distance education in early childhood teacher...

Distance Education in Early Childhood Teacher Preparation

Case Study of IGNOU’ s Diploma Programme in

Early Childhood Care & EducationRekha Sharma Sen

with

Pankaj Khare and Pranjali Dev

Presented at 4th National Conference of Association for Early Childhood Education And Development

in collaboration with APU and UNICEF, 7-8 Nov, 2016

Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (DECE)

Objective

To develop knowledge, attitudes and skills of working with young children

Target Group

Professionals and teachers working in crèches, preschools, pre-primary classes, nursery schools, anganwadis, balwadis;

Entrepreneurs who want to set-up ECCE centres or those managing such centres;

parents and others interested in knowing about ECCE

Indira Gandhi National Open University

Launched in: 1995

Eligibility: 10 + 2 or equivalent

Medium of Instruction: English, Hindi and Tamil

Time duration: Minimum 1 years, Maximum 4 years; offered in both January and July cycle

Fees: Rs. 2000/-; Credits: 32 (Th- 18; Practical- 14)

Courses: 4; dealing with development of children, curriculum and pedagogy of ECCE, health and nutrition, disability and inclusion, communication with the community and programme management.

• Offered Through: 220 Study centres (India); 8 (Intnl)


Method

• Quantitative analysis

– N: 38260 students (1995- 2016)

– Source: IGNOU database

• Qualitative analysis

– N: 56 students (2005-2016)

– Source: Student feedback regarding motivation for enrollment, employment status and benefits of programme, through emailed questionnaires followed by telephonic interviews


Quantitative analysis


Enrollment and Study Centres over the years(1995- 2016)


Cumulative Total Enrollment: 38260

16 32 36 78 80 88 13

9

14

5

15

8

18

3

16

7

19

4

16

0

21

4

19

3

19

5

22

2

16

6

17

1

19

3

22

6

22

0

17

0 32

0

30

3 51

1

76

3

65

8

10

86

11

49

20

16

24

22

23

76

29

00

17

93

26

45

27

46

24

77

25

43

20

96

20

56

20

56

25

55

26

19

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

19

95

19

96

19

97

19

98

19

99

20

00

20

01

20

02

20

03

20

04

20

05

20

06

20

07

20

08

20

09

20

10

20

11

20

12

20

13

20

14

20

15

20

16

No of Study Centres No of Students

Of these total students, 224 are students with disability


N= 36635

Gender Profile of Learners (1995- Jan 2016)

Marital Status (1995- Jan 2016)

47%

46%

7%

Unmarried Married DNA


N= 36635

Employment Status at time of enrollment (1995- Jan 2016)


0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

UNEMPLOYED EMPLOYED DNA

76%

22%

2%

N= 36635

Age (2008- Jan, 2016)

Indira Gandhi National Open UniversityN= 20081

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

21-25 26-30 31-35 35-45 < 20 46-55 >55 DNA

25%

20%

17%

14%

11%

1%1%

11%

Location of Learners(1995- Jan 2016)

74%

16%

4%6%

Urban

Rural

Tribal

DNA


N= 36635

Region wide distribution

N= 36635

REGION URBAN % RURAL % TRIBAL % DNA % TOTAL REGION %

North 33.39 7.14 0.21 1.57 42.31

West 22.12 1.70 0.10 1.46 25.37

East 6.71 3.33 3.41 0.71 14.16

South 8.91 3.16 0.02 0.88 12.97

Center 1.45 0.44 0.19 0.06 2.14

International 0.02 0.00 0.00 1.54 1.56

North- East 0.70 0.35 0.22 0.08 1.35

Army 0.09 0.02 0.00 0.02 0.13


International Students

S.No. Country Number of DECE Learners

1 Malawi 306

2 Rwanda 121

3 Uganda 30

4 Somalia 17

5 Qatar 12

6 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 11

7 Singapore 7

8 Lesotho 3

9 Niger 3

10 UAE 3

Total 513


State- wise enrollment (1995- Jan, 2016)9576

4439

35303365

2032167714941484

1247992803796767688572547438391335298237154144 96 95 75 63 61 57 57 49 34 26 13 4

