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Gender disparity in science and mathematics performance is being researched internationally. In a complex education system, like Pakistan, studying the difference in isolation may not generate holistic understanding. Therefore, this paper investigates changes in trends of performance in Science and Mathematics for both genders across public and private schools. Data were gathered from a nationwide sample of elementary grades students (n=15,391) using SATs/MATS. Independent t-test and two-way-ANOVA were employed to analyse data. Results revealed that girls outperformed boys in Science (p<0.01) while no gender differences in performance were observed in Mathematics. Gender and school systems demonstrated significant interaction effect only in mathematics, unveiling that girls perform better in public schools while this difference diminished in the private school system. The results show implications for employing gender-fair policies and practices in science and mathematics education.

The International Large-Scale Assessment (ILSA) is a rapidly growing field in education which has gained considerable attention of stakeholders across the globe. Historically, ILSA emerged from the developed context which has drifted to the developing contexts in a short span of time due to globalisation. Pakistan has participated in ILSA (i.e., TIMSS) for the first time in the 2019 cycle. In light of the global critique on ILSA, this paper presents a critical analysis on Pakistan's participation in TIMSS by raising questions embedded in contextual realities. The discussion adds to the understanding of ILSA in terms of historical developments, theoretical underpinnings towards participation in ILSA, and the general as well as context-specific critique on ILSA. The paper ends with the argument in favour of strengthening national LSA instead of relying only on ILSA.

After reading "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, this author was excited to introduce the story to her art-club students in grades five through seven, and to incorporate the message into an art lesson. She was inspired to use the story because it causes students to become globally aware of other people and their art. In this article, the author describes how her students made Pakistani-style "Ralli" quilts, on paper.

The present paper analyzed the reasons of low quality education at primary level in public sector schools in Pakistan. Education is considered as the foundation of all type of development everywhere in the world. One of the functions of the educational institutions is to produce efficient and skillful education managers and teachers. Mainly it helps the financial, social and social existence of the country. This study thoroughly examined the primary education system in Pakistan. The critical examination revealed that primary education in Pakistan from its financial and management side was most neglected. The quality of education does not only depend on preparing individuals for the successive educational level but to equip them with the required basic life skills. The striking agenda at global level is to strengthen the quality of education at all educational levels specifically at the primary level. The present paper aimed at different indicators for low quality as absence of money related assets, auxiliary and administration issues, expanded dropout, poor approach usage, obsolete examination framework, wasteful correspondence, absence of expert advancement, absence of learning assets, absence of supervision, lack of co-ordination and curriculum issues to gauge the quality of education at primary level in Pakistan.

The paper is based on a research conducted to evaluate the curriculum at the primary level in the light of education policies and plans in Pakistan. The article discusses the objectives of the curriculum at the primary level and analyzes different education policies and plans regarding the achievements of objectives. Results revealed that the objectives of curriculum were not fully achieved. The procedure of the implementation of policies and plans regarding curriculum remained weak. (Contains 3 tables.)

Purpose: This study intends to unveil the imbalance in gender portrayal, reflected in English textbooks, used at the primary level in the four provinces of Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach: Within the framework of feminist critical discourse analysis (FCDA), this paper aims to explore the ways in which gender stereotypes and ideologies are inculcated through the discursive schemes in the selected textbooks. The methodology adopted is to connect the linguistic features in the texts (the Micro) to the social factors (the Macro). The analysis has been done on two levels: on the first level, the content analysis was employed to quantify the gender representation in the textbook. On the second level, the discourse analysis was carried out to view gender stereotypes in the wide spectrum of social norms. Findings: The results of this study reveal a significant disproportion and imbalance in gender representation in the four books. They clearly show that the textbooks in Pakistan contribute to the socialization of children in a very traditional and stereotypical way. The findings of the study recommend extensive awareness at societal level in general, and particular reforms in the education sector for a step toward a progressive and prosperous society. Originality/value: The current paper is innovative as it demystifies how gendered ideologies are ingrained in the curriculum, used for English language teaching in a developing country like Pakistan. It fosters the value addition in existing research since it investigated the gender disparity systematically by employing quantitative content and qualitative FCDA.

