Journal of Educational Research and Social Sciences Review (JERSSR)

Enhancing Understating Using Videos: Exploring the Role of Videos in Developing Interest and Procedural Understanding of Physics Practical

Dr. Nasrin Akhter, Toqeer Hussain — Sat, 27 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study explores the use of video in the physics Laboratory as a vital approach for boosting scientific comprehension. Given the importance of video, this study investigates the perspectives of Exploring the Role and Importance of Using Videos in Enhancing the Procedural Understanding of Physics Practical. Interviews and focus groups were used to explore the video’s role and importance in improving procedural understanding of physics practicals. The 10 physics teachers were interviewed and 5 focus groups were conducted. The findings indicate that many positive traits of videos and their advantages for students were obvious although very few students and a significant minority do not share common views in most cases. Student’s and teachers’ responses indicate that videos enhance their interest and were easy to understand was a strong positive response to videos in laboratories, which were considered to enhance procedural understanding easy for students. The teacher’s response tells that they can use videos when laboratory sessions were not possible or expensive material. The study recommends that practice should be handy and interesting with the use of videos.

Exploring the Impacts of Barriers in Existing Commercial Buildings of Hyderabad

Sabeen, Irfan Ahmed Memon, Mahjabeen Memon — Sat, 27 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This paper deals with the current issues problems faced by senior citizen’s, peoples with baby pram, pregnant women’s at commercial buildings of Hyderabad, Sindh. To know what are the problem regarding barriers in the buildings this paper emphases on the man-made surroundings and user-friendliness to raise your spirits concept of friendly surroundings. The exploration primarily explains the present position of exceptional individuals to consciousness of this significant part of structures. The documents composed through un-structured dialogues with the experts, experts, designers & planners. A survey carried out to further explore the proposal necessities by the native individuals of Hyderabad. The documents was collected and analyzed through tabular analysis. The study to end with suggests key design parameters of non-toxic, sustainable and environmentally friendly unrestricted design. These factors are considered base necessities for all viable buildings. The questions asked in the interviews were gathered from reviewing different kind of literature on universal design. It was said by the respondents of interviews that there are no any considerations of barrier-free movement in the commercial buildings of Hyderabad like there is lack of ramps and ramp ratio, lack of horizontal and vertical movements without any hindrance, proper parking lots and so on. Respondents gave various suggestion for the barrier-free design present at commercial buildings of Hyderabad, Sindh. User-friendliness in buildings is appropriate essential designed for numerous causes like it creates a well-built situation, delivers level and horizontal access in structures and decreases a great level of difficulty to the consumer and environmental dangers. So it became essential to get rid of architectural obstacles that negatively impact structures surroundings for e.g. ramps curb rises, Lifts, moving staircase, etc. Frequently this approachability is not considered as an elementary necessity by designers & planners. Barrier-free features are now becoming important to all design concepts.

Analyzing the Alignment of Content Weightages of Biology Assessment with National Curriculum-2006 at Secondary School Level

Um E Rubab, Dr. Shaista Irshad Khan, Haleema Bano — Wed, 31 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study aimed at finding the alignment of the Biology (IX-X) assessment administered by the Abbottabad Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (ABISE) with the National Curriculum-2006 (NC). The descriptive quantitative approach was used. The sample includes 24 subject-matter experts in Biology and papers for the academic session 2015-2019. The content analysis protocol was used as the research instrument. The extent of alignment was measured in percentages. It was found that for the session 2015; out of 6 only 2 sections were aligned whereas, for papers of the sessions 2016-19, none of the sections were aligned with NC. It was concluded that percentages of sections prescribed in NC-2006 and of BISE papers were not aligned at the secondary school level. It was recommended to formulate a committee that analyses the alignment of test papers with NC and a satisfactory report of the committee should be mandatory for each paper.

