Chapter 8
RESEARCH IN SECONDARY EDUCATION
8.1
Introduction
Researches play a very important role in reform processes. As an academic
activity research helps us to discover, interpret or revise facts, events, behaviours
or theories or to make practical applications with the help of such facts, law or
theories through an active, diligent and systematic process.
Like every scheme or programme in education RMSA scheme also has a research
component in-built in the planning, implementation and execution. The RMSA
framework states that the Central Government and the State Governments will
conduct an independent research on different activities of RMSA by emerging
independent institutes of repute. The findings of these research studies will be
communicated to all the concerned authorities for corrective measures and further
strengthening of the implementation of the scheme.
8.2
Concerns
Programme /scheme/project often has inbuilt component of research alongwith
programme evaluation. Many a times, activities under these two components
overlap because of systemic tendency to treat these two in similar fashion.
Whereas objective of conducting research is to enhance understanding and
knowledge on different aspects in that very area and to provide evidences and
inputs for bringing change in the education policies.
If one looks at the reporting aspects of research and evaluation, one
may find a clear distinction between these two. Evaluation reports
and research reports not only have different audiences but their main
objectives are different. The goal of the research report as stated
earlier is the enhancement of understanding and knowledge via
publication to the concerned community. The main goal of the
evaluation report is to inform and/or influence decision makers about
input, processes and the output of the programme. The relative
emphasis of the two activities is different.
In the area of school education, we lack deep and comprehensive
research studies on different aspects particularly on classroom
processes, teachers’ own assumptions about various aspects of
schooling, learners’ cognitive needs different stages of development,
effective school management, etc. Due to this gap in the area of
research, we often try to implement scheme or programme uniformly
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in every state/UT often without researching its specific contextual
needs on different aspects of school education.
In the area of school education it is not enough to study macro education policies
as they are articulated by governments and operationalized by centralized
ministries of education. What is promised or envisioned on paper is often quite
different from what actually happens in school establishments. It is important to
understand, at the micro level, how schools are functioning in practice as they
implement educational policies for improving the quality of education.
At national and state level one must also concerned with learning from schools
toward a better understanding of the practical realities of teaching children from
the perspective of the school establishment, within its community and its student
population.
Therefore, it may be suggested that researches need to be undertaken not only at
the state level but also at local level i.e. block and district level. Unless
community, teachers, students and other stakeholders will be involved in
exploring their own locale for identifying lacuna and strengths they may not be
able understand the need of reform to carry it forward.
Hence, a mechanism needs to be created for conducting researches in the areas of
classroom processes, curricular choices, learning difficulties of the divers group of
students, evaluation, and adolescents’ educational needs at the ground level,
impact of teacher training, etc. This will help policy makers and curriculum
developers to understand the problems and difficulties in curricular areas and
teacher education. Teachers need to be motivated by the school functionaries for
undertaking action researchers as a part of their teaching-learning activities for
finding out the solution of content, pedagogy or adjustment related problems in
the classroom and school.
8.3
Strategies
There are three major quality inputs which need our urgent attention with regard
to secondary education viz. Curriculum Reform, Reform in Assessment and
Examination and Reform in In-service teacher education. These three areas
require in-depth studies, impact studies as well as action researches. Adequate
mechanism of documentation for researches needs to be evolved at various levels.
Moreover, researches must not be limited to only providing research reports but
there is also a need to evolve a mechanism for sharing of these researches with
various stakeholders including curriculum developers and policy makers. For
sharing and disseminating research reports, seminars, conferences and
consultations at national, state and district levels need to be organized every year.
In-depth Studies:These need to be undertaken by the academics at the national
level organizations and universities to further inform policy makers about
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1. What kinds of inputs secondary education requires with the changing
scenario all over the world in the field of science and technology,
economy, education and also in the employment sector?
2. To what extent vocational component is needed at secondary level and
what modalities to be adopted for the same?
3. What inputs are needed for the formulation of inclusive curriculum in
India?
4. The feasibility and applicability of different models of
¾ Inclusive curriculum.