An exploration of literature on second/foreign language (L2/FL) teaching suggests that the phenomenon in question has been investigated either by examining classroom processes or by exploring teachers' lived experiences. Situated in the latter area, this paper reports a qualitative study that understands how Pakistani primary school teachers learn to teach English--the subject mandated in recent curricular reforms--and develop their English teacher identity. The findings problematize the apprenticeship of observation concept and demonstrate that the teachers agentively draw upon their favorite English learning experiences. They teach English not the way they were taught, rather, they teach the way they loved learning English. Thus, they develop the English teacher identities they adored while they were students. The paper presents pertinent implications.

Educators develop their profession through the application and implementation of educational procedures elsewhere. This paper focuses on a comparison of Israel and Pakistani Elementary Educational system. This comparison is significant because both are ideological states sharing their common era of independence but Israel is more ahead of Pakistan in the field of education with its high literacy rate as compare to Pakistan. For the comparison, this study adopts document analysis as the methodology for this study. George Bereday's comparative method is used for the comparison. Themes were identified and generated from comparison. Elementary education was the focus of the study. The findings revealed that the literacy rate and budget allocation is higher in Israel than Pakistan which is 8.7% of GDP. In Israeli's schools the medium of instruction at elementary level is their national language. Their student teacher ratio is also low as compared to Pakistan that's why the Israel's teachers provide more individual attention to their students. Israel exposes technology to their students in their classes even at early childhood level and also provides basic universal primary education to all children. It is recommended for Pakistan that Medium of instruction should be in the national language, budget allocation in education sector should be increased and use of technology need to adopt in the Elementary Educational system in Pakistan.

Can governments contract out school management at scale? In 2016 the Government of Punjab transferred management of over 4,000 failing primary schools to private operators. Schools remained free to students. Private operators received a government subsidy per enrolled student of less than half per-student spending in government schools. This paper evaluates the effects on performance of converted schools. Comparing early converters to later converters, we estimate that enrolment in treated schools increased by over 60 percent, and test scores declined sharply.

This paper examines the design and development of a mobile-mediated professional development program for primary school teachers. It explores learning design frameworks and strategies to offer effective, 24/7, anywhere-anytime PD using mobile technology. The study highlights the significance of design requirements and best practices in mobile-mediated TPD, and presents a conceptual framework incorporating various pedagogical/andragogic approaches and instructional design possibilities enabled by mobile technology. The framework is based on the integrative learning design framework (ILDF), CSAM, RASE, Keller's ARCS, and TPACK framework. The resulting framework enacts evidence-informed and theory-led models, and best practices to cater to instructional design requirements for creating meaningful mobile-based learning experiences for teachers.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of using mobile devices as an instructional tool on teachers' creativity and to promote their usage as instructional tools in educational settings. The research also studies the perceptions of teachers on the effect of using mobile devices as an instructional tool on their creativity and what features of mobile devices are believed to help in terms of enhancing their creativity. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative inquiry used an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) method for inspecting the professional capabilities of Pakistan's primary and secondary school teachers. Data were gathered from nine individuals through interviews. Three themes regarding creativity emerged from the study data. Findings: It is found that the use of mobile devices as a teaching tool significantly increases teachers' creativity by enabling them to manifest their creativity and explore different pedagogical vistas in which they can use a wide variety of instructional resources and tools. Using mobile devices as a teaching tool improved three skills: motivation, self-confidence and communication skills. Mobile applications, cameras and portability of these devices are among the features that teachers considered to have encouraged their creativity. Research limitations/implications: Finding the obstacles and difficulties teachers have while utilizing these tools to demonstrate their creativity may be valuable for future studies. First, because respondents were teachers from elementary and secondary classes, the population was not entirely homogenous, even though they had adequate help. Second, only semi-structured interviews were utilized for data gathering in this study. Further data collection methods, including observational research or participant-written reflective diaries, are thought to have been preferred. Practical implications: For future research, it may be interesting to determine whether the results of this study can be applied to other demographic groups. Based on this study, it is also recommended to conduct a quantitative study to know teachers' perceptions of the impact of these devices on creativity, since these studies can have promising results for teachers. Social implications: Through the use of various materials, tools and activities, these devices provide several distinctive teaching alternatives. Because of this, using it as a teaching tool gives teachers the ability to tailor courses to a range of learner types. Additionally, having easy access to a multitude of online resources and the capacity to interact with others helped in ideation. The teachers experienced feelings of motivation, self-confidence and a desire to impart information, all of which are traits of creative teachers. Based on the findings of this study, we may now think about using mobile devices in the classroom to encourage teachers' creativity. Originality/value: The outcomes of this research indicated that teachers' creativity is strongly influenced by their use of mobile devices as instructional tools. This paper advances the understanding of teachers' creativity by highlighting their lived experiences. This study is novel because it highlights how these devices have the potential to be used as instructional tools, which has not been highlighted by any study so far.

