Journal of Education and Educational Development

8-27

Authors: Tooba Saleem, Nasir Mehmood

The nature of supervisory relationship is dynamic that changes over the course of candidacy. Subsequently, the supervision demands of supervisees also change to help them in performing certain tasks at specific research stages. In this context, this research is proposed to investigate the supervision experiences of supervisees in four different research stages (i.e. Stage 1: developing synopsis, Stage 2: collecting data, Stage 3: writing thesis and Stage 4: submitted thesis). In the light of six supervision aspects (i.e. Project management, Intellectual support, pertinent research skills, Inter-personal communication skills, Workload management and Supportive skills) the quality of supervision was assessed from supervisees’ perspective. Cross-sectional survey design was used to assess the supervision experiences of (N=422) supervisees in four distinct stages of research supervision. The data were collected from 12 public and private universities of the Punjab. For this study, a multi-sectioned, self-constructed Supervisor-Supervisee Relationship Questionnaire (Saleem, 2014) was used. The findings of the study highlighted the need to train the supervisors to manage their time not just in terms of teaching and supervision of research students, but also keeping the stages of their research in mind. By addressing the stage specific needs of supervisees the quality of supervision could be improved

45-59

Authors: Sarwat Nauman, Nasreen Hussain

This small scale research was conducted to understand whether the duration of six-week internship which has been set by Higher Education Commission Pakistan is enough for interns to fulfill their desired objectives or not. To understand the issue at hand, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 interns who had completed their internship, regarding their views on time period of six-weeks. It was revealed that even though the majority of the interns thought that a six-week time period was not enough for them to achieve their learning objectives, the review of the literature and intern interviews discovered that the internships were not designed effectively and therefore could not deliver the desired results in the specified time

75-91

Authors: Aliya Sikandar, Nasreen Hussain

This qualitative case study was aimed to investigate the notions of power and hegemony in research consultations around the construct of language ideologies. The study employed purposive sampling by selecting two MS (Education) research supervisees with their supervisors. It identified a social wrong of power and hegemony in research supervision practices with a transformative spirit, and aimed to bring about awareness and modifications in research supervision. Methodically, the study followed the analytical approach of Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA, 1989; 2003). Data were collected through observations and transcriptions of research consultation meetings and interviews of the participants. The textual analysis of case one revealed how language became a source of establishing asymmetrical power relations between the participants. Contrastingly, for case two, the consultations were not hinged on language aspects and had more equality and homogeneity between the partners. The findings of the study indicated that language ideologies played a very important role in sustaining the dominant position of the powerful agent, that is, the supervisor. Based on the findings, this research will contribute towards implementation of better democratic practices of supervision, equity and emancipation in supervision as a social practice.

107-125

Authors: Dr. Muhammad Asim, Nancy Joseph Lobo

This research measured the efficacy of experiential learning model proposed in “My Pedagogic Creed” by John Dewey in the perspective of teachers in the local context of Karachi, Pakistan. Literature reported that Dewey had promoted the notion of social interaction, group learning and experiential learning as strategies of teaching in the modern system of education. A survey questionnaire was developed and classified under four sections from experiential learning perspective: Aims and Objectives, Social Context of Teaching, Pedagogy and Teacher’s Behavior. Hundred and seventy-one teachers participated in this survey. Results showed no significant difference in opinion of gender related to Aims and Objectives, Social Context of Teaching and Pedagogy. However, there was a significant difference in the opinion of male and female teachers with reference to their highest qualification and work experience regarding the four variables of experiential learning model. This study recommended rigorous teacher training for current tier of in-service teachers in Karachi in terms of Aims and Objectives, Social Context of Teaching, Pedagogy and Teacher’s Behavior as proposed in My Pedagogic Creed to improve the current educational scenario.

