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Source: Sarkar, R. and Srivastava, A. K. (2015). Recent practices and prospects in pre-service and in-
service teacher education with reference to inclusive education in India. In Chowdhury, P. (Eds.),
Inclusive Education: Policy, Practices and Prospects (p. 55-73). New Delhi: Author Press. (ISBN: 978-93-
5207-122-7).
Recent Practices and Prospects in Pre-service and In-service Teacher Education with
reference to Inclusive Education in India
*Ratan Sarkar &
**Dr. Abhishek Kumar Srivastava
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
*Research Scholar, Faculty of Disability Management and Special Education,
Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Coimbatore-20, Tamil Nadu. Email:
[email protected]. Mob: 08012895837
&
**Assistant Professor, Faculty of Disability Management and Special Education,
Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Coimbatore-20, Tamil Nadu. Email:
[email protected]. Mob: 07639266553
Abstract
Teachers play a vital role in making any educational programme, policy and process successful.
It is a well established fact that learning in and achievement of learner is highly dependent upon
the quality and competence of teachers. Competent teachers can only be possible when there is
quality in pre-service and in-service teacher education. Teacher education pertains to the
preparation of teachers and to make them skilled and competent professional to face new
challenges and fulfill the demands of the hour. The first and foremost aim of education is to
create inclusive society where all people can live in close harmony without any type of
discrimination on any grounds such as caste, creed, religion, region, language, socio-economic
background, ability, disability etc. To create inclusive society, it is a must to have inclusion in
education or inclusive education as one of its main components. Inclusive education refers to
including all children in mainstream schools irrespective of their ability or disability and without
any kind of discrimination. Therefore, entire school system including teachers, is supposed to
respond to the diverse needs of all children without excluding any one. This paradigm shift in
educational scenario from segregated to right based inclusive education, look for reviewing the
existing practice of teacher education, restructuring and modifying the curriculum in the light of
inclusive education in India so that teachers can understand and respond dynamically to the
diverse needs of all the learners and accept the involved challenges thereof. This, in turn, can
help realizing the aims of inclusive education and contribute positively for the development of
our nation. This thematic paper chiefly aims at bringing forth current practices in teacher
education, identified gap between demand of inclusive education and existing pattern of teacher
education and prospect of teacher education in wake of incisive education in India.
Key words: Pre-service & In-service Teacher education, Inclusive Education, Students with
Disabilities.
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Introduction
Over the last decade, it was believed that “Teachers are born, teaching is an art”. With the
constant growing technological advancement and development there are many innovations,
researches, practices, and trends in the field of teacher education imparting both in general and
special education, the belief got modified as „Teacher can be trained to teach‟. We are in the 21st
century which is known as the most effective era of inclusion where world is running behind the
technology, equalization, inclusion, right to information and most importantly right to education
for all. To boost up the latest trends and recent requirements, school system has to provide
relevant knowledge and experience to the children without any barriers to children irrespective
of status, religion, region, caste, gender and disability. Numbers of policies, legislations, acts,
schemes and programmes have been formed and undertaken by government of India to make the
elementary education universal. However, the first initiative was inclusive education which was
taken under the heading of „Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)‟ in 2001. This scheme has zero
rejection policy. The main goal of this scheme was to bring all children under one education
system and to provide free and compulsory education to all children belonging to the age range
of 6 to 14 years. The latest and most effective step toward inclusive education was The Right of
Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which represents the
consequential legislation envisaged under Article 21-A, means that every child has a right to full
time elementary education of satisfactory and equitable quality in a formal school which satisfies
certain essential norms and standards. It has made education as one of the fundamental rights of
human being which cannot be violated in any way.
Inclusive Education
Inclusive education is a human right approach and the philosophy for attaining equity, justice
and quality education for all children, especially those who have been traditionally excluded
from mainstream education due to disability, ethnicity, gender or other characteristics. It is a
human right approach. UNESCO, in 2005, has defined that it is a process of addressing and
responding to the diverse needs of all learners by increasing participation in learning and
reducing exclusion within and from education. In this context of education, the restructuring of
school on inclusive lines is a reflection of the social model in action (Mittler, 2000). The
fundamental principle of inclusive school is that all children should learn together wherever
possible regardless of any difficulties or differences they may have. Inclusive school must
recognize and respond to the diverse needs of their students, accommodating both different styles
and rates of learning and ensuring quality education to all through appropriate curricula,
organizational arrangements, teaching strategies, resource use and partnership with their
communities (Lipsky & Gartner, 1999). The basic purpose of inclusive approach is to improve
the quality of life through facilitating interactions between the children with and without special
needs that would contribute to both bonding and building a complete society.
