changing and it stretches better impressions on societies and the lives of PWDs. The paper also discusses how disability is taken in societies, how are they treated and how they should have been treated, what their expectations are, and the reason as well as the consequences of their exclusion, rejection, and negligence.
This position paper also focuses on the best inclusion practices in inclusive societies by prioritizing the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people and keeping them in the centre. Moreover, it also provides a comprehensive assessment of the present practices and suggests the reasons for improving service delivery with affirmative and judicial actions keeping the PWDs at the centre.
This paper advocates for the formulation of more inclusive policies in the federal, provincial, and local level government by keeping PWDs at the centre as they represent the most vulnerable and less represented group in obtaining opportunities and services.
This position paper also focuses on the best inclusion practices in inclusive societies by prioritizing the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people and keeping them in the centre. Moreover, it also provides a comprehensive assessment of the present practices and suggests the reasons for improving service delivery with affirmative and judicial actions keeping the PWDs at the centre.
This paper advocates for the formulation of more inclusive policies in the federal, provincial, and local level government by keeping PWDs at the centre as they represent the most vulnerable and less represented group in obtaining opportunities and services.
Research Interests:
This policy brief presents the context of underage, early, and forced marriage and its consequences on the higher educational attainment of female students in Karnali Province Nepal. It deals with how the awareness campaigns against it... more
This policy brief presents the context of underage, early, and forced marriage and its consequences on the higher educational attainment of female students in Karnali Province Nepal. It deals with how the awareness campaigns against it have brought some positive changes. It also discusses the intrinsic reasons for the gender role realizations imprinted in societies and how it has been encouraged by governmental policies. It reveals the circumstantial determinants of imposing gender roles in different affairs of personal, familial, societal and intuitional contexts that are implicitly rooted in practices in Karnali province and elsewhere and how they can be minimized and avoided.
The brief also illustrates why the girls are motivated or forced into early marriage and how underage marriage has affected their all-round development. Finally, it suggests the governments and the concerned authorities resolve the situation and enact to upgrade the living standard of adolescent girls in Nepal in general and in the Karnali province in particular.
The brief will be indicative of all three tiers of the government for the present policy amendments and implementation for the betterment of adolescent women in Nepal with a special focus on Karnali Province.
The brief also illustrates why the girls are motivated or forced into early marriage and how underage marriage has affected their all-round development. Finally, it suggests the governments and the concerned authorities resolve the situation and enact to upgrade the living standard of adolescent girls in Nepal in general and in the Karnali province in particular.
The brief will be indicative of all three tiers of the government for the present policy amendments and implementation for the betterment of adolescent women in Nepal with a special focus on Karnali Province.
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This policy mapping deals with how the inclusion of the underrepresented, disadvantaged, and marginalized groups in Nepal has been ensured at the policy level. It also highlights its context and consequences in the practice. The paper... more
This policy mapping deals with how the inclusion of the underrepresented, disadvantaged, and marginalized groups in Nepal has been ensured at the policy level. It also highlights its context and consequences in the practice. The paper displays how the policy of inclusion has excluded some of the issues and elements of the societies on the one hand and the policy has not been implemented in practice as mentioned on the other hand. It also exhibits the ways to revisit the proportional representational system in the governmental services and state mechanisms including legislature, judiciary, and executions. In addition, the paper suggests how proportional representation can be further reformed to make it a promotional representation for marginalized sub-groups based on socio-economic criteria.
This policy mapping demonstrates the impracticalities of some of the governmental provisions maintained in the name of the reservation and appeals for alternative ways of wider and more practical inclusion. Similarly, it shows how such discrepancies can be addressed so that the essence of the reservation does not yield counter remarks from the common people as if they feel unjust upon their involvement in every facet of the services and opportunities they wish to apply.
This paper suggests revising and amending the present policies of inclusion at the federal, provincial, and local levels so that proportional inclusion and participation in the state mechanisms appear acceptable to all citizens of the Nepali federal democratic republican system of governance.
This policy mapping demonstrates the impracticalities of some of the governmental provisions maintained in the name of the reservation and appeals for alternative ways of wider and more practical inclusion. Similarly, it shows how such discrepancies can be addressed so that the essence of the reservation does not yield counter remarks from the common people as if they feel unjust upon their involvement in every facet of the services and opportunities they wish to apply.
This paper suggests revising and amending the present policies of inclusion at the federal, provincial, and local levels so that proportional inclusion and participation in the state mechanisms appear acceptable to all citizens of the Nepali federal democratic republican system of governance.
