DEVELOPING A FOUR-YEAR INTEGRATED B.Sc.-B.Ed. PROGRAMME

Workshop organized by Central University of Tamilnadu (CUTN), Centre for Contemporary Studies-IISc (CCS-IISc) and Higher Education Innovation & Research Applications (HEIRA)

Dates: January 27-28, 2012

Venue: CCS-IISc Bangalore

Scope of the Workshop

The workshop discussions would be aimed at preparing the framework for launching an integrated Bachelor’s programme (B.Sc.to begin with) along with an Education degree. The idea is to provide a viable exit point for those undergraduate students at a Central University who wish to leave after the Bachelor’s degree and enter into secondary school teaching.

The assumption is that a Central University focussing on integrated Science and Social Sciences programmes could provide a stronger programme than that offered in private or state-aided institutions specializing in Education because of the wider exposure to and challenge from different disciplines available in a university setting.  Additionally, the universities are also in a position to provide exposure to good laboratories and practices that are essential for basic and applied sciences.

Given their locations, the new Central Universities in particular are attracting newer constituencies of students for whom careers in teaching at different levels would definitely be of interest. The University could therefore be visualized as a major resource centre for both in-service and future teachers for the higher secondary sector. A parallel activity could be to develop a suitable programme for NET-qualified persons to address their preparedness for college/university teaching. The twin objectives would therefore aim at providing essential skills to teachers at the school and college levels.

Workshop Hosts

CUTN: The Central University of Tamil Nadu’s guiding philosophy in its approach to basic and applied sciences is based on current thinking in strengthening post-secondary university education in sciences and social sciences. For this, CUTN believes that strengthening secondary education would be a pre-requisite.

CCS-IISc: CCS is an important new platform at the Indian Institute of Science engaged in promoting useful and meaningful interaction between the natural sciences and human sciences with special focus on understanding the diverse research methodologies of different disciplines and creating opportunities to rethink the foundations of the disciplines.

HEIRA: HEIRA is an applied research programme at the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, Bangalore, focussing on designing interventions that will lead to positive transformation of higher education in India. HEIRA has been working with CCS-IISc and IISER-Pune in developing new curricula for integrating the natural and human sciences, and is currently doing this at the Central University of Jharkhand.

Sessions Proposed

Day 1: Setting the context; challenges for science education in India; the significance of integrating forms of knowledge

Day 2: Viable approaches to designing the new programme

Resource Persons

These will include both scientists with an interest in curriculum design and educationists with an interest in strengthening human resources at secondary and tertiary levels of education. Also present will be people who have been involved in designing B.Ed. courses and those who have taken part in curriculum design for NCERT and SCERT. We also envisage representation from IITs and IISERs.

The workshop will invite decision makers in other higher education institutions, particularly the new Central Universities. It will also aim at working out a framework for CUTN to consider.