Teacher Education
However, a complete and successful implementation of inclusive education programs depends on
a numbers of variables. One such variable, and perhaps the most important one, is the teacher
education. Teacher education includes every aspects of the student-teacher‟s personality. We
may define teacher education as such institutionalized educational procedures that are aimed at
the purposeful organized preparation or further education of teachers who are engaged directly or
indirectly in educational activities. Teacher education aims at helping the teacher in
understanding the nature, abilities, aptitudes, developmental level, individual differences,
emotion, instincts, sentiments, ambitions of the child and assists them in making better
adjustments. The secondary Education Commission (1952-53), has rightly observed the need of
teacher for improving the quality and standard of education. After reviewing the status and
service conditions of teachers, The Education Commission (1964-66) has pointed out, “Of all the
different factors which influence the quality of education and its contribution to national
development, the quality competence and character of teachers are undoubtedly the most
significant”. 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.
Whatever policies may be laid down in the ultimate analysis these have to be interpreted and
implemented by teachers as much through their personal example as through teaching learning
process.” The National Educational policy (1986) has also stated, “The status of the teacher
reflects the socio-cultural ethos of a society; it is said that no people can rise above the level of
its teachers. The Government and the community should endeavor to create conditions which
will help motivate and inspire teachers on constructive and creative lines. Teachers should have
the freedom to innovate to devise appropriate methods of communication and activities relevant
to the needs and capabilities of the concerns of the community.”
Agencies of Teacher Education
A teacher is expected to face the new changes and challenges by undergoing through training for
new trends in education. Such training needs are satisfied by different agencies at different levels
such as-
Agencies of Teacher Education at State Level
State Institute of Education (SIE)
State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT)
State Board of Teacher Education – (SBTE)
University Departments of Education – (UDTE)
Agencies of Teacher Education at National Level
University Grant Commission (UGC)
National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE)
Rehabilitation council of India (RCI)
National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)
National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA)
Agencies of Teacher Education at International Level
United Nations Educational Scientific, Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Need of Teacher Education to Promote Inclusive Education
Savolainen (2009) notes that teachers play an essential role in quality education. Studies suggest
(Sanders & Horn, 1998; Bailleul et al., 2008) that the quality of the teacher contributes more to
learner achievement than any other factor, including class size, class composition, or
background. The need for „high quality‟ teachers equipped to meet the needs of all learners
becomes evident to provide not only equal opportunities for all, but also education for an
inclusive society. Reynolds (2009) says that it is the knowledge, beliefs and values of the teacher
that are brought to bear in creating an effective learning environment for pupils, making the
teacher a critical influence in education for inclusion and the development of the inclusive
school. Romi and Leyser (2006) reported that favorably disposed teachers toward the inclusion
of students with disabilities in regular education classrooms employ more effective instructional
strategies than those who hold negative attitudes. Researchers (Cook, 2001; Ross-Hill, 2009)
have also found out that there is a positive correlation between supportive attitudes by teachers
and enhanced performance by students with disabilities who were included in regular
classrooms. Literature indicates that teachers‟ actions and performance in classrooms are greatly
influenced by their knowledge of the learning characteristics of their students and these have
profound impact on learning processes (Philpott, Furey, & Penney, 2010; Pinar & Sucuoglou,
2011). In a research conducted on regular primary and secondary school teachers in Delhi it was
found that nearly 70% of the regular school teachers had neither received training in special
education nor had any experience teaching students with disabilities (Das, A.K., Kuyini, A.B., &
Desai, I.P., 2013) whereas regular school teachers are increasingly required to be sensitive to the
curricular needs, styles and rates of learning and levels of motivation of students with special
needs. They are expected to design, implement and evaluate the educational program based on
the students‟ assessed needs and create active and appropriate learning situations through
integrative, flexible and interdisciplinary instructional strategies (Kochhar & West, 1996). They
would also be required to participate in Individual Education Program (IEP) meetings and work
in partnership with special education teachers, para-professionals, parents and other service
providers (Ashman & Elkins, 2009). Therefore, it is evident that the learning in and achievement
of learner is highly dependent upon the quality and competence of teachers. Competent teachers
can only be possible when there is quality in pre-service and in-service teacher education.