Research Interests:
This policy research mapping profiles the historical background of higher education (HE) in Nepal and illustrates the present context of university governance, administration, and performance of the universities. It intends to present a... more
This policy research mapping profiles the historical background of higher education (HE) in Nepal and illustrates the present context of university governance, administration, and performance of the universities. It intends to present a grounded picture showing the way the higher education sector has been affected by extreme politicization, bureaucratization, and ideological prejudice. Also, the paper presents the current situation of the crises of ethics and ethical compliance by the major stakeholders, followed by an assessment of the institutional conflict. It also discusses how the domination of imported knowledge over the constructive and contextual production of knowledge has ruled the higher education curricula. The paper assesses how the leadership of ex officio Chancellor in the universities followed by implicit and explicit political influence has left long-lasting effects on university systems.
Further, the paper illustrates a few global best practices and governing models on effective university governance, followed by setting up possible better ways of university governance in the present context of Nepal to maintain their operational autonomy and academic excellence with prioritization of alternative policy premises to be enacted in the future.
The paper sets a few strategic directions on strengthening community ownership, local autonomy, and intergovernmental coordination to promote community campuses in their mission to produce a skilled workforce corresponding to the needs of the local society and rest of the industry. Similarly, the paper outlines policy-level lapses in defining the roles and responsibilities of the different levels of government and other institutions in the course of transforming governance in the higher education sector of the country.
Further, the paper illustrates a few global best practices and governing models on effective university governance, followed by setting up possible better ways of university governance in the present context of Nepal to maintain their operational autonomy and academic excellence with prioritization of alternative policy premises to be enacted in the future.
The paper sets a few strategic directions on strengthening community ownership, local autonomy, and intergovernmental coordination to promote community campuses in their mission to produce a skilled workforce corresponding to the needs of the local society and rest of the industry. Similarly, the paper outlines policy-level lapses in defining the roles and responsibilities of the different levels of government and other institutions in the course of transforming governance in the higher education sector of the country.
Research Interests:
This study investigates how model presentation, collaboration, discussion, and peer feedback as the intervention of participatory action research (PAR) improved students' academic writing (AW) and presentation skills while dealing with a... more
This study investigates how model presentation, collaboration, discussion, and peer feedback as the intervention of participatory action research (PAR) improved students' academic writing (AW) and presentation skills while dealing with a practical course 'ELT seminar and report writing'. We implemented the intervention for three months in our regular class with 30 students pursuing a Master's Degree in English Education from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. During the intervention, we used observation notes and after the intervention, we used semi-structured interviews (with 15 students) to collect data. The findings showed that the intervention significantly improved the students' AW and presentation skills. The findings also showed that students refined their writing skills by gaining insight from the model presentation, discussions, and feedback. They significantly improved their writing and presentation skills through collaborative tasks performed regularly during the study. The study suggests that model presentation, group discussion, peer and teacher feedback, and self-reflection can be effective in enhancing students' AW and presentation.
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The study deals with the background context of postmethod pedagogy (PMP henceforth), a context-sensitive and critically practical pedagogy, differentiating it from the traditional concept of teaching by adhering strictly to a particular... more
The study deals with the background context of postmethod pedagogy (PMP henceforth), a context-sensitive and critically practical pedagogy, differentiating it from the traditional concept of teaching by adhering strictly to a particular method of teaching a foreign language (the English language here) with reference to Nepal. It aims to explore the perception and inclination of M. Phil. pursuing students towards PMP in EFL teaching in Nepal. Google form of a questionnaire consisting of closed-ended items was used to collect data from 81 (of whom 65replied) M. Phil. pursuing (in English Education) scholars from Nepal Open University and Tribhuvan University. It revealed the gradual shift of ELT practitioners of Nepal from method-based instruction to PMP along with the intents of parameters of PMP, called pedagogy of particularity that advocates context-sensitivity in teaching and learning, pedagogy of practicality that insists for practicality and teacher-generated theories (theory o...
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Overviewing the existing ELT challenges in Nepalese education, this article attempts to explore the challenges resulted from the age long conventional teacher-led, drilling, lecturing, note providing, and translation based teaching, and... more
Overviewing the existing ELT challenges in Nepalese education, this article attempts to explore the challenges resulted from the age long conventional teacher-led, drilling, lecturing, note providing, and translation based teaching, and suggests to opt critical thinking (CT) strategies to solve the problems based on experiences and observations of the researcher for more than a decade. It tries to reflect how CT strategies help students in learning English inclusively in a co-operative and democratic class. A model lesson plan (along with pictures downloaded from the Internet) has also been appended to show how a teacher can introduce CT in ELT class in Nepal to overcome the challenges and lead the students to active and stress-free English learning. It also depicts positive consequences of the intervention (CT strategies) of the study resulted from action learning during the decade long practice and exploration of a teacher in his local context. Journal of NELTA Surkhet Vol.4 2014:...
