IN-PERSON: Learning. Life. Work
Abstract
It is the quality learning environment in educational institutions that can make the achievement of SDG 4.0 possible. Bullying in Indian schools is often associated with only physical abuse while ignoring the verbal, social, and cyber angles to it. This narrow approach to Bullying, combined with the absence of strict regulations against bullying in the country, further accentuates the problem. Recently, multiple incidents of school bullying have led to suicides or severe psychological trauma. Questions are being raised about the school’s and teacher’s role in creating safe learning spaces for students. The study intends to review the woefully inadequate existing SEL-based bullying prevention programs for teachers in the country and provide an effective capacity-building program (CBP) as it is crucial to control and minimize school bullying incidents. A pilot survey on school teachers, teaching in private schools was done to assess the need for an intervention program. 93% of teachers (435) surveyed felt the need for bullying prevention training sessions to enhance their capacity to deal with school bullying, as 74.3% lack awareness of bullying concepts and various coping strategies. A program was designed with 12 activity-based intervention modules. A pilot study on school teachers (N=300) was conducted to check its viability and validity for enhancing the teachers’ self-efficacy, empathy, SEL skills, etc., to combat school bullying. Some modules and activities were added based on the results of the secondary school teachers’ written feedback and semi-structured interviews. The researcher became aware of the challenges for quality education, training in-service teachers, pre-conditioning to a bullying environment, and the duration of follow-up required for the CBP to work.
Harsha Sharma: I am a Ph.D. student working on “school bullying.” In the last two years, I have attended more than 30 national and international workshops, conferences, and seminars, both physically and virtually, along with publishing six research papers in peer-reviewed and UGC care-listed journals. I have also voluntarily worked as a moderator in the international conferences organized by ICERT, Delhi. As a research scholar, I taught M.Ed students and assisted in organizing various conferences. I also completed online courses, i.e., SEL for teachers, SEL for Classroom, Cooperative Learning etc.
Dr. Latika Sharma is a professor in the Department of Education at Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh. She also holds various positions in the university as a fellow, PU NEP Coordinator, Coordinator Cell for Promotion of Universal Human Values(UHV), Former Chairperson(2016-2019), and Former coordinator Centre for Academic Leadership and Education Management under PMMMNMTT of MHRD(2018-2019). She was nominated to the Panjab University Senate in 2021 by The Vice President of India, Chancellor of Panjab University Chandigarh (UT) for three years till December 2024. She has also supervised 18 doctoral researchers in the areas of gender discrimination, life skills of teachers, professionalism, privatization of teacher education, technology readiness, academic persistence, conflict management, bullying, social competence, ecological approach, brain-based learning, Stress inoculation, and Entrepreneurial attitude.
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Monday 10th June, 2024