TIPTOP

Dr S Durgaaprosad lists down tips to build a strong education foundation for the students and ways to help them explore their hidden talent and give their best

Education is the torch bearer of knowledge and the value of education is construed depending on who is teaching. A study conducted on ‘ideal university’ by Professor Diensht and Professor Wilson and Professor Watson of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, US, revealed that an effective teacher determines how the university is. The main features of their study comprised of the following principle components—

• Outside of class room components of effective teachers were identified by ‘varimax rotation’
• Research activity
• Participation in the academic community i.e. active in campus life  and congenial colleagues
• Intellectual breadth
• Relations with students and
• Concern for teaching.

Students are the very foundation of the nation. To make foundation strong, people, parents, Government, teachers, and students-all have to co-ordinate their plans and efforts. These five vital forces have to work together. The five key ingredients impacting student’s motivation are student, teacher, content, method or process and environment.

University students are motivated by the professor's knowledge of the subject matter, the professor's sense of humour, the motivational level of the professor, high quality of teaching, intellectual challenge, engagement in class and academic help outside the class. Students perform better if they

• Educated in smaller groups, where they are well known
• Receive a challenging curriculum
• Have teachers with greater expertise and experience.

Students would be glued to their teachers if the respective teachers of their make—

• learning both interesting and entertaining
• Convey a real sense caring to the students
• Make each student feel special
• Motivate students to achieve their maximum level
• Instill a fire in students
• Create a class room environment where students are passionate about learning
• Discuss contemporary topics
• Share personal relevant experience
• Be devoted to students
• Ingredient of the contents be such that the student can believe, he can achieve it

An Indian survey penned only 15 to 18 per cent of passed out from the Indian universities become eligible for potential employment in the corporate. The experts in the field of education have regretted that names of any Indian universities or educational institution have not appeared amongst the first 200 in the world ranking. The latest worldwide survey of September to October 2014 in this regard by Trendence Research and Strategic Carriers, a Consultancy firm of Switzerland, corroborates and harps on the same tune. The developed and emerging markets including India, who all participated have given their views and opinion on the issue, about their expectations from the various universities and professional institutions.

Higher Education should also provide an environment of Entrepreneurship training in different forms, holding workshops by related professionals, to train students in these fields. These environments are often known as “Growth Centers”, where the students are taught marketing, financial affairs, making business plan, and are supported theoretically.Therefore, it is axiomatic, that the Teacher be Goal oriented, hard working, humble, focused on the teaching and the learning methodology, for transferring of knowledge, be a team player, and finally should have the courage to push students to reach his goal.