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Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Kathmandu University School of Arts
KUSOA
Kathmandu University School of Education (KUSOED)
KUSOED repositories stores important information from its various research departments. This includes academic journals, theses, dissertations, and other collections. If you have any queries, please contact the KUSOED Library.
Kathmandu University School of Engineering (KUSoE)
This is a community for School of Engineering, Kathmandu University for Academic writings.
Kathmandu University School of Management (KUSoM)
This is a community for School of Management, Kathmandu University for Academic writings.

Recent Submissions

Developing and Implementing STEAM Pedagogy at the Basic Level: A Study through Participatory Action Research in Nepal
(Kathmandu University School of Education, 2024-12) Pant, Binod Prasad; Prof. Bal Chandra Luitel, PhD; Prof. Sigrid Gjøtterud, PhD; Assoc. Prof. Birgitte Bjønness, PhD
Caste-Based Discrimination at School: A Critical Ethnographic Study of Janakpur, Nepal
(Kathmandu University School of Education, 2026-01) Jha, Roshan Kumar; Asst. Prof. Lina Gurung, PhD
This research is conducted in a semi-urban area of Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City. It examines three research question that is how caste-based discrimination manifests in everyday school life, how discrimination is reproduced through the practices and behaviors of teachers, the School Management Committee (SMC), and the school as an institution, and how Dalit students respond to such experiences. The research is based on an ethnographic approach, and critical paradigm has been applied to challenge the existing inequality. The researcher spent one and a half months in the field, engaging closely with students, teachers and SMC. Different approaches were taken for the data collection that includes observation, informal conversations, indepth interviews, and regular interaction with students. The perspective of teachers and school management committee was also included while focusing on students’ lived experiences. The study has tried to capture routine practices, daily interactions, and institutional behaviors that shape caste-based discrimination. The findings show that factors like silence, normalization and denial of caste-related issues allow discrimination to continue. In many cases, discrimination is not overt or direct but appears through everyday activities, and informal behaviors. Therefore, the study argues that caste-based discrimination persists not only through visible practices but also through hidden curriculum. The research also contributes to a deeper understanding of how schools can unintentionally reproduce social inequality and emphasizes the need for more conscious and inclusive educational practices.
Sociocultural Influences on Secondary Level Students' English Language Learning: An Exploratory Qualitative Study
(Kathmandu University School of Education, 2025-11) Puri, Ram Krishna; Asst. Prof. Rajiv Ranjit, PhD
The study explores how sociocultural aspects influence secondary-level English language learning. It examines two aspects: supportive and hindering sociocultural factors that influence the English language learning of secondary level students of Nepal. In this study, I used the interpretive paradigm and an exploratory qualitative study as a research methodology. The study was conducted in a public school and a private school of Dhading district. I explored the stories and experiences of 10 research participants, including students, parents, and teachers. The analysis was guided by sociocultural theory and ecological system theory. The study found that supportive aspects of the family, school, and community environments positively influence students' English language learning. Supportive aspects include better socioeconomic status, access and use of digital technology and social media, encouragement and motivation, positive attitude and perception towards English, and collaborative participation with supervisory roles. Similarly, the availability and effective use of educational resources, interactive classrooms, student-centered policies, and audiovisual exposure benefited the learner. However, the study also revealed several hindering sociocultural factors that obstruct students' English language learning. These include the absence of an English language friendly environment, low educational attainment of family members, economic challenges, limited access to resources and technology, household responsibilities, and domestic obligations. Likewise, dominance of traditional teaching and learning methods, inadequate and underutilized educational resources of the school, and distracting sociocultural activities also hinder English language learning. The study concludes that hindering factors play a more dominant role in public schools, whereas supportive factors are more prominent in private schools. It emphasizes the need to strengthen supportive sociocultural environments and reduce hindering influences in both public and private schools. The study highlights the important roles of the students, parents, and teachers in enhancing English language learning. Thus, it recommends that stakeholders and concerned authorities work collaboratively to create more supportive English language learning environments within the family, school, and community.
