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ORIENTATION PROGRAMMES ON PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCY

This aim of education we can achieve through the quality of education, quality of teachers and quality of teaching process.  Other things remaining, the quality of education largely depends on the quality of teaching learning transaction.  This teaching learning transaction cannot be undertaken in vacuum but it is positively directed action, for which teachers are to be endeavour with creative teaching and competency in their profession.  This is the right time to focus the significance of Orientation Programmes and Professional Competency.  There should be enormous amount of research has to be taken place to answer the following queries viz., what is Orientation Programme? What is Professional Competency?

How far Teacher Orientation Programmes influencing the Teacher in his Professional Competency?         How far Orientation Programmes and Professional Competency are related to teacher out comes in different areas of Classroom teaching? How the impact of Teacher Orientation Programmes and Teacher Professional Competency aspects reflects on achievement of educational objectives? are to be answered.

          Lot of researches has been taken place on Teacher Orientation Programmes and Teacher Professional Competency but undoubtedly much attention of research is not drawn to correlate teacher Orientation Programmes and Teacher Professional Competency.

          The Indian Education Commission (1964-66) has emphasized that ‘nothing is more important than providing teachers best professional preparation'.  Problem solving abilities can be improved by teaching problem strategies. (Stern,1967).  Trifinger and others improvising children creative problem solving ability.

      Stern (1967) defined the acquisition of problem solving strategies in young children and its relation to verbalization.

          Hence, the investigator is to investigate into the research problem – A Study on the Impact of Orientation Programmes on Professional Competency among Teachers working in Secondary Schools in Vizianagaram District.

Role of Teacher in Educative Process:

          Though education is considered as child centered, the role of teacher is pivotal and crucial. Child's hidden potentialities must be awakened by providing ample positive wholesome and worth life experiences.  The teacher occupies ‘a priori' in making the children to learn.  Teachers can usher in great progress and prosperity in the real sense of life all over the world.  The teacher's personality should be compelling - his methods effective, his life a dedicated mission and his work typifying a sort of worship.  He needs to be a real lamplighter with an excelsior spirit never altering, failing or floundering.

          In the area of elementary education, the teacher has to take special steps to facilitate universal enrolment of children, universal retention of the children and to achieve the targeted tasks.  In order to ensure utilization of material and human resources of the country for the betterment of school and to improve the quality of education, the teacher has to develop close cordial relations with the community.

          According to the pedagogy at primary level the teacher has an important role and has to provide the activities like individual/group/ whole class according to the needs of the pupils.  Collection of material by the children under his supervision will get more knowledge and are able to solve many problems through discussions.  Students actively participate as well as find solutions to the problems.

          The teacher has to create an interesting classroom by displaying children's work and organizing effectively, recording the pupil's ideas on activity sheets.  Assessment techniques are to be followed to know the performance of the students and modify his teaching, if necessary.  The teacher's role is considered to be the pivotal factor in terms of continuous learning, transacting curriculum, creating permanent concepts in the minds of the children, adopting interaction analysis.

          Keeping the novel activities adopted in the contemporary world, our country too realized the same and is making an earnest attempt to incorporate education as a fundamental right.  In the last decades of 20th century both education and society have become centers of high technological advancement.  Periodical reforms in school education such as school education strategy as envisaged by National Policy of Education, 1986 and modified in 1992, adoption of Minimum Levels of Learning (MLL), Major reforms in textbooks, teaching aids, promoting activity based teaching learning, offering non-formal education and alternative education system, initiatives like operation Black Board and Special Orientation Programmes for Teachers (SOPT) have been adopted.

          Qualitative improvement in elementary education depends upon the efficient instructional programme followed in the schools, which further depends on the efficiency of the teacher, equipment and environmental conditions.  There has been an age long coments that the quality in education especially at the primary level has been deteriorating day by day.  It is not far from truth.  Primary education is the foundation of the castle of quality in education, so that primary education should be strong and concrete.  In order to make it strong entire school plant should be developed.  Therefore, Government of India and particularly the Government of Andhra Pradesh has implemented various schemes and organizing various Orientation Programmes for Teachers.

 

ORIENTATION PROGRAMMES –  TEACHER ATTITUDE:

          Prof.Dndrew Bruke in his study of indicators of Quality education, emphasized the need of in-service training programmes for teachers in regular intervals.  He stated that ‘most of the schools and teachers cannot produce the kind of learning demanded by the new reforms not because they do not want to, but because they do not know how and the system in which they work do not support them in doing so.

          The root cause of implementation failure is not, therefore, lack of teacher motivation, but rather lack of expertise on the part of teachers, the rectification of which, will demand much pains taking work at the initial, induction and in-service stages of teacher education.  ‘These problems, such as they are' says Darrling – Hammand (1998) are not the fault of teachers but of a system which has long failed to support the work of teachers…..  The profession has suffered from decades of neglect'.

          The role of the Secondary School Teachers is crucial and pivotal in nurturing the personality of tiny tots and to inculcate democratic ideals and essential values in budding youngsters.  This lofty purpose of enabling a child to grow as an ideal democratic citizen and a noble man in universe is the real mission of a teacher.

