[20]

CHAPTER: 2

THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF THE STUDY

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Activity Based Learning (ABL)

2.2.1 Meaning of Activity Based Learning (ABL)

2.2.2 History of Activity Based Learning in India

2.2.3 States and organization initiative an Activity Based Learning

2.2.4 Philosophy of Activity Based Learning

2.3 Introduction to Pragna Approach

2.3.1 The term 'Pragna'

2.3.2 Need of Pragna Approach

2.3.3 Bringing Pragna Approach to Gujarat

2.4 Objectives of Pragna Approach

2.5 Principles of Pragna Approach

2.6 Pragna classroom

2.6.1 Seating arrangement

2.6.2 Grouping of children

2.6.3 Teaching-learning process

2.7 Pragna material & kit

2.8 Pragna coverage & scaling

2.9 Trainings & workshops on Pragna

[21]

CHAPTER: 2

THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF THE STUDY

2.1 INTRODUCION

Activity-Based Learning (ABL) is now a very familiar term among the people

concerned about educational reform in India. The present literature review will

address the key issues that relate to understanding and implementation of ABL at

elementary level in India. First, the meaning and history of Activity Based

Learning in India will be discussed. Then the methodology of Activity Based

Learning known as Pragna approach in Gujarat will be reviewed with reference to

concept of Pragna approach, need of Pragna approach in Gujarat, Objectives and

Principles of Pragna approach, Process of Pragna classroom, Pragna material and

kit, coverage and scaling up of Pragna approach in Gujarat and Training and

workshop on Pragna approach.

2.2 ACTIVITY BASED LEARNING (ABL)

2.2.1 MEANING OF ACTIVITY-BASED LEARNING

Activity is a very broad term. In a classroom, if a child is to be considered doing

activity, if is found doing something with an external instrument, playing with

some educational toys, and engaging with some making something. However, the

questions that are needed to be asked what are the characters of the activity in

education. Are they to be conceptualised purely in terms of bodily act which

include physical movements of the children in educational space or their

engagement with external objects? Do activities involve only those acts of

children which are observable, and to be performed in accordance with pre-

planned design? British philosopher, R. F. Deardern (1970) says that 'an activity is

not just a bodily act it necessarily involves mental act".1 Even the most obvious

physical activities are mental in their essence. What is important to note is that an

activity necessarily involves consciousness of what one is doing, further it also

[22]

involves consciousness of one's situations. An activity can't be conceived in the

absence of some abstract meaning making.

Activity-based learning (ABL) theory is a cognitive-learning theory which is

considered a “constructivist” learning theory. Essentially, a learner “constructs”

his own microcosms of knowledge from past knowledge and/or current

experiences and interacting with data. He or she actively seeks new information,

and is actively engaged in the process in the way s(he) gains, assimilates, and

utilizes knowledge, explains Hein. G.E (1991)2

According to Pica (2008), “Activity based learning, is the process of exploration

and discovery, of acquiring knowledge; of knowing how to acquire it”3

As explained in wikipeadia, Activity-based learning or ABL describes a range of

pedagogical approaches to teaching. Its core premises include the requirement that

learning should be based on doing some hands-on experiments and activities. The

idea of activity-based learning is rooted in the common notion that children are

active learners rather than passive recipients of information. If child is provided

the opportunity to explore by their own and provided an optimum learning

environment then the learning becomes joyful and long-lasting”.4

2.2.2 HISTORY OF ACTIVITY-BASED LEARNING

Activity-based learning started sometime in 1944 around World War II when a

British man David Horsburgh came to India and finally decided to settle down

there. He was an innovative thinker and charismatic leader. He started teaching in

Rishi Valley School. He joined the British Council and worked in Chennai and

Bangalore for many years. After his voluntary retirement, he located a 7-acre

(28,000 m2) site in Kolar District and opened his school, Neel Bagh. Neel Bagh

was based on an innovative idea of Horsburgh and known for its creative methods

in teaching well-planned learning materials. With his wife Doreen and his son

Nicholas, Horsburgh developed a diverse curriculum, which included music,

[23]

carpentry, sewing, masonry, gardening, as well as the usual school subjects,

English, mathematics, Sanskrit, and Telugu. These pedagogic materials were

systematically planned, with sketches and drawings and an occasional touch of

humour. Later Horsburgh created a magnificent library in Neel Baugh that was

accessible to teachers and students. This initiative of Horsburgh was later proved

to be one of the pioneer and milestones in ABL. In modern time ABL is the

method of education followed in the Corporation schools of Chennai, from 2003,

as an effort to provide special schools for children who had been freed from

bonded labour.

