Private Schools Of Karachi Research Articles

Food Choices of Adolescents and Testing the Efficacy of Smart Phone Aided Nutrition Education Program (P21-062-19)

ObjectivesTo assess the nutritional status & lifestyle behaviors and see the response of nutrition education delivery by smartphone technology among school going adolescents. MethodsA cross-sectional analytical study design was conducted on total of 150 adolescents (aged 14–19 years) from private schools of Karachi (East) using multi-staged random sampling. Data was collected on adolescent’s socio-demographics, lifestyle behaviors, nutritional status and dietary behaviors. Based on the need for providing the health and nutrition literacy to our adolescent population through m-health, the smartphone app by the name of ‘Health and Nutrition Daily guidelines for Youth” ‘HANDY’ was developed for the project. Also, a brochure was designed which included the same information as the app, representing the conventional form of education. Participants were divided into two groups – Control group was provided information through brochures and the Intervention group was given brochures and Smartphone App. ResultsMajority of the students were from upper middle income group. Almost 30% adolescents were obese. Among lifestyle behaviors, 32% didn’t meet the criteria for 60 minutes of physical activity per day and excessive use of screen time (>2 hours a day) was 70% among adolescents. According to WHO recommendation only 36.6% were consuming vegetable intake, whereas fruit consumption was slightly better (50.3%). Snacking between meals was also found to be very common (32%) amongst adolescents. Different type of processed food including carbonated beverages and junk food consumption varied between 22–48%. After the baseline information, the intervention group was exposed to smartphone app and brochure versus brochure only and results showed that 76% of the participants in the intervention group liked the smart-phone application versus 34% who preferred brochure for healthier lifestyle. This shows a promising result of smartphone App usage in adolescents for inculcating healthy lifestyle habits. ConclusionsAs it was a pilot project, the potentiality of the app was found to be highly encouraging. Thus, longitudinal study with larger sample size, will be beneficial to test the efficacy of this app in producing a healthy behavior change. Funding SourcesThis project was funded by Scaling up Nutrition Academia and Research Pakistan, AusAid, and (ASK development).

PERFORMANCE AND APPRAISAL FRAMEWORK FOR UNTRAINED TEACHERS WORKING IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS OF KARACHI

The need for performance and appraisal framework has immense importance globally and the need for the specific tool for evaluating teacher’s performance which is already practiced and required globally. The participants are 40 which include teachers and head teachers from both primary and secondary schooling system as well as the management staff. The selection is made on convenience and availability of the participant to be a part of this research as respondents. The methodology for conducting data is informal discussions with the respondents and they facilitate their discussion with giving positive feedback and responses by keeping in mind the objectives of the need of research. However, the major findings of this research paper is that the number of schools does not have a proper performance tool and the teachers are unaware of the performance and appraisal criterions, whereas, these schools also does not have a proper skilled management department to keep a track of teachers’ performance and appraisal records and no proper framework is developed for teachers’ performance and appraisal management. Therefore, this study is reflecting the importance of performance and appraisal framework for untrained teachers working in private schools of Karachi.

Association between Asthma and Dental Caries amongst 12 - 15 Years Old Children: A School-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Karachi, Pakistan

Objective: The study aimed to determine an association between dental caries and asthma among 12 to 15 years old children. Methods: This is a school-based cross-sectional study conducted from January to February 2016. A random sample of 544 children aged 12 - 15 years were enrolled from five private schools of Karachi. Dental caries was assessed using DMFT Index (Decayed, Missing, Filled teeth). The main exposure variable was asthma and information on it was collected through the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. Results: The data was analyzed using Cox Proportional Hazard algorithm. Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios with 95% CI were reported. Total 554 children, 306 (56.3%) boys and 43.7% girls participated in the study. Mean age of children was 13.2 ± 0.05 years. Total number of children with DMFT > 0 was 30.5%. The decayed component contributed largely (22.8%) to the DMFT score. Overall prevalence of asthma was 20%. Prevalence of caries in asthmatic children was 28.4% as compared to 31% among non-asthmatic children. Adjusted prevalence ratio of dental caries in asthmatic children was 0.8 (95% CI 0.6 - 1.3) after adjusting for carious food intake, age, oral hygiene index and dentist visit; the association between asthma and dental caries turned out to be in-significant. Conclusions: There was no association observed between asthma and dental caries among the children examined in this study.

