Interna tional Jo urna l o f Applied Research 2019 ; 5 (1 0 ): 81 -84

ISSN Print: 2394-7500

ISSN Online: 2394-5869
Impact Factor: 5.2
Importance of teacher education
IJAR 2019; 5(10): 81-84
www.allresearchjournal.com
Received: 04-08-2019 Sharmila Sagar
Accepted: 06-09-2019
Abstract
Sharmila Sagar Education renders a significant contribution in leading to effective growth and development of the
Asstt. Prof. L.I.E.T, Shimla,
individuals and teachers have an important role to play in imparting education to the students. The
Himachal Pradesh, India
major significance of teacher education is focused upon the impartment of training to the teachers, with
the main purpose of achieving the desired academic outcomes. Teachers have an important role to play
in leading to effective growth and development of the students. Therefore, to perform their job duties
up to the required standard, it is vital for them to enhance their skills and abilities. The teachers have an
important role to play in not only achieving the desired goals and objectives of the educational
institutions, but also in promoting welfare of the community. Within the course of implementation of
their job duties, they are required to cope with many challenges. The main areas that have been taken
into account in this research paper are, concept of teacher education, its meaning and meaning.

Keywords: Teacher education, pre-service teacher education

Introduction
Teacher development is a process not an event. It means comprehensive growth and support.
From the time teachers begin any initial preparation and or teaching provision needs to be
made for ongoing development of knowledge to be made for ongoing development of
knowledge, of subject matter; concrete skills to teach, observe, assess and reflect; incentives;
and career growth. Teacher professionalism begins with instructional competence and
commitment and extends into a number of related issues dealing with the degree of decision
making autonomy and accountability. Therefore initial professionalism should focus on
helping teacher develop basic Instructional competencies. Schools with more faculty
influence over decision making had distinctly lower rates of turnover than these with less
staff influence over decision making.

Concept of Teacher Education

Teacher education is the professional preparation in pedagogy of those who want to enter the
profession of teaching. This may be traditional or closed type with objectivist orientation
which focuses on the product of learning and the progressive or open type with an orientation
of subjectivity of the pupils focusing on the process of learning.
The concept of the teacher as a benevolent despot who fills children’s minds with the values
and information considered important by adults, who shapes their “personality” through the
impact of his own personality in the background in order to help the pupils to be self
directing individuals. He prepares them for going through a series of educative experiences
and assists in investing their usual childhood experience with educational meaning.
‘Schooling’ therefore is a ‘process of education’. It is a “continuum of guided experiences”
for guiding the pupil through the process of discovering, analyzing and synthesizing
educative experiences, the teacher’s professional equipment has to be of a high order
extending much beyond the technical skills of teaching a subject in a classroom.
Education enriches a society. Teacher education enriches it more in the sense that the
qualitative improvement of society depends primarily on qualitative teacher and teaching. All
social developments are linked with the educational system of a society. Education has
multiple goals depending upon the direction of development.
Correspondence
“Teacher Education” implies the application to the “Student Teacher”, of the same “process
Sharmila Sagar
Asstt. Prof. L.I.E.T, Shimla, of education”, as he would be applying to his pupils later on. He is no longer a ‘trainee’,
Himachal Pradesh, India expected to go through a constantly revolving mill of practice lessons but a self-directing,
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investigating, professionally motivated, alert ‘student service teacher education is yet to take roots. These
teacher’ with as much right to develop his individuality, as programmes are intended to support and enhance teacher
his future pupils. He, therefore, goes through all the learning instill in them a greater degree of self confidence.
experiences essential to conduct “the process of education” The beginning teachers in this case learn from their practice
for his pupils. He is thus, prepared for his profession not in a and from the culture and norms of the unique school settings
“training college” but in a College of education. The where in they have been placed and interact with these
American Commission on Teacher-Education rightly cultures.
observes. “The quality of a nation depends upon the quality It is important for teacher educators to learn the
of its citizens. The quality of its citizens depends not methodology of how to get in touch with the core qualities
exclusively, but in critical measure upon the quality of their of a good teacher and how they can stimulate these qualities
education depends more than upon any single factor upon in student teachers. This will lead to a deeper involvement
the quality of their teacher”. in the learning process of teacher educators as well as
The UNESCO commission’s report has rightly observed in a student teachers. The inclusion of appropriate content
very comprehensive manner (1996). knowledge about essential qualities of a good teacher in
“The importance of the role of the teacher as an agent of relevant theory papers and practice of effective domain
change promoting understanding and tolerance has never related traits in school situation for a longer duration could
been more obvious than to day. It is likely to become more help promote these traits in student teachers. The teacher
critical in the twenty first century improving the education programme needs to allow the space where in a
recruitment, training social status and conditions of work of teacher’s personality could be developed as someone who is
teachers, they need the appropriate knowledge skills, reflective, introspective and capable of analyzing his or her
personal characteristics professional prospectus and own life and the process of education at school so that after
motivation if they are to meet the expectations placed upon becoming a teacher, he becomes an agent of change.
them”. In contrast, in-service teacher education provides learning
Teacher education is said to be very significant investment opportunities for practicing teachers. Both type of teacher
for bringing qualitative improvement in education. education programmes. It is organized at various level.

