Understanding Technology-Enabled Learning Support for Professionalism in Teachers - Excerpts from my discussions and an interview with teachers.

 

Service:

The service of a teacher is to fulfil the right to learn and develop according to one’s own potential and will. This is backed by the RTE act, 2009.

This service can be legitimate only after a certification and only then they would be permitted to practice. This means that they undergo a process of training to learn how to teach which is at the core of their service. There are other tasks that follow for a teacher other than just teaching but at its very core is knowledge imparting and making a difference in the learner’s understanding.

The teacher needs to be accountable in their profession and should have an inner drive to serve in this profession. The lives of the students can experience a drastic change by a small yet responsible action of a teacher.

A teacher must meet a certain set of standards before becoming a teacher so as to standardise the teaching in the country. This only ensures that the teachers are definitely adhering to one standard across the whole country which makes sure all students are guaranteed a standard of knowledge imparting.

 

Knowledge, and Understanding:

The teacher needs various kinds of knowledge other than the subject knowledge. Undeniably content knowledge is most important but how that content is taught and how it is organised i.e. pedagogical knowledge and curriculum knowledge are also, if not more, equally important.

Knowledge of the learners i.e. their strengths and weaknesses, as a group and individually greatly help the teacher ease the process of teaching to a great extent.

Knowledge of the consequences of teaching, knowledge of morals and ethics given the subject matter also play a vital role in this profession.

 

Practice:

The practice of teachers in the present day in our country is majorly system driven or organisation driven. But it should be learner driven. The learner should at the centre of the innovation in practice and any changes in the practice should place the learner at an advantage rather than any other stakeholder.

The practices should be context driven and should be different for different class rooms.

The practice should be reflective in nature. It should evolve continuously from situation to situation and should be learning in itself.

 

Judgement:

The teacher’s judgement is mainly based on their knowledge, experiences, educational context and their own context.

Judgements cannot be always linear and very rule driven. There has to be a leverage for the teacher’s own understanding and examining of the situation.

As basic as how a subject-matter has to be discussed in a class is the teacher’s own judgement. Now, where it really comes from cannot be very easily explained. The same way, just because something worked in a particular context does not mean it applies to every learner alike. It’s the teacher to make the judgement and take the class forward.

 

Learning:

Teachers are continuous learners. This is because the teachers handle learners who are learning in an everchanging dynamic environment. This everchanging social and technological world pushes the teacher into being a constant learner and demand a continuous development professionally, technically and emotionally to meet the demands of the new age learners.

The support offered by state in terms of learning with respect to integration technology in the case of Telangana had been phenomenal. The teachers have a definite improvement in their knowledge of using available and accessible digital tools which not only helps them in their profession but also in their personal growth.

 

Community:

The teachers as community in India has always been a recognised professional community with a certain level of political voice as well. Though it is primarily to regulate their practice and develop professional standards, it also helps in finding themselves an undeniably strong social role.

The support of community has been greatly helpful in reflecting on different contexts, their problems and their workable solutions. This widens the common memory of the teacher community and facilitates a standardised approach in education.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interview with Teachers

The interview was carried out for two teachers from the same school. The school is a private school with a CBSE curriculum. One of the teachers, T1, is a Hindi language teacher for high school and the other, T2, is Science teacher for high school. This is not a specifically low-cost private school but it is not a fully equipped school either.

The interview questions are as follows:

1.      How long have you been a teacher for? What is your experience with the school so far?

2.      How do plan the teaching in the class? Are you given freedom to plan it or are you asked to adhere to a particular way of teaching? You may talk about integration of technology also.

3.      How do you think the school management is facilitating your professional development?

4.      How do you view the professional identity of a teacher in the social sphere? Can you suggest anything about it?

The responses have been taken from both but summarized for an easier presentation as most responses shared a common ground.

 

Responses:

1.      T1 has been a teacher for 17 years now and has been working only in private schools all through. He had completed his B.Ed and M.A. in Hindi literature. He has been working with this school for the last 3 years.
T2 has been a teacher for 5 years now. She had completed B.Sc Computers and B.Ed before she stated working as a teacher. She has also been working with this school for the last 3 years.
This school has been a good experience so far. It has provided us a decent platform for us to explore our creative side as well. The school hosts enough cultural activities for the students and the teachers to be busy with other than the academic schedule.

2.      We prepare our own lesson plan. We are given reference that the school already has from other sources, but we are given the liberty to plan the lesson according to our convenience. The lesson plan should adhere with the examination schedule as prescribed by the board. Technology is not part of the class. The computer lab is a separate hour for the students.

3.      Professional development is provided in terms of how we can communicate better with parents. Speaking in English has been made a compulsion of late.
The subject knowledge improvement is never hindered. Science teachers may take interest in making the students appear for various competitive and Olympiad exams. Low mark average in a class may require us to take extra classes for the dull students. This requires a separate support for each child. The teachers may take interest and pursue these activities which the school may recognise as productive effort. In fact, the school never stopped us from taking up anything innovative like playing videos in class etc. All of these things help us grow professionally.

4.      Teachers are looked down upon in our society in spite of the contribution they make to it. The government teachers have job security which we lack. The teacher should have a well-defined career graph which we do not clearly see as of now. The standardisation of pay scales in private schools also can be an important consideration to improve our chances at developing an identity for us.

 

 

Observations & Comments:

 

The interview revealed concerning insights regarding the state of teacher professionalism in low to medium-cost private schools, highlighting significant gaps in pedagogical knowledge, instructional practices, and professional development efforts.

The interview exposed that many teachers in these schools possess minimal knowledge about pedagogy, indicating a deficiency in understanding effective teaching methods and strategies. Teachers relied heavily on reference lesson plans sourced from various sources, rather than creating original lesson plans tailored to their students' needs and learning contexts.

This lack of originality and reliance on external materials may hinder teachers' ability to adapt their instruction to meet the diverse needs of their students effectively.

The interview suggested that professional development initiatives offered to teachers in these schools may not effectively address their specific contexts and needs. Without targeted support that aligns with the realities of their classrooms and student populations, professional development efforts may fail to enhance teachers' pedagogical skills and instructional practices.

Teachers' perceptions of their students' abilities, particularly those with lower academic performance, reveal a concerning attitude towards student learning. The tendency to label students with lower marks as "dull learners" suggests a lack of understanding and empathy for diverse learning needs and challenges. True teacher professionalism entails a deep commitment to fostering every student's understanding and growth, regardless of their academic performance, through compassionate and student-centred teaching practices.

The interview sheds light on the critical need for improved teacher professionalism in low to medium-cost private schools, emphasizing the importance of enhancing pedagogical knowledge, promoting original instructional practices, and providing tailored professional development opportunities. By prioritizing student understanding and cultivating compassion in teaching, teachers can fulfil their role as effective educators and empower all students to succeed academically and personally.