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MAJOR ISSUES IN EDUCATION-

dropout, stagnation,teacherabsenteeism

Introduction

'Education is not filling of a vessel , but the kindling of the flame.'

- Socrates

India has made great achievement in the economic sector

No doubt the impact of the growth is also seen in the education sector and a lot of reformations are also made in this sector . But it seems that this reforms are not enough to resolve the ever changing and ever existent education problems in India.The education problems in India are of sever concern , which can be ignored.Here I am focusing on the three major issues of Indian education.

ISSUES IN EDUCATION

1.DROPOUT

Dropout is someone who has left school or college before they have finished their studies.

Risk Factors

Poverty

Low education level of parents

Pattern of schooling.

Lack of preschooling experience.

Family background and domestic problems create an environment which negatively affects the value of education.

Students would dropout as a result of different factors such as poor comprehension , absenteeism, attitude and behaviour of the teacher and failure of repetition in the same class ......etc

Reason for dropout

Bad Influence:

Bad Influence on children is the most common reason for kids dropping out of school. Early or unlimited exposure to alcohol drugs internet and television can distract children from pursuing academic and initiate them into anti-social activities instead.

Academic difficulty

Inability to cope with the academic pressure is another reason for kids to drop out of school. Studies prove that kids who do not read proficiently by 4th grade are four times are likely to dropout school. Studies also reinstate the fact that students who fails in maths and English in the 8th grade are 75% more likely to dropout of High School.

Economic cause

It has been estimated that 65 % of the cause of dropout is due to economic reason. As the income of about 50% of our country is very love they have to depend on larming by their children. Poverty is directly responsible for wastage.

Social Causes

There are some backward classes like tribal people who does not take interest in , did not enjoy adequate social facilities because of their social setup.So, they are reluctant in keeping their child in school.

some of the parents are illiterate so they can't understand the importance of education. They are prejudist and steeped deep in ignorance. They don't realise that children's education are of vital importance.

some people are of orthodox and don't like girl's education. Such people withdraw their child's education from schools.

Girls help their mother at home therefore they are generally withdrawal from school process their mother in domestic affairs

Early marriage system is the another hurdle. Girls are married at their early age.Therefore , they can't continue their education.

Most of the scools are co-educational institutions .So the orthodox parents are don't like to send their daughters to the schools.

Educational causes

The the curriculum of education is not accordance with the real life of children.

Individual attention does not paid to the children.

The school environment does not meet the psychological needs children. so they are truent.

Teaching methods adopted in the school are due and boring.

Lack of interest of the teachers towards their job.

Fear of examination always remain in the mind of children. Because of their fear they develop repulsive attitude towards education.

The provisions for instructional materials are not adequate.

There is lack of healthy contact between parents and teachers. Most of the parent feels that education imparted for their children are useless. So they withdraw their students from the schools.

Deffective Administration

Illiteracy of the parents and gaurdians

Poor health

The health of a child greatly affects his learning ability and performance at school. Illness that occur during childhood and continue lifelong may curb a child's ability to complete school.

Disengagement

Many kids find Schols are boring .According to a study, almost 71 of students become disinterested in High School while they are in the 9th and 10th grades.

They prefer to go late to school skip classes and take long lunch breaks. The lack of interest often leads to dropping out of school.Some students find it difficult to connect with the teacher .The majority of students did not feel their teachers motivated them enough to work hard.

STAGNATION

According to Hartog committee, ' stagnation is the detention of a child in a lower class for a period of more than one year.'

Reasons for stagnation

Heavy and uninteresting curriculum

The children studying in the primary classes are mostly in the tender age group of 6 to 11 years and they have to study 5 subjects including arithmetic and science which are un interesting for the children of this tender age .So they find it difficult to complete this huge and unabsorbing curriculum within the prescribed period.They, therefore fall victim of stagnation

Absence of Definite admission rules

There are no definite rules regarding admission in primary classes .Any child of any age within the age group may seek admission in any class .The result is that there is no coordination and balance between one's age and mental development and consequently the child may have to repeat a year.

Unsuitable atmosphere and conditions

Mostly two different types of atmosphere are faced by the student when he gets admission in the class . The first is that of his family or locality and the second is that of the school which comprises of children of various families and different social strata. It is generally not possible for all the children to strike a balance between the two.

Physical weaknesses of studens

A healthy body pocess a healthy mind .Our children do not get a balanced diet as a result that the physical development gets retarded the mind and the memory, therefore do not develop to the desired effect.

Class and caste distinction prevailed in India former in Urban areas and later in rural areas.

Especially in the case of girls, the custom of early marriage stands as a bar.

There is an opposition to send grown up girls to school especially to the mixed schools without women teachers.

