Quality Assurance In Teacher Education 2h34x

Quality Assurance in Teacher Education Sunita K Sharma”

Due to growing pressures of liberalization, privatization and globalization, world has shrunk into a global village. The effect of these global developments is that an interesting relationship has been developed between education and economy of a nation. Development of any nation, today, depends on the dynamic nature of its educational system as well as the quality and quantity of its manpower resources responding to the changing demands of its societies. Today we belong to an information society where knowledge management is critical. Due to the impact of globalization and technological revolution, the world education scenario is changing so fast that only a system of education which is dynamic, futuristic and adjusting to the demands of time will exist and complete in the global market. Quality has become the defining elenient in 21st Century in the context of fast changing world scenario and emergence of new social realities. Today’s competitive environment demands better quality of education and only those institutions which can impart quality of education on continuous basis shall be in a position to exist and complete globally. Quality in Teacher education envisages the teacher educator’s role as knowledge worker, consultant and councellor to create a learning society and sustainable teacher folk. The role of teacher in present scenario is changing so fast that perhaps no amount of pre-service or inservice teacher education can probably cope with the expectations of the growing knowledge society. Teacher are the greatest assets of any education system. They stand in the interface of the transmission of knowledge, skills and values. They are accepted as the backbone of education system. Teacher’s quality is, therefore, crucial and has been globally accepted to be significantly associated with the quality of education in general and student’s learning outcomes in particular. The Education Commission (1964-66) of India accepted this influence of teachers in powerful words by proclaiming that “No system can rise above the status of its teacher….” Similar sentiments have been expressed by the Delors report (1966), and UNESCO report on Teacher and Educational Quality : Monitoring Global Needs for 2015 (2006). Teacher education institutions have a special role of providing leadership capable of special role of providing leadership capable of creating, disseminating and transferring knowledge to society for more ethical and secure lives. Looking at the current

scenario of teacher education across the country and its deteriorating plight, quality management seems to be the pressing need of the hour. Today, a number of important socio-economic forces are pushing for the improvement of the quality of education. The increased pace of globalization and technological changes, the revolution in the field of ICT, the changing nature of work market are most striking among them. The learner of the present century, in order to meet the challenges head needs a new set of competencies which includes not only ICT skills, but also such soft skills as problem solving, analytical skills, group learning, working in a team based environment and effective communication. Fostering such skills requires an education system that is flexible, up-to-date and of World class quality. Quality Assurance in Teacher Education- Concerns & Approaches In the context of education, quality can be defined in of satisfaction level of stakeholders viz. students, parents, government and the society at large by developing appropriate knowledge and skills competent and honest teachers, need based curriculum , adequate infrastructure and services and ideal-teacher ratio are some of the parameters of quality education. Furthermore, Quality is a dynamic phenomenon, which is being improved every moment with the new developments in technology and management techniques. As the leading organizations of the world improve the quality standard of their products or services, the quality expectations of the customers from other organizations also go up. In response, the numbers of organizations worldwide are adopting new quality management techniques to keep pace with the international quality standards Today, this is equally applicable to teacher education institutions because of the growing knowledge societies. Some concerns over the Existing Standards of Teacher Education According to third National Survey of Teacher Education in India, Following facts have been brought to light : 1.

About 50% of teachers lack requisite qualification and training.

2.

Various standard of training in different states regarding method, curriculum, evaluation system etc. As a result there is no uniform standard of competency.

3.

Many Colleges have not introduced recent innovations like educational technology, community education planning, examination technology etc.

4.

The procedure for ission in training colleges, quality of entrants, general condition of colleges equipments, staff-student ratio, qualification and quality of teaching staff are far below the minimum standard (P.C. Das : 2010; Reforms in Teacher Education-Teacher Education).

