Perceptions of Undergraduate College Teachers on National Education Policy – An Empirical Perspective

Abstract

In the present study, the authors investigate the attitudes of undergraduate college teachers in Bengaluru in relation to National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) and higher education, in particular. The research design adopted the quantitative approach, which involved gathering primary data on 51 undergraduate teachers by implementing the structured questionnaire via the online and offline methods. The method of sampling used was convenience and the statistical analysis of the data was done using ANOVA, t-test and Friedman non-parametric test on SPSS software. The secondary data collection was conducted by the way of a large-scale survey of recent literature on NEP and educational reformation. The results indicate that teachers have moderate knowledge of NEP, though, the knowledge related to the particular elements including the 88 actionable points and the implementation framework called SARTHAQ is very low. A large percentage of the respondents were not sure about accreditation, affiliation reforms, and regulatory restructuring. Testing of the hypotheses revealed that there were no significant differences in the knowledge, pros and cons perception, and ease and challenges of implementation of the programs with regard to demographic variables of age, qualification, and teaching experience. Furthermore, knowledge about NEP did not significantly influence perceptions of its advantages, disadvantages, or implementation challenges. The paper creates awareness about the necessity of policy information distribution, formal orientation, and participation of teachers in the policy implementation processes. This study by featuring the voids in awareness and participation offers a conceptual basis on which additional research would be conducted on the faculty perception of NEP and builds capacity to enhance the process of reforms in higher education in India.