About This Course The major objectives of science learning are to cultivate scientific temper i.e objectivity, critical thinking, acquisition of skills, and understanding of methods and processes, nurturance of natural curiosity, aesthetic sense, creativity among children. Keeping these in mind, the Department of Education in Science and Mathematics (DESM) at NCERT, New Delhi has developed this online course primarily aimed for teachers teaching science up to class 8. The course will not only enhance teacher's understanding regarding nature and role of science but also about how children learn science and the abilities, skills, attitudes and practices teachers need to develop. It will therefore facilitate in capacity enhancement in a flexible manner to a large number of teachers particularly to those whose access to educational resources or capacity building programmes is limited. Goals Professional development of teachers to become reflective and competent practitioners; Fill gaps in teachers’ content knowledge and to give them proficiency a few steps ahead of the elementary level syllabus; Enable teachers to understand pedagogical content knowledge and which can be used to improve lesson plans and use alternative resources and multimedia to explain science; Enable teachers to learn peer discussing for exploration of a phenomenon, questioning and critical thinking skills; Enable teachers to explore and observe natural and social phenomena around us as examples while explaining science; Help teachers to get idea about how children construct knowledge, what role do questions play in knowledge construction, etc. Demonstrate how the role of a teacher is a facilitator to ask questions, provoke questions, and guide collective analysis; Demonstrate how to initiate explorations, individual and group learning activities, analyze experience to arrive at some kind of conclusions, and to do it in such a way that the conclusions are the children’s own and not the teacher’s thrust on them without convincing. The Target Group This online course is primarily aimed for teachers who teach Science at the Middle Stage (Grades 6-8). This course is primarily designed for such individuals who are desirous of improving their domain and pedagogic skills required for teaching science at this level. The course will help them in designing their lesson plans and they can refer to the examples and learning materials while explaining concepts in class. They can also demonstrate portions of the course content as it is to their class. Time Allocation The course consists of 40 modules. On an average, each module can be completed in 6-8 hours. Each module will be opened on every Monday, and it is to be completed in a week. All the modules along with the final exam are to be completed in 40 weeks. Important Dates Classes Start: Dec 15, 2025 Classes End: Oct 4, 2026 The Syllabus S.No. Module Name 1 What is Science? 2 How is Knowledge Built in Science? 3 How Children Learn? 4 Engaging Children in Active Learning 5 Teaching Learning Strategies 6 Assessment in Science 7 Physical and Chemical Changes 8 Acids, Bases and Salts 9 Metals and Non-Metals 10 Combustion and Oxidation 11 Getting Inside the Atoms and Molecules 12 Motion 13 Force 14 Fluid Pressure 15 Density and Floatation 16 Energy 17 Heat and Temperature 18 Light- I 19 Light-II 20 Static Electricity 21 Electric Current 22 Magnetism 23 Sound 24 Particle Nature of Matter 25 Elementary Astronomy 26 Living and Non-Living 27 Microorganisms 28 Cell: Structure and Function 29 Photosynthesis 30 Digestion 31 Respiration 32 Transport in plants 33 Circulation 34 Excretion 35 Skeleton and Movement 36 Life Cycle of Flowering Plants 37 Reproduction in Animals 38 Human Reproduction 39 Ecosystem and Biodiversity 40 Human Nature Interaction What Is This Course About? A MOOC for science teachers- This is a completely online course, primarily aimed for teachers dealing with Science at the middle level (Grades 6-8) in schools. The purpose of this course is to help in professional development of a large number of pre-service and in-service teachers to become reflective and competent practitioners. The course consists of multimedia based interactive learning materials. The course provides in-depth yet flexible learning opportunities to anyone interested in teaching-learning of science at middle level. Each module starts from the basics and attempts to develop learner’s understanding upto a significant conceptual depth. Note: NCERT does not claim this course to be equivalent to any other course required as a qualification for teacher's appointment. This is purely an academic course and cannot be claimed for any exemption. Fee Details Yes, there is a one time enrollment fee of Rs. 2000. There is no other fee involved. The mode of payment is ONLINE ONLY. Who Can Enrol? Candidates having Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree and In-service teachers teaching science for grades 6-8 across the countryORHaving diploma or degree in educationORPre-service teachers pursuing their diploma or degree in educationORAny other individual directly involved in science education. How To Enrol In This Course? Go to PAY FEE ONLINE page and make a payment of Rs. 2000 using the link provided. Within a week after making payment, you will receive an ‘Invitation’ email from NCERTX. Follow the instructions given in the email to complete the enrollment process. The last date for enrollment is 14th December, 2025. Kindly, use same email ID everywhere. How To Go Through The Course? Online 24x7- Using a laptop/desktop computer with internet connectivity, the enrolled participant can sign in (using his/her registered email ID and password) to his/her account on ncertx.in platform and access the course. It can be accessed from any place, 24x7 during the course run period. What Is The Duration Of This Course? 40 Weeks- The course will start from 15th December, 2025 and tentatively end on 4th October, 2026. The course consists of 40 modules. On an average, each module can be completed in 6-8 hours. Every Monday, a new module will be opened and it is to be completed in a week. All the modules along with the final exam are to be completed in 40 weeks. What Is The Assessment Method? 40 end of module tests and a Final exam- There is an objective test at the end of each module. It will be opened with its respective module for 15 days. Learners can appear for these tests as per their convenience within 15 days. There is a final exam at the end of course. Those learners who complete all the modules and appear in all the 40 tests will be allowed to appear for this final exam. It will be a timed exam and the date will be announced in advance. Who Will Award Diploma? NCERT- On successful completion, NCERT will award an e-certificate for “Teaching of Science at Middle Stage”. Source: Teaching of Science at Middle Stage