Imran oomer ethnographic study in indian schools sample report

BEST PRACTICES FOR SCHOOLS AND ADMINISTRATORS ON INTEGRATING AND

SUSTAINING THE IBT PROGRAM

Lend-A-Hand India: PLAN100

Background

The original 19 schools that have successfully trained cohorts of graduates through the three-year IBT program are “IBT champions” and are leading the efforts to implement strategies striving towards the long-term sustainability of the program.

Since Lend-A-Hand India (LAHI) launched PLAN100, it has successfully reached over 60 schools and 11,000 students in just over

five years.

Defining Sustainability

Sustainability needs to be viewed through many different lenses; foremost, conceptual sustainability is the lifeline of an effectively running initiative• The ability of the initiative to consistently cover its

costs with cash-in. This typically requires conceptual buy-in from the financial source (s)– customer or donorFinancial

• The level of administrative support the initiative receives , which helps it sustain and improve upon its programs’ operations

Administrative

• The ease and efficiency achieved in running the initiative’s core activities on a regular basisImplementation

• The level of commitment and buy-in of the program’s outcomes received from key stakeholders

Conceptual

Project Objectives

This study is primarily aimed at uncovering unique and replicable strategies aimed at sustaining IBT within a school’s curriculum. To achieve this goal, the following steps have been taken:

• …an in-depth interview guide to be used with key stakeholders at a pre-determined set of IBT schools

Design

• …IBT schools “in action” for a number of days (rapid ethnography) to identify key success factors of their program’s functionality

Observe

• …best practices to current and future IBT schools as a reference tool for gaining insight on how other schools have effectively integrated and sustained the program with a long-term

Disseminate

METHODOLOGY

Methodology: Ethnography and Contextual Inquiry

An ethnographical approach was used for this project, with the key activity being observing activities at a school over a period of days to examine how the IBT program functions and to gain insight from key participants including: Students IBT Instructors Non-IBT Teachers IBT Coordinators Headmasters School Committee Members

Over the period of one month, 4 schools (profiled on the next slide) were visited and 21 interviews were conducted

Selected School Profiles

Mangaon School

Mangaon, Raigan District

120 IBT students

(100% per class) – 100%

ST

93% graduation rate / 100% exam pass

rate

Student fees:Rs: 0

CS: 40,000

Vikramgad School

Vikramgad, Upper Thane

District

180 IBT students (25%

per class) – 95% ST


rate

Student fees: Rs. 240,00

CS: Rs. 5,000

D.N. Wandrekar

School

Pal, Jalgaon District

185 IBT students

(100% per class) – 100%

ST


rate


CS: Rs. 1,000

Dhanaji School

Khiroda, Jalgaon District

173 IBT students (25% per class) –

few ST


rate


CS: Rs. 3,000

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Sample Discussion Questions

IBT Integration: How was the decision made the launch IBT at your school? What were the main motivations? Who was involved in the decision-making? In what capacity?

IBT Commitment: How would you describe the commitment / involvement of each stakeholder (e.g. students, instructors, parents, management)? What are they motivated by? What sells them on IBT?

Challenges to Sustainability: Besides funding, what are the biggest challenges you face today regarding commitment to IBT?

Instructor Recruitment & Retention: What has worked well in retaining instructors? What challenges have you faced in keeping them engaged in IBT? What are they motivated by?

Funding: What are your strategies for financially sustaining the IBT program? If fees and community service do not cover the costs of running IBT, what are the other options?

KEY FINDINGS AND BEST PRACTICES

Common Challenges Expressed Regarding The Sustainability of IBT

• Engaging parents and getting IBT buy-in• Sparking the interest of incoming IBT

students• Gaining buy-in from non-IBT teachers

Conceptual

• Instructor recruitment and retention• Facilities and equipment maintenance• Availability of raw materials for practicals

Implementation

• Preparing and motivating the IBT coordinator

• Regular documentation of attendance, classroom activities and practicals

Administrative

• Limited local market for CS activities + lack of commitment

• Poor families not using gov’t aid for education

• Financial support of school committee

Financial

Best Practices Addressing Challenges to Sustainability of IBT (Conceptual)

Challenge Best Practice

Engaging Parents of Potential and

Current IBT Students

Parents react more positively to tangible results. Communicate IBT graduate success stories during parents meetings so that the

outcomes of the program are clear, particularly the ITI preferred placement

(VS)

