Private Schools Of Karachi Research Articles

Confronting A Crisis: How Leadership Reacted During COVID-19 Pandemic -A Case Study of Two Private Schools of Karachi, Pakistan, Dealing with The Challenges of Online Teaching and Learning

The purpose of this study was to discover how school heads of two low budget schools reacted during the COVID-19 crisis and how their thinking, practices, and approaches helped them in dealing with the challenges of sudden digital transition in teaching and learning. For this case study, two principals were purposefully chosen representing two private schools, having a low fee structure, and catering to similar kind of clientele. Moreover, the data was collected through interviews, observations, and documents’ review. The findings showed that the preparedness of the schools and leadership is very crucial in dealing with a crisis. During the COVID -19 crisis, technological preparedness and competence were essential. Additionally, leaders’ ability to respond and communicate well on time, intuition and foresightedness, experience and training, good governance, and above all, resilience and trust were some of the major qualities highlighted in the research findings for them to emerge as successful leaders during a crisis. The COVID-19 crisis urged the principals to prioritize their safety and well-being along with taking care of the well-being of other stakeholders of the school community. Also, the need for equity in teaching and assessment was also echoed by the two principals

PERCEIVED FATHERS ACCEPTANCE-REJECTION AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN ADOLESCENCE: A GENDER-BASED COMPARISON

Background of the Study: Parental figures have a crucial role in the event of the youngsters via “rearing and nurturing”; providing them well in time care, become role models for them so that children can learn to survive independently successfully. Parents significantly impact their children’s social development, particularly the interactions they form with those in their immediate social circle. This study aims to see if there is a link between teenagers’ emotional intelligence and their perceptions of their fathers. Psychological studies show that fathers significantly impact a child’s development. Methodology: A correlational study was undertaken at various private schools in Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 600 pupils were contacted, 300 of whom were boys and 300 of whom were girls mean age of 14±1.15. Petrides’ Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire for Adolescents (TEIQue-ASF) and Rohner’s Parental Acceptance and Rejection Questionnaire P.A.R.Q. were utilized to collect data (Father Short Form). Results: Data was handled using descriptive statistics and the t-test in S.P.S.S. The gap in emotional intelligence between boys and girls was discovered to be statistically significant as girls who perceived their fathers as approving (142 + 19.71 ) were found to be higher on the variable of emotional intelligence as compared to the scores of boys who perceived their fathers as approving (139 + 17.61).In the meantime, the difference in emotional intelligence between girls and boys who believe their father rejects them is vanishingly negligible as (132.67 + 16.94) and (139 + 17.61), respectively. Conclusion: According to a study, adolescents who believe their father approves of them have higher emotional intelligence (E.I.) than those who believe otherwise.

The immunization questionnaire for understanding unwellness (TIQUU): Fun learning about vaccination using an innovative storytelling approach

BackgroundVaccination is a pivotal tool in public health. In LMICs like Pakistan, challenges hinder high immunization rates. This study addresses gaps in vaccination knowledge among school children through innovative educational interventions. The study aims to enhance vaccination awareness and contribute to health education discourse. MethodologyThis quasi-experimental study was conducted in 4 private schools in Karachi, Pakistan, from February to May 2021. Children aged 8–12 years in grades 2–5 were enrolled. An interactive discussion on vaccine safety and immunization was conducted using a bilingual pictorial storybook. Group-I experienced traditional Urdu book reading, while Group-II engaged with a digital animated video in English. A pre-test was conducted to assess baseline knowledge about immunization followed by an interactive discussion and immediately a post-test. Test scores were analyzed using paired sample t-test using Stata 17.0 version. ResultsThe study enrolled 400 students in Karachi, Pakistan. Both groups exhibited significant knowledge shifts regarding vaccine-related topics. Group-I (Analog Urdu) showed changes in understanding sickness reasons, vaccine timing, newborn protection, sports injury response, and memory impact. Group-II (Digital English) displayed shifts in illness understanding, recommended actions, injection and vaccine knowledge, safety perceptions, measles prevention, and management during sports injury. A statistically significant improvement in mean scores was observed. ConclusionAs a proactive and early strategy to alleviate the societal burden of under-immunization, cost-effective educational interventions can be integrated into school curricula. Our approach through bilingual pictorial storybooks and animated videos has been proven effective and helps one grasp immunization's importance.

