With the emergence and popularity of online education, it is impossible to discuss adult educatio... more With the emergence and popularity of online education, it is impossible to discuss adult education without considering online education. It has become a vital tool to enable a thriving and inclusive education. The paper explores their characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and the main challenges of a paradigm shift in adult and continuing education from offline to online and shares contemporary research findings and views in this regard that researchers have shared globally. The results show that the main advantages are its flexibility. customizability, its open access, and the possibility of accessing free materials and establishing networks among the participating students. The main weaknesses are related to lack of funds, untrained instructors, little contact with teachers and tutors. Decoding and understanding these issues will help institutions create strategies for delivering knowledge more efficiently and ensuring an uninterrupted lifelong learning journey cons for adult learners.
Non-formal education provides a viable alternative to meet the educational needs of people who, f... more Non-formal education provides a viable alternative to meet the educational needs of people who, for certain reasons, are not in a position to avail the opportunities provided by the formal education system. As per the literature, there is a general perception that people have a negative attitude towards such a mode of education. For a successful application of a non-formal education program, it is important to determine and evaluate the social acceptance of such programs as regardless of its advantages, it will not be adopted and sustained by the people if there is no social acceptance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the social acceptability of non-formal education. Data was collected through structured interviews on a sample of 200 pass-outs. The findings reveal that these non-formal programs have great acceptability, at least amongst the people who are known to the participants, which may be due to the fact that participation and the perception of such programs are linked. The study recommends NFE programs be promoted and success stories publicised amongst the non-participants of NFE for bringing about a change in general perception.
The purpose of this paper is to present a broad overview of the influence of non-formal education... more The purpose of this paper is to present a broad overview of the influence of non-formal education on income generation by analysing the relevant literature of recent times. Reports and articles published in key journals from the concerned field, closely defined by their objective of providing skills for economic and social development and the satisfaction of basic needs, were extensively reviewed and analysed. The paper discusses the expanding boundaries of non-formal education, its influence on human resource development, and the constraints to achieving sustainable development. Suggestions for improvement by various research studies have also been examined. The outcome of this analysis has significant consequences for non-formal education stakeholders, instructional planners, and policymakers, as they can aid in the visualisation, prioritisation, and planning of such programmes.
The exponential increase in COVID-19 infections along with containment measures to control the pa... more The exponential increase in COVID-19 infections along with containment measures to control the pandemic has started showing their disastrous implications on economy, health, education and work conditions of the society. However, the marginalized sections of the society including women are worst affected but least talked about. Recognising the unique niche of men and women in the Indian societal setup, it is warranted to explore the gendered implications in the context of the disaster caused by COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. This may help in developing effective, equitable policies and interventions for the target groups. The present study, therefore, seeks to examine how the conditions of women in India are being affected by this crisis. It discusses the potential vulnerabilities of women from different sections of society, which if not addressed in time could transform into serious personal as well as socioeconomic problems. The observations can be used by policymakers, researchers, academicians and other stakeholders to identify and fill the gaps to achieve the broader goal of gender equality in the society and flatten the trajectory in the process.
To acquire benefits from technology in education, due consideration must be given to attitude of ... more To acquire benefits from technology in education, due consideration must be given to attitude of teachers which plays an important role in guiding and predicting future successful use of technology in the classroom. With the feminization in the teaching fraternity and the studies reporting gender specific perception towards usefulness of technology and ease of use, the present study was, therefore, undertaken to examine the attitude of teachers towards use of technology in teaching with a gender perspective. A survey was conducted on 482 secondary school teachers from India, using Attitude towards Information Technology scale. The attitude of the respondents were assessed in terms of four dimensions; namely significance in life, usefulness for students, productivity for teaching, and teacher’s interest and acceptance. The quantitative data were analyzed using appropriate statistical techniques like t-test and ANOVA. Findings suggest that with regard to different factors viz., training, location of schools, medium of instruction and marital status, no gender specific differences in attitude towards information technology was found. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the effective use of technology in classrooms should be expected from all teachers irrespective of their gender.
