Tata Institute of Social Sciences

Dr Poonam Sharma

Assistant Professor
Mumbai Campus, Centre of Excellence in Teacher Education, School of Education

Qualification

PhD Social Sciences (2010-2018),
MA Education (2007-2009),
B.El.Ed. (2001-2005)

Contact

poonam.sharma[at]tiss[dot]ac[dot]in

Orchid Id:

0000-0003-1081-6516

Poonam Sharma is a teacher educator and ethnographer. Before joining her current position she has worked as a teacher educator in pre-service teacher education as well as NGO sector. She began her career as a primary school teacher.

Her Ph D research was a year-long ethnographic work focusing on the educational experiences of children in the context of the family-school relationship. The study was based in a town close to Delhi. The study brought together the new sociological perspectives on children/childhood and ethnographic expertise for understanding families and schools. Her research was supported by the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training, New Delhi) Doctoral fellowship award 2011.

She received DAAD Student Exchange Program Fellowship for the year 2010 (Desutscher Akadmischer Austausch Dienst, 2010). She is currently working on a picture book representing teachers' work and lives in South Asia.

Ethnography

Education Policy

Non-state actors in education

School management

Low-fee paying private schools

Private Supplementary Tutoring,

Curriculum Design and Development

Childhood Studies

Learner identity

Pre-service teacher education programmes

Journal articles / Book Chapters

Sharma, P. (2025). The ecosystem of low‑fee private schools and shadow education: An ethnography of India’s local education market. Ethnography and Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/17457823.2025.2520810

Sharma, P. (2025). Hitting the Target but Missing the Point: National Education Policy and the Shadow Education Industry in India. Jindal Journal of Public Policy, 8(II), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.54945/jjpp.v8iII.305

Sharma, P. (2023). ‘Teaching for the Time Being’: Teaching and Teacher Identity in Low-fee Private Schools in Semi-urban Delhi. Contemporary Education Dialogue, 20(2), 283–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/ 09731849231172416

Sharma P (2022) Research Ethics: Reflections from fieldwork with children in India in Barley, R., Russell, L & Tummons, J. (2022) Ethnography, Ethics and Education, Emerald Publications https:// doi.org/ 10.1108/S1529- 210X20220000019004

Sharma, P (2018) Management of home school relationship: Role of School Principals in low fee- paying private schools in Sarangapani (2018) School Education in India, Market State and Quality, Routledge https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781351025669-11/ management-home–school-relationship-poonam-sharma

Reports

CETE (2024) Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme in Primary and Upper Primary Schools of Uttar Pradesh: An Impact Study

Chandran. M, Sharma, P. & Kannamma, E. (2022) Survey on the Impact of COVID 19 Pandemic on Education and teaching in the Asia Pacific: Future of Work in Education Draft report submitted to Education International. https://tiss. edu/uploads/files/EIAP_FoW_ Report.pdf

Sharma, P., Singh, R. (2018). Pre-service Teacher Education at Muktangan: Documentation of Key Effective Practices. CEIAR TISS Mumbai. Report prepared for the Ministry of Human Resource and Development, India.

2020-21

Co-Investigator

Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme in Primary and Upper Primary Schools of Uttar Pradesh: An Impact Study

Survey on the Impact of COVID 19 Pandemic on Education and teaching in the Asia Pacific: Future of Work in Education Draft report submitted to Education International.

https://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/25577:asiapacific-living-and-working-conditions-of-educators-severely-impactedby-the-pandemic

The role of non-state actors in the teaching profession and teacher preparation in South Asia, draft report submitted to UNESCO

Re-imagining Teacher Education – Lessons from the International context in collaboration with Sussex University, UK (Project in continuation)

Small research grant award

Swissnex India, K2 A small research grant, Teachers and their work in South Asia. (Graphic Book in development)

2018-19

Principal Investegator

Documentation of Best practices of a school-based Teacher Education Programme report submitted to Ministry of Human Resource Development, India

Co Researcher

A Study of School Management Committee in Four states of India

M A Education programme

B Ed M Ed Programme

M A Ed Tech

Education Research Methodology
Policy Institutions and Practice
Education Development and Policy
Curriculum & School
Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment