Pakistan Journal of Education
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Awareness, Importance and Satisfaction with the Library Resources: Survey Results from Pakistan
Get PDFThis paper aims at exploring the Master of Philosophy in Education students’ awareness about various library resources, their importance and students’ level of satisfaction. This paper concerns the librarians, research students and academicians involved in guiding student research. The paper achieves three objectives 1) to understand Master of Philosophy in Education students’ awareness of documented library resources 2) explore level of importance given to the documented library resources and 3) to find out students’ level of satisfaction about the availability of documented library resources. A conveniently selected sample comprised 100 Master of Philosophy in Education students from a public sector university of Punjab, Pakistan. The data were collected in 2012 through a survey questionnaire which was developed by the researchers and validated by the expert opinions and existing literature. Forty-four library resources were documented in the questionnaire. The response rate was 98%. The data were analyzed by using quantitative approach. It was found that, prior to this survey, the participants were not aware of 14 documented library resources out of which 6 resources have been mentioned as very important by the them. As far as the level of satisfaction about the availability of mentioned resources is concerned, it was very low. This study has highlighted the need for redefining the role of librarians, functioning of libraries and developing librarian-student partnership in order to facilitate research students
THE PLIGHT OF PRACTICUM INCHINESE TEACHER EDUCATION: A CASE OF A NORMAL UNIVERSITY
Get PDFThe study explored the value and the status of practicum in Chinese undergraduate teacher education (CTE) and identified the challenges of practicum in order to layout ways of improvement. The study investigated the problems with reference to international perspective and was delimited to only Chinese undergraduate pre-service teacher education (TE) programme. Using concurrent mixed method design a survey was distributed to 75 student teachers (STs), 50 mentor teachers, and five supervisors. Among participants, 15 STs and 10 mentors were selected using simple random sampling technique from each cooperating school. All the five supervisors, who were assigned supervising duty during practicum in those five schools, were included in the sample. In this way the response rate of STs, mentors, and supervisors was 96% (72), 90% (45), and 100% respectively. Interview was conducted with 10 STs, five supervisors, and five mentor teachers. For collecting qualitative data, STs and mentors were selected using purposive sampling technique. The time and timing of practicum was found inappropriate. The practicum doesn't have due importance in the education, and the mode of practicum being followed is outdated. The application of test development, administering, and scoring skills was being totally ignored during the practicum. Dividing practicum into different phases and active role of faculties and ministry of education in recognizing and communicating the significance of practicum has been suggested
Analysis of Secondary Grade Mathematics Question Papers of Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education in Punjab
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of mathematics question papers of Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) for grade 9 and 10 (secondary level) as per national curriculum 2006. The BISE question papers in the subject of mathematics of grade IX-X for the two academic years 2012 and 2013 were analyzed in terms of the weightage of different cognitive abilities suggested in the national curriculum. The analysis was made on the basis of the basic principles of test item construction found in literature and the weightage of various cognitive abilities narrated in national curriculum. It was found that question papers were largely assessing students’ lower cognitive abilities (knowledge and comprehension); a few items were assessing higher cognitive abilities (application and analysis). Since the cognitive abilities of synthesis and evaluation were not desired to assess in the national curriculum (2006) of mathematics, so these were ignored. Some of the questions were weak in terms of language and format/style. The study suggests that teachers should be aware of the national curriculum document with special reference to assessment and BISE should organize intensive training for teachers in test item construction, especially those involved in developing mathematics question papers for BISE
Critical Pedagogy in Postgraduate Classroom: Students’ Perspectives
Get PDFPostgraduate classroom, in pedagogical discourses, is a physical space where learners can interact with their teachers and other learners, where they can share their experiences, ideas and knowledge, and put them into action for their individuals and collective change. This paper examines whether postgraduate classroom in Pakistan provides learners with the opportunity to widen their intellectual horizon through interactive learning and prepare them for jobs in the competitive knowledge based economy or equip them with ‘inflated credentials’. The data informing this study were gathered during fall 2015 semester from 20 (10 MS/M. Phil and 10 Ph. D) scholars at two public sector universities of Islamabad. Drawing on qualitative data, the paper employed Foucauldian discourses analysis as the key methodological and theoretical tool for understanding how postgraduate students describe their learning experience. Analyzing the data with the insights from Foucauldian discourses analysis (FDA), the paper explores a number of concerns, including the constitutive and constituted nature of teachers’ practices and teachers’ ideology. The study findings suggest that majority of the universities’ teachers are preachers rather than teachers. The paper stresses for the recognition and application of critical pedagogy in our postgraduate classroom. Based on the study findings, the paper suggest that postgraduate scholars should be treated as intellectuals who will engage in dialogue with their teachers and their peers to test their ideas and knowledge against the ideas and opinions of their teachers and class fellows