¾ Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation
¾ In-service teacher professional development
In this regard, specific research studies may be suggested in following
concerned areas:
Curriculum Reform Process: A Study of curriculum reform process in
states/UTs may be conducted with special focus on the following
aspects:
1. Paradigm shifts being introduced in the system and system’s
response towards this shift
2. Study of textbooks developed by the States/UTs as a follow-up of
curriculum reform processes
3. Study of the pedagogical shifts which teachers practice in
classroom.
Teacher Education: In-depth studies may be conducted to analyse gaps in
recruitment, deployment and transfer policies concerning with teachers at
secondary stage in different states/UTs.Specific studies may also be conducted
to find out reflections of teachers’ assumptions about learner, learning, school
and curriculum on her field practices.
In-depth studies may be conducted to analyse systemic readiness in terms of
attitudes of parents, teachers, school administrators, other functionaries;
available resources; curriculum, syllabus and textbooks; etc., for implementing
reform such as continuous and comprehensive scheme and examination.
Impact Studies: Impact studies inform about the change that system undergoes
after being provided quality input and processes. Impact studies may be
conducted to see the impact of proposed models for in-service teacher
professional development on teachers’ classroom practices. Impact studies may
also be conducted to see the impact of continuous in-service training
programmes on teachers’ behaviours, content enrichment and pedagogy.
Impact studies may be conducted to see the impact of CCE on students’
performances at secondary level wherever it has been implemented.
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Action Researches: Action researches need to be conducted to
change to the practice, if one is concerned that things might not be
going as it should go or one may need to implement a new initiative but
is unsure how to do it effectively. What one wants is a way of sorting out
these concerns that offers practical solutions, but that derives from the
specific circumstances of one’s practice. One knows that someone
else’s solution may have merit, but that it is never quite right for the
individual situation within which one works. The practice is always
influenced by context.
Because the act of finding one’s solution makes one understand
ones practice better – not only what one is doing, but also the
factors that affect what one does.
Action research therefore has two aspects. The starting point is to
sort out a problem or issue in practice; to this extent an action
researcher seeks a solution. But the process can also be used as a
deliberate attempt to understand practice better – a traditional
research attitude. What is most important in both approaches is that
one is open, honest and rigorous.
Every secondary teacher must be an action researcher and need
to be trained to identify problem and seek solution related to
teaching-learning processes, students’ adjustment, learners’ pace
of learning due to diverse backgrounds, etc. conducting action
researches.
8.4
Plan of Action
S.N Programme/Activities
Nodal
o.
Agency
1. Setting
up
of MHRD
Research
Advisory and State
Committees
at Govt.
National and State
Levels to guide and
appraise the in-depth
and impact studies
proposed by various
stakeholders
i.e.
NUEPA, NCERT, SCERT,
IASEs, CTEs, University
Deptt. , State Boards,
NGOs,etc.
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Modalities
These Committees must have
representation from NRG,
SRG and DRG (see chapter
11)
2. Setting up of District
Research
Advisory
Committee
to
facilitate in impact
studies,
their
documentation and
dissemination
and
also
action
researches at district
and school level
3. In-depth and Impact
Studies to be initiated in
the areas of curriculum,
teacher education and
evaluation at secondary
level.
SCERT/St
ate
Education
Board/Dire
ctorate of
Education
Members may be drawn from
DRG, and SDMC and local
University/Colleges.
National
Level and
State level
agencies
Proposals for research studies
need to be made in Annual and
Perspective Plans
4. Conferences, Seminars,
and Consultations to be
organized to disseminate
and
share
research
studies on quality issues
with
various
stakeholders
5. Action Researches to be
undertaken
NCERT/N
UEPA/SC
ERT/State
Boards/Un
iversity
Deptt./IAS
Es/CTEs
Schools
and
Teachers
Proposals
for
these
conferences and seminars need
to be made in annual and
perspective plans
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A brief report of the good
action researches undertaken
by teachers need to be
included in district and state
annual
plan
for
wider
dissemination of the problems
at local level and also to
motivate teaches for action
researches
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