          The in-service teachers who had the significant responsibility of shaping our country may acquire different strategies of teaching, while they pursue the requisite degree to be acquired in institutes of teaching.  To keep them on right track as perceived by experts in the field of education to suit the varied needs of ever changing society, many innovative programmes are attempted by the State Governments with the intervention of Central Government and other agencies like APPEP, DPEP, CLIP, SSA, joyful learning, conceptual teaching.  Such Orientation Programmes whenever being introduced and implemented, an up-surge in the minds of teaching fraternity will be resulted.  The sudden change in the ideology, nomenclature, things to perform may not make him happy in the profession as he often feels the changes are not palatable as he may not relish them.  Then the purpose of such orientation programmes will be ruthlessly ruined and mercy murdered.  Hence, there is a dire need to make a probe into the attitudes of the men at the spot, i.e., the teaching fraternity which actually has to put things into practice.  Before commencement of such programmes, the In-service Programme, the In-service Teachers definitely feel that there will be nothing new except in the label or brand mark of the concept to be introduced.  The subtle differences between old practices and new attempts slowly grew up and be resulted at as a wide gulf.

          To make the teaching fraternity effectively motivate towards new professional ideologies and to prepare them mentally for attitudinal change and changes in the strata, the programmes should be aptly conducted and the personnel who impart the programmes should strive high to inculcate interest in the new programmes, which are to be aimed at.  The success of those programmes will evidently rest on the mindset of the teachers and the work style of resource persons.  Even the programmes which are thoroughly planned, effectively imparted and successful altered the attitude of teachers; the failure in the implementation in effective manner at the gross root level, the purpose of such programmes will be at stake.

 

Dimensions of Teacher Attitude towards Orientation Programmes:

          As has been pointed out earlier that the attitudes have a degree of feeling associated with a specific object.  The attitude implies some individual to object relationship.  In the present study the individual is the teachers and the object is Orientation Programmes.  The ambit of teacher attitude in this study is the attitudes of teachers towards – Organizational, Implementation, and Feedback and Job Oriented aspects in relation to Orientation Programmes.

          Organizational aspect includes new aspects of education; diagnose the demerits of teaching, aware of the additional activities, teacher interest, influence on the style of teaching, participation, frequent changes in methodology, problems in coordinating classroom activities etc.

          Implementation aspect refers to teachers acceptance towards new interpretation, Teaching concepts successfully, to encourage pupils participation, providing learning activities for pupils, changing of teaching style, preparation of low cost or no cost aids, appreciation of creative ability of pupils, avoiding stumbling blocks, seeking the support of senior teachers in relation to Orientation Programmes.

          Feedback aspect includes – guiding pupils learning by doing, accomplishment towards innovative activities, generate creative ideas, adopting appropriate remedial measures, adopting new strategies, inviting to implement new practices and feeling stress.

          Job oriented aspect disclosed that to implement novel strategy, new teaching strategies, using energies, giving illustrations in teaching, construction of objectives tests, evaluation of assignments, changing teaching strategies and utilizing time and space for display of teaching learning materials.

Measurement of Teacher Attitude towards Orientation Programmes:

          Systematic inquiry in any subject matter is possible only when the critical variables in the area are measured with some precision.  Although the concept of attitude has in one form or another been central to the field of social psychology, it is by definition a mental state.  Hence, such states are not subject to any direct physical measurement, so if one is to measure attitudes, one need to find ways of operationalising, and converting to numbers, the diverse and vague properties of attitudes.  Of the many properties that have been theoretically attributed to attitudes, most researchers have been concerned with measuring only two direction and magnitude.  The procedures of attitude measurement may be in three stages viz., administering, scoring and interpreting.

          Most attitude measurement, as currently practiced by psychologists, goes on without much attention to formal models of measurement.  Perhaps the most influential, and certainly the best developed, source is psychometric theory or the theory of mental tests (for example Gulliksen, 1950).  Much of scaling theory (for examples Edwards, 1957; Guilford, 1954; Thurstone, 1959) has roots in psychophysics.  Alternative models of measurement have been proposed such as Guttman's (1953, 1960) image theory.  In order to measure the teacher attitude there are Katti and Bennur's attitude towards teaching profession scale, Ahulwalia's Teacher Attitude Inventory and so on.  Panda K.C. (1991) reporting the research trend in this area, corroborates, ‘the studies reveal a lack of seriousness in thinking, procedure and analysis.  There is a tendency to develop on attitude scale inadequately rigorous procedures and use it in surveys.  Hence, the investigator felt the need of attempting a humble piece of research work in this area taking the above things into consideration.

 

PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCY:

          The efficacy of educative process depends on school ethos, classroom climate, working style of the teachers, which enables them to be an exemplary teacher.  In primary and upper Secondary Schools, the students will be highly influenced by the teacher.  In majority of the occasions, the teacher will be the role model for the students.  In later stages they may be influenced by other persons in the society.  Hence, the teachers who have to set him as an example should be both effective and happy.  All effective teachers may not be happy but the contrary seems to be true.  Hence, a blend of happiness and effectiveness makes a teacher to be competent. Now-a-days, the society requires committed, creative change prone above all a competent teacher. The quality of education depends much on the competency of the teacher, as teacher is considered to be the hub of teaching learning process.

In ancient times, teachers with plain simple living, high thinking, disciplined routine, abstinence from pleasures, mental control and sincerity of purpose are considered to be ideal and exemplary who work with a mission and those who have not possessed these qualities are considered to be mercenary and undevoted.

