With the objective of recognising individual teachers and teacher educators attempting innovations in Education, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has instituted awards titled "National Awards for Innovative Practices and Experiments in Education for Schools and Teacher Education Institutions" at the national level.

The scheme has undergone several revisions since its initiation in the early sixties. Till 2004-05, the Scheme was known as "All India Competition on Innovative Practices and Experiments for School Teachers and Teacher Educators". he scheme was reviewed by the NCERT during 2005-07 and reformulated as "All India Competition on Innovative Practices and Experiments in Education for Schools and Teacher Education Institutions". Since 2017-18, the scheme is being titled as "National Awards for Innovative Practices and Experiments in Education for Schools and Teacher Education Institutions."

Objectives

The main objectives of the scheme are to :

Sensitise teachers and teacher educators about the potential of innovative practices and experiments for improvement of teaching-learning;
Encourage teachers and teacher educators to try out innovative ideas and practices for improvement of different areas of school education and teacher education;
Encourage teachers and teacher educators to identify problems they face in their teaching learning process and adopt a realistic approach to find their solutions;
Create an environment in schools and teacher education institutions to ensure sustainability of innovation; and
Provide a forum to teachers and teacher educators to share their innovative ideas with all the stakeholders.

What is an innovation?

Innovation is typically understood as the introduction of something new and useful, for example, introducing new strategies or modified methods, techniques, practices, products and services.

The definitions of innovation include:

Process of making improvements by introducing something new;
Process of implementing new ideas for improvement of teaching learning process;
An idea, strategy, method or device;
Changes that create a new dimension of performance in any aspect of teaching learning; and
A creative idea that is realized through the use of alternative strategies or techniques.
Capabilities of realising a desired change continuously in order to sustain it over a period of time.

Scope

Teachers and teacher educators can undertake innovations or conduct experiments on any aspect of their work related to teaching - learning, training or management of schools /colleges of teacher education in order to enhance efficiency of the institution to over come problems and difficulties they face in day to day functioning. A few suggested examples are given below:

Devise a new approach/instructional strategy in any subject area;
Prepare and use innovative teaching-learning materials including ICT;
Identification and mobilization /use of resources drawn from the local community/ environment for improvement of teaching-learning;
Develop local specific curricular materials for teaching-learning;
Develop innovative strategies for classroom management leading to an improvement in the organizational climate or better use of available resources in the class or school;
Management of inter-personal relationships;
Assessment of learning outcomes of students;
Evolve strategies for inculcation of Peace and other human values;
Devise strategies for educating differently abled children;
Study learning styles of children/student - teachers / teacher educators; and
Sensitizing and empowering disadvantaged groups.

Eligibility for participation

Teachers and teacher educators from recognized schools/teacher education institutions at all stages are eligible to participate in the Scheme:

School Teachers

Any teacher of Pre-school (pre-primary), Elementary (primary and upper primary), secondary and senior secondary school recognised by State Board/ CBSE or any other recognised Board; and
Teacher of any recognised Special Education School.

Teacher Educators

Teacher educators of Teacher Education Institutions at Pre-primary/Primary/ Upper primary/Secondary level offering Teacher Education Programmes;
Teacher educators of Colleges of Education including CTEs, IASEs and University Departments of Education offering B.Ed. /M .Ed., B.El.Ed., B.A.B.Ed. and B.Sc.Ed. programmes; and
Faculty members of State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs) and State Institutes of Education (SIEs) offering teacher education programmes.

Awards

The award consists of a cash award of Rs. 10,000/- (Rupees ten thousand only) and a certificate.

Number of Awards

For School Teachers: 40

Pre-primary/Primary/Elementary school : 20
Secondary/Senior Secondary Schools : 20

For Teacher Educators : 20

Teacher Education Institutions at Pre-primary /Primary/Elementary levels : 10
Teacher Education Institutions at Secondary level 10 Total number of Awards : 60

Process

Teachers and teacher educators shall submit project proposal in a prescribed format to the Principal, Regional Institute of Education (RIE) of the region concerned latest by 31st July every year.

The project proposal will be evaluated at the first stage at the RIE level by two experts / RIE faculty members independently to determine the merit of the proposal. The project proposal considered to be innovative by the RIE will be forwarded to the Head, Department of Teacher Education, NCERT, New Delhi.

Project proposals forwarded by the RIEs will be evaluated at the central level (Department of Teacher education, NCERT, New Delhi) by two experts independently.

The teachers and teacher educators whose project proposals are selected shall be informed to implement the project and submit the report along with summary before the suggested last date.

Selected schools/institutions will be visited by NCERT faculty for on-the-spot observation and interaction with the Project coordinator/Head of the school/ institution etc.

Project Coordinator and Head of the School/Institute will be invited to present the report in National Seminar. The final selection for giving a cash award will be based on combined assessment rating of project report and its presentation in the National Seminar.

For Further Information Contact:
Head/Project Coordinator
Department of Teacher Education,
NCERT, Sri Aurobindo Marg,
New Delhi – 110016
Phone No. 011-26567320

For the complete scheme guidelines, click here.

Source : NCERT

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