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This article is a short synopsis of Practical Applications for Listening and Speaking Skills (henceforth PALSS) Online Teacher Training Course in the understanding of a participant. It highlights on the feelings, experiences, and... more
This article is a short synopsis of Practical Applications for Listening and Speaking Skills (henceforth PALSS) Online Teacher Training Course in the understanding of a participant. It highlights on the feelings, experiences, and conclusions derived after completing the PALSS Online Course as a participant from a remote place of Nepal, a NELTA life Member from Surkhet. It reflects in-class experiences of a novice trainee in an online course. It also tries to explore the trend of competitiveness and anxiety that exists among the learners in both the asynchronous and synchronous discussions. It was much challenging because of technical reasons like frequent power cuts, unstable networking, etc. Problems of managing time and the academic (of proficiency) problems were other challenges for the participants.
Research Interests:
The article entitled 'Effectiveness of non-textual approach to teach poetry at secondary level' tries to find out the effectiveness of non-textual approach for teaching poetry over textual approach. To meet the objectives of this... more
The article entitled 'Effectiveness of non-textual approach to teach poetry at secondary level' tries to find out the effectiveness of non-textual approach for teaching poetry over textual approach. To meet the objectives of this research, 50 students of class ten, 25 each from Adarsh Raj Higher Secondary School Latikoili-8, Surkhet and Valley Meridian Academy Uttarganga-8, Surkhet were selected for the study. The sample was randomly divided into experimental group and controlled group. Non-textual approach was used to teach poetry to the experimental group but controlled group was taught as usual using textual approach. Test items consisting of both subjective and objective questions were used to collect data. The collected data from pretest and post-test were analyzed and tabulated using statistical tools like: mean, standard deviation, variance and 't' test. In the pretest, there was no significant difference between two groups but when the researcher administered post-test at the end of the research study, the researcher found significant difference between two groups, yielding the effectiveness of non-textual approach over the textual approach.
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This study aims at identifying percentage of teachers and students using the Internet and find out purposes and problems of its use in Surkhet Campus (Education). Questionnaires (295) were distributed to 37 randomly selected teachers and... more
This study aims at identifying percentage of teachers and students using the Internet and find out purposes and problems of its use in Surkhet Campus (Education). Questionnaires (295) were distributed to 37 randomly selected teachers and 258 students selected from all levels, shifts, sexes and subjects using stratified proportionate random sampling method. Questionnaires were administered individually to the teachers and collectively to the students in their classrooms to ensure the excellent (100%) response rate. The result revealed that 46.12% students and 78.37% teachers use the Internet. Many students (34.49%) and teachers (70.27%) use it for getting general information followed by accessing online newspapers (48.64%), getting help in teaching learning (45.94%), sending and receiving e-mails (43.24%), research (40.54%), chatting (37.83%), social networking (32.43%), entertainment (32.43%), Skype conversation (24.32%), downloading free software (18.91%),online education (16.21%),and downloading books and journals and studying online journals (5.40%) by teachers and chatting (28.68%), accessing online newspaper (27.51%), social networking (19.76%), sending and receiving e-mails (18.60%), getting help in teaching learning (14.72%), downloading free software (9.30%), Skype conversation, (8.13%), research (0.38%), and online studies (0.38%) by students. Many students (44.18%) and teachers (32.43%) do not use it at the campus because they do not own a device and few other problems. A good number of teachers were found habitual with varied Internet applications and services.
Research Interests: ICT Educational design, ICT in Education, ICT innovation, ICT in Teachers Education, ICT in EFL teaching, and 3 moreICT for development, Tools of Knowledge Management, Indegenous Knowledge and Culture Preservation, ICT in teaching and learning English language, and Information & Communication Technologies In Education ICT&E
Experimental research is a quantitative and empirical research carried out on the philosophical basis of positivism. It is based on the experimental manipulation of the research variables during the study. A number of scientifically... more
Experimental research is a quantitative and empirical research carried out on the philosophical basis of positivism. It is based on the experimental manipulation of the research variables during the study. A number of scientifically agreed steps are carried out from the formulation of research problems to writing the research report in experimental design. In this article different experimental designs including pre-experimental designs, true experimental designs, and quasi-experimental designs are identified and illustrated comprehensively. This article provides a rationale foe carrying out different kinds of experimental research designs in different social contexts. It discusses varied variables as the central manipulative and static devices in experiments. Finally internal and external validity in experimental research design is described followed by potential threats to validity and some suggestions to avoid such threats jeopardizing validity of experimental research.