Co education of boys and girls in some places in looked with suspicion. And there is no separate provision of education for girls, deprivation of girls from schools leads to stag ation and dropout

Defective Educational system

Due to shortage of teachers,a teacher has generally to take many classes and teach various subjects under these circumstances it is simply a sorry to expect that the students will be able to complete their courses in time to lack of trainee teachers birth of educational material and suitable school buildings are some of the other causes responsible for stagnation in primary classes

Defectivey pattern of examination

Through the present examination system efforts are made to assess the knowledge gained by the student in a year within a few hours through some questions. Not the least importantce is attached to the work a student dose throughout the year

If due to any reason the student, despite knowing the subject matter , fail to answer in a particular fashion his entire years is lost and he once again has to repeat the class .Thus the prevailing system of examination, besides being full of defects, also helps to increase stagnation.

TEACHER ABSENTEEISM

A teacher is absent if he or she is not in attendance on a day in the regular School year when the teacher would otherwise be expected to the teaching students in an assigned class.This includes both days taken for sick leave and days taken for person leave Personal leave includes voluntary absence for reasons other than sick leave. Teacher absenteeism does not include administratively approved leave for professional development, field trips, or other off - camp activities..

Major reasons for teacher absenteesim

Inadequacy of teachers' coupled with high rate of teacher absenteeism renders the learning conditions in school from bad to worse.

Teachers remain absent /are not able to attend school for a number of reasons

Teachers are deployed for sometime not professional duties such as ;

Participation in elections to local bodies

State legislature and Parliament difference population census

Disaster relief duties

Polio drop campaigns

Preparing voters list

Animal and birds service

Below poverty line survey

Ration card verification

Generating awareness among people about leprosy

Preparing project activities to be conducted by different panchayats

Literacy campaigns.

Further teachers have to go to their Education Department for getting their leave sanctioned, GPF Advance seeking release of theit dues, annual increment , transfer ,to participate in meeting and departmental functions etc

The situation in education department is generally so bad and the teachers feel that unless they go personality, their case would not move .

Teachers are also required to undergo mandatory 20 days in service education and training every year

It has been observed that teachers and students are also required to receive high officials and VIPs.

Teachers are also required to participate in various awareness programmes.

All of the above mentioned reasons coupled with teacher's illness and their discharge responsibilities and social obligations etc increase teacher absence rates.

Further absents are higher during rainy season, extreme weather conditions, festivals,towards the end of the calendar year , harvesting period,festivals etc.

Remedies for reducing dropout and stagnation

(a)Increasing holding and attracting power of the school;

Attractive teaching i.e. adoption of improved method of teaching and techniques;

Attractive school building with well equipped furnitures;

Improvement of school campus i.e. neat, tidy and beautiful;

Provision of medical facility;

Parental indifference to education;

Use of audio-visual aids;

Reorganization of the curriculum;

Appointment of efficient and trained teachers;

Appointment of women teachers;

(b) Effective multiple class teaching.

(c) Seeking co-operation of the public, parents and guardians by organizing P.T.A.

(d) Fixed age limit for admission in the school;

(e) Regularity of admission in the school;

(f) Regularity in attendance;

(g) Introduction of an year of pre-school education;

(h) Adjustment of school schedule; Adjustment of school hours will be in such a way that on the one hand the children will be able to attend the school and on the other hand they will be able to help their parents in the farms or at homes.

(i) Introduction of the system of ungraded unit;

Abolition of the examination at the end of Class I. Teaching the first two classes as one teaching unit, within which each child can progress according to his own rate.

(j) Introduction of the improved technique of evaluation; Maintenance of systematic records, where the examination results of the pupils in different subjects, besides their performance in co-curricular activities, personal qualities, health information, attendance etc. will find place. These records will be taken into consideration at the time of class promotion. These records will help the teachers to judge the different aspects of the pupil’s personality.

(k) Teachers;

The lion’s share in reducing educational wastage goes to the teachers. If they are able to make continuous efforts to solve these problems which contribute to educational wastage, if they are able to improve their instructional programme, holding and attracting power of the school, evaluation system of the school, then and then only the extent of wastage can be reduced to a minimum after some years, if not completely eradicated.

Kothari Commission suggested the following programmes for reduction of wastage and stagnation;

(a) The provision of a school within easy distance from the home of every child;

(b) The enrolment of every child of the prescribed age into Class I of a school through propaganda, persuasion and even penal action if necessary;

(c) The retention of every enrolled child in school till he reaches the prescribed age or completes the prescribed course;

(d) Implementation of a programme of qualitative improvement of education because universal enrolment or retention depends very largely on the attracting power of the schools.

Remedies for refusing teacher absenteeism

a) Recruit individuals more likely to remain in teaching

Recruit individuals with higher initial commitment to teaching

Recruit more women teachers

Recruit individuals with stronger ties to their community.

(b) Strengthen teacher training.

Provide adequate pre-service teacher training and in-service training .

(с) Improve the financial rewards for those wh o enter teaching.