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

DEL

HI

GU

JAR

AT

MA

HA

RA

SHTR

A

JHA

RK

HA

ND

TAM

IL N

AD

U

HIM

AC

HA

L P

RA

DES

H

UTT

AR

PR

AD

ESH

HA

RY

AN

A

RA

JAST

HA

N

BIH

AR

KA

RN

ATA

KA

AN

DH

RA

PR

AD

ESH

PU

DU

CH

ERR

Y

JAM

MU

KA

SHM

IR

INTE

RN

ATI

ON

AL

MA

DH

YA

PR

AD

ESH

OD

ISH

A

WES

T B

ENG

AL

PU

NJA

B

KER

ALA

CH

HA

TTIS

GA

RH

UTT

RA

KH

AN

D

ASS

AM

MA

NIP

UR

CH

AN

DIG

AR

H

GO

A

SIK

KIM

NA

GA

LAN

D

AN

DA

MA

N

MEG

HA

LAY

A

AR

MY

MIZ

OR

AM

AR

UN

AC

HA

L P

RA

DES

H

TRIP

UR

A

DA

MA

N

Indira Gandhi National Open University N= 36635

State- wise enrollment: Salient trends

STATE % ENROLLMENT RANK- ENROLLMENTDELHI 26.14 1

GUJARAT 12.12 2MAHARASHTRA 9.64 3

JHARKHAND 9.18 4TAMIL NADU 5.55 5

KARNATAKA 2.19 11MEGHALAYA 0.16 30MIZORAM 0.09 32

ARUNACHAL PRADESH 0.07 33TRIPURA 0.04 34DAMAN 0.01 35


Highest

Lowest

Social category (1995- Jan 2016)

Indira Gandhi National Open University N= 36635

Medium (2004-2016)

ENGLISH57%

HINDI41%

TAMIL2%

N= 36635


Pass percentage (2008- 2014)

Year of Admission Total Students Passed Pass %age

2008 2645 880 33.27%

2009 2746 852 31.03%

2010 2477 895 36.13%

2011 2543 943 37.08%

2012 2096 645 30.77%

2013 2056 563 27.38%

2014 2056 262 12.74%

Total 16619 5040 30.33%


• Since 1995, 9524 students have completed the programme and have been awarded the Diploma

Years taken to complete the programme (2008- 2014)


33.53%

24.29%

20.10%

7.60%6.25%

3.35% 3.69%

0.75% 0.40% 0.04%0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

35.00%

40.00%

1 yr 1.5 yrs 2 yrs 2.5 yrs 3 yrs 3.5 yrs 4 yrs 4.5 yrs 5 yrs 6 yrs

% ofstudents

Qualitative analysis


Student Feedback56 Learners

7 Completed Diploma

42 In process

13 Enrolled in

January 2016

29 Enrolled in July

2016

7 Left without completing


Questionnaire


29 Learners

6 Completed Diploma

16 In process

5 Enrolled in

January 2016

11Enrolled in July 2016

7 Left without completing

5 Want to re-

register

Telephonic Interviews

Getting to know about DECE

• Recognized private schools- 4

• Unrecognized private schools- 1

• NGO working for ECCE- 1• Private sector ECCE chain-

1

DECE student (Currentor ex )

Other programstudent (Currentor ex )

Employer IGNOU website/ Advt In newspaper/ Prospectus

Any other website

Any other way

Total

12 2 7 31 - 7 56

• Institutions offering face to face NPTT programme, Colleges of home science

• Came across DECE course material. Liked it and enrolled

• Through word of mouth other than ECCE people


Motivations for Enrolling in DECE


PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH CHILDREN (17 learners)

Left demanding

jobs and find ECCE

sector more

suitable for personal

lives

Desiring to be

Entrepreneurs

Unhappy with

current job and want to change

field

Youth who have never

been employed and see

ECCE as a viable career option

Never employed learners

who after settling

their family life want to begin a career

To take

better care of one’s own child

Perceived as

being related to their current

non ECCE field


“Left IT sector job to take care of my

child…. People said that I am good with

young children”

“Working for past 7 yrs in computers- not happy.