Meaning & Definition of Teacher Education Importance of Teacher Education

Teacher has to perform multiple activities like teaching,
B.O. Smith (1969) provides a meaning of teacher education. evaluating, communicating, guiding and counseling the
“One of the chief differences between a teacher who is students, organizing co-curricular activities, participate in
theoretically trained and one who is not, is that the community programs, diagnose and remedy students
theoretically trained teacher will perform with a se of problems etc., together with activities which are intrinsic to
sophisticated concepts taken from the underlying disciplines teaching and learning. This needs perfection in academic
of pedagogy as well as from the pedagogical field itself. The and professional preparation of teacher and teacher
teacher who is not theoretically trained will interpret events educators.
and objects in terms of commonsense concepts that have
come from experience of the race permeated with outmoded Teacher education is important
ideas about human behavior.  To educate teachers in organizing learning resources.
In the words of H.G. Wells “Teachers is the maker of So that they can identify an design how to use a variety
history”. The history of a nation is written in its schools and of appropriate teaching learning resources from the
the schools cannot be very different from the quality of their environment, community, media, audio visuals aids and
teacher. self learning materials.
A professionally trained teacher expected to identify the  To qualify them to conduct effective interaction during
strengths and weaknesses of secondary education in India classroom teaching to promote individual and group
and after having gained in sight into the status, problems learning.
and issues concerning education at this stage, developmental  It is important to evaluate the outcomes of learning by
make up for evaluating the system and utilizing the same or planning and conducting an continuous comprehensive
promoting excellence in education. evaluation of teaching learning process through
appropriate tools and techniques.
Types of Teacher Education  To make them sufficient to implement compensatory
Preservice and Inservice Teacher education education programs for the disadvantaged learner by
Pre-service teacher education is the education and training organizing and participating in remedial instruction,
provided to student teachers before they have undertaken tutorials, special coaching etc.
any teaching.  To make them competent to cater to the special needs
Pre-service education of teacher means, education of of disabled and gifted children.
teachers before they enter into service as teacher. During  To make them adequate to guide students in solving
this period of teacher education programmes, teaching their learning, occupational and personal problems and
practice goes side by side, while they are getting knowledge also participate in other student support activities.
about theory papers.
 To make them sufficient to promote environmental
A good deal of improvement in the teacher education
consciousness, secular outlook, scientific temper, and
programme is needed. Pre-service education is carried on
cultural pursuits in the students and in the community.
for preparing different types of teachers. Pre-service teacher
 To prepare them to participate in and contribute to
preparation is a collection of unrelated courses and field
parallel and complimentary educational service systems
experience. Research based curriculum development of pre-
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like not-formal education, adult literacy, workers graduates take one year course of professional training at the
education etc. University Departments of Education. The whole period of
 To endow them the quality of organize and participate preparation of teachers has three consecutive stages: a)
in programs of community service and development. Personal education (b) pre-service training (c) in-service
 To accomplish them for effective curriculum teaching education.
strategies like developing lesson plans instructional Education of teachers is a continuous process. There is a
limits, sequences etc., through discovery, problem accreditation of institutions of teacher education by
solving, projects discussions, dialogue, inquiry. professional organizations is recognized as desirable for the
 To qualify them to conduct effective interaction during improvement of program of teacher education and the
classroom teaching to promote individual and group teaching professional organization and govt. is strengthened.
learning. The federal government in collaboration with state
government and the teachers colleges is seeking to make
Teacher education programs are important for professional teacher education programs more effective and useful. The
preparation of teachers and so they should provide for a teachers are also prepared to teach the handicapped children.
comprehensive coverage for professional knowledge, values Team teaching techniques have been improved and is now
and skills have a string functional orientation. Teacher increasingly adopted to make the most effective use of
education being an integral part of the educational system is teachers. Teachers are employed on contract basis for one to
closely connected with the improvement of education in three years. Teachers also take up other job during the
general preparing suitable teachers. vocations. The professional organization like NEA
In many advanced countries of the world teaches. Training (National Education Association) and SEA also carry on
at the higher education stage has assumed significance and program for the improvement of teachers.
taken a systematic shape as regards infrastructure, courses In Japan and England there existed two separate training
of study, duration and so on. The Royal Commission for institutions for elementary and secondary teachers which
University Teaching and United Kingdom emphasized the differed from each other at many points. In Japan strict
need for providing opportunities for faculty development. government control extended cover the whole training at
The courses tend to be of general nature and shorter in normal schools. The normal schools or training colleges for
duration. There are specific courses for new teachers who elementary teachers recruited their students mostly from the
are trained in presentation, discussions, laboratory and lower classes while the universities tended to recruit their
techniques simulation exercises, computerized instruction students from among the middle or upper classes. The social
etc. In some institutions there are also provisions for in- background of the students, combined with the level of
service training for teachers with experiences in advanced or education and governmental control and also such factors as
specialized knowledge and skills. salaries and teaching conditions, the administrative control
The education of teachers not only facilities improvement of and the social composition of the students determined the