2.2.3 STATES AND ORGANIZATION INITIATIVE AN ACTIVITY BASED

LEARNING

The ABL in its contemporary form was first undertaken by the Chennai

Corporation in 13 schools on a trial basis in 2003, has been adopted by all the 270

primary schools in the district. First designed and tested by the Rishi Valley

School in Andhra Pradesh in the '90s, the Activity-Based Learning system has

been successfully implemented in several Indian states, including Karnataka,

Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. In Tamil Nadu, UNICEF

supported the Chennai Corporation to introduce the ABL methods in the

Government schools. There are many organizations which cultivate and follow the

principles of activity-based learning. Digantar Siksha evam Khelkud Samiti in

Rajasthan, Sumavanam Village School in Andhra Pradesh and Vikasana School in

Karnataka are the places which were established on the principles of activity-

based learning.

2.2.4 PHILOSOPHY OF ACTIVITY BASED LEARNING

The philosophy of ABL finds its antecedents in the common notion that learning

should be best when it is initiated by the surrounding environment and motivated

by providing optimum opportunities to learn. A fearless and freedom to express

environment always adds to best learning outcomes.

[24]

2.3 INTRODUCTION TO PRAGNA APPROACH

2.3.1 THE TERM 'PRAGNA'

Based on the understanding developed through various exposure visits and

meetings, the state found the activity based approach meaningful for the

children. Brainstorming was done to get an interesting name for this approach

and its emergence started in Gujarat as Pragna- Pravruti Dwara Gyan.

2.3.2 NEED OF PRAGNA APPROACH

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has achieved its goals by focusing on quality education

and addressing the issues of enrolment, retention and overall development of children

in the age group of six to 14 years. SSA has supported schools to improve the quality

of education they deliver by way of infrastructure development, teachers' capacity

enhancement, curriculum/ text book renewal and overall pedagogical improvement.

However, in spite of the dedicated efforts to improve the quality of education which is

delivered, the classrooms of primary schools are often found to be teacher-centric

where:

The teacher dominates the classroom all the time and hardly allows the

children the freedom to learn or develop on their own

It is assumed that all children will learn the same thing at the same time in the

same manner

The problems of multi-grade and multi-level nature of the classrooms are not

addressed

TIMs are rarely used by children

Most of the materials do not encourage self­ learning

There is little or no opportunity for a child to catch up with his/her lessons if

he/ she has been absent from the class

Evaluation is mostly summative and tests the ability of the children to rote

learn

[25]

In order to address these issues, Pragna, an Activity-Based Learning (ABL) approach,

was initiated in Gujarat in June 2010. Its objective was to overcome these difficulties

and to open the classroom to a more holistic and learner-based way of working with

children.

This would:

Ensure that each child was learning

Ensure that each child was viewed as a unique individual

Focus on the holistic development of children

2.3.3 BRINGING PRAGNA APPROACH TO GUJARAT

A team comprising Secretary of Primary Education, State Project Director -SSA,

Convener of the Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC), SSA and District Primary

Education Officers (DPEOs) visited Chennai to understand the ABL model which

had been developed and implemented by the Government of Tamil Nadu in all the

39000 government schools in the state. The core team members also visited schools

in Chhattisgarh to understand classroom processes, materials, training and

monitoring strategies. The learning from pilots conducted by UNICEF and Gujarat

Council of Education, Research and Training (GCERT) in 2004-05 in Valsad and

Kutch on multi-level, multi-graded learning was also assimilated and workshops to

understand pedagogical strategies for Pragna in Gujarat were organized.

