E-journal of All India Association for Educational Research (EJAIAER)
VOL.20 Nos: 3 & 4 September & December, 2008
ELEMENTARY PRE-SERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION IN KARNATAKA
Vijaya Kumari S. N.
Mini
K. J.
INTRODUCTION
The
teacher in the emerging Indian society has a very pivotal role to play in the
social reconstruction and in transmission of wisdom, knowledge and experiences
of one generation to another. Children are the potential wealth of a nation.
They are always exposed to the information of the teacher. It is therefore
necessary to realize that the emerging Indian society can achieve all round
development with the help of the teachers who acts as a powerful agency in
transmitting its cherished values. The qualities of Primary Schools are
dependent largely upon the quality and character of the teacher. The quality of
the teacher depends upon the soundness of Pre – service Teacher Education
programme they undergo. The Pre-service Teacher Education Programme is a
programme to develop individuals for a particular profession that is to be a
teacher. Teacher education programmes should accordingly provide for a
comprehensive coverage of professional knowledge, understanding attitude
interest values and skills and have strong functional orientations. For this
teachers have to be trained and their preparation depends on the quality of the
entire Teacher Education Programme. To improve the Pre-service Elementary
Teacher Education the curriculum was revised and implemented from the academic
year 2002-03 and was renamed as Diploma in Education (D. Ed). D. Ed is the
Pre-service Elementary Teacher Education course provided in
NEED
FOR THE STUDY
One
of the major inputs towards enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in
schools as well as the Teacher Education Institutions would be the extent to
which research out puts and the outcomes of innovations are utilized by the
system. Researches on Teacher Education are being conducted in Universities,
national level institutions and other establishment but their utility for the
Teacher Educators or the classroom teachers remains
low. The last five decades have witnessed several attempts to change modify and
indigenize the inherited system of Teacher Education. The system however
continues to function more or less on the same principles; similar content and
approaches characterized by continuity and unwillingness to change the existing
programme of Teacher Education at Primary and Secondary stages. The
developments and changes over the last two decades forced the education system
to change to the changing demands of the society. Accordingly curriculum for
the Pre-service Elementary Teacher Education was renamed during 2002-03 and the
course was rendered as Diploma in Education (D. Ed.). Just like any other programme, there was
confusion and opposition from the teacher educators and pre-service teachers
especially with regard to internship programme, microteaching and action
research. To give feedback to the policy makers there was a need of undertaking
a systematic study about the programme. Hence the researches felt the need of
undertaking this study after Two years of implementing the programme.
OBJECTIVES
1.To study the opinion of Teacher Educators, Pre-service
Teachers and School Teachers with respect to
Practice in Teaching and
Internship
2. To study the Opinion of Teacher Educators and Pre-service
Teachers with respect to Subject Specialization; General Pedagogy; Micro
Teaching; and Co-Curricular Activities
3.To study whether there exists any difference in the Opinion of Teacher Educators and Pre-
service Teachers with respect to Micro Teaching.
4.To study whether there exists any difference in the Opinion of Teacher Educators and Pre –
service Teachers with respect to Subject Specialization.
5.To study whether there exists any difference in the
opinion of Teacher Educators and Pre-service Teachers with Respect to General
Pedagogy.
6.To study whether there exists any difference in the Opinion of Teacher Educators and
Pre-service Teacher with respect to Co-Curricular Activities.
7.To study whether there exists any difference in the Opinion of Teacher Educators, Pre-service
Teachers and school Teachers with respect to Practice in Teaching.
8.To study whether there exists any difference in the
Opinion of Teachers Educators, Pre-service and School Teachers with respect
to Internship
HYPOTHESES
1.There is significant difference between the Opinion of Teacher
Educators and Pre-service with respect to Micro Teaching.
2.There is significant difference between the Opinion of
Teacher Educators and Pre-service Teachers with respect to Subject
Specialization.
3.There is significant difference between the Opinion of
Teacher Educators and Pre-service Teachers with respect to General Pedagogy.
4.There is significant difference between the Opinion of
Teacher Educators and Pre-service Teachers with respect to Co-Curricular
activities.
5.There is significant difference between the Opinion of
Teacher Educators, Pre-service Teachers and School Teachers with respect to
Practice in Teaching.
6.There is significant difference between the Opinion of Teacher
Educators, Pre-service Teachers and School Teachers with respect to Internship.
