Higher Education in India: Refocusing Faculty Development

Abstract

Higher education systems across the globe are experiencing unprecedented expansion. This has resulted in increased initiatives for improving quality of higher education. As teaching-learning constitutes the core activity in educational institutions, initiatives for improving quality of teaching have spread. Further, increasing demands and needs of twenty-first century students are also driving the institutions to relook their policies and practices for imparting quality teaching. Therefore, to improve teaching, faculty development initiatives has gained impetus. Across the globe, higher education institutions are developing and introducing programmes for faculty development aimed to ensure quality of faculty and its effectiveness. In Indian context too, challenges for improving quality of higher education led to adoption of programmes for faculty development during the last few decades. This chapter looks into the faculty development initiatives in the Indian higher education system and suggests for reviewing and refocusing the design and approach of faculty development programmes in view of the present needs.