An Analysis of the New Trends in National Curriculum of Physics at the Secondary Level
This research study analyzes innovative trends in the National Curriculum of Physics at the Secondary level and compares the same curriculum with the curricula of three academically advanced countries namely Turkey, Malaysia and UK. The study aims to examine the policy objectives of the National Curriculum in Physics at the Secondary level and explores its strengths and weaknesses, ending in recommendations for the removal of these weaknesses. The study practiced mixed-methods designed. The primary data were collected through interviews held with key informants and opinionnaires fielded to subject teachers. Review of literature and reliable documents along with the curricula of three developed countries furnished Secondary data for the study. Qualitative and quantitative treatments were given for analysis of the data. The outcomes of the research study highlight that objectives of curricula in Malaysia, Turkey and UK are more comprehensive than Pakistan. These curricula contain latest and novel concepts. The present curriculum likewise needs to instill the tendency for analytical and critical examination of facts at any circumstance in students. The existing examination system is, therefore, not appropriate as it measures only the lowest domain of learning i.e. rote learning. In order to discourage rote learning, textbooks of Physics at the Secondary level need revision to promote creativity.
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New Trends, National Curriculum, Secondary Level Physics
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(1) Tariq Mehmud
PhD Scholar (Education), Sarhad University of Science & Information Technology, Peshawar,KP, Pakistan.
(2) Muhammad Iqbal
Professor, Department of Education, Sarhad University of Science & Information Technology,Peshawar, KP, Pakistan.
Teaching Mathematics at High School: A Comparison of Public and Private School Teachers' Practices
This paper compares the mathematics teaching practices of private and public high school teachers in Punjab. Two hundred public and 180 private school teachers were selected by using random sampling technique from district Sahiwal. The quantitative data was collected by using a Likert type 58 questionnaire items. The questionnaire consisted of six parts: mathematic teaching practices, mathematic effective students’ instruction, mathematic resources availability, use of mathematic resources, use of instructional techniques and evaluation techniques used by the teachers. The study indicated that private school teacher teach in cooperative environment, individual concentration, small group discussion and encourage students in mathematic classrooms as compared to public school teachers. They write equations to represent concept and then engage students in problem solving and practice computational skill as compared to public school teachers. Public school teachers highly believe that text book is primary instructional tool for teaching. They practice difficult problem by drill in their classes. Although Public school teachers are well trained, qualified and experienced yet they emphasize rote learning which is a big hurdle in conceptual understanding. Provision of material resources in public schools is high. Mathematic curriculum document, manipulative, measuring devices, and spreadsheets, worksheet calculators, teacher guide and computers as teaching resources are available in public schools. Whereas, helping books and calculators’ availability is better in private schools.
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Teaching Practices, Mathematic Classrooms, Secondary Education.
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(1) Gulnaz Hameed
PhD Scholar (Education), Department of Education, University of Education, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
(2) Intzar Hussain Butt
Assistant Professor, Department of Education, University of Education, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Working Memory and Mathematical Performance: A Correlational Study
This study is intended to examine the correlation between working memory of students and their academic performance in Mathematics. Specifically, it was aimed to determine the degree of relationship between working memory capacity and academic achievement of students in mathematics studying at secondary school. A sample of 800 students studying in grade 10 was randomly selected from forty government and private secondary schools (girls and boys) situated in Hazara division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Both Urdu and English mediums of instruction schools were included in the sample. The researcher used digits span backwards test (DSBT) to find out the working memory capacity of the students associated with their academic performance in mathematics. This study revealed that girls have outperformed boys very markedly in examination scores of mathematics at secondary level. Contrarily, boys have performed well in working memory capacity than girls at the secondary level. However a very small gender difference is observed in this study. It is also noticed that private secondary schools showed higher performance in examination scores of mathematics and in working memory capacity than government secondary schoolsl.
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Working Memory, Academic Achievement, Relationship, Mathematical Thinking, Secondary Schools
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(1) Naeema Mumtaz
PhD Scholar (Education), Department of Education, Hazara University, Mansehra, KP, Pakistan.
(2) Muhammad Saeed Khan
Assistant Professor, Department of Education, The University of Haripur, Haripur,m KP, Pakistan.
