Developing Critical Thinking Skills among Prospective Teachers through Teaching Educational Research Course: A Quasi Experimental Approach

The study aims to develop critical thinking skills among prospective teachers. The study was experimental in nature; quasi experimental approach was used to conduct the study. The population of the study was prospective teachers studying at master level. Sample of the study was 73 prospective teachers enrolled in the educational research course in two groups. The first was labeled as the control group, while one was labeled as the experimental group. To assess the critical thinking skills of prospective teachers test was developed by the research using guidelines of Watson and Glaser test. Test was consisted of five dimensions i.e. analyzing, assumptions, deduction, and inference and interpreting information. Cronbach's alpha determined the test's reliability to be 0.80. Intervention was consisted of 10 lessons related to educational research course. The prospective teachers performed well in analyzing, Assumptions, deduction and overall CTS in post-test as compare to pre-test. There was statistically noteworthy the variation between the or before as well as post-test grades of Inference and interpreting. The critical thinking skills are essential element to compete 21st century challenges. Prospective teachers have to face many educational challenges to improve students learning, it is necessary that they should be prepared with CTS either to infuse through separate curriculum or embed with existing curriculum.

The Determinants of Deviant Workplace Behavior of Faculty Members working in Public Sector Universities of Punjab, Pakistan

The aim of the research is to empirical evaluate the effect of organizational formal control and workgroup norms on the deviant workplace behavior of the university faculty members of Pakistan. It further investigates the moderating effect of self-regularity efficacy. The study is primary in nature and used survey method to collect the responses from the teaching faculty of Pakistan. A total of 168 suitable responses were analyzed by using SMART PLS version 3 (Licensed). A PLS-SEM was used for analysis of the collected data. The result showed that when employees find themselves in under the influence of reference others, self-regulatory efficacy help them to attain compliance with significant organizational norms and doing that keep them away from involving in deviant workplace behaviors. Additionally, the results suggest that self-regularity efficacy have a significant part in regulating behaviors and observance to right self-sanctions for flawed behavior.

Nature of Academic Programs, Epistemological Beliefs and Their Impact on Pakistani University Students’ Academic Performance

The students’ academic behaviours and academic performance differ with their epistemological beliefs. Different social-cultural and educational contexts inculcate differences in students’ epistemological beliefs. However, the impact of the nature of the academic programs on students’ epistemological beliefs is most obvious. The students of different disciplines can have different epistemological beliefs. These different epistemological beliefs differ in their impact on students’ academic performance and academic behaviour. Hence, the current study evaluated the interrelationships of various educational programs and epistemological beliefs and their importance in students’ academic performance. The volunteer university students provided data about their academic programs, epistemological beliefs, and academic performance. Researchers used the Generalized Structured Component Analysis approach to calculate the suitability of specified measurement and structural models. The impact of subjects of the soft field of study such as Behavioural Sciences, English Literature was negative on naive epistemological beliefs in knowledge structure and omniscient authority compared to subjects of the hard field of studies such as Mathematical, Physical Sciences, and Biological Sciences. The Business Sciences from the soft applied field of study had the least noticeable negative impact on naive epistemological beliefs compared to other subjects of pure soft and pure hard field of studies. Only, the belief in quick learning had a significant negative impact on students’ academic performance.

Relationship between Stress and Educational Performance of University Students: A Correlational Research Study

Almost every student experiences stress during his or her academic career. Academic stress has several health-related implications and has an impact on study and learning ability. The present study aimed to analyze the association between stress and educational performance of university students. Psychological, bodily, and behavioral difficulties are common because of such stress. Correlation research design was applied to achieve the objectives of this stud. Total 296 students were selected randomly from three departments (Education, Chemistry and English) of the Islamia University Bahawalpur. For the accomplishment of current study’s objectives, data was collected via using a questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics Pearson correlation test was applied to gain the results. The current study examined that majority of students are facing stress. The results also explore that physical and psychological stress have negative effects on academic achievement of students. It has been found that student’s mental health has an impact on their academic performance. Therefore, it is recommended that the university should organize the programs which can help to detect and reduce the effect of stress among students.

Mathematica: Teaching Learning Process at Secondary School Level in Punjab

Technology becomes an integral part of academia. Computer or technology is rooted out from Mathematics. When it is said that 21st century is the century of technology, then how the field of education is remained away from technology. Modern science labs are technology oriented and in such a way the subject of Mathematics is also shifted on technology. Mathematics is not an integral part of daily routine life as well as playing a key role in the progress of science and technology. In the teaching learning process, technology-based teaching is the modern mode of teaching. Keeping in mind the same scenario, current study was conducted to highlight the concept of Mathematica (Mathematics and Information Technology) in the teaching learning process at secondary school level in Punjab province. Study aimed at to observe the technology role on the mathematics’ teaching at secondary school level. The study was quantitative by nature and descriptive approach was adopted. Self-developed questionnaire was applied as a research tool to get the data from the target sample through survey technique. Total targeted sample was 60 teachers who are teaching Mathematics at secondary school level and their 200 students. Findings of the study revealed that technology usage in the teaching learning process of mathematics enhance the understanding of the mathematical concepts many times.

