Theoretical and philosophical foundations of English language teacher education in India

Abstract

Introduction. This article examines the historical development and philosophical foundations of foreign language teacher education in India. A retrospective analysis shows that this education began to take on a systemic character in the mid-20th century. During the colonial period (mid-18th century to 1947), India’s pedagogical discourse was shaped by competing paradigms rooted, on the one hand,  in British colonial policy and, on the other hand, in traditional Indian educational traditions. These paradigms included positivism, utilitarianism, orientalism, occidentalism, nationalism, and anti-colonialism.
Materials and Methods. The research employs the methods of analysis and synthesis, interpreting scholarly literature and practical experience in the field. It also summarizes international best practices in foreign language teacher training.
Results. The pedagogical theories that have most strongly influenced teacher education in India include constructivism, social constructivism, critical pedagogy, humanism, behaviorism, cognitivism, and essentialism. The core disciplines in foreign language teacher training comprise applied linguistics, general linguistics, pedagogy, psychology, and related fields. While constructivism is the dominant conceptual approach in both global and Indian teacher education, its theoretical elaboration in Indian scholarship is still limited. The philosophical-epistemological framework of teacher education combines social constructivism and interpretivism, highlighting the teacher’s professional identity and its socio-cultural context of development as key categories.
Conclusions. The study highlights the need for further research into the adaptation of modern pedagogical theories to India’s educational context, taking into account its historical and cultural specificities.