Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Kohima: Nagaland University researchers have built a 50-item achievement test to measure how well trainee teachers grasp inclusive education. The tool aims to spot gaps in teacher preparation and improve classroom support for students with diverse needs. It aligns with the National Education Policy 2020 goal of building classrooms where all children learn together.
Aseto Iralu Meyase and Gyanendra Nath Tiwari of the Department of Teacher Education led the study. They published their findings in the International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science. The work stems from the B.Ed. Course-10 curriculum at Nagaland University. Researchers initially drafted 60 questions, then gave them to 42 M.Ed. students at the Kohima Campus. They cut 10 questions to sharpen reliability. This raised the Cronbach's alpha score from 0.641 to 0.727.
Existing methods usually track teacher confidence. Knowledge matters more. The new test examines five areas, including policy, practice, and concepts. It asks students to recall, analyze, and evaluate situations. Questions requiring analysis performed better than simple recall tasks. "Few actually measure what future teachers know about education: its concepts, practices and policies. The new test aims to fill that gap. It can help teacher education institutions spot areas where trainee teachers struggle," the team stated.
Vice-Chancellor Jagadish K Patnaik said the work could strengthen B.Ed. programs in the Northeast. He wants research that leads to practical solutions. The team noted that a high test score does not guarantee better classroom performance. They suggest further study with larger, more diverse groups. Other Northeastern states could adapt the tool to fit their own local teaching requirements.
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