Schools as Antecedents of Teacher Burnout: A Case of Public Sector Schools in Lahore
Get PDFThe cascading causes and consequences of teacher burnout also put other elements of school effectiveness under question. To estimate the extent of teachers’ involvement and to optimize utilization of school facilities, this research study was undertaken. This study examined the degree of relationship among the aspects of burnout among school teachers and school factors. A representative sample of 424 school teachers (Male=178 and Females=246) was selected by convenient sampling technique. Maslach Burnout Inventory-ES (MBI) was administered to measure the emotional involvement of teachers whereas a self-developed tool assessing present school factors was used to estimate the relationship between emotional state of teachers and workplace facilities (school resources).Data were analyzed by using Mean, SD, and Pearson product moment (r). Results indicated that teachers’ internal involvement correspond to the availability of given school facilities. In addition to the knowledge about teachers’ involvement on job duties, it was recommended that the ultimate school performance can be improved while keeping the right extent of school facilities. Recommendations on coping strategies at personal level by teachers themselves as well as at school level by administrators were also provided
Improving Language Pedagogy through Exploration of Learners’ Errors: An Examination of Undergraduates’ Written Communication
Get PDFOne major part of language learning pedagogy includes identifying and rectifying discrepancies while communicating through the target language. In such educational settings, the importance of understanding learners’ errors becomes undeniable for both the pupil and pedagogue. Keeping this in forefront, the current investigation sampled two-hundred and ten emails jotted down by ESL (‘English as a Second Language’) students to their teachers. This comparative investigation divided the learners’ emails into two groups; First Semester and Fourth Semester, enrolled in MA English at COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Virtual Campus, Islamabad. Utilizing Corder’s Model (1967) and Sawalmeh’s Categorization (2013), the emails were scrutinized and the results established that selected Pakistani learners commit nine different errors regularly in their electronic mail communiqué. Moreover, these outputs were comparatively studied utilizing the statistical software of SPSS (Version 16.0). These results highlighted a significant difference between the two semesters, which revealed a considerable reduction of errors in the learners’ language use as they move from first to fourth semester of the prescribed degree program. Additionally, Richards’ framework (1974) for deciphering source of learners’ errors was employed, which depicted that the first semester students’ first language (Urdu) frequently interferes when they use the second language (English) in writing emails. Meanwhile, the fourth semester students’ language errors majorly contained deviant structures or ignorance of target language’s (English) rules. Considering these findings, the study proposes similar studies to be conducted on other institutes’ pupils and also recommends practical methodologies like corrective feedback for teachers, in aiding learners to fortify their command on English language
Comparative Analysis of the Early Childhood Education in Public and Private Sector Schools
Get PDFThis study was designed to compare the situation of Early Childhood Education (ECE), provided in public and private sector schools. The major objectives of the study were to evaluate the learning abilities of the students who were receiving early childhood education, to study demographic variations of students in relation with their learning ability and to study availability of physical facilities in the public and private sector schools for early childhood education. In this study, data of 100 respondents was collected from two distinct groups; students enrolled in ECE and teachers teaching to ECE level. Among them 60 students and 40 teachers were included. Data was collected from the schools located at Rawalpindi and Islamabad. In order to make a comparison between public and private sector schools quantitative approaches was used. For the measurement of students’ learning ability data was collected with the help of a standardized tool developed by ASER (2014) for English, Urdu, Math, General Knowledge and for the measurement of teachers’ perception regarding availability of physical facilities in public and private sector schools a separate research tool was developed by the researchers. Findings revealed that learning level of students who were enrolled in the private schools was higher than the students enrolled in public sector schools and girl’s studying in private schools have high learning level than boys in public school. Results also revealed that overall there was a lack of physical facilities for pre primary children in both sector schools. Findings of the study would be helpful for public and private sector schools and agencies those are working in early childhood education. Study would be helpful in creating awarenessamong teachers and administrators about the importance of ECE in relation with learning abilities of students
Schools’ Leadership and Employees’ Work-engagement: Evidences from Secondary Schools