Child labour has emerged as a serious, widespread and rapid growing problem in many parts of the world. Child labour is a socio-economic issue, which not only wrecks the social growth but also damages the moral fabrics of our society. The on hand paper not only highlights this very issue but also have a close look at its major inverse affect on Universalization of Primary Education (one of the MDGs). The main reason for child labour in many countries, particularly in third world nations is lack of education which is mainly caused by poverty, location, child status, family status and teacher's behaviour etc. This paper attempts to assess the causes and effects of child Labour and its impact on Universalization of primary education at district Bannu. This study was descriptive in nature. Population of this study was comprised of all the male (1688) and female teachers (1251) i.e. 2939 teachers teaching at primary level and all the parents/ guardians i.e. 992 of the child labourers at district Bannu KPK, Pakistan. The sample of the study in case of teachers was 147 @ 5% while that of parents/guardians of child labourers was 100 @ 10%. A self developed questionnaire for teachers from where children have dropout and preferred to labour/work and also a structured questionnaire for those parents/guardians whose children were engaged in some sort of work/labour from the very beginning and have not been enrolled in any educational institution/school was distributed to know their perceptions regarding child labour and Universalization of primary education. This study was guided by these objectives: to compare the views of teachers about students preferring to child labour due to non availability of Govt schools near to their homes in rural & urban areas of District Bannu. to compare the views of teachers about students preferring to child labour due to increasing mode of educational expenses working in rural & urban areas of District Bannu. to compare the views of teachers regarding students preferring to child labour due to family members pressure not to attend the school in rural & urban areas of District Bannu, to compare the teacher perceptions for students prefer to child labour due to physical disability problems in rural & urban areas of District Bannu. To compare the teacher's perceptions regarding student preferences for child labour due to behavior of teachers in rural & urban areas of District Bannu and to suggest some measures to decrease Child Labour and to Universalize Primary Education at district Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. To obtain the most appropriate and accurate results from the collected data, the coded questionnaire was analyzed through SPSS (V-23) in terms of percentage, frequencies, descriptive analysis, mean, standard deviation, ANOVA, Regression, Correlation, chi square and ttest was used for the analysis by the researcher.