(3) Saddaf Ayub
Assistant Professor, Department of Education, The University of Haripur, Haripur, KP, Pakistan.
Possibilities of Agricultural Education for Secondary Level in Pakistan
Agricultural education is the main component to promote development and production of agriculture. In Pakistan, higher education institutes are offering agricultural education at undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels. F.Sc. Pre-Agriculture program has also been started in selected universities of agriculture. At the same time, the subject of agriculture has been part of elementary schools for many years. But, the gap still exists for the provision of agricultural education at secondary level. So, the study aims to review the initiatives of agriculture education at secondary level in national educational policies and five-year plans and to explore the possibilities for the promotion of curriculum for agricultural education according to opinions from agricultural education experts. This offers a descriptive study. The study was conducted in two steps. Documentary analysis technique was firstly used. Further, the need of agricultural education curriculum for secondary level was assessed and possibilities of agriculture education were explored. Purposive sampling technique was used to select subject specialists. The data was analyzed with frequencies, percentages, mean, and standard deviation. The qualitative data was analyzed by themes and analytical approach. This research suggests that agriculture education is highly desirable for introduction at secondary school.
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Agriculture Education, Secondary level, National Educational Policies
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(1) Kiran Akhtar
PhD Scholar (Education), Department of Education, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan.
(2) M Imran Yousuf
Associate Professor, Department of Education, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan.
(3) Qaisara Parveen
Assistant Professor, Department of Education, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan.
Assessing Quality of Various Aspects of Secondary Education in Punjab
This study examined various aspects of quality in secondary education of Punjab. Population of the study was constituted all principals, teachers and students of degree colleges, intermediate colleges and higher secondary schools. A randomized sample of forty degree colleges was selected comprizing forty intermediate colleges and forty higher secondary schools (gender-wise equal). Participants’ responses were collected via questionnaire. After the data tabulation, it was examined and explained in the light of research objectives. Statistical tests like mean, standard deviation, standard error of mean and estimated population mean were employed. The study revealed that from the findings of the study A.V Aids were not appropriately used, teachers’ pay scales were not satisfactory and secondary level curriculum did not meet the academic needs. Therefore, the researchers consider provision of modern audio-visual aids to the institutions to be important, besides the teachers training and motivation to utlize these audiovisual aids for enhancement of instructional process. Moreover, it is suggested that adequate budgetry allocation for education and improving the pay scales of the teachers will enhance the quality of education.
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Quality Education, Secondary Education, AV Aids, Pedagogy
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(1) Saqib Shahzad
Associate Professor, Department of Education, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, KP, Pakistan
(2) Ishtiaq Hussain
Associate Professor, Institute of Education and Research, Kohat University, Kohat, KP, Pakistan.
(3) Makhdoom Ali Syed
Chairman, Department of Education, University of Kotli, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan.
Effects of Over-Crowded Classes on Teaching Learning Process at Secondary Level in District Nankana Sahib
The researcher aimed at investigating the effects of overcrowded classes on the teaching learning process at secondary level. By nature, this research study was descriptive so survey research design was employed and a closed ended questionnaire having twenty items related to the research problem were developed on five point Likert’s scale for the teachers (Senior Science Teachers) and the 10th grade students of government high schools from three tehsils of district Nankana Sahib. Pilot study was conducted to achieve the reasonable face and content validity and reliability, expert opinions and testretest techniques were used and 0.891 Pearson’s product moment was assured. One hundred (100) questionnaires for SSTs both males and female and 120 questionnaires for students both boys and girls were administered personally and with the help of some friends, six principals both of male and female were interviewed using structured interview schedule data collection technique and data was collected. On the basis of analysis and interpretation of data, indiscipline classes due to overcrowdings affect the teaching learning process badly; the performance of the students is not easily assessed in overcrowded classes and teachers are unable to interact with students easily in overcrowded classes were the conclusions of this research study. The researcher suggested that the government must make it possible to implement the law of recommended class size and reduce the problem by building more classrooms for the students at secondary level. Policy makers may formulate the policies for the effective assessment and evaluation process.
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Overcrowded classes, Teaching Learning Process, Secondary Level.
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(1) Saeed Ahmad
PhD Scholar, Department of Education, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
(2) Muhammad Arshad
PhD Scholar, Department of Education, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
(3) Zia Ahmad Qamar
Teacher, Govt. High School No.1, Haveli Lakha, Okara, Punjab, Pakistan.