But in modern times a teacher who is able to exercise complex teaching skills is given learning situation is considered to be competent.  The teacher is really the point of contact between the educational programme or innovation on the pupil, operator through the pupil's teacher.  It is, therefore, quite accurate to say that school's effectiveness depends directly on professional competency.  Hence, maximizing the competent levels of teachers will be the major goal of education.

Professional competency and teacher effectiveness are not synonymous words as viewed by many educators too.  There is a subtle difference between both the aspects.  In a way professional competency lies on further heights when compared with teacher effectiveness.  However, teacher effectiveness paves a clear way to influence professional competency.  Many research efforts have been made to describe the characteristics of high competent teachers and to distinguish high, moderate and low competent teachers.

 

Dimensions of Professional Competency (DPC):

          The Education Commission (1964-66) says that the destiny of the nation is shaped in the classrooms.  It is so because it is the classroom where the future citizens acquire knowledge and skills.  It is there, where their personality characteristics and their value system are saved.  The pivot in this process is undoubtedly, the teacher.  He can make the personality of a child.  It is the teacher who lays the foundation for a happy and prosperous nation.  Hence, the teaching profession deserves reward, respect and recognition.

          Professional Competency is the potential to make educative process effective, with expertise and thoroughness of of content, which was fabricated nicely with methodology of teaching with clear exposition précised skill, abundant knowledge and creative mind to improvise low cost, no cost teaching and learning material to supplement his teaching.  The Professional Competency Scale of the present is consisting of five dimensions viz., Activity based teaching and hurdles in teaching, Child Centered Practices, Teaching Learning materials and display, Evaluation strategies and remedial techniques and Novel strategies.

          Activity based teaching aspect is refers to nature of teaching concepts, effectiveness in teaching, giving illustrations while teaching, hurdles in teaching, seeking guidance.

          Child centered practices aspect is displayed the adopting new strategies, individual differences, change of teaching thoughts, encouraging the pupils' participation, guiding pupils, altering teaching strategies, maintain the pupils attention towards teaching, maintaining the joyfulness in classroom teaching.

          Teaching Learning and Material display aspect is referring to using the resources, preparing the low cost and now cost teaching material, appreciating the pupils and time management.

          Evaluation strategies and remedial techniques aspect disclosed the remedial measures, preparation of test materials, giving illustrations while teaching concepts, introducing in different method of evaluation, identify the backward pupils, suggesting appropriate measures and measuring the feedback.

          Novel Strategies aspect is disclosed the teaching strategy, interpretation, providing different learning activities among the pupils, teaching difficulties, generating ideas, pupils realization towards graded assignments for evaluation, dealing the problems in teaching, attitude towards novel concepts of others and encouraging the pupils towards content with appropriate methods.

 

 

Measurement of Professional Competency (PCS):

          According to Barr (1961) there are four approaches to teacher evaluation, combined in different ways by different persons, institutions and data gathering devices namely.  1. Evaluation made in terms of the qualities of the person as in personality ratings; 2. Evaluation which proceed from studies of teacher behavior, as in the rating of performance in terms of inferred personal qualities of desirable professional characteristics; 3. Evaluation developed from data collected relative to presumed pre-requisites to Professional competency, potential or already achieved, represented by some psychological constructs as knowledge, skill and attitudes and evaluation developed from studies of the products.  The investigator felt the need of making a probe into the attitudes of the teacher fraternity on the way of conduct of such programmes and their relative efficacy of such programmes.

          Andrew Bruke (2000) in his report on quality education at elementary stage concluded that recognition of the centrality of the teachers role would seem to require greater concentration on and investment in teachers education (pre-service and in-service), higher levels of professional autonomy for teachers and greater sharing by them of responsibility for what happens in schools.  Another name for such responsibility sharing is ‘empowerment', a notion well captured by the French word for empowerment ‘responsabilisation'.

A.Lin Goodwin (1997) studied 'Multicultural Stories'.  This article presents the multicultural stories of 75 pre-service teachers, all of whom were student teaching in New York City. These stories reveal the kinds of concerns and questions pre-service teachers have when faced with multicultural issues or dilemmas and provide the teacher education profession with some direction in terms of curriculum for multicultural teacher education. This direction or guidance comes from the students themselves and is based on the very real experiences they face in the field The article ends with recommendations to professional education programs—what programs should include in order to prepare teachers to serve the needs of today's children and youth.

Ana Maria Villegas (2007) studied 'Dispositions in Teacher Education'.  The use of a dispositional framework in the preparation of teachers, especially one that attends to issues of social justice, has generated considerable debate of late. In this article, the author argues that assessing teacher candidates' dispositions related to social justice is both reasonable and defensible. She explains why social justice matters in teacher education, provides a definition of the term dispositions and discusses why programs of teacher education must attend to them, and gives examples of practices used at one institution to assess teacher candidates' dispositions related to social justice to illustrate that such assessment can be done in a fair and principled manner. The author concludes that underlying the dispositions debate is an all-out war to define the goals of public education, the role of teachers, the nature of knowledge, and conceptions of learning, teaching, and learning to teach.

