INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

Of

ALL INDIA ASSOCIATION FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
on
IMPROVING RURAL EDUCATION
on
10-12 OCTOBER 2005
at
ANGEL MATRICULATION HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL,
THIRUNINRAVUR, NEAR CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU

ABSTRACTS OF THE PAPERS

 

A Study of Perception of Rural and Urban Students towards Science-Implications for Teachers

 

Sabita P. Patnaik , Regional Institute of Education, Bhubaneswar 751 022

 

Science has occupied an important place in Secondary Curricula. One of the purposes of teaching Science in schools is to familiarize the learners with various dimensions of scientific literacy and develop capability to understand values and utility of science. Keeping this in mind, in the present study an attempt is made to explore the perception of rural and urban students and find out gender differences between them or perception related to benefits of science and reason for liking or disliking the subject. The finding shows remarkable difference between rural and urban and urban students with respect to their perception regarding benefits of science. Even strong difference in their perception is found. The findings suggest the teachers to take a note of that difference and plan their teaching of Science differently in rural and urban schools.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Training of Science Teachers at Primary Stage in Rural Areas

 

Saikumari,K, Lecturer,  N.K.T. National College of Education for Women, Triplicane, Chennai

 

It is true that any teacher can learn and pass on a certain extent amount of information about science, but he will not be able to give the right outlook or the mind training, which are part of science teaching, unless he himself has the right attitude of mind. In Teacher Training Colleges, the student teachers are given training for teaching science in general, but some teachers who are already qualified and working in rural areas may wish to equip them better for this work. They need special training in teaching science as they have a special responsibility for keeping in touch with village life. A science teacher teaching at primary stage should understand his pupil’s background. He shares the life of the community and so can draw illustrations for lessons from familiar objects and events. This paper entitled’ Training of science teachers at primary stage in rural areas” deals with their initial training that involves activity based learning, which can be used for teaching science to primary children especially from rural areas.

__________________________________________________

 

Video Intervention as a Tool for Creating Environmental Responsibility among Rural Youth

 

Sandhya Gihar, Lecturer;  Bani Dey, Director & Manoj Kumar Saxena, Lecturer  Advance Institute of Management, Ghaziabad

 

Today the nation is facing various environmental problems. People are affected by various diseases. Uncertain changes in weather are seen every year. All the seasons have extended their time limits. Increased temperature is adversely effected organism. Poles are melting at a high rate by which sea level is going on. Tsunami and heavy rainfalls in Mumbai are also a warning for us by the nature. All these problems created drastic conditions for human beings to survive on the earth. The environment is degraded to such an extent that it has become lethal to all organisms, including men. What is the solution of these problems? How will we solve these problems? The simple answer to this question is if we feel the responsibility towards environmental protection, we can save our environment. Government & NGOs has taken a number of actions for environment impact assessment, prevention and control of pollution, for protection of wild life and for cleaning up major rivers and so on. But the actions taken by Government, NGOs and public sector have been slow and hesitant. So it is necessary that attempt should be made to modify the behaviour of youth. Youth are the main power of any nation. If they fail in their responsibility towards environmental protection, automatically it will transmit among masses. This task can be accomplished if we use video intervention. As we know that the films are the best medium to create responsibility among youths. So video films as an intervention were used by the investigators to create environmental responsibility among rural youth. The present investigation was made to know the effect of video intervention on the environmental responsibilities of rural youth. To draw the sample, purposive random sampling technique was used. Data was collected with the help of Environmental Responsibility Assessment Inventory and a package of 12 video films on different aspects of environment. The results of the investigations show that video intervention has worked as a tool for creating environmental responsibility among rural youth.

