Review of Economics and Development Studies (READS) (E-Journal)
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Analysis of Alignment between National Curriculum of Education and Textbooks at Higher Secondary Level in Punjab-Pakistan
Get PDFThis study was conducted to identify the degree to which the objectives of higher secondary level national curriculum of Education were aligned with the textbooks in Punjab- Pakistan. The study was done by reviewing the national curriculum of Education and Textbooks for grade XI and XII so as to find the degree of alignment. The quantitative analysis was done by using Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (SEC) method. In quantitative analysis the content of the textbook was analyzed with respect to student learning outcomes [SLOs] given in the curriculum. It was found that content in the Education-XI and XII textbook were not aligned to a desired level. Alignment Index (AI) of Education XI and XII textbook were 0.61 and 0.50 respectively. This misalignment was not same for all the categories of cognitive domain. The outcomes of the study revealed that there were some gap between curriculum and textbooks. The study lays great implications in the sense that it provides feedback to curriculum developers and textbook writers to consider alignment between curriculum objectives and textbook content. The study suggests adequate training for the curriculum and textbook developers to ensure alignment between national curriculum and textbooks
Gender Responsive and Child Sensitive Disaster Management in Pakistan
Get PDFHalf of the world’s population, i.e. women, and one third population of world, i.e. children, are vulnerable in biological sense. Women and children become the most neglected segments of population during natural disasters. This conceptual paper provides an insight about the specific needs and problems of children and women before, during and after a disaster. Social vulnerabilities are more complex and critical to understand, which enhance the intensity of exploitation, vulnerability and risk for women and children. Considering special needs and provision of equal services are main concerns in rehabilitation. Primary emergencies always bring secondary emergencies if they are not properly managed and administered. Effects of disasters can be minimized by enhancing the coping capacities of vulnerable segments and by equipping them with all necessary preparedness and rescue skills and privileges
Does Islamic Banking Augment Financial Inclusion in Pakistan? A Reinforcement Analysis
Get PDFThis study spells out the role of financial inclusion (FI) to accelerate the efficiency of Islamic banks in Pakistan for the period of 2007 to 2016. It examines the effect of a specially developed broad-based FI index on technical efficiency of Islamic banks through panel ARDL approach along with to explore the macroeconomic as well as bank-specific factors of efficiency. The findings exhibit the possible connection between Islamic banking and financial inclusion in Pakistan. The study offers a variety of useful policy implications for public policy towards effective progress on the National Financial Inclusion Strategy in the country
Nexus between Total Quality Management Practices and Construction Firms’ Performance in Pakistan
Get PDFConstruction industry of any country plays a dynamic role in the prosperity and development of that country. It contributes more than any other industry in the economy growth and stability. Continual improvement firm performance can be measured through quality of work and services they provide to customers. However, for companies to compete with each other as well as in global markets they must need to adopt such techniques which are applied in the developed countries. One of the techniques is the application and evaluation of total quality management practices. As, this technique is already applied in other sectors such as manufacturing, services, health and development in the developed countries. So, this study and its findings are based on measuring the effects of total quality management practices i.e., organizational leadership, policy, and strategy, customer focus and process management on firm performance based on employee satisfaction and timely completion of projects. To check and measure the impact of TQM practices 100 construction companies were taken as sample/ These TQM practices were implemented on C-2 category construction companies of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan registered with Pakistan Engineering Council. The findings of this study concluded that all the listed practices have direct and indirect effects on the enhancement of form’s performance
Increasing Supply of Tradable Goods in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
Get PDFThe author investigated the nature of institutional quality in the CommonMarket for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) on the basis of voiceand accountability political stability, government effectiveness, regulatoryquality, rule of law and control of corruption. The author furtherinvestigated the existence of a link between institutional quality and factorsof production. The results show that capital, entrepreneurship and foreigndirect investment are the major determinants of production of tradablegoods in COMESA. In exception of Mauritius and Namibia (currently nolonger a member) the rest of COMESA member states have very poorinstitutional quality. This affects their ability to attract foreign directinvestment hence production of tradable goods. Voice and accountability,government effectiveness, rule of law and political stability play a majorrole in increasing production of tradable goods in COMESA. Foreign directinvestment is affected by voice and accountability, rule of law and politicalstability than any other factors. Availability of raw material is affected bygovernment effectiveness, regulatory quality, political stability, voice andaccountability and control of corruption. Capital is very sensitive to issuesof voice and accountability and control of corruption and regulatory quality
Protectionist Trade Policies and Agricultural Productivity in WAEMU Countries
Get PDFThis paper assesses the effect of protectionist trade policies on the agricultural productivity of WAEMU countries from 1995 to 2016. A multiple linear regression model with panel data was used in this study. The estimations results indicate that the protectionist trade policy captured by State subsidy to agriculture and tax on the import of goods have a positive effect on agricultural productivity of WAEMU countries. In addition, the study reveals that sufficient availability of farm machinery and fertile soil would be of particular importance to the development of agricultural sector. In the face of globalization, these results encourage the adoption of a protectionist trade policy which would certainly improve the agricultural productivity in WAEMU countries
