PRACTICE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN SECONDARY TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMME: WHAT TO THE STUDENT-TEACHERS AND TEACHER EDUCATORS PERCEIVE?

This research paper documents the perceptions of student-teachers and teacher educators about the practice of community engagement in secondary teacher education institutions. The data were collected through two self-developed questionnaires from 160 student teachers and 35 teacher educators from five teacher education institutions of Odisha affiliated to Utkal University. The findings reveal that community activities are organised as per the course structure such as: awareness Programmes, mass safai, plantations, road repair, blood donation camps in the community. The resources are not recognized and utilized for school improvement. As observed during data collection that community engagement is practised in all the secondary teacher education institutions, but need to be in full-fledged manner.