– Article by Sheetal Sohoni.
“There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an exam- ination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.” -Jiddu Krishnamurti.
Life is a long journey, and there is no age limit to start something new. Dr. Prathiba Nagabhushan is a great example of this. Prathiba did her un- der-graduation and post-graduation in Education from Bangalore. She worked at a reputed secondary school in Bangalore for seventeen years before moved to Australia with her husband Nagabhushan for their daughter’s higher education. After her daughter got married, Prathiba decided to pursue her studies and enrolled into a PhD program in Educational Psychology at the Australian National University, which she successfully completed in 2014. She now works at St. Mary MacKillop College, teaching Psychology and at the Australian Catholic University teaching Educational Psychology and Methods of Teaching to post-graduate students of Education. Prathiba joined IUCEE in 2014, and since then she has been an important member of the IUCEE team. She is an instructor of the IIEECP certificate program, has conducted workshops in engineering education research, reviewed articles for JEET (Journal of Engineering Education Transformation), and extended assistance towards the IUCEE’s annual conferences.
Dr. Sohum Sohoni, Associate Director, IUCEE has worked closely with Pratibha since 2016. When asked about his experience of working with Dr. Nagabhushan, he had this to say about her, “Prathiba is really great to work with. She has a great knack for organizing thoughts and expressing them clearly. In my interactions with her, I have seen that she not only takes ownership of her own tasks and delivers on time, but when she senses that someone else is falling behind, she proactively provides the help they need. She does all this without any expectations of getting recognition or being in the limelight. IUCEE is really appreciative of the role she plays during our annual conference and in our other activities throughout the year.”
Prathiba specializes in motivation and engagement amongst students at various levels of education. She works closely with students of different age groups to help and prepare them to take examinations. She also facilitates teachers to design intervention programs to enhance student motivation and engagement in the learning process. She believes that such programs are independent of course content, focusing on students’ urge and persistence on their learning motivations and related observable behaviors, and has applied this knowledge in Engineering and Medial courses. Prathiba reinforces the idea of stabilizing the foundational concepts before delving deeper into the topics. Through her extensive research, she has identified 11 factors of motivation and engagement over time, which constitute adaptive and maladaptive cognitions and behaviors, which are crucial in any learning situation.
When asked about the most gratifying part of her job, Prathiba said, “Seeing a positive change in students in the process of learning.” She stressed the idea of realizing the significance of one’s work and taking pride in the work
that is successfully completed. Prathiba mentioned her association with IUCEE has helped her grow and learn along
with the faculty members. In addition, she finds it to be a privilege and a great opportunity to give back something
to her own country, from where she acquired the fundamental knowledge and skills. Team IUCEE is pleased to have
her on board. Thank you for your continual support, Prathiba!