Purpose: This study aimed at exploring food related cultural norms that influence rural mothers' food selection for their primary school aged children (aged 4-7 years). Design/methodology/approach: This is a qualitative study conducted in northern parts of Balochistan province of Pakistan. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was applied as the theoretical framework of the study. Within a qualitative research method four focused group interviews with 30 rural mothers were employed to generate data. Findings: The study found that mothers' food selection for their children was heavily influenced by certain cultural norms that have become taboos with the passage of time. It is evident through findings that subjective norms have a greater influence on mothers' behaviour than their attitude and perceived behavioural control (PBC). Originality/value: We ensure originality of this research paper as fewer researches have been conducted to further elaborate the link between socio-cultural norms and food selection. In particular, the influence of this close relationship on child health has been of limited consideration in a developing context. This paper has neither been published elsewhere, nor it is currently under consideration for publication in any other journal.

The present paper explores some important social factors responsible for the low motivation of girls for primary education in the slum areas of Karachi, Pakistan. The objective of the study was to identify the challenges and social factors responsible for the low motivation of girls for education in the slums of Karachi. The study was qualitative in nature. All the teachers, school heads and female students of government girls primary schools in slums areas from Kamari, Malir, Lyari, Baldia and Gadap towns of Karachi were included as the population. Fifty teachers, twentyfive school heads, and fifty students were selected as a sample on the basis of purposive sampling. The information was collected through interviews, focus group discussions, observations and informal conversations. To analyze the qualitative data of interviews, focus group discussions and field notes, "Constant Comparative Method" was used. The researcher conducted thematic analysis approach to analyze the qualitative data. The analysis revealed that the socio-economic status of the parents, socio-cultural barriers and child labour are the main reasons for the low motivation of education for girls in the slum areas of Karachi. Policy recommendations based on the findings have further been discussed in the study.

Access to education has been the central tenet of the Millennium Development Goal 2, which focused strongly on increasing enrolment yet failed to promote education quality and equity and address contextual complexities that sustain exclusion. As a consequence, many children are not learning. There is growing recognition that effective, efficient and equitable education for all will not be achieved without better accountability. The present paper details innovative methods for strengthening the learning process through better social accountability. The paper defines and tests in rural schools of Afghanistan and Pakistan a community-based system dynamics protocol using participatory group model building (GMB) techniques. We tested the protocol with two groups of teachers and one group of children, with the three produced causal loop diagrams highlighting factors that influence learning in the classroom from the perspectives of the participants. The sessions showed interest, engagement, quick mastery of how GMB methods work and clear understanding of how the current classroom system hinders learning for many students. Researchers found that large autonomy and initiative could be left to the workshop participants, keeping the facilitator's role to one of explaining the method and asking clarification about causal relations.

Purpose: Devolution of fiscal and administrative autonomy to public schools is a global phenomenon now. Various models of school autonomy have been adopted both in developing and developed countries. The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of devolution of fiscal autonomy to public primary schools through Parent--Teacher Councils (PTCs) on retention of primary school children in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach: Two sources of data were used to analyze the research question: Education Management Information System for the years 2006-2011 and 2007-2012, and a specially designed survey questionnaire used to compile information about PTCs from 222 public primary schools in the KP Province. Multiple linear regressions were conducted to examine whether PTC reforms are related to retention rates. An education production function approach was used to examine the effect of "inputs" (PTC reform) on "outputs" (retention). Findings: The regression results indicate that reforms in procedural mechanisms to spend PTC budget and schools with separate classrooms for each grade level are significant in improving retention to the last grade of primary. The results also indicate that retention in all-girls' schools tend to be significantly lower compared to all-boys' schools. Research limitations/implications: First, the integration of data sets resulted in a small sample size, 361 schools, out of which the researcher could visit only 222 schools (10 schools per district) due to time and financial constraints. There may be a probability that with a larger sample size the author findings may look slightly different. However, this is the only current data set collected by the researcher in KP, Pakistan. Second, an ideal way of calculating retention is to track each and every child enrolled in a school over a period of five years and to calculate retention at the end of Grade 5 called true cohort model. However, due to unavailability of such kind of data, a more commonly used method, called reconstructed cohort method, is employed. In this method, data on enrollment by grade are used for six consecutive years, with an assumption that the student flow rates will remain unchanged over time and across grades. Practical implications: The findings of this study provide vital policy input to the Government of Pakistan in particular and other developing countries in general. The study reveals that PTCs have critical impacts on educational outcomes, school productivity and return on public sector educational investment thus providing an impetus for further strengthening of PTC and community participation. Besides, this study offers significant implications as to how school-based management programs will lead to outcomes under resource scarcity in developing countries. Social implications: The paper has implications for the role of school leadership and community participation and for how to engender community involvement in marginalized areas where communities often do not have the time, resources or confidence to participate in their schools. Besides, community participation in parent--teacher meetings means that the school budget is spent transparently and with consensus. Hence, the chances of misuse of funds are minimized to a considerable extent, a dilemma faced by many developing countries. Finally, the collection of PTC-related data regularly especially details about budget allocated, spent and, the unutilized budget may result in better record keeping, which was found lacking during the visit. Originality/value: The uniqueness and originality of this paper can be gauged from the fact that no systematic study exists with regards to the impact of school autonomy on students' retention to the last grade of primary in KP province -- a poor and conflict-ridden region in a low-income country (Pakistan). Also, the data collection from primary and secondary sources was not an easy task. However, the researcher as a civil servant has to use personal contacts to collect primary and secondary data. Hence, this study is unique and first of its kind in nature. No such research has been conducted so far by any researcher, especially in KP.

