George, P Susamma. (2007). Use of Modern Instructional Strategies: Awareness and Achievement of Student Teachers at Primary Level. Unpublished. Ph.D., Education. Mahatma Gandhi University.

The objectives of the study were: (1) To assess the infrastructure facilities and instructional resources available in primary teacher training institutes for using modern instructional strategies. (2) To understand the awareness of primary level student teachers about the use of modern instructional strategies. (3) To understand the opinion of primary level student teachers about the use of modern instructional strategies. (4) To analyze the views and opinion of primary teacher educators about their use of modern instructional strategies. (5) To understand the academic achievement of primary level student teachers who learnt through modern instructional strategies. (6) To compare the academic achievement of primary level student teachers who learnt through modern instructional strategies and those who learnt through the conventional lecture method. (7) To compare the delayed memory achievement of primary level student teachers who learnt through modern instructional strategies and those who learnt through the conventional lecture method.

The sample for the survey part of the study consisted of 530 primary level student teachers and 53 Teacher Educators in the 14 Primary Teacher Training Institutes of Kottayam District. The sample selected for the experimental study consisted of 108 student teachers belonging to aided sector, government sector and DIET sector of Primary Teacher Training Institutes. In each institution, there were two experimental groups and one control group.Tools used were Checklist; Awareness test; Questionnaire; Interview Schedule; Raven s Standard Progressive Metrics (SPM); Achievement Test; Computer-Assisted Instructional Software; Co-operative Learning Package; and Delayed Memory Achievement Test.For collecting data for the study, survey and experimental methods were used. Survey method was adopted for understanding the infrastructure facilities and instructional resources available in primary teacher training institutions and also for collecting the opinion and awareness of student teachers and the opinion and views of Teacher Educators at primary level regarding the use of modern instructional strategies. The design employed for the experimental part of the study was pretest – posttest parallel group design.The content analysis was used for analyzing the data.

The findings of the study were: (1) The majority of the Primary Teacher Training Institutes under study had only satisfactory facilities and resources associated with library, science laboratory, social science laboratory, educational technology display room and psychology laboratory. (2) Accessibility to Information and communication Technology based on computer software, E-learning and web based technology was not adequate for instructional purposes in primary teacher training institutes. (3) The opinion of Student Teachers about the characteristics and advantages of modern instructional strategies, self-learning strategies, role of teachers in modern instructional strategies, group learning strategies and information and communication technology revealed their positive opinion and approval for modern instructional strategies. (4) The Teacher Educators under study were not fully satisfied with the adoption of instructional strategies in primary training institutes.  They reported that Student Teachers were given practice in adopting some of the instructional strategies, but self-learning strategies, like, instructional module and computer assisted instruction were not used for instructional purposes in Primary Teacher Training Institutes. (5) The study pointed out the general poor awareness of student teachers about the significance and use of multi-sensory equipments and projection devices, E-learning and web based technology and the theoretical bases of modern instructional strategies. (6) Regarding their good awareness about the use of multi-sensory equipments and projection devices student teachers belonging to Aided Primary Teacher Training Institutes and those with qualification graduation and above had more awareness than those belonging to the Unaided Primary Teacher Training Institutes. (7) Regarding their good awareness on E-learning and web-based technology student teachers belonging to Aided TTIs and those with the qualification – graduation and above had more awareness than those belonging to the Unaided Primary Teacher Training Institutes. (8) Instruction using the Co-operative Learning Package and prepared Computer Assisted Instructional Software were more effective than the Conventional Lecture Method in the achievement of the total sample of Primary Level Student Teachers.  Among the three strategies under study, Co-operative Learning Package was the most effective on the basis of achievement of the total sample of primary level student teachers. (9) Instruction using the prepared Co-operative Learning Package and prepared Computed Assisted Instructional Software were more effective than the Conventional Lecture Method in the achievement of the sub samples of student teachers in Government, Aided and DIET Primary Teacher Training Institutes.  Among the three strategies under study, instruction using the Co-operative Learning Package was the most effective one. (10) Among the three instructional strategies, the Co-operative learning package and the Computed-assisted Instructional Software were more effective than the Conventional Lecture Method in terms of delayed memory achievement of the total sample and sub samples of Primary Level Student Teachers.  (11) When compared between the Co-operative Learning Package and the Computer-assisted Instructional Software for the total sample and sub samples, Primary Level Student Teachers who learnt using the Co-operative Learning Package showed better-delayed memory achievement.

Keyword(s): Modern Instructional Strategies