Maharashtra teachers feel only 50% students engaged in learning: Study

PUNE: The latest Voice of Teacher Survey 2016 talks about what the current engagement level of Indian students is and also identifies the critical enablers to enhance student engagement. In Maharashtra, according to the survey, teachers feel that 50 per cent students are not actively engaged in learning.
The Pearson Voice of Teacher Survey 2016 was conducted across the country in July-August 2016.In Maharashtra, it covered 39 cities which included Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Lonavala, Ahmednagar, Kolhapur, Panvel, Thane, Malegaon, Amravati, Solapur, Silapur, Aitwade Budruk, Alandi, Ambajogai, Atigre, Karad, Kirloskarwadi, Kopargaon, Kurul, Nalasopara, Palghar, Pophali, Pulgaon, Sangamner, Sangli, Satara, Selgaon, Shirpur, Shinwal, Talegaon Dabhade, Taranpur, Urun Islampur, Vasai, Vasia-Virar, Wardha and Yavatmal.
National findings show that teachers feel that only 55% of the students are actively engaged in learning. Teachers opine that students from government schools are far less engaged (51%) than those in private schools (67%). Further, student engagement is perceived to drop from the school level (61%) to higher education level (50%). While the teachers (73%) feel that participation in extra-curricular activities has improved in the past five years, they perceive a noticeable decline in students’ values and ethics (42%) and discipline (38%). The teachers (29%) feel that excessive use of personal gadgets by students and lack of parental support (12%) are the key deterrents to student engagement. The survey included 12 key inhibitors to engagement.
Particularly, in private schools across India, excessive use of personal gadgets by students (27%), lack of parental support (24%) and too much pressure to perform (15%) are identified as top factors for low student engagement. Lack of parental support (43%) is a much bigger barrier to student engagement in government schools, followed by challenges faced by students outside of school/ college (13%) and their past performance (11%). Only 49% of respondents feel that they receive adequate training to enhance learner engagement levels and inquisitiveness. Adequacy of teacher training is perceived to be much higher among school teachers (70%) than higher education teachers (30%).
The survey, fielded in July 2016 - August 2016 represents the views of 6,494 teachers from schools and higher education institutes across 546 cities and towns, teaching over 18.9 lakh students in the country. Spire Research and Consulting, partnered with Pearson for this survey.