Abstract

Early childhood years are of crucial importance for the mental development of the child and possibly the ultimate level of development attained by an individual is determined by her experiences in the first five years of life. Practicing the right way to teach is the most important factor for every school. Therefore, educationists all over the world have been struggling to develop methods that can optimize the attainment of teaching-learning objectives. Objective of every school should be to offer students maximum opportunities in a caring environment where they are enabled to reach their potential in all areas of school. A balanced curriculum should be offered in all schools. CBSE is doing lot of efforts for achieve the aim of quality school education, despite lot of interventions the desired quality in education is yet not achieved. There are many shortcomings and imbalances. Not only social and economic inequalities are responsible for this, skilled and trained human resource, structured and balance elementary curriculum is also lacking. I did survey in 190 rural and urban schools of Haryana to know the various aspects of pre-primary and primary schooling. The survey was carried out with the help of other teacher trainers and principals. This survey includes various face to face interactions with principals, teacher, group discussions, workshops and questionnaire. In the research I included the untrained teacher resource, school infra, teaching learning materials, elementary curriculum and various teaching methodologies used in rural and urban schools and other aspects of pre-primary and primary schooling. The objective of the survey was to identify the innovative pedagogies and curriculum adopted in all the schools at elementary level. In my survey I found that teachers blame poor parenting for dismal learning standards in schools. But according to me poorly trained teachers and social attitudes is the real problem. Teaching methodologies followed by teachers are still old. Innovative and creative teachers are lacking in all schools. Learning attitude is missing from teacher side, but is expected from student side. D.Ed. or B.Ed. course don’t prepare the teacher for real classroom teaching. There is great variation in the real class room teaching in all schools. No standardized teaching methodologies and curriculum is followed. Cognitive development based, joyful and structured elementary curriculum is missing in all the schools. Besides learning should be fun for the kids, there is lot of pressure of study on them. According to Dr. Maria Montessori, “A child’s work is to create the person she will become. Children are born with special mental powers which create the person she will become”. But they cannot accomplish the task of self-construction without purposeful movement, exploration, and discovery of their environment. They must be given the freedom to use their inborn powers to develop physically, intellectually and spiritually. Preschool marks a new beginning for a child. It is a time for new experiences, discoveries, knowledge and challenges as a child leaf home to enter a new world of schooling. It is important to remember that each child is different and will learn and achieve in her own way. We must not compare them with other children but assess them by their own daily improvements. The various teaching methodologies should be learner oriented that develop core skills like creativity, imagination, thinking, decision making, concentration, citizenship, problem solving, leadership etc. Before to plan pedagogy teacher have to keep in mind-Each Child is Unique & Each Child Matter. Sir Ken Robinson claims that ‘Schools kill creativity’ and the same I found in my research. So, I have tried to add in the recommendations some extracts for the innovative teaching methodologies and curriculum that are significant in cognitive development. There is constant need to conduct in job teacher training sessions to train teacher for multi grade teaching methodologies.

Keywords: teaching methodologies, innovative, primary education, curriculum, pedagogies, core skills, elementary

Introduction: 

Early childhood years are of crucial importance for the mental development of the child and possibly the ultimate level of development attained by an individual is determined by her experiences in the first five years of life. Practicing the right way to teach is the most important factor of every school. Therefore, educationists all over the world have been struggling to develop methods that can optimize the attainment of teaching-learning objectives. Objective of every school should be to offer students maximum opportunities in a caring environment where they are enabled to reach their potential in all areas of school. A balanced primary curriculum should be offered in all schools. 

In teaching process, the learner is the core of teaching process. Teaching ever since has been regarded a noble profession it is one which can rewarding and fulfilling no matter the adds, especially for people who regard it as a calling, more than a commitment. The teaching profession demands a total commitment to total transformation of the learn, a continuous development of his potentials for a totally satisfying life as a person and a member of the community. This the reason why there is so much focus on quality teachers that are willing to address and meet the demands of quality instruction can bring out the best in their pupils and student. 

As survey was done on 193 schools and parents, it was found that the parents of private schools are also not satisfied from money value. For the poor performance of the students in academic schools blame parents and parents blame school and teacher. In my further research I found both school and parents responsible for this. However, for me school human resource (teacher) is the most responsible factor for the poor performance of students. 

According to Dr. Maria Montessori, “A child’s work is to create the person she will become. Children are born with special mental powers which create the person she will become”. But they cannot accomplish the task of self-construction without purposeful movement, exploration, and discovery of their environment. They must be given the freedom to use their inborn powers to develop physically, intellectually and spiritually. Preschool marks a new beginning for a child. It is a time for new experiences, discoveries, knowledge and challenges as a child leaf home to enter a new world of schooling. It is important to remember that each child is different and will learn and achieve in her own way. We must not compare them with other children but assess them by their own daily improvements. 