The article aims to discuss stress among women in relation to their work. This issue has importan... more The article aims to discuss stress among women in relation to their work. This issue has important implications to understand and evaluate stress among women especially in view of the changing socio-economic scenario. Correlation, t-test, and ANOVA were employed on a sample of 200 women comprising 100 working and 100 non working. Overall, working and non working women exhibited insignificantly different level of stress however variations were noticed with respect to different factors.
Violence against women, according to the UNICEF, continues to be a global epidemic that kills, to... more Violence against women, according to the UNICEF, continues to be a global epidemic that kills, torments, and injures physically, psychologically, sexually, and economically which in turn devastates human existence, fractures communities, and stalls development; it is one of the most persistent violation of human rights that denies women security, dignity, equality, and their right to enjoy fundamental freedoms. This violence, a clear example of gender-based discrimination, is a major source of women's decreased health and wellbeing. In its numerous forms, violence against women has been recognized as a highly prevalent social and public health problem with serious consequences for the health of women and their children. The present paper provides an overview of the most common forms of violence against women and its prevalence. Furthermore, the paper also examines and provides a detailed overview of research findings about the direct and indirect consequences of violence on health and wellbeing of women that may include physical and chronic health problems, mental health problems, and sexual health problems. Taking into consideration the reasons behind the violence and its consequences the paper emphasizes the necessity for initiatives to be taken with coordinated efforts across different sectors to support and protect victims, to ensure that women are able to assert and exercise their rights and that society has instruments at its disposal to punish aggressors.
The article aims to discuss the effectiveness of male and female teachers in relation to demograp... more The article aims to discuss the effectiveness of male and female teachers in relation to demographic factors like marital status, training, location and medium of instruction. These issues have important implications to understand and evaluate teachers' effectiveness especially in view of the changing sex ratio of school teachers. Correlation, t-test, and ANOVA were employed on a sample of 482 teachers comprising 245 males and 237 females. Overall, male and female teachers exhibited insignificantly different effectiveness however variations were noticed with respect to different demographic factors. The paper concludes by arguing that since the quality of education being delivered, generally, has been considered as a function of teachers' degree of effectiveness, there is a need for both substantive and methodological focus on gender specific responsibilities and requirements, in order to take out maximum from male and female teachers to produce high degree of effectiveness in their profession.
With the emergence and popularity of online education, it is impossible to discuss adult educatio... more With the emergence and popularity of online education, it is impossible to discuss adult education without considering online education. It has become a vital tool to enable a thriving and inclusive education. The paper explores their characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and the main challenges of a paradigm shift in adult and continuing education from offline to online and shares contemporary research findings and views in this regard that researchers have shared globally. The results show that the main advantages are its flexibility. customizability, its open access, and the possibility of accessing free materials and establishing networks among the participating students. The main weaknesses are related to lack of funds, untrained instructors, little contact with teachers and tutors. Decoding and understanding these issues will help institutions create strategies for delivering knowledge more efficiently and ensuring an uninterrupted lifelong learning journey cons for adult learners.
Non-formal education provides a viable alternative to meet the educational needs of people who, f... more Non-formal education provides a viable alternative to meet the educational needs of people who, for certain reasons, are not in a position to avail the opportunities provided by the formal education system. As per the literature, there is a general perception that people have a negative attitude towards such a mode of education. For a successful application of a non-formal education program, it is important to determine and evaluate the social acceptance of such programs as regardless of its advantages, it will not be adopted and sustained by the people if there is no social acceptance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the social acceptability of non-formal education. Data was collected through structured interviews on a sample of 200 pass-outs. The findings reveal that these non-formal programs have great acceptability, at least amongst the people who are known to the participants, which may be due to the fact that participation and the perception of such programs are linked. The study recommends NFE programs be promoted and success stories publicised amongst the non-participants of NFE for bringing about a change in general perception.
The purpose of this paper is to present a broad overview of the influence of non-formal education... more The purpose of this paper is to present a broad overview of the influence of non-formal education on income generation by analysing the relevant literature of recent times. Reports and articles published in key journals from the concerned field, closely defined by their objective of providing skills for economic and social development and the satisfaction of basic needs, were extensively reviewed and analysed. The paper discusses the expanding boundaries of non-formal education, its influence on human resource development, and the constraints to achieving sustainable development. Suggestions for improvement by various research studies have also been examined. The outcome of this analysis has significant consequences for non-formal education stakeholders, instructional planners, and policymakers, as they can aid in the visualisation, prioritisation, and planning of such programmes.