Richard M.Ingersoll and Thomas M.Smith (2004) studied 'Do Teacher Induction and Mentoring Matter?'.  This reveal that in  recent years there has been a growing interest in support, guidance, and orientation programs-collectively known as induction-for beginning elementary and secondary teachers during the transition into their first teaching jobs. This study examines whether such supports have a positive effect on the retention of beginning teachers. The study also focuses on different types and components of induction, including mentoring programs, collective group activities, and the provision of extra resources and reduced workloads. The results indicate that beginning teachers who were provided with multiple supports, were less likely to move to other schools and less likely to leave the teaching occupation altogether after their first year. Some forms of assistance and support, however, did not appear to increase beginners' retention.

          Basavayya (2000) studied indicators of learners achievement in Secondary Schools of Karnataka observed that the socio-economic status, percentage of SC/ST, teachers qualification, percentage of female teachers, pupil-teacher ratio, giving tests and feedback are the major indicators.  He also opined that giving tests and feed back to the pupils could affect the achievement substantially.

Kaur (1988) found that in-service education and training of teachers had significantly contributed to the development of professional competency in Punjab and the process and structure variables had a positive bearing on the product variables.  Teaching competency has a positive correlation both with the process and structure variables.  In-service education was useful in improving the skills of teachers and had a positive effect on their attitude towards teaching.

          Lakshminarayan (2000) also indicated that there is a significant influence of attitudes of primary teachers towards teaching on their teaching competence in DPEP and Non-DPEP districts.  His research study reveals that the teaching competency of teachers was influenced by motivation, attitude towards teaching and adjustment of primary teachers in both DPEP and Non-DPEP districts.

Mrunalini (2000) studied the indicators of learning at early childhood for better future educations observed that majority of the teachers were not interested in conventional practices at early childhood education.  Teachers ideal schools were happy with the practices and could get good feedback from the parents.  Children enjoy learning in an ideal school when compared to conventional mode of learning.

Chunmei Yan (2007) studied 'Teachers' Needs: An Important Factor for Longer-Term Sustainability of Cross-cultural inset Programmes'.  This study has looked at the trainees' perspectives on a cross-cultural INSET initiative in China. Trainees' expectations of the programme and their views of the programme were investigated. It was found that a training programme needed to take into account teachers' practical needs to enhance its longer-term sustainability. Good quality of training would depend on the degree of fitness between the course itself and the expectations of trainees. Therefore, training programmes need to constantly adjust their delivery mode, course content and methodology to suit teachers' needs.

In Hayes' terms, we miss much by focusing only on courses, we will miss less if we also consider the school context of implementation, but we will only arrive at anything like a full understanding of the processes of in-service teacher development if we consider the teacher's personal biography, situated within its socio-educational context. To illustrate this in a down-to-earth way, the analogy of a restaurant (Yan 2005) seems to be appropriate. The preferences of customers count more than the flavours and tastes of the dishes. If customers' likes and dislikes are disregarded, the food, however tasty, will be disappointingly unwelcome. As a result, the expectations and preferences of customers, which have inevitably resulted from their own long-established dieting habits, need to be taken into serious consideration.  It should be acknowledged that the sensible attitude towards teachers' ‘practical-mindedness' is to face it head-on and invite them to speak for themselves by sponsoring their voice (Goodson1994: 31). It should also be acknowledged that in order to satisfy teachers' needs entails roles and actions of the project team in terms of flexibility in course delivery and follow-up support on the one hand, and financial and political support of the two governments to both the project team and teachers (including institutions) on the other hand, otherwise training programmes would fail to serve their purpose.

Daniel L.Duke (1990) studied 'Developing Teacher Evaluation Systems that Promote Professional Growth'.  The author stated that the article opens with an analysis of individual characteristics associated with professional growth.  It goes on to look at organizational characteristics that facilitate growth.  Further he stated that how growth-oriented teacher evaluation systems can be designed.  Examples of three different types of growth-oriented teacher evaluation systems follow.  The article concludes with a discussion of some typical problems that are encountered in the process of developing teacher evaluation systems.

Fox, Robert D. and Holland, Brian (2002) studied 'Continuing Professional Education'.  According to the authors that Continuing professional education (CPE) is a requirement for professional competence as professionals encounter new problems and professional schools develop new knowledge and new ways of performing professional roles to meet the problems of practice. The practices of disseminating information, correcting errors in professional performance, and renewing the fund of knowledge and skills of professionals are essential if professionals are to maintain a high level of proficiency over thirty or forty years of practice beyond their formal, pre-professional education programs. For CPE to succeed it must continue to focus on providing learning opportunities that meet professional needs and practice problems while promoting the adoption of new knowledge and skills.

Sibel Somyurek, Bilal Atasoy and Selcuk Ozdemir (2009) studied 'Board's IQ: What makes a board smart?'.  In this study the amount of investment that has been made in interactive whiteboards (IWB) in the Turkish educational system during the past several years is quite striking. This investment is part of a plan to integrate information and communication technologies (ICT) into the Turkish educational system, with the goal of increasing the qualitative and quantitative aspects of schooling. Prior to IWB investments, hundreds of thousands of computers, projectors, and printers were distributed to schools in efforts to raise a generation able to respond to the demands of the 21st century. In addition, 98% of secondary school students and 93% of primary school students were provided with Internet access via ADSL. The aim of this study is to analyze the emerging trend of smart board investment in Turkish primary and secondary schools, with consideration of problems that hinder the effective use of IWBs in classrooms as compared to previous ICT integration efforts by the Ministry of National Education. The research is designed as an evaluative case study. The required data are collected through online questionnaires, teacher and pupil interviews, and document searches from teachers and students from various Turkish primary and secondary schools. It is not surprising that the factors hindering the use of IWBs in education are similar to the inhibiting factors in previous ICT integration projects. The findings show that when the needs for in-service training, digital education materials, support, maintenance, and administration are not addressed, educational ICT is unlikely to deliver the expected results.

