Distance Education in Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Case Study of IGNOU’ s Diploma Programme in Early Childhood Care & Education Rekha Sharma Sen with Pankaj Khare and Pranjali Dev Presented at 4 th National Conference of Association for Early Childhood Education And Development in collaboration with APU and UNICEF, 7-8 Nov, 2016
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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
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)
Indira Gandhi National Open University
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
Indira Gandhi National Open University
Quantitative analysis
Indira Gandhi National Open University
Enrollment and Study Centres over the years(1995- 2016)
Indira Gandhi National Open University
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
Indira Gandhi National Open University
N= 36635
Gender Profile of Learners (1995- Jan 2016)
Marital Status (1995- Jan 2016)
47%
46%
7%
Unmarried Married DNA
Indira Gandhi National Open University
N= 36635
Employment Status at time of enrollment (1995- Jan 2016)
Indira Gandhi National Open University
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
Indira Gandhi National Open University
N= 36635
Region wide distribution
N= 36635
REGION URBAN % RURAL % TRIBAL % DNA % TOTAL REGION %
• 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
Indira Gandhi National Open University
Motivations for Enrolling in DECE
Indira Gandhi National Open University
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
Indira Gandhi National Open University
“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
Indira Gandhi National Open University
“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
Indira Gandhi National Open University
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
Indira Gandhi National Open University
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.
Indira Gandhi National Open University
• “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
Indira Gandhi National Open University
• 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
Indira Gandhi National Open University
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
Indira Gandhi National Open University
N= 29, who have read SLM
Would the Learner Recommend DECE to others?
Indira Gandhi National Open University
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/-?”
Indira Gandhi National Open University
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