Perception of University Teachers Regarding the Effects of Discussion Method on Students’ Achievement

The main objective of this paper used to observe the perceptiveness of university teachers regarding the effects of the discussion method on students’ success. This research paper was based on quantitative research method. A questionnaire, made up of twenty seven statements, was prepared using a five-point Likert scale with narrow answers (Strongly disagree, Disagree, Undecided, Agree and (Strongly agree). Collected data was processed manually in the primary phase through a gender and academic sorting and after that the data feed was done in MS Excel by data coding. . After that the researcher carried out statistical calculations using Microsoft Excel in addition to the statistical package for social science (SPSS version, 17). Researcher worked out the frequency of the data. The results of this study showed that most teachers agreed that teachers can make education more effective through questioning. The method of discussion assists students in developing and expressing themselves. It turned into additionally discovered that tendency of instructors in the direction of the consequences of dialogue strategies have been exceptionally adaptive. Finally, the researcher additionally made a few hints primarily based totally on study and for prospect researchers.

Impact of Private TV Channels and its Commodification of Religious Programs

In some societies, religion itself is a complex subject and then creating its content in the media is no less of a challenge. Especially in a society like Pakistan where people are more sensitive in the name of religion and what is being said on TV soon spreads like wildfire on social media. The study looked at the extent to which Pakistani TV channels believe in commercialism and how far they can go for this purpose. To what extent has the aspect of commodification been embedded in Pakistani TV channels? One of the purposes of this research is to obtain and rate advertisements for the content produced and presented for TV. The questions are very serious and two different approaches have been adopted in the research method to find the answers. On the one hand, the survey sought the opinion of male and female students who were equally divided into undergraduate and graduate categories. On the other hand, in the Islamic and Hijri month of Ramadan 2019, the content of AREY Digital and Geo TV's Sehri and Iftar transmissions were compared. Numerical method was adopted for. In the majority opinion, the religious qualifications of the anchors of religious programs or their grasp on religious subjects is not much appreciated? In addition, the analysis of the material revealed that commercial advertisements run during religious shows on Pakistani TV channels, but at the same time segments are also produced on a commercial basis. The main purpose of these segments, which are based on the title of religion, is to promote products.

Pragmatic Analysis of the Little Match

Generally, in social science and specifically in Linguistics, the basic purpose of cooperative principles is to describe how people achieve effective communication in social situations. It elaborates how listeners and speakers act effectively and cooperatively, understanding each other in a particular way. Paul Grice introduced it in his pragmatic theory, ‘we make our contribution effective in conversation according to the requirement at the given stage at which it occurs, accepting the purpose and direction of the talk exchange in which we are engaged.’ The short story “The Little Match Girl” is analyzed by applying the four maxims with the objective of better understanding of the text. It also analyzes whether all four maxims can be applied in one type of text and their presence can enhance the understanding of the text as well. The aim of the analysis is to mark the stylistic effect of Grice’s principles that may contribute to the better comprehension of the narrative from pedagogical point of view.

Students’ Cognitive Test Anxiety and Secondary School Examination Performance: Moderating Effect of Gender and School Sector

Despite a bulk of research in international context investigating the relationship of cognitive test anxiety with students’ academic performance, little work has yet been done in this area on samples of students in Pakistan. This correlational design study was, therefore, conducted to examine the relationship between secondary school students’ cognitive test anxiety and their examination performance in educational context of Pakistan and to ascertain how the direction and/or strength of this relationship may be moderated by students’ gender and their school sector. Data were collected on students’ cognitive test anxiety, total obtained marks in SSC examination and obtained marks in English along with students’ gender and school sector from 1712 mixed ability students enrolled in year 11 in 91 public and private institutions. Both the descriptive and inferential statistical techniques (i.e., Mean, SD and Independent samples t-test) along with Pearson’s R correlations and hierarchical multiple regression were performed to analyze the data. Results depicted that female sample students reported higher level of cognitive test anxiety in comparison to their male counterparts. Results also suggested a small but significant negative effect of cognitive test anxiety on students’ examination performance and that student cognitive test anxiety component accounted for 10% of variance in their examination performance. Results further revealed that the magnitude of relationship between students’ cognitive test anxiety and examination total point scores do not change much for the moderating variables and these variables accounted only for 3% of variance. The magnitude of moderating effect, however, found to be somewhat stronger in the school sector in comparison to students’ gender.

COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on the Performance of Educational Process: From Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Student

The following research paper emblazons the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the education sectors of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa University and Colleges students. Data has been collected through Google form, (due to COVID-19 SOP’s) from students. Research Population includes 568 students from different universities programmes and semesters that have presented their views about effect of study in COVID-19 Pandemic. The overall output of the survey highlighted that majority of students were not aware about the digital tools, which they are now apprised of, which according to them will help them in the future career. Majority of the students negate the online classes due to, lack of resources, time issues and no internet facility or the students that devoid of any practical work repealed it. Main problem that has been highlighted is Internet connection problem in newly merged District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Lack of a satisfactory substructure, learning motivation, socialization for majority students, hindrances to perform practical applications, less effective student-teacher interaction and communication, less achievements of the examination objective, online examination e.g., lack of two way communication, more chances of cheating, possibility of mental health and physical deprivation (e.g., spending too much time in front of screens, installation of a deskbound routine. Therefore communication for the contemporary academic year, effective and efficient measures have to be imposed by the university management to solve all the students’ issues (internet issues and relevant data availability) and waive off as much as possible these undesirable issues and to develop a better online education process.