The system of Education in India is very vast with 85 lakhs teachers and 26 crores students. Providing equitable and quality education to all is what the Government of India was looking for our. But the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to close educational institutions since 20 March 2020. This had caused an unprecedented disruption of education and affected more than 90% of the school population. The Ministry of Education, Govt. of India and State Education Departments have made concerted efforts to ensure continuity of learning through various digital platforms. The COVID-19 also forced all the schools/colleges to stop regular teaching-learning-assessment processes and also teacher training in face-to-face (FTF) mode. The most ambitious NISHTHA integrated training for 42 lakhs teachers (planned through face-to-face mode) at elementary education level (Classes 1 to 8 has come to a stand still. Under NISHTHA face-to- face training, 23,137 SRGs and 17, 74,728 Teachers and head teachers working in state governed schools are being covered from 33 States/UTs in a span of eight months. Time bound scaling and reach of such training is still a challenge in a plural country like India, where there is huge diversity due to language, geographical locations, culture, socio economic conditions etc. However, the learning continuum of teachers and students cannot be restricted due to the lack of readiness to face the lock down or due to the diversity and huge population. Every individual looks forward to learning something from cooking to artificial intelligence to keep them engaged as well as extending their knowledge. Every teacher urges to improve their pedagogical competencies as there is a need to address a diverse group of students. In order to continue this learning and to reach every single teacher, pupil teachers and students irrespective of the board, affiliation etc., the Ministry of Education, Govt. of India planned to organise a series of online courses for these stakeholders through DIKSHA portal which will be even accessible to the individuals with a small mobile phone and minimum internet connectivity or no connectivity. Therefore, NCERT planned to continue NISHTHA – integrated teacher training using DIKSHA platform and reach out to 42 Lakh elementary school teachers and its further extension to all as well. Courses for teachers are being launched sequentially and conducted in batches. Each course varies in the time duration where there is flexibility for teachers to complete the course. Each course is having learning resources like video, reading material, reflective activities, practice activities, self assessment quiz etc. NCERT is conducting courses in English and Hindi. The same is translated in regional language by States/ UTs and conducted in state instances of DIKSHA. A teacher is doing self enrolment and is doing self learning and is being certified on course completion. DIKSHA portal is also be leveraged to conduct MOOCs in an effective manner. This initiative of MOOCs for teachers is a boon for learning continuously and to reach every teacher by scaling up in a time bound manner. Thisl also enables equity in providing professional development to teachers. NISHTHA is a National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement at the elementary stage under Samagra Shiksha – a flagship program of MHRD. The modules developed under NISHTHA are focusing on holistic development of children and hence include curriculum and inclusive education health and well-being, personal social qualities, art integrated learning, initiatives in school education, subject-specific pedagogies, ICT in teaching-learning, leadership, pre-school education, pre-vocational education, etc. All the modules are centered around learning outcomes and, learner-centred pedagogy etc. NISHTHA integrated training is covering all the recommended areas of NEP 2020 and aims at holistic development of teachers. These modules are made interactive with reflective and engaging activities for teachers providing space to educational games, quizzes, etc. for joyful learning by the teachers and school heads, which in turn are motivating teachers to implement this in their classroom for enhancing students’ learning outcomes. The main expected outcomes from NISHTHA are:
Improvement in learning outcomes of the students: Creation of an enabling and enriching inclusive classroom environment. Teachers become alert and responsive to the social, emotional and psychological needs of students as first level counselors. Teachers are trained to use Art as pedagogy leading to increased creativity and innovation among students. Teachers are trained to develop and strengthen personal-social qualities of students for their holistic development.
Creation of a healthy and safe school environment. Integration of ICT in teaching learning and assessment. Developing stress free School Based Assessment focused on development of learning competencies. Teachers adopt Activity Based Learning and move away from rote learning to competency based learning. Teachers and School heads become aware of new initiatives in school education. Transformation of the Heads of Schools into providing academic and administrative leadership for the schools for fostering new initiatives.NISHTHA in face-to-face mode was launched on 21st August, 2019 by Hon’ble HRM Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. Thereafter, 34 states/UTs have launched this programme in their Stats/UTs under Samagra Shiksha, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. In 29 States/UTs, the NISHTHA training programme has been completed by the NCERT at the state level. In 5 States/UT (Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, J&K, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh), the training at the state level for teachers is still in progress. In two states, it is yet to be launched. District level teacher training programme has been initiated in 23 States/UTs.
In NISHTHA-face-to-face, first level training had been provided by the National Resource Group(NRG) to the Key Resource Persons(KRPs) and State Resource Persons-Leadership(SRPs) identified by the states/UTs. The NRG had been constituted and oriented by the NCERT drawing members from the NCERT, NIEPA and KVS. KRPs and SRPs-L had provided training directly to teachers at block level reducing the cascading effect of training.
