 NATIONAL COUNCIL OF EDUCATIONAL
 RESEARCH AND TRAINING

The National Council of Educational Research and Training, the professional arm of the Union Ministry of Education, now has a total of 11 Departments in its National Institute of Education (NIE). They are: (1) Department of Basic Education; (2) Department of Adult Education; (3) Department of Science Education; (4) Department of Audio-Visual Education; (5) Central Science Workshop; (6) Department of Teacher Education; (7) Department of Curriculum and Evaluation; (8) Department of Psychological Foundations; (9) Department of Educational Administration; (10) Department of the Foundations of Education; and (11) Department of Field Services. There are also the Educational Survey Unit and the Central Institute of Education. Finally there are the four Regional Colleges of Education. The Council Secretariat includes, in addition to its Administrative sections a Technical section, a Planning section and a Publication Unit.

2. The National Council's activities relate at present pri- marily to school education in four major sectors: (1) educational research; (2) training in education-pre-service and in-service; (3) extension work in relation to education; and (4) the production of educational literature.

I. RESEARCH

3. Under the International Cooperative Research Programme of the U.S. Office of Education, NCERT has undertaken to carry out nine research projects on significant subjects in education. All the nine have been completed and their reports are being assessed by the National Council. They are : (1) a survey of secondary schools in India; (2) curriculum for teaching of mathematics in higher secondary schools; (3) evaluative criteria

for inspection and supervision of secondary schools; (4) achievement motive in high schools and training for it; (5) wastage and stagnation in primary, middle and secondary schools; (6) a study of costs of education in India during 1951-61; (7) scholastic aptitude tests in Hindi for classes VIII and XI; (8) identification and incidence of talent in elementary and secondary schools; and (9) survey of achievement in mathematics at three levels of school education.

4. The Department of Phychological Foundation

has carried out a large number of research projects, the most important of which are mentioned below:

(i) Achievement Motive in High School Boys and Training for It :

The study suggests that the level of achievement motivation of our high school boys in Delhi is more or less comparable with that in similar age-groups in the USA and Germany. It is also found that boys belonging to lower socio-economic sections of the community tend to show a higher level of motivation than is usually found in Western countries. Experiments with teacher training to increase students motivation to improve their level of performance, showed positive results. However, similar experiments will have to be carried out with other groups to test these findings.

(ii) Scholastic Aptitude Test in Hindi for Grades VIII and XI:

The objective of this project is to develop standardized tests for measuring scholastic aptitude at the end of grades VIII and XI. Apart from the research use of such tests, these will be useful in the guidance of pupils.

(iii) Mathematics Achievement Survey:

The project aims at the construction of mathematics achievement test at three school levels of education-primary, middle and secondary-in different regional languages and then to make a survey of achievement in mathematics in various States all over India.

(iv) Identification of Talent in Elementary and Secon- dary Schools:

The aim of this project is to develop

tests and tools in a phased manner for the identification of talents in the elementary and secondary schools of Hindi- speaking areas.

(v) Development Norms Projects:

There is little knowledge of the pattern of development of Indian children. For teacher training and for curriculum planning such knowledge is essential. In order to develop this knowledge a project was started in 1964, the aim of which was to study, with the help of an adaptation of Gesell scale, how children between two and a half and five years, living in urban, semi- urban, and rural areas in India, are growing.

(vi) Co-operative Test Development Project:

The project seeks to develop two tests in the regional languages, a verbal test of intelligence for the age-group 7+ to 16+ and a vocational interest inventory for the age-range 14 to 25 years. These will help educational research as well as the guidance of students.

5. The Department of Curriculum and Evaluation

has completed two studies; (1) a pilot study of sentence patterns and spoken vocabularly in Hindi at the primary stage, and (ii) leisure- time activities of students in seven countries. It has taken up a study of private candidates in high and higher secondary classes. A brief account of some of the projects on hand is given below:

(i) Statewide, Project of Internal Assessment:

The first phase of the project on the improvement of procedures of internal assessment in Rajasthan has been completed. On the basis of this project a detailed plan for the introduction of improved internal assessment in Rajasthan has been developed for the State Board of Secondary Education from the academic year 1967-68.

(ii) Examination Reform:

During 1966-67, seven more States, namely, Delhi (Central Board), Bihar, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Madras, West Bengal and Assam initiated programmes of examination reform.

In Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where the Boards of Secondary Education had already undertaken such programme in the main school subjects, it was extended to social sciences, i.e., civics, economics, history and geography.

6. The Department also worked with the Demonstration Multipurpose Schools of the Regional Colleges of Education towards the adoption of a good evaluation pattern in individual schools. It worked with the Central Board of Education on the pattern of Part III of the final examination in these schools, which will be conducted for the first time in 1967. The Department also worked with a group of 20 higher secondary schools of Delhi towards the improvement of their school examinations.

7. Moreover, the Department has prepared three brochures on conducting practical examinations in science subjects in Rajasthan for the guidance of science teachers. As a follow-up to this project, the Rajasthan Board has decided to change its procedure of conducting practical examinations in science subjects with effect from the 1967- 68 examination.

8. The Department of Educational Administration

has completed a study on 'Wastage and Stagnation in Primary and Middle Schools in India'. It has undertaken a study of the administrative organisation of educational system in the various States. This study, which was started in April, 1965, has been extended, during the, period under report, to Andhra Pradesh, Mysore, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir. The reports for Andhra Pradesh and Mysore have been released and those for Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir are being completed.

Moreover, evaluative criteria and supervisory proforma for inspection and supervision of elementary schools have been finalised.

9. The Department of Teacher Education

is conducting the second survey of teacher education at secondary level and an all-India survey of teacher training institutions at primary level.

10. The Department of Basic Education

has conducted a study on the 'Identification of Causes of Resistance to Basic

Education. It has also studied the teaching of arithmetic in the first three grades of Basic schools in Delhi. The Department has taken up a few studies, such as (i) a study of the craft work and their productivity as practised in the Basic schools of Gujarat State, (ii) a study to evaluate the programme of orientation of non-Basic schools to the Basic pattern, (iii) a study to make a comprehensive survey of the existing conditions. Of teacher-training institutions of West Bengal.

11. The Department has also taken up a major study on 'Framing Syllabi in Arts and Crafts' and preparing 'Curriculum, Guides'. A syllabus in art for elementary schools has been drawn up and its curriculum guide has been prepared. The curriculm guides in crafts are being tried out in ten schools of Delhi.

12. The Department of Field Services

had been working on two major research projects: (i) a survey of secondary schools in India; and (ii) the development of evaluative criteria for the inspection and supervision of, secondary schools. The report of the first survey, which is based on a sample of ten per cent of the secondary schools in India involving 1,997 institutions and 30,470 teachers, has been finalised. The second project has also been completed.

13. The Department of the Foundations of Education

has completed a project on 'Education and War Emergencies'--a comparative study of the effects of war on education in five countries, the UK, the USA, Germany, Japan and India. Some of the research projects in progress include: (i) values in modern Indian educational thought; (ii) pragmatic trends in Indian education-mediaeval and modern period; (iii) linguistic controversy and its effects on Indian education-in historical perspective; (iv) education and modernisation-a sociological study of how education leads to the, modernising attitude among the university students of Delhi; and (v) cost analysis and efficiency of secondary education in Delhi-a pilot survey.

14. The Department of Audio-Visual Education

has taken up a number of studies, some of which are: (i) a study of the audiovisual materials and equipment available at the extension services centres/units of post-graduate training colleges in. India; (ii) a study of the audio-visual potentialities of secondary

schools and post-graduate teacher-training colleges in India ; and (iii) a study of the preferences of children in standards V, VI and VII towards drawings as distinct from photographs.

15. The Central Institute of Education

has completed the project of emotional instability as a factor in scholastic retardation amongst students of above-average intelligence.

16. The scheme of giving Grant-in-Aid

to educational institutions and individuals for approved research projects was con- tinued under which forty-nine projects were in progress during the period under report.

II. TRAINING

17. The Department of Science Education,

in collaboration with the United Nations, has started a project for Science and Mathematics Teaching using physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics as separate disciplines at the secondary level. New syllabuses in these subjects have been developed for classes VI-VIII and text materials based on them have been prepared. With the cooperation of the Directorate of Education, Delhi, these syllabuses and text materials were introduced in class VI of 29 schools and in class VII of 11 schools. With the cooperation of the Mother's School (Shri Aurobindo Ashram), the Department has set up a demonstration science- and-mathematics, classroom for middle schools in order to try out new ideas in science.