          Anuradha Joshi and Preethidar Parija (1996) in their study ‘Personality, a correlate of teaching competency attempted to study the personality characteristics of teacher trainees (pupil-teachers) and to establish relationship between personality characteristics and teaching competency.  In this study they made a mention about the recommendation of Kothari Commission (1964) as ‘the professional preparation of teachers should be treated as the key area, which facilitates to enhance professional competency and promote educational development'. 

          Chachya (1974) showed significant relationship of sex, age, adjustment and personality with teaching effectiveness can be quoted as an allied research.

          Gupta (1979) reported that adjustment, health, academic achievement, professional attitude and personality are the determinant aspects of successful and effective teaching is also a related research study.

National Policy on Education (1986) emphasized to provide extensive knowledge with better intellectual ability and to develop interest and attitude towards teaching.

Uday Koundinya (1999) in his study ‘professional competency and its impact on professional pleasure' made an elaborate attempt by standardizing tools (Uday Koundinya), Professional Pleasure Measuring Tool (PPMT) and Savan's Professional Competency Scale (PCS) with an intention to identify the nature of professional competency and professional pleasure and to investigate the nature and intensity of prevailing professional competency and professional pleasure.  The study had revealed certain results, which can be useful in many areas of education.

          An attempt was made by the investigator to study the impact of professional competency on professional pleasure taking the intervening variables like sex, locality and age (demographic variables), educational qualifications, professional qualifications, designation, experience, type of institution and type of management (professional variables) on a sample of 300 secondary school teachers and 100 teacher educators, working different educational institutions imparting teacher education.  The research findings are - 

(1) Male Teachers are slightly more professional competent. (2) Teachers and Teacher Educators with high educational qualifications are more professionally competent. (3) Teacher Educators with high designation are highly competent. (4) Variables like locality, teaching experience and age do not influence professional competency. (5) Type of institution has ‘a-say' on professional competency. (6) Similar findings are noticed with sex, designation and type of institution influencing professional pleasure. (7) Variables locality, experience and age do not influence professional pleasure. (8) The number of teacher educators and teachers, who possess maximum professional pleasure is more than the number of teachers and teacher educators who possess maximum professional competency. 9. A high significant positive relationship (0.74) exists between professional competency and professional pleasure.

    

 

Need for the study:

          The investigator felt the need to pose some teaching queries before initiating the humble piece of research study.

          What are the various factors which proven and influence in-service orientation programmes?

          How teachers can be classified into various categories based on their professional competency?

          Do differences exist among the teachers in possession of professional competency?

          Is there any significant impact of orientation programmes on professional competency?

          What are the various areas of Orientation Programmes which influence the teacher to participate actively?

          Do all the teachers possess the same type of attitude towards Orientation Programmes?

          Do Orientation Programmes really act as effective means to enhance professional competency?

          Does Orientation Programmes really act as means of promoting Professional Competency?

          The answers to the above queries may reveal some kind of interesting conclusions.  To make a probe into the problem, the investigator has decided to restrict his study on selected sample of teachers working in Secondary Schools in Vizianagaram District.  The investigator made use of ‘Survey Method' to pursue the research.  To measure the extent and level of professional competency among the sample and to assess and evaluate the attitudes of selected sample of teachers on the Orientation Programmes, the investigator made use of the questionnaire as an inquiry form (Vide appendix), which helps as a tool to arrive at the abundant information about the research problem.

 

Problem of the study:

          The investigator is decided to make a probe into ‘A Study on the impact of Orientation Programmes on Professional Competency among Teachers working in Secondary Schools in Vizianagaram District' so as to examine the level and extent of orientation programmes, different strategies the effective teacher adoptions and as a result how best do the teacher changes his attitude to implement new strategies and enrich himself in his professional skills.

 

Objectives of the Study:

• To study the relationship between Orientation Programmes – Teacher attitude and Teacher Professional Competency.
• To study the relationship between the dimensions viz., Organizational, Implementation, Feedback and Job Oriented aspects of Orientation Programmes.
• To study the relationship between the dimensions of viz., activity based teaching and hurdles in teaching; child centered practices; Teaching learning materials and display; Evaluation strategies and remedial techniques and Novel strategies of Teacher Professional Competency.
• To study the relationship between inter and intra-dimensions of Orientation Programmes – Teacher Attitude and Teacher Professional Competency.
• To measure the significance of difference between the demographic variables like sex, locality, age and marital status of Orientation Programmes – Teacher Attitude and Professional Competency.
• To measure the significance of difference between the professional variables like qualifications, experience, Type of Management of Orientation Programmes – Teacher Attitude and Professional Competency.
•  

Hypotheses:

Modern investigators uniquely agree that whenever possible research comes to light that it should be from a hypothesis only.  The investigation into a problem without hypothesis is aimless.   In the words of D.Van Dalen, ‘a hypothesis serves as a powerful beacon that light the way of the research worker'.  According to Good, Bar, Scates, D.E., ‘the hypothesis serves the important functions of linking together related facts and information and organizing them into meaningful wholes'.  Carter, V.Good thinks that by guiding the investigator into further investigation, the hypotheses as the ‘eye' in seeking answering to tentatively adopted generalization.