An Empirical Study on the Role of Parents in Academic Achievement of Children in Private Schools of Karachi

This study examines the parental involvement in the academic achievement of the children in Old Golimar, Karachi. The factors included in the study were parental involvement which is measured with; communicating of parents, decision making of parents, friendly behavior of parents, qualification of parents, parents’ schools’ association, parent child interaction, parent teachers’ meetings, to understand the children, solving children problems, helping the children in school works and academic achievement which is measured with; response of children, potential of children, hesitation of children, outcome of children, academic performance, good marks, participation in activities, school work completion, good attendance, being active in class, understanding the lecture and over all factors of parental involvement in the academic performances of the children in Old Golimar, Karachi. After getting the list of total enrollments of schools then the researcher used Raosoft sample size calculator, and got the sample of 165 out of total population, which was 714. Proportionate stratified sampling technique was used and data collected through a structured questionnaire. The results and findings of the whole research show that there is a significant relationship between the parental involvement and the academic achievement of the children.This study examines the parental involvement in the academic achievement of the children in Old Golimar, Karachi. The factors included in the study were parental involvement which is measured with; communicating of parents, decision making of parents, friendly behavior of parents, qualification of parents, parents’ schools’ association, parent child interaction, parent teachers’ meetings, to understand the children, solving children problems, helping the children in school works and academic achievement which is measured with; response of children, potential of children, hesitation of children, outcome of children, academic performance, good marks, participation in activities, school work completion, good attendance, being active in class, understanding the lecture and over all factors of parental involvement in the academic performances of the children in Old Golimar, Karachi. After getting the list of total enrollments of schools then the researcher used Raosoft sample size calculator, and got the sample of 165 out of total population, which was 714. Proportionate stratified sampling technique was used and data collected through a structured questionnaire. The results and findings of the whole research show that there is a significant relationship between the parental involvement and the academic achievement of the children.

Assessing the Relative Importance of Employer Branding Dimensions on Retention of Employees A Case of Private Schools of Karachi

This study explores several dimensions of employer branding in terms of their significance and assessing their impact on the retention capabilities of current employees with different job tenure within the private schools of Karachi. The concept of employer branding has gained significant popularity among the organizations where they are striving to attract and retain the high potential pool of employees for their success. The independent variables for this study are interest, social, economic, development and application values; and their impact on retention of employees as dependent variable. This study is quantitative in nature and encompasses the Post Positivism paradigm. The deductive approach is employed and survey method is opted for this research. Questionnaires were distributed to 400 school teachers in different private schools of Karachi. The quota sampling method has been used. The study entails descriptive analysis, Pearson correlations, t-tests of independent populations, and regression analysis. The results indicate that all factors of employer branding have significant impact on the retention of employees. However, the impact is greater on employees with 3-5 years of experience than employees with less than 1 year. The results also showed that “Social Values” are the most preferred factor by both populations. The educational industry can use the results for designing their human resource policies and practices for retaining the best talent pool and creating a great workplace as strong employer brand.

Feminisation of Teaching: Factors Affecting Low Male participation in Early Childhood Teaching at Private Schools in Pakistan

<p>This study was aimed atidentifying associated barriers to entry of male teachers into early childhood teaching and to understand the gender inequality and the shortage of male role models for early learners at private schools of Karachi.<br />A qualitative research was conducted with phenomenology as the chosen inquiry method. A purposeful sampleof six in-service educators was selected from four private schools in Karachi two male post-secondary teachers, two female early childhood teachers and two private school female heads. The data were collected using three semi structured interviews one for each sample<br />subtype. The study revealed that the male teachers did not teach early learners at private schools due to poor pay;low male adult and child compatibility; the influence of gender stereotypes and societal norms on occupational choice and child safety concerns. To create gender neutrality of early childhood teachers, male participants expressed an interest to teach young learners if offered equitable pay and professional development opportunities, while female participants suggested increased pay and child protection policy implementation.</p>

Nutritional Status, Dietary Practices and Physical Activities of Adolescents in Public and Private Schools of Karachi, Pakistan

A comparative study was undertaken to assess the nutritional status, dietary practices and physical activities of school going adolescents in public and private schools (PPSs) of Karachi, Pakistan. A sample of 101 boys and 100 girls from PPSs was randomly selected for their weight,height, waist and hip circumferences, percent body fat and lean body mass measurements. Adolescent boys and girls were interviewed for their dietary practices, socio-economic status, frequency and type of physical activities and their responses were recorded. Results by gender and school type revealed that both the boys and girls of private schools had a significantly lower mean age but significantly higher mean height-for-age Z-score, waist and hip circumferences than the public school adolescents. Food frequency results revealed that the frequency and patterns of breakfast, break-time snack, lunch and dinner of private school going adolescents were more diverse and nutritiously rich. Skipping breakfast was more common among adolescents being higher in girls than boys. Parents of adolescents belonging to private schools had a higher education and socio-economic status. Private school adolescents were physically more active (p<0.05) in terms of frequency and type of physical activities. The study concludes that the adolescents of private schools had a better nutritional status, consumed food and beverages of better quality and were physically more active. However, boys and girls of both the public and private schools failed to meet the national and international dietary guidelines of recommended food servings.