__________________________________________________

 

An approach to enhance tribal teachers’ development of Gujarat

 

Sanjay S. Patel, Lecturer, Smt SKBMahila  PTC, Vapi, Dt. Valsad - 396 191

 

 

Perceptions of Teachers towards Professional Aspects

 

Sarma,M.S.R, Sr. Lecturer, DIET, Bheemunipatnam, Dt. Visakhapatnam

 

The schools which are well run and the quality of learning is high such schools can be considered as effective and progressive and the teachers who are working in those schools can be considered as effective teachers.  The schools where staff members feel more committed for their professional improvement and work continuously and actively for the development of the school such schools can be considered as progressive schools.  In the schools where teacher contributions are very high and rich, where teachers have proper planning on the school and class components where teachers can adopt suitable and appropriate teaching methods and evaluative methods and where the results are so encouraging such schools can be considered as effective and progressive.  NPE (1986) emphasized that; there is an obvious shift of emphasis now from teaching to learning to learning as the child has to be placed in a focal position.  Now the teacher moves away from his focal position to assume the role of a facilitator rather than being a dominant figure in the teaching-learning process.  The consideration of effective role of the teacher involves considering what an effective school is.  In an effective school no doubt children make greater progress, greater progress leads to greater capability.  In this way effective school can change the pupil progress.  The use of an appropriate or particular instructional strategy may increase the effectiveness of teaching. In the field of primary education different measures have been taken to raise the standards qualitatively.  Learning is a process by which the knowledge, concepts, skills and attitudes are to be acquired and understood applied and used, or advanced and extended.  When the curriculum is divided and planned for teaching, the teacher must be in a position-what knowledge is going to be transacted, what concepts are going to be achieved by the students, what skills the students can gain, and what attitudinal or behavioural change the teacher is expecting.  With this planning and estimates the rate of level of learning.  The n the teacher has to take up any remedial measure for the benefit of students who requires help.  It is observed that the outcomes are not so expected, because of so many reasons even the program inputs are many.

__________________________________________________

 

Improving Education for Rural Disabled through Intervention for Social Integration

 

Seetharam,R, Reader & Principal Investigator, UGC Major Research Project, Department of Education, University of Madras, Chennai

 

Under the Project Sarva Shiksha Sbhiyan(SSA) nation wide efforts are gaining momentum with a singular objective of education for all.  This gives a new hope to the marginalized and secluded sections of the society like disabled children.  Measures have been augmented in identifying, enrolling, and giving education to the mild and moderate disabled children in the pre-primary, primary and upper primary level. Recent statistics on the enrolment of the disabled indicates that in the year 2005, nearly 85000children have been identified and enrolled by the functionaries of SSA in the schools of Tamil Nadu.  While the enrolment of the disabled is planned well and the disabled children are brought under the inclusive education in the mainstream classrooms, the social isolation experienced by the disabled students is of great concern for the holistic development of the disabled students.  Poor self-concept, low-self-esteem, inferiority complex and maladaptive socialization bring down their motivation to learn and create in them a tendency to become potential drop-outs.  Psycho-educational interventions like social skills training, assertive training, Self-esteem building, peer tutoring, cooperative learning techniques, group counselling and behaviour modification strategies are proposed to improve self-concept, social relationships, peer-interaction and self esteem of the disabled students in the rural India.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Upliftment of Rural Students by the Teachers

 

Sekar., D, N. Rajeswari, M. Sivaraman &P. Lalitha, Venkateswara College of Education,108 A, Maraimalai Adigal Salai, Pondicherry- 605 001

 

Professional development to teachers is a major component for improving the quality of teacher education for the upliftment of the rural downtrodden students and includes in the analysis of topic related to school students and teachers.  This paper presents initiatives towards professional development of teachers besides addressing the question of what is professional development and why it has to be continuous while suggesting strategies of professional development and also the needs idea of planning for effective teachers for the rural students’ development.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Education and Training for Rural Women

 

Shameem,S, Lecturer, DIET, LWC Campus, Triplicane, Chennai – 600 005

 