Current Practices in Teacher Education
As a part of teacher training programs, there are three essential components for capacity building
in inclusive education such as-
Increase awareness and attitudinal change through advocacy
Create a future of trained professionals: Pre-service training
Build on existing human resources: In-service training and professional development.
Increase Awareness and Attitudinal Change through Advocacy To make inclusive education successful, it is extensively important that teachers, principals and
other education stakeholders should maintain a positive attitude towards inclusion. They must be
firmly convinced of the benefits of inclusive practices. Even if inclusive education is mandated
by law, it will never succeed without the wholehearted support of its practitioners. Obtaining
such support which involves behavior and attitudinal change is not a quick or easy process.
There are many ways to accomplish such change, such as-
1. Conducting training workshops or seminars for educators and key community members on
inclusive education techniques which highlight how such techniques can benefit all
children by improving overall quality of teaching.
2. Awareness programme about inclusive education should be an integral part of the schools‟
regular professional development activities as it improves the confidence of teachers in
their ability to teach students with diverse learning needs.
3. Encourage mass media to highlight the activities and materials that emphasize the value of
inclusive education. Several films and documentaries on the success story of children with
special needs in inclusive settings can be made.
4. Knowledge about the benefits of inclusive education should be an integral part of all
training programs for student teachers in schools, colleges and universities.
5. Celebrate special events such as National and International Disability Day inviting
different members like teachers, PWDs, various professionals of the community to
participate and gain awareness.
6. People with disabilities should also be encouraged and helped to become trained teachers.
Pre-service Teacher Education Pre-service teacher education refers to the professional training programme undertaken by
teachers before their joining in the service as teachers. People desiring to adopt teaching as their
profession, are called upon to undergo and complete such pre-service training as they acquire
necessary knowledge and skills that are necessary for improving their competence as teachers.
The Education Commission 1964-66 has emphasized on the professional training of teachers and
made very useful suggestions for training and improving the standard of training programmes.
These are as follows –
1. The staff of secondary teacher training college should have a double master‟s degree in
academic subject and in teacher education and the staff of primary teachers training
school should have a master‟s degree either in education or in an academic subject as
well as B.Ed.
2. Teacher education should be brought into the mainstream of academic life of the
universities on the one hand and of school life and educational development on the other.
3. The quality of teacher education should be improved by introducing content-cum-
methodology courses.
4. Every training institution should have an experimental or a demonstration school attached
to it.
5. Adequate hostel facilities for trainers and residential accommodation for teacher‟s
educators be provided.
6. All tuition fees in training institutions should be abolished and liberal provision be made
for stipends.
Objectives of Pre-service Teacher Education
Pre service teacher education has a range of objectives. Emphasis differs from programme to
programme. It analyses of teacher education curricula (Stuart 1999, Lewin and Stuart 2003) and
identifies common components that appear in most programmes. The main objectives of Pre-
service teacher education are explained below-
1. Subject Content: knowledge and understanding of school subjects in the primary
curriculum.
2. Pedagogic Content Knowledge (often known as methods courses): Teaching methods and
ways of assessing learning related to specific subject areas and matched to the capabilities
of learners (Shulman, 1987).
3. Professional Studies/Education Studies: Understanding of how children learn and how
cognitive, affective, psychomotor, and social development take place, knowledge and skill
in classroom management and pastoral care, art and craft, music and dance, knowledge of
effective techniques to promote learning, acquisition of professional identities as a teacher,
awareness of relevant educational history, psychology, sociology, philosophy, legislation,
responsibilities etc.
4. Teaching Practice/Practicum: In school and in college opportunities to practice teaching
under supervision with support from experienced mentor teachers
Pre-service Teacher Education Institutions
The followings are the recent types of teachers training institutes that are imparting knowledge
among teachers of varied levels of education in India-
1. Teachers Training for Pre-primary or Nursery schools- Catering to the needs of
teachers for Kindergarten, Bal Vihars, Montessori School. Minimum qualification for
admission to this course is Matriculation.