Get PDFheads as perceived by secondary school teachers with teachers’ work engagement. Leadership styles of school heads had been explored using The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, The MLQ (FORM5X) in terms of transformational, transactional and avoidant leadership whereas teachers’ work engagement had been explored by administering UWES-17. The universe of the study were school teachers comprising sample of 272 using convenience sampling technique. Data had been collected from 30 schools, 19 from urban and 11 from rural places where number of respondents from each school did not exceed than 10. Results of descriptive statistics reveal that out of 30 heads being rated by teachers, approximately 10% were found as transformational, within transactional leaders, 87% utilize Contingent Reward Management, 80% use Management by Exception- Active and 34% leaders exploit Management by Exception- Passive whereas 55 % of them were avoidant leaders. Results of statistical correlations using PPMC declared that leadership is related to work engagement (r=.233) where transformational leadership positively relates (r= .280) and within transactional leadership, contingent reward management (r= .288) and management by exception-Active (r= .150) positively relates to teachers’ work engagement. However, management by exception-Passive (of transactional leadership) (r= -.126) and avoidant leadership (r= -.210) negatively relates to teachers’ work engagement. The study confirms that leadership styles are correlated to teachers’ work engagement indicating that transformational leadership as the most effective form of leadership and also the active side of transactional leadership which is characterized by rewarding the right work, being proactive in accounting for mistakes is linked to increasing work engaged behaviours in teachers. Whereas punitive culture, dealing with mistakes after happenings and avoidant leadership is seen to decrease work engaged behaviours in teachers. Work engagement being positive work behaviour and having lasting positive impact on employees’ general well being, must be promoted
Technology Acceptance Model and its Scope of Application in Teaching Practices at Secondary Level
Get PDF1989. Still this model is most popular to predict anyone’s technology intention to use it. So this study used TAM to find out its scope of application in Pakistani context. Secondary level education is a big milestone in any student’s learning career. To know about the use of Technology is considered important literacy skill in twenty first century, so this study aimed to explore the scope of Technology Acceptance Model in teaching practices at Pakistani secondary level institutes. The population of this study was delimited to the secondary level Public school teachers of district Gujranwala (Punjab). According to Punjab School Education Department, 4921 teachers were working in District Gujranwala; 2497male teachers and 2424 female teachers at secondary level. So 500 teachers, 250 male and 250 female were randomly selected as participants of this study. This study was descriptive research. Researcher developed a tool on the constructs of TAM. This tool was consisted of 20 statements on seven point Likert scale. Researcher observed teaching practices of participants in learning environment also. During observations some of their students were interviewed to triangulate the data. Researcher used mixed methods approach to analyze the data. This study proved that Perceived usefulness (PU) plays significant role in developing attitude towards use of technology. Previous experience and technology aversions or harmonies were influencing the perceived ease of use (PEOU) and then behavior intension (BI) to use technology. The findings of this study proved that teachers should be trained and facilitated to integrate technology in teaching learning process so teachers will be able to better perform. Moreover this study contributes to the related literature and provides new dimensions to future researches
The Role of Formative Assessment in Learning Chemistry
Get PDFThe present paper is based on research study conducted to examine the effects of formative assessment on the achievements of students in chemistry subject. The main purpose of this research was to provide the evidence for a link between formative assessment and student learning [on experimental and control group as well as their comparison and also the comparison of achievements of Boys and Girls]. The posttest experimental design of research was used for this work and this study was carried out for four weeks. 50 Science students of 10th* Assistant Professor, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad.class of Govt. Boys Comprehensive School, and 50 Science students of 10th Class of Govt. Girls Comprehensive School, were randomly selected for this research. Students were randomly divided into two groups ‘Experimental Group and Control Group’ having 25 students in each. Posttest (Achievement Test) was used as research tool. After teaching of every week, the experimental group was treated with formative assessment test. While control groups were not treated with formative assessment. After treatment of one month, an achievement test was conducted to both experimental as well as control groups. Data was collected by this test and analyzed by applying the t-test statistically. The analysis of data indicated that those students who were treated with formative assessment show better achievements than those students who were not treated with weekly formative assessment. Finally, the results of this research showed that the use of formative assessment significantly improved the student’s learning. Furthermore, it was also proved that the use of formative assessment is necessary for both girls and boys because it has improved** Research Scholar*** Research ScholarIqbal, Kouser & Akhtar Ali 124the achievements both in girls and boys. This study can be proved as an exploratory and offers encouragements for all teachers that this approach has considerable value for the learners