Indian has a predominantly agriculture base and 70 percent of our people live in villages. With the introduction of new inventions and innovations in education and a change visible even in the thinking pattern, it is clear that we need corresponding changes in the villages too. Educational preceded development in all developed countries. Education imparts specific knowledge and develops general reasoning skills (cognitive effect) and also induces changes in beliefs and values and in attitudes towards work and society (non-cognitive effects). The three aspects of gender empowerment – health and education of women, eradication of gender barriers in employment and full participation of women in democracy must be given maximum attention, which could help bring about transformation of many millions of women of India in the mainstream of national development. This paper focuses on some of the barriers to rural women education like high level of poverty, Negative parental attitudes, Inadequate School Facilities,  Less Number of Female Teachers, Gender Bias in Curriculum, Population explosion, Lack of facilities, Dull teaching methods, Less encouragement to girls from rural areas and it suggests suitable measures to enrolment and retention.

_____________________________________________________________________

ICT for Rural Education

Shantha,J, Research scholar

 

Education is the social heredity of mankind, But, today poverty, provincialism, nepotism, discrimination, unemployment and communal prejudices are raising their ugly heads every now & then. Information communication technologies can enhance children’s access to education and value to pedagogical methods. Lakhs of school across the country are single teacher establishments and teachers who are untrained in pedagogical methods or using technology to enhance the content delivery in the class. A group of academicians who sat for a brain storming session felt there is an answer. The brain storming session looked at ways to use Information Communication technology for improving children’s access to education and adding value to Pedagogical use of ICTS to improve content gradually at secondary education also ICT was used. Hence an official policy for Computer networking of all schools to multiply CT’s benefits came into existence. Today the use of internet and E-mail creating an e-mail account, accessing and retrieving information from the World Wide Web has become essential. The world of education is undergoing rapid change. One may say it is the trust of technologies and for others it is the impact of globalization which has brought the picture of commoditization of education.

_____________________________________________________________________

Development of Social Competencies for Better Performance of Student Teachers in Rural Area

 

 

Professional Development of Rural Teachers

 

Shrivastava,S.P,   Reader, Institute of Advanced Studies in Education, Gandhi Vidya Mandir, Sardarshahr 331401, Rajasthan & Manisha Shrivastava,  Lecturer, Modern Women’s Teachers Training College, Churu, Rajasthan

 

Policymakers and educators see professional development as a way to improve the quality of instruction in classrooms across the nation, but the empirical literature linking professional development to improved student achievement is extremely thin. Quite a number of studies report that teachers believe professional development improves their teaching (Sandercock, 1996; Nadolny, 1999). There are three proposed principles of organizational learning, Learning must be situated, Learning requires open and sustained dialog among members of the organization, and Learning depends upon the propensity to reflect on data about organizational performance. Several approaches to professional development draw on these principles Some authors have advocated sustained programs of school-level professional development under the aegis of "the professional learning community" (Boyd & Hord, 1994; Hord, 1997; Hord, 1998; WaId & Castleberry, 2000). Typically, the focus of professional learning communities is on teaching practice, so these efforts feature reflective inquiry in a variety of ways. Somewhat more narrowly defined than programs of data-based improvement or those cultivating professional learning communities are strategies that involve teachers in systematic examination of their instructional practice. Teachers are required to renew their licenses through the completion of graduate course work (Council of Chief State School Officers, 2000). Course work for undergraduates (often called "pre-service education") is one place where teachers' knowledge of subject matter might be conveniently strengthened. This turn is necessary because no solid empirical work on effective rural professional development exists. Rural schools and districts tend to be smaller than urban or suburban districts. In smaller schools and districts, teachers are drawn primarily from the local population; such teachers often have strong attachments to their communities. The development of rural-responsive professional development requires additional funding, but it remains a largely unaddressed challenge (Theobald, 1997; Smith, 2002; Gruenewald, 2003; Sobel, 2004). First, educators tend to experience professional isolation in rural schools because teaching specialties do not enjoy critical mass in any but the largest of these schools (Erlandson, 1994). A lone high school math teacher may constitute the entire mathematics faculty in some rural places, for instance. Rural places, in general, operate in less formal modes than other places. Instead of denying the conventional practices that sustain life in rural communities, or overlooking them, rural-responsive professional development ought to engage them.  Because of the salience of context to learning ("situated learning"), the cultural meanings that pervade everyday life in rural places have relevance for the development of rural teachers. Some have argued that the strongest need for professional development anywhere is for high-quality programs. Many rural districts, moreover, offer conditions that enable educators to draw on "situated" meanings and to engage in ongoing professional dialog.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Professional Development of Rural Teachers