A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Representation of No-Confidence Movement 2022 in Ideologically- Loaded Headlines of Pakistani English Newspapers

Farzana Khan, Shumaila Naureen, Azeem Alphonce — Wed, 31 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study aims at exploring that how the issue of No-Confidence Movement has been presented by the newspapers in their headlines and what is their ideological stance behind the representation of this particular event. For this purpose headlines of two newspapers ‘Dawn and the News International’ on the coverage of No-Confidence Movement have been selected purposively from 24 March till the decision of Supreme Court, 6^th April 2022. Van Dijk’s socio-cognitive approach (2016) was adopted for the purpose of critical Discourse Analysis of the Headline. Opinion and emotion words, deictic expressions, tone, style, metaphors, ideological polarization and presuppositions were analyzed from the culled headlines to reveal the mental and contextual modals of the writers in the projection of ideological stance. The analysis revealed that the lexical choice, tone, style and use of metaphors of the author of ‘The News International’ built the negative image of the PTI government and it showed positive attitude towards the action and speeches of the opposition, it revealed the ideology of ‘The News International’ as against PTI government. On the other side the positive mental modal has been depicted by the authors of the ‘Dawn’ through their choice of words and the tone of style while depicting certain events and statements in the headlines. Hence, Dawn newspaper showed pro-PTI attitude throughout the coverage of the No-Confidence Movement.

Gender Socialization and Women's Political Participation: Family Concerns and Political Choices

Amber Ferdoos, Rabi’ah Bint Aminudin, Norhaslinda Bt. Jamaiudin — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Societal expectations and cultural norms shape women's political attitudes and participation. It has been argued that the concerns of families influence the conventional and nonconventional participation of women in political activities in Pakistan. Highly educated and independent women are socialized to make independent political choices. This paper aims to document the experiences of highly educated employed women in exercising their political rights. However, their participation in specific activities, such as demonstrations and election campaigns, is negotiated within the family. The data highlights that the participants were empowered to vote independently. Nevertheless, women's ability to participate in demonstrations depends on family security concerns. Data for this paper were drawn from a mixed method approach, in-depth interviews conducted with thirty highly qualified women working in Pakistan's public universities. The survey was conducted on 400 female students studying in different public sector universities in Pakistan. The paper argues that gender socialization plays a role in making independent political choices.

Prevention of Electronic Crime Act, 2016: An Analysis of the Act’s Effectiveness in Controlling Misuse of Social Media in Pakistan

Waseem Haider, Dr. Ashraf Ali, Dr. Muhammad Zubair — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Due to scientific and technological advancement, particularly advent of social media the world has become a small, interconnected community. These social media platforms are also employed in the commission of numerous crimes. Pakistan is a relatively recent member of the online community. In our present legal system, various laws and organizations are in place to monitor social media abuse. In view of recent court rulings, this article explores the effects of social media abuse on various rights and examines whether the PECA, 2016 is sufficient to check social media abuse. For the analysis of the act a qualitative approach has been used. Numerous gaps in the Act’s various sections have also been found after analysis. To better manage social media abuse and make it a safer place for everyone, some corrective steps have also been put forth.

Impact of Attitude towards Menstruation on Emotional Distress and Obesity among Female Adults

Ruqia Nadeem Mir, Ayesha Malik — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The present study focused to examine the attitude towards menstruation on emotional distress and obesity among female adults. Participants (N = 200) were selected in the study. Age range was from 25-44 years. Cross-sectional research design was used and data was collected through purposive sampling technique. Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire (MAQ) (Brooks-Gun & Ruble, 1980), Kessler Psychological Distress (K10) (Kessler & Mroczek,1992), and Obesity Related Well-Being (ORWELL 97) (Mannucci et al., 1999) scales were used. Pearson correlation, independent sample t-test, and linear regression were done for analysis. Results showed that menstrual attitude had notable positive correlation with emotional distress and obesity and; menstrual attitude significantly predicted obesity among female adults. Moreover, there was no significant difference of menstrual attitude among marital status. This study will help to understand how women perceive different menstrual attitude and how their attitude linked with their physical or psychological health. This study will also help the female adults of different profession to properly guide and give awareness to the young female generation about menstruation, different attitudes towards menstruation, and their impact on physical or psychological health. However, there were some limitations, the participants in the study came from some particular universities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, and so the result may not be generalized to a larger population. The present study was purely quantitative in nature which limited the in depth knowledge of relation between menstrual attitude, obesity, and emotional distress. Further researchers should focus on mixed method approach to understand the relationship more comprehensively. Moreover, they should focus on all the demographic variables to get the in-depth knowledge. A comparative study should be conducted on women of different age range in the future attitude towards mensuration of every woman depends on their physical health, environment and education.