Post-COVID Context of Pedagogy: Experiences of Private School Principals in Kathmandu
(Kathmandu University School of Education, 2026-01) Rai, Raju; Assoc. Prof. Shesha Kanta Pangeni, PhD
Facing and experiencing the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic emerged the idea for the research topic “Post-Covid Context of Pedagogy: Experiences of Private Schoo Principals in Kathmandu” as a working principal in a private school in Kathmandu. The pandemic disrupted traditional pedagogical practices, forcing schools to adopt online virtual teaching methods. The purpose of the study was to explore the private school principal’s experiences in creating a physically and psychologically conducive learning environment in the post-COVID-19 context. Using a narrative inquiry and adopting an interpretative paradigm, this research captures the lived experiences of four school principals, revealing how they have managed issues related to educational continuity, excelling ICT skills to teachers, and students’ readiness in online virtual classes through the participants’ narratives. Through the lens of instructional leadership theory resilience theory, the study explores how principals facilitated the transition from traditional physical classrooms to virtual online and again in-person physical classes by equipping teachers with ICT skills and managing limited technological resources. It also highlights the adaptability of school principals in overcoming crises, addressing psychological readiness among students, and maintaining a conducive learning environment despite unprecedented disruptions in the perspective of resilience theory. An abrupt shift from physical classrooms to online virtual classrooms during COVID-19 created chaos for private school principals to manage and lead their schools. This transition made them educate themselves and train teachers to create ICT competency to run online virtual classes. It also affected the financial stability of private schools which caused them to adopt financial zoning of staff like partial salaries and cost reduction strategies. Though the private school principals adopted creative approaches to continue and maintain educational quality, parents claimed that the learning achievement by the students remained lesser than before the pandemic. Similarly, the study highlighted inequities in access to technology like digital devices, uninterrupted internet, and continuous supply of electricity, which had played a crucial role in continuing education in emergency learning. The finding further adds that principals faced a significant challenge in reopening schools after the COVID-19 pandemic to create a conducive learning environment. At first, students and parents were worried about the health protocols and procedures for the physical classes. Additionally, students were hyperactive and less attentive, which affected their learning, and the reason behind this was prolonged online virtual classes. Teachers also struggled to maintain classroom discipline as previously they did before the pandemic. Management of safety protocols to run schools was financially cost-bearing for the private schools. However, they need to be transformative and a change agent as per the time and context, like the COVID-19 pandemic, which has emphasized the need for hybrid approaches, combining online and offline learning to maximize flexibility and preparedness for future disruptions.
Experiences of Academic Stress and Coping Mechanism of Nursing Students: A Narrative Inquiry
(Kathmandu University School of Education, 2026-02) Prof. Dhanapati Subedi, PhD
Academic stress is a response to conflicts, pressure, and students' reactions during their education. Academic distress can affect the students negatively, not only physically but also psychologically. During the nursing study period, they must complete class-based assignments and exams, as well as develop various clinical competencies. Therefore, the essence of this study was to reveal the lived experiences of nursing students’ academic stress on theoretical coursework and clinical practice. Although nursing education is intended to develop competent and compassionate professionals, students often experience psychological, emotional, and physical strain as they strive to meet high academic and clinical expectations. The purpose of this research was to explore how nursing students perceive and interpret academic stress, and to understand the coping mechanisms they adopted throughout their educational journey. Following the interpretivist paradigm, this qualitative inquiry adopted a narrative approach to capture participants' subjective realities. Data were collected by in-depth interviews and interpreted thematically. Basically, the self-efficacy and resilience theories were used to understand nursing students’ academic stress and their coping strategies in response to personal and contextual realities. Informed consent was taken before the data collection. Confidentiality and anonymity were strictly followed. The nursing students experienced different stressors, such as long class hours, a heavy workload, and continuous formative and summative assessments. Not only that, but during clinical duty, different kinds of stressors were also reported. These stressors lead to anxiety, fear of failure, and psychological distress. Many students expressed inadequate institutional support and mentoring. They expressed the reality of taking stress-calming medication. However, the resilience is achieved through coping strategies such as listening to music, seeking social support, practicing self reflection, and, when necessary, accessing counseling services. Based on the findings, it is concluded that nursing students experienced physical and emotional exhaustion during their studies. Nursing institutions must prioritize supportive teaching–learning environments, empathetic mentorship to promote students’ well-being, and the preparation of resilient future nurses.