To Analyze the Effects of Teacher’s Attitude and Behaviors on the Academic Achievement of Secondary School Students

The purpose of the study was to determine how positive teaching attitudes affected students' academic performance. The behaviors that teachers exhibit in their professional lives are a reflection of their attitudes. Since they consider themselves to be a part of the teaching community, their opinions of other teachers are really a reflection of themselves. Twenty teachers from four private schools in Karachi completed a questionnaire that was used to record their reflections on behavior. The literature reviewed in research papers and books on the subject, which discussed how students pick favorite teachers and how this can affect students' academic performance, served as the primary inspiration for these questions. Thirty items made up the questionnaire, which asked about teachers' fairness, compassion, inspiration, creativity, verbal appreciation, preparedness, sense of humor, confidence, preparedness, sense of belonging, punctuality, positivity, forgiveness, sharing responsibility, sensitivity, and nurturing creativity in their students. Students were asked to fill out a questionnaire with examples of both positive and negative attitudes and behaviors from their secondary school teachers. They were also asked to explain how these examples affected their performance and personality development. The research's most significant findings demonstrated that students' personalities and life outcomes are positively impacted by teachers' positive attitudes. These results lead to a discussion of teachers' roles in lifespan education, which go beyond merely transforming knowledge. Key words: , , ,

Institutional Practices Towards the Continuous Professional Development of Primary School Teachers

This study explores the role of school academic coordinators and their strategies in continuous professional development (CPD) for teachers. This qualitative research adopts a case study approach to gain deep insights into academic coordinators' strategies and challenges regarding effective CPD. Data for this study is collected through semi-structured online interviews from N=09 primary school coordinators from different campuses of private schools in Karachi using criterion sampling techniques. Thematic analysis was carried out from the transcription to find the themes. The study results revealed that barriers to effective implementation include a lack of interest, insufficient resources, and lack of technical skills among trainers. The findings underscore the importance of effective CPD and its implementation, highlighting challenges and suggesting strategies such as regular pre-job and during-the-job systematically interactive CPD training sessions. This study provides a deep understanding of the CPD model for curriculum developers, school coordinators, school teachers, and school management to elevate the standard of education in their schools by adopting a practical CPD approach.

The Role of Leadership Style and Teachers’ Performance at Primary Level: An Exploratory Study

As believed by communication abilities are one of the 21st Century Leadership Skills of school administrators that have a major influence on teachers' capacity to do their tasks. Due to the higher significance that communication has in improving instructors' performance, communicative leaders also have a positive influence on teachers’ performance. Education is essential to a child's development in elementary school. Consequently, it is necessary to have a leadership style that can understand the factors influencing elementary school teachers' performance. Strong leadership, enhances resource management, long-term performance, and management efficiency and effectiveness. This study aimed to investigate the many leadership styles employed in primary schools as well as abilities in situational leadership styles to improve teacher-leader interactions, improve teacher performance, and ultimately better the learning process in private primary schools in Karachi. This research was done in Karachi and interviewed 10 teachers using qualitative data collection methods. The purpose of this study was to ascertain how leaders' leadership philosophies and instructors' job performance interacted. In educational institutions, a suitable leadership style encourages good performance. The study's conclusions showed that all teachers thought a leader's leadership style could greatly improve teachers' performance at private schools in Karachi. Most educators said that having encouraging and capable leaders had aided their performance, professional growth, and student development. One of the crucial components for improving teachers' performance is encouraging others to complete assigned tasks happily, effectively, and successfully. The results of the research indicated that transformational and transactional leaders have a beneficial impact on teachers' performance, whereas authoritative leaders have a negative effect.