Furthermore, Teacher training programmes have been even charged with rampant commercialization and it is observed that commercialization may be found at all levels of teacher education and in various types of institutions engaged in teacher preparation which calls for remedial action. (Prof. C.L. Anand, Pro-Vice-Chancellor IGNOU, 2010) Thus, in view of above cited concerns such as inefficacy, commercialization of teacher education and recommendations of various commissions and committees, we need to focus and work on some quality assurance mechanisms to enhance the quality of teacher education programmes. Some Approaches of Quality Enhancement in Teacher Education Education system may well be compared with the operations in an organization. Operations are transformation process, where the inputs are transformed into outputs. Requirements and from customers are used to adjust factors in the transformation process, which may in turn alter inputs. It is ensured that the transformation process is performed efficiently and that the output is of greater value. This input-transformation-output process (Fig.1) may best be applied to Teacher education, where the raw students are transformed into educated and trained human beings, ready to serve the society and the nation. Fig. 1 Generic Value Chain Model adapted to Education

Input Intellectual Resources

Output Transformation

istrative

Processes

Infrastructural facilities

Educational

-services

Experiences

Educated Human Resources

Quality Indicator in Teacher Education System Some quality indicators that can contribute to the quality enhancement in Teacher Education are : 1.

Input Indicators

2.

Process Indicators

3.

Output Indicators

Input Indicators : The system of teacher education can succeed in achieving its objective only to the extent certain inputs are provided to it. They are related to the resources and factors employed to produce an institution’s output. The inputs provided here include : •

Intellectual Resources (Teachers, Students, Content of Knowledge i.e. curriculum)

•

istrative

•

Infrastructural Facilities

•

Services / Physical facilities

•

Financial resources

Intellectual resources refer to the quality of the i) teachers, ii) Entering students and iii) Content of knowledge i.e. curriculum. Here teachers who are responsible to carry out teaching-learning process in the class room, supervise the research work of the scholars, & engage themselves in consultancy and extension services to the community, hold a very important position in the entire process of total quality management. If we look at the seven criteria given by NAAC for the assessment and accreditation of higher education institution, more than 60% marks are with in the court of the teachers. Thus, our teachers must understand their roles and show their serious perceptions of this world scenario through their research and its application. AS Research and innovations play an important role in bringing dynamicism in the field of education in general and

in improving quality of teacher

education programmes in particular. Finally, to ensure the quality of teachers, the system needs to attract the best talent (teachers) available. The quality of students whose potential is to be developed through the process of education can also be considered as one of the indicators of quality output. The criteria of ission of students to the institutions of teacher education should also be based on sound rationale so that the quality of the final product do not suffer.

Finally, it is the content of knowledge i.e. curriculum to be provided to the students which determines the quality of future teachers. In this connection some of the questions which need to be answered with regard to the quality of curriculum are : •

Whether the curriculum is updated with all latest developments in the field of study or not ?

•

Whether it is framed as per the needs and requirements of the society ?

•

Whether it fosters creativity and imagination among the youth or not ?

•

Lastly, whether it involves community resources mobilization or not ?

istrative : It is the proper working of the istrative system which is finally essential for the smooth functioning of the system in respect to the various tasks. It is the istrative which takes timely decisions and makes provision for various kinds of facilities to the teachers, students ing staff, parents and the of society. Process indicators : It relates to the ways in which resources and factors are combined and used in order to produce an institution’s input Thus, it is concerned with the operational and management aspect of teaching. It also involves the efficient working of the technological system of an institution. It is also concerned with the proper utilization of the available human and non-human resources. The Output indicators : The output of a system is judged not only by the quantity of product but alos by the quality of that product. Here, in case of teacher education, it is measured in of the requisite knowledge, skills and other competencies needed by the global market. Quality Management Techniques in Teacher Education Some Quality Management techniques in teacher education are : •

Benchmarking for quality enhancement

•

ISO-9000 standards

•

Internal Assessment (Self-Assessment)

•

External Assessment

•

Frontline curriculum strategies in teacher education

•

Total Quality Management in Teacher Education (TQM)

•

mechanisms

Benchmarking for Quality Enhancement Benchmarking is a popular approach for establishing performance standards, processes, measurements and objectives. Benchmarking helps organizations to identify standards of performance and adopt them successfully, which assists them to target problem areas set levels of performance and identify solutions to improve results. For teacher education institutions, Best practices adding commendable value to the institute and its stakeholders are considered as the standards of quality. ISO-9000 Standards The ISO-9000 series of international quality standards provides a framework for a basic quality assurance system and a good starting point for achieving total quality (Suri, 2005) ISO 9000 group of standards has undergone a number of revisions and changes and the latest one took place in 2000. The 2000 AD revision indicates reduction and consolidation of standards under the ISO 9000 banner from past and at present we have ISO-9000, ISO-9001, ISO-9004, ISO-9011, and ISO-9012. These standards serve the cause and purpose of managing the network of processes and systems for achieving required quality and consistency through documented quality management system and records. Internal Assessment (Self-Assessment) Organization in order to improve the quality on continuous basis can go in for internal assessment, which may be on the following lines : •

Self-Appraisal of teachers

•

Self-Appraisal of departments

•

Internal reviews of the work of heads of departments

•

Internal review of all the departments and top-level s.

