A research paper on improving the effectiveness of online Teacher Professional Development programmes based on a study of Eklavya Model Residential School teachers in 10 states of India
As a part of the evaluation study conducted by Tata Trusts, Mrinal Patwardhan, Educational Research Consultant, and Bobby Abrol, Senior Programme Manager (Teacher Professional Development), Tata Trusts, presented a research paper on how to improve the effectiveness of Teacher Professional Development (TPD) Programmes. The paper titled ‘Towards Achieving the Aims of NEP 2020: Enablers for Effective Learning in an Online Teacher Professional Development Program on Experiential Learning Pedagogy’ was published in Voices of Teachers and Teacher Educators (Vol XII, Issue II, December 2023) brought out by National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
This research article presents the findings from a year-long evaluation research study conducted for the online certificate course on 'Experiential Learning for 21st Century' for Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) teachers across 10 states of India designed to advance the aims of NEP 2020. The course design was built upon four cornerstones — Course content presenting pedagogy-in-action, Active and Collaborative Learning opportunities for teachers during the course, Technology Integration for seamless course delivery, and Practice-based reflection and feedback.
The study used a mixed research method, and data was collected through interviews with stakeholders, survey forms, focus group discussions, class observations, school visits, reflection reports, and lesson plan qualitative evaluation. The findings revealed that the design of a TPD Programme needs to align with the nature of the teachers' knowledge and how teachers learn. The apt design of the course enabled teachers to adapt different strategies to engage their students in the newly learned pedagogy. During the course, the teachers created immersive learning experiences for students to promote their active engagement, critical thinking, and the application of knowledge in real-world contexts. The research study further identified the features that worked as enablers to positively influence teachers' learning of a new pedagogy during the course.
The paper concludes thus: The Multi-stakeholder Teacher Professional Development initiative to train EMRSs teachers to adopt the Experiential Learning Pedagogy in EMRSs has been a unique experience. Experiential learning pedagogy has all the more significance for EMRSs and tribal children. Despite being first-generation learners, tribal children are full of creativity and inherently learn through their surroundings, context, and real-life experiences. The Teacher Professional Development initiative on Experiential Learning Pedagogy has been a step forward in unleashing tribal children's potential and harnessing their 21st century skills.
This paper has put forward recommendations to improve the efficacy of a TPD Programme. Apart from the design features embedded in the course, the sustained and systematic professional development approach that unfolded as a process rather than a 'one-time training event' helped teachers learn effectively. While any TPD design process focuses on course content, course pedagogy, course-delivery technology, and course assessment, TPD success lies in teachers adapting the TPD learnings in their regular teaching practices. The most significant learning from this evaluation research has been the need to contextualise the broader design features for teachers, students, and curriculum and school environment to help teachers implement, adapt, and sustain the pedagogical reforms in their schools.
The full paper by Mrinal Patwardhan, Educational Research Consultant, and Bobby Abrol, Senior Programme Manager - Education, Tata Trusts, can be accessed here
