Anand Mathew Kurien
Areas of Interest & Expertise
- Physics Pedagogy
- Music Pedagogy
- Music Theory
- School Physics Content Development
- YouTube Content Development
- Mathematics Pedagogy
Biography
Anand was a schoolteacher for thirteen years before joining the University in 2022. After receiving a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Physics from Madras Christian College, Chennai, he started work as a Physics and Music educator at Good Earth School, Chennai in 2009. A few years later, he also earned a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree in Physics and a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree.
Anand spent twelve years at Good Earth School where, apart from teaching physics, he worked for the school’s overall physical, cultural, and academic development with several non-academic responsibilities. Besides this, what he owes most to Good Earth is that it gave him the space and time to discover and develop his love for teaching music.
In a decade-long process that involved children of ages 4 to 14, he developed a system of teaching music that catered to specific pedagogic requirements of children. Over time, he was able to bring about a vibrant culture that helped children become more inclined to music. Children, in turn, guided by teachers, came up with several musical theatre productions, hours-long concerts, sing-alongs, and musical presentations for more than a decade.
In 2018, along with friends and mentors, Anand initiated the School Physics Educators Forum (SPEF) with support from NPS International, Chennai (where he worked for a year). This forum was founded on the understanding that school education will improve only if teachers are empowered. This forum, since its inception, has evolved from being a small group of physics teachers (in Chennai, conducting workshops in problem-solving and concept building) into a larger group of educators from all over the country, from various disciplines, discussing subject content, sharing teaching-learning experiences, and learning from each other.
Anand’s greatest passions are conveying physics and music to an uninitiated audience and making video content for online platforms. He is a trained western classical music theorist, an avid enthusiast of technology, maths, and astronomy and he is fascinated by history and aviation.
Courses
Teaching Physics
A deeper retrospective engagement with school Physics and its pedagogy
Publications
Journal Articles
- Kurien, A.M., Mani, H.S., Virmani, A. (2019). The annular eclipse of 26th December 2019: As to be seen at Coimbatore. Resonance – Journal of Science Education, 24(11),1273 – 1286. https://www.ias.ac.in/describe/article/reso/024/11/1273 – 1286
- Kurien, A.M. (2017). The context of our lives. Journal of the Krishnamurti Schools, 21, 40 – 43. http://www.journal.kfionline.org/issue-21/the-context-of-our-lives
- Kurien, A.M. (2013). Composing a culture in music. Journal of the Krishnamurti Schools,17, 26 – 34. http://www.journal.kfionline.org/issue-17/composing-a-culture-in-music
Book Review
- Kurien, A.M. (2023). [Review of the book Ramanujan: From Zero to Infinity, by A. Venkatesh]. At Right Angles, 88 – 91. https://publications.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/4560/