Teacher Education

   CONCEPT OF TEACHER EDUCATION

1.0 OBJECTIVES :
After reading this unit, you will be able to :
Explain the meaning of teacher education.
Discuss the nature of teacher education.
Enumerate the objectives of teacher education.
Describe the scope of teacher education.
Explain the changing context of teacher education in the Indian
scenario.
Analyze the changing context of teacher education in the global
scenario.
1.1 INTRODUCTION :
An educational institution performs a significant function of
providing learning experiences to lead their students from the
darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge. The key personnel
in the institutions who play an important role to bring about this
transformation are teachers. As stated by NCTE (1998) in Quality
Concerns in Secondary Teacher Education, ―The teacher is the most
important element in any educational program. It is the teacher who
is mainly responsible for implementation of the educational process
at any stage.‖ This shows that it is imperative to invest in the
preparation of teachers, so that the future of a nation is secure. Theimportance of competent teachers to the nation‘s school system can
in no way be overemphasized. The National Curriculum Framework
2005 places demands and expectations on the teacher, which need to
be addressed by both initial and continuing teacher education.
1.2 MEANING AND NATURE OF TEACHER
EDUCATION :
Meaning 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 programme 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.
According to Goods Dictionary of Education Teacher
education means, ―all the formal and non-formal activities and
experiences that help to qualify a person to assume responsibilities
of a member of the educational profession or to discharge his
responsibilities more effectively.‖
In 1906-1956, the program of teacher preparation was called
teacher training. It prepared teachers as mechanics or technicians. It
had narrower goals with its focus being only on skill training. The
perspective of teacher education was therefore very narrow and its
scope was limited. As W.H. Kilpatric put it, ―Training is given to
animals and circus performers, while education is to human beings.‖
Teacher education encompasses teaching skills, sound
pedagogical theory and professional skills.
Teacher Education = Teaching Skills + Pedagogical theory +
Professional 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.
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 life long learning
skills.
An amalgamation of teaching skills, pedagogical theory and
professional skills would serve to create the right knowledge,
attitude and skills in teachers, thus promoting holistic development.
Nature of Teacher Education :
1) 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. The three
phases are considered as parts of a continuous process.‖
2) Teacher education is based on the theory that ―Teachers are
made, not born‖ in contrary to the assumption, ―Teachers are
born, not made.‖ Since teaching is considered an art and a
science, the teacher has to acquire not only knowledge, but also
skills that are called ―tricks of the trade‖.
3) Teacher education is broad and comprehensive. Besides pre-
service and in-service programmes for teachers, it is meant to be
involved in various community programmes and extension
activities, viz adult education and non-formal education
programmes, literacy and development activities of the society.
4) It is ever-evolving and dynamic. In order to prepare teachers who
are competent to face the challenges of the dynamic society,
Teacher education has to keep abreast of recent developments and trends

5) 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.
6) 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. However the knowledge base in
teacher education does not comprise only an admixture of
concepts and principles from other disciplines, but a distinct
‗gestalt‘ emerging from the ‗conceptual blending‘, making it
sufficiently specified.
7) Teacher education has become differentiated into stage-specific
programmes. This suggests that the knowledge base is adequately
specialized and diversified across stages, which should be
utilized for developing effective processes of preparing entrant
teachers for the functions which a teacher is expected to perform
at each stage.