2.4 OBJECTIVES OF PRAGNA APPROACH

Allow each child to learn at his/her pace

Allow children to learn through experience

Provide activity based, stress-free, fun-filled education to children

Give children a chance to learn from teachers and peers

Expose children to different kinds of project and field work

Develop competency in every child

Continuous and comprehensive stress-free evaluation of the children

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Develop teachers' competencies by self­ evaluation of one's work,

Teaching Learning Materials (TLMs) and teaching strategies

Bring about a change in traditional classroom practices

Initiate capacity building of teachers

Cater to the learning requirements of children with special needs

Provide equal and adequate opportunity for learning

Share a child's progress through the year with his/her parents

2.5 PRINCIPLES OF PRAGNA APPROACH

Each child's development and learning is unique

All children are different

All programs for children have to be contextual

Programs for children have to be flexible to cater to their diversity

Reinforcement and assessment should be an integral part of child's

learning process

A program should focus on the holistic development of children

Children should feel confident and have a positive self-esteem and self-

worth

Children learn by actively doing, experiencing, experimenting and

reflecting on their interactions with objects and people

2.6 PRAGNA CLASSROOM

The classroom and the classroom processes were designed based on the Pragna

approach. There were two separate classes, one for Gujarati and Environmental

Science (EVS), and another for Maths and Rainbow activities. In Pragna schools there

were two regular government teachers for each class. While the subject teachers

remained the same, children changed their classrooms on alternate days.

2.6.1 SEATING ARRANGEMENT

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Children, along with the teachers, sat on carpets or rugs on the floor rather than use

tables, chairs, benches or any kind of fixed furniture.

2.6.2 GROUPING OF CHILDREN

The children were divided and seated in each of the classroom in six groups

according to their learning pace.

Figure 2.1 : Grouping of children

In the first two groups, the teacher would introduce the concept of the activities to the

children. In the third and fourth groups, the children would have to do the activities for

practice with the help of their peer’s. Then in the fifth group, the children were asked

to perform the task individually, without the support of his/her peers, to inculcate the

habit of self-learning.

[28]

After the child would go through each group, he/she was deemed to be thorough with

the concept and was thus assessed by the teacher in group six.

In Pragna classes, children work together and learn from their peers. Researches also

suggest that, in the primary grades, co-operative learning can emerge as an important

and powerful tool for academic, social and emotional success”5

2.6.3 TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS

The curriculum for each subject for Standard I and II was differentiated into

milestones. The milestones comprised of a sequence of different activities ranging

from simple to complex, which were represented on the cards. All cards were

organized in a sequence called Ladder. Ladder helped the children to select the card

according to their learning pace. For the learning of any concept there was a specific

sequence called learning cycle:

The children learnt from the cards

Children distributed themselves into groups according to the symbols on

their cards

The child status was recorded on progress chart by the teacher at the

completion of every card. The progress chart was displayed in the

classroom.

The teaching-learning process of the Pragna classroom rightly match the

famous saying of Confucious,

“Tell me, and I will forget,

Show me, and I may remember,

Involve me, and I will understand.”3

[29]

2.7 PRAGNA MATERIAL & KIT

The foremost strategy underlying the development of the material was that the children

would be taught through teaching learning materials rather than by using textbooks.

The material for Pragna was prepared by the core team members. The materials had to

be: re-usable or be useful for many purposes, user-friendly for children (who would be

using them the most), cost-effective, innovative but simple, able to trigger the child to

think and encourage the teacher to design more and such materials.

Development ladders and graded activity cards were developed for children in

Standard I and II. There were separate sets of cards for Gujarati, Environmental

Science, Maths and Rainbow activities. The cards included large group, small group

and individual activities. They also promoted teacher-child, child-child and child-

material interaction. UNICEF framed the quality standards for evaluating the material.

The Pragna kit contains:

a) Racks and trays: Specially-designed racks are provided where trays for

specific subjects are kept. The trays contain cards which are arranged as per the

symbols they bear.

b) Ladders: A ladder is a path along which the children are expected to progress.