Sparking the interest of younger, non-IBT students

Leverage the knowledge, experience and perspectives of IBT graduates to come to

the school as ambassadors to the program, conveying its benefits to both students and

their parents

Students are excited by the practical component of IBT, seeing it as a creative

and preferred way of learning. Demonstrate practicals and 10th standard projects to incoming 8th standard students as a core

benefit to them of joining IBT

Identified Best Practices Addressing Challenges to Sustainability of IBT (Conceptual)


Motivating 8th standard IBT

students

IBT students increase their engagement with the program when they can effectively make the connection between IBT and their home lives. Instructors should actively seek

input from students on how to adapt the program to be most relevant

Gaining buy-in from non-IBT teachers

IBT needs to play an active role in students’ standard curriculum and vice versa. Schools that have succeeded in this facilitate close working relationships between IBT and non-IBT teachers,

resulting in some co-teaching of relevant topics

Best Practices Addressing Challenges to Sustainability of IBT (Implementation)


Retaining IBT instructors

A) Recruiting IBT graduates who understand the program and its purpose;

B) Building an informal instructor network with other nearby IBT program to

exchange ideasC) Empowering instructors by encouraging

them to grow IBT project ideas through own experiences in the field (this also has a positive effect on student engagement, as

they are motivated by new, innovative practicals)

D) Integrating theory and practice such that IBT instructors get to participate in regular

classes when appropriateE) Having a seasoned instructor (3+ years)

that can play the role of head instructor from a support, advisory, and training perspective

F) On-time, regular payment

All headmasters agree that

well-trained and motivated instructors are the key

to IBT’s success

Best Practices Addressing Challenges to Sustainability of IBT (Implementation)


Motivating instructors to

innovate through new practicals

Schools that have succeeded in leveraging instructors’ creativity and entrepreneurial skills to advance practicals have engaged

them with professional development opportunities. For example, an exemplary

engineering instructor was able to attend a relevant seminar at a nearby institute to

help advance his skills.

Availability of raw materials

The creativity allowed among IBT practicals is limited by the availability of raw

materials, a particular challenge in the most rural schools. Schools have addressed

this challenge by having the field officer, who has more market access and reach, act

as an informal buyer for materials

Best Practices Addressing Challenges to Sustainability of IBT (Administrative)


Motivating and incenting the IBT

coordinator

Efforts to minimize the IBT coordinator role (e.g. have them only responsible for

teaching theory) have not been effective, resulting in disengaged and uncommitted coordinators. They need to be well-trained

in the IBT program and be seen as a resource, not a nuisance, to instructors. The position should be applied and interviewed

for and be incentivized with additional professional development opportunities.

Record keeping is not done effectively

nor regularly

Schools succeeding in record keeping hold instructors responsible for the thorough

documentation of class activities using the LAHI/Vigyan Ashram form

Identified Best Practices Addressing Challenges to Sustainability of IBT (Financial)


Lack of commitment to

community service activities and

revenue generation

Schools not focused on community service make excuses from a lack of a local market to there being ‘no time ‘ for CS. Those that succeed understand the importance of it

not just from a financial point of view but as a core component in the curriculum. This

can only be accomplished if school leadership makes it a priority for

instructors and students.

Engaging the school committee

IBT programs that have the school committee visit once or twice a year have

difficulties in the long-run getting commitment from the committee on IBT. The headmaster needs to be armed with state-wide and school-specific outcomes

data to engage with the school committee on regularly.

Perspectives on Government Support (Financial)

*Reduce financial stress of supporting the program through unpredictable means*If accomplished system-wide (not just with a few schools), challenges with government bureaucracy will be reduced

*Potential reduction in quality with government controlling recruitment, monitoring and evaluation*Potential for delayed payments, resulting in increased difficulty in retaining instructors*Excessive red tape, and often bribes, in getting approval*More restrictions on the prerequisites for instructors

FO

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“The Project PLAN 100 team visits and look after the program right now; once it goes into government’s hands, I worry about the quality.” – Headmaster, Vikramgad School

Case Study #1: Transforming the Teacher-Student Relationship

Students’ confidence within the classroom has been seen by instructors at Vikramgad School and they attribute it to the close instructor-student relationships they are able to foster within the IBT classroom. They say students are much more willing to ask questions and even more so, give suggestions when they have an idea, within IBT (they cite significant change from 8th standard to 9th and 10th). They say that they are able to foster this environment by: Removing the physical distance between students and teachers (no

chalkboard and desks) Working together with the students on projects Being friendly and talking to students outside of the classroom (e.g. to and

from school) Removing requirements to address instructors as sir/madam.

