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Content cum Pedagogy: The World Around Us (I)

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Course Type Course Code No. Of Credits
Discipline Core SES101304 2

Course Coordinator and Team:           SES Faculty

Email of course coordinator:                pcbabed@aud.ac.in 

Pre-requisites:                                        No

Course Description:

The World Around Us (TWAU) focuses on exploring, investigating, and understanding the natural, human, social, and cultural dimensions of local and global environments. It offers opportunities for active learning, the use of diverse skills, and the development of open, critical, and responsible attitudes. This course aims to foster an understanding of the nature, scope, and importance of TWAU as a composite discipline, highlighting its synergies with Science, Social Sciences/Studies, and Environmental Education. 

Course Objectives:

After completion of the course, student teachers will be able to:

    •  
  • Foster an appreciation of TWAU as a multidisciplinary subject and its intersections with Science, Social Sciences, and Environmental Education.
  • Enable student teachers to comprehend the historical development of TWAU and its significance within the school curriculum
  • Introduce varied teaching approaches, to effectively transact TWAU at preparatory stage

Course Outcomes:

On completion of this course, student teachers will be able to:

        •  
  • Explain the nature and scope of TWAU,
  • Describe the objectives and values of teaching-learning of TWAU,
  • Identify and reflect upon linkages between TWAU and other disciplines,
  • Analyze the place of TWAU in school curriculum in the light of various Committees, Commissions & Policies,
  • Adopt and adapt various methods/strategies of pedagogical process while teaching- learning TWAU appropriately,
  • Create awareness about practices to conserve the environment.

Brief description of the modules:

Module 1: Nature and Scope of The World Around Us

This unit explores the definition, nature, scope, and significance of understanding TWAU. It delves into the aims, objectives, and values of teaching and learning about TWAU. The unit also highlights the interdisciplinary linkages, connecting TWAU with various other disciplines such as science, social studies, and humanities, to develop a familiarity with the nature of the subject and its scope.

Module 2: Historical Perspective of the World Around Us

This unit explores the evolution of TWAU as a school subject, tracing its development as integrated social sciences and environmental studies by referring to NCFs and other relevant documents. For this, the unit analyzes recommendations from various committees, commissions, and policies, emphasizing the need for curriculum reforms and interdisciplinary approaches to enhance students' understanding about TWAU as an integrated area of study.

Module 3: Pedagogical Concerns of the World Around Us

This unit explores diverse approaches to teaching TWAU, especially constructivist and experiential pedagogies that draw from multidisciplinary areas of study. The pedagogical focus of the course requires student-teachers to conceptualise teaching-learning approaches to enable schoolchildren to observe, explore, ask questions, experiment, draw connections, and analyse social and natural phenomena in their immediate environment (NCFSE 2023).

Module 4: Continuous Professional Development of Teacher

Continuous professional development (CPD) is essential for the self-growth of teachers' knowledge, skills, and practices throughout their careers. It enables teachers to be effective and responsive to the evolving needs of learners and connect and respond to the educational landscape in a critical and engaged manner. In classrooms with young learners, it is especially important to focus on promoting gender equality, addressing bias and discrimination, and creating inclusive learning environments.

Assessment Plan

Poster making  

50%

Final

50%

Readings:

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  • NCERT. (2006). Position paper of the National Focus Group on Teaching of Social Sciences. NCERT. (Executive Summary - pp. v-viii)
  • NCERT. (2023). NCFSE 2023. NCERT. (Preparatory Stage - TWAU, pp. 390-398)
  • NCERT. (n.d). EVS syllabus class III to V. https://ncert.nic.in/pdf/syllabus/08Environmental%20(III-V).pdf
  • Coleman, V. (2021). What is (or are) social studies. Research Matters, 32, pp. 5-17. https://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/Images/research-matters-32-autumn-2021.pdf
  • NCERT. (2006). Position paper of the National Focus Group on Teaching of Sciences. NCERT. (Introduction - pp. 1-2)
  • Kumar K. (1996, January 30). An agenda of incoherence. Down to Earth, 4(17), 32–34.
  • Joshi, S. (2014) Never a dull moment: Academic narratives of the Hoshangabad Science Teaching Programme, Trans. Rex D’Rozario. Eklavya. (Chapter 1, A Singular Initiative, pp. 25-32, Chapter 7, Evolving Bal Vaigyanik, pp. 203-219). https://archive.org/details/never-a-dull-moment/page/n3/mode/2up?view=theater
  • Holt-Reynolds, D. (2000). What does the teacher do?: Constructivist pedagogies and prospective teachers’ beliefs about the role of a teacher. Teaching and Teacher Education, 16, 21-32.
  • Marshall, J. (2010). Five ways to integrate: Using strategies from contemporary art. Art Education, 63(3), 13–19.
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