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The recent development of AI Chatbot – specifically ChatGPT - has gained dramatic attention from users as evident by ongoing discussion among the education fraternity. We argue that prior to making any conclusion, it is important to understand how ChatGPT is being used in higher education across the globe. This paper makes a significant contribution by systematically reviewing the global literature on the use of ChatGPT in higher education using PRISMA guidelines. We included 69 studies in the analysis based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. We presented the scope of published literature in three aspects: (i) contextual, (ii) methodological, and (iii) disciplinary. Most of the studies have been carried out in HICs (n = 53; 77%) representing the field of higher education (n = 37; 54%) without specifying the discipline, while only a few studies were based on empirical data (n = 19; 27%). The findings based on included studies reveal that ChatGPT serves as a convenient tool to assist teachers, students, and researchers in various tasks. While the specific uses vary, the underlying motivation remains consistent: seeking personal benefits and reducing academic burdens. Teachers use it for personal and professional learning and resource generation while students use it as personal tutors for various learning purposes. However, concerns related to accuracy, reliability, academic integrity, and potential negative effects on cognitive and social development were consistently highlighted in many studies. To address these concerns, we have proposed a comprehensive framework for universities along with directions for future research in higher education as an optimal response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This protocol serves as a guiding source for a Campbell registered systematic review aiming to assess the effectiveness of Public‐Private Partnerships (PPPs) in education in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries (LMICs). The primary question for this review is: What is known about the impact of PPPs on improving access (i.e., enrolment, attendance, drop‐out, and completion) and quality (i.e., students' learning outcomes and teachers' teaching practices) of primary and secondary schooling in LMICs? Using a predefined search query, we will retrieve studies from various databases including Scopus, Campbell Library, EBSCO Education Research Complete, NBER, Dissertation and Theses Global (ProQuest), along with other sources of grey literature. Covidence will be used for screening and extraction. A bias assessment tool will be used for the included studies. A standardised mean difference (SMD) effect size of Hedges' g will be calculated for the outcome variables using RevMan. This review will provide updated evidence about the impact of PPP in school education across LMICs, which will be instrumental for policy and practice level decisions for education improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the efficacy of literature relating to Anne Frank to reduce children's attitudes of prejudice and discrimination with respect to specific dimensions, including ethnicity and race, religion and gender. A quasi-experiment was employed with pre-post control design. The sample consisted of 100 students of the upper key-stage 2 (UKS2) level, recruited from the two British schools in Karachi. These schools represented an Experimental Group (EG) and a matched Comparison Group (CG). A research instrument titled 'Muggles world of differences' (MWD) was developed and validated. It was administered on CG and EG, both before and after intervention. The intervention plan 'Reading of Young Anne's Literature' (ROYAL) was developed based on selected readings from Anne Frank related literature (AFL). Intervention was provided to EG, while CG studied similar concepts using a more standard method. Results of the pretest revealed a high level of prejudice and discrimination in both the EG and CG, with no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the overall scores, as well as in the specific content domains. However, the post-test of the two groups revealed that the students in the EG had outperformed their CG counterparts in overall MWD scores, as well as in specific content domains. The difference was found to be significant (p < 0.05) with the large effect size (r = −0.63). Results support the efficacy of teaching Anne Frank related literature in reducing attitudes of prejudice and discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to explore how female students of a secondary school of Pakistan can be engaged in Argumentation about a Socio-Scientific Issue. An intervention was designed and carried out using Tolmin Model of Argumentation. The intervention consisted of three consecutive lessons in a senior secondary class of a girls' government school in Karachi. Allocated time for each lesson was sixty minutes. There were 39 students in the class. A selected socio scientific issue was explicitly taught with the help of different teaching strategies based on Tolmin Model of Argumentation. The results of the study showed that there was a visible improvement in the scientific knowledge and argumentation skills of female students. This study presents significant insights into students' conceptual understanding and argumentations skills for policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examined health education practice in Child-to-Child (CtC) classrooms in urban and rural primary school settings in Pakistan to describe and compare practice critically. Structured observations of health lessons were carried out in 67 randomly chosen primary classrooms from Health Action Schools in urban (n = 32) and rural (n = 35) contexts. Health education practices were found to be more "participatory" in rural classrooms than in urban ones. Using a multivariate analysis, we identified three factors that contributed independently to the use of participatory approaches in classroom practices: the HEALTH aggregate (i.e., intensity of health education training, use of a health manual, and regularity of health teaching), teachers' attendance at staff development workshops, and children's gender. This study provides insight into a largely unexamined area of health education CtC classroom practice. This research in primary classrooms of Pakistan furthers the understanding of health education classroom practices in the context of professional development of teachers for health promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]