Pakistan's Punjab province has witnessed numerous education reforms in recent years. Many of these reforms have been aimed at improving the well-documented low levels of learning by focusing on improving teaching quality. The rhetoric suggests that government schools, particularly those in rural areas with a more disadvantaged pupil base, are especially ineffective at imparting learning. This paper seeks to investigate whether children in rural Punjab are learning literacy and numeracy over the course of a year, and if so, are some pupils progressing more than others. Using recently collected data, it finds that children in our sample are making progress. Variation in progress is found to be greater within schools rather than across them. The competence and qualifications of a teacher also makes a significant difference to a child's academic progress. The paper further finds differential progress for rich and poor students within schools, suggesting an important role for education policy to put in place targeted support towards those from disadvantaged backgrounds to ensure improvements in their learning keep pace with their peers.

This paper presents and evaluates a teacher training approach called the cluster-based mentoring programme (CBMP) for the professional development of government primary school teachers in Pakistan. The study sought to find differences in the teaching practices between districts where the CBMP was used (intervention) and control districts where it was not used (non-intervention). Data were analysed to examine the effectiveness of the CBMP in terms of enhancing teacher practices and student behaviour. The paper differentiates those aspects of classroom teaching where the CBMP has been the most effective and where it has been marginally effective or not effective at all, thus leading to concrete policy lessons for teacher education programmes in Pakistan.

Post-COVID educational planning demands an urgent re-evaluation of the inclusivity of our educational systems, now that almost 24 million learners, a majority of these girls and the poor in developing countries, are at the risk of dropping out. This paper explores the discursive inclusivity of some primary level textbooks used in government and low-fee private schools in Pakistan. An analysis of the intersection of gender and class in 38 'imagined' educational spaces (classrooms/schools and related contexts) appearing in the textbooks revealed that the discourse strongly excluded and legitimized the absence of working class females, while marginalizing those from middle class. Education appears to be largely irrelevant to the lives of females across classes, just as they themselves appear to be knowledge construction. The normalized presence in education is that of middle-class males, with some peripheral space for those from working-class males. Foucault's theoretical framework reveals exclusionary techniques of: (a) spatial exclusion (b) exclusivity of the right to speak what counts as knowledge; (c) construction of differential enabling possibilities. Although transgressive at times, the discourse never challenges the dominant norms, highlighting a worrisome aspect in textbooks that need to be addressed by policy makers and educationists.