Impact of HR Policies on Employee Motivation in Private Schools of Karachi, Pakistan

Impact of HR Policies on Employee Motivation in Private Schools of Karachi, Pakistan

Impact of Self-Regulation Skills on Academic Performance of Young Children in Private Schools of Karachi

This research aimed to explore if self-regulation skills had any effect&lt;br /&gt;on the academic outcomes of young children in private schools of&lt;br /&gt;Karachi, Pakistan. Quantitative research method was used to&lt;br /&gt;determine the impact of self-regulation upon the academic outcome of&lt;br /&gt;young children by utilizing Early School Self-Regulation Scale-Care Giver&lt;br /&gt;Version (Bhamani, 2012).The sample size consisted of randomly&lt;br /&gt;chosen 210 children, studying in grades 1 and 2 from seven different&lt;br /&gt;private schools in Karachi. The results of the research show that selfregulation&lt;br /&gt;skills had a significant impact on the academic outcome of&lt;br /&gt;young children in private schools of Karachi, b = -6.3, t (198) = 0.693,&lt;br /&gt;p &amp;lt; .01. Self-regulation skills also explained a significant proportion of&lt;br /&gt;variance in students grades, R2 = .397, F (1, 198) = 130.536, p &amp;lt; .01.

Attitude of Youth towards Corporal Punishment – A Case of Karachi

The practice of corporal punishment is widespread across the world. Asian countries in particular are facing this issue due to poor administrative and managerial policies. The most significant population, affected by any form of punishment is youth. Their social and psychological development is greatly affected by the negligence attitude of teachers and parents. The decision of youth and their attitude towards this practice are central to find, to what extent, they shore up this idea. The study was conducted to find the attitude of youth towards corporal punishment. The population of the study consists of all the students, studying in public and private schools in Karachi. Through convenient sampling, 200 youth were selected from 20 schools, located in Karachi Pakistan. Attitude was judged through questionnaire, which was designed and validated by the experts. The results show that majority of the respondents are not in favor of corporal punishment. Majority of the respondents said that their institutions are practicing corporal punishment and that they have been its victim. Majority of the respondents are neutral that they feel embarrass when their teacher use corporal punishment. All the respondents supported positive moral appreciation from teachers. The researcher suggests government to draft policy for all the schools to avoid this practice. It was also suggested to provide training to teachers for learning alternative approach towards discipline practices. Similarly, it should be the part of curriculum of every school.

Assessment of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors among School Children in Private Schools in Karachi, Pakistan: A Pilot Study

The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is increasing in Pakistan due to unhealthy life style, and lack of awareness. As these diseases have their origin in the early period of life therefore, the prevention of these diseases in early stage is necessary to prevent and control them. This study aimed at identifying the children at higher risk for developing CVDs at their later ages, and providing more focused interventions for them. A cross sectional pilot study was conducted at a private school in Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 24 students (10 boys, 14 girls) were selected through a systematic random sampling. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire. Their height and weight were taken to calculate BMI. Majority of the study participants (66.7 and 62.5%) reported that CVDs were the leading cause of death among the adults in Pakistan, while 25% were not aware. Only 29.2% agreed that CVDs were preventable diseases. They had poor knowledge regarding the prevention of CVDs, 50 % reported only exercise as being a preventive measure of CVDs. The mean time spent on doing home work was 19.46 hours/week, and doing sedentary recreational activity was 15.80 hours/week for both genders. Boys were more active, and they showed less tendency of obesity/overweight as compared to girls. The findings of this study highlight a significant lack of knowledge of modifiable risk factors among the study participants. The results suggest a need of planning health promotion program through schools by focusing on children and their parents in a participatory approach.

Dietary pattern, height, weight centile and BMI of affluent school children and adolescents from three major cities of Pakistan.

To compare the dietary pattern, height, weight centile and BMI of affluent school children and adolescents from three major cities of Pakistan. Cross-sectional study. Private Schools of Karachi, Quetta and Lahore, from September 2007 to March 2008. The affluent socioeconomic group was identified by the monthly income of the parents (average>Rs.15,000 per month, $246); school fees of child (average>Rs.1,500 per month, $25) and household items such as computer, refrigerator, washing machine, television, car etc. A total of 652 healthy immunized children with no history of chronic infection, inducted through multistage stratified sampling were divided into groups A, B, and C by ages of 6-9, 10-13, and 14-17 years respectively. Height, weight and 24 hours diet recall was obtained. Centre for Disease Control and prevention (CDC), clinical charts with 5th and 95 percentile for standard height and weight were used. Food records subjected to USDA food exchange list were used. Forms were used as inputs to generate tables for Statistical Package for social sciences -SPSS, Window 13.0. In girls calories and food intake in group A and B of Quetta was lower (p<.005) vs. other cities. No significant difference was seen in group C. Fat intake was the same in the girls of all 3 groups. In boys caloric carbohydrates and protein intake of group A of Quetta vs. groups B and C was significant by different National Centre for Health Statistics (NCHS) height and weight in groups A and B were at the 50-90 centile and at 25-50 in group C, centile. BMI (kg/m2) in girls and boys of group A were not different. BMI was highest in group B girls (mean 22+/-5) and group C boys (25+/-4) of Quetta. Children of affluent schools of Karachi compared to Quetta are taking more junk food but their consumption of protein is lowered and of a poor quality. Overall fat is below normal recommended standards. However, minimum fat intake was seen in school children of Quetta when compared with Karachi and Lahore. Carbohydrate consumption was adequate. BMI was highest in boys of Quetta than Lahore and Karachi. Majority of children on NCHS centile charts plotted between the 50th-90th centiles.