The exponential increase in COVID-19 infections along with containment measures to control the pa... more The exponential increase in COVID-19 infections along with containment measures to control the pandemic has started showing their disastrous implications on economy, health, education and work conditions of the society. However, the marginalized sections of the society including women are worst affected but least talked about. Recognising the unique niche of men and women in the Indian societal setup, it is warranted to explore the gendered implications in the context of the disaster caused by COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. This may help in developing effective, equitable policies and interventions for the target groups. The present study, therefore, seeks to examine how the conditions of women in India are being affected by this crisis. It discusses the potential vulnerabilities of women from different sections of society, which if not addressed in time could transform into serious personal as well as socioeconomic problems. The observations can be used by policymakers, researchers, academicians and other stakeholders to identify and fill the gaps to achieve the broader goal of gender equality in the society and flatten the trajectory in the process.
To acquire benefits from technology in education, due consideration must be given to attitude of ... more To acquire benefits from technology in education, due consideration must be given to attitude of teachers which plays an important role in guiding and predicting future successful use of technology in the classroom. With the feminization in the teaching fraternity and the studies reporting gender specific perception towards usefulness of technology and ease of use, the present study was, therefore, undertaken to examine the attitude of teachers towards use of technology in teaching with a gender perspective. A survey was conducted on 482 secondary school teachers from India, using Attitude towards Information Technology scale. The attitude of the respondents were assessed in terms of four dimensions; namely significance in life, usefulness for students, productivity for teaching, and teacher’s interest and acceptance. The quantitative data were analyzed using appropriate statistical techniques like t-test and ANOVA. Findings suggest that with regard to different factors viz., training, location of schools, medium of instruction and marital status, no gender specific differences in attitude towards information technology was found. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the effective use of technology in classrooms should be expected from all teachers irrespective of their gender.
The article aims to discuss stress among women in relation to their work. This issue has importan... more The article aims to discuss stress among women in relation to their work. This issue has important implications to understand and evaluate stress among women especially in view of the changing socio-economic scenario. Correlation, t-test, and ANOVA were employed on a sample of 200 women comprising 100 working and 100 non working. Overall, working and non working women exhibited insignificantly different level of stress however variations were noticed with respect to different factors.
Violence against women, according to the UNICEF, continues to be a global epidemic that kills, to... more Violence against women, according to the UNICEF, continues to be a global epidemic that kills, torments, and injures physically, psychologically, sexually, and economically which in turn devastates human existence, fractures communities, and stalls development; it is one of the most persistent violation of human rights that denies women security, dignity, equality, and their right to enjoy fundamental freedoms. This violence, a clear example of gender-based discrimination, is a major source of women's decreased health and wellbeing. In its numerous forms, violence against women has been recognized as a highly prevalent social and public health problem with serious consequences for the health of women and their children. The present paper provides an overview of the most common forms of violence against women and its prevalence. Furthermore, the paper also examines and provides a detailed overview of research findings about the direct and indirect consequences of violence on health and wellbeing of women that may include physical and chronic health problems, mental health problems, and sexual health problems. Taking into consideration the reasons behind the violence and its consequences the paper emphasizes the necessity for initiatives to be taken with coordinated efforts across different sectors to support and protect victims, to ensure that women are able to assert and exercise their rights and that society has instruments at its disposal to punish aggressors.
The article aims to discuss the effectiveness of male and female teachers in relation to demograp... more The article aims to discuss the effectiveness of male and female teachers in relation to demographic factors like marital status, training, location and medium of instruction. These issues have important implications to understand and evaluate teachers' effectiveness especially in view of the changing sex ratio of school teachers. Correlation, t-test, and ANOVA were employed on a sample of 482 teachers comprising 245 males and 237 females. Overall, male and female teachers exhibited insignificantly different effectiveness however variations were noticed with respect to different demographic factors. The paper concludes by arguing that since the quality of education being delivered, generally, has been considered as a function of teachers' degree of effectiveness, there is a need for both substantive and methodological focus on gender specific responsibilities and requirements, in order to take out maximum from male and female teachers to produce high degree of effectiveness in their profession.
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