What are the Objectives of Teacher Education?

Importance of Teacher Training:

It has been remarked, “If you educate a boy, you educate one individual. If you educate a girl, you educate the whole family and if you educate a teacher, you educate the whole community.”

The Education Commission (1964-66) said. “A sound programme of professional education of teachers is essential for the qualitative improvement o/l education. Investment in teacher education can yield f very rich dividends because the financial resources I required are small when measured against the resulting improvements in the education of millions. “

Objectives of Teacher Education:

(i) Better Understanding of the Student:

Teacher training is a must as it enables the potential teacher to understand the student better. The knowledge of educational psychology helps him a lot in dealing with children scientifically. Untrained teachers not familiar with the subject may create problem children in the school.

(ii) Building Confidence:

Teacher training builds confidence in the potential of teachers. A trained teacher can essentially face the class with confidence. He is not timid or shy. He can tackle many odd situations and he does not run away from problem situations.

(iii) Using Methodology of Teaching:

Through training, the future teacher becomes familiar with methodology of teaching. He also gets essential knowledge of methods required for a particular subject. He teaches with flair and not in a routine way.

(iv) Building Favourable Attitude:

A sort of brain wash is also done through training. It helps in building favourable towards the teaching profession. During the course of training, many doubts of the teacher trainee’s stand removed. It results in creation of love and respect for teaching profession.

(v) Familiarizing with the Latest in Education:

Teacher training programmes familiarize the future teachers with all that is latest in education. An attitude of research and experimentation is attempted to be created in them.

(vi) Making Familiar with School Organisation:

During the course of teacher training, we familiarize the teacher trainees with organisation and administration of the schools. It is of immense use to them in later life.

(vii) Creating social Insight:

Teacher training is must as it is required to teach the teachers to live a community life. Training is essential to create social insight in them.

(viii) Improving Standards:

We are interested in raising the standards or the quality of education. A trained teacher can be a great help in improving the quality of education and also in checking wastage.

(ix) Training for Democracy:

Lastly, training is a must to produce teachers who can teach with zeal and zest and can strengthen the democratic set up in the country’. Training is required not only with the sole aim of making one a good teacher but also making him a good citizen.

Challenging Tasks of Teacher Education:

“Knowledge may be gained from books but the love of knowledge is transmitted only by personal contact,” said Henry Van Dyke. So the teacher is the mediator of learning a disciplinarian, a parent substitute, a judge and a surrogate of morality. The teacher is a socialize, conserver and character builder. Also he moulds ideas, beliefs and behaviour. The teacher is called upon to perform his multiple roles effectively.

Explosion of knowledge, advancement in science and technology, increasing expectations and the emergence of new concepts in teaching such as individualized instruction, micro-teaching and programmed learning, etc., have made the role of the present-day teacher complex and challenging. They also demand multifarious performance and a higher level of competence 011 his part.

The International Commission 011 the Development of Education (1972) stressed the need for devoting more time and energy to productive and creative activities; interaction, discussion, stimulation, understanding and encouragement. It should aim at the personal as well as professional development of the teacher.