External Assessment : External Assessment is a mechanism of quality control in the functioning of higher education institution. The National Assessment and Accreditation council (NAAC) in India is

entrusted with the task of performance evaluation assessment and accreditation of colleges and universities in the country. NCTE and NAAC have tly developed a Manual for the Assessment and Accreditation of teacher education institutions based on seven criteria viz – Teaching-Learning and Evaluation, Research Consultancy and Extension, Infrastructure and Learning Resources Student and Progression, Governance and Leadership, Organization and Management and Best Practices of the Institution. Here the performance of the teacher education institutions is assessed and evaluated on the basis of seven criteria above & accordingly given accreditation Certificate for five years. But, the biggest concern here is that out of around 170 colleges of education in the state of J & K itself, only 15 colleges of education have been accredited by NAAC and rest have not shown their interest in the process of accreditation. They are not all bothered about the quality of either of their product or the Institution and guided only by the financial motive. Under such conditions one can well imagine the plight of Teacher Education in other states such as Rajasthan, U.P. Bihar and many other eastern and southern states. Frontline Curriculum Strategies in Teacher Education In view of the fast changes in our society, we need to revamp our system of teacher education by adopting frontline curriculum strategies. Frontline approach is a manageable strategy, which provides solutions to accommodate inputs of future needs & demands in the present curriculum without hectic formal procedures. In this pattern, a small percentage of space in the present curricula is reserved for accommodating inputs of future needs. Besides, there is a need to innovate, design, develop and implement a similar type of frontline curriculum for all types of teacher education programmes adopting contingent and pragmatic outlook. Total Quality Management in Teacher Education (TQM) Quality Management plays a strategic role in educational organizations to achieve higher standards (Gilbert, 1993) Quality Management in Teacher education is an optimizing process, where all the attributes and components in quality are utilized to their fullest capacity. Starting from a simple quality concept and reaching to total quality management (TQM) in teacher education must be the ultimate objective of sound teacher education programme. In TQM, the most powerful vehicle for ensuring quality relationship is the effective team. TQM recognizes and respects the potential of every individual’s economy.

Quality of Design

Quality of Conformance

Quality Assurance

Total Quality Control

Total Quality Management

Total Quality Management in Teacher education is about creating a quality culture where the aim of every member of the organization is to delight their customers, and where the structure of their organization allows them to do so. It is about providing the customer with what they want. In Teacher Education, it is about relevance of the teacher training programmes. It addresses the following questions : •

Are the courses of study updated ?

•

Are students satisfied with the quality they are provided ?

•

Are the students and parents satisfied with the procedures of examination and evaluation ?

Mechanisms : Teacher Education institutions must put in place some mechanisms to collect from all the stakeholders concerned with the process of education for continues management and improvement of the quality. Role of Stakeholder in Quality Management in Teacher Education Maintenance of quality in Teacher education is not a one man’s job. It is the result of collaborative efforts of all the stakeholders involved. The major stake holders in this process are Management, Teachers, Students, Parents and Regulatory bodies at the National & State Levels.

Role of Management in Quality Teacher Education •

Provide the Education institution with good infrastructure, learning resources such as well-equipped and modernized laboratories and libraries and other technical required for the efficient working of the organization.

•

Make provision for Health Centre, Grievance Redressal Cell , Placement Cell, Counselling

Centre,

Sports

Facilities,

Alumni-Association,

Parent-teachers

Association, Extension work etc. •

MOUs with industry, other institutions of teacher education of national and international repute and NGOs etc.

•

Establish proper mechanism for ‘-Management’ and to make suitable amendments changes in the governance.

•

Allow greater participation of teachers and students in the process of decision making and istration.

•

Review the goals, objectives of the Institution from time to time in the light of the mission and the changing needs of the society.

•

Assess the performance of the faculty and staff for continuous improvement in the processes and product of the organization and encourage faculty development programmes.

•

Look after governance, audits and resource mobilization and prepare Master plan of action.