Increased government salary for teachers

Increase professional integration and involvement

(c) Implementation of teacher support groups

Involve teachers more effectively in curriculum and instruc￾tional materials development.

Provide professional seminars and conferences

CONCLUSION

It can be concluded that a lot of improvements are needed, after seeing all these challenges. Our education system has to achieve the planned goals.

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Moodle

Built for learning, globally

Proven and trusted worldwide

Powering tens of thousands of learning environments globally, Moodle is trusted by institutions and organisations large and small, including Shell, London School of Economics, State University of New York, Microsoft and the Open University. Moodle’s worldwide numbers of more than 90 million users across both academic and enterprise level usage makes it the world’s most widely used learning platform.

Designed to support both teaching and learning

With over 10 years of development guided by social constructionist pedagogy, Moodle delivers a powerful set of learner-centric tools and collaborative learning environments that empower both teaching and learning.

Easy to use

A simple interface, drag-and-drop features, and well-documented resources along with ongoing usability improvements make Moodle easy to learn and use.

Free with no licensing fees

Moodle is provided freely as Open Sourcesoftware, under the GNU General Public License. Anyone can adapt, extend or modify Moodle for both commercial and non-commercial projects without any licensing fees and benefit from the cost-efficiencies, flexibility and other advantages of using Moodle.

Always up-to-date

The Moodle project’s open-source approach means that Moodle is continually being reviewed and improved on to suit the current and evolving needs of its users.

Moodle in your language

Moodle’s multilingual capabilities ensure there are no linguistic limitations to learning online. The Moodle community has begun translatingMoodle into more than 120 languages (and counting) so users can easily localise their Moodle site, along with plenty of resources, support and community discussions available in various languages.

All-in-one learning platform

Moodle provides the most flexible tool-set to support both blended learning and 100% online courses. Configure Moodle by enabling or disabling core features, and easily integrate everything needed for a course using its complete range of built-in features, including external collaborative tools such as forums, wikis, chats and blogs.

Highly flexible and fully customisable

Because it is open-source, Moodle can be customised in any way and tailored to individual needs. Its modular set up and interoperable design allows developers to create plugins and integrate external applications to achieve specific functionalities. Extend what Moodle does by using freely available plugins and add-ons - the possibilities are endless!

Scalable to any size

From a few students to millions of users, Moodle can be scaled to support the needs of both small classes and large organisations. Because of its flexibility and scalability, Moodle has been adapted for use across education, business, non-profit, government, and community contexts.

Robust, secure and private

Committed to safeguarding data security and user privacy, security controls are constantly being updated and implemented in Moodle development processes and software to protect against unauthorised access, data loss and misuse. Moodle can be easily deployed on a private secure cloud or server for complete control.

Use any time, anywhere, on any device

Moodle is web-based and so can be accessed from anywhere in the world. With a default mobile-compatible interface and cross-browser compatibility, content on the Moodle platform is easily accessible and consistent across different web browsers and devices.

Extensive resources available

Access extensive Moodle documentation and user forums in multiple languages, free content and courses shared by Moodle users across the world, as well as hundreds of plugins contributed by a large global community.

Backed by a strong community

The Moodle project is well-supported by an active international community, a team of dedicated full-time developers and a network of certified Moodle Partners. Driven by open collaboration and great community support, the project continues to achieve rapid bug fixes and improvements, with major new releases every six months. Come moodle with us in our community forums!

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Critical pedagogy

Critical Pedagogy, Banking system of Education, Problem posing education, Praxis and Conscientization

Critical Pedagogy

Critical pedagogy is an educational approach proposed by Paulo Friere for developing critical consciousness or critical awareness in the learner. Critical consciousness is ability to critically perceive the causes of social, political and economic oppression and to take action against the oppressive elements of society.

Critical pedagogy enables student to question and challenge domination, the beliefs and practices that dominate.

Critical pedagogy is defined as an education methodology that seeks to increase student awareness of the hidden curriculum’s inequalities and multiple form of oppression that exist in the society, and encourage them to take step towards creating a more democratic and equitable society.

The aim of Freir’s critical pedagogy is to restore to marginalized groups their stolen ‘voice’, to enable them recognize identify, and give their name the things in the world.

Characteristics of critical pedagogy

1. Critical pedagogy is based on the presumption that all education is pedagogy

2. It provides the learner with tools to better themselves and define the world .

3. Its approach is issue based or problem based .

4. It provides the learner with the tools to analyze critically how and on whose benefit the knowledge is constructed .

5. Critical pedagogy transforms the learner from objects to subjects.

6. It aims to create a more egalitarian and just society.

7. It transforms the learner from the role of passive listener to active participants.

8. Critical pedagogy argues for an approach to education that is rooted in the experiences of marginalized peoples.

9. It is focused on dialogue instead of a one-way transmission of knowledge.

10. It envisages a transformed world, i.e., a more democratic, more just and more egalitarian world.

11. Critical pedagogy needs to create new forms of knowledge through its emphasis on breaking down disciplinary boundaries and creating new spaces where knowledge can be produced

Banking system of education

The term ‘banking system education’ is a phrase used ironically by Paulo Freire to describe the prevailing system of education, He called the traditional system of education as ‘banking education‘ because in this system teachers make deposits of information and knowledge into the empty accounts of students, in a similar manner one operates a bank account. The traditional education, as conceived by Friere, is an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor. In this system of education, the teacher lectures, and the students receive, memorize, and repeat.

