ROLE OF A TEACHER IN EFFECTIVE TEACHING

ROLE OF A TEACHER IN EFFECTIVE TEACHING        1. FACILITATOR – A teacher facilitates the students to find answers on their own. A teacher should show the path. This term is used by the NCF.         2. MANAGER/PROBLEM SOLVER: effective teaching is not possible without playing the role of an efficient manager. She needs to manage the whole class altogether as well as small things or situations.          3. COUNSELLOR: very important in the present time, students are sensitive, and a teacher in the class is the first one to observe/identify the problem and counsel.           4. MOTIVATOR – A teacher acts as a motivator to achieve the objectives set by the curriculum.  5.      GUIDE – A teacher guides the students regarding examinations, future prospects, and future vocations.  6.      EVALUATOR/ASSESSOR: comprehensive assessment, evaluation of not only bookish knowledge but also other aspects of the learners  7.      LEADER – A leader always acts democratically, unlike a boss of an office/organization.  8.  EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR – A teacher must be an effective communicator with the students as well as the administration. He or she acts as a mediator. Miscommunication often creates confusion and misunderstandings.  9. CREATOR OF POSITIVE LEARNING ATMOSPHERE – Teaching is effective only when the teacher has a positive attitude towards his or her students. There should also be a democratic atmosphere.  10.  CREATIVITY – A teacher should also be a creative person. Different methods should be used and as per the context, one has to blend the methods and recreate the available resources. If a teacher is creative, he or she will be able to appreciate the students' creativity too.  11.  ORGANISER – It brings discipline and avoids chaos. It is a systematic approach and leads to logical, rational, and scientific thinking. For example, showing a film, demonstrating or arranging things for a class.  12.  ROLE MODEL – Teaching by example. It inspires discipline from within and leads to the formation of a disciplinarian.  13.  EFFICIENT USER OF TECHNOLOGY – This concept is used in the NCF. A teacher should be able to use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) effectively. A teacher should be technologically sound.

Education for Generation, Conservation, and Transmission of Knowledge

 

The process of knowledge generation has already been discussed. Now the question is what should be the role of education in knowledge generation? Education is for gaining knowledge and learning something new through dialogue, and discussion by using different mediums, books, magazines, journals, encyclopaedia internet etc. We can also learn through our experience or by listening to the experience of others. But sometimes that is not enough to gain new knowledge. Hence education can play a significant role here. Education should not only help the learner with new knowledge but also help to learn how to create or generate new knowledge. This is possible through research. The training for finding the truth and new knowledge can be started at an early age. The different approaches like discovery problem solving, the enquiry process, and projects used in the teaching-learning process are helpful for that. They help to understand the systematic process of finding and reaching knowledge. Hence pave the way for understanding the basic requirement of research and generating knowledge. The knowledge that is generated needs to be conserved. If we are not able to do that then what is the benefit of generating it? The conservation of knowledge can be done in various ways- through books, journals, encyclopaedia, audio, video, internet, social media etc. That means the knowledge which is generated should be stored in any form. Transmission of knowledge - how society can proceed in the path of development if the knowledge that has been generated and conserved is not transmitted to the next generation? The understanding of the knowledge provides us with the base for creating new knowledge. This would not have been possible if the knowledge was not transmitted. The conservation and transmission of existing knowledge help us to generate new knowledge. That is the reason why our civilization has progressed from the stone age to the Age of artificial intelligence.

Maxims of Teaching

Maxim means a short pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct.

Significance of the maxim of teaching:

The maxims of teaching are very helpful in obtaining the active environment and participation of the learners in the teaching learning process. They quicken the interest of the learners and motivate them to learn. They keep the students attentive to the teaching learning process. They make learning effective, inspirational, interesting and meaningful. A good teacher should be quite familiar with them.

The different maxims of teaching have been briefly explained below.

1.     From known to unknown:

Known is trustworthy whereas unknown is feared. So a teacher should utilize previous knowledge of students for teaching a particular subject or topic and then help them to collect information and explore the unknown.

For example, students can right words only if they know the alphabets of a language.

Students can explore (a+b+c) ² only if they know (a+b) ²

2.     From simple to complex:

Proceeding from simple to complex subject matter provides an appropriate learning sequence, thus motivating and encouraging students to try to learn more difficult ideas.

For example, while teaching English, simple sentences should be taught first and complex sentences may be taken up later on.

3.     From indefinite to definite:

The ideas of children are vague and indefinite in the beginning. Gradually children gain more learning experiences and attend definite ideas.

For example, the respiratory system will remain vague if taught without a diagram of the nasal passage lungs etc.

4.     From concrete to abstract:

Abstract things are confusing and difficult to comprehend whereas concrete things can be visualized, are relatively simple and understandable. Acquisition of new knowledge becomes easy when it is supported with concrete examples, objects and events.

For example: a lesson in geography can be made interesting with the help of models, pictures and illustrations of the bridges, rivers and mountains etc.

 

5.     From particular to general:

Teacher should present particular examples before stating the principles and rules. A study of particular facts leads the children themselves to frame the general rule.

