Learning from Indian teacher expertise : a policy and practice report for educational organisations in India

This report offers an overview of the findings of an empirical study of teacher expertise conducted to gain insights into the practices, cognition and professionalism of teachers identified as experts working in Indian schools. Eight expert secondary teachers of English working in government or government-aided schools participated in this study: five from Maharashtra, two from Telangana and one from West Bengal. Their practices, cognition and professionalism were compared and found to have much in common, both with each other and with expert teachers studied in other contexts around the world. Nonetheless, there were also important differences due to the particular circumstances, conditions and challenges that Indian teachers face; these teachers found ways of overcoming these challenges and remaining effective despite less than ideal conditions in their schools and classrooms. The report offers a number of recommendations for policy and teacher education practice, particularly of relevance to the three states involved in the study, but also potentially for teachers working in secondary education across India