Nagaland University researchers have developed a new 50-question assessment tool designed to measure how well trainee teachers understand inclusive education, to identify weaknesses in teacher preparation before they enter classrooms. The university announced the development on November 9 and highlighted that the test could help educational institutes better understand whether trainee teachers are equipped to teach children with different learning needs.
The initiative, aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, has stressed on inclusive classrooms where students of varying abilities can learn together.
The research was carried out by Aseto Iralu Meyase, a research scholar, and Professor Gyanendra Nath Tiwari from Nagaland University's Department of Teacher Education. Their work focuses on filling 'an assessment gap' in teacher training. Existing tools examine attitudes, perceptions or teachers' confidence and test their knowledge of inclusive education concepts, classroom practices and related policies.
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The assessment was developed around Course-10 of Nagaland University's BEd programme, titled "Creating an Inclusive School". It covers five broad areas connected with special educational needs, policy provisions, inclusive classroom practices, support systems and related concepts. The questions are structured to test not the ability of teachers to apply information, analyse situations and evaluate possible responses.
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Initially, the researchers prepared 60 questions and tested them with 42 MEd students at the university's Kohima Campus. Each question was examined for difficulty, ability to distinguish between stronger and weaker performers, and overall consistency of the assessment.
Following the analysis, 10 questions were removed, leaving a final set of 50.
The study found that questions requiring students to apply or analyse knowledge performed better than those based mainly on recall. Researchers said this suggests teacher assessments may be more useful when they examine how future educators use their knowledge in practical situations rather than simply testing what they can remember.
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Nagaland University Vice-Chancellor Jagadish K Patnaik said the research could strengthen B.Ed. programmes, particularly in Nagaland and the wider North-Eastern region, while supporting the goals of NEP 2020. The researchers also noted that the same methodology could potentially be adapted by other North-Eastern states to develop assessment tools suited to their own teacher education curricula and local requirements.
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