IISc(K) pledges to make teachers, the masters

'An average 40 pc progress is registered in performance of teachers after training'

When negative comments on the teaching aptitude, especially in the science stream come to the fore during the announcement of examination results, an initiative taken up by Talent Development Centre, Indian Institute of Science, Kudapura in Chitradurga, gives an answer.

Aiming at improvising the teaching standards, IIS Kudapura has hit the right target, it is evident. The centre has taken a step forward by providing direct training to science teachers in the State so that they can accumulate knowledge par excellence in their respective fields, which will be complimentary in encouraging their students towards advanced studies in science.

“To create excitement in students, teachers should be excited first,” says IIS Kudapura Talent Development Centre Convener M S Hegde, to Deccan Herald. He was in Mangalore to take part in a seminar at Mangalore university.

“Every science teacher teaches as many as 100 to 120 students per year in high schools. It is essential for the students to master the basic science concepts in order to pursue higher studies in science. If the teacher knows the subjects well, he can disseminate the desired knowledge to the students. But if high School level teaching is not up to the mark, the students, after completing their Pre University education with a great difficulty, are compelled to carry out TCH or B.Sc degree, leaving back professional courses. The same degree holders teach high school students, with their limited skills. If the degree holder pursues Post Graduation, he comes back to teach PU students, and the knowledge diminishing cycle moves on,” opines Hegde.

The training

The idea of High School Science Teachers Training Program (HTTP) was initially brought into reality by IISc- Bangalore and the Institute has been giving training for the last 35 years and as many as 100 teachers in each district from Government and wholly Government aided schools have been given intensive training in Science for 10 days, every year.

As the issue of lack of separate space in IISc, to conduct the programme emerged out, the Institute conceived the idea of starting a Talent Development Centre (TDC, IISc) in its second campus at Kudapura, Chellakere, Chitradurga, stretching over 1500 acres and the infrastructure of which ensures all facilities.

The training programme meant for the science teachers from High School to Post Graduate levels, was flagged off in February 2011 at IIS Kudapur. Since then, the training programme is being conducted in two batches every month, except during summer vacations. Indoor games and cultural programmes arranged for teachers, during the course of training sessions, come as an icing on the top.

The 10 day residential programme features a training session of 10-12 hours a day and the sessions are planned to comprise 30 per cent classroom lectures / demonstrations and 70 per cent experiments. i.e., three hour lectures and seven to eight hours of lab experiments, each day. Evaluation of teachers is done through tests, both before and after the training. It is on the record that an average 40 per cent progress is registered in the performance of the teachers after the training. Also, interaction programmes with senior scientists are also held.

Teachers of Government and wholly Government aided Schools/ PU Colleges are the beneficiaries of the training programme and as per the request placed by the IIS TDC (Talent Development Centre) before the Education department to depute the teachers for training.

Accordingly, DDPIs and BEOs through the Heads of the institutions, depute the teachers, so that the total intake of teachers for training doesn’t cross 120.

Creativity personified

All the teachers after theirtraining programme go back with an inspiration towards creating little scientists of the future, owing the credit to IIS Kudapur, which is progressing towards establishing a milestone in the education field.