As per NCTE Regulations 2014, the Bachelor of Education Programme, generally known as B.Ed, is a professional course that prepares teachers for upper primary or middle level (classes VI-VIII), Secondary level (classes IX-X) and Senior Secondary level (classes XI-XII).
Curriculum:
The B.Ed is designed to integrate the study of subject knowledge, human develop pedagogical knowledge and communication skills. The programme comprises three broad curricular areas: Perspective in Education, Curriculum and Pedagogic Studies and Engagement with the Field.
The courses under each of these curricular areas are based on a close reading of original writings, Seminars/Project paper presentation and continuous engagement with the field.
Transaction of the courses are done using a variety of approaches, such as, case studies, discussions on reflective journals, observations of children and interactions with the community in multiple socio-cultural environment.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Gender, Yoga Education and Inclusive Education are the integral part of the B.Ed Programme.
1. Theory Courses:
a) Perspective in Education
Perspective in Education include courses in the study of Childhood, Child development and Adolescence, Contemporary India and Education Philosophical and Sociological perspectives in education, theoretical foundations of knowledge and curriculum, teaching and learning, gender in the context of school and society and inclusive education. The course in childhood studies enable student-teachers to engage with studies on Indian society and education, acquire conceptual tools of sociological analysis and hands on experience of engaging with diverse communities, children and schools. The course on ‘Contemporary India and Education’ develops a conceptual understanding about issues of diversity, inequality and marginalization in Indian society and implications for education, with analysis of significant policy debates in Indian education. The course of ‘Knowledge and Curriculum’ addresses the theoretical foundations of school knowledge from historical, philosophical and sociological perspective with critical analysis of curricular aims and context and relationship between curriculum, policy and learning. The course on Teaching and Learning’ focuses on aspects of social and emotional development; self and identity, and cognition and learning.
b) Curriculum and Pedagogic Studies:
Courses in Curriculum and Pedagogic Studies include aspects of language across the curriculum and communication, understanding of a discipline, social history of a school subject and its pedagogical foundations, with a focus on the learner; and course on the theoretical perspectives on assessment for learning.
Curriculum and Pedagogic Studies courses offer a study of the nature of a particular discipline, critical understanding of the school curriculum; pedagogy as the integration of knowledge about the learner, the discipline and the social context of learning and research relating to different of aspects of young children’s learning. The design of the programme enables students to specialize in one disciplinary area, viz. Social Science, Science, Mathematics, Language and a subject an understanding of curriculum, linking school knowledge with community life. A variety of investigative projects are included to reconstruct concepts from subject knowledge through appropriate pedagogic processes and to communicate meaningfully with children.
2. Engagement with Field/ Practicum
The B.Ed programme is provided for sustained engagement with the self, the child, Community and School, at different levels and through establishing close connections between different curricular areas. This curricular area serves as an important link between the above two broad curricular areas through its three components:
a) Tasks and Assignments that run through all the courses,
b) School Internship,
c) Courses on Enhancing Professional Capacities.
The curricular areas of ‘Perspectives in Education’ and ‘Curriculum and Pedagogic Studies’ offer field engagement through different tasks and projects with the community, the school and child in school and out-of- school. These tasks and projects help in substantiating perspectives and theoretical frameworks studied in a teacher education classroom with field- based experiences. The tasks and projects include collaborative partnership with the school for developing CCE practices, establishing study circles or forum for professional development of in-service school teachers or dialoguing with the school management committee etc. Community-based Activities also include oral history projects with community of artisans as part of ‘Contemporary India and Education’ or ‘Pedagogy of Social Sciences’. Likewise, the pedagogy courses on science include environment-based projects to address concerns of a particular village or a community.
Several specialized courses are offered to enhance professional capacities of a student- teacher such as course on language and communication, drama and art, self development and ICT. A course on critical understanding of ICTs are offered as an important curricular resource, according primacy to the role of the teacher, ensuing public ownership of digital resources and promoting constructivist approaches that privilege anticipation and co-creation over mere access to ICTs. Courses that focus on the developing the professional and personal self of a teacher are designed to integrate theoretical and practical components, transacted through focused workshops with specific inputs on art, music and drama. These courses offer opportunities to study issues of identity, interpersonal relations, adult-child gaps, personal and social construct and schools as sites for struggle ant social change; understanding and practicing yoga education, developing social sensitivity and the capacity to listen and emphasize
3. School Internship.
School Internship is a part of the broad curricular area of ‘Engagement with the Field’ and are designed to lead to development of a broad repertoire of perspectives, professional capacities, teacher sensibilities and skills. The curriculum of B.Ed is provided for sustained engagement with learners and the school, thereby creating a synergy with school in the neighbourhood throughout the year. Student-teachers are equipped to cater diverse needs of the learners in schools.
Students are to be actively engaged in teaching for 16 weeks in the final year of the course. Internship in schools includes, besides practice teaching, an initial phase of one week for observing a regular classroom with a regular teacher and also includes peer observations, teacher observations and faculty observations of practice lessons.
Preparation of an academic calendar of the scholastic and non-scholastic activities of the B.Ed Programme for throughout the year is the primary work to implement the B.Ed programme. This academic calendar is synchronized with the academic calendar of schools with which internship programme is done.
Transaction of the Perspectives in Education and Curriculum and Pedagogic Studies courses are done using a multiple and variety of approaches such as case studies, problem solving, discussions on reflective journals in colloquia, observations of children in multiple socio- cultural environments.
Discourse on education by periodically organizing seminars, debates, lectures and discussion groups for students and faculty.
Organization of academic enrichment programmes including interactions with faculty from parent disciplines and encourage faculty members to participate in academic pursuits and pursue research, especially in schools. School teachers are also invited to for feed back to the student-teachers and for extension or guest lectures.
For School internship, with the participating schools a mutual agreed mechanism for monitoring, supervising the student-teacher is done.
The entire teaching learning process is executed in ICT based modern classrooms where modern educational technology and modern pedagogical methods and techniques are applied to make the student-teachers skilled with modern teaching qualities and equip them to face the socio-cultural, psychological, intellectual, emotional issues of the children.
Beyond the conventional classroom teaching learning activities, cultural activities, publication of wall magazines, excursion, social awareness programmes, awareness programmes for certain diseases, awareness programmes for voting rights, voluntary blood donation programmes etc are organized.
At least 20 to 30 percent marks are assigned for continuous internal assessment and 70 to 80 percent marks are for external examinations in Perspectives in Education. The weightage for internal and external assessment is prescribed by the affiliating University. Student-teachers must have to be internally assessed on the entire course of Engagement with the Field and not only on the Project/field works given to them as a part of their units of study. The basis of assessment and criteria used to be transparent for students to benefits maximally out of professional feedback. The bases of internal assessment may include individual or group assignments, observation records, student portfolio, diaries, journals etc.