This research aimed to explore the possibility of using Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach for the development of students' Second Language (L2) skills and content in the subject of Chemistry. To achieve this purpose, action research method was used to implement CLIL approach at grade 7 consisting of 30 students. The research was divided into two major cycles, each cycle containing actions to improve the situation and providing a base for the next cycle. The researchers planned and implemented lessons using the CLIL approach. Interviews, observations, and document analysis were used to generate data. The research revealed that although CLIL has the potential to enhance the content knowledge and language competency of students, certain factors such as the academic background of students, the capacity of teachers and the system-related expectations from teachers influence the implementation of the approach in this region. The paper explores the possibility and challenges of a language teaching approach (CLIL) which has received increasing attention in other contexts but has remained unattended and unexplored in the context of Pakistan.

This study documented in detail teachers' voices about their working conditions, professional development needs and opportunities to cater to these needs. The study reported in this paper was conducted as part of a large-scale study that used mixed methods to assess teachers' professional development needs. The qualitative data reported in this paper were collected using focus group discussion with teachers (N = 481), classroom observation (N = 66), post-observation interviews with teachers (N = 24) and analysis of qualitative responses from survey questionnaires (N = 200). By bringing together a collection of teachers' voices, the findings of the study illuminate a hope for positive change in teaching and learning in public schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, provided that teachers are genuinely considered as part of the solution and are facilitated with necessary physical and structural resources and psychological incentives. The education system needs to create conditions in schools that support teachers' work and their continued professional growth.

This paper explores the association between school-level factors and learning outcomes of children in 361 rural public primary schools of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province, Pakistan. Two datasets have been used for the purpose: Education Management Information System (EMIS) for school-level factors and Annual Status of Education Reports (ASER) for student learning outcomes. The analysis reveals that school size, multigrade schools, teachers' qualification and teachers' attendance are significant predictors of children's numeracy and English reading skills whereas teachers' qualification and teachers' attendance, were found significant across all the three proficiency levels--reading Urdu, reading English and two-digit subtraction.

The quality of education is a priority for every nation any educational institution or organization and their beneficiaries. This paper is concerned with methods and theories recently used in Quality Education research in Pakistan. It begins by looking at policies, practices and procedures implemented and their impact on quality of education in the light of Millennium Development Goals (MDGS). This study will explore the comparative difference of quality education against MDGs at primary level in Pakistan to identify the gaps and challenges in their policies, practices and procedures to suggest the possible measures for their quality improvement standards at proposed level.

The scholarship of language education, particularly with reference to learning and use of English, is marked by varieties of English. One may note two broad models: (1) ENL, ESL, and EFL; (2) EIL, ELF, and WEs. Although the scholarship is replete with debates, the debates seem to only construct and maintain that learning English and its use are neutral activities that "earn" and "equip" a learner with certain capital rather than "make" him/her as such. This paper draws upon Foucault's theories of "discourse" and "disciplinary power." This paper takes Pakistani state-mandated English textbooks of Grades 1-5 as official documents that contain qualitative data. The qualitative data are analyzed thematically. Two major themes of male body and female body are found which are analyzed and discussed through the Foucauldian lens. The paper holds that learning English and its use perpetuate and produce docility. The paper contends that neither is language a neutral tool nor are its use and learning value-free activities in any of its varieties.

Purpose: This paper discusses an effective instructional method called "activity based learning" that can be used to develop the speaking skills of students in the elementary school level. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of activity based learning on the development of the speaking skills of low and high achievers in a 6th grade class at the elementary school level. Research Methods: The research was based on pre-test post-test equivalent group design. A total of 50 male students served as participants in this research. The participants were selected randomly from two sections and then a pre-test was administered. Based on pre-test scores, the participants were divided equally into experimental and control groups. High and low score achievers in each group were also identified. The experimental group received instruction based on the activity based learning method, and the control group was instructed through the traditional language teaching method. At the end of the experiment, a post-test was administered to measure the development of speaking skills in students. The independent sample t-test was used to test the significance of difference between the mean scores of groups at the 0.05 level. Implications for Research and Practice: The findings of the study suggested that activity based learning was an effective way to enhance students' speaking skills since the experimental group post test score was significantly different from the control group post test score. Based on the result of the study, it is recommended that the activity based learning method be used in class to develop and enhance the speaking skills of students. It is also recommended that teachers be provided training to implement the activity based method in language lessons.