Poverty Alleviation through Institutional Empowerment of Social and Economy on Poor Society in Gowa Regency
Get PDFThe purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which the role ofgovernment in empowering marginal/poor communities through variousempowerment programs.To examine and explain the extent to which thebenefits of programs to empower the poor society in reducing poverty. Toexamine and explain the Poverty Reduction Model that is more in line withthe local wisdom of the people of South Sulawesi especially in thecommunity in Kabupaten Gowa. It is intended to find a model that fits theneeds and conditions of the poor communities in South Sulawesi,especially in Gowa so that it can be applied to poverty alleviation efforts inthe future. An interview and observation were done to 20 people from thepoor community, government, community leaders, and practitioners inGowa regency. Descriptive and reflective sections were used to analyzethe data and examining the poverty alleviation model through theempowerment of socio-economic institutions in South Sulawesi in Gowaregency. With the method of synergizing between Social Institution andEconomic Institution, the researcher found that society can develop itselfcreatively and productively, so gradually Poverty will decrease asexpected. Based on survey results, observations and interviews on thesubject in this study, it can be concluded several things: That povertyexperienced by the people of Gowa Regency is cultural and structuralpoverty so that people naturally experience poverty without realizing it asa problem in their lives living as they are with the non-poor community.Poverty is seen as something destiny and need not be too much of aproblem, but they live their lives as they are
Reduction of Economic Burden on State Exchequer by Using Various International Legal Flexibilities under TRIPS Agreement 1994 of WTO
Get PDFDuring budget year 2016-17, public spending on procurement of medicines in Pakistan surged 29% touching an exorbitant figure of PKR 7.5 billion (Health Budget, 2016-17)Volume of provincial expenditure on medicine almost doubled rising to PKR 1.02 billion from 0.67 billion in last budget year 2015-16. Growing sum of public spending on medicine procurement has many factors such as poverty, money devaluation, indigenous production incapacity, and less developed standards of research and development. Apart from all enumerated above, global pharmaceutical patent protection regime under TRIPS Agreement, initiated by WTO, plays a pivotal role increasing public spending on procurement of medicines in developed and least developed countries. This work presents ways for reducing economic burden on state exchequer by exploiting maximum possible flexibilities under WTO regime to procure cost effective medicines. The work will be done in three parts; explaining Pakistan role and status in global pharmaceutical patent protection regime, existing challenges, and potentials for the country to save public spending on health using international legal agreements under WTO
Effect of Board Independence on Earning Response Coefficient (ERC): Evidence from Pakistan
Get PDFThis study investigates whether board independence plays a significant role to enhance the Earning Response Coefficient (ERC) while controlling the established determinants of Earning Response Coefficient (Beta, Growth, Size and Earning Persistence). The study selected 250 non-financial firms of different sectors on the basis of purposive sampling technique which are enlisted in Pakistan stock exchange (PSX) for the time periods of eight years ranging from 2008 to 2015. Using reverse regression, it has been observed through statistical analysis that Beta is negatively related to ERC while others determinants (Growth, Size and Earning Persistence) are positively related to earning response coefficient (ERC). Moreover, the analysis result also suggested that corporate governance facet (Board independence) plays a significant role to enhance the earning response coefficient, because as per Pakistan Code of Corporate Governance (2012), the independent directors include those who are not connected to the companies, have no relationship with the companies and are free to exercise their judgment without any pressure. The important contribution for literature is that before making investment decision in stock market, investors should evaluate the corporate governance variables (Board independence) of the firms which can boost earning response coefficient (ERC). Secondly, previous studies (Shah,2017; and Collins & Kothari, 2004) and others researchers mostly worked on developed countries in the same area, but this research study is limited to emerging economy of Pakistan, that’s why it has great contribution for literature
Student Evaluations of Teaching in Universities of Pakistan: Analysis from the Perspective of Closing the Feedback Loop
Get PDFInternationally, centralized systems for collecting students’ feedback have become an increasingly common practice in higher education institutions [HEIs] for monitoring quality of teaching as well as for professional development of faculty members. The collection, analysis and reporting of evaluation results are carried out systematically in many HEIs across the globe. However, how to effectively close the feedback loop with students as well as teachers on the results of student evaluations of teaching [SETs] remain an issue to be addressed. Consistent with global trend, HEIs in Pakistan are also supposed to conduct SETs. In this context, the main intention of this study was to determine whether the cycle of teaching evaluation process is completed, and feedback loop proceeds effectively towards closing around the SETs or not in Pakistani HEIs. To achieve the objective, the triangulation design was used in which an online search was carried out in 130 Pakistani HEIs’ official websites to collect qualitative data. Concurrently, a questionnaire comprising 13 close-ended items, with “yes-and-no” scale, was administered in online format to collect quantitative data from a sample of 507 faculty members and 110 administrators from 130 Pakistani HEIs. Based on content analysis of documents and descriptive analysis of participants’ responses, this paper concludes that universities in Pakistan are bound by HEC to collect feedback from students using central system of Quality Enhancement Cells, but limited attention has been placed to close the feedback loop with students and teachers to inform improvements. Finally, this paper recommends the need for universities in Pakistan to genuinely listen to students’ voices and to act on their feedback as part of quality assurance