2. Teachers Training for Primary Schools- The duration of the course are two years and
the minimum qualification is higher secondary.
3. Secondary Training Schools- These schools provide teachers for the middle and junior
secondary schools, after complication of training they are either awarded a certificate or a
diploma in education.
4. Training Colleges or Colleges of Education- These colleges provide teachers for
secondary and senior secondary schools. Normally it was one year course leading to
B.Ed. degree and the minimum qualification is graduation, but it is proposed by the new
norms of NCTE that from the academic year 2015-16 onwards this will be a course of
two years.
5. Training College for Special Subjects- These are special colleges for preparing teachers
in certain subjects like physical education, home science, craft, language etc.
6. Institute of Advanced Study in Education- These provide M.A., M.Ed, and Ph.D. in
education.
7. Training College for Special Education- These prepare special educators for dealing
with children with Locomotors disability, speech and hearing impairment, cerebral
palsy, learning disability, autism, multiple disability, mental retardation etc. It offers
courses like; D.Ed. in special education, B.Ed. in special education, M.Ed. in special
education, M.Phil/Ph.D in Special education. This needs recognition from Rehabilitation
council of India.
8. Regional College of Education- There are four regional colleges at Ajmer,
Bhubaneswar, Mysore and Bhopal. They provide UG and PG degree along with B.Ed.
programmes in science, technology, commerce, agriculture and English, M.Ed. and Ph.D
in education.
9. University Faculty/Department of Teacher Education- There are departments or
Faculty that offers degrees related to teacher education programme at many central, state,
deemed and private universities across the country.
10. Comprehensive Colleges of Education- Such colleges are to be meant for preparing
teachers for several stages of education and have all teacher education courses i.e., pre-
primary teachers training class, D.Ed., B.Ed., M.Ed. etc., on one campus.
11. National Institutes for Special Education-There are numbers of national institutes of
Govt. of India in the field of special education such as NIMH- Secunderabad, NIVH-
Dehradun, AJYNIHH- Mumbai, NIOH-Kolkata, NIEPMD- Chennai, etc. These institutes
do offer various courses related to teacher education in special education. These institutes
conduct seminars, workshops, conferences, and provide fund for research and material
development in the special education.
In-service Teacher Education
In-service teacher education programme refers to any programme provided to teachers already
working in schools, with the explicit purpose of updating and renewing their knowledge,
technical skills, etc., for main-training and/or enhancing their efficiency. In-service teacher
education can be seen as a continuation of pre-service teacher education. A prospective teacher is
always prepared to learn more. In-service education programmes must enhance a teacher's
understanding and skills, enable him/her to get 'better equipped', and thereby improve the quality
of his/her functioning in the field.
Objective of In-service Teacher Education
The in-service teacher education has to achieve the follow objectives-
1. To equip the teachers with the latest content or subject matter in their specialized
fields.
2. To initiate the teachers in the habit of self-study with ultimate aim of keeping them a
best of the latest developments in their own and allied field.
3. To help the teachers learn economical and effective methods of teaching.
4. To develop suitable and varied programme to meet individual needs, school needs, and
the needs of the state with regard to educational extension.
5. To follow up the teacher who under in- service education to reinforce the objective of
the training.
6. To develop a sense of security, a team spirit, doubts removed, and exchanges of
opinion, quality improvement and a sense of belongingness to the teaching profession.
In-services Teacher Education Institutions
1. State Institutes of Education- It provides training to supervisors of elementary school;
organize conferences and seminar for quality improvement of teacher.
2. District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET) - To organize pre-services and
in-services courses for elementary teachers and for personnel working in a non-formal
and adult education.
3. STEI’s, IASEs and CTEs- For qualitative improvement among teachers Secondary
Teacher Education Institutions (STEI), Institutes of advance study in education (IASE),
Colleges of teacher education (CTE) conduct in-services teacher training programmes
time to time.
4. National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) - At national level
it undertakes research and training in education at the school stage. It coordinates the
entire work of in-service teacher education and also formulates syllabi for the training of
teachers at different levels.
5. National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) - It
organizes in-service education for educational administration, planners, and supervisors.
6. National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) - To advise the government of India
on teacher education including pre-service and in-service training, evaluation and review
of syllabus.
7. Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) - The role of RCI is to develop, standardize and
regulate training programmes/ courses at various levels in the field of Rehabilitation and
Special Education. It also maintains the Central Rehabilitation Register for qualified
Professionals/ Personnel in this field and promotes Research in Special Education.
Programmes of In-service Teacher Education
Normally the programmes of in-services education in our country are organized by the Colleges
of Teacher Education, RCI, SCERT, DIET and NCERT. Some of the programmes of in-service
education which can be initiated are as under-
1. Seminar- Seminar can be organized for collective thinking on various problems of
education by the teacher. It is an effective instrument of in-service education.
2. Workshop- The approach in a workshop is more practical and the participant work
actively and make a significant contribution.
3. Refresher Course- This course facilitates the professional and academic growth of the
teacher. It acquaints them about the latest developments in their subject as well as in
theory and practice of teaching.
4. Study groups- The member of study group may meet weekly to discuss problem
concerning their subject areas and work out new teaching techniques.
5. School programmes- Different school programmes can be conducted to serve the
purpose of in-service education such as faculty meeting, exhibitions, demonstration
lessons, Value education classes, special lectures by students on important contemporary
issues etc.
6. Study of professional writings- Teachers should be encouraged to study various
publication of NCERT, extension services, to acquaint them with the latest materials and
findings.
7. Conference - It is a kind of meeting of teachers, supervisors and administrator for
discussing certain issues and problems like- revision of school curriculum, selection of
text books, adaptation of new methods of teaching and evaluation, guidance of gifted
children and children with special needs etc.
Hindrances to the Present System of Teacher Education
The training institutions have remained isolated from the main stream of academic life of the
university, as well as from the daily problems of the school due to the following drawbacks (The
Education Commission, 1964-66) in the present system of teacher education such as-
1. The quality of training institutions is poor.
2. Teaching is the last resort of the unemployed.
3. Teaching practice is carried on as a matter of routine.
4. Teacher Educators, in many cases, are not very competent.
5. Bright students are not attracted to the training institutions.
6. Least or no mention of special education in general teacher training programme.
7. Vitality and realism are lacking in the curriculum only traditional courses are offered.
Prospects for Improving Pre-service & In-service Teacher Education Programme
To bridge the gap between availability and demand of competent, skilled and dynamic
educators we need to bring a radical change in the existing pre-service & in-service teacher
education programme by adopting following prospects-
Adequate staff for training colleges.
Appropriate methodology in teaching.
Internship in place of practice teaching.
Proper selection of teachers for training.
Formation of subject teachers association.
Addressing challenges of the present times.
Quality enhancement through innovative practice.
Impacting teacher empowerment through internship.
Ensuring quality processes and institutional sensitivity.
Advancement of infrastructure and learning materials.
Focus on comprehensive teacher education programme.
Priorities and motivating teacher for in-service education.
Incorporation of education for children with special needs.
Assurance of quality curriculum for quality teacher education.
Curriculum improvement in teacher education through research.
School and workshop based practice in distance teacher training.
Inter link between both general and special B.Ed. and M.Ed. course.
Practitioner oriented post graduate programme in teacher education.
ICT integration for qualitative improvement of teacher training programmes.
Capacity building of teacher through distance education for a developing nation.
Collaboration for interdisciplinary post-graduate course development in education.
Increasing use of advanced assistive technology and devices in training programme.
Partnering teacher education with school sector for promotion of quality assurance.
Establishment of proper network and collaboration between MSJ&E and MHRD.
Organization and management of a decentralized distance teacher education programme.
Conclusion
To conclude, it can be stated that extreme shortage of skilled educators, capable of dealing with
children with varied needs is one of the vital confronting issues for the successful
implementation of inclusive education in India. On the other hand, appropriate and quality
teacher education pertains to the preparation of teachers and to make them skilled and competent
professional to face new challenges and fulfill the demands of the hour. Therefore, a new and
extended body of knowledge and skills are required for reviewing the existing practice of teacher
education, restructuring and modifying the curriculum in the light of inclusive education in India
so that teachers can understand and respond dynamically to the diverse needs of all learners
irrespective of their abilities and disabilities and accept the involved challenges thereof and help
in realizing the aims of inclusive education and contribute positively for the development of our
nation.
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