Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies, Online ISSN 2278-8808, SJIF 2018 = 6.371, www.srjis.com PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL, JAN-FEB, 2019, VOL- 6/49 TEACHERS AND LIFELONG LEARNING: HOW MUCH IT WORKS?
V. S. Sumi, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Dept of Education & Training, Maulana Azad National Urdu University Email:s4r2007@gmail.com Abstract Purpose: The present study is directed towards finding out the status of teachers in continuing their education after securing a permanent job. Methodology: 50 teachers who are technology friendly are identified and selected as random sampling method. Data was collected using lifelong learning questionnaire. Lifelong learning in this study encompass the teachers’ participation and interest in doing or continuing any course after getting the job. Percentage analysis was done to find out the status. Findings: Results of the analysis indicate that though the teachers are technology friendly, they are not able to do any course and continue their learning because of so many obstacles either arises from the job or lack of time. Majority of the teachers opined that job promotion is the major fact for which gives thrust to do any course or taking interest in lifelong learning. Relevance: In this technological era, updating the skills and knowledge especially for teachers is essential to go along with students. Otherwise you will be feeling like ‘odd one out’. There is vast variety of platform for the teachers to ignite and update their knowledge. Make utilize those to fit in to the new generation classrooms. Keywords: Lifelong learning, Technology, Classroom
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INTRODUCTION Lifelong learning Life provides us so much of opportunities to acquire knowledge and skills which help us to fulfil our dreams. The kind of opportunity and utilization of that opportunity varies accordingly. The moment one individual secures a good placement or job, the urge to continue their learning affects. The one who has a self-motivation continue to acquire knowledge for own sake. We can call him/her as a lifelong learner.Online learning is influencing the teaching and learning in a variety of ways (Zancanaro, Nunes&Domingues 2017, p. 177). Scientific and technological innovation had a powerful effect on learning needs and styles. Learning can no longer be divided into a place and time. Anybody from anywhere Copyright © 2017, Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies
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can select and continue their learning. As long as a teacher is concerned he/she should be a lifelong learner. The knowledge explosion of now a day is unimaginable. If the teacher remain same with his/her age old knowledge, which will make his/her an outdated teacher. The student of this time is preparing to fit into the global village. They can acquire knowledge and information from everywhere. The role of a teacher is just to facilitate them. Therefore it is inevitable for a teacher to be lifelong learner to exist in this field as a good facilitator. It is important to create a personal learning environment by him/her self and also important to provide a personal learning environment by the institution to the faculties to continue their lifelong learning (Johnson, Prescott & Lyon 2017, p.26). According to European Commission (2006, p.6) Institutions need to encourage everyone for lifelong learning. Lifelong learning leads to social inclusion, civic responsibility, and personal development, self-sustainability, as well as competitiveness and employability. In the light of theoretical overview the investigator felt a need to conduct a study to find out the percentage of teachers continuing their education after securing a permanent job. SIGNIFICANCE OF LIFE LONG LEARNING Can a teacher effectively educate students without becoming a lifelong learner? The answer is a big NO. Effective of teachers of today should be a lifelong learner. Learning is lifelong process.Lifelong learning implies that learning should take place at all stages of the life cycle (Green 2002, p.613). It does not matter whether it is formal or informal learning. Keeping update with the outside world is very necessary specifically for a teacher. The classroom of twenty first century is no more belongs to the teacher. The teacher can gain attention if he/she equipped with twenty first century skills required to help their students in their learning process. So being a teacher it is necessary to continue their learning and updating themselves for with the technological skills and competencies. Improving the efficiency of teaching helps teachers in seeing things from different viewpoints. There is need to promote a coherent link between students, teachers, technology, employment and learning. Lifelong enables to create this link in an efficient manner. Many of the teachers put an end to his/her learning career after obtaining a job because of so many reasons. Some may try to cope up with the situation and continue their urge to learning. The environment in which the teacher work and live is of much importance. From this research study the investigator try to find out that how much percentage of teachers are put their Copyright Š 2017, Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies
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maximum to continue their education by overcoming the obstacles they go through. There are so many technological supports for lifelong learners if they are interested to. So the investigator also try to find out how many teachers interested in online learning and how many of them really part of it. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
To find out the percentage of teachers continuing their learning after securing a permanent job
To find out the percentage of teachers who are enrolled into online courses
To find out the reasons which hinder the teachers in continuing their education
METHODOLOGY Method: The study takes the normative survey method Sample: Sample consists of the 50 technological savvy teachers who is working in the universities and colleges in Hyderabad Sampling: Random sampling is adopted for sampling purpose Tool: The data collected using Lifelong learning questionnaire which is developed by the investigator herself. The questionnaire consists of 15 statements of which 8 are postitive and 7 are negative statements. Statistical technique: Percentage analysis is used to find out the result. ANALYSIS 1. Percentage of teachers continuing education after getting job The data collected is analysed to find out the percentage of teachers continuing education after getting job. The result is represented in table 1 Table 1: Result of percentage analysis of teachers’ continuing education after getting job Subsample