A ladder helps a child to pick up a card in accordance with his/her pace of

learning. The concepts/ milestones are represented in the form of symbols that

are similar to ones painted on the cards. There are three ladders that are defined

according to the colors and subjects -a yellow Ladder for language, green for

EVS and blue for maths. The child assesses his/her performance (the concept

that he/she has learnt and the next concept he/she has to learn) with the help of

the ladder.

c) Learning/Activity Cards: Cards help children to know what he/ she is expected

to do in which group out of the six groups in the classroom. After selecting a

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card, the child sees a symbol printed on the card and then joins the group,

where a chart is displayed with the same symbol. The card also helps children to

know what material should be taken from the TIM box for a given activity and

whether there is a need for an exercise in the workbook.

d) Group charts for all three subjects (six charts for three subjects): Displayed on

the walls of the classroom, group charts help a child to select and sit in a group

appropriate to his/her stage of learning.

e) Rainbow activities: Rainbow activities are considered as a separate subject. These

activities have been developed for the comprehensive development of

children, by honing their multiple intelligence I psycho-motor skills. To develop

such skills, the child is exposed to various co-curricular activities such as,

painting, drawing, clay moulding etc. The term rainbow is used because there were

seven main categories of activities. Each category is further divided into 10

sub activities. Each sub-activity comprises five activities. Thus the children are

exposed to 350 rainbow activities during the course. The activities are typically not

conducted in a serial order.

f) 19 Early Readers: Nineteen Early Readers have been developed in the form of

story books. The stories have been developed with special focus on a few letters

of the alphabet as part of the ladder. A child will listen to a story the teacher will

narrate and then will read out the words of that same story from the book.

g) Pictorial dictionary: The pictorial dictionary helps children with word

recognition in a sentence. For example; picture of a bat, spelling of the bat and

description/ features of a bat are listed in four to five sentences.

h) Barakshari: Flash cards displaying letters of the alphabet, Barakshari, are used

by children to construct different words.

i) Students' workbooks: Workbooks are given to the children for practice,

evaluation and reinforcement. The teacher checks the workbook after the child

finishes an activity.

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j) Teachers’ handbooks: All the teachers are provided with subject-wise

handbooks, which are used by the teachers in the classrooms. The handbooks

describe the concepts, methodology, materials, stories, songs, manual of cards,

ladders, etc.

k) Students' progress charts: After completing each milestone, a child picks the

last card that is the evaluation card. It carries a number, symbol (cow, bear,

hippopotamus, etc.), workbook symbol and the student's assessment. The child

uses his/her workbook to perform the activity/task which is then assessed by

the teacher. The teacher records every child's performance on the progress

chart for each of the three subjects.

l) Student portfolio: The students' writing and drawing works and creations are

compiled into a portfolio. The teacher maintains a separate portfolio for each

child and shares them with parents.

m) Students' profiles: A student's profile includes the child's demographic

information, photograph, attendance, hobbies, strengths and weakness and

progress report.

n) Teaching Learning Material (TLM) box: Teachers are encouraged to acquire

the TLMs required for the subjects. All the TLMs kept in the box are related

to the cuds. The TLM symbol on the cards, suggests to a child the particular

activity tools he/she had to pick from the TLM box to perform a task.

o) Flags: Whenever a child .needs the teacher's help for an activity he/she raises

a flag to catch the teacher's attention instead of disturbing the peers.

p) Cards: Children use the cards when they move from one milestone to

another.

q) Student slate: In each class, there are 10 slates for the children. The slates are

very child· friendly and easy to use. Children use the slates only when they are

expected to use them during the course of an activity.

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r) Teacher slate: Specially designed slates are provided to all the teachers who

are covered under Pragna. Teachers use slates to explain concepts and to give

children more practice during their sessions.

s) Display boards: Children are encouraged to display their work on the

display boards, which are provided in all classrooms. Each classroom has

five display boards. The total display area for children in a classroom is 20

square feet.

t) Game boards: Game boards in the form of cards are also provided.

u) EVS project sheets: Children have to do various projects at school and at

home. They are given project sheets to plan and write about the projects.

v) Mathematics practice book: In addition to workbooks used at school, the

children are given practice books for mathematics.

w) Gujarati vachanmala: Gujarati Vachanmala has been provided to children to

be read at home and facilitates their interaction with their parents and peers.

The Vachanmala offers grammar, vocabulary, comprehension and oral work.

x) EVS manan: The EVS book called Manan helps children to understand

the concepts of EVS are taught in school.

y) Training module and Training CD: Teachers are given a training module in

which the Pragna approach is explained in detail. It covers topics such as child

psychology, pedagogy, child friendliness, group rotation, Comprehensive and

Continuous Evaluation (CCE), student portfolio and community mobilization, etc.