school education by preparing professionally competent social esteem of the professions in which they eventually be
teachers, but also functions as a bridge between schooling engaged. When teacher education is traced back to ancient
and higher education. The aim of teacher-education thus is period it is found that in ancient lives teacher war not only
to create conditions of learning than can facilitate the well versed in temporal knowledge but was also deep in
development of sensitive teachers. Teacher education is a spiritual knowledge with high personal qualities of
continuous process. Its pre-service and in-service character. The Vedic knowledge was the centre of the
components are complementary to each other. The teacher is curriculum and verbal communication was the mark of
required to acquire adequate knowledge, skills, interests and teaching learning strategy. Brahmins monopolized teaching
attitudes towards teaching profession. profession and carried out the roles of teacher as well as
Teacher play an active role in the design of learning priest. But they were expected to improve their teaching
materials, organize, meaningful learning experiences for expectancies through self control meditation and more
children. It is important to consider the pre-service involved in ginning knowledge and original thinking. They
preparation of teachers as initial training, requiring further were known as Guru Acharya etc. who initiated pupils to
honing of professional skills through a longer term learn Vedas and other higher and mystical learning. Thus a
placement in schools. Pre-service teacher education teacher enjoyed a special status and was held in high esteem
programs produce better teachers by “catching them young” by the society due to his scholarship, qualities of character
and nurturing them for longer duration. Long duration and spirituality. The selection of the teacher was done
training provides space for learning internalization, rigorously and he was expected to be complete in
conceptualization and experiments. Quality pre-service knowledge.
program has demonstrative value in the context In Buddhist period there was a major change in educational
deteriorating teacher education scenario. system which was known as monastic system. A work had
Teacher education is an essential input and is of great to learn under two teachers to qualify for the status of
significance and relevance. Acharya.
In Britain the teachers enjoys the freedom in respect of In medieval period the teacher was a hard task master
curriculum, syllabus and the methods of teaching. There are students worked under strict discipline. The elementary
some independent schools which are known as public education was provided in ‘maktabs’ while higher education
schools which are usually residential schools. Universities imparted in Madarsahs. Teachers were respected and
are also autonomous bodies. The courses are of two types- devoted to the profession.
ordinary and advanced. The teachers are trained in two ways Education is in the concurrent list as per the constitutional
majority of them join teachers colleges for 2 years course in amendment of 1976. Accordingly though teacher education
general education and professional training. University In India is the responsibility of the state/UT government,
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central government has the responsibility to maintain quality primary to higher secondary and to look after programs of
and standards, including those of teaching profession at all consolidation and qualitative improvement.
levels and to promote excellence in teacher education. Pre-service training of teachers was undertaken on quite an
Hardly any formal teachers training program was in vogue extensive scale during the fourth plan period.
in the country till the first decade of the 19th century. Any There has been today tremendous increase in the number of
government measure in this regard was a far cry. Under the institutions imparting to education and thus is great increase
direct guidance and supervision of the master, the monitors in the intake capacity of teacher education.
who were the selected and more capable scholars got a Himachal Pradesh has allocated 18.2% of its expenditure on
chance to learn class control, class management, school education in 2019-20. This is higher than the average
organization and teaching. expenditure allocated to education by 26 other states
Quite recently, the committee on plan projects, appointed by (15.9%) (Using 2018-19 BE).
the government of India, New Delhi May 1964 noted “that So, It is rightly said:
teacher’s task today is to educate children for their physical,
mental, emotional, mortal and spiritual growth and this task The most admired teacher
is to be handled big persons who are familiar with the Would be caring kind and
methods of teaching and certain special skills for the Smart she’d always have her students.
purpose as well as knowledge of psychology of the Best interest in her heart
children.” She’d help us love to learn
India has made considerable progress in teacher education. The lessons would be clear.
In India today we have teacher education institutions of all She’d motivate with praise,
levels and categories run by all manner of agencies. They And always be sincere
also reflect the quality and variety which characterizes any She’d be upbeat and supportive and a grate
other profession. In India teacher education institutions have Role model too.
multiplied. She’d be the perfect teacher.
There is simultaneously the setting up of national council She’d be just like you!
for teacher education. The professional preparation of Conclusion
teachers has been recognized very important. The NCTE Quality of a nation depends upon the quality of citizen. The
established as a statutory council by an act of parliament in quality of citizen depends upon quality of education and
1993 is committed to initiate suitable measures to make quality of education depends more upon quality of their
teacher education responsive to various levels of teacher. Teacher education is a significant investment.
development and change. India has one of the largest Trained teachers differ significantly from untrained teachers
systems of teacher education in the world. Besides the in respect of their cooperative attitude moral character.
university departments and their affiliated colleges, Education enriches a society. Teachers education enriches it
governments and government aided institutions, private and more in the sense that the qualitative improvement of
self financing institutions and open universities are engaged society depends primarily on qualitative teacher and
in teacher education. teaching. Teacher education implies the application to the
NCERT too has played an important role in the field of student teacher of the same process of education as he
teacher-education. Under NCERT regional colleges of would apply to his pupils later on.
education were set up in 1963-64 and the department of
teacher education at NIE (1964-65) worked for the References
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