Please cite this Article as : , : Indian Streams Research Journal (June ; 2012) Girdhar lal Sharma

National Curriculum Framework (NCF) For Teacher Education Volume 2, Issue. 6, July 2012 Indian
Streams Research Journal Teacher quality is a function of several factors: teacher's status,
remuneration and conditions of work, teacher's academic and professional education. The teacher
education system through its initial and continuing professional development program expects to
ensure adequate supply of professionally competent teachers to run the nation's schools.
INTRODUCTION India has made considerable progress in school education since independence with
reference to overall literacy, infrastructure and universal access and enrolment in schools. Two
major developments in the recent years form the background to the present reform in teacher
education - the political recognition of Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) as a
legitimate demand and the state commitment towards UEE in the form of 86 Amendment, 2002
which has led to the Right to Education Bill, 2008 and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for
School Education, 2005. The Bill has since been passed by the Parliament and the Right to Education
Act has come into being making it mandatory for the state to provide free and compulsory education
to almost 20 crore children in the 6-14 age group till class 8. The Right to Education Act mandates a
schedule for the functioning of schools, which includes a teacher: student ratio of 1:30 till a student
population of 200 students at the Primary Stage. This would increase the demand for qualified
elementary school teachers many times. The country has to address the need of supplying well
qualified and professionally trained teachers in larger numbers in the coming years. The NCF 2005
places Abstract: The Right to Education Act has come into being making it mandatory for the state to
provide free and compulsory education to almost 20 crore children in the 6-14 age group till class 8.
The Right to Education Act mandates a schedule for the functioning of schools, which includes a
teacher: student ratio of 1:30 till a student population of 200 students at the Primary Stage. This
would increase the demand for qualified elementary school teachers many times. The country has to
address the need of supplying well qualified and professionally trained teachers in larger numbers in
the coming years. The NCF 2005 places different demands and expectations on the teacher, which
need to be addressed by both initial and continuing teacher education. ISSN:-2230-7850 National
Curriculum Framework (NCF) For Teacher Education Girdhar lal Sharma Research Scholar CMJ
UNIVERSITY, SHILONG (MEGHALYA) Email : girdharsharma07@gmail.com Available online at
www.isrj.net ORIGINAL ARTICLE different demands and expectations on the teacher, which need to
be addressed by both initial and continuing teacher education. Teacher quality is a function of
several factors: teacher's status, remuneration and conditions of work, teacher's academic and
professional education. The teacher education system through its initial and continuing professional
development program is expected to ensure adequate supply of professionally competent teachers
to run the nation's schools. OBJECTIVES / SALIENT FEATURES OF NATIONAL CURRICULUM
 FRAMEWORK FOR TEACHER EDUCATION, 2009. NCTE undertook a major exercise of developing a
new National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, which is both contextual, and in tune
with the emerging concerns and imperatives of the fast changing canvas of education both
nationally and globally. Teacher education is not a prescriptive endeavor. It should be open and
flexible. It highlights an integrative and eclectic approach to teacher education. There is an emphasis
on changing context. The concern is to make teacher education liberal, humanistic and responsive
to the demands of inclusive education. It acknowledges the diversity of learning spaces and
curriculum sites apart from the classroom. It also appreciates diversity in learning styles that
children exhibit and the learning contexts in which teachers have to function. Pedagogical
knowledge has to constantly undergo adaptation to meet the needs of diverse contexts through
critical reflection by the teacher on his/her practice Teacher education is a continuum - Pre-service
teacher education, in-service teacher education and continuing professional development of the
teachers are inseparable part of this continuum. Ashift towards constructivist insights as well as
critical pedagogy. Concerned with integrating theory with practice by providing appropriate
weightage for theory and practice. Need for enhancing language competence and communication
skills language cuts across the entire curriculum. The role of language as a medium and tool of
communication assumes great importance. Highlights the processes of education and training such
as observation, story telling, analysis, critical enquiry, self-learning, reflection on practices, linking
practices to concepts, etc. Emphasis on teacher as a reflective practitioner. Identified broad areas
of evaluation/ assessment indicator of each area and criteria for each indicator. Both qualitative
and quantitative evaluation and assessment procedures are highlighted. Collaborative evaluation
as one of the evaluation mechanisms may be conceptualized by making student teacher an
important partner in the process of evaluation. Needs to make functional all laboratories related to
teacher preparation such as IT laboratory, educational technology, educational testing and language
learning laboratories. Move towards a longer duration course (4/5 years after +2 schooling or 2
years after a bachelor's degree. Adequate rationale worked out for suggested duration of the
program by taking into consideration time matrix/time on task details. Four modern teaching
approaches such as constructivism, comprehensive learning, contextual pedagogy and
ICTintegration needs to be highlighted. THE OUTCOMES EXPECTED Aroad map has been identified
highlighting how curriculum framework will be implemented for teacher education program at
various levels. As a follow-up, NCTE has already initiated a status study on existing syllabi of teacher
education programs at various levels. Based on the exercises NCTE intends to develop model
curricula, syllabi and textual materials for teacher education programs at different levels.