1. There is no significance of relationship between Orientation Programme – Teacher Attitude and Teacher Professional Competency.
2. There is no significance of relationship between the dimensions of Orientation Programme – Teacher Attitude (OP – TAS).
3. There is no significance of relationship between the dimensions of Teacher Professional Competency.
4. There is no significance of relationship between inter and intra-dimensions of Orientation Programmes – Teacher Attitude and Teacher Professional Competency.
5. There is no significance of difference between the demographic variables like sex, locality, age and marital status of Orientation Programmes – Teacher Attitude and Professional Competency.
6. There is no significance of difference between the professional variables like qualifications, experience, Type of Management of Orientation Programmes – Teacher Attitude and Professional Competency.
7.  

Sample:

     The sample selected for the investigation consisted of 146 of Secondary School Teachers in Vizianagaram District of Andhra Pradesh.  Random sampling technique is followed to draw the sample for the present study.  The sample is categorized as Demographic variables and Professional Variables.

The Demographic variables is includes Sex, Locality, Age and Marital Status of the Teachers.  Professional variables is consists of Qualification, Experience and Type of Management of the Institution.

Tools Description:

(1) Orientation Programmes –  Teacher Attitude Scale(OP-TAS):

 

          It was designed and developed by G.V.B.S.N.Raju (2004) for the purpose of his M.Phil Degree.  This tool has all necessary qualities of a good rating scale.  There are 35 items in the scale having both positive, negative items covering four aspects of Orientation Programmes such as Organizational, Implementation, Feedback and Job oriented aspects.

This is a three-point scale viz., Strongly Agree (SDA), Agree (A) and Strongly Disagree (SDA) mentioned against each statement of the tool.  Instructions are given on the cover page of the rating scale clearly to furnish their personal data.

 

Scoring:

          The responses of the teachers are scored according to the key ‘Positive' items the weightages will be awarded 3 to 1 (3 for Strongly Agree, 2 for Agree and 1 for Strongly Disagree), while in the case of ‘Negative' items, the weightages will be given 1 to 3 (i.e., 1 for Strongly Agree, 2 for Agree and 3 for Strongly Disagree).  Thus the maximum possible score is 105 and minimum possible score is 35.

 

(2) Savan's Professional Competency Scale (PCS):

          It is a self-evaluated scale comprises of 35 items.  Against each items viz., Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Neutral (N), Disagree (DA).  This tool was designed, standardized and made use of by Dr.Udayagiri Nageswara Rao.  Savan's Professional Competency was constructed with five dimensions viz., Activity Based Teaching and hurdles in Teaching, Child Centered Practices, Teaching Learning Materials and Display, Evaluation Strategies and Remedial Techniques and Novel Strategies.

          This tool is constructed with Likert Type 5-point Scale viz., SA-Strongly Agree; A-Agree, N-Neutral, DA-Disagree and SDA-Strongly Disagree.  The weightages will be given in respect of positive statements i.e., 5 for Strongly Agree, 4 for Agree, 3 for Neutral, 2 for Disagree and 1 for Strongly Disagree, while in the case of weightages will be awarded from 5 to 1 respectively.  Thus the total score will be in between 35 to 175.

Procedure adopted:

           In order to test the hypotheses the investigator is planned and executed in four phases –

• Development and standardization of Orientation Programme – Teacher Attitude Scale (OP-TAS) and Professional Competency Scale (PCS).
• Measurement of Teachers opinion with the help of above two self-rating scales.
• Using appropriate statistical procedure is adopted to find out the significance of relationship between OP-TAS (Orientation Programmes – Teacher Attitude Scale) and PCS (Professional Competency Scale).
• Using appropriate statistical procedure is adopted to find out the significance of difference between demographic as well as professional variables of OP-TAS and PCS.
•  

 Analysis of Data:

          The hypotheses which were framed keeping the demographic variables and professional variables viz., Sex, Locality, Age, Marital Status – Qualification, Experience and Type of Management of Institution were taken into account.

          The collected data was analyzed and the results were interpreted.  The statistical aspects like mean, Standard Deviation and Critical Ratios was interpreted.

          For studying the Inter and Intra-relationship between the aspects of OP-TAS and PCS Pearson's Product Moment calculation are calculated for Odd-Even items of rating scales and their reliability indices are computed by using Spearman Brown Prophecy Formula.  Co-efficient correlation for all the dimensions is also calculated.

 

Delimitations of the Study:

          This study is confined and limited to the Teachers working in Secondary Schools in Bobbili, Pachipenta and Denkada Z.P.s only in Vizianagaram District.

          To measure the OP-TAS (Orientation Programmes – Teacher Attitude Scale), the dimensions like Implementation, Feedback and Job-Oriented aspects are covered.

To measure the Professional Competency Scale (PCS), the dimensions viz., Activity based teaching and hurdles in Teaching, Child Centered Practices, Teaching Learning Materials and Display, Evaluation Strategies and remedial techniques and Novel strategies aspects are taken into account.

          To study the significance of difference the demographic and professional variables like – Sex, Locality, Age, Marital Status – Qualification, Experience and Type of Management of the Institution are taken into consideration.

