Abstract:

The role of school teachers in nation building is acknowledged through the output i.e. the students who pass out of the school to pursue either Higher Education or a vocation. The quality of the output determines the quality of the nation. The teachers’ role within and outside the school environment is important today due to the fast pace of change in societal values brought about due to the advancement in science and technology affecting all aspects of human life. The role of technology in the Educational process is threatening the traditional role of teacher as an authority on the subject and as an effective communicator of knowledge. This calls for overhauling the teacher education program.

The teacher education program has three subsystems: Input -> Process -> Output.

To obtain efficient and effective teachers, it is essential to strengthen the process of teacher education program. The input, the student- teachers are no more a homogeneous lot to be trained using limited, time-tested methodologies, in keeping with the policies of the Government influenced by enlightened, emancipated citizens, of the nation and the world. The input today is so varied with inclusive education being accepted. To cater to them is a challenge of the teacher education program.

The teacher educators, the ‘Input’, are selected on the basis of the theoretical knowledge they possess and less attention is paid to check whether the individual possesses the required skills for training the student teachers whose requirements today are different from those of yesteryears.

The student-teachers need to be trained for the infrastructural facilities to meet the needs of the future schools.

The policy makers and the curricular framers of the B Ed training program who form an important component need to rethink and reorganize the priorities set as per today’s requirement and reset the goals and mission of teacher education.

The ‘Process’ of teacher education program involving classroom interaction, simulated learning experiences given, learning of teaching skills, class-room interaction methods among teachers and students have now to be geared keeping the present and future requirements of the schools and the nation.

The ‘Product’ of the teacher education program envisages a change in the ‘output’, the student-teachers who are equipped to meet the present and the future challenges. The immediate output expected is his/her ability to use the constructivist approach to gain knowledge as per the requirement of the situation and apply appropriate strategies and solve the problems of the students in school and train them to be knowledgeable and resourceful individuals. The student-teacher is expected to develop a value system that is flexible enough to incorporate the changing values of society but sound enough to oppose the values detrimental to peace and well-being of individuals and society and inculcate them in school students and develop positive attitude to individual variations.

The delayed outcome of the teacher education program is a ‘good teacher’ whose definition need to be kept open and updated from time to time as per the needs of the society. The full paper addresses the above points and outlines a research project to be undertaken to develop an appropriate curriculum

The curriculum for the B Ed program that will emerge from the 3-year research will meet the needs of future.

Keywords:

Curriculum Development, Undergraduate Teacher Education.