A Critical Analysis of the D.El.Ed Curriculum of Assam with Special Reference to Integration of ESD and GCED Themes

Abstract

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 highlighted the importance of developing knowledge, skills, values and dispositions that support responsible commitment to human rights, sustainable development and living, and global well-being in its vision statement and has underlined the role of teachers in realising this vision. Driven by this context, this study examines the degree to which ESD and GCED themes are incorporated into Assam’s Elementary Teacher Education Curriculum, employing the adapted Curriculum Analysis Coding Tool from the International Bureau of Education (IBE) and the Global Education Monitoring Report (GEMR). The analysis covers four areas, viz., the inclusion of cognitive content, learning domains, suggested pedagogical approaches and suggested assessment practices related to ESD and GCED. The findings reveal that in most of the courses in the analysed curriculum, the themes related to ESD and GCED are under-represented. Only very few themes found a place in the curriculum, and those were also not comprehensively covered. The study highlights the importance of a holistic curriculum for the initial teacher education programme, along with orientation and support for teacher educator implementation.