SHIFTING FROM ROTE MEMORIZATION TO CRITICAL THINKING: RESOURCE OPTIMIZATION TO IMPROVE ACHIEVEMENT IN INDIAN CLASSROOMS

Abstract

Education is a continuous process through which individuals develop knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that enable personal growth and responsible participation in society (Sharma, 2025). In India, this process is largely organized through a formal education system that operates with fixed curricula, age-based progression, and examination-led certification (Education for All in India, 2025). Gradually, the system has become strongly exam-oriented, which has encouraged rote learning strategies rather than deeper conceptual understanding and critical thinking (Education World, 2025). National frameworks, especially the National Education Policy 2020 and related legal provisions, now call for a shift towards competency-based, experiential, and holistic education, yet classroom practice often remains dominated by memorization (Kumari and Veer, 2025).