Role of teachers in quality teacher education : •

Improve subject knowledge, teaching skills methods, systems and ensure students participation in the teaching-learning process.

•

Have honest, impartial and proper evaluation of student’s performance;

•

Undertake research and publish paper and participate in the extension work;

•

Render help for istration and policy-making of the teacher education programmes;

•

Develop curricula and conduct remedial/bridge/add on courses;

•

Conduct and participate in Seminars /Conferences and Consultancy Programmes;

•

Develop systems, procedures and programmes for sustainable development and formulate strategies for knowledge management.

Role of Students in Quality Teacher Education •

The students have to be made party to each process involved in Teacher education, because it is the student who is to be developed for global market in education.

•

The suggestions put forth by currents students and the alumni can serve as best to enhance the over all quality of education in an institution. Further, it is felt that nothing can be more valuable than the inputs coming in from such authentic sources.

Role of Parents in Quality Enhancement Parents can also play a significant role in enhancing the quality of education in an institution by providing necessary co-operation, appropriate and innovative ideas as active of the society. Some Suggestions for Total Quality Management in Teacher Education For the improvement of quality in teacher education institutions, the evaluation of quality is a must. Quality parameters have already been developed by UGC, NCTE and NAAC like ; Curriculum framework and planning, Curriculum transaction and evaluation, Research and evaluation, Research development and Extension; Infrastructure and learning resources; Students and progression: Organization and Management; work load allocation etc. The only thing now needed is their proper implementation & follow up. In this context,

Some suggestions for the Quality Teacher Education. (Munivenkasswamy and

Balasubramanian, 2010) are : •

Updating the curriculum with the changing times and needs of the society.

•

Developing frontline Curriculum Strategies for all types of teacher education programmes adopting contingent and pragmatic outlook;

•

Developing among teachers the skills of communication and language proficiency;

•

Developing among teachers an understanding of impact of forces like liberalization, privatization, globalization and developments in the field of information and communication technology;

•

Developing among teachers the ability and resource fullness to use locally available resources;

•

Developing competencies among teachers for material development of children with special learning needs;

•

Enhancing among teachers the proper understanding of modern techniques of evaluation;

•

Developing among teachers a critical understanding of the added value of learning networks and collaborations within and between countries and communities;

•

Increasing the duration of the B.Ed. course from one year to two years so that all the components of teacher training course such as Micro-teaching, Macro-teaching, Internship, Practical activities and supplementary teaching etc. can be planned and organized more systematically and effectively.

•

Finally, create and a forum to connect teacher educators, information technologists, policy makers and practitioners for the purpose of rethinking education in the age of globalization and information.

Summing Up : The teacher education institutions need to create its quality culture by inculcating values in the entire system. Then the quality does not remain to be “shown” but will be “seen” by all the stakeholders. The values like Analytical approach, Action orientation. ability Continuous improvement Cooperation with other of the organization, need to be installed among all the stakeholders if we really want to improve and assure the quality of Teacher Education. It has been rightly said “Quality is not a change but a choice; quality is not an accident, but a design; quality is not a destination, but a continuous journey” The enterprises with clear vision, mission and an urge for excellence will surely undertake the journey. References : 1.

Biswal Ashutosh (2007): Quality Process Norms for Frontline Teacher Education : Need of the Changing World, University News, Vol. 45 (07) P.1-3 Feb 12-18

2.

Delors, J. 1996, Learning : The treasure within (Report of UNESCO of the Internal Commission on Education for Twenty-First Century) : UNESCO, Paris.

3.

NCTE (1998), Curricular Framework for Quality Teacher Education, New Delhi: NCTE.

4.

Tandon, Pramod and Gupta, P.K. (2008). Quality and Relevance in Higher Education, University News, Vol. 46 No. 46 p.14-22, Nov. 17-23.

5.

Tewari, A.D. & Panda, B.N. (2009). Teacher Education, AHP Publications, New Delhi.

6.

K. Nateshan and others (2010). Quality Concerns in Teacher Education, APH Publishing Corporation, New Delhi.

7.

Deshpande, H.V. (2008). Some Quality Issue in Higher Education, University News, Vol. No. 46p 17-23.

8.

National Assessment and Accreditation Council, India http://www.naac.gov.in

9.

Quality Council of India-http://www.qc.in.org/

10.

Research in Teacher Education in India. http://www.educationinindia.net/