Characteristics of Banking Education

1. The teacher teaches and the students are taught.

2. The teacher knows everything and the students know nothing.

3. The teacher thinks and the students are thought about.

4. The teacher talks and the students listen-meekly.

5. The teacher disciplines and the students are disciplines.

6. The teacher chooses and enforces his choice, and the students comply.

7. The teacher chooses the program content, and the students adapt to it.

8. The teacher chooses the program content, and the students adapt to it.

9. The teacher confuses the authority of knowledge with his own professional authority, which he sets in opposition to the freedom of the students.

10. The teacher is the subject of the learning process, while the pupils are mere objects.

Problem posing education (PPE) / Dialogical Method

Problem-posing is an alternative method of education suggested by Paulo Friere instead of the existing authoritarian and oppressing banking education. It is based on the principal that a student learns better when he creates knowledge and when knowledge is created for him. The term problem posing is used because in this type of education the whole learning is driven by a problem that pop up from the life situation of the learners. On the other hand, in problem posing education, learning always begins from a problem thrown up in the classroom. The problem is posed so that the students discover that they need to learn some new knowledge before they can solve the problem. The responsibility of the teacher is to diversify subject matter and to use students’ thought and speech as the base for developing critical understanding of personal experience, unequal conditions in society, and existing knowledge.

Characteristics of Problem Posing Education

1. Problem-posing education encourages students to become active in thinking about and acting upon their world.

2. It involves co-creation of knowledge in which the teacher and students learn together.

3. Dialogue is the method of problem-posing learning.

4. Problem posing method opens doors to critically analyze the hidden curriculum.

5. The teacher just acts as a mediator and organizer, and barely comes up with any ideas.

6. Encourages the students to think critically.

7. It ensures egalitarian teacher-student relations.

8. Problem posing ignites praxis and leads to action.

9. In the problem-posing method teachers and students learn together through dialogue.

10. This method starts from the life situation and reality of learners.

Conscientization

Friere’s pedagogy aims to cultivate conscientization or critical consciousness (critical awareness) in the learner. Conscientization is the ability to critically perceive the causes of social, political and economic oppression and to take action against the oppressive elements of society. It is a state of in-depth understanding about the world and resulting freedom from oppression.

Praxis

Praxis means a synthesis of reflection and action (theory and practice) in the learning process. Praxis means the use of a theory in a practical way. Friere considered praxis (informed action) as the goal of problem-posing education. He defined praxis as reflection and action upon the world in order to transform it. It is a complex activity by which individuals create culture and society, and become critically conscious human beings. It involves development of critical consciousness combine with social action.

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Blended learning

Blended learning is an approach to education that combines online educational materials and opportunities for interaction online with traditional place-based classroom methods. It requires the physical presence of both teacher and student, with some elements of student control over time, place, path, or pace.[1][2][3]While students still attend "brick-and-mortar" schools with a teacher present, face-to-face classroom practices are combined with computer-mediated activities regarding content and delivery.[4][5] Blended learning is also used in professional development and training settings.[6]

Blended learning is highly context-dependent therefore a universal conception of it is hard to come by.[7] Some reports have claimed that a lack of consensus on a hard definition of blended learning had led to difficulties in research on its effectiveness.[8] However, a 2015 meta-analysis that historically looked back at a comprehensive review of evidence-based research studies around blended learning, found commonalities in defining that blended learning was "considered a combination of traditional f2f [face to face] modes of instruction with online modes of learning, drawing on technology-mediated instruction, where all participants in the learning process are separated by distance some of the time."[9] This report also found that all of these evidence-based studies concluded that student achievement was higher in blended learning experiences when compared to either fully online or fully face-to-face learning experiences.[10]

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IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION ON EDUCATION AND FINANCING

INTRODUCTION

Globalization is the process by which the world, previously isolated through physical and technological distance, becomes increasingly interconnected. It is manifested by the increase in interaction between peoples around the world that involves the sharing of ideas, cultures, goods, services and investment.

People through trade, technology, and enhanced labor markets, has had many positive effects on the world. ... AImportantly, globalization has also opened our eyes to various cultures, which has increased people's understanding of one another.