 

Sivaraman, M.,  P. Lalitha,  D. Sekar  and N. Rajeswari ,Venkateswara College of Education,108-A, Maraimalai Adigal Salai, Pondicherry – 605 001

 

This paper seeks the relationship between rural students and urban students in concept of teacher’s achievement of their performance at two different stage (i. e.) middle and elementary level, behavioural maturity of students of government and private schools, hostellers and day scholars, non-working mothers and the academic achievement on self concepts.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Education for All and Overcoming the Urban-Rural Gap in Education through ICT

 

Soosairaj,J, PGT, Findlay Higher Secondary School, Mannargudi-614001

 

The advantages of  ICT are: lower cost, timesaving, quick response, flexibility, greater competitiveness and effectiveness. ICT offer solutions in terms of access, quality and diversified opportunities of education even at the remotest parts of the country. Web based instruction, Virtual learning, Online learning, E-learning, has become popular amongst educationists because of its inherent strengths and advantages it provides to the teaching learning process. Some of these are access to educational resources from outside the institution on a global and instant basis, quick and easy way to create update and revise course materials through low-cost or open source software, increased and flexible interaction with student through e-mail and discussion forums, location and time independent delivery of course materials such as notes and diagrams, ability to combine text graphics and a limited amount of multimedia enabling instructional designers to prepare quality learning materials, interactive and dynamic learning experience through online assessment tools simulations and animated learning objects, platform independent delivery accessible through any computer with a simple browser interface, increased learner control through hypertext based presentation of information, opportunities for international cross-cultural and collaborative learning and ability to serve a large number of students at a potentially reduced cost. Multimedia is a combination of text, sound, animation, graphics and video. In the project based teaching-learning the students acquire new skills of planning, designing, preparing and using Multimedia presentations. Multimedia presentations include creating web page, developing multiple choice items for evaluation, developing navigation facility and  making multimedia interactive CD-ROM. Multimedia instructional network system allows and encourage two way communication before, during and after class. Web Quest is an Inquiry oriented activity for which most of the information is collected from web. Web Quest are designed to help learners use information rather than spending time in collecting information and hence important related web resources are suggested in the lesson. Telecomputing projects are internet-rich learning activities that often involve students in one location collaborating with students or adults in one or more locations. Satellite based ICT enabled education provides an effective response to the challenge of quantity and quality offering a wide range of delivery modes like one way TV broadcast, Interactive TV, video conferencing, web based instruction. India has developed educational broadcast channels that have made an enormous contribution towards improving rural education. The e-resources available for improving rural education are internet browsing, searching the web, electronic mail, internet relay chat, e-library, net conferencing, UseNet news groups, mailing lists, video conferencing, online tutorials, online discussions, online assignments, internet reading room, online books, electronic pen pals, net phone, radio on net, television on net, 3d on net, dictionary search, listservs, and websites.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Strategies for Multi-Grade System for Rural Schools

 

Subramanian,A  & V. Usha Rani ,Lecturers, DIET, Krishnagiri – 635 001

 