Seen business of daycare in family. I think I will

enjoy working with young children”

“Now that my child is grown I feel I can get a

job in this sector”

PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH CHILDREN (39)

Working in ECCE sector

but without degree

and want a degree

Working in ECCE sector and

have degree from a private institute but

want one from a recognized government institution

Expectation of tangible benefit in

present job

(some told by

employer to do

program)

Desiring to be

entrepreneurs

Want a change of

Job

Those wanting

to refresh

knowledge

To take care of

one’sownchild


“Though I have a 9 month face to

face training degree, the principal said that DECE should be done by all

of us 3 teachers”

“I am PG in Clinical Psychology and working since 1997 in pre-primary section; I am eligible to teach pre-primary but wanted to do some course to refresh

my knowledge. ”

Did DECE fulfill learners’ expectations?

(N= 21)

• Yes, For in-service ECCE professionals

• Yes, For entrepreneurs

• Yes, For those in related careers

• Yes, For those wanting to know how to take care of their own children and guide others

• Yes and No, For those wanting a job/ wanting a job with good salary


Enables retaining employment / is a condition for continuing in

employment

Legitimizes years of work experience by enabling students

to obtain a formal degree

Increase in emoluments or post

“Principal told me to do DECE above another course. Said she

will increase my salary.”

Way to refresh knowledge

Yes

FOR IN-SERVICE ECCE PROFESSIONALS


Employer support for ECCE professionals – An Example

South India's largest chain of wholly-owned earlychildcare and learning centres works withchildren aged 6 weeks to 12 yrs. They have 150teachers and about 600 children. They try toselect teachers with some ECCE qualification.They also have their own weekend in-servicetraining programme. They motivate their staff totake up DECE by paying for the fees and assuringthem of a pay hike after completion of theprogramme. Presently 13 teachers of this chainhave completed DECE, 4-5 are about to completeand 10-12 are in process.


• “Opened a children's hobby centre for 4-13 yr olds”Yes

FOR ENTREPRENEURS

• Provides supportive knowledge, enabling learner to effectively work in the chosen non-ECCE career like counselling (of adults, parents), nursing etc.

• These learners feel that DECE will give better all-round understanding of children.

• “I want a career in nursing. Knowing about child psychology will give me better all round understanding of children.”

Yes

FOR OTHER RELATED CAREERS


• Helped in taking care of children in family

• Better understanding about what to feed children, how to take care of them when they are ill.

• “This course was also useful to me during my pregnancy”

Yes, FOR TAKING CARE

OF ONE’S OWN CHILDREN AND GUIDE OTHERS

• Has both success stories and disappointments

• Challenges include:• DECE is not a two year diploma- recognized by

NCTE

• Not enough salary in sector

Yes and No!

FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR A

JOB


Skills developed

through DECE: Students’

Perception

69%

Better able to plan balanced diets for

children

93%

Enhanced skills of working with young children

97%

Better able to understand children's behaviour

55%

Greater awareness about

children with disability

72%

More aware of causes,

prevention and management of

infections diseases


N= 29, who have read SLM

Would the Learner Recommend DECE to others?


N= 29, who have read SLM

Yes

79%

No

14%No response

7%

Some learners said …

• “I have done two courses of 6 month duration each in conventional system. I still chose to do the diploma out of my own interest. I found DECE to be more sensible….while the other courses just said how to work with children, DECE detailed the why- why we do what we do with children.”

• "It is written in a way that is easily understood. Rich in content, practical. Well conceptualized and in-depth.”

• “The study centre provided no support. My project file was lost and I could not complete the programme.”

• “Why should I recommend the course- for job of Rs. 4000/-?”


CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAMME

• Counselors may not have desired qualifications all the time

• Administrative challenges

• Unavailability of quality preschools, causes learners to be disappointed with the academic support from the nursery teacher who is their guide

• Mismatch between the real world preschool and the preschool activities the students are expected to carry out as part of the their teaching practice


Thank You


distance education in early childhood teacher...

Documents