Impact of Cognitive Skills and other Demographics of Teachers on their Performance in Public and Private Schools of Karachi

Background: The performance of teachers in educational settings is a critical factor for effective learning. Recent studies have highlighted the significance of cognitive abilities, gender, education level, and other personal competencies in influencing teacher performance. However, there is limited research exploring these aspects in the context of Karachi's public and private schools. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of cognitive skills and demographic factors such as gender and education level on the performance of teachers in Karachi. Methods: A quantitative research approach was adopted, utilizing a descriptive and correlational design. The population comprised teachers from both public and private sectors in Karachi, Pakistan. A sample of 250 teachers was selected through a simple random sampling method. Data were collected using standardized instruments, including Peter Honey’s Critical Thinking Questionnaire and the Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory for cognitive ability, and the Evaluation of Teaching Performance Questionnaire for teacher performance. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 25, employing tests such as Independent Sample t-Test, One-way ANOVA, Two-way ANOVA, and Linear Regression. Results: The study found that male teachers had a slightly higher mean cognitive ability score (M = 20.069, SD = 3.675) than female teachers (M = 19.531, SD = 3.816), but this difference was not statistically significant (t(248) = 0.948, p = 0.344). Similarly, no significant difference in teacher performance was observed between genders (t(241) = 0.533, p = 0.595). The factorial ANOVA indicated no significant effect of gender or education level on teacher performance (F(3, 234) = 0.190, p = 0.903). Additionally, no significant differences in teacher performance were found across different educational qualifications (F(3, 238) = 1.777, p = 0.152). However, a significant positive correlation between cognitive ability and teacher performance was identified (r = 0.575, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The study concludes that while gender and education level do not significantly impact teacher performance, cognitive abilities play a crucial role. This highlights the importance of focusing on cognitive skill development in teacher training programs.

English immersion at middle-tier private schools in Karachi, Pakistan: a case study of students’ additive v. subtractive language learning experience

ABSTRACT This article seeks to locate Pakistan’s middle-tier English-medium private schools in the global educational discourse on immersion and submersion. Using qualitative and quantitative data from a case study conducted in Karachi, it highlights the effects of English-medium education on native speakers of the national language, Urdu, among the new middle class. The study findings illustrate the immersive nature of schooling and the importance placed on the English language by key stakeholders, such as administrators, English teachers, and parents, so much so that the majority of surveyed students prefer to do their pleasure reading in English instead of their high-status home language, Urdu. This heritage loss, acutely expressed by Urdu teachers in particular, shows that the students’ initial additive learning experience becomes subtractive due to the extended, unabated exposure to schooling in the English language and the increasing incorporation of English at home by Urdu-speaking parents at the behest of school officials. This research is important because earlier studies have focused on ‘Urdu imperialism’ over the minoritized regional languages in government or low-fee private schools whereas this study demonstrates the erosion of Urdu, the lingua franca across Pakistan, among the new middle class in the face of English’s linguistic imperialism.

Injury hazard assessment in schools: Findings from a pilot study in Karachi, Pakistan

IntroductionInjuries are a major public health concern and one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Childhood injuries contribute to a major proportion of this burden. ObjectiveTo identify injury hazards within school premises and playgrounds in Karachi, Pakistan. MethodsThis observational cross-sectional study took place in 107 public and private schools of Karachi, Pakistan using a self-structured standard injury risk assessment tool. This tool was developed after an extensive literature review, expert consultation, and field visits to a few local schools. Data related to school demographics, administrative data and injury hazards within the school boundaries were collected in schools offering education from nursery to secondary grades (through 10th grade, matriculation). Descriptive analysis were calculated. ResultsOut of 107 schools, only 12 were recording school-related injuries. A quarter (25%) of schools had some type of disaster drill exercises and built-in fire exits. Fire alarms were placed in 10 schools (9%), all of which were private. In 16 schools (15%), students had access to rooftop doors. There were multiple injury hazards in the school playgrounds. More than half of the schools had hazardous playground surfaces, such as slippery, concrete and uneven ground. Over 80% of schools were not supervising the children during playtime and did not have a separate play area for children under 6 years old. In 38 schools (22%), there were multiple injury hazards in the play rides, such as broken equipment, rusted parts, and sharp edges. Moreover, nine schools (7%) had loose nuts, bolts, edges, belts, steps, or rails in their play rides. Inside, almost a quarter (24%, n = 76) of schools did not have proper insulation of electric wires. Protruded metal nails, which could be high risk for prick and cut injuries, were observed in 20% of the observed furniture. ConclusionIn conclusion, there are multiple injury hazards in the private and public schools of Karachi, Pakistan.

