QUALITY OF ELEMENTARY TEACHER EDUCATION

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QUALITY OF ELEMENTARY TEACHER EDUCATION: SOME PROSPECTS AND ISSUES
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Dr. G.N.Tiwari

A central component of all the strategies for improving the quality of education are often Pre-service and in-service education if teacher which improves is situational quality and productivity of teachers leading to improvement in the quality of education. The following observation in the yearbook of education (1963) is pertinent- “The strength of an educational system largely depends upon the quality of its teachers. However enlighten the aims, however efficient the administration, the teacher determines their value. There is therefore, no more important matter than that of securing a sufficient supply of the right kind of people to the profession, providing them with the best possible training the ensuring to them a status and esteem commensurate with the importance and responsibility.” Kelley, J.A. (1989) said, “If a nation is to have a future; with promise, it must have world class schools and if it is to have world class schools, if must have a world class teaching force.” It means that the future of any education depends upon quality of schools, which ultimately depends upon the quality of its teaching force. The strength of the education system essentially depends on the capabilities of people who teach and on there are training. Teacher education is, therefore, an important input in the professional preparation and growth of competent teaches. Pre-service and in service teacher education programme: Teacher education programme may be broadly categorized in two categories i.e. Preservice and In-service teacher education. Pre-service teacher education is foundation of teacher education. It is an important input to up mark the quality of teachers as teachers are unable to get at frequent internal in-service education, pre-service education should be sound and profound so that the teacher is able to tackle different challenges in the educational system. On the other hand, in-service education of teachers helps the teacher to update his/her knowledge of the subject matter, innovations in the field of education and develop skill in new pedagogy, transaction strategies evaluation etc. to enlarge the teacher’s experience and vision. Reader, Institute of Education and Research, Mangalayatan University, Aligarh, U.P.
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Need of in-service teacher education: Raindra Nath Tagore has aptly said, “A lamp can never light unless if continues to burn its own flame. A teacher can never truly teacher unless he is still learning himself.” This indicates that teacher has to be engaged in self study and has to continue self learning in order knowledge so that it may be possible for him to adjust the school curriculum and gear the school programmes to the emerging socio-economic, political and cultural needs of the community. Since the primary school teacher plays and important role in educational frame work of the country, he needs continuous in-service education with a view to equip with changing national goals, revision of school curriculum, additional input in teaching-learning system and emergence of new concepts due to researchers being conducted in the field of education. In-service training involves any activity, which a teacher undertakes, after he has begun to teach, which concerned with his professional work. Moraunt (1981) defined in-service training as follows: “In-service training is taken to include all the courses and activities in which a serving teacher may participate for the purpose of extending his professional knowledge, interest or skill. Corey (1957), United State Department of Health, Education and welfare (1965), Chakravarti and Basu (1988) and Kapoor (1993) defined in-service education as the professional development of a teacher essentially consist of three components:(a) Development of pedagogic skills of the teacher. (b) Development of mastery of a subject by the teacher and (c) Development of the teacher as a member a teaching profession. In the words of late Professor M.B. Buch (1968), In-service education is a programme of activities aiming at the continuing growth of in-service teacher. Sen (1966) stated that in-service education is aimed at stimulating knowledge and to improve technical skill. Williams (1981) related it with staff development. Thus, we can say that in changing world, in-service training for primary school teacher is an output for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Innovative Interventions in In-service education of Elementary teachers The national Policy on Education 1986, and also as revised in 1992, placed significant emphasis on pre-induction training as well as on in-service continuing education of primary teachers. Over the years, India has developed a multi-tier infrastructure for teacher education. At the national level, National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT), set up in 1961, leads the county in designing exemplar instructional material on teacher education and

providing training through innovative programmes. National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) was set up in August 1995 under an Act of Parliament for planned and coordinated development of teacher education. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), through its School of Education offers teacher education programmes in the distance mode. State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs) were set up in 20 states and State Institutes of Education (SIEs) in nine other states as the state counterpart of the NCERT to provide direction and leadership to reforms in school education including teacher education. Below the state level there are elementary teacher training institutions which are continuously being upgraded since 1987 under a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS). Establishment of DIETs under Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Teacher Education is a major intervention as there did not facilities for continuous Teacher Education is a major intervention as there did not exist facilities for continuous Teacher Education at district level before the launch of this Scheme. It has been envisaged that DIETs would provide for training and resource support to Elementary Education (both formal and non-formal) and Adult Education systems at the grass-root level. A DIET has three main functions. • • • Training both inductions level as well as in-service. Resource support extension/guidance, development of materials, evaluation tools etc. Action research. All programmes of pre-service and in-service teacher education are so designed as to train the teacher/instructor in transacting curriculum, keeping the learner at the center of the teaching learning process. Science is a way of life. It is also part and parcel of life. Thorough understanding and application of Science eliminate the miseries of individuals and the community as well. If Science is taught and learnt effectively, individuals’ life will become meaningful, prosperous and productive. It will have a positive impact on the community. Knowledge based teaching of Science cannot help to achieve the benefits of Science. Teacher Education for Science Teachers at elementary level The NPE has reiterated the importance of teaching of Mathematics and Science Education as well as inculcation of scientific temper in the core curriculum in schools. The committee set up under the Chairmanship of Prof. Yash Pal, Chairman, UGC for implementation teaching aids,

of programmes for the improvement of science education has stressed the need for proper motivation of teachers in order to enable them to play their role effectively and provision of suitable training to them. A detailed scheme for improvement of science education in schools has been prepared. 21st century is the century of information and communication technology (UCT). The knowledge of science acts as fundamentals of ICT society. This science education can play the most important role in our school curriculum. The aims of teaching science at school becomes quite clear that, so far as possible teaching of science to its young students should include proposing problems, refining and defining them more productively, setting up hypothesis and their testing with the help of controlled experiments, thinking at new solutions etc. Burnett (1960) stated in his book entitled “Teaching science in elementary school” that science education at primary level is necessary for developing scientific mindedness and critical abilities in children. It helps the child to interpret his expanding environment and contribute him for increased health and safety, basis in reality for other schoolwork effective social learning. Current situation in science teaching in primary schools especially in rural area is very disappointing. Patil M.S. (2004) observed that science teaching has been and is still oral in character with demonstration occasionally thrown in. There is very little practical work up to primary level. Aims and objectives of science education look on paper, most of them vaporize during implementation. Science teaching at this level is based strictly. On the other hand, methods employed for science teaching are dull both teachers and students worship the “goddess of examination.” Briefly, lack of conceptual and pedagogical knowledge among primary teacher is most considerable factor along with lack of equipment infrastructure and appropriate curriculum framework. Conclusion In-service training programme for teaching science must be their need based. The need of their in-service training should be identified on the basis of context specific competencies. The findings in respect of training needs can be used to take long term decisions with regard to training of primary teachers. Any package for in-service training in teaching science at primary level must focus on the development of both types of competencies i.e. content and transaction related competencies.

Environment of the training programme must be of the type which can foster the learning process of teacher trainees. Time duration of sessions should be in accordance with weather. . The sessions should be more interactive and should have more involvement of teachers. The teaching strategies adopted should be need based. Good infrastructural facilities play an importance role in developing joyful environment therefore infrastructural facilities should be up to the mark. The library should have innovative and new books so that teachers get maximum benefit from it. TLM should be more contexts specific. Real classroom demonstration should be used for more effective training. These points should be taken into account during planning a teacher-training programme. It has been felt that need assessment study is required to be conducted. Along with this it is also important that the teachers trained through these packages are expected to implement the learned knowledge, techniques and skills in their respective schools. For this purpose a follow up supervision must be conducted by the authorities. The present study covers an important aspect of teacher training for teaching science i.e. in-service training programme and provides help for future researches in this area. The responsibility of helping the schools rests with the educational administrators at different levels. Therefore the finding of the study can be used for discharging their daily science teaching effectively and to chalk out need based training programme for school teachers. References
Indian Journal of Open Learning, (Sept. 1998), Vol. 7 No. 3, IGNOU, New Delhi. Indian Journal of Open Learning^ (May 2001), Vol. 10, No. 2, IGNOU, New Delhi. Indian Educational Abstracts, (Jan, 2001) Vol. I, No. I, NCERT, New Delhi. Miracle of Teaching, (April-June, 2001), Vol. I & II, No. 2 & 3, Published by Asia Academy of Education of Culture, New Delhi. The Primary Teacher. (April 1999). Vol. XXIV, No.2, NCTIRT. New Delhi. Perspective in Education (January. 2002). Vol. 18, No.I, Society for Educational Research and Development, Gujarat. Perspective in Education, (April, 2002), Vol. 18, No.2, Society for Educational Research and Development. Gujarat. Perspective in Education, (July, 2002), Vol. 18, No.3, Society for Educational Research and Development, Gujarat. Perspective in Education. (October, 2002), Vol. 18, No.4, Society for Educational Research and Development, Gujarat. Research Dialogue in Learning and Instruction, (Winter 1999), Vol. I, No.2. Publication EARC. Journal of Teacher Education (Jan-Feb, 2000), Vol. 51, No. I, AACTE, Corwin Press. Teacher Education, (June 2001), Vol. 35, No. I, IATE, New Delhi. Teaching and Teacher Education, (April 2002), Vol. 18, No. 3, Pergomon Press. Teaching and Teacher Education, (January 2001), Vol. 17, No. 7, Pergamon Press. Teaching and Teacher Education, (May 2001), Vol. 17. No. 4, Pergamon Press. Teaching and Teacher Education, (April 2002), Vol. 18, No. 3, Pergamon, Press. Teaching and Teacher Education, (Jan 2001), Vol. 17 No. 5, Pergamon Press. Teaching and Teacher Education, (May 2001), Vol. 17 No. 4, Pergamon, Press. University News, (Nov. 1996), No. 4, AIU, New Delhi.

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