For example, student will gain the general idea that sum of three angles of any triangle is 180 degree if she is ask to find out the sum of 3 angles of different triangles.

6.     From actual to representative:

When actual objects are shown to children they learn easily and retain them in their minds for long time.

For example, a visit to zoo is of more value then showing the pictures of various animals.

An excursion to historical place will create better understanding than showing picture or simply telling about it in class.

7.     From whole to part:

Whole is more meaningful to the child than the parts of the whole. Guilford, Newman, and Seagoe concluded after their research that the 'whole' approach is generally better than 'part' learning because the material to be learnt makes sense and it parts can be seen by the learner as interrelated.

For example, during teaching the 'part of a flowering plant', it is better to show the entire plant and then proceed to the structure and function of each part of the plant.

8.     From psychological to logical:

While teaching, psychological principles of teaching should be kept in mind and then teaching should proceed to the logical arrangement of the subject matter. The teacher should psychologically plan learning experience is in accordance with the needs, interest and abilities of the students but the teaching act must have logic too.

For example, in a drawing lesson a child has little understanding of lines and curves. Logically we start with simple lines and curves but psychologically we start with drawing a whole animal.

9.     From near to far:

A child learns well in the surrounding in which he resides. So, he should be acquainted with his immediate environment first. Gradually he may be taught about things which are far from his immediate environment.

In a Geography lesson, we can start from the local geography and then can take up district, state, country and world gradually.

10.  From empirical to rational:

Observation and experience are the basis of empirical knowledge. Rational knowledge implies a bit of abstraction and argumentation. The general feeling is that a child first of all experiences knowledge in his day-to-day life and after that he develops rational or logical thinking.

For example, geometry makes better sense when taught in the context of everyday life instead of it in the form of a highly abstract theory.

Qualities of a good Science Textbook

 

Qualities of a good Science Textbook

   

1.     Content of the textbook should be relevant. It should be in accordance with the syllabus.

2.     Redundancy in the content should be minimal. Too much repetition of the same points can make a topic look big, reducing children’s interest in reading the book.

3.     The language of the writing and other content should be simple, in accordance with the age of the children.

4.     The book should contain relevant pictures, diagrams, tables, illustrations (solved examples and solved numerical problems), and exercises/activities.

5.     The appearance of the book should be attractive. Colorful books are more attractive. The size of the book should be appropriate.

6.     At the end of every chapter, there should be a summary and a list of references for further reading.

7.     For every chapter, there should be a guideline given in the book, both for the teacher and for the students, about what is to be expected from them.

8.     The book should contain a glossary.

9.     The writing of the content should be such that it takes care of the present social issues. For example, a problem given in a science textbook should not highlight that the father is working outside and the mother is staying home. The opposite scenario should also be portrayed to break the gender bias.

10.   The content should be based on the previous knowledge of the students. For example, if writing contains a discussion about computers, an urban child may be able to relate it to his or her previous knowledge but a rural child may not be able to do so.

11.   The author of the book should be experienced, expert, and efficient in dealing with the subject matter.

12.   The book should be written following the maxims of teaching, in a logical and psychological sequence.

13.   The printing of the book should be necessarily clear and beautiful. Printing mistakes should be avoided. The headings, sub-headings, and subject matter should be prepared according to the requirements.

14.   The paper should be of good quality. The binding of the book should be strong.

15.   The book should be affordable. An E-book version should be available, preferably for free or for a lower price.

16.   The book should be revised from time to time and necessary updates should be made.

17.   Before releasing a book, it should undergo a field trial and necessary changes should be made from the feedback. Later, the book should also be reviewed by experts.

PRINCIPLES OF FRAMING CURRICULUM

 

PRINCIPLES OF FRAMING CURRICULUM

1. Principle of child-centeredness: curriculum should be framed according to the actual needs, interests, and capacities of the child. That means a curriculum should be child-centric as the modern education system is child-centered.

2. Principles of civic and social needs: man is a social being. He/she lives in a society. Modern Education aims at both development, of the individual and society.

3. Principle of integration: the curriculum should not be split up into watertight academic subjects. Various subjects included in the curriculum at a particular stage of education should be integrated and correlated with many others subjects as well as with the real-life experience of the students.

4. Principles of flexibility: in order to serve the varying needs of the individual on the one hand and society on the other curriculum should follow the principle of flexibility and dynamism.  it should allow desirable change and modification of its content from time to time in order to keep it up to date.

5. Principles of creativeness: Education not only conserves the past experiences of humanity but also helps an individual to develop his innate potential. This aspect should be taken care of during the framing of the curriculum.

6. Principle of utility: at the time of curriculum construction utility instead of special knowledge or logical sequence should be the base. Only that which is useful for society should be included in the curriculum, and that which is not useful should be excluded, however, important matter it may be.

7. Principle of relating to community life: our curriculum should be original, and related to community life. It should allow the student to come into close contact with the life around him.

8. Principle of conservation: Man has conserved experiences very carefully for better adaptability. Education is regarded as a means of deserving the cultural heritage of humanity. The school serves two-fold functions in this regard- preservation of past experiences and transmission of experiences.

