Sengupta, Debjani. (2006). PRE-SERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION FOR EMERGING DIVERSE EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT: PERSPECTIVES, PRACTICES AND PROSPECTS- A CASE STUDY IN WEST BENGAL. Unpublished. ERIC, Education

Objectives of the study:

• To examine the existing teacher education curricula in terms of its relevance to the emerging educational context.

• To assess the ongoing process of teacher education curricula in relation to its objectives to identify gaps.

• To assess the ongoing process of teacher education curricula in relation to the professional requirements of the future teachers.

• Preparation of profile of teacher educators with reference to changing contexts.

• Analyze the stakeholders perception of present day teacher education programme.

Sample:

Five Teacher education colleges which are fully sponsored and managed by the Government of West Bengal were selected for the study.

Tools:

• Inventory for content analysis of the syllabus

• Questionnaire for preparing teacher educators profile

• Interview schedule for teacher educators

• Classroom observation schedule

• Interview schedule for principals, Govt. Officials, Student teachers, Beginner teachers, Parents of school children.

Research Methodology:

Survey Method

Statistical Techniques:

Frequency count and percentage analysis

Findings:

• The result showed that both the syllabi place top most priority on cultivating the notion of multiple roles of teacher and lowest priority to international understanding.

• Interview data reveals that some of the teacher educators, especially the younger generation, are interested to take up research projects but they do not know the sources of funding agencies and the appropriate mechanism to approach them.

• IT was not observed in the classroom perhaps because of infrastructural limitation. The trend of classroom transaction was towards the developing end of curriculum.

• Cluster of responses show that the bureaucrats are giving importance to proficiency in subject teaching.

• Responses showed that teacher educators are more or less satisfied with the coverage of emerging issues in curriculum. Satisfaction, however, is not so pronounced for assessment practices, which needs, as they feel, better standardization, objectivity and commitment.

• In the present study, the student teachers asserted that they experienced diversity and learned to value it whole participating in activities or through some scattered submits in theoretical papers.

• The process of curriculum development in West Bengal can be said as a moderate decentralized phenomena Moderate, because unlike countries like Japan, China, Malaysia, Germany it is not a strictly centralized affair. Nor like Australia, France or Philippines, where inputs are expected from every stakeholders in policy formation.

• In the sampled University, like all other universities of W.B. a post graduate board of studies decides over the curriculum taking input in the form of participation from several senior teacher educators with a final note of consent from the University Syndicate/ Court. The affiliated colleges are expected to follow the curriculum more or less in the prescribed way.

Keyword(s): Pre-service Teacher Education, Emerging Diverse Educational Context