SWOT analysis is an alternative, termed as SWOT matrix that can be carried on in an organization, place, person, project, or plan. As an individual learner, a group or an organization, we face many hardships in achieving competency while reaching our goals and so often we have to give up our plans on the way and our career growth goes down the scale of our expectations. Therefore, we remain stunted and below par with our counterparts and those to whom we are accountable. Thus, this analysis can be extremely beneficial not only for teachers but also for students as SWOT offers helpful baseline information for a group of people/learners or organization that want a vision for their future or analyze a problem. The term SWOT used in ellipsis stands for our ‘Strengths’, ‘Weaknesses’, ‘Opportunities’ and ‘Threat’.

Cunha et al. (2005) employed a SWOT analysis to examine web-based learning and teaching in higher education. They discovered that, in conjunction with the traditional classroom model, a genuinely multimedia-enabled interactive technology platform can provide an efficient and effective learning environment. This platform allows for a self-paced learning style, which when combined with online guidance from instructors, can meet the needs of students both now and in the future.

Dyson (2012) conducted research at the University of Warwick on SWOT analysis and strategy development, and he came to a wide range of conclusions. The Warwick brand itself, research, land, student quality, quick decision-making, location, pragmatic decision-making, and the ability to generate income are only a few of the assets. Lack of endowments, complacency, expansion constraints, and communications were the problems. Insufficient multidisciplinary research.

Sethi (2014) in the Meerut District of Uttar Pradesh, carried out a SWOT analysis of self- financing/private educational institutions and government/aided institutions. The results showed that there are significant differences in these institutes' survival rates and that they frequently face difficult obstacles.

Bell & Rochford (2016) in an effort to rediscover SWOT's integrative nature, emphasized points such as how reductionism and inadequate text coverage undercut SWOT's integrative nature, how incorrect concept temporal sequencing contributes to SWOT misuse, how 37% of surveyed faculty members do not teach SWOT at all, etc.

Gutierrez, Liso, and Chico in 2016 a study published, demonstrate how to apply SWOT analysis to examine students' opinions of a joint master's program in environmental education and assess whether or not things are going according to plan. Students' open-ended responses emphasize the master's program's interuniversity component, the technological innovation employed as major points, and the management coordination's shortcomings or the duplicate materials as minor ones. The external analysis has a direct bearing on the students' post-graduation employment prospects and future employment.

Strengths

Strength in one’s life has many interpretations. All of us are born with unique capabilities and skills, and the way to build one’s strength is to focus on these specific skills and grow with them. Some people run fast, others are flexible, some can lift significant weight. When it comes to mental muscles, there has been significant research work done in the past decade on identifying natural strengths.

 By SWOT analysis we can easily carry out a survey of a person’s growth in all relevant spheres. Just look at these questions.

1. Which of your achievements you are proud of this year?

2. What subjects or topics were you good at?

3. What worked for you in your approach to learning?

4. What are you proud of achieving?

5. What new skills did you develop?

6. What personal resources can you access?

7. What values do you excel in that others fail to exhibit? 

Weakness

Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, a French bishop, theologian and well-known orator once said, ‘The greatest weakness of all is the great fear of appearing weak.’ So often many issues concerned with individual growth in career hold us back and we are not able to overcome them. For example, in school a teacher may suffer individually from low self esteem and the same weakness may pass on to his pupils and vice versa. The first and foremost concern here is to analyse weaknesses by choosing a set of evaluation tools by self or others objectively or subjectively formulated by test battery questionnaire. For example:

1. What were your greatest challenges in achieving your personal goals at school?

2. What did you find difficult this year in your vocation/ academics?

3. Are you fully confident in your educational skill training and learning level?

4. What are your negative work traits and habits?

5. What skills do you feel needed more work?

6. What areas of your approach did you struggle with?

7. When did you not feel confident about your ability to succeed?

One must consider personal internal or external perceptions in a very truthful and realistic way. Always admit that weaknesses occur, be specific about them, seek guidance from others, assess yourself regularly, forget the past and do your best for the next time.

 An old Chinese proverb – ‘A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step’.

Opportunities

Opportunities knock at everybody’s door but all can’t dare to get up to open the door and hug them whole heartedly.

In SWOT analysis a teacher or student can be best judged by self or others by giving or taking feedback on the following or likewise set of questions individually or in a group prepared for self-judgment vis-a-vis team or group evaluation.

1. What could you do to build your strengths and deal with your weaknesses?

2. Who did you encounter this year that might be able to help you on this journey?

3. What will be different about next year that will create opportunities to change?

4. What could you personally do differently in your approach to school next year?

5. What one thing could you change that would make the biggest difference to you in being a more effective teacher/ learner?

As teachers we too must learn to embrace new opportunities and should take them to pupils. Children at school must be given new challenging opportunities like prepare a ‘School News Bulletin’, ‘Design a collage on a given topic’, ‘Present a Radio Show’ in the morning assembly session, ‘Share your Success story’, ‘Interview of a teacher or the Principal by Learners’, etc. Even the slow learners or low achievers must be an essential part of new learning opportunities of their level and interest.

Threats

Our assessment system despite several new and novel tools of evaluation still suffers from a multitude of defects. It instills in us the fear of failure. In education, SWOT analysis at the grass root level may help to redress these fears. Threats are challenges that will surely come but no challenge must overpower or overtake us in our drive to success.

Under SWOT analysis as a teacher we must learn to chalk out the real threats when we try to accomplish something. Let us ask ourselves these questions and find out the causes of our shortcomings.

1. What are the biggest obstacles before you in making changes in your career/ learning?

2. Are there other individuals you work with who make your work difficult?

3. What stops you from achieving what you are capable of?

4. What challenges do you face in staying motivated to do your school work?

5. What challenges do you face in managing distractions and procrastination?

Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, and teacher of the deaf got many accolades as a child. His later life was full of threats and failures. But his SWOT intelligence was strong and he learnt much from his early failures. He himself made this famous announcement ‘When one door closes another door opens.

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