9. Principle of individual difference: the curriculum should be framed in such a way that every individual can have the opportunity for self-expression and development. The curriculum should be based on the psychology of individual differences, which can meet the complexities of a modern democratic society.

10. Principle of activity: curriculum must be based on the principle of learning by doing. It should involve the students in different types of mental and physical activities.
11. Principle of vision: a society can never be static in any way. it has to go ahead with time. While constructing a curriculum for children, the future needs of society must also be taken into account.

12. Principle of utilization of leisure: a variety of subjects such as games and sports, fine arts, music, etc. are to be introduced in the school program to utilize leisure time.

13. Principle of forward-looking: The aim of life-centered education is not limited to the present life situations in the family and society. Hence, education must prepare the child of shouldering future responsibilities. So in framing the curriculum we must take into consideration the future needs of the child as well as the needs of society.

14. Principle of preparation for living: The children should know the various activities of the environment around them and how these activities are enabling people to meet their basic needs of food, shelter, clothing, recreation, health, and education.

15. Principle of preparation for the world of work/vocation: The community needs skilled workers and professionals in different professions and occupational fields. So the curriculum should be framed in accordance with this need. The curriculum should able to guide and prepare the students for the future world of work.

 

NECESSITY OF CURRICULUM

 

NECESSITY OF CURRICULUM

1. Curriculum provides a solid frame or a structure to an education system or course and has an end goal that teachers/curriculum planners set for their students to reach.

2. Curriculum provides a boundary about what to teach and what not to teach in a school for a specific stage and specific grade.

3. It defines the method and techniques to be used by the teacher for the student's holistic development.                                                                                                         

4. It describes the various evaluation processes to be followed for assessment.

5. It is a guideline for the students, teacher, and the other stakeholders related to the school by following which the education system of a school can run successfully.

6. A well-built curriculum can act as a reagent for developing a positive attitude towards other religions, castes, gender, etc.

7. It can also act as a means for developing moral and ethical values among the students to make them good citizens.

8. Curriculum helps to organize the subject matter in a logical and psychological sequence as per the child's demands and needs.

9. A good curriculum is a reflection of that nation and society.

10. Good curriculum organizes the selected content in simple to complex hence making the education system systematic.

11. It provides work experience and vocational education to the students. Thus making them skilled for the future work environment.

12. It ideally serves as a time management and organizational tool as well; by setting an agenda ahead of time. Teachers and students have the opportunity to prepare for future reading and assignments.

SCOPE OF CURRICULUM

 

SCOPE OF CURRICULUM

The scope of the curriculum includes the knowledge, skills and values, and students' experiences needed to achieve the set educational goals. It consists of the experience or subject matter or content to which the learners are exposed. The content of every field of learning is so vast and is expanding at such a rate that it is impossible to cover any field in its entirety. Some hard decisions must be made as to what content should be selected for inclusion in the curriculum and what limitations will be placed on that curriculum.
The matter on the basis of which the scope of the curriculum is framed:

A. Socio-economic condition of the nation:

It is one of the dominant components for framing curriculum. The policy of education and its objective depends on the social and economic condition of that nation. The economic and social logical structure drives the framework of the curriculum. For example, the Indian education curriculum is a reflection of the democratic nature of the nation.

B. Socio-cultural element:

The culture of any nation is the bearer and carrier of that nation’s heritage. That is why sociocultural elements are given immense importance during defining the scope of the curriculum. It should reflect in the curricular and co-curricular activities.

C. Social needs:

It is the responsibility of the nation to fulfill the social needs of its citizen. The nation includes those needs in its education system through the curriculum. Hence these needs are given value during deciding the scope of the curriculum.

D. Peoples's religious consciousness and beliefs:

The religious consciousness and beliefs of the people have a great impact on the education system of a nation. Their religious consciousness and beliefs should be taken care of during defining the scope of the curriculum.

E. In and out of school experience:

School is the miniature of society and society frames some objectives for its citizens. One of the main goals of education is to implement those objectives through the education system in school. While defining the scope of the curriculum a balance should be made between the lives of a student in and out of the school. The students must able to relate the school experience with that of their daily life.

F. Dynamic Education system:

The curriculum should be changed and developed and new content or subject can be incorporated keeping in mind the changing society and its needs.

G. Use of human resources:

During preparing the scope of the curriculum one should keep in mind the availability of human resources related to education. Human resources available should be utilized at the optimum level for the benefit of the learners.

H. Physical/material resources:

The curriculum should be designed on the basis of the other resources available. The state should inform the curriculum developer about the availability of the resources.

I. Budget/financial resource:

Money is one of the important aspects of designing and framing a curriculum. It also serves as an important scope. Someone could not plan a curriculum without knowing how much money she could manage to run that particular curriculum.

J. Variety of the school:

All schools' structures are not the same. Their ideologies are different. Even the contexts are different in many cases. Hence while designing the curriculum the schools' requirements and other aspects like the position of the school, school type, ideology, etc. are needed to be taken care of.