This is the largest teachers’ training programme of its kind in the world. The basic objective of this massive training programme ‘NISHTHA’ is to motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students. Teachers are getting awareness and are developing their skills on various aspects related to Learning Outcomes, Competency Based Learning and Testing, Learner-centered Pedagogy, School Safety and Security, Personal-social qualities, Inclusive Education, ICT in teaching-learning including Artificial Intelligence, Health and well-being including yoga, Initiatives in School Education including library, eco club, youth club, kitchen garden, School Leadership qualities, Environmental Concerns, Pre-school, Pre-vocational Education and School Based Assessment in a joyful learning manner. The teachers are the powerhouse of the nation and they must be of the highest quality. This integrated programme aims to build the capacities of around 42 lakh participants covering all teachers and Heads of Schools at the elementary level in all Government schools, faculty members of State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs), District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) as well as Block Resource Coordinators and Cluster Resource Coordinators in all States and UTs. This initiative is first of its kind wherein standardized training modules are developed at national level for all States and UTs. However, States and UTs can contextualize the training modules and use their own material and resource persons also, keeping in view the core topics and expected outcomes of NISHTHA. NISHTHA Teacher Training Modules, Leadership Modules (NISHTHA Course Material). The training is being conducted directly by 33120 Key Resource Persons (KRPs) and State Resource Persons (SRP) identified by the State and UTs, who are in turn trained by 120 National Resource Persons identified from National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration.
It was observed that the expectation from teachers in the present day is different and includes many new attributes. Teachers today are also expected to be aware of the provisions regarding Gender, The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The integrated programme therefore seeks to train all heads and teachers as first level counsellors to be alert and responsive to the needs of the students, in addition to promoting joyful learning and taking special care of the requirements of special children.
The prominent features of this integrated programme are activity based modules including educational games and quizzes, Social-emotional learning, motivational interactions, team building, preparation for school based assessment, in-built continuous feedback mechanism, online monitoring and support system, training need and impact analysis (Pre and Post training). In order to enhance professional development of teachers, special emphasis has been given on design and development of training modules (Modules download links are provided in NISHTHA Teacher Training Modules Table. The training Modules for NISHTHA have been developed through a consultative process involving the suggestions from the States and UTs and CBSE, KVS, NVS, School Principals and Non-Governmental Organizations, such as Kaivalya Foundation, Tata Trust, Azim Premji Foundation and Aurobindo Society. This mega capacity building programme has been integrated with technology to ensure smooth facilitation, availability of digital content and technology enabled teaching methods to support the teachers. A Mobile App and Learning Management System (LMS) based on MOODLE (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) have been developed by NCERT (https://nishtha.ncert.gov.in/). LMS will be used for registration of Resource Persons and Teachers, dissemination of resources, training gap and impact analysis, monitoring, mentoring and measuring the progress online.
In order to ensure sustainable impact on classroom transactions, this integrated training programme is embedded with post training interventions including provision of mentoring. The modules which are currently in progress are :
Module 1: Curriculum, Learner centered Pedagogy, Learning Outcomes and Inclusive Education
Learning Objectives
a. This module will help teachers to:
b. Describe the educational policies, the National Curriculum Frameworks development, functions and the linkages among intended, transacted and assessed curriculum
Module 2: Developing Social – Personal Qualities and Creating Safe and Healthy School Environment
Learning Objectives – This module will help teachers to:
a. Build their understanding about the personal-social qualities.
b. Reflect on their own personal-social qualities for the development of the same in learners.
c. Develop qualities and skills required to provide guidance in classroom.
d. Create an environment in schools/classrooms where everyone feels accepted, confident, cared and are concerned about each others well-being.
Module 3: Art Integrated Learning
Learning Objectives
The module aims to develop:
a. understanding of ‘Arts’ as pedagogical tool and of its impact on the holistic learning and development of every child.
b. familiarity with art experiences (different art forms) as medium of exploring his/her creative expression.
c. skill of planning and organizing age-appropriate art experiences to make learning of different subjects appealing.
Module 4: School Based Assessment
Learning Objectives
This module will help you to –
• understand the genesis and importance of School Based Assessment,
• familiarize with learner-centred approaches for assessment,
• facilitate integration of teaching learning process with assessment procedures,
• develop context-based exemplars in the relevant subject areas for the purpose of assessment.
Module 5: Health and Well-being in Schools
Learning Objectives
At the end of this session you will be able to:
• Understand the concept of health and wellness.
• Understand the importance of a healthy environment for children in school.
• Develop and understand about pedagogical processes to be adopted in order to develop healthy attitudes and behaviors among children.
• Develop life skills for achieving enhanced Learning Outcomes related to health and wellness.