GLOBALISATION MEANING

GLOBALIZATION AND EDUCATION

a. Globalization - meaning The term globalization indicates integration of societies and economics through cross-country flows of information, ideas, technologies, goods, services, capital finance and expertise his ntegration encompasses various dimensions -cultural Social economic and political.

Definition

The International Monitory Fund (IMF) defines globalization as "the growing interdependency of countries worldwide through increasing volume and variety of cross border transactions in goods and services and of international capital flows and also through the more rapid and wide spread diffusion of technology."

TYPES OF GLOBALISATION

There are three main classifications of globalisation . That are as follows:

POLITICAL GLOBALISATION

Political globalisation refers to the amount of political co-operation that exists between different countries.

SOCIAL GLOBALIZATION

Social globalisation refers to the sharing of ideas and information between and through different countries.

ECONOMIC GLOBALISATION

Economic globalisation refers to the interconnectedness of economies through trade and the exchange of resources.

GLOBALISATION SCOPE AND SIGNIFICANCE

A close analysis of the meaning indicated above makes evident that globalization is directly connected more with the development of a 'world economy because markets and products are kept open to the world as a whole. That is why the World Trade Organization (WTO) that emerged out of General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) has come out as the main propagator and supporter of the concept of globalization. Citing the idea that the world has shrinked into a global village, the propagators of the concept points out that there is no escape from this global linkage and interdependence. It is also pointed out that this viewpoint will help the underdeveloped and undeveloped nations of the world to meaningfully associate with the developed countries for the up gradation of technological and scientific know-how and thus expand their industrial production, trade and commerce. It is claimed that ultimately this will help all the world nations to develop in all walks of life.

EFFECTS OF GLOBALIZATION

Globalization has brought about many changes in human lives. Globalisation, which started off in the West, was brought about by many factors. Some of it is the the emergence of the information technology and also the economic competition between different countries (Jarvis, 2007, p. 44). Here, it is obvious that globalisation was about the economic benefit at first and later had also impacted many others categories of human lives such as education and environment. The impacts and effects of globalisation could be seen everywhere, from the food industry to the music that one listens.

BENEFITS OF GLOBALIZATION

1. Increased Creativity and Innovation. Global competition can encourage creativity and innovation, helping companies to stay one step ahead of competitors. ...

2. Lowered Costs for Goods and Services.

3.Easy Access to Foreign Culture.

4.Job Mobility.

5. Western Dominance.

6. Loss of Cultural Identity.

CHALLENGES OF GLOBALIZATION

1. Shifting Risk Profile

2.Regulatory Obstacles

3. Cultural Differences

4Job Insecurity and Lack of Skills

5.Shortage of Resources

Merits

Globalization is a broad and complex concept.

Economicmic growth

Employment

Reduced poverty

ExpeIncreased Creativity and Innovation.

Lowered Costs for Goods and Services.

Easy Access to Foreign Culture.

Job Mobility.

Reduced social issues.

Technology experience professionals and experts

Demerits

Condition of war

Threat to agriculture

Neglect to rural areas

Great intervention of rest of the world

Exploitation of enrollment and natural resources

THE IMPACT OF GLOBALISATION ON HIGHER EDUCATION

The impact of the various trends and challenges related to globalisation on higher education institutions and policies is profound, but also diverse, depending on the specific location in the global arena An attempt can be made to define some general tendencies in higher education that in one way or another relate to globalisation: create new and tremendously important demands and exigencies an increase in the demand for higher education worldwide erosion of the national regulatory and policy frameworks the emerging 'borderless' higher education market fppt.com

Implication of Global Information Society in the Education System

Demands for widening the education access for all.

Continuous lifelong learning

Global versus local cultural development

Creation of new educational networked organization

Changing the educational management from hierarchical institutions to equal distributions of network organizations from commanding to negotiating

Demand for more flexible and general skills

Roles of education

Education will need both rethinking and restructuring if schooling is to best prepare the children and the youth of the world to engage globalization's new challenges, opportunities and costs Education should shape the cognitive skills, interpersonal sensibilities, and cultural sophistication of children and youth whose lives will be both engaged in local contexts and responsive to larger transnational process.

CONCLUSION

A serious thought should be given to the socio-cultural implications and impact of globalization of education. Education certainly transmits culture. Foreign education, ultimately result in homogênization of society. But one thing should never be forgotten. Thus maintenance of cultural heritage of each nation, its self respects, social harmony, ideals of equity and equality, world peace, international understanding, etc. should be ensured.

REFERENCE

https://edtechreview.in/news/2730-globalization-in-educationp

https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/cristineyabes1/globalization-and-education-15972484

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Justice Verma Commission (JVC) Report 2012 andits recommendations

A Commission was appointed by the Honourable Supreme Court to examinethe entire issue which have bearing on improving the quality of teacher education as well asimproving the regulatory functions of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).The Chairman of this Commission was HonourableJustice J. S. Verma, former Chief Justice ofIndia.

