Acknowledgement : CECED TeamSponsored by AUD & NCTE

Technical Partners: IWSER & ICF International

State partners : Andhra Mahila Sabha, Vidya Bhawan Society & Learning Imprints

Pre-Service Teacher Education

in ECCE in India – A Study

Venita Kaul and Swati Bawa

ECCE in India is in the private and NGO sectors and is part of the 6 services of ICDS. Unregulated sector.

National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) is a statutory body for regulation of Pre service Teacher Education in India

NCTE includes a two year integrated diploma course in ECCE covering pre primary and grade I and II.

NCTE lays down specifications for : Infrastructure Batch size Teacher educators qualifications Curriculum etc.

Background

On the one hand

Globally ECCE is emerging as significant stage of

education.

Recent government initiatives in ECCE in India - RTE &

Article 45 – have implications for significant expansion of

ECCE & demand for teachers.

On the other hand

No information available from field on coverage or quality.

Sector completely unregulated leading to anecdotal

evidence of developmentally inappropriate curricula and

practices both at teacher preparation & ECE center levels

Rationale

Objectives of the study

CATEGORY WISE SAMPLE FOR FIELD OBSERVATIONS

STATE HIGHER GOVT PVT NGO DISTANCE

DELHI/NCR 1 1 1 2

UP 1 1 2

AP 2 6 1

TAMIL NADU 2 1 1

ORISSA 1 1 1

GUJARAT 3 1 2

RAJ 1 3 1

MP 2 1

TOTAL 9 2 15 10 3

Range of respondents covered:

• Teacher educators• Academic heads • Trainees • Alumni• School heads where alumni work• Observation of classroom teaching• Study center coordinators (for distance courses)

MAIN

RESULTS

Inequitable Access Across states

Inequitable access to ECCE Teacher Education

Maximum Institutions in Delhi / NCR and AP (10+)

Negligible no. in the North East, Haryana, Punjab & Himachal Pradesh

No. of Institutions declining in Gujarat, Maharashtra due to low demand in absence of regulation

Dominance of Private sector Majority institutions in private

sector (over 50 %) & are ‘stand alone’ institutions

Negligible involvement of

higher learning institutions (8/95)

Important for professional up-gradation and preparation of teacher educators,

supervisors etc.

Very little investment by govt. sector in this area

Need for stronger regulation

More than 63 % institutions operating without NCTE recognition

Over 50 % of private institutions sampled were unrecognized

Significant variations from norms even among recognized institutions in terms of structure, duration, certification, physical facilities, curriculum & profile of teacher educators E.g. Duration varies from 3 months to 2 years!!

Eligibility varies from class 10 to graduation

Positive finding - 60 % had work experience with children (not an NCTE requirement)

Concern: 40 % TEs do not meet required academic & professional qualifications; including 27 % even from recognized institutions

58% TEs were unaware of the process of designing the curriculum & none had involvement in developing curriculum

No induction training for TEs

• Majority Teacher Educators (53/78) showed no

engagement in any research in ECE/ publishing

any paper

• Professional development opportunities and

support were hardly reported

How do they develop it ?

•35 % institutions reported using National Curriculum framework (NCF) and National Curriculum framework for Teacher Education (NCFTE) guidelines and theoretical frameworks •Two thirds reported group consultations as the preferred method

•40 % teacher educators said that they organized workshops, seminars, talks etc. to supplement given curriculum & reduce curricular gaps •A few reported using innovative methods in teaching to overcome curricular gaps, if prescribed

Varied understanding of Curriculum•There is no uniform understanding across institutions about the age range of ECCE for which teacher education is provided

•Overall content is centered on child devp. but confused often with academic instruction

•Only 1 Academic Head reported receiving periodic orientation about the curriculum from the prescribing organization

•Heads of all recognized institutions shared that NCTE rarely sought feedback about the curriculum or its transaction

4.3 13.04

19.5

4.354.3

6.5

0 to 3 years0 to 8 years3 to 8 years3 to 12 years2 to 6 years

2 to 6 years

Not mentioned

0 to 3 0 to 8 years

3 to 8 years

3 to 12

• Lecture method & small / large group exercises most common practices across all categories

• Alumni report equal usage of all methods (such as lecture method, group discussion, role play and tutorials)

However, not supported by observations!!

• Minimal use of case studies, field observations & multi media

Practice teaching varied from 10% to 50 % of the curriculum

Trainees shared that they did not get enough experience of different ECCE contexts in their practical experience

Practical experience limited to ‘lab schools’ in many cases. Notion of ‘lab school’ a concern

Practice teaching only; no internship

WHAT DOES MARKET DEMAND? • 56% ads specified some

academic and professional qualifications

• Only 32 % of these specified nursery training.

• In Orissa and Tamil Nadu all ads asked for graduation as academic qualif. not Class XII.

• 35% demanded English fluency

• Concern : 44% did not specify any qualification!

6 asked for English, Computer, pleasant personality etc.

• Inequitable access across states • Need for stronger regulatory methods and norms

• Higher learning institutions not engaged in teacher education • No course for teacher educators nor any induction training,

curriculum involvement nor professional development

• Curriculum varied since many do not conform to NCTE

Recommendations

• Higher learning institutions to set up more programs at post graduate level to -

(a) prepare teacher educators(b) provide refresher trainings for practicing teacher educators &

ECCE leaders

• Need for Integrating pedagogical priorities for pre school & early primary grades in respective TE courses to ensure common understanding & smooth transition

• Flexible & innovative models including multi mode and modular programs to be encouraged with assurance of parity and outcomes

• A system of accreditation for TE institutions to be instituted as incentive to improve & need to identify some well performing ones in different geographies as a chain of Resource institutions to support the system.

• Curriculum development to involve teacher educators

• Provisions be made for initial & refresher trainings • Reference /resource material to be prepared to support teacher educators & student teachers• NCTE to proactively organize periodic orientation programs

• Ensure curriculum is consistent with developmentally appropriate practice and covers continuum from birth to eight years

• Ensure focus on enabling student teachers to work in different settings & social milieu.

• Should include updated insights from international research & contemporary policy scenarios in India, of relevance to teachers

• Should include opportunities for individual growth & self development of student teachers

• Each institution to adopt 20 -25 ECCE centers as a lab area for practice teaching and in the process upgrade these as demonstration centers

• Practice – theory ratio to be 50:50 for student teachers to get a more balanced understanding

• A phased approach to be adopted with initial period of observation, followed by practice teaching & then internship

• Wider consultation with Teacher Educators & experts to review the current norms & prioritize those norms that should be non negotiable for ensuring quality.

• Experience of working with children should be included as a desirable qualification for teacher educators.

• Teacher educators should receive orientation from the prescribing organization in the content & transaction of the curriculum

• TE institutions should expand their “lab school” concept into lab areas by working directly with a range of preschools within a defined geography, with the dual aim of informing & influencing their practices, while also providing opportunity to trainees to experience diverse contexts

• Innovative use of technology for ensuring quality in instruction as well as practice teaching and internship.

• Study material to be updated regularly, made attractive within approved norms.

• Review/ Assessment of the study centers to be conducted on regular basis

• Placements should be facilitated by the headquarters.

• Norms and specifications for Distance Education to be laid down by NCTE