By drawing on quantitative data and qualitative analyses of five major national education policies implemented in India over the last 15 years, this comprehensive volume explores their impact on teacher quality and perceived effectiveness, explaining how this relates to variations in student performance. Responding to a national agenda to increase the quality of the Indian teacher workforce, Teacher Quality and Education Policy in India critically questions the application of human capital theory to Indian education policy. Chapters provide in-depth and strategically structured analyses of five national policies - including the recently approved National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 - to see how Indian policymakers use teacher quality as a driver and measurement of education and national economic development. Ultimately, the text offers evidence-based policy recommendations to improve teacher quality in India, suggesting that while all five policies have contributed significant frameworks and recommendations for teacher quality reform, they have failed to move beyond a symbolic function. Given its rigorous methodological approach, this book will be a valuable addition to the under-researched question of education policymaking in postcolonial contexts. It will be an indispensable resource not only for scholars working on policymaking in the Indian context, but also for those working at the intersection of education, teacher development, and policymaking in developing countries.

By drawing on quantitative data and qualitative analyses of five major national education policies implemented in India over the last 15 years, this comprehensive volume explores their impact on teacher quality and perceived effectiveness, explaining how this relates to variations in student performance. Responding to a national agenda to increase the quality of the Indian teacher workforce, Teacher Quality and Education Policy in India critically questions the application of human capital theory to Indian education policy. Chapters provide in-depth and strategically structured analyses of five national policies - including the recently approved National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 - to see how Indian policymakers use teacher quality as a driver and measurement of education and national economic development. Ultimately, the text offers evidence-based policy recommendations to improve teacher quality in India, suggesting that while all five policies have contributed significant frameworks and recommendations for teacher quality reform, they have failed to move beyond a symbolic function. Given its rigorous methodological approach, this book will be a valuable addition to the under-researched question of education policymaking in postcolonial contexts. It will be an indispensable resource not only for scholars working on policymaking in the Indian context, but also for those working at the intersection of education, teacher development, and policymaking in developing countries.

In an era of educational globalization, teacher quality is heralded as a key factor to improve education quality worldwide. Since the 1980s, global, national, and local education policies and reforms have consistently focused on improving teacher quality in order to improve student learning outcomes. In India, which has one of the largest student populations and fastest growing economies in the world, the quality of teaching is blamed for the poor performance by Indian students on internationally-comparative assessments. As a result, Indian national policy documents and curriculum frameworks have repeatedly called for drastic improvements in teacher preparation and performance, but with few widespread results. By identifying and analyzing various measures of teacher quality, and how teacher quality varies in India, this book provides an evidence-based framework for policymakers to further improve teacher quality in India. Building Teacher Quality in India provides suggestions for further research in order to augment educational practices in India, secure better student achievement, and improve the country's global standing. This book is essential reading for education researchers and policymakers looking at teacher quality as a measure to improve student performance.