Research Interests:
The study deals with the background context of postmethod pedagogy (PMP henceforth), a context-sensitive and critically practical pedagogy, differentiating it from the traditional concept of teaching by adhering strictly to a particular... more
The study deals with the background context of postmethod pedagogy (PMP henceforth), a context-sensitive and critically practical pedagogy, differentiating it from the traditional concept of teaching by adhering strictly to a particular method of teaching a foreign language (the English language here) with reference to Nepal. It aims to explore the perception and inclination of M. Phil. pursuing students towards PMP in EFL teaching in Nepal. Google form of a questionnaire consisting of closed-ended items was used to collect data from 81 (of whom 65replied) M. Phil. pursuing (in English Education) scholars from Nepal Open University and Tribhuvan University. It revealed the gradual shift of ELT practitioners of Nepal from method-based instruction to PMP along with the intents of parameters of PMP, called pedagogy of particularity that advocates context-sensitivity in teaching and learning, pedagogy of practicality that insists for practicality and teacher-generated theories (theory of practice), and pedagogy of possibility that elicits the critical consciousness of the practitioners in terms of their socio-cultural context with adequate illustration. It was found that M. Phil. pursuing students had a positive attitude and supportive perception towards PMP leading to local and contextual superiority in pedagogy over the afforded methods although the local may be the hybrid of many foreign methods leading to an eclectic method.
Research Interests:
Overviewing the existing ELT challenges in Nepalese education, this article attempts to explore the challenges resulted from the age long conventional teacher-led, drilling, lecturing, note providing, and translation based teaching, and... more
Overviewing the existing ELT challenges in Nepalese education, this article attempts to explore the challenges resulted from the age long conventional teacher-led, drilling, lecturing, note providing, and translation based teaching, and suggests to opt critical thinking (CT) strategies to solve the problems based on experiences and observations of the researcher for more than a decade. It tries to reflect how CT strategies help students in learning English inclusively in a co-operative and democratic class. A model lesson plan (along with pictures downloaded from the Internet) has also been appended to show how a teacher can introduce CT in ELT class in Nepal to overcome the challenges and lead the students to active and stress-free English learning. It also depicts positive consequences of the intervention (CT strategies) of the study resulted from action learning during the decade long practice and exploration of a teacher in his local context.
Research Interests:
This article deals with the importance of lesson plan and different steps that are to be used by language teachers while preparing a detailed lesson plan. It also seeks to explore the steps with illustrations and potential quarries to be... more
This article deals with the importance of lesson plan and different steps that are to be used by language teachers while preparing a detailed lesson plan. It also seeks to explore the steps with illustrations and potential quarries to be addressed in each stage. In this article, I discuss the theoretical strategies and considerations that teachers should visualize while preparing their plans for teaching any lessons. Rather than recommending a specified lesson plan format, this article makes the teachers aware of the entire potential unforeseen situation that may arise in the classroom. Such distractions can disturb the orderly presentation of the lesson and pose a lot of difficulties against achieving the objectives of the lesson. Consequently, such unimagined circumstances may turn the teaching to a complete failure. So, teachers need to think a lot while planning a lesson.
Research Interests:
Visualizing is the ability of the readers to create pictures in their heads based on text they read or words they hear. It is one of the many strategies that makes reading comprehension possible and recall faster and longer. Visualizing... more
Visualizing is the ability of the readers to create pictures in their heads based on text they read or words they hear. It is one of the many strategies that makes reading comprehension possible and recall faster and longer. Visualizing text as it is being read or heard also creates personal links between the readers/listeners and the text. The readers who can imagine the characters they read about become more involved with what they are reading. This makes reading experience more meaningful and it promotes continued reading.
This article focuses on the importance of visualization in reading comprehension and recall, and discusses different strategies of reading comprehension and recall. This also deals with the activities that are helpful to create mental images in the mind of the readers and how the teachers can encourage the students to visualize when they read a text, which can provide greater pleasure and therefore motivation for the language learners to read in the L2. In this paper, I discuss briefly on reading comprehension and retention strategies, visualization and its effect in L1 and L2 reading, how learners feel when they read a text, and some of the strategies that can be taken in consideration while reading and teaching reading a text in L1 and L2.