Road safety hazards for children while commuting to school: Findings from a pilot study in Karachi, Pakistan

IntroductionRoad traffic injuries are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity among children. Travelling to and from school is a major risk exposure for children around the globe. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to assess road traffic injury hazards for school children during dropp-off or picked-up times. MethodsThis observational cross-sectional study included 94 public and private schools in Karachi, Pakistan. A structured observational tool was used to collect data on school demographics, the road traffic environment, infrastructure, injury hazards in vehicles used by school children, and child pedestrian injury risk and road use behaviors. ResultsA total of 860 observations of school children, drivers of vehicles transporting children, schools, and vehicles were recorded. Most schools (n = 83, 88%) did not have designated parking spaces around the school; only one public school had a parking area. Only one private school had a zebra crossing around the school premises. Very few schools (n = 13, 14%), mostly private (n = 12) had pedestrian sidewalks. Only 35 (18%) adult motorcyclists, out of 199, were wearing a helmet, and eight (6%), out of 145, car passengers were wearing seatbelts. Compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinders were installed in 83 (35%), out of 235, observed vehicles. The remaining 152 (65%) did not have CNG cylinders or they were not visible to our data collectors. In 55 (23%) observations, bus passengers stepped off the bus in the middle of the road. Most pedestrians (n = 266, 99.5%) did not use a Zebra crossing. More than a quarter (n = 74, 28%) of pedestrians looked left and right before crossing the road. ConclusionWhile traveling to school, either by walking or taking vehicular trips, children face many road traffic injury hazards in Karachi. Pedestrians and passengers exhibited risky behaviors while using roads. Further initiatives are advised from a public health viewpoint aiming at minimizing transport-related hazards.

EXPLORING MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE - BASED EDUCATION AT PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN KARACHI

The current study focused to explore multiple intelligence-based education at private schools in Karachi. The study employed the qualitative research methodology to seek the in-depth knowledge of the issue. Primary and secondary teachers who are working in private schools in DHA Karachi were the population of our study. Convenient and purposive sampling was employed and 10 teachers were selected for the interviews. For data collection, a semi-structured questionnaire was prepared. The main findings of the study were the strategies to cater each intelligence and the barriers to promote Multiple Intelligence in classrooms. The research suggests that teachers should implement a mix of hands-on activities, visual-aids, group work and discussions to cater students of different intelligences. Overcoming these obstacles requires ongoing professional development, collaboration with educators, the allocation of adequate resources to support the execution of strategies that address the multiple intelligence of students

Experiential Learning to Promote Student Autonomy at Elementary Level

The primary objective of this research is to assess Learners' Autonomy by implementing Experiential Learning in a role-play activity among class 8 elementary students at a private-sector English Medium School. Experiential Learning, which is a learner-friendly approach, has not been extensively explored at the fundamental level. However, its importance, often referred to as "learning by doing" or "hands-on approaches," has been acknowledged in various writings and research. Over time, Experiential Learning has gained popularity among adult learners and is considered crucial in educational institutions. To conduct this study, a thorough review of the literature was conducted, leading to the development of a hypothesis. The research strategy involved the use of a survey, and the study's population comprised students from elementary private schools in Karachi. A straightforward random sampling design was adopted, resulting in a sample size of 118 students as participants. For data collection, two questionnaires were employed: the Experiential Learning Scale (ELS) by Clem and Beasley, and the Learner Autonomous Scale (LAS) by Fletcher and Averill. The data was then analyzed using SPSS, with inferential statistics, correlation, and linear regression methods. The findings revealed a strong correlation between the variables (EL) and (LA). Moreover, at a significance level of 0.05, the overall relationship between all Experiential Learning and Learner Autonomous categories was determined to be moderate. Based on the overall linear regression model, instructors and practitioners are encouraged to incorporate Experiential Learning into their teaching methodologies. Additionally, the study suggests further exploration of the concept of Autonomous Learning through this process, and proposes a comparative study to assess how this approach influences students' engagement in various curricula.