Justice Verma Commission (JVC) has attempted a close scrutiny of the existing provisionsand the quality of teacher education to facilitate identification of the deficiencies therein, andthen to enable it to make recommendations which can rectify the defects and provide thelevel of teacher education necessary to produce quality teachers.

The JVC Report is in three volumes:

· Volume I contains the main report divided into seven chaptersalong with the final conclusions and recommendations.

· Volume II contains all the discussion andmaterial related to the 291 recognisedinstitutionsWestern Region of Maharashtra.

· Volume III contains all the Annexure.

Terms of Reference of JVC Report

· Whether in the context of the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 the Regulations on Recognition Norms and Procedure that lay down the norms and procedure for various teacher education courses which are adopted by NCTE are adequate or need review.

· Whether further reforms are necessary to improve quality of teacher training and inservice training.

· To review the Recognitions on Recognition Norms and Procedure currently in force as laid down by the NCTE are being properly enforced. If not how to evolve a fair and transparent manner in which these norms and standards may be enforced.

· To review the existing practice of appointment of members to the NCTE are undertaken, so that the NCTE discharges its crucial role in providing vision and direction in the functioning of NCTE.

· To evolve standard and norms for evaluating teacher performance and audit teachers.

· To review whether the present provisions empowering withdrawal of recognition of institutions are adequate.

· To determine what the methodology should be to examine / enforce quality in teacher education institutions.

· To review whether the 291 institutions in the Western Region qualify to be recognised as Teacher Training Institutions.

Existing Scenario of Teacher Education as found by the JVC report

The Commission of the JVC report pointed out the following findings :

· Classroom practice is closely tied to the manner in which teachers learn to engage with teaching as a practical and social activity.

· The institutions of teacher education operates as a system of well-established conventions that structure social interaction, reproducing shared habits of thought through the conventions and rituals of teacher preparation.

· The bulk of secondary teacher education institutes offering programmes leading to the B. Ed. degree are outside university campus.

· Elementary teacher education institutes leading to the D. Ed. degree are not linked to the Universities.

· Teacher education institutes function as closed spaces with the sole mandate of training teachers.

· Most teacher education programmes (B. Ed. and D. Ed.) do not adequately engage with subject knowledge.

Quality of Curriculum Content

The Commission examined the curriculum and found the following :

· Initial teacher preparation, both at the elementary and secondary levels, is facing a number of problems. Some of them are common while others are specific to a stage of education.

· The teacher education curriculum either in the D. Ed. or the B. Ed. programmes does not effectively engages student-teachers with subject knowledge. It focuses only on generic methods of school subjects. Any new developments in specific disciplines that make up school subjects do not receive the due attention.

· Current programmes fail to integrate the knowledge the knowledge about learners and the knowledge of the subject with knowledge about the socio-cultural context and philosophical basis of education and learning. Teaching is practiced as a mechanical delivery of a given a number of lessons, rather than reflective practice.

Quality in Mode of Teacher Preparation

The commission of the JVC report studied the mode of teacher preparation and viewed the following :

· Quality of training through distance mode was poor.

· Current teacher education institutes are isolated from universities and the system of higher education.

· Initial training of teacher education suffer from isolation, low profile and poor visibility in view of it being a non-degree programme.

· There is an urgent need to up-grade pre-service elementary teacher education by enhancing the duration of training; making it equivalent to an integrated degree programme and locating the management and control of elementary teacher education with universities.

Recommendations made by the JVC Commission

· The Commission recommends the Government should increases its investment for establishing teacher education institutions and increase the institutional capacity of teacher preparation, especially in deficit states.

· Government may explore the possibility of instituting a transparent procedure of pre-entry testing of candidates to the pre-service teacher education programmes, keeping in view the variation in local conditions.

· Teacher education should be a part of the higher education system. The duration of programme of teacher education needs to be enhanced, in keeping with the recommendations of the Education Commission (1966), the implementation of which is long overdue.

· It is desirable that new teacher education institutions are located in multi- and interdisciplinary academic environment.

· This will have significant implications for the redesigning of norms and standards of various teacher education courses specified by the NCTE.

· This will have also implications for employment and career progression of prospective teachers.

· Existing teacher education institutions may be encouraged to take necessary steps towards attaining academic parity with the new institutions.

· Current teacher education programme may be redesigned keeping in view the recommendations in the National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education (NCTE, 2009) and other relevant material.

· In keeping with the recommendations of the Education Commission (1966), every pre-service teacher education institution may have dedicated school attached to it as a laboratory where student teachers get opportunities to experiment with new ideas and hone their capacities and skills to become reflective practitioners.

· There is a need to establish a national level academic body for continual reflections and analysis of teacher education programmes, their norms and standards, development of reading material and faculty development of teacher educators.

· As a matter of policy, the first professional degree/ diploma in teacher education should be offered only in face-to-face mode.