Children in primary schools in rural areas are achieving at a far lower level than the expected levels.  The low achievement is attributed to unsatisfactory work of the Teachers.  The reasons behind the alleged lack of motivation and incompetence of the teachers are not made available to take corrective steps.  The new teachers in rural schools would have developed a negative attitude towards teaching-learning contents in rural schools and their thinking that unless such and such things are not provided or changed.  The policy change from textbook to competence provides a greater flexibility in restructuring learning groups and arranges a transactional curriculum for multi-grade schools.  The new curricular framework leads to the preparation of learning resource like activities, reading materials, worksheets and supplementary materials.  This paper is written to draw the attention of the concerned to the quality of schooling in rural areas.  The main message is that the multi-grade schools are real teaching learning contexts and they are not a temporary phenomenon.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Strategies for Enhancing Rural Teachers’ Development

 

Sujatha,K Teacher, The Hindu Sr. Secondary School, # 1, Second Main Road, Indira Nagar, Chennai 600 020

 

India lives in villages and we should provide education facilities for all villagers.  According to the 2001 Census, 65 per cent of Indians are literate and almost every child has now access to a school. Around 95 per cent of our rural populations are having a primary school within one kilometre of their habitation. This is a significant achievement. But the big questions are: does the socio-economic condition of children allow them to go to those schools? How many drop out within a year or two? And what is the quality of education available at these schools?  Quality of education is mostly teacher dependent. This premise calls for appointment of sufficient number of teachers in rural areas and concentration on their development. To restrict migration of teachers from rural to urban areas incentives must be offered by the government if rural teachers put-up a minimum period of 3 years service in their place of posting. There are many schools in rural areas that lack basic amenities like toilets, separate activity rooms, storerooms, drinking water rooms, auditorium, mid-day meal kitchen etc.  Can this be further extended to the small towns in the rural areas? Identifying the primary needs of teachers in remote areas is crucial in planning appropriate staff development Programme An effective staff development Programme will incorporate a variety of alternative resources (including the community, non-professional staff, business and industry, and shared teaching efforts).Rural teachers are to be exposed to Total Quality Management (TQM) programme like urban teachers. Refresher courses and workshops introduce teachers to new materials and develop specialized skills. In India, most of the rural teachers are utilized for non-teaching purpose for example: Census Department, Ration card enrolment, Election Commission, Family Planning, Vaccination programs etc. This should be curtailed as it diverts the little time available for teaching to a purpose totally unrelated to the role of the teacher. Teachers those who are handling extracurricular activities must be paid (incentives) for their work. (eg.) Handling Scouts & guides, NCC, NSS, Rotary Interact Clubs, Red Cross Etc., Just like children, teachers are also thinking creative individuals who must be encouraged to be innovative, through the reforms that are  carried out at the National level.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Nandigram : A Case Study  - A Helping Hand for EFA in Rural Area of South Gujarat

 

Sukeshprabha P. Sharma, SVSB Education College, Mahesana & Mr. Pankaj M. Desai, RKD College of Education, Vapi

 

Today new breed of learners have emerged who avail not only the conventional mode of learning but also the new behavioral models or advanced tools and gadgets. This has brought a learning society in which learners are moving with uneven speed, where developing countries are far behind the developed ones. Children and adults of the disadvantaged and vulnerable group of society form the darker side of the coin. As an effect of  Dakar world Education Forum (2005) the developing countries in general and India in particular made efforts to attain literacy targets. This key concern with over emphasis has resulted in exclusion of particularly disadvantaged groups, the remote area dwellers. The government has started focusing on these groups-people residing in areas having geographic and demographic peculiarities giving rise to unique problems in the organization and management of the educational system. Several constraints are faced in the achievement of the two goals-equity and efficiency. The task becomes more difficult because of the inequalities of the area as well as the virtual neglect for a very long time. The main objective of this presentation is to understand the role of NGO’s in the pacing of rural area education process as well as to see how the contribution of a particular NGO (Nandigram) has been received by the beneficiaries. Nandigram is a non-governmental organization in a small village of South Gujarat working since 1987 in the district of Valsad . It focuses its activities in the direction of education, health, agriculture, spiritual enhancement, environment, relief to the poor and rural development.

