It is with profound joy and scholarly pride that we present the first edition of IRA – Insights & Research in Academia, the official research journal of the Institute of Language Teaching (ILT), Rajkot. This inaugural volume emerges at a historic moment—when teacher education, research culture, and classroom practice in India stand at the threshold of transformative change. In launching IRA, we are not only releasing a publication; we are nurturing a living academic movement dedicated to insightful inquiry, reflective practice, and the pursuit of innovative ideas that nurture learners and empower communities.

Founded with a noble vision under the 125 years of academic legacy of Shree Saurashtra High School Trust, the Institute of Language Teaching has been a leading light in teacher education and language pedagogy in Gujarat. Nestled within the Saurashtra High School Campus on the iconic Kalavad Road in Rajkot, ILT embodies a legacy of educational commitment shaped by decades of dedication, intellectual perseverance, and community service. Since its inception, the Institute has upheld the twin ideals of excellence and inclusivity, creating learning environments that promote multicultural understanding, democratic participation, and the values of Indian Knowledge Systems.

ILT’s academic journey has been guided by its core mission: to prepare educators who are not merely subject specialists, but socially conscious thinkers, compassionate mentors, and agents of change. Through successive batches of B.Ed. trainees, workshops, seminars, extension activities, and innovative teaching practices, the Institute continues to uphold the spirit of NEP 2020—encouraging experiential learning, multidimensional skill development, ethical reasoning, and holistic growth. The faculty of ILT have served as torchbearers of this mission, consistently engaging with classroom realities, designing pioneering teaching-learning frameworks, and nurturing the scholarly curiosity of their students. Their contributions—visible not only in academic results, but also in the character and confidence of student teachers—are the strength upon which this journal stands.

IRA – Insights & Research in Academia has been conceived as an intellectual platform that harmonizes the voices of researchers, educators, practitioners, and emerging scholars. The name “Insights & Research in Academia” is both aspirational and foundational. Insight symbolizes the deeper reflection that precedes meaningful scholarship—understanding beyond observation, interpretation beyond description, and wisdom beyond information. Research in Academia represents the rigor of scientific inquiry, the discipline of method, and the shared responsibility of academic institutions to advance knowledge. In combining these ideals, IRA seeks to publish work that not only withstands scholarly scrutiny but also contributes to the real problems, opportunities, and aspirations of contemporary educational practice.

This journal welcomes a wide spectrum of academic contributions: empirical research, critical perspectives, pedagogical case studies, action research, conceptual explorations, literature reviews, cross-disciplinary analyses, and narratives from classrooms—for it is often within classrooms that theory breathes its second life. We envision IRA as a catalyst for scholarly dialogue across languages, disciplines, and geographies, inviting educators from India and abroad to share innovations, debate methodologies, and collectively envision the future of learning. The journal aspires to illuminate pathways for practitioner-research, teacher empowerment, curriculum design, digital pedagogy, student engagement, and the evolving ecosystem of higher education.

The publication of this first issue stands as a tribute to the unflagging dedication of Management of Shree Saurashtra High School trust trustees, ILT’s faculty members and administrative staff, past and present. Their resilience, cooperation, and scholarship have endowed ILT with its academic reputation. The commitment shown by our teachers—whether through classroom mentoring, research guidance, curriculum development, cultural enrichment, or institutional service—has profoundly shaped the lives of learners who now serve schools, colleges, universities, and communities across India. It is their quiet labour, sustained year after year, that has made this institution a center of excellence.

I extend heartfelt gratitude to the IRA Editorial Board whose diligence, peer-review expertise, vision, and sensitivity to academic ethics have guided this publication from conception to realization. Their meticulous selection of manuscripts, engagement with authors, and devotion to quality have provided IRA with its intellectual backbone. Appreciation is also owed to our contributing authors—scholars who chose this maiden issue as the vessel through which to share their ideas. Their trust is both humbling and inspiring.

As we set forth on this scholarly voyage, IRA affirms its purpose: to foster research that enlightens, challenges assumptions, and enriches educational landscapes. We invite future contributors to join us in this endeavour—to question, innovate, experiment, and collaboratively build the academic future we envision. May this journal serve as a beacon of inquiry for educators and researchers across disciplines, and may it embody the enduring values of the Institute of Language Teaching: integrity, curiosity, compassion, and excellence.

With reverence for our shared academic heritage and hope for the generations to come, we dedicate this first edition of IRA – Insights & Research in Academia to all who believe that education is not merely a profession, but a lifelong calling.

At this proud moment I  remember Dr B. K. Passi, Dr R. S. Khan (former Vice-Chairman NCTE) and Dr Bhadrayu Vachhrajani for always guiding and mentoring me in my academic journey.

Dr. Nidatt Barot

Principal, ILT

Dean, Faculty of Education Saurashtra University

Former Pro Vice-Chancellor, HNGU Patan ( State conventional University)

June 1, 2025.

Rajkot