146-161

Authors: Ashfaque Ahmad SHAH, Shafqat Hussain, Zunaira Fatima Syeda, Muhammad Sarwar

The present study intends to explore the level of practical examination anxiety among secondary and higher secondary school students and its causes and remedies. A self-developed Perceived Science Practical Anxiety Scale (PSPAS) was used to collect quantitative data from 900 science students of two districts of central Punjab: Sargodha and Faisalabad. Moreover, 50 students were interviewed to explore their perceptions of the causes of science practical examination anxiety and the remedies to reduce it. All students had recently taken science practical examination and therefore had first-hand vivid experience of science practical examination anxiety. The analysis of responses in the questionnaire revealed that on an average more than half (61.50 %) of the students experienced anxiety during practical examination. Fourteen sources of anxiety during practical examination were ranked and synthesis of qualitative data from interviews recorded five categories of anxiety causes: shortage and unavailability of the materials, lack of practice, harsh behaviour of laboratory personnel, over loaded syllabus and lack of guidance. The students’ opinion regarding reducing anxiety was synthesized into four themes: relaxation during practical examination, individual level preparation, completion of practical syllabus well before time and training of laboratory personnel. The findings of the study may be beneficial for teachers, school mangers and policy makers and those who are responsible for the preparation and execution of examination policies, to reduce anxiety among students.

178-193

Authors: Maqsood Ahmed, Munazza Ambreen, Ishtiaq Hussain

The main purpose of this study was to get an insight about teachers’ classroom management strategies and explore the gender differences among teachers’ classroom management strategies. The present descriptive study was quantitative in nature and survey method was used. All the teachers, teaching in different Islamabad Model Schools for Boys and Girls, Islamabad (Urban Sector) constituted the population of the study. Data were collected from a sample of 126 secondary school teachers, teaching in 10 different Islamabad Model Schools for Boys and Girls, Islamabad, Pakistan. Data were collected via Classroom Management Inventory (CMI), developed by the researcher, keeping in view the Pakistani context. As a result of pilot study, reliability test of the questionnaire reflected 0.947 value of Cronbach’s Alpha, which showed the high reliability of the instrument. From the findings of the study, it was concluded that teachers’ gender affects their classroom management. Female teachers exhibited more classroom management skills on four out of six dimensions of classroom management than the male teachers. Classroom management being a challenging and complex task, demand knowledge and skills on the part of teachers. It is recommended that teacher trainings should contribute to such endeavour, keeping in view the gender differentials.

211-226

Authors: Erum Hafeez, Tayyaba Fasih

Pakistan is considered to be the fifth largest young country in the world. Around 63 percent population of the country comprises youth aged between 15 and 33 (UN Population Fund Report 2017). Such a large young population has posed daunting challenges to the social, economic and political sectors of the state. The fast rising youth bulge of Pakistan seems to be a constantly ticking time bomb instead of a demographic dividend, threatening its very own existence. Poor youth engagement in the productive political, educational, economic and socio-cultural activities indicates ineffectiveness of the public and private sectors policies especially at the state level. The current research study is intended to identify the key factors behind the disengaged and distressed youth of Pakistan in the three core areas of education, economy and politics. For this purpose, a systematic literature review was carried out in which national and international labor survey reports, youth development index, national youth program and federal education and economic policies were critically analyzed alongside the relevant research studies, nongovernment organizations’ reports and media coverage for a dynamic overview. Besides, interviews of relevant stakeholders were also conducted to investigate the issue from diverse perspectives. Evidently, youth partnership, empowerment, and engagement in educational, economic and political sectors can be the only way forward to address the increasing challenges of the country.

240-258

Authors: Ishtiaq Hussain, Nabi Bux Jumani, Qaiser Suleman

The purpose of the study was to examine and compare the occupational stress of male and female secondary school heads in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. All the male and female secondary school heads working in pubic secondary schools of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa constituted the population of the study. A total of 402 secondary school heads were selected as sample through multistage sampling technique in which 260 were males and 142 were females. Descriptive and quantitative survey research design was used. To seek the responses from the participants, a standardized tool, Occupational Stress Index (OSI) was used. For statistical analysis, proper descriptive statistics that is mean, standard deviation and inferential statistics (independent samples t-test) were employed through SPSS. The findings revealed that both male and female secondary school heads were found occupationally stressed with respect to work overload, role conflict, strenuous working conditions, unreasonable political pressure, under participation, and unprofitability. Comparatively, there was no significant difference between the overall occupational stress of male and female secondary school heads. Based on findings, it was recommended that elementary and secondary education department should collaborate with policymakers to develop comprehensive strategies for stress reduction for secondary school heads so that they may perform their duties effectively.

276-288

Authors: Farhan Uddin Raja, Najmonnisa Khan

The modern time is shaping a world of opportunities that has glorified the role and functions of multinational organizations across the globe. An individual has become a global citizen, who explores employment opportunities in different countries of the world. This has signified the importance of interpersonal skills that allow individuals to connect with people from different cultures. As a result, the role of business communication instructors has become vital because they impart the skills of communication among their students. For this, instructors’ sensitivity towards the teaching methods used in classrooms are of prime significance. These methods determine the interest level and motivation of students towards learning and acquisition of communication skills. Therefore, this study aims to compare experiential learning method and traditional learning method to explore which method inculcates and improves the communication skills of business administration students of a private sector university. The study was conducted in a quantitative paradigm using an experimental research design. The sample size comprised 60 BBA students from two different sections of business communication courses. The data were collected using a pretest and posttest. For the pretest, communication skills were imparted to both the groups using the traditional teaching method that heavily employed lecturing. For the posttest, the controlled group was taught using the same traditional teaching method while the treatment group was taught using the experiential learning method. Mean scores 20.46 & 19.90 with a significant value of 0.375 for the pretest established identical nature of both groups. Mean scores 27.80 & 30.36 with a significant value of .002 of posttest showed that the two groups under study had different identities in scores, which proved that experiential learning method improves students’ communication skills better than traditional communication skills.

8-24

Authors: Anusha Mirza, Nasreen Hussain

This study sets out to investigate the attitude KS3 pupils have towards mathematics and the factors that influence this attitude. A case study approach was used as the pupils were a unit of the school under study and a survey method was chosen to provide scope to the study. Purposeful sampling was employed for the selection of 200 pupils from years 7 and 9 who were from target achiever and non target achiever groups. Attitudes Toward Mathematics Inventory (Tapia, 1996) was administered to the participants to measure their attitude towards mathematics. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17. The result for the first hypothesis indicated that there is a significant difference on the variable of mathematics attitude of year 7 and 9 target achievers and non target achievers pupils (t=4.11, df =199, p <.05) and for the second hypothesis, the difference in the variety of attitudes is statistically significant in the pupuls from both groups (t=2.3, df =210, p <.05). The results of the research will enable teachers to understand the factors that effect attitude of pupils towards mathematics at secondary level and direct head teachers to establish effective teacher training and support system to help pupils to develop an interest in mathematics.

42-59

Authors: Jamila Bano, Zahra Jabeen, Sadruddin Bahadur Qutoshi

This study aimed to explore teachers’ perceptions about parental role in developing reading habits of children to improve their academic achievement. The study was conducted in one of the private schools of Gilgit city situated in the Northern part of Pakistan. Using a case study approach to research within the qualitative design, semistructured interviews were used for data collection, which enabled the researchers in capturing qualitative experiences, opinions, beliefs and perceptions of purposefully selected research participants. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis approach and emerging themes were represented in the form of figures to provide a clear understanding. The study confirmed that reading habits, for example, out of school reading and reading for pleasure, have influenced academic performance and parental role is pivotal in developing children’s interest in reading because healthy reading activities can help them to develop critical thinking and analytic skills. This could also develop their vocabulary to a great extent. Consequently, children exhibit improvement in their overall academic performance. The findings confirmed that if parents focused on reading improvement of their children in early ages, they could better develop reading as a routine activity. The study recommended that parents should play an active role in developing attitude towards reading by providing reading materials and creating a reading friendly environment at home.

80-95

Authors: Dr. Muhammad Fareed, Saniya Jawed, Sidra Awan

English language is taught as a compulsory subject up to graduate level in Pakistani educational system. Despite studying English for over 14 years, majority of students coming from non-elite schools, lack required command in English language skills to pursue their higher education and professional careers. With this background in mind, the current research focused on teaching English reading and writing skills and the problems faced while teaching these skills at Secondary School Certificate (SSC) level in private non-elite schools in Karachi. The sample of the study comprised 20 SSC level students, 12 SSC level English language teachers of non-elite private schools and 5 student notebooks. Data were collected through open-ended questionnaires, group interviews and notebook analysis. Data were examined using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that teaching English language reading practices include reading the text aloud, translating the chapter, providing the central idea and meanings of difficult words to the students. The major problems faced by the teachers in teaching reading skills are learners’ lack of interest in reading, lack of concentration and low reading comprehension skills. The study also revealed practices of teaching writing skills such as provision of model texts and relevant vocabulary items. The major problems while teaching writing skills are lack of pre-writing activities, learners’ deficient command over vocabulary, grammar, spellings and punctuation, lengthy syllabus and limited time.

