Teacher Educators as Policy Intermediaries: Understanding and Delivering NCF-SE 2023-Aligned Training

The successful implementation of the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023 depends critically on the quality of professional development provided to in-service teachers. Teacher educators, as frontline policy intermediaries, play a pivotal yet under-researched role in interpreting and delivering NCF-SE-aligned training. This mixed-methods study investigated 30 teacher educators from DIETs, SCERT resource groups, private training institutes, and Block Resource Centres across two districts of Uttar Pradesh. Using a Trainer Knowledge and Beliefs Survey, semi-structured interviews, and live training session observations, the study examined three dimensions: comprehension of NCF-SE 2023 key tenets, perceived preparedness to deliver competency-based training, and actual training practices.
Results reveal that while 80% of teacher educators claim familiarity with NCF-SE 2023, only 36.7% correctly identified the four-stage curricular structure, and just 23.3% could describe competency-based assessment without prompting. Training delivery remains predominantly lecture-based (73.3% of observed session time), contradicting the experiential pedagogy they are expected to model. Major barriers include inadequate trainer-of-trainers programmes (86.7%), lack of model lesson plans (76.7%), and institutional pressure to cover the syllabus rather than deepen understanding. The study concludes that teacher educators are willing but unsupported, and recommends a cascading quality-assurance model with practice-based toolkits.

teacher educators, NCF-SE 2023, professional development, policy implementation, competency-based training, India

1. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Fullan, M. (2007). The new meaning of educational change (4th ed.). Teachers College Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Kennedy, M. M. (2016). How does professional development improve teaching? Review of Educational Research, 86(4), 945–980. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Ministry of Education. (2023). National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023. Government of India. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. NCERT. (2023). NCF-SE 2023: Full document. National Council of Educational Research and Training. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Otieno, M., Wambugu, L., & Ndirangu, M. (2020). Trainer capacity in Kenya's competency-based curriculum: A cascade model analysis. African Educational Research Journal, 8(3), 456–470. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Patel, V., & Desai, H. (2023). Continuous professional development of teachers under NEP-2020: Gaps and pathways. Teacher Development, 27(3), 341–358. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Prajapati, A. B. (2025). Transforming teaching aptitude: Innovations and adjustments in the NEP 2020 era. VIDYA – A Journal of Gujarat University, 4(2), 227–235. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Rai, A. K., & K., C. (2025). Teacher education in India: Tracing the shift from training to holistic development. Journal on School Educational Technology, 20(4), 1–8. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. SCERT Delhi. (2025). INSET best practice. Retrieved April 28, 2026, from https://scert.delhi.gov.in/inset-best-practice [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Sharma, D. (2023). The National Curriculum Framework and school education: Some insights. Teacher Plus. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Singh, A. K. (2021). Implementation challenges of NEP-2020 at grassroots level: Voices of school teachers. Contemporary Education Dialogue, 18(2), 175–194. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Spillane, J. P., Reiser, B. J., & Reimer, T. (2002). Policy implementation and cognition: Reframing and refocusing implementation research. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 24(4), 387–416. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Verma, P., & Sharma, R. (2022). Administrative readiness for NEP-2020: A survey of school principals. Indian Journal of Educational Administration, 36(1), 12–29. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Williams, T. (2019). Train the trainer: A practice-based guide. Rwanda Education Board. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Yadav, A. (2025). Evaluation of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005/2023) and its classroom implications. Advances in Consumer Research, 5, 3009–3013. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study