Narayana, U Lakshmi. (2005). “PRE-SERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION FOR EMERGING DIVERSE EDUCATIONAL CONTEXTS: PERSPECTIVES, PRACTICES AND PROSPECTS”.. Unpublished. ERIC, Education

Objectives:

The objectives of this study are to:

1.      Examine the existing teacher education curriculum in terms of its relevance to the emerging diverse educational contexts.

2.      Assess the ongoing processes of teacher education curriculum in relation to identify gaps.

3.      Assess the existing practices of teacher education curriculum in relation to the professional requirement of the future teachers.

4.      Preparation of profile of the teacher educators and examine it in relation to the needed competence of teacher educators in changing contexts.

5.      Analyze the perceptions of stakeholders (teacher educators, teachers and students teachers) with regard to the teacher education programme.

Population:

The colleges of education affiliated to Barakatullah University have been considered as the target population for selecting different samples of teacher educators, student teachers and novice teachers.

Sample size:

There are total 39 colleges of education affiliated to Barakatullah University and following the pre-service teacher education curriculum stipulated by the university. Out of which 19 colleges have been selected for the study.

Sampling Technique:

All the teacher educators from these 19 colleges have been included in the sample of teacher educators. Sample of teacher educators and student teachers have been drawn at random from these colleges, whereas the sample of novice teachers is drawn incidentally.

Name of the tools:

Following tools have been prepared to collect the data:

1.      Curriculum Evaluation Schedule- Form A

2.      Curriculum Evaluation Schedule- Form B

3.      Observation schedule for Curriculum Practices

4.      Teacher Educators Profile

5.      Perception Scale for Teacher Educators

6.      Questionnaire for student teachers

7.      Questionnaire for novice teachers

 

Name of the developer:

The tools for collecting data have been developed in a series of workshop organized by DEME, NCERT, New Delhi and those tools are finalized in a workshop organized at RIE, Bhopal.

Method of Research:

Descriptive research study coupled with qualitative analysis of certain issues has been used for the study.

Techniques used for data analysis:

Statistical techniques like percentage, average, rating scale were used for analysis of data.

Findings:

The latest development in the field of education is hardly reflected in the pre-service teacher education curriculum. Except in paper I of core subjects no other theory papers are found to have included any of the components of latest developments. In case of curricular practices, majority of observation shows that this s at the developing stage. With regard to the indicators, ICT based pedagogical environment, majority of curricular practices rated as not observed which means that ICT is not all used in learning. There is a normal classroom environment but not ICT based pedagogical environment. In respect of microteaching, all the indicators are at developing stage.

In respect to teaching and research experience, a large majority of teacher educators found to have teaching experience less than 10 years which is not satisfactory. In case of professional activities, none of the sampled teacher educators secured special awards and achievements at national or state level. There are few teacher educators who are skeptic about the issues of developing professionalism and rather they are neutral.

Most of teacher educators felt that the number, nature and procedures of community activities would be useful to some extent in equipping prospective teachers to meet the emerging challenges. Majority of teacher educators opined that preparation of and utilization of teaching learning materials is satisfactory.

Educational Implications:

Pre-service teacher education programme is successful in creating awareness about human rights and rights of children. Both student teacher and novice teacher felt that they are aware of human rights and rights of children through B.Ed. programme. Theoretical and practical inputs in B.Ed. programme are the major sources of such awareness. This is an important evidence to affirm the efficacy of existing teacher education curricular inputs to develop awareness about human rights and child rights.

With regard to emerging issues like environmental conservation, population explosion, gender sensitivity and legal literacy, there is unanimity among student teachers and novice teachers. They expressed emphatically that through B.Ed. programme they are acquainted with environmental and population issues. But teacher education programme has not helped them in acquainting with gender and legal issues. Failure to address gender sensitivity and to enhance legal literacy might be considered as an important lapse in pre-service teacher education as they are the two important emerging issues for which teachers need to be sensitized.

Keyword(s): Pre-Service Teacher Education, teacher Educators, student teachers, novice teachers, Perspectives, Practices and Prospects