108-122

Authors: Nasrullah Khan, Dr Niaz Muhammad Aajiz, Akber Ali

This study attempted to compare the management practices in public and private universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa, Pakistan. The comparison is based on availability of written rules and regulations, distribution of tasks, availability of managers, access to officers, time management, work load, staff promotion procedure and appraisal system. Additionally, the comparison is also based on transparency, political intervention, use of authorities, nepotism and biasness, human resource availability and functions, academic decisions, existence of different decision making bodies, committees and their role in policy making and implementation and management styles. The population comprised all recognized universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and a convenience sampling of six universities included three from public and three from private sector. The findings showed that both sector universities had the required offices, staff members and managers. The areas where private universities were observed weak as compared to public universities were lack of proper staff vacancy advertisements and induction policies, vague appraisal system, low salary packages and limited freedom to managers. Public universities were found unsatisfactory in areas including staff induction on merit based policies and political intervention, lack of monitoring system and lack of collegiality amongst university offices. The study recommends that universities in both sectors should prepare staff and student manuals for transparency procedures, should improve the skills and knowledge of its staff/managers by conducting seminars/ workshops/ trainings in collaboration with HEC and other regulatory bodies on regular basis, and establish public private partnership to improve university management system in Pakistan.

139-155

Authors: Muhammad Abid Ali, Suhailah Hussien

This is the second part of my article published in JoEED, Vol.4, Issue 2, on Iqbal’s educational aims and objectives. In the first part the thrust was on the development of an individual self as a Muslim and the second part caters for Iqbal’s recommendations on how this individual can be developed as an effective instrument for serving the Islamic society and the Ummah. As mentioned in the first part, Pakistan lacks an education system to match the ideological needs of a Muslim society. The need to revive the grand narrative of the golden age of the Islamic world is currently being felt with great intensity. Iqbal being the ideologue of Pakistan has given us sufficient guidelines to draw our education system on the precepts of Islam. While Iqbal’s Persian anthology Asrar-i-Khudi narrates on how to develop an Islamic individual, his second anthology Ramuz-i-Bikhudi deals with how to develop this individual self as an effective member of the Islamic society. In this research qualitative content analysis of Ramuz-i- Bikhudi was carried out under the supervision of a celebrated expert on Iqbal and educational aims, objectives were derived for this purpose. It is sufficient to note that at the end of this anthology, Iqbal vows that his recommendations comply completely with the teachings of the holy Qur’an. The end objective of Iqbal was to prepare an individual who is an effective human being.

172-188

Authors: Asfandyar Fida, Abdul Ghaffar, Amir Zaman, Asif Niwaz Satti

Emotional intelligence is a contributing construct to learning and other personal and career developments. It is a perplex notion involving many conceptions which resulted in various tools of emotional intelligence. University education is a terminal stage when young people are ready to enter the job arena and are expected to be emotionally sound. Numerous studies have been carried out on the differentiation of emotional intelligence of the learners, particularly at graduate and postgraduate levels. This study is an attempt to investigate emotional intelligence of the university students. Since there are differences in the findings of various studies in terms of gender; therefore, this study also considers to explore the discrepancy of the emotional cognizance of the male and female learners at university level. The target participants of this investigation were the students of all five faculties of a university in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, a province in Pakistan. The Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) developed by Wong and Law (2002) was used for data collection. The outcomes of the investigation showed that female learners were ahead of male in emotional intelligence. Further, the learners of business and economics had superior level of emotional intelligence, while students of Arts and Humanities had inferior level of emotional intelligence. The study put forward some valuable suggestions, particularly through curricula enhancement and for further research activities.