Rest-Less Teachers in Testing Conditions: A Comparative Case Study of Primary School Teachers in Karnataka, India

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 7:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Tracing Trajectories: Teachers Reframing Transational Identities and Practice

Abstract

In the context of the global learning crisis, India’s education policies focus on teachers while overlooking their real-world constraints. This comparative case study explores how government and private primary school teachers in Karnataka, India navigate their complex roles amid administrative burdens, job insecurity, and limited autonomy. While teachers remain deeply committed to student learning and well-being, systemic pressures lead them to prioritize curriculum completion and documentation. The study highlights teachers’ adaptations and coping strategies, calling for reforms that reduce bureaucratic overload, recognize teacher agency, and engage educators meaningfully in shaping more equitable and effective education policy.

Author

• Amogh Basavaraj, Florida State University