The faculty members at Azim Premji University include accomplished academicians, researchers, teachers, and experienced education practitioners. They facilitate a vibrant and collaborative learning environment that encourages dialogue, builds critical thinking and competencies for action.

Education professionals for today’s India

Rishikesh B S explains the current status of our school education and the need for trained professionals to lead transformation in key areas that impact the teaching-learning process. Rishikesh also explains the various career opportunities that await our youth, to bring about positive changes in our education system, as envisaged in the NEP 2020.

Equipping reflective education practitioners 

Prakash Iyer explains the overall curricular structure of the MA in Education programme and how this develops education practitioners with both ​‘thinking knowledge’ as well as the ​‘ability to do’ in order to solve the challenges in education.

More than 1,000 students have graduated from our MA in Education programme since the first batch started in 2011 and they actively contribute in key roles of curriculum design, managing schools and as programme managers in educational interventions, teacher educators, researchers for education action and more. Some of them are Social Entrepreneurs having set up their own social enterprise.

Field Practice in MA in Education

Sumithra Unni explains how Field Practice is structured in the 2‑year MA in Education programme at Azim Premji University. Apart from the weekly practicums, students go through a longer duration of structured field practice engagements of two weeks, three weeks and three months. 

Field Practice‑1 (Semester 1): 2 weeks in the Field Institutes of Azim Premji Foundation to understand the Public education system, a government school,and the community in which the school functions.

Field Practice‑2 (Semester 2): Three weeks to closely observe an organised intervention in a school by a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) / Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) or an educational firm. 

Field Practice‑3 (Semester 3): 12 weeks for first-hand experience of working in a government school, or an early childhood education centre involving teaching, teacher development/​teacher training activities, research work, and other school improvement activities.

Science Education in MA in Education 

Shouldn’t we think about ​‘Science for all’, as we think about Education for all? Sindhu Mathai answers this and more questions about Science education and the MA in Education programme.

Scientific endeavours are full of a sense of wonder, curiosity, and exploration beyond the obvious. But school science has been fraught with struggles to teach children and engage them through meaningful pedagogic practices. 

These courses are for an understanding of the nature of scientific knowledge and practices, the issues and ideas concerning the learning and teaching of science, and the study of the conceptual and practical demands of good science teaching. 

This will help you conceptualise pedagogic practices and learn how to plan to teach at school by developing curricular materials.

Language literacy in MA in Education

Giridhar Rao tells us how the subject stream of Language is integrated into our MA in Education programme and the kinds of questions that teachers and educators need to ask for a language education that is equitable and inclusive. 

For example,

• How do children acquire language? 
• What learning materials will help children learn multiple scripts?
• What policies will help our languages flourish, while teaching English well? 
• Given India’s multilingual reality, what should be our approaches to Language teaching and learning?

Social Studies Education 

You will explore the main features of history, geography, political science, and economics. You will discuss and debate what and how to teach in the school classroom in these subjects. We focus on seeing social studies in an integrated manner. The key part of these courses is to establish connections between the nature of knowledge, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment.

Mathematics Education

Mathematics is an abstract discipline with its particular ways of knowledge construction, definitive procedures, rules, and symbols. These courses will help you understand the history and nature of the subject, its content, and curriculum and pedagogy in relation to elementary-grade mathematics.

Early Childhood Education 

You will learn about the appropriate experiences and practices necessary for young children that foster overall development. You will understand how to work with the age group of 3 – 8 years, mainly the preschool and early primary years of schooling.

You can also choose to conduct an independent study in which you work with a faculty mentor to draw up a plan of study that is theoretical or field-based. You will have to create a rigorous proposal and produce a scholarly article, teaching-learning material, a research report, or project proposal.

Students can opt for Early Childhood Education, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science or Language as their subject area of study in the 2‑year MA in Education programme. 

There will be four courses in the chosen subject covered in the second and third semesters of their study. The four courses are organised as 

• Nature of the subject (knowledge)
• Curriculum and pedagogy
• Pedagogic content knowledge 
• Curricular material development

Know more about the MA in Education programme at Azim Premji University here.

If you have queries or simply want to get in touch, write to us or visit us.