Objectives: The main purpose of the study was to know the present scenario of primary education in Haryana and to identify the innovative pedagogies adopted by primary school educators. It sought to the answers of the following questions: –

1. What are the different teaching methodologies used in the primary schools?

2. How are these pedagogies beneficial to the learners?

3. Are educators and schools developing the innovative pedagogies?

4. Which standardized curriculum is followed in primary classes?

Limitations of the Study: 

1. The research is confined to limited area only. 

2. Time and resource constraint 

3. Data is questionnaire based so there may be some variation or biased from respondents.

Methodology: Four methods of primary and secondary data collection were employed for this study.

Table 1: Four methods of data collection were employed:

Summary: It is now acknowledged that the first five years of a child’s life are developmentally crucial. Between the ages of three and five, with the right stimulation, children acquire foundational motor and cognitive skills, like holding a pencil and drawing lines or associating an alphabet with its sound. I conducted trainings and survey in various rural and urban schools in Haryana. The nation builders are unskilled. I am writing my real experience about attitude of the government teachers for trainings/ capacity building programme. I was appointed to train government primary school teachers on effective teaching techniques to teacher mathematics in primary classes. When I was training them how to teach the concept of place value by play way method a teacher interrupted me by saying that he would like to demonstrate how he had taught this concept over the years. As he set out his technique before the group, some nodded in agreement. The teacher then returned to his seat. I tried to convince them to adopt innovative teaching techniques to teach 21st century students. After the session, the teachers said that the problem was not with their method of teaching but that some children just did not learn and they could not be held back in a class because of the Right to Education mandated no-detention policy. All children are talented, but their parents lack awareness. I prepared a questionnaire of 13 questions for the self-assessment of the teachers and recorded the response from various schools.

Table 2: Following table is the analysis report of teachers’ self-assessment questionnaire in 190 schools. (Round off value is shown)

In early education children have a stage to learn language skills. Listening is the first language skill that toddler should be exposed. 

Chart 1: It shows the percentage of teacher who teaches writing as first language skill, reading as second language skill and then succeeding speaking and listening.

Learning level in mathematics and language is also variable in all schools, even the medium of instruction in the schools is English but basic skills are poor except mother tongue. Literate parents also helped in this survey of language and mathematics skills.

Chart 2: Following chart shows the weakness of primary students in reading, writing languages and basic mathematic skills.

Chart 3: Following chart shows the teaching techniques/ methods adopted by teachers in classroom teaching

Findings: 

1. 26% government primary schools in Haryana have only a single teacher per class who teaches all the subjects to the students and also ensures the administrative work.

2.  Students are poor in basic language and mathematics skills. 

3. Even the medium of instruction is English, basic English language skills of the students are weak. 

4. Teachers blame poor parenting for dismal learning standards in schools. 

5. Teaching methodologies followed by teachers are still old. Innovative and creative teachers are lacking in all schools. 

6. Most of teachers use lecturing method that is less efficient.

7. Most of the teacher never attended any in job training session. 

8. Most of the schools are deficient in TLM and other needed infra for joyful pedagogies.  

9. No standardized curriculum is followed in primary schools. 

Conclusions: (i) Teachers get training for a government job only. 

(ii) D.Ed. and B.Ed. programme do not really prepare teachers for the real classroom teachings. 

(iii) Teacher’s attitude for teaching – learning process is reluctant. Somewhere learning attitude is missing 

from teacher side, but is expected from student side.

(iv) On the job training and CPD’s are unavailable.

(v) There is insufficient infra and teaching learning material for joyful learning in schools.

(vi) Teaching is not top service of the country, lack of government policy is responsible for unavailability 

of quality teachers.

Suggestions: 

(i) Teacher should be trained on multi-grade teaching techniques through on job training programmes.

(ii) Private institutions should develop and retain effective teachers.

(iii)  Good quality infra and Teaching-Learning material. 

(iv)  Government should frame the policy to develop and retain effective teachers. Teaching should be top 

service of the country. 

(v) Planning and implementing well balanced standardized elementary school curriculum which integrates joyful learning, motor & cognitive development

References: 

1. John Hattie’s visible learning for the teachers (2009) deep learning. 

2. Willingham, D (2007) Critical thinking. 

3. Husbands. C and Pearce, J. (2012) Great pedagogy. 

4. The Advanced Montessori Method by Maria Montessori.

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