· Distance learning programmes and the use of blended learning material may be developed and used for continuing professional development of school teachers and teacher educators.

· The institutional capacity should be increased for preparation of teacher educators.

· There is need to make Masters in Education programme of two years duration with the provision to branch out for specialisation in curriculum and pedagogic studies, foundation studies, management, policy and finance, and other areas of emerging concerns in education.

· The NCTE would need to develop broad-based norms for qualification of teacher educators to enable induction of persons with post-graduation degrees in education science, social science, languages and mathematics, along with a professional degree in teacher education or a research degree in education, as teacher educators.

· The idea of creating opportunities for teaching practioners to teach in teacher education institutions, as visiting faculty, may be explored. Similarly, teacher educators could be considered as visiting faculty in schools.

· Faculty development programmes for teacher educators should be institutionalised.

· There is need for enhanced investment in promotion of research in education in general, and in teacher education in particular in the universities; creation of an Inter University Centre in Teacher Education could play a significant role, in this regard.

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Mixed Methods Research

Mixed methods research is a growing area of methodological choice for many academics and researchers from across a variety of discipline areas. With the development and perceived legitimacy of both quantitative and qualitative research in the social and human sciences, mixed methods research, employing the combination of both quantitative and qualitative research, has gained popularity. This popularity is because research methodology continues to evolve and develop and mixed methods research is another step forward, utilizing the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative methods.

Mixed methods research is basically defined as the class of research where the researcher mixes or combines quantitative and qualitative research techniques, methods, approaches, concepts or language into a single study. Philosophically, it is the “third wave” or third research movement, a movement that moves past the paradigm wars by offering a logical and practical alternative. It is an expansive and creative form of research, not a limiting form of research. It is inclusive, pluralistic and complementary. Mixed methods research focuses on collecting, analyzing and mixing both quantitative and qualitative data in a single study or series of studies. Its central premise is that the use of quantitative and qualitative approaches in combination provides a better understanding of research problems that either approach alone. This better understanding results because mixed methods offer strengths that offset the weaknesses of separately applied quantitative and qualitative research methods. It also encourages the collection of more comprehensive evidence for study problems; helps answer questions that quantitative or qualitative methods alone cannot answer. Mixed methods research is important today because of the complexity of problems that need to be addressed, the rise of interest in qualitative research and the practical need to gather multiple forms of data for diverse audiences.

Johnson, Onwuegbuzie and Turner define mixed methods research “is the type of research in which a researcher or a team of researchers combines elements of quantitative and qualitative approaches (e.g. use of qualitative and quantitative viewpoints, data collection, analysis, and inference techniques) for the purpose of breadth and depth of understanding and corroboration”. Also, the Journal of Mixed Methods, in its call for paper mixed methods defined mixed methods research as “research in which investigator collects, analyses, mixes and draws inferences from both qualitative and quantitative data in a single study or a program of inquiry”.

Qualitative and Quantitative Data

As per the definition, mixed methods research involves both collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data includes closed-ended information such as that found on attitude, behaviour, or performance instruments. Sometimes quantitative information is found in documents such as census records or attendance records. The analysis consists of statistically analyzing scores collected on instruments, checklists or public documents to answer research questions or to test hypotheses.

In contrast, qualitative data consists of open-ended information that researcher gathers through interviews with participants. The general, open-ended questions asked during these interviews allow the participants to supply answers in their own words. Also, qualitative data may be collected by observing participants or sites of research, gathering document from a private or public source, etc. The analysis of the qualitative data (word or text or images) typically follows the path of aggregating the words or images into categories of information and presenting the diversity of ideas gathered during data collection.

Mixing of Data

The mixing of data is a unique aspect of the definition of the mixed methods research. By mixing the datasets, the researcher provides a better understanding of the problem than if either data set had been used alone. There are three ways in which the mixing occurs: merging or converging the two data sets by actually bringing them together, connecting the two datasets by having built on the other, or embedding one dataset within the other so that one type of data provides a supportive role for the other dataset. In short, it is not enough to simply collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data; they need to be mixed in some way so that together they form a more complete picture than they do when standing alone.

Table 1 Characteristics of Quantitative, Mixed and Qualitative methods

Characteristics

Quantitative Methods

Mixed Methods

Qualitative Methods

Degree Of Predetermined Nature

Predetermined

Both Predetermined And Emerging Methods

Emerging Methods

Questions

Instrument Based

Both Open- And Closed -Ended

Open – Ended

Data Types

Performance, Attitude, Observational And Census

Multiple Forms Of Data Drawing On All Possibilities

Interview, Observation,Document,

And Audiovisual

Analysis

Statistical Analysis

Statistical And Text Analysis

Text And Image Analysis

Interpretation

Statistical Interpretation

Across Databases Interpretation

Themes, Patterns Interpretation

May Employ These Strategies Of Inquiry

Surveys, Experiments

Sequential , Convergent, And Embedded

Phenomenology, Grounded Theory, Ethnography, Ease Studies,  Narrative

Basic Characteristics

Design can be based on either     or both perspectives.