Factors Affecting Teachers’ Turnover in Private Schools of Karachi

This study was done to examine the factors influencing teacher turnover in Karachi's private schools. The high teacher turnover rate in Karachi's private schools poses a hurdle to student performance and educational growth. In addition, due to the high teacher turnover, the educational process is slowing down, which has a negative impact on student productivity.

Need Analysis of Workshops for Effective Teaching among teachers at Secondary School level in Karachi, Pakistan

Nowadays, teachers’ role is considered as a vital place in the academic success of students because they have a strong impact on helping, shaping, creating, supporting and establishing student’s strengths, goals and facilitating them to explore knowledge. It is essential that the teachers should be equipped to the professional skills and competencies as well as possess required qualities and characteristics that are needed in learning process. Today, teacher has to develop their skills and broaden their approach for teaching through a wide range of creative activities and share various innovative ideas that can be incorporated in teaching to engage students in an effective manner as well as able to apply different strategies to keep students motivated during learning process. For this purpose teacher has to involve in various training sessions especially workshops as they are very helpful for that need. The main objectives of this study is to highlight the importance of workshop for teachers to enhance the abilities of classroom management & implementation for latest techniques, better understanding of students learning needs and more productivity towards effective teaching process. The method that was used in this study was descriptive method. The population of study was consisted on teachers of private schools in Karachi. Within those 100 teachers from 32 schools were selected as sample for the data collection by using questionnaire. The results revealed the essential importance of workshop at school level as a growing need of effective teaching-learning process among teachers and students. One of the major challenges of countless social and economic issues is low-quality education system. Among all the SDGs, SDG4 mainly highlights to provide high quality education. SDG4 means, striving to have every child receiving high-quality education by 2030.The major hindrance in learning skill is being taught by the teachers, who are not interested in the professional development programs. Teachers training workshops are becoming one of the important sources to cope with continuous changes occurring in teaching-learning process therefore it should be a part of educative setup from school level. In the light of results, recommendations were also presented such as training workshop should be conducted as per need of diverse aspect of teaching skills and practices, feedback is essential need to the fast changing demands of teaching learning process and to develop the mode of participation in it among teachers for advancement at their work places. The students trained and guided by the professionally equipped teachers would be in a better position to put their knowledge and abilities into greater use for economic development and growth of the country.

Perception of Teachers Regarding the Relationship of Modern Video Games on Life Skills of Primary Level Students in the Private Schools of Karachi

The integration of video games into education boosts the engagement of the students, motivation, and learning levels. The aim of the research is to analyse the perception of teachers regarding the relationship between modern video games and life skills of primary level students in private sector of Pakistan. This study is an endeavour to enrich the literature on the influence of modern video games on primary children's education in the private sector of Pakistan. This study sheds light on how challenges in video games directly impact the learning of the students. This research flourishes a comprehensive understanding of the role of video games in improving the academic performance of students belonging to primary classes. A quantitative research design is deemed to be appropriate for this study as there are two variables involved that need to be analysed. To this end, a survey has been carried out with 67 teachers belonging to different schools in Karachi. The outcomes of the research indicated that video games help children in enhancing their problem-solving skills as well as creativity. The findings of the research revealed that video games play an important role in enhancing the technical skills of the student. In addition, the outcomes affirmed that video games play an important role in the education of the children.

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CELL PHONE USAGE AND MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS IN SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN

The adverse effects of excessive mobile phone (MP) use on children include deprivation from sleep, increased risk of lack of concentration, depression, anxiety and obesity. No such study has been conducted in children from Pakistan. Objectives: To assess the association of MP usage and musculoskeletal disorders in school going children. Methods: This was a cross sectional survey. Data were collected from different private schools of Karachi, Pakistan. Convenient non probability sampling technique was used. A sample size of 385 students was taken keeping a confidence interval of 95% with 5% margin of error. Results: A total of 385 subjects participated. It was also noticed that 75.6% (291) students have smart phone and 5.2% (20) have conventional phone and remaining 19.2% (74) have camera phone. It was noticed that the participants 306 (79.5%) said they slept for 1–2[Formula: see text]h daily and 30 (7.8%) had sleep for 3–4[Formula: see text]h daily. One hundred and four 104 (27%) had noticed pain in neck. Conclusion: The use of MP for any activity was associated with sleep deprivation and pain in wrist/hands followed by neck and upper back pain. The usage of MP should be limited to avoid the stress on musculoskeletal parts of the body.

