Teacher Quality and Education Policy in India

By drawing on quantitative data and qualitative analyses of five major national education policies implemented in India over the last 15 years, this comprehensive volume explores their impact on teacher quality and perceived effectiveness, explaining how this relates to variations in student performance. Responding to a national agenda to increase the quality of the Indian teacher workforce, Teacher Quality and Education Policy in India critically questions the application of human capital theory to Indian education policy. Chapters provide in-depth and strategically structured analyses of five national policies - including the recently approved National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 - to see how Indian policymakers use teacher quality as a driver and measurement of education and national economic development. Ultimately, the text offers evidence-based policy recommendations to improve teacher quality in India, suggesting that while all five policies have contributed significant frameworks and recommendations for teacher quality reform, they have failed to move beyond a symbolic function. Given its rigorous methodological approach, this book will be a valuable addition to the under-researched question of education policymaking in postcolonial contexts. It will be an indispensable resource not only for scholars working on policymaking in the Indian context, but also for those working at the intersection of education, teacher development, and policymaking in developing countries.

Preeti Kumar is an independent researcher and educational consultant based in South Africa. She completed her PhD at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, USA. Alexander W. Wiseman is Professor of Educational Leadership & Policy in the College of Education at Texas Tech University, USA.

1. Introduction: The Impact of National Policy on Teacher Quality in India; Part I: The Indian Education System and Teacher Quality; 2. The Preparation and Development of Teachers in India; 3. Linking Teacher Quality to Education Policy; 4. Traditional and Non-Traditional Approaches to Teacher Quality; Part II: Examining Indian Education Policies for Teacher Quality; Part II: Examining Indian Education Policies for Teacher Quality; 5. Making Teaching Relevant to the Child: Teacher Quality Discourse in NCF 2005; 6. The Professionalization of Teaching: Teacher Quality Discourse in NCFTE 2009; 7. Restoring Credibility through Teacher Quality: Teacher Quality Discourse in Draft NEP 2016 and 2019; 8. Rooting Equitable Education in Teacher Quality: Teacher Quality Discourse in NEP 2020; Part III: Moving Beyond Policies for Indian Teacher Quality; 9. The Effects of Traditional and Non-Traditional Teacher Quality on Student Achievement in India; 10. Evidence-based Policy Recommendations for Improved Teacher Quality in India; Index