An investigation into the structure and conduct of the diploma in education correspondence cource

Abstract

Preparation of teachers for the profession i s a matter of profound s o c i a l concern. The progress, development and q u a l i t y of a nation greatly depends on the teachers who give shape to the personality of the m i l l i o n s i n the country. This c a l l s for systematic and better thought out programmes for the accomplishment of t h e i r tasks expected of the teachers by the s o c i e t y . Over the past few years, the e f f i c i e n c y bar imposed on graduate teachers that they should acquire a post graduate q u a l i f i c a t i o n bore d i r e c t l y on t h e i r economy and created an upsurge i n the numbers who sought to get a post graduate q u a l i f i c a t i o n . The post graduate Diploma i n Education correspondence course was launched to cater to t h i s urgent need. It i s evident that the conduct of t h i s course has not been as systematic as planned and that d i s s a t s i f a c t i o n and f r u s t r a t i o n prevailed among the graduates who sought redress through t h i s course. Moreover the drop out rate at i t s commencement too had averaged about 100 per intake of 450. It i s c l e a r l y known that the success of a course depends l a r g e l y on i t s successful implementation. I t should be able to meet the diverse needs of i t s c l i e n t e l e . The f u l f i l m e n t of diverse needs and expected goals c a l l s for changes i n the d i r e c t i o n , methods and content of the program as and when needed. In such a context, a comprehensive survey of the conduct of course i s v i t a l for i t s improvement and reorganization q u a l i t a t i v e l y . Hence a needs assessment of the graduate teachers who formed the c l i e n t e l e of t h i s correspondence course can be considered important and timely. In t h i s study an attempt i s made to gather data from graduate teachers on the conduct of the course regionwise. The areas that were touched upon as regards t h i s were i t s duration, system of i s s u i n g learning material, organization and adequate of seminars, methods of study, forms of face to face contact, subject a l l o c a t i o n and f i e l d t r a i n i n g . The focus of t h i s study was on the problems they encountered, the usefulness of the course and t h e i r suggestions f o r improvement and re-organizationc Five hundred graduate teachers from two batches-1976/78 &. 1978/79 randomly selected from Colombo, Kandy and G a l l e regions who were the c l i e n t e l e of t h i s course formed the sample of t h i s study. It was i n c l u s i v e of male and female, married and unmarried, r u r al and urban candidates who possessed a teaching experience of I over 11 years» Data was obtained by a mailed questionnaire administered to the e n t i r e sample,out of which 200 responded and by interviews with a selected sample of 32 f o r an indepth study from Kandy and Galle regions. Part I of the questionnaire s o l i c i t e d respondents' biographical data» Part I I of the questionnaire included 42 items covering the 10 main areas or aspects investigated to cover the s i x objectives of t h i s study,as detailed i n the Chapter on Methodology. The questionnaire was an a t t i t u de scale of the L i k e r t type. Examination of each aspect ended with an open-ended question to draw out suggestions from the c l i e n t e l e. V I II The second technique used i n the study,which i s the interview method,formed the basis f o r the indepth study. The items i n the mailed questionnaire guided i n drawing up the interview schedule. Interview data i s presented i n the in-depth study analysis and also where appropriate i n the summary and conclusion of t h i s study. C o r r e l a t i o n a l analysis of data between regions (regionwise) too was possible by t h i s method. This helped to cross check data of the two regions, Kandy and Galle i n the main sample where the response to the mailed questionnaire was l e s s and also with that of Colombo. The interview with M i n i s t r y o f f i c i a l s who conducted this course and the U n i v e r s i t y l e c t u r e r s who were involved i n course a c t i v i t i e s supplied valuable data for the f i n a l analysis «. «r n which i s presented i n summary form i n the conclusion of t h i s study. The findings of t h i s study revealed the absence of a preplanned program of work and the unsystematic nature of course conduct. Though i t was designed for two years, i n actual p r a c t i c e , i t had l a s t e d nearly four years. This dragging on had affected the personal l i v e s and family o b l i g a t i o n s of the c l i e n t e l e resulting?discouragement and drop-outs. Stagnat i o n at the e f f i c i e n c y bar due to delay i n f i n i s h i n g the course, with no s p e c i a l increments i n s a l a r y after completion, has l ed to f r u s t r a t i o n further. This study examined the extent to which t h i s course s a t i s f i e s the p r o f e s s i o n a l needs of these teachers. I t h i g h l i g h ts IX. the lack of opportunity for face to face contact, inadequate guidance and corruption i n the f i e l d t r a i n i n g aspect and the necessity of a learning resource centre. The study reveals that private seminars have been organised by the c l i e n t e le themselves to supplement the inadequacies and drawbacks of seminars organised by the department. This r e f l e c t s that students have not got the optimum benefits from f a c i l i t i es provided i n the course. The indepth study interview revealed the d i f f i c u l t i es the graduate teachers encountered and underwent on a personal l e v e l o Findings i n d i c a t e that f a c i l i t i e s a v a i l a b l e , the co-operation extended by the P r i n c i p a l and the s t a f f to conduct teaching practice d i f f e r from school to school. Evaluation of teaching practice was very subjective, unfair and the negative factors had adversely affected t h e i r performance. The d i s s a t i s f a c t i o n and f r u s t r a t i o n expressed by the c l i e n t e le highlights the extent to which the expected outcomes of correspondence education are not r e a l i s e d i n t h i s course. Preparation of teachers for the profession i s a matter of profound s o c i a l concern. The progress, development and quality of a nation greatly depends on the teachers who give shape to the personality of the m i l l i o n s of students in the country. This c a l l s for systematic and better thought out programmes for the accomplishment of the tasks expected of teachers by society. The standard of student learning could be X raised by upgrading the standard of our teaching profession. Teachers should be made a contented l o t i f they are to perform their duties s a t i s f a c t o r i l y . The course should reach expected targets and ensure teachers job s a t i s f a c t i o n with the l i k e l i h o od of achieving t h e i r numerous a s p i r a t i o n s. In t h i s study the a n a l y s i s indicates that the major problems the c l i e n t e l e encountered were not so much i n the printed material but were i n the conduct and management of the course. Therefore i t i s important and timely that a needs assessment of the c l i e n t e l e be made f o r i n v e s t i g a t i o n into the structure and . conduct of the Diploma i n Education correspondence course with suggestions for remedial measures. . r