Stakeholders will be oriented with new demands of NCFTE. University Education Departments,
SCERT, IASE/CTE/DIET, etc. would recognize their teacher education programs by reformulating their
curriculum and syllabus. Faculty of teacher training institutions will acquire new skills in pedagogy
and evaluation in order to address the demands of new NCFTE. Teaching-learning materials and the
learning sites will be redesigned. Teacher educators and teachers will look for continuous
professional development. National Curriculum Framework (NCF) For Teacher Education 2 Mass
orientation of teachers and teacher educators on various aspects of NCFTE(2009) such as : o
Evaluation of developing teachers o Formulation of innovative teacher education programs o Study
on impact of new curriculum/syllabus at state-level. CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTATION Copies of
model syllabus and textual materials will be sent to universities; SCERTs; State Governments with a
request to initiate the process of revision of textual materials in their universities/SCERT/States
following adaptation of NCFTE (2009), UGC will also be requested to send directions to universities in
this regard. States and universities have to come forward to initiate reformulation of curriculum.
Universities/States have to switch over to long duration programs. Dearth of availability of teacher
educators. Need to formulate a policy for programs of continuous professional development of
 teachers linked to their career advancement. Problems of transaction of curriculum/syllabus of
English Language in different types of school such as (i) English medium private/government aided
elite schools (ii) new English medium private schools where both English and other Indian languages
are used (iii) government aided regional medium schools and (iv) government owned regional
medium schools including schools run by district municipal education authorities. Impact
evaluation and feedback Monitoring of implementation of NCFTE. HOWTO OVERCOME THE
CHALLENGES - THE ROLE OFTEACHER EDUCATORS The profile and role of teacher educator are to be
conceived primarily with reference to the philosophy and principles that govern the various aspects
of school education aims of education, curriculum, methods and materials and the socio-cultural
context in which the school functions and the role of the teachereducators in translating
educational intents into practical action. The teacher educator should share the underlying
educational philosophy and possess the needed understanding and professional competencies to
develop desired behaviors in his/ her charges (trainees). 1.Engage teachers with children in real
contexts than teach them about children through theories 2.Bring into the TE curriculum and
discourse trainees' own assumptions about children and beliefs about knowledge and processes of
learning 3.Help teachers to reflect upon their own positions in society gender, caste, class, poverty,
linguistic and regional variation, community, equity and justice 4.Focus on the developmental
aspects of children with constant reference to the socio-economic and cultural contexts of children
5.Engage with theory along with field experiences to help trainees to view knowledge not as external
to the learner but as something that is actively constructed during learning 6.Provide opportunity for
trainees for reflection and independent study without packing the training schedule with teacher
directed activities 7.Integrate academic knowledge and professional learning into a meaningful
whole 8.View learning as a search for meaning out of personal experiences and knowledge
generation as a continuously evolving process of reflective learning 9. View knowledge not as an
external reality embedded in textbooks but as constructed in the shared context of teaching -
learning and personal experience 10.Provide opportunities to the student teacher to critically
examine curriculum, syllabi and textbooks 11.Change perception of child as a receiver of knowledge
and encourage its capacity to construct knowledge CONCLUSION The locus of the functions of
teacher educators lies in the role perceptions of teachers with regard to educational objectives,
practices and processes of the school. National Curriculum Framework (NCF) For Teacher Education
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