Indigenous-based experiential learning and pre-service teacher innovativeness: Evidence from a quasi-experimental study in West Bengal, India

Palash Majumder; Nimisha Beri; Sharad Sinha; Parimal Sarkar

doi:10.32674/fyz4a781

Authors

Palash Majumder Lovely Professional University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9115-0490
Nimisha Beri Department of Teacher Education, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0242-087X
Sharad Sinha National Council of Educational Research and Training
Parimal Sarkar School of Education, Netaji Subhas Open University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7434-4709

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/fyz4a781

Keywords:

experiential learning, indigenous knowledge systems, pre-service teacher education, quasi-experiment, rasch measurement, teacher innovativeness

Abstract

Aligned with India's National Education Policy 2020 mandate to integrate the Indian Knowledge System into teacher preparation, this study examined whether a 16-week Indigenous-based Experiential Learning intervention was associated with gains in pre-service teacher innovativeness. In a one-group pre-test/post-test quasi-experiment, 140 B.Ed. students across three West Bengal colleges engaged with indigenous craft traditions through four phases aligned with Kolb's experiential learning cycle. A Rasch-validated Teacher Innovativeness Scale showed significant gains across Fluency, Flexibility, Originality, and Elaboration (dz = 0.74–1.14, all p < .001). Reflective journals and Yarning Circles traced movement from procedural compliance towards community-connected professional identity amid persisting institutional constraints. Findings are preliminary associations, offering a provisional model for IKS-based experiential teacher preparation and an agenda for comparative research.

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