The purpose of the research paper was to investigate the effect of eclectic learning approach on the academic achievement and retention of students in English at elementary level. A sample of forty students of 8th grade randomly selected from Government Boys High School Khurram District Karak was used. It was an experimental study and that's why sample subjects were classified into two equal groups on the basis of pre-test scores. For data collection, pre-test post-test equivalent groups designed was used. Descriptive statistics i.e., mean, standard deviation and inferential statistics i.e., t-test were employed for analyzing the data. After analyzing the data, it was come to light that eclectic learning approach has a positive effect on students' academic achievement and retention. Eclectic learning approach was found more productive, effective and successful in teaching of English as compared to traditional learning approach at elementary level. So, eclectic learning approach should be adopted by the teachers for improving students' performance in English at elementary level.

Time is a precious and so important thing as well as the blessing of the Creator in the world. It is the time which makes, changes, creates, decorates, maintains, develops, strengthens, and successes the present and secures the future of the people and the nations. Time considers a great cure and care for any unethical, unsocial and invaluable matter and event. Time settles each and every hurdle and difficulty of any system and nation with its pace, speed and direction. If time is managed properly according to needs and the requirements of the matters and phenomenon of any nation then no one can stop any nation to be a developed and successful. This research paper aims to explore and investigate the importance and see the impact of Time Management in the professional life of teachers and the performance of the students of Primary schools in the districts of Hyderabad. In these connections 30 primary teachers were constituted as the sample of the study. Interviews were conducted on the Primary school Teachers of Government/Public and Private School Teachers in order to collect the data about Time Management of teachers and the Performance of the students. A qualitative research design was used to collect data from the sample.

Educating for peace is essential for students and teachers not only to understand the basis of aggression and conflict but also to independently resolve such situations in non-violent ways and hence, influence the behaviours anticipated for a peaceful society. The article 4 of the UN resolution 53/423 also proclaimed the need to promote peace education at each level. However, teachers are not likely to achieve the objectives so desired if they have not been trained in peace education. This paper examines the training needs of primary school teachers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to teach peace. By drawing on questionnaire, interviews and focus group data, the article reflects on consistent training of teachers about peace education concept and methodology to support them achieve the desired objectives. The research article identifies sensitisation workshops, revision of teacher training programmes and availability of peace education module on the provincial education website, beneficial for this purpose.

The purpose of the study was to find out how teachers role modeled and taught empathetic and pro-social skills at the primary level. The study was qualitative in nature and followed a case study approach. Observations of regular English language classes were done from Grades 1-5 to see if class lessons incorporated the said themes and whether teachers displayed the stated skills in classrooms. Another set of observations were conducted after teachers were requested to highlight empathetic and pro-social themes in texts and activities. The second set of observations noticed if the use of empathetic and pro-social textual materials and activities raised awareness among students about the said themes and affected student interest and teacher behaviour in any way. Teachers were also interviewed to register their thoughts on their own empathetic and pro-social behaviours and their experience of teaching the same in classrooms. The deputy curriculum developer from Grades 1-5 was also interviewed to take her opinion about teachers as appropriate role models to teach the said skills and the time given to the development of such skills in the professional development programmes. The findings established teachers as weak role models for the demonstration of empathetic and pro-social skills in classrooms. However, they successfully incorporated and taught the same skills through texts. The paper encourages teachers to exhibit more empathetic and compassionate skills in classrooms so that students can be equipped with sound academic and affective skills for a more positive assimilation in society at large.