METHODOLOGY
The
descriptive survey method was used to study the Opinion of Teacher Educators,
Pre-service Teachers and School Teachers of Coorg
District about D.Ed Programme. The survey was carried
out in three phases:
I:
Selection of the variables involved in the study and Construction and
validation of the tool
II:
Selection of the Sample for the study and Collection of data using the
prepared tool
III.Analysis of data using suitable statistical procedure and
Interpretation of data
Variables
in the Study
The
variables taken for the present study by the investigator were as follows.
Teacher
Educators: The
Teacher Educators are those who are qualified with the degree of Masters of
Education engaged in training the students who have joined the D.ED College’s
with the aim of becoming a teacher.
Pre-service
Teachers: Pre
–service Teachers are those II year students of D.ED colleges who have joined
the institution to be trained to become a successful teacher in future.
School
Teachers:
School Teachers are those teachers working in the schools where the teacher
trainees are allotted for undergoing Practice Teaching and Internship training.
D. Ed Programme: It
consists of both cognitive and non-cognitive aspects of the D. Ed course
prescribed in the D. Ed. Curriculum of Karnataka State. In the present study
only the Subject Specialization, General Pedagogy, Micro-teaching Co-curricular
Activities, Practice in teaching and being taken into
consideration.
Population
In
the present study the population represents the Teacher Educators, Pre-service
Teachers of D. Ed colleges and School Teachers of Primary Schools of Coorg District.
Sample
For
the present study twelve Teacher Educators, hundred and forty – five
Pre-service Teachers and hundred Schools Teachers were selected using simple
random technique.
Tools
Opinionnaire on D.Ed Programme: The tool
has two parts A and B. Part A has the statements related to subject
specialization, general Pedagogy, Micro Teaching and Co-curricular Activities
Part B has the statements related to Practice in Teaching and Internship.
Procedure
Phase 1: The
Researcher visited the D.Ed colleges and Primary
Schools of Coorg District. The purpose of the study
was explained to the Head of the Schools and obtained the permission to
administer the Opinionnaire on D. Ed Programme.
Phase II: The
Researcher explained the purpose for which the study was being conducted and
Teacher Educators were requested to respond to the Opinionnaire.
Phase III: The
Researcher personally presented the Opinionnaire to
the School Teachers and requested them to respond to the Opinionnaire.
The Researcher collected the answered Opinionaire
personally.
Phase IV: The
data received was recorded and analysed by
Researcher.
Locale
of the Study:
Coorg District
FINDINGS
Teacher
educators and pre-service teachers differ significantly in their opinion with respect
to micro teaching. Pre-service teacher opinion was significantly more favorable
than that of the teacher educators. Teacher educators and pre-service teacher
differ significantly in their opinion with respect to co-curricular activities.
Pre-service teachers’ opinion was significantly more favourable than that of
the teacher educators. Opinion of the teacher educators, pre-service teachers
and school teachers do not differ significantly with respect to practice in
teaching. Teacher educators, pre-service teachers and school teachers
opinion equally favoured with respect to practice in teaching. Teacher
educators, pre-service teachers and school teachers differ significantly in
their opinion with respect to internship. Teacher educators and pre-service
teachers opinion with respect to internship is significantly more favourable
than that of the school teachers.
EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
The
study revealed that Pre-service Teachers opinion was significantly more
favorable than that of the teacher educators and descriptive analysis of the
opinion of teacher educators with respect to microteaching shows that teacher educators knowledge on microteaching was inadequate. Hence
adequate training should be provided to Teacher Educators by the DIET in
microteaching by capitalizing the process of training the student teacher with
respect to some important skill and strategies of integrating those micro
skills Another finding of the study shows that Pre
-service teachers opinion was significantly more favorable with respect to
co-curricular activities offered at D Ecl. Programme than that of Teacher Educators. Descriptive
analysis of the opinion of Teacher Educators shows that they were not satisfied
with co-curricular activities organized by the training colleges and the
product of S.U.P.W. activities with respect to their cost and utilitarian
values. Therefore orientation
programmer and workshops should be organized for Teacher
Educators in organizing co-curricular activities and S.U.P.W activities. The
study also found out that Teacher Educators and Pre-service Teachers opinion
with respect to internship is significantly more favorable than the School
Teachers. This shows the need of organizing seminar / orientation programme for
Elementary School teachers in generals and mentor teacher in particular so that
the purpose of the internship programme will be achieved.