Research problems can become     research questions and/or hypotheses based on prior literature, knowledge,     experience, or the research process.

Sample sizes vary based on     methods used.

Data collection can involve any     technique available to researchers.

Interpretation is continual and     can influence stages in the research process(‘Mixed     Methods Research Designs | Research Rundowns’, n.d.).

Mixed Methods Research Process Model

The mixed methods research process model comprises eight distinct steps:

Interpretation of data;

Analysis of data;

Collection of data;

Selection of mixed method or     mixed-model research design;

Determining the research question;

Determining whether a mixed     research procedure is appropriate;

Legitimisation of data; and

Drawing conclusions and writing     the final report(kudrat, 2015).

Figure1. Mixed Methods Research Design

 Why Use Mixed Methods?

The simple answer is to overcome the limitations of a single design. A detailed answer involves:

·         To explain and interpret.

·         To explore a phenomenon.

·         To develop and test a new instrument.

·         To serve a theoretical perspective.

·         To complement the strengths of a single design.

·         To overcome the weaknesses of a single design.

·         To address a question at different levels.

·         To address a theoretical perspective at different levels.

What are some strength?

Can be easy to describe and to     report.

Can be useful when unexpected     results arise from a prior study.

Can help generalize, to a     degree, qualitative data.

Helpful in designing and     validating an instrument.

Can position research in a     transformative framework.

What are some weaknesses?

Time required.

Resolving discrepancies between     different types of data.

Some designs generate unequal     evidence.

Can be difficult to decide when     to proceed in sequential designs.

Little guidance on     transformative methods.

TYPES

Sequential explanatory design. This design involves the collection and analysis ofquantitative data followed by the collection and analysis of qualitative data. The priority is given to the quantitative data, and the findings are integrated during the interpretation phase of the study.

Example:The researcher collects data about people’s risk and benefit perceptions of red meat using a survey and follows up with interviews with a few individuals who participated in the survey to learn in more detail about their survey responses (e.g., to understand the thought process of people with low risk perceptions (‘Mixed methods research’, n.d.).

squential exploratory design. In this design, qualitative data collection and analysis isfollowed by quantitative data collection and analysis. The priority is given to the qualitative aspect of the study, and the findings are integrated during the interpretation phase of the study

Example:The researcher explores people's beliefs and knowledge regarding nutritional information by starting with in-store interviews and then uses an analysis of the information to develop a survey instrument that is administered later to a sample from a population.

Concurrent triangulation. In this design only one data collection phase is used, during which quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis are conducted separately yetconcurrently. The findings are integrated during the interpretation phase of the study. Usually, equal priority is given to both types of research.

Example:The researcher uses a survey to assess people’s self-reported food safety practices and also observes those practices in their natural environment. By comparing the two types of data, the researcher can see if there is a match between what people think they are doing and what they are actually doing in terms of food safety practices.

Concurrent nested. In this design only one data collection phase is used, during which a predominant method (quantitative or qualitative) nests or embeds the other less prioritymethod (qualitative or quantitative, respectively). This nesting may mean that the embedded method addresses a different question than the dominant method or seeks information from different levels. The data collected from the two methods are mixed during the analysis phase of the project.

Example:The researcher collects data to assess people’s knowledge and risk perceptions about genetically modified food by using a survey instrument that mixes qualitative (open-ended) and quantitative (closed-ended) questions, and both forms of data are integrated and analysed.

Conclusion

Mixed methods research actually has a long history in research practice. It is now time that all researchers and research methodologists formally recognize the third research paradigm and begin systematically writing about it and using it. Generally, a contingency theory is recommended for research approach selection, which accepts that quantitative, qualitative and mixed research are all superior under different circumstances and it is the researcher’s task to examine the specific contingencies and make the decision about which research approach or combination of approaches, should be used in a specific study. As noted by Sechrest and Sidana, growth in the mixed method movements has the potential to reduce some of the problems associated with singular methods. By narrowing the divide between quantitative and qualitative researches, mixed method research has a great potential to promote a shared responsibility in the quest for attaining accountability for educational quality. The time has come for mixed methods research.

Reference

·         kudrat. (2015, February 14). Mixed Methods Research. Retrieved 25 August 2019, from Academike website: https://www.lawctopus.com/academike/mixed-methods-research/

·         Mixed methods research. (n.d.). Retrieved 25 August 2019, from http://resourcecentre.foodrisc.org/mixed-methods-research_185.html

·         Mixed Methods Research Designs | Research Rundowns. (n.d.). Retrieved 25 August 2019, from https://researchrundowns.com/mixed/mixed-methods-research-designs/