UMT Education Review

Role of Teachers in Cultivating Global Citizens through Peace Education: Perceptions of Secondary School Students in Lahore

2024-12-11T05:54:14+00:00

This research investigates the challenges and opportunities associated with peace education in Pakistan. It aims to examine the role of teachers in promoting peace education and establishing support systems for pupils to enable them to cultivate a positive perception of peace education. Keeping in view the existing literature, this research is the first of its kind to explore the role of teachers in promoting peace education in Pakistani pupils. For this purpose, a quantitative research method was employed and data was collected from private high schools in Lahore. The data collection tool was administered to 389 students from the secondary section (Classes 9 and 10) of these schools. The number of responses discarded was eighty (80). They were discarded due to errors in submission forms, such as incomplete forms, checking multiple items instead of one, and overwriting. The remaining 309 responses were considered valid and pupils’ views on "Teachers' Role in Peace Education" (TRPE) and "Pupils' Perception of Peace Education" (PPPE) were explored. The data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0. Regression analysis revealed a positive relationship between TRPE and PPPE. The findings support the existing literature on teachers' role in promoting peace education and how teachers may help pupils open themselves to peace-building ideas through their pedagogical practices. This research also supports the idea of training teachers to integrate peace education aspects in their pedagogical philosophy and practices.

School System and Student Performance: Examining Science and Mathematics Achievement in Pakistan

2024-12-27T08:34:48+00:00

Public and private school systems are the two largest providers of formal school education in Pakistan, differing significantly in their governance, resources, and practices. While previous studies showed differences in Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), often favouring private schools, these comparisons remained largely descriptive. This paper compares elementary grade students’ performance in mathematics and science between public and private schools in Pakistan, accounting for factors such as grade level and geographical region. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 15,391 students from grades 5, 6, and 8, selected through a multistage sampling technique from a total of 153 public and private schools across 06 regions of Pakistan. Valid and reliable Science Achievement Tests (SATs) and Mathematics Achievement Tests ( MATs) were directly administered to students. The results revealed that students in private schools demonstrated comparatively better understanding of both scientific and mathematical concepts than their counterparts in public schools. Of particular importance, regardless of the subject, the type of school system also predicted SLOs even after controlling for grade level and region. These findings contribute to the debate on comparative school performance in the context of developing countries, specifically in Pakistan. The study calls for targeted interventions to improve science and mathematics achievement in public schools and provides recommendations for policy, practice, and future research.

Stereotype Behaviors and Adaptive Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Parental and Professional Perspective

2024-12-30T04:45:31+00:00

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show restricted and repetitive behaviors persistently, including sterotype behaviors. Stereotypic behaviors include irregular pattern movements (repetitive jumping, body spinning, hand flapping, and vigorous finger movement) and uncontrolled talking (vocal steaming/hamming). These problems create great hurdles for children in developing adaptive social skills and learning engagement, thus making them isolated. By using the qualitative method, the study aimed to explore the viewpoints of Pakistani parents and professionals regarding stereotypic behavior and its effects on adaptive social skills among children with ASD. Six participants (three parents and three teachers of children with ASD) were selected by using purposive sampling to explore their experiences about stereotype behaviors closely associated with ASD children. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and recorded through online meetings (by using Zoom Meet and Google Meet) and face-to-face meetings.The meeting duration was 35-60 minutes depending on the availability of the participants. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify key themes and sub-theme trends in order to explore the parents' and teachers' perspectives. The findings of this study indicated that the stereotypic behaviors among ASD children displayed negative effects causing problems in social contexts. Moreover, these children were found to have deficits in learning participation, and difficulties in social etiquette, leaving them isolated. The findings also indicated that stereotypical behaviors required target intervention and community awareness about the rights of ASD children. The results showed that stereotypical behaviors stem from sensory needs which should be fulfilled accordingly using sensory-based interventions that may be helpful in engaging and developing attentive behavior of such children in various social contexts. Further research should be conducted with mixed-method approach to provide targeted intervention that may help decrease stereotypical behaviors. Additionally, a larger sample size in qualitative studies is advised to reach saturation effectively.