Module 6: Integration of ICT in Teaching-Learning and Assessment
Learning Objectives
After going through this module, the learner will be able to
• Explain the meaning of ICT
• Identify appropriate learning resources suitable to the nature of content and teaching-learning strategies
• Explore various eContent, tools, software, hardware for teaching, learning and assessment for different subjects
• Design and implement a teaching-learning plan based on ICT-Content-Pedagogy integration
Module 7: Initiatives in School Education
Learning Objectives
After going through this module, the learner will be able to
• Get awareness about the recent initiatives of the DoSE&L for school education such as PGI, UDISE+, etc. for implementation in the schools.
• Understand the objectives and provisions under Samagra Shiksha for improving quality of school education
• Take initiatives in schools with regard to promoting reading habits using library books and undertake activities related to sports, kitchen gardens, Youth and Eco Clubs, etc., for providing children experiential learning opportunities and joyful learning
Module 8: Pedagogy of Environmental Studies (Primary Stage)
Learning Objectives
After going through this module you will be able to
• appreciate EVS as an integrated curricular area at the Primary Stage
• relate its objectives with the concepts and issues included in the syllabus
• locate the concepts and issues in textbooks and be aware of different approaches to their transaction in classroom
• Plan and design context and need specific learning experiences for children
• organise learning opportunities to engage all learners meaningfully.
• use varied assessment strategies to map the learning progress against learning outcomes in EVS
Module 9: Pedagogy of Mathematics
Learning Objectives
After going through this module the teachers will know about the transactional strategies including the assessment part that can be adopted to engage the children in learning. They will be able to relate the competencies and skills as given in the Learning outcomes with the state syllabus conduct appropriate pedagogical processes to help children in achieving the class level learning outcomes. Integrate assessment with pedagogical processes to continuously ensure the progress in learning by all children
Module 10: Pedagogy of Languages
Module 11: Pedagogy of Science (Upper Primary Stage)
Learning Objectives
After going through this module, the learner is expected to have basic understanding of science as a subject at upper primary stage. Have basic understanding of curricular expectations and learning outcomes at upper primary stage. Apply science as a process of inquiry and knowledge construction
explain how teacher can facilitate learning integrate content, pedagogy and assessment during teaching-learning process design various learning situations for students to transact concepts
Module 12: Pedagogy of Social Sciences (Upper Primary Stage)
Learning Objectives
Understanding the relevance of Social Sciences in order to appreciate the phenomena of continuity and change. Recognising the relevance of the subject in establishing inter linkages with natural and social environment. Appreciating the values enshrined in the Constitution of India such as justice, liberty, equality and fraternity and the unity and integrity of the nation and the building of a socialist, secular and democratic society. Classifying and comparing the cause and effect relationship in the context of occurrence of events, natural and social processes and their impact on different sections of society. Explaining the concepts like unity in diversity, democracy, development, diverse factors and forces that enrich our culture and art. Discussing the need for evolving plurality of approaches in understanding natural and social phenomena, creating awareness and sensitivity towards diversity, gender disparity, needs of Children With Special Needs (CWSN) and marginalised sections of society.
Module 13: School Leadership: Concepts and Application
Learning Objectives
System level functionaries (CRC/BRC/ABRC/BEO/ABEO/DEO/DPO) would be able to:
Develop a shared vision on leading clusters, blocks and districts for quality improvement in schools. Head Teachers would be able to:
Understand and develop a perspective on school leadership with a focus on multiple roles and responsibilities of a school leader. Develop academic leadership for improving student learning and quality improvement in schools. Gain knowledge, skills and attitudes to lead the school through building a collaborative learning culture conducive for student learning
Module 14: Pre-School Education
Learning Objectives
At the end of this module learner will be able to:
Define Preschool education
Describe the need and importance of preschool education
Describe the Pedagogy used in preschool education
Demonstrate an understanding of assessment in the preschool years
Outline the Role of Parents and Community in promoting preschool education
Describe how linkages can be made with Primary schools for smooth transition
Module 15: Pre-Vocational Education
Learning Objectives
After going through this unit, the trainee should be able to:
Comprehend historical perspectives on work based education in India
Describe the key features of skill development in India
Describe the purpose of work experience and pre-vocational education program.
Describe the vocationalisation of school education under SamagraShiksha
Module 16: Relevance of Gender Dimensions in Teaching and Learning Process
Learning Objectives
The module will help to –
Identify existing gender biased attitudes and behavior among teachers and students
Develop gender sensitive pedagogical processes in transaction of various disciplines. Use and adopt learning activities that foster gender sensitive classroom environment
Module 17: Initiative in School Education
As a teacher I would like to thank Education department in general and ministry of Education in particular for such a great stuff what not we are being given and bestowed by our department. I believe our teachers are acquainted well from this course. Zone Mawer is fully cooperating higher ups in the completion of this training course.
(The author a teacher@School Education Department is presently posted in Education Zone Mawar in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district. Views are his own)
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