Induction Trainings

Induction training is the entry point for the teachers and managers into the teaching profession. The quality of induction training is regarded as a major determinant of the quality of teachers and managers and ultimately of the quality of college management and students’ learning. In the HED Punjab, teachers usually join the teaching profession without any formal training (pre-service teacher education) in teaching methodology, learning psychology and classroom management. Moreover, the majority of college teachers and managers have not received any in-service induction training. They develop teaching skills out of their own experiences or from experiences shared by colleagues. Because of this non-formal and incoherent acquisition of knowledge of teaching-learning paradigms, the mastery on andragogy among the faculty suffers from inadequacy, whereas revolutionary changes have taken place in higher education. Traditional methods of lecturing do not meet the demands of the dissemination of knowledge in classrooms effectively in today’s scenario, where outcome-based education and student-centred teaching are the order of the day. Emergence of a plethora of ICT tools and their usage in teaching learning process have redefined the role of a teacher from a knowledge provider to a learning facilitator. Further, despite becoming experienced in teaching, the teachers are not able to contribute significantly to the academics and academic administration and the all-round development of their institutes due to lack of (i) awareness of the administrative structure, policies and governance of their colleges, (ii) knowledge of the roles of college teachers, and (iii) expertise for student counselling etc.

The curricula of teachers’ successful induction trainings are aligned with standards, educational curricula, and assessment – that are expected to impact educational quality. The most common thematic areas in induction trainings include courses in subject-matter (content knowledge), in teaching techniques (andragogic knowledge), and practical experience. Some scholars prefer to emphasize content-specific andragogy and find no utility in general andragogic content. Others, on the other hand, consider that general pedagogy / andragogy is precisely what is needed for teachers.[1] Induction trainings in some countries also focus on the development of research skills, cognitive skills, behavioural and social sciences and knowledge in learners’ brain development.[2]

In Punjab, induction training was declared mandatory for the newly recruited college teachers and managers, in 2011. Accordingly, the HED Punjab designed induction training program to support the professional development of new teachers, so that they can develop the requisite skills and knowledge that enable them to achieve success.

The analysis of the induction trainings conducted for teachers and managers of colleges, reveals that the trainings have been designed to follow “one size fits all” approach, meaning that teachers of all subjects as well as the managers are imparted induction training on almost the same topics or thematic areas. These trainings focus on general, theoretical contents, traditional andragogic techniques and general administration rules. Such trainings fail to develop the required skills, which teachers and managers actually need. Moreover, the induction trainings do not have practicum component for imparting practical knowledge to trainee teachers and managers. The induction training programmes are not organized and conducted on some established standards and there is no way of accreditation of these programmes.

[1] Schwille, J., Dembélé, M., & Schubert, J. (2007). Global Perspectives on Teacher Learning: Improving Policy and Practice. International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) UNESCO.

[2] Musset, P. (2010), “Initial Teacher Education and Continuing Training Policies in a Comparative Perspective:

Current Practices in OECD Countries and a Literature Review on Potential Effects”, OECD Education Working Papers, No. 48, OECD Publishing.

• Punjab HED and its attached departments

• Job descriptions of Principal, HoD & teachers

• BS & Associate Degree programmes

• BS program: semester vs annual system

• Modes of correspondence

• Conduct rules

• PEEDA act

• Leave rules

• Performance Evaluation Report

• Professional writing

• College management/governance

• First aid & security measures in college

• Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act

• Character Building of Students

• CPD of college teachers

• Institutional development

• Andragogic skills

• Designing a curriculum

• Assessment techniques

• Higher order thinking skills

• Peaceful co-existence, resilience & tolerance

• Inculcating reading habits in students

• Motivating students for use of libraries

• Critical thinking, problem solving, decision making, collaboration etc.

• Theory of Multiple Intelligence

• Classroom management

• Techniques of motivation

• Teaching strategies

• Understanding learners’ needs

• Online teaching & assessment techniques

• Presentation skills

• Communication skills

• Active learning

• Stress management

• Maintenance of labs.

• Life-skills-based education

• ICT (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

• Using Learning Management Systems

• Setting expectations for students and teachers

• Subject-specific sessions

• The list of training modules will be finalized on the basis of training needs assessment. The induction training will also include;

  • • • Assignments (e.g., individual presentations, syndicate works, book review),

      • Sports, where possible

      • Pre-training test

      • Post-training test