829 Unit-5 by Mujeeb ur rahigghhm (1).pptx
- 1. STRUCTURE AND CURRICULUM OF TEACHER EDUCATION (829) Mujeeb ur Rahim PhD In Education (Scholar ) AIOU Islamabad [email protected]
- 2. INTRODUCTION The teacher is seen as (sole) key agent in successfully bringing about change in education, but changing the teacher –teacher development is most neglected area in change policies and plans. Teaching is the single most important profession in the world that needs continuous professional growth and grooming. It is a fact that Pakistan is one of those very few countries where the system of education has constantly eroded since independence. The situation at present is so worst that the government has officially declared our system of education to be almost collapsing and is employing all possible ways and means on emergency basis for the speedy uplift of our educational system.
- 3. Meaning and Nature of Teacher Education It is well known that the quality and extent of learner achievement are determined primarily by teacher competence, sensitivity and teacher motivation. The National Council for Teacher Education has defined teacher education as a program of education, research and training of persons to teach from pre- primary to higher education level. Teacher education is a programme that is related to the development of teacher proficiency and competence that would enable and empower the teacher to meet the requirements of the profession and face the challenges therein. Teacher Education = Teaching Skills + Pedagogical theory + Professional skills.
- 4. Teaching Skills Teaching skills would include providing training and practice in the different techniques, approaches and strategies that would help the teachers to plan and impart instruction, provide appropriate reinforcement and conduct effective assessment. It includes effective classroom management skills, preparation and use of instructional materials and communication skills.
- 5. Cont… Pedagogical theory includes the philosophical, sociological and psychological considerations that would enable the teachers to have a sound basis for practicing the teaching skills in the classroom. The theory is stage specific and is based on the needs and requirements that are characteristic of that stage. Professional skills include the techniques, strategies and approaches that would help teachers to grow in the profession and also work towards the growth of the profession. It includes soft skills, counseling skills, interpersonal skills, computer skills, information retrieving and management skills and above all lifelong learning skills.
- 6. Nature of Teacher Education Teacher education is a continuous process and its pre-service and in-service components are complimentary to each other. According to the International Encyclopedia of Teaching and Teacher education (1987), ―Teacher education can be considered in three phases: Pre-service, Induction and In-service. Teacher education is based on the theory that ―Teachers are made, not born in contrary to the assumption, ―Teachers are born, not made. Teacher education is broad and comprehensive. Besides pre-service and in- service programs for teachers, it is meant to be involved in various community programs and extension activities, viz adult education and non- formal education programs, literacy and development activities of the society. It is ever-evolving and dynamic. In order to prepare teachers who are competent to face the challenges of the dynamic society.
- 7. Cont… The crux of the entire process of teacher education lies in its curriculum, design, structure, organization and transaction modes, as well as the extent of its appropriateness. As in other professional education programmes the teacher education curriculum has a knowledge base which is sensitive to the needs of field applications and comprises meaningful, conceptual blending of theoretical understanding available in several cognate disciplines. Teacher education has become differentiated into stage-specific programs. This suggests that the knowledge base is adequately specialized and diversified across stages. It is a system that involves an interdependence of its Inputs, Processes and Outputs.
- 8. Need of Teacher Education It is common knowledge that the academic and professional standards of teachers constitute a critical component of the essential learning conditions for achieving the educational goals of a nation. Educating all children well depends not only on ensuring that teachers have the necessary knowledge and skills to carry out their work, but also that they take responsibility for seeing that all children reach high levels of learning and that they act accordingly. People come to teacher education with beliefs, values, commitments, personalities and moral codes from their upbringing and schooling which affect who they are as teachers and what they are able to learn in teacher education and in teaching.
- 9. Cont… The National Academy of Education Committee‘s Report (Darling-Hammond and Bransford, 2005) wrote that: On a daily basis, teachers confront complex decisions that rely on many different kinds of knowledge and judgments and that can involve high stakes outcomes for students’ future. Teacher education like any other educational intervention, can only work on those professional commitments or dispositions that are susceptible to modification. The Ministry of Education document Challenge of Education: A Policy Perspective (1985) has mentioned, Teacher performance is the most crucial input in the field of education.
- 10. Scope of Teacher Education Teacher education at different levels of education Triangular basis of teacher education Aspects of teacher education
- 11. Curriculum The aim of the curriculum of teachers training institutes as well as Colleges of Education is to impart all round comprehensive education for the prospective teachers. Their function is to integrate general and professional courses with a base of subject-matter as well as the art of teaching. In most of the institutions the duration of teacher training courses is three to five years. Every teacher training programe includes following three basic constituents; General Education Professional Education, and Specialization in a particular field
- 12. Gaps in the Existing Structure and Curriculum Teacher education has been treated as mundane activities within the education system instead of using it as a means to improving quality of students learning in the schools. A problem that these donor funded projects or programs pose is the length and the frequency of the trainings that they provide to the teachers and head teachers. Unfortunately, teacher education in Pakistan has distanced itself from global trends in thinking about reforms in teacher education.
- 13. A Proposed Framework for Teacher Education A systemic response is needed to address teacher education and teacher practice in Pakistan. The framework for addressing issues of teacher education comprehensively must have three concurrent dimensions: Measures which address teachers competence, motivation and opportunity (Poston 2004) Policy and institutional provisions across schools, district, provincial and national levels. Supporting shifts in curriculum and practice (both pre and in-service).
- 14. Policy on Teacher Education The policy on teacher education both pre and in-service needs to be long term, embedded in a vision, set of criteria, strategies and operational procedures which are inclusive, provide scope for elevating teachers status and provision of authority for local level flexibility in decision making. A systematic institutional provision must be made to include ‘Voices of teachers’ in the policy making processes through a regular and formal social dialogue forum at the provincial and national levels, providing space to professional associations and experts. A robust and credible database on teachers needs to be established within EMIS at national and sub-national levels for information on pre-service and in- service profiles, disaggregated by level, subject, gender and location.
- 15. Cont… Research on teacher education programs (pre-and in-service), practice in the classrooms and student achievements must regularly feed back into theory to provide regular objective evidence for iterative policy refinement, reflection and up gradation. The policy must create space for addressing the status of teachers through their professional standing, certification protocols as well as through benefits and salary packages. Incentive programs need to be instituted for teachers which are monetary and nonmonetary in order to address the crisis of teacher placement in rural and distant areas.
- 16. Academic Disciplines The typical academic disciplines of secondary school teacher education are: - Foreign language, Mathematical sciences including mathematics Physics and chemistry Computer science/computer technology, Biology (botany, zoology and genetics) and geography, Social sciences including history and economics, Religion and philosophy, Home economics, Textile handicrafts, technical handicrafts/technology, Arts and music y - sports
- 17. Secondary School Teacher Education In secondary school teacher education the component of didactics is focused on issues how to teach school subjects to different learners. In American educational literature a corresponding element is very often called as pedagogical content knowledge. In the Finnish case these studies can have very close relationship with learning research, academic discipline studies and teaching methods. A typical feature is a research orientation. Teachers are seen as active professionals who have a right and obligation to develop their work. The aim of teacher education is that teachers internalize an attitude of pedagogical thinking.
- 18. Improving the Quality of Education Defining quality is elusive but some parameters will need to be drawn. There is an impending need to debate and agree on what constitutes quality at each stage of education and the system overall. Based on this, some standards will need to be defined and pursued through development of policies, strategies and plans which target them.
- 19. National Education Policy Reform Process