This article focuses on the importance of visualization in reading comprehension and recall, and discusses different strategies of reading comprehension and recall. This also deals with the activities that are helpful to create mental images in the mind of the readers and how the teachers can encourage the students to visualize when they read a text, which can provide greater pleasure and therefore motivation for the language learners to read in the L2. In this paper, I discuss briefly on reading comprehension and retention strategies, visualization and its effect in L1 and L2 reading, how learners feel when they read a text, and some of the strategies that can be taken in consideration while reading and teaching reading a text in L1 and L2.
Research Interests:
This article presents an observational overview of English and Nepali sounds and sound systems along with the distinctive features and classification of the sounds. The sounds of English and Nepali are presented in table. The syllable... more
This article presents an observational overview of English and Nepali sounds and sound systems along with the distinctive features and classification of the sounds. The sounds of English and Nepali are presented in table. The syllable structure of the languages is also discussed. (Sorry...In-text citation has been missed in the article because of technical reason during the publication but the references that should have been cited are mentioned)
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This article demonstrates how the effective plan in teaching speaking to the beginners can be made very much result oriented in English as a second language classroom through dialogue. The steps described in this article illustrate how... more
This article demonstrates how the effective plan in teaching speaking to the beginners can be made very much result oriented in English as a second language classroom through dialogue. The steps described in this article illustrate how students can identify the core structure and explore themselves speaking: i.e. asking and responding in the simulated and real life situations, using pictures in classroom situation. Students find such lessons interesting and it can bring potential solutions in our traditional teaching. This article is mainly rooted in my task-based experience as a participant in TESOL training hosted by TEFL International (Kathmandu Center) on Oct 2009, on-the-spot training in Surkhet
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This article will demonstrate how an effective lesson in teaching grammar to the beginners can be made very much effective in English as a second language classroom. An example grammar lesson described in this article, illustrates how... more
This article will demonstrate how an effective lesson in teaching grammar to the beginners can be made very much effective in English as a second language classroom. An example grammar lesson described in this article, illustrates how students can learn effectively using pictures and other teaching materials. As the students find such lessons interesting, teachers can discover many possibilities for their all round development in the teaching career. This article is mainly rooted in my TESOL training by TEFL International Oct, 2009 in Surkhet.
Research Interests:
This article presents an observational overview of English and Nepali sound systems, how the sounds are produced, their distinctive features, classification and distributional limitations. It also depicts interlingual comparison and... more
This article presents an observational overview of English and Nepali sound systems, how the sounds are produced, their distinctive features, classification and distributional limitations. It also depicts interlingual comparison and contrast between English and Nepali sounds. The sounds of English and Nepali are presented in table explicitly. The syllable structures of both the languages are also mentioned with examples to distinguish the potential sequences of sounds in two languages within a syllable.
This article is a short synopsis of Practical Applications for Listening and Speaking Skills (henceforth PALSS) Online teacher training course in the understanding of a participant. It highlights on the feelings, experiences, and... more
This article is a short synopsis of Practical Applications for Listening and Speaking Skills (henceforth PALSS) Online teacher training course in the understanding of a participant. It highlights on the feelings, experiences, and conclusions derived after completing the PALSS Online Course as a participant from a remote place of Nepal, a NELTA life Member from Surkhet. It reflects in-class and out-class experiences of a novice trainee in an online course. It also tries to explore the trend of competitiveness and anxiety that exists among the learners in both the asynchronous and asynchronous discussions. It was much challenging because of technical reasons like frequent power cuts and unstable networking, etc. Problems of managing time and the academic (of proficiency) problems were other challenges for the participants.
This is self study log book I prepared as a participant of a ten week online teacher training course (PALSS Course) on the template provided.
This narrative write up expresses the challenges of ELT in Nepal from the perspective of a teacher based on his personal experiences and observations for more than a decade. It tries to reflect how critical thinking strategies can help... more
This narrative write up expresses the challenges of ELT in Nepal from the perspective of a teacher based on his personal experiences and observations for more than a decade. It tries to reflect how critical thinking strategies can help students in learning English. A model lesson plan along with the materials (pictures downloaded from the Internet) has also been appended in a hyperlink (click here to read) to show how a teacher can introduce CT in ELT class in Nepal.
This is a model lesson plan to teach a poem of B. Ed. 1st year using critical thinking strategies. This also includes some related photos as materials downloaded from the Internet.
This is a power point presentation of the study intensively carried out by the researcher taking a large sample of the campus. It discusses on the varied use of the Internet by the teachers and students of the campus. It focuses on the... more
This is a power point presentation of the study intensively carried out by the researcher taking a large sample of the campus. It discusses on the varied use of the Internet by the teachers and students of the campus. It focuses on the problems, prospects, and performance of the respondents on the Internet use.
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First Volume of Surkhet Journal