The Universal Scholar Journal

Abstract

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasizes a transformation in teacher education by prioritizing reflection, collaboration, and critical inquiry. This paper critically examines the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework—comprising cognitive, social, and teaching presence—as a model for strengthening reflective and collaborative learning in the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP). A qualitative, descriptive–analytical approach is used to examine how CoI principles can be embedded in blended and face-to-face modalities of ITEP to enhance engagement, reflective thinking, and pedagogical reasoning. By integrating macro-level national infrastructure and digital readiness data (such as AISHE and DIKSHA) with micro-level pedagogical interactions, this study establishes the structural feasibility of implementing CoI in Indian higher education. Strategies for supporting collaborative inquiry communities are highlighted, emphasizing a shift from content transmission to co-construction of knowledge. Findings indicate that CoI-aligned design can nurture inquiry-oriented, empathetic, and digitally fluent educators capable of supporting inclusive K–12 classrooms in alignment with NEP 2020. The paper concludes with implications for curriculum design, faculty development, and institutional practices.

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Reframing Teacher Education through the Community of Inquiry Framework: Towards Reflective and Collaborative Pedagogies in ITEP