 

CONCLUSIONS:

The results are presented and all the hypotheses of the study are tested and verified.  The implications of the results are analyzed and interpreted in relation to the problem of the study, immediately after each hypothesis is tested.  The analysis of any study should be based on suitable statistical treatment.  Further, the measurements of variables undertaken for the study should be presented clearly and precisely.  Accordingly, the results are analyzed and presented.  After the thorough discussions made earlier on the aspects OP-TAS and PCS, the following conclusions are arrived at.

1. There is significant relationship between OP-TAS (Orientation Programmes – Teacher Professional Competency Scale and PCS (Professional Competency Scale).
2. There is significant relationship between the dimensions of Orientation Programme – Teacher Professional Competency Scale (PCS)/

 

1. There is significant relationship between the dimensions of Teacher Professional Competency Scale.

 

1. There is significant relationship between the dimensions of OP-TAS and PCS.

Orientation Programmes – Teacher Attitude Scale (OP-TAS):

1. There is significance of difference between Male and Female Secondary School Teachers. The mean value possessed by Female Teachers is greater than their counterparts i.e., Male Teachers.
2. There is significance of difference between Rural and Urban are Secondary School Teachers.  The mean value obtained by Urban area School Teachers is greater than the Teachers of Rural area Schools.

 

1.  There is significance of difference between below 35 years and above 35 years age Secondary School Teachers.  The mean value obtained by below 35 years age Secondary School Teachers is greater than their counterparts i.e., above 35 years age Secondary School Teachers.

 

1. There significance of difference between Married and Unmarried Secondary School Teachers.  Unmarried teachers possessed higher mean than their counterparts i.e., Married Teachers.

 

1. There is no significance of difference between the Teachers of TTC with Inter and TTC with degree.

 

1. There is significance of difference between the Teachers of TTC with Inter and B.Ed., with Degree.  The mean value possessed by the Teachers of B.Ed., with Degree is greater than that of the Teachers of TTC with Inter.

 

1. There is no significance of difference between the Teachers possessed TTC with Inter and B.Ed., PG Degree.   

 

1. There is significance of difference between the Teachers possessed TTC with Degree and B.Ed., with Degree.  The mean value obtained by the Teachers possessed B.Ed., with Degree is higher than the mean value obtained by the Teachers possessed TTC with Degree.

 

1. There is no significance of difference between the Teachers possessed TTC with Degree and B.Ed., with PG Degree.

 

1. There is no significance difference between the Teachers possessed B.Ed., with Degree and B.Ed., with PG Degree.

 

1. There is significance of difference between the Teachers of below 20 years experience and above 20 years experience.  The mean value obtained by the Teachers of below 20 years experience possessed higher mean than their counterparts i.e., above 20 years experience teachers.

 

1. There is significance of difference between the Teachers of Z.P. Secondary Schools and Municipal Secondary Schools.  The mean value obtained by Z.P. Secondary School Teachers is greater than that of Municipal Secondary School Teachers.

 

1. There is no significance of difference between the Teachers of Z.P. Secondary Schools and Government Secondary Schools.  

 

1. There is significance of difference between the Teachers of Z.P. Secondary Schools and Private Aided Secondary Schools.  The mean value obtained by Private Aided Secondary Schools is greater than the Teachers of Z.P. Secondary Schools.

 

1. There is significance of difference between the Teachers of Municipal Secondary School Teachers and Government Secondary School Teachers.  The mean value possessed by the Teachers of Government Secondary Schools is greater than that of the Teachers of Municipal Secondary School Teachers.

 

1. There is significance of difference between the Teachers of Municipal Secondary School Teachers and Private Aided Secondary School Teachers.  The mean value obtained by Private Aided Secondary School Teachers is greater than that of Municipal Secondary School Teachers.

Professional Competency Scale (PCS):

1. There is significance of difference between Male and Female Secondary School Teachers. The mean value possessed by Male Teachers is greater than their counterparts i.e., Female Teachers.

 

1. There is no significance of difference between Rural and Urban are Secondary School Teachers.

 

1. There is significance of difference between below 35 years and above 35 years age Secondary School Teachers.  The mean value obtained by below 35 years age Secondary School Teachers is greater than their counterparts i.e., above 35 years age Secondary School Teachers.

 

1. There significance of difference between Married and Unmarried Secondary School Teachers.  Married teachers possessed higher mean than their counterparts i.e., Unmarried Teachers.

 

1. There is no significance of difference between the Teachers possessed TTC with Inter and TTC with degree.

 

1. There is no significance of difference between the Teachers possessed TTC with Inter and B.Ed., with Degree.  

 

1. There is no significance of difference between the Teachers possessed TTC with Inter and B.Ed., PG Degree.  

 

1. There is no significance of difference between the Teachers possessed TTC with Degree and B.Ed., with Degree. 

 

1. There is no significance of difference between the Teachers possessed TTC with Degree and B.Ed., with PG Degree.

 

1. There is no significance difference between the Teachers possessed B.Ed., with Degree and B.Ed., with PG Degree.

 

1. There is significance of difference between the Teachers of below 20 years experience and above 20 years experience.  The mean value obtained by the Teachers of above 20 years experience possessed higher mean than their counterparts i.e., below 20 years experience teachers.