Schools in post-colonial developing countries have complex and varied problems with the quality of leadership and instruction, calling for unique approaches to improvement. Based on an interventionist-ethnographic study involving three low-fee elementary schools in Pakistan, this paper discusses a model for developing multilevel leadership practices for instructional improvement. A situation analysis in the first phase of the study indicated leadership practices of control and centralized decision-making without a focus on instructional improvement in the light of authentic learning goals. The operational mental models strongly influenced the practice of leaders and teachers in the presence of limited professional development activities and non-existent learning networks. The second phase of intervention involved the development of a model of practice creating and strengthening multilevel leadership practices for improving instruction. Through management of mental models, shared vision, team learning, team projects and participation in learning networks, teachers were involved in simple and complex leadership tasks and formal delegation evolved into incremental and emergent leadership practices. The simple model, applicable in a wide range of contexts provides a direction for professional development activities and school leadership development programs in schools struggling for improved educational quality.

Quality of Education, especially at Primary level, is an important issue to be discussed at the International Forum. This study highlights the quality of primary education through a comparison of the quality of Community Model Schools and Govt. Girls Primary Schools in Pakistan. Community Model Schools were established under Girls Primary Education Project (GPEP) (Phase I and Phase II), with the cooperation of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). This paper focuses on the study of the effect of facilities, qualifications of headmistresses, dropout rate, results, and co-curricular activities on quality performance of both types of schools. Case study of six Community Model Schools and Govt. Girls Primary Schools were conducted for an in-depth study of the school's performance. The views of the heads of institutions, teachers, students, parents and administrators were collected through semi-structured interview schedules. The researcher personally visited the sample schools one by one to conduct these interviews. All the interviews were video-recorded. Data collected was then analyzed. It was found that Community Model Schools were performing better as compared to Govt. Girls Primary Schools in respect of school results, educational environment, co-curricular activities organized in the schools and overall quality of education.

Purpose: This paper aims to focus on achievement level of primary grade students in different subjects taught at primary level and the factors affecting the student achievement in this regard. Design/methodology/approach: The study was carried out on a sample of 1,080 students of grade 3 and 5 drawn from randomly selected 36 primary/elementary schools from nine districts of the Punjab province. The instruments were: the achievement tests in three subjects mathematics, Urdu (national language) and life skills (Islamyat, social studies and science); and questionnaires for teachers and students to know various possible factors affecting achievement. Findings: Results show that the achievement was the lowest in the subject of Urdu (mean 15.2) and the highest in life skills (mean 29.9) in grade 3. While in grade 5, it was the lowest in mathematics (mean 10.8) and the highest in life skills (31.63). Overall the performance of the female students was relatively better than their male partners. Location-wise, the rural students performed better than the urban students. District-wise, the performance of students of Rajanpur and Rahim Yar Khan districts was relatively better than the students of district Kasur and Bahawalpur. Among the factors affecting students achievement were parental education, their occupation and guidance, teacher guidance, social status, transport facility, self study, book reading and home work--all have a positive or negative correlation with students' achievement. Originality/value: This paper is of use to those wishing to understand the achievement levels of students at primary grade in developing countries. (Contains 6 tables.)

This paper aims to test the effects of corporal punishment and psychological treatment on students' learning and on their behavior. A pilot study, followed with experimental test, was framed in a demographically controlled environment on homogeneous variables at Punjab University Laboratory School, Pakistan over the period of six months. Thirty-two students of grade X were grouped into a Corporal Punishment Group (CPG) and a Psychological Treatment Group (PTG). It was found that the students who were awarded corporal punishment on creating a source of friction and showing lack of interest in their academic work began to show negative behavior and their academic progress showed a gradual regression, whereas the students who were managed with psychological treatment developed their interest in learning, reflected friendly behavior and improved their long-term scholastic performance. (Contains 2 tables, 2 figures, and 3 footnotes.)