New Trends in Teacher Education: Study of Effectiveness of the Coaching Scheme

Abstract

PCF10 Sub-theme: Fostering Lifelong Learning // This paper deals with the efficaciousness of a new scheme employed in the Teacher Training Program of YCM Open University. It is the Scheme of Coaching. In this scheme, some practice lessons are supervised by a trainee colleague who also assists him as his partner in teaching, as a friend and guide. This scheme paves a smooth way for transfer of a new teaching method to the normal classroom teaching. // There are two sections in this paper – Introduction to the Scheme of coaching, and a concise report of an Action Research conducted in the area of coaching scheme. // The first section describes the usual Core Training Program. But the University follows the Diagnostic Approach to Micro Teaching. There is a nine-steps training program which concludes with the Coaching Scheme. It is the training strategy developed by Bruce Joyce and Showers Beverley. This paper describes its pedagogical necessity, the actual mode of its implementation, teacher-trainee roles and its benefits. It also elaborates its four characteristics. This section supplies the minimum essential about the scheme. // The second section provides the details of the Action Research conducted in the area of the Coaching Scheme. It studies the effectiveness of the Scheme for conducting the practice lessons. For this investigation, the mixed method was used. The sample consisted of 70 teacher trainees and 10 counselor-cum-resource persons mobilized from two distinct viz. Nashik and Jalgoan. It was selected by the purposive sampling method. The data were collected by using two self-made research tools viz. a questionnaire and an observation schedule. The data that were procure, were quantified and conclusions were drawn. The action research revealed that the self-instructional material for the coaching scheme, developed by the University is useful to the teacher trainees, the material provides adequate guidance for practice-lessons and the coaching scheme is useful to theme. Other relate observations pertain to practical difficulties of study centers in implementing the scheme, the approach of the trainees and interest of schools in the scheme. It has been useful to the school of education in better implementation of the scheme. // Paper ID 5819