Studying the Operational Management Strategies for Promoting Quality of Secondary Education
This study examined the operational management strategies for promoting the quality of education at the secondary level in Punjab Province. The secondary school heads, teachers and students were subjects of the study. It used three questionnaires developed for them respectively. The findings suggest that the head teacher perceived his role as an operation manager. These role dimensions indicate that the head teacher acts as an educational manager by using operational management strategies deliver professional support to teachers by; solving the school-based problems of their teachers, promoting a culture of discipline in the school, conducting a performance evaluation of school staff and checking lesson plans regularly, consulting teachers in academic decisions, holding periodic meetings of teachers regarding coverage of syllabus and maintaining conducive to the working environment in their schools.
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Operational Management, Quality Education, Strategies, Administration, Secondary Education.
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(1) Muhammad Ismail Durrani
PhD Scholar, Department of Educational Training, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.
(2) Irshad Hussain
Professor (Chairman), Department of Education, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.
(3) Muhammad Ali Rasheed
PhD Scholar,Department of Educational Training, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.
Effectiveness of Performance Appraisal System for Government Secondary School Teachers in Punjab
Performance Appraisal of the team is a core element of administration to achieve the required objectives of an organization. The study was intended to measure the effectiveness of the existing performance appraisal system towards professional excellence of secondary school teachers as perceived by their principals. Two hundred secondary school principals were found available as a sample to mark the questionnaire. The researcher himself developed a questionnaire for the principals to seek their opinions on the present performance appraisal system. The data collected were analyzed with descriptive statistics. It was found that the effectiveness of the system is of moderate level in Punjab. The performance appraisal system contributed fifty-nine per cent to the professional excellence of the teachers. Some strong recommendations were also written on the basis of findings to see the performance appraisal system more effective
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Performance Appraisal System, Secondary School Teacher, Professional Excellence, Principal, Punjab
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(1) Naveed Azmat
PhD scholar, Department of Education, GC University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.
(2) Khuda Bakhsh
Assistant Professor, Department of Education, GC University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.
(3) Khaliq Hussain
Student, Department of Education, GC University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.
Professionalism as a Moral Code of Secondary School Teachers
Teachers are given a moral code and expected to follow the ethics while working in institutions. Monitoring authorities are responsible for observing the school teachers’ enactment of the professional code and take action against delinquents. The present study investigates professionalism as a moral code of secondary school teachers by a survey of their perceptions. A questionnaire and observation sheet were used as data collection tools. The sample of the study was forty schools and 120 teachers from Bahawalpur District in Pakistan chosen through multistage sampling. Results through mean comparison using a paired t- test indicated that the majority of teachers had insight about professionalism but did not practice it. It is therefore recommended that education departments should utilize this aspect in their teachers and deploy special mechanisms for the practice of professionalism.
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Professionalism, Moral Code, Teachers' Insight, Teachers' Practices, Secondary School Teachers
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(1) Naseer Ahmad Shahid
PhD Scholar,Department of Education, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.
(2) Nasreen Akhter
Assistant Professor,Department of Education, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.
(3) Shahzadi Iqra Naz Malik
PhD Scholar, Department of Education, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur,Punjab, Pakistan.
Incorporation of Peace Education in Existing Secondary Level Curriculum and Teachers Practice
Peace education is a new discipline which is being introduced in the existing curriculum in the world. Peace education is mandatory for reducing violence and developing positive thinking. The major aim of this study was to examine the need of peace education and to investigate the perception of teachers for incorporating peace education in existing curriculum at Secondary level. The study was descriptive in nature. All the secondary school teachers (753) of district Attock were included in population of the study. Of these, 255 teachers were taken as a sample through a random sampling technique. The researcher employed a validated questionnaire for collecting data. The major findings showed that the teachers favored the inclusion of peace education as a compulsory subject at secondary level.
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Peace Education, Teachers, Curriculum, Secondary
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(1) Basharat Ali Khan
PhD Scholar,Department of Education, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
(2) Azhar Mahmood
Associate Professor, Department of Education, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
(3) Wajeeha Aurangzeb
Assistant Professor, Department of Education, NUML, Islamabad, Pakistan.
