Title: Managing the shortage of teaching faculty for technical education in India

Authors: Thankamma Thankachan, P.B. Sharma, R.K. Singh

Addresses: Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, B-21, Qutab Institutional Area, Delhi 110016, India. ' Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, B-21, Qutab Institutional Area, Delhi 110016, India. ' Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, B-21, Qutab Institutional Area, Delhi 110016, India

Abstract: Teaching faculty is the most valuable resource, the pivot around which the whole teaching and learning process revolves in an educational institution. The shortage of quality faculty is currently acknowledged as the most critical problem and finding enough competent and qualified faculties is becoming a growing challenge for engineering institutions, as they have to compete with their counterparts in India and abroad, in curriculum and teaching standards. A synoptic view of the main factors behind the shortage, its impacts in the quality of education and strategies required for maintaining quality and balancing the demand and supply of teaching faculty in technical institutions are delved in this paper. The analysis also highlights the core competency of engineering teachers, the present scenario of teaching faculty, the state-wise magnitude of shortage and the educational profile of teaching faculty at all-India level. The research gives a national perspective on the problem and adds further investigation into various facets and illuminates its impacts on the quality of education.

Keywords: technical education; teaching faculties; e-learning; electronic learning; strategic development; management strategies; faculty shortages; India; curriculum; teaching standards; synoptic views; educational quality; supply; demand; technical institutions; core competencies; teachers; educational profiles; continuing education; engineering education; life-long learning; electronic competence; e-competence; lecturers; academic staff.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCEELL.2010.037052

International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning, 2010 Vol.20 No.3/4/5, pp.365 - 380

Published online: 22 Nov 2010 *

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