Grade Retention: Is it a Failed Practice?

This research study was conducted to explore the grade retention practices in private schools of Karachi. The study focused on the impact of grade retention and investigated its effectiveness in terms of its merits versus demerits. The context of the study was six private schools of Karachi and scorecards of the failed students from the selected schools, who were in grade six, seven and eight. To achieve the objectives of the study, a mixed method was undertaken to collect the data. The quantitative data were derived from the scorecards of 84 students of two years, summing to a total of 168 scorecards of 84 failed students, who repeated the class in the same school. Paired sample t-test, one sample t-test and two-way MANOVA were applied to analyze the data. The researcher conducted interviews of six teachers and three principals. The interviews were transcribed and decoded, followed by categorization to explore the themes that emerged. The most crucial finding of the research is that retention and social promotion are ineffective solutions for the struggling learners.

Impact of HRM Practices on Teachers’ Job Performance in Private Schools of Karachi

Organizations must focus on their human resource as it is essential for organizational productivity. It is the primary responsibility of human resources management to employ efficient staff, so as to provide a productive workforce to the organizations. This study is applied in Karachi to analyze the impact of human resource management (HRM) practices on the job performance of schoolteachers. Although there are several studies associated with this topic because of the few HRM practices, this paper is unique because it involves the major HRM practices and relates these with educational institutes of the megacity. Data has been collected through questionnaires from teachers of primary and secondary levels which highlighted the insufficiency of HRM practices in an educational institute of Karachi, therefore, it is legitimate to consider this study as pervasive.

Perceived Effectiveness of E-Learning Among Parents of School-Going Children during Covid 19 in Karachi – An Analytical Review

The study stems from the recognition of the social impact of the pandemic, where a significant aspect was relevant to dissemination of education during the pandemic. The immediate response by school management and teachers and the adoption of an alternate learning strategy by parents and school children has indeed been a matter of grave concern. This study attempts to analytical review the existing online learning and its effectiveness in terms of (i) communication and coordination (ii) instructional design (iii) utilization of relevant medium as perceived by parents of school going children. Based on the premise that online education was embraced as their remained no other choice for a child’s connectivity to his/her regular school activities, it is believed that it is critical to anticipate whether online education would be willingly adopted by parents and children if given a choice during COVID-19 Pandemic. The research conclusions are based on the results of a survey conducted among parents of children enrolled in private schools in Karachi. The study explores perceptions regarding various aspects of online education such as learner interactions with course content, student interactions with instructors, a more favourable software application for child’s educational progress, most convenient channel of communication with school management, most engaging instructional design and effective medium for online education to analytically review how school children are coping with the change in learning models.

Factors Affecting Employee Performance: An Investigation on Private School Sector

Employees are valuable assets for any organization, and their productivity should be given due consideration, if an organization aims to meet its strategic goals. This can be done through implementation of effective policies for the most contributing determinants of performance of employees. Therefore, this paper studies the factors that affect employee performance significantly, and gauges their direction being positive or negative. The study is based on the case of education sector, specifically the private schools of Pakistan. The sample is drawn from private schools of Karachi, with respondents selected through Convenience Sampling. A qualitative design with Interpretivist approach and case study research strategy is used and 30 employees at Top, Middle and Lower job levels of schools have been interviewed. The instrument used for collecting the data comprises of semi-structured interview questions, the data then organized, coded and developed into themes for conducting the analysis. From our framework of ten factors, compensation, motivation, leadership, working environment, performance appraisal, job experience, and training are found to have significant and positive impact on work performance, while conflict, job stress, and working hours bear significant negative effect on employee work performance. These factors have varied level of impact through the three job levels. In addition to the established framework, eleven new factors were also identified while conducting the interviews and their effect through each employment level was gauged. Conclusively, several recommendations are drawn for the organizations to ensure maximum effectiveness and efficiency of their employees.