 

1. There is significance of difference between the Teachers of Z.P. Secondary Schools and Municipal Secondary Schools.  The mean value obtained by Municipal Secondary School Teachers is greater than that of Z.P. Secondary School Teachers.

 

1. There is significance of difference between the Teachers of Z.P. Secondary Schools and Government Secondary Schools.  The mean value obtained by Government Secondary Schools is greater than that of Z.P. Secondary School Teachers.

 

1. There is significance of difference between the Teachers of Z.P. Secondary Schools and Private Aided Secondary Schools.  The mean value obtained by the Private Aided Secondary School Teachers is greater than that of Z.P. Secondary School Teachers.

 

1. There is no significance of difference between the Teachers of Municipal Secondary School Teachers and Government Secondary School Teachers.   

 

1. There is no significance of difference between the Teachers of Municipal Secondary Schools and Private Aided Secondary Schools.

 

1. There is no significance of difference between the Teachers of Government Secondary Schools and Private Aided Secondary Schools.

 

Implications of the Study:

          This study reveals that the ‘Orientation Programmes – Teachers Attitude Scale (OP-TAS)' plays a pivotal role in the teaching learning process.  The dimensions of OP-TAS viz., Organizational, Implementation, Feedback and Job oriented aspects influence the Professional Competency.  Similarly, the dimensions in respect of Professional Competency viz., Activity based teaching and hurdles in teaching, Child centered practices, teaching learning materials and display, evaluation strategies and remedial techniques, novel strategies are played a pivotal role in enhancing the competency among the Secondary School Teachers in their Profession.

          In the present study the demographic variables like Sex, Locality, Age and Marital status of the Teachers in respect of OP-TAS differed significantly.  Similarly, the professional variables like Qualification, Experience and Type of Management of the Institution of the Teachers also possessed significance of difference in their attitude towards OP-TAS.  This clearly indicates that the Educational Planners and Administrators are required to mould their academic programmes taking the attitude of the Secondary School Teachers towards OP-TAS into consideration, so as to achieve the National Objectives in Secondary Education.

          Further, it is interesting to note that the demographic variables like Sex, Age and Marital Status of teachers shows the significance of difference in their Professional Competency.  In respect of locality i.e., Rural and Urban area Secondary School Teachers are differed significantly.  Similarly, in respect of Professional variables like Qualification did not play significant role.  In the case of Teachers of different experience shows significance of difference in their Professional Competency. 

          The type of Management of Institution viz., it is interested to note that Municipal School Teachers are differed with Z.P. School Teachers; Government School Teachers are differed with Z.P. Secondary School Teachers and Private Aided School Teachers are differed with Z.P. Secondary School Teachers, where no significance of difference is found between the Teachers of other management Schools.  This indicates the Teachers working in Z.P. Secondary Schools have less Professional Competency than the Teachers working in other management Schools.

          In this point of view, while implementing the academic programmes to achieve the educational tasks, it is inevitable for the Educational Planners and Administrators to probe the causes of deviation between the different category of demographic and Professional variables of Secondary School Teachers reconsidered while planning the academic activities.

          Moreover, necessary research is also needed to go through the environmental problems so as to ascertain the causes of deviations between the Teachers towards OP-TAS in relation to Professional Competency.

          Thus, the study establishes the significance of relationship between OP-TAS (Orientation Programme – Teacher Attitude Scale) and PCS (Professional Competency Scale) among the Secondary School Teachers in Vizianagaram District. 

 

Suggestions for further Research:

          This study may be extended to Secondary and higher education.

          Product variables may be compared with the obtained presage and process variables.

 

          Relationship between OP-TAS and Teacher Effectiveness may be studied.

          Comparative study may be undertaken between Professional Competency and Stress.

          Another study may be undertaken to probe the relationship between OP-TAS and Professional Competency with reference to Classroom Climate as well as School Climate.

          A comparative study between Teacher Professional Competency and Teacher Teaching Competency among Secondary Schools is quite useful to obtain the accurate professional relevancy.

 

 

 

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About the Author

1. Dr. N.V.S.SURYANARAYANA : The author is an renowned personality in the field of Education. Presently he is working as Faculty in the Department of Education, Andhra University Campus, Vizianagaram. He has rich experience in the field of Teacher Education about a decade at Post Degree and PG level. He is very much fascinated to Psychology and possess much interested in Educational Psychology and Guidance & Counseling. He participated in so many National and International Seminars, Workshops, Refresher Courses, Symposia's and published so many articles in reputed Journals. He produced a number of M.Ed and M.Phil Dissertations.He wrote so many books on recent trends in education and innovative Psychological concepts. He is having Lifetime memberships in various alleged Associations. E-Mail: suryanarayana_nvs@yahoo.com, Mobile : +91 94403 48609, +91 7893136613. Res. (08922) 229339

 

2. Mrs. GOTETI HIMABINDU : The author is a well qualified Teacher and posses good experience in the field of teaching and Research. She has great interest in the field of Education/Psychology/Politics and Contemporary issues and she is doing Educational/ Career Counseling. Now she is working as a Faculty in the Department of Political Science, Andhra University Campus, Vizianagaram. She participated in so many National and International Seminars, Workshops, Refresher Courses, Symposia's and published so many articles in reputed Journals.  E-Mail: gotetihimabindu@yahoo.com  and Mobile : +91 9490622526.