Page 288 - DEDU505_TEACHER_EDUCATION_ENGLISH

Teacher Education

Notes also do not think of teacher education as a prescriptive endeavour; we want it to be open and
flexible. Our emphasis is on changing contexts and our aim is to empower the teacher to relate
himself/herself to them. Second, modern teacher education functions under a global canvas
created by the concepts of ‘learning society’, ‘learning to learn’ and ‘inclusive education’. The
concern is to make teacher education liberal, humanistic and responsive to the demands of
inclusive education. The emphasis in teaching is not on didactic communication but on non-
didactic and dialogical explorations. Third, modern pedagogy derives its inspiration more from
sociological and anthropological insights on education. There is increasing recognition of the
worth and potential of social context as a source for rejuvenating teaching and learning. Multi-
cultural education and teaching for diversity are the needs of contemporary times. Fourth, we
acknowledge the existence of a diversity of learning spaces and curriculum sites (farm, workplace,
home, community and media), apart from the classroom. We also appreciate the diversity of
learning styles that children exhibit and learning contexts in which teachers have to function –
oversized classrooms, language, ethnic and social diversities, children suffering disadvantages of
different kinds. Lastly, we have realized the tentative and fluid nature of the so-called knowledge-
base of teacher education. This makes reflective practice the central aim of teacher education.
Pedagogical knowledge has to constantly undergo adaptation to meet the needs of diverse contexts
through critical reflection by the teacher on his/her practices. Teacher education needs to build
capacities in the teacher to construct knowledge, to deal with different contexts and to develop
the abilities to discern and judge in moments of uncertainty and fluidity, characteristic of teaching-
learning environments. Against this backdrop and keeping in view the vision of teacher education
as articulated above, the following set of concluding statements relating to a teacher’s role, and
the philosophy, purpose and practice of teacher education can be made:
• Teachers need to be prepared to care for children, enjoy to be with them, seek knowledge,
own responsibility towards society and work to build a better world, develop sensitivity to
the problems of the learners, commitment to justice and zeal for social reconstruction.
• Teachers need to view learners as active participants in their own learning and not as mere
recipients of knowledge; need to encourage their capacity to construct knowledge; ensure
that learning shifts away from rote methods. Learning is to be viewed as a search for
meaning out of personal experiences and knowledge generation as a continuously evolving
process of reflective learning.
• Teacher education must engage with theory along with field experiences to help trainees to
view knowledge not as external to the learner but as something that is actively constructed
during learning. Teacher education should integrate academic knowledge and professional
learning into a meaningful whole.
• Teachers need to be trained in organizing learner-centred, activitybased, participatory
learning experiences – play, projects, discussion, dialogue, observation, visits, integrating
academic learning with productive work.
• Teacher education should engage teachers with the curriculum, syllabi and textbooks to
critically examine them rather than taking them as ‘given’ and accepted without question.
• Teacher education should provide opportunity to student-teachers for reflection and
independent study without packing the training schedule with teacher-directed activities
alone.
• The programme should engage teachers with children in real contexts rather than teach
them about children through theories alone. It should help them understand the psycho-
social attributes and needs of learners, their special abilities and characteristics, their preferred
mode of cognition, motivation and learning resulting from home and community
socialization.
• The programme should help teachers or potential teachers to develop social sensitivity and
consciousness and finer human sensibilities.

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