Evaluation of Technology Integration in B.Ed. Honors Elementary: A Perspective of Teacher Educators

Abstract

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) in 2009 decided to substitute the existing teacher training certificate and diploma programs for a four-year undergraduate training program named B.Ed. Honors Elementary. The purpose of this new program was to train prospective teachers in pedagogy as a lifelong commitment. National Professional Standards for Teachers in Pakistan were introduced by the Federal Ministry of Education. The teacher educational programs’ curriculum was revised based on National Professional Standards for Teachers in Pakistan. Along with launching the B.Ed. Honors Elementary program, a National Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (NACTE) was formulated for quality assurance, according   to   guidelines   from   Higher   Education   Commission (HEC). The Evaluation of B.Ed. Honors Elementary Program in the universities of AJ&K was conducted by the researcher considering Stufflebeam’s Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) evaluation model. The study was conducted to find gaps through survey method from two population strata i-e the faculty and students of the B.Ed. Honors Elementary program. The study was conducted in five public sector universities of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The context is related to the needs and values of program, while input deals with the facilitation of resources. The process evaluation deals with the review of teaching and learning strategies in classroom. This study reveals issues faced by faculty and students during implementation of the program. The product evaluation reveals the skills and performance of the prospective teachers in quantity as well as quality. Thus, the study helped highlight the voices that were overlooked during the implementation stage of the program. The study also guided the challenges to be faced during cut-throat competition of skills for next generation during the twenty first century. Based on the findings recommendations were presented.