A CD has been developed for the training of the teachers. It demonstrates the

Pragna approach as well as group rotation, teachers' role, parents' feedback

and children's feedback. It helps teachers to deal with classroom management

and group rotation.

z) Advocacy CD, Advertisement CD and Jingle: The Advocacy CD has been

developed to explain Pragna, in brief, to a target group of representatives of

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the public, government officials, parents and other stakeholders. The

Pragna jingle has been developed for the electronic media.

Pragna core team member Bhavesh Pandya, CRCC, Ranpur cluster, Banaskantha

composed a Pragna theme song which was written by Prakash Parmar, CRCC,

Kim cluster, Surat. Children sing this song during the morning assembly in

Pragna Schools. While initially, the core team comprised 18 members, in 2012, the

number had increased to 38 members.

Additional materials

In various schools the walls have been whitewashed and carpets have been

purchased by the headmaster with the help of CRCC's and technical resource

persons have developed racks for keeping the trays of materials.

Reviewing of material

GCERT is the apex body which sanctions the material for primary education.

Selected GCERT and SRG members along with the core team members jointly

reviewed the Pragna materials on August 4, 2010. They checked the

appropriateness of the materials in line with the existing curriculum and

competencies determined for children in Standards I and II.

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2.8 PRAGNA COVERAGE & SCALING

Pragna Approach was introduced in Std.-I to Std.-IV of Government Primary

Schools of Gujarat in phase manner. The detail about coverage of Pragna

Schools is given in table below:

Table 2.1

Pragna Coverage & Scaling

Cumulative

Coverage

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Phase I Phase II Phase III Phase IV Phase V

School 258 2,586 3,756 7,504 16,000

Unit 306 3,412 7,823 13,698 27,725

Teacher 516 6,247 14,634 25,742 46,339

Student 18,484 2,07,763 4,77,881 7,92,816 14,68,619

Graph 2.1

No. of Schools covered under Pragna Approach

258

2,586

3,756

7,504

16,000

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

No

. o

f S

cho

ols

Year

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Graph 2.2

No. of Teachers covered under Pragna Approach

Graph 2.3

No. of Students covered under Pragna Approach

516

6,247

14,634

25,742

46,339

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

45000

50000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

No

. o

f T

each

ers

Year

18,484

207,763

477,881

792,816

1,468,619

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

No

. o

f S

tud

ents

Year

[36]

2.9 TRAININGS & WORKSHOPS ON PRAGNA

For designing the material, a series of workshops was organized by SSA,

Gujarat. The workshops were designed to encourage child-centered activity,

peer-learning and finally developing child-friendly materials. It focused on

knowledge, attitude and practice building, and making teachers comfortable so

that they would conduct the activities efficiently.

Along with the workshops various training sessions were organized by the

SSA, Gujarat. Teachers, who had piloted the project in 258 schools in the state,

were given hands-on training experience. UNICEF provided technical support

to the teachers' training and monitored their progress.

[37]

End Notes

1. Rabi Prakash and Vishwambhar, A philosophical exploration of Learning and

Knowledge assumption in Activity Based Learning Digantar, Jaipur p.8.

2. Hein G. E., Constructivist Learning Theory, 1991.

http://www.exploratorium.edu/ IFI/resources/constructivistlearning.html.

3. Kristtine L. Slentz & Suzaanne L.Krogh, “Teaching Young Children” Western

Washingten University. London: Lawrence Erlbaun associates publishers, 1981,

p.63.

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activity-based_learning_in_India.

5. Pica, R., In defence of activity learning. Beyond the journal. 2008.

www.journal.naeyc.org/btj.

6. Dr. Martin Stößlein, Activity-based Learning Experiences in Quantitative

Research Methodology for (Time-Constrained) Young Scholars -Course Design

and Effectiveness, Florida, U.S.A.: Jilin University, 2009.

7. UNICEF, PRAGNA-Activity Based Learning in Gujarat-A Snapshot, SSA,

Gujarat. 2012, pp.1&6.

8. GCEE, Annual Report, RTE-SSA; NPEGEL; KGBV 2013, pp.18-20.