A Study on the Status of Teaching Learning Process in Government Elementary Schools, Imphal West, Manipur

Abstract

The study examined the teaching learning process of government elementary schools, Imphal West, Manipur. The objectives of the study were to study the conditions of teaching learning process of the government elementary schools, to study the assessment and evaluation of the students conducted during the pandemic, to explore providing of Midday Meal to the students before and during pandemic. The sample size of the study was 10 government elementary schools (class I-VIII) of Imphal West, Manipur. The study covered ten head teachers and one hundred twenty (120) teachers of the sample government elementary schools. it adopted descriptive survey method. The related data were collected with a self-made questionnaire through WhatsApp and e mail. The data were analyzed and interpreted in quantitative and qualitative ways. The study found out that the head teachers and teachers of the sample schools were having required educational and professional qualification. 14.2% of the teachers whose age was near to their retirement from service i.e., 57-60 years were not fulfilled the required professional qualification. The range year of experience as head master and head mistress was from 4 to 33 years. The age range of the sample head masters and head mistresses was from 44 to 60 years. 70% of the head masters and head mistresses were in-charge, not permanent in the service. The years of teaching experience was two (2) years in minimum and twenty-nine (29) years in maximums. The Age range of the teachers was from 28 to 59 years. The service type of the teachers of the sample schools were permanent.  The study found out different teaching periods per day, duration of the period and number of working days per year, respectively, for class I-V, 3-5 periods (10%) and 40 minutes duration (30%), for class VI-VIII, 6 periods (20%) and 45 minutes, for class I-VIII, 5-6 periods (70%), 45 minutes (30%), and 40 minutes (40%). The number of working days per an academic year were 220 days (40% of the sample schools), 225 days (20% of the sample schools) and no response (40%).  The teachers of the sample schools plan lesson daily before teaching the students. Before the closure of the schools due the COVID 19 Pandemic, the schools adopted different methods of teaching learning process in classroom such as translation method, question and answer method, demonstration cum discussion method, activity-based method (30%), activity-based method, lecture cum discussion method, chalk and talk method (50%), question and answer method, Activity based method, lecture method (20%). Online or virtual class was not done during COVID 19 Pandemic because 40% of them used cell phone and could not afford smart phone, 50% of parent did have neither smart phone nor cell phone, 10% of the parents have smart phone. Learning materials, project works and assignments for different subjects from class I to VIII were provided by visiting students’ home, communication between parents, students and teachers was done through cell phone (90%), Assignments and project works were shared through student-teacher WhatsApp group for those who have smart phone during the pandemic (10%). Thus, the Head teachers along with the teaching staff visited students’ home to teach the students by following COVID 19, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) given by the government of Manipur. All of the sample government schools did maintain portfolio of the students. 60% of them conducted formative and summative evaluation and 40% of the conducted summative evaluation. During the pandemic, project works, question and answer, assignments were given to the students through visiting students’ homes by the teachers at 90% of the sample schools. 10% of the sample schools shared learning materials, assignments, project works and question and answer etc. through student-teacher WhatsApp group for those who have smart phones. 70% of the schools conducted assessments regularly by providing assignments and oral test through home visits and cell phone. 30% of them did not conduct assessment during the pandemic. All the sample schools provided Midday Meal to the students daily in 2019-20. During the COVID 19 Pandemic, Dry rice, dal, cooking oil, potato, onion, salt etc. were distributed to the students by following SOP at schools (40%) and at home (60%).