18. Following an important conference on science education convened in April, 1966, 21 study groups were sanctioned in physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics. Eighteen of these have been established and are functioning at various university centres under, the direction of university professors. The groups are engaged in developing curricular materials in science and mathematics at the school level of education.

19. The Science Talent Search Scheme

was revised to cover the undergraduate, postgraduate and research stages of education also. The quantum of assistance was increased from Rs. 50 and Rs. 75 per month to Rs. 100 per month in all the three years of the first degree course. Three hundred and fifty new

awardees were selected on the basis of the examination and interviews held in 1966. So far, 220 candidates have been accepted. These awardees have joined basic science courses. Sixteen summer schools, lasting one month each, in physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics were held at Delhi, Allahabad, Patna, Bangalore and Bombay and 344 awardees attended them.

20. Good progress has been made on the Unesco experimental project for School Science Equipment for classes VI to VIII, and on the Physical Science Study Kit project for the higher classes. These are continuing projects covering the entire span of secondary, education from class VI to XI, and they are expected to contribute considerably to the improvement of science education in the country.

21. The Central Science Workshop

is taking up the prepara- tion of proto-type kits for Work Experience as envisaged by the Education Commission. The Work Experience kits will take stock of the existing tools and materials for craft-based education in the country, improve them where possible, and supply new items where necessary. The project has begun with a bamboo craft kit which will be tried out in a few schools. Other crafts to be taken on hand are wood, clay and pottery making, ceramics, and metal.

22. The Regional Colleges of Education

form an important part of the activities of the National Council in as much as they represent a new experiment in teacher training. The colleges offer a wide range off courses in which subject matter and pedagogical training are integrated into one process. In addition to the four-year integrated courses for prospective teachers in science and technology, which were started in earlier years, four-year courses in commerce and English have been started during the 1966-67 session. The four-year course in commerce has been started at Mysore, while the four-year. course in English is in operation at Mysore, Bhopal and Bhubaneswar.

23. At present, there are about one lakh untrained teachers in secondary schools. Considering that it is not possible to train this backlog through normal channels, NCERT even has added the programme of summer School-cum-oorrespondence course for the B.Ed. degree from April 1966 in all four

Regional Colleges. The purpose of this new programme is to clear the backlog of untrained graduate teachers. The total duration of this course is 14 months including two summer vacations of two months each, during which candidates are required to live in the campus of a Regional College for an intensive instructional programme. The intervening period of ten months between the two summer vacations is used for supervised field experiences. About 500 untrained teachers have been admitted to this course during 1966-67.

24. Programmes for the development of the Regional Colleges have been prepared and it has been decided that during the fourth Plan period, these colleges should offer a wide range of training facilities, both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels and each college should be developed to the maximum size possible. The enrolment should be determined in relation to the future needs consistent with the maintenance of highest standards of quality. The Demonstration Schools attached to the Regional Colleges are being developed as a laboratory to the Colleges where new methods of teaching and curriculum development are being continuously tried.

25. The Central Institute of Education

has instituted the B.Ed. correspondence course and 245 students have been enrolled for it. The first batch of M.Ed. correspondence students will appear for the university examination in April, 1967. The first batch of M.Ed. (evening) course students will also appear for their university examination in April, 1967.

26. The Department of Teacher Education

started its first nine-month diploma course for elementary teacher educators in August, 1966. The Intensive Teacher Education Programme was started in October, 1966, with a meeting of the principals of selected teachers colleges in Trivandrum. The purpose of this I.T.E.P. is to bring about qualitative improvement in teacher education programme through concentrated effort in a particular area.

27. The Department of Curriculum and Evaluation

conducted a short course to prepare textbooks for school children. It was meant for the nominees of the State departments of education, State institutes of education, boards of secondary education, and training colleges. In all, 21 participants attended the training

programme, the main purpose of which was to develop insight: into the various aspects of textbooks work, e.g., preparation, appraisal, selection and production.

28. An orientation course for teachers, heads of primary schools and teacher trainees from State institutes of education was conducted from February 20 to March 5, 1967. The purpose of this course was to train resource personnel for the new reading materials prepared by the reading project.

29. For the first time, the Language Laboratory organised two intensive remedial-cum--enrichment courses for 60 middle and secondary school teachers of English from Delhi. The courses included lessons on pronunciation, structures and comprehension and were effective in improving the professional. competence of the teacher.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING