Teacher Education Questions and Answers

Answer: D

The key takes option (D), that a democratic teacher tolerates even mischievous and aggressive behaviour in students. This reading sees the democratic teacher as permissive and tolerant. The other options, understanding the socio-economic background of students in (A), being affectionate even to poorly performing students in (B), and tolerating non-relevant questions in (C), also describe sympathetic teachers, and some of them would suit a democratic teacher well. The official key nevertheless gives (D), and I found no source that proves the key wrong, so the key stands, but the item is open to dispute.

Answer: B

Saying sorry to a colleague for taking five minutes of her class time because of unavoidable circumstances is according to professional etiquette, option (B). It shows respect for the colleague's time and courtesy to the profession. Ignoring a student more than once, option (A), is unfair to the student. Coming late and giving no proper excuse, option (C), shows lack of responsibility. Extra classes to complete the syllabus, option (D), are not a matter of etiquette and may inconvenience others, so they are not the example asked for.

Answer: C

The best way to establish rapport with a class is to play the role of a guide who wants to help the students, option (C). Rapport rests on mutual trust and respect, and a teacher who helps and guides earns them. Demanding respect on account of age and status, option (A), produces fear and not rapport. Impressing students with knowledge and skill, option (B), earns admiration but not necessarily trust. Remaining aloof as a figure of authority, option (D), keeps the distance that rapport must remove.

Answer: B

The key takes option (B): the teacher is called friend, philosopher and guide because he transfuses the high values of humanity into the young ones sitting in the classroom. In this view, the teacher befriends the learner, reasons with him about life and leads him toward values. Option (A) refers to roles in the context of society, which is vaguer. Option (C) makes the teacher a reformer and saviour of the nation, which is not what the phrase says. Option (D), All of these, is not accepted by the key. The key's choice of (B) over (A) rests on the idea of transmitting values, which is the core of the phrase.

Answer: C

The selection test for admission to the teacher training programme was suggested by NPERC, as in the key. The National Policy on Education Review Committee of 1991-92 recommended a selection procedure, including tests, for entrants to teacher education. NCTE (A) is the statutory body regulating teacher education, NAAC (B) accredits institutions, and NCERT (D) is the research and curriculum body, and the key does not credit any of these with this recommendation. The recommendation was meant to raise the quality of entrants by testing aptitude for teaching before admission, so the choice rests on the body that made the proposal and not on the body that runs teacher education.

Answer: B

The NCTE was established by an act of Parliament in 1995. The National Council for Teacher Education Act was passed in 1993 and the statutory council came into being on 17 August 1995, which is why 1995 is the year. Of the other options, 1975 (A) and 1986 (D) are before the Act, and 1996 (C) is one year after the council was set up. The Act gave the council statutory powers to plan and coordinate teacher education and to maintain its norms and standards, which an earlier non-statutory council did not have.

Answer: B

The Ramamurti Committee, as in the key, recommended improvement of the teacher education programme. The committee reviewed the National Policy on Education in 1990 and suggested changes, including in teacher education. Reddy (A), Yashpal (C) and Mehrotra (D) committees are not credited with this recommendation by the key.

Answer: A

Teacher education is considered as a technical education in the U.S.A., as in the key. Option (B) the U.K., (C) U.S.S.R. and (D) India are not given by the key. In India, teacher education has not been classed as technical education.

Answer: C

The key accepts simulated training as the answer, option (C).

The printed stem is incomplete, so the answer has to be read from the options. Simulated training is the method in which trainees practise teaching behaviour in an artificial classroom, with role play and rating by observers on categories of teacher behaviour. A taxonomy or classification of teacher behaviours is what such observation uses.

A workshop and a refresher course are in-service programmes that update knowledge and skills in general. Micro-teaching is a related technique, but it trains one teaching skill at a time in a small class and a short lesson, and it is not the answer the key gives.

Answer: D

The key gives 1992 for the start of the Institutes of Advanced Study in Education (IASEs), option (D).

IASEs grew out of the programme for teacher education that followed the National Policy on Education of 1986, so they were started after 1986. They were meant to give advanced training and research in education and to support colleges and the DIETs.

1964 and 1968 are too early, being the years of the Kothari Commission and the first National Policy on Education. 1986 is the year of the policy that proposed them, not of their start, which is why the later year in the key is accepted.