Size (N)
Percentage (%)
Female
27
85.2
Male
23
82.7
2. Percentage of teachers who are enrolled into online courses The percentage of teachers who are enrolled into online courses is represented in table 2. Copyright © 2017, Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies
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Table 2: Result of percentage analysis of teachers’ who are enrolled into online courses Subsample
Size (N)
Percentage (%)
Female
27
11.1
male
23
4.3
3. Reasons which hinder the teachers to enroll in to online course The data collected is analyzed to find out the reasons and to what extent teachers agree or disagree with those reasons which is represented in table 3. Table 3: Result of percentage analysis of reasons which hinder the teachers to enroll in to online course Reasons
Strongly agree
Agree
No comments
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Lack of time
80%
12%
2%
6%
--
Workload
88%
12%
--
--
--
Lack of interest
30%
10%
--
40%
20%
Cost
40%
20%
--
30%
10%
Lack of awareness
40%
16%
4%
8%
32%
Time consuming
84%
12%
--
4%
--
INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS 1. Percentage of teachers continuing education after getting job From the results it is seen that 85.2% of female teachers and 82.7% of the male teachers are continuing their education after getting job. It is a good sign of lifelong learning. 2. Percentage of teachers who are enrolled into online courses It is very depressing to know from the result that only 11% of the female teachers and 4 % of the male teachers are enrolled into the online courses though they are techno savvy. 3. Reasons which hinder the teachers in to enroll in to online course The reasons which teachers list out which pull them back to enroll into online course are five and they are strongly agree with the reasons which are, workload (88%), time consuming Copyright Š 2017, Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies
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(84%), lack of time (80%), lack of awareness(40%), cost (40%) and lack of interest (30%) in the order of agreement. IMPLICATIONS Lifelong learning is concerned with the promotion of skills and competencies necessary for the development of general capabilities and specific performance in given tasks. This will bring out improvement in their life (Aspin & Chapman 2000, p. 14). Lifelong learning is important for no doubt. But how far teachers are involved is dubious. Some teachers opined that time is the major constraint which hinders them to continue their education further (Egenti & Omoruyi 2011, p.137). It is important to note that Time needs to be created within the confines of the working time for teachers to develop new skills. Nobody owes the responsibility of our teaching than us. So figure out the time for our learning. Personalized learning networks are the other option to update with knowledge and indirectly which helps us update ourselves (Laal 2013, p.980). The importance of a Personalized Learning Networks in inspiring teachers to become lifelong learners cannot be neglected. Now a days without a doubt, Social Networking is transfigures how teachers interact with each other, meaningful opportunities to participate (Lee & Brett 2013, p.115) and how thoughts and ideas are shared. It’s a widely known platform for sharing of information. Online learning, online networking and online conferences all these platforms extend way to keep us fill in with the changes in the world and go along with advancing technology. Only we have to find out time for this. Saving a little time for learning something new can change our world around us. CONCLUSION New generation pedagogy, classroom, technology is in need of a teacher who can tackle both the age old and new technologies. Teachers must aware of how important it is to stay abreast of what others are doing outside and inside the classroom. Teachers have the opportunity to read and explore, utilize this opportunity to share the information gained with others, inspire others, ignite their thinking so that the learning process can complete its function to influence others. Teachers need to be indulging in online courses which can enhance their expertise in a particular field. Many of the courses are free of cost and self paced. We want our students to explore themselves to the technological innovations, they why we ourselves not going after that. It will help to build up our career. So equip yourself for a better tomorrow! Copyright Š 2017, Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies
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REFERENCES Aspin, D.N. & Chapman, J.D. (2000) Lifelong Learning: Concepts and Conceptions. International Journal of Lifelong Learning 19, 1, 2-19, January. Egenti, M. N. &Omoruyi, P. (2011) Challenges of Women Participation in Continuing Higher Education Programme: Implications for Adult Women Counselling and Education. Edo journal of counseling4,1, 130-143, January. European Commission. (2006) Adult Learning: It is Never too Late to Learn. Brussels. Green, A. (2002) The many faces of lifelong learning: recent education policy trends in Europe. Journal of Education Policy 17, 6, 611-626, November. Johnson, M.W, Prescott, D. & Lyon, S. (2017) Learning in online continuing professional development: An institutional view of the personal Learning Environment. Journal of new approaches in Educational Research 6, 1, 20-27, January. Laal, M. (2013) Lifelong Learning and technology, Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 83, 980 – 984, July. Lee, K. & Brett, C. (2013) What are student inservice teachers talking about in their online Communities of Practice? Investigating student inservice teachers’ experiences in a double-layered CoP. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education 21, 1, 89-118, January. Zancanaro, A, Nunes, C. S. &Domingues, M.J. (2017) Evaluation of Free Platforms for Delivery of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS). Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education 18,1, 166-181, January.
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