In addition, instructors believe that fear from asking questions or being incorrect is reduced because they are able to see and feel what works and what doesn’t through hands-on practical work

Case Study #2: Motivating Instructors While Engaging Students

The headmaster and IBT coordinator at Dhanaji School in Khorida attribute the school’s success with IBT to student engagement.

By giving the instructors the freedom to progress the curriculum and bring in their own ideas, students are able to do new and exciting practicals and that keeps them engaged and interested in the work. Examples include a solar cooker, a bicycle-powered light bulb and washing machine, and dust-free chalk. More than in other schools, the instructors are given full ownership of their sections and are empowered to grow and expand the syllabus as much as they are able to.

APPENDIX

General IBT Interview Guide (1 of 8)

School Background

Numbers and Dates (for context and segmentation) Years of IBT # of IBT & Non-IBT students # of successful graduates # of drop-outs # of successful graduates continuing on to a technical or diploma

program

What is the background of the students at your school? Literacy of parents Involvement of parents in student’s education (% attendance at parents’

meetings?) Family employment Ability to pay for tuition (what % can pay and how much?)


Integrating IBT – Conceptual How was the decision made the launch IBT at your school? What were the main

motivations? Who was involved in the decision-making? In what capacity? How was IBT first introduced to different groups?

Students Teachers Management Donors

What message was communicated to each group? How was it popularized? What were their initial reactions? Were they apprehensive at all? Why do you think? How did you respond to their apprehensions? How have their opinions changed, if at all?

How would you describe the commitment / involvement of each group? What are they motivated by? What sells them on IBT?

Besides funding, what are the biggest challenges you face today regarding commitment to IBT?

Do you see a difference between IBT and non-IBT students?


Integrating IBT – Administrative How are the administrative responsibilities of IBT program

divided? Paperwork, documentation and record keeping

What is your current system for these activities? What is challenging? What has worked well?

Communication What is your current system for this? What is challenging? What has worked well?

Facilities / land management What is your current system for these activities? What is challenging? What has worked well?

Instructor search What is your current system for this? What is challenging? What has worked well?


Integrating IBT - Implementation How would you rate the success of each of the four

IBT modules? What has been the key success factors for each of the

modules? What have the challenges been? What has been done to overcome the challenges?

How has the recruitment and retention process for instructors been? What has worked in retaining good instructors? What challenges, if any, have you faced in keeping them

engaged in IBT? Do you think reward system for instructors will be useful?

How we should design it?


How involved is your IBT program in community service activities? Who is managing and who is driving these activities? How do you think these activities contribute to the IBT program, overall? What do the students get out of it? What are the challenges in increasing community activities? How it can be strengthened?

How are the 10th standard projects going?

What types of projects are there? How do you decide about which project to take? Are you satisfied with the quality and learning from the projects by the students? What do the students get out of it?

How are your physical facilities for IBT? How have these been

maintained/upgraded? Are they clean? Are they sufficient? Classrooms Workshops Agriculture land Storage space Etc.


Integrating IBT – Financial (HM) How are the costs for IBT currently covered?

Fees Community Service LAHI Private Donors

What have you done to increase the funding for IBT? Fees Community Service Private Donors Income generation activities by the school

What challenges have you faced in maintaining or increasing contribution from each of these sources?

Looking forward, do you believe the IBT program can become self-sustaining? What are your strategies for financially sustaining the IBT program? If fees and community service do not cover the costs of running IBT, what are the other

options?


What support is the school’s management able to offer? What about the government?

How do you think they should support the program? What are the advantages and disadvantages you see to involving the

government? What will change in terms of implementation, monitoring, and

program administration with government involvement? What do you think is the possibility of receiving government support

– funding, salaries of instructors etc. What are the pros and cons of government funding? Do you think it

will be misused – not used properly – IBT quality will go down and it will lose its importance.

What do you think about receiving all the present support from the government – recognition of the subject, because it is optional subject, only those schools and students who are interested will opt / go for it, and IBT students getting reservations in ITI and polytechnic colleges? Isn’t it sufficient so that each school can create its own edge to do good IBT?


IBT Instructor-Specific Questions What is your academic background? Your professional background? How did you get involved with IBT? Do you see any benefits in

becoming instructor? How has your experience been so far? What do you like / dislike about

IBT? What is the impact that you have seen in the students? What long-term benefits do you think exist for students who take part in

the IBT program?

Teacher-Specific Questions What do you think about IBT and its influence on students at the school? How has it added to the students’ education? What difference have you seen in the subject you teach? Have you been able to integrate IBT learning into your subject? How? What do you see as the most important characteristics or selling points

of IBT?

Imran oomer ethnographic study in indian schools sample report

Education

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