__________________________________________________

 

Problems of Rural Primary Education

 

Sunil V. Kanjariya,   Teacher, Aksharpurusottam Swaminarayan Gurukul-Gondal, Rajkot,  Sandeep S. Boricha,   Teacher, G.T.Sheth High School, Kalavad Road, Rajkot &  Subhash M.   Gameti, Lecturer, Umiyaji Parivar Trust B.Ed.College, Dhrol, Jamnagar

Audio-Visual Education in Rural Schools

 

Suresh Prabu, P, Lecturer, R.R. Teacher Training Institute, Tiruchengode -

637 209

 

There has been a great deal written about audio-visual programmes in rural school systems.  It is common knowledge that rural schools have not kept up with recent advances in audio-visual education.  Adequate equipment, materials, and services have not been provided.  The rural school has been to adapt what has been available and to make it fit his needs wherever possible. If the rural school is to gain the maximum benefits from the use of these enrichment materials, it is necessary to establish a basic plan, which will be applicable to conditions in rural areas. Fundamental objectives of the rural audio-visual programmes are : Development among teachers of ability and willingness to make effective use of audio-visual materials; Provision of an adequate supply of readily available audio-visual materials, which have been chosen to enable teachers to develop and interpret the subject matter of the curriculum in the clearest possible manner; Provision of a guide to available audio-visual materials, service, and equipment so that each teacher can locate immediately material which can be used in teaching; Provision and equipment and building facilities to enable teachers to make convenient and effective use of available audio-visual materials and Provision of consultant service on curricular selection, utilization in terms of acceptable instructional practices, and evaluation of audio-visual materials. Adequate Objectives of the Rural Audio-Visual Programmes may be: Teachers must be trained in the use of audio-visual materials.  This training includes the operation of different types of equipment as well as the selection and presentation of materials for most effective use and The classroom teacher must have an open mind to the use of auditory and visual aids to learning and must be willing to utilize such teaching materials in the effort to make the pupils learning experiences more concrete and lasting.

_____________________________________________________________________

Professional Development for Teachers in Rural Area

 

Susai Mary,K.A, Headmistress, I.H.M. GHSS, Avadi, Chennai-600 054

 

Teachers are professionals responsible for their own professional development and for the maintenance of the teaching profession.  Becoming an effective teacher is a continuous process that stretches from pre service experiences in undergraduate years to the end of a professional career.  Teachers must have opportunities to develop understanding of how students with diverse interests, abilities, and experiences make sense of ideas and what a teacher does to support and guide all students.  And teachers require the opportunity to study and engage in research teaching and learning, and to share with colleagues what they have learned.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

 

Human Rights Issues Associated With the Out-Of-School Children in Tribal Areas – A Case Study

 

Swarnaparava Sahoo, Lecturer, Dept. of Education, SJ College of Education and Technology, Naharakanta

 

Education of girls in tribal areas is not encouraged or supported by the parents or community members despite the interest of the child to attend school. Poverty is the key factor which results denial of human rights in other aspects of life. Gender discrimination persists in favour boys but does affect the girls very much. It is in mild form. Children as well as parents lack adequate health awareness. Predominance of traditional practices coupled with poverty and lack of awareness often results serious health hazards. Social environment can be characterized as conducive. Community life is guided by the values of fellow feeling, mutual help and cooperation, sympathy and brotherhood. The girls and women in tribal community are free from all types of exploitation. Women and girls are respected and do not feel helpless. Many tribal habitations are not provided with primary schools as they do not fulfil population criteria fixed by the govt. for establishing schools. Therefore, many tribal children are denied access to primary education. Tribals prefer early marriage of their wards. The girls are considered fit to marry as soon as they attain puberty. This is often responsible for denial of right to education and good health. Tribal children are not provided with adequate quality and quantity of food due to poverty of parents. Mid-day meal, therefore, attracts them to attend school. Various poverty alleviation programmes of the government are not implemented evenly. It leads to denial of the right of the child to live in a good family environment. 

_____________________________________________________________________