Married Women Right to Dower and Maintenance, Gap between Theory and Practice

Sidra Jalal, Dr. Muhammad Zubair — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Pakistan being an Islamic and republic state to advance and protect women's rights generally has assembled many laws e.g. right to equality, right to hold property, right to education, protection against discrimination on the basis of gender etc. Special legislation was also made for the protection of women rights. This paper specifically deals with the financial rights that women are entitled to receive after marriage, the dower and maintenance, the significance of these rights in Islamic law, the laws that are made to safeguard these rights and factual situations regarding the implementation of these rights with special reference to Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa Province of Pakistan. Islam's precepts are misunderstood. Dower and maintenance were not viewed by society as a husband's legal obligations, but rather as a ritual associated with marriage. The paper also deals with how society is responding when those rights are claimed by women, the agonies suffered by women while they go through the legal contest for years against their husbands or children in obtaining these rights, main reasons for such resistance and what could be done to improve the situation.

A Rhizometic and Anti-Foundational Analysis of Mitali Perkins’s 'You Bring the Distant Near

Sumaira Yasmeen, Memoona Idris, Iftikhar Khan — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The current study is aimed to investigate You Bring the Distant Near written by an energetic fiction writer from Calcutta, India, Mitali Perkins to highlight the thematic expression of postmodern fragmentation. Rejection of metanarratives has caused all the previously held notions and norms to be toppled down to portray the rhizometic, antifoundational fragments and their results in the public. In the selected literary work, specific theoretical assumptions of legendary postmodernists like Jean Francois Lyotard, Giles Deleuze and Felix Guattari have been discussed. The selected text is investigated through the lens of rhizome by Giles Deleuze and Felix Guattari and incredulity toward metanarrative by Jean Francois Lyotard. Based on comprehensive textual analysis, this qualitative research proves that You bring the Distant Near holds authoritative traits of fragmentation, disintegration, chaos, and anarchy under the worldview of postmodernism by endeavoring to highlight rhizometic and anti-foundational fractals in this novel.

Gatekeeping in TV News Production: Analyzing the Factors Influencing the News Production process in Pakistan

Naveed Iqbal, Sumera Batool, Nimra Zaffer — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study attempts to explore the factors that influence the news production process of TV news channels of Pakistan. Mix method approach was applied including both qualitative and quantitative methods. In-depth interviews and surveys of media workers including news producer, copywriter, assignment editor, reporter, and cameraman were conducted to get the information about the news production process and factors influencing it. Gatekeeping theory provided theoretical implications to the study. Thematic analysis of interviews identified four influencing factors: organizational policies, hectic media routines, gender discrimination and extra organizational factors. The results indicated that these factors were influencing the content of news production considerably. Factor analysis was also carried out to find out factors influencing news production. The findings revealed that the nature of the job also affects the news production process along with hectic media routines of workers, gender and organizational policies.

Developing Responsible Elites: A Qualitative Content Analysis of History Textbooks of Elite Schools in Pakistan

Arjumand Rauf, Dr. Yaar Muhammad, Dr. Yasira Waqar — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Elites in Pakistan play a central role in shaping the civic and political culture of the state. Civic and political sense is largely cultivated by the schools through citizenship education. Through qualitative content analysis, the present study explores how one of the most widely used series of history textbooks in elite schools prepares students for civic and political participation. The results revealed that civic participation was mostly associated with religious teachings, and political participation was confined to wars of succession and the struggle for independence. However, the need to participate in sustainable development was stressed. There is a wide room for the narratives of the textbook to accommodate historical consciousness and multiple-perspectivity so that elite students can broaden the scope of their roles and responsibilities towards the state and could understand the perspective and welcome multitudes in the socio-economic and political spheres of the country.

Reception of Cinematic Diversity: Analyzing Pakistani Audience’s Response to Bridgerton Season-2

Ifrah Shahbaz — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study explores South Asian representation in the popular American show Bridgerton, which is available on the Netflix subscription streaming service and has been a global success. The research work is rooted in adaptation studies, as the show is based upon a specific series of novels by Julia Quinn and focuses on examining the responses of the Pakistani audience to the cinematic representation of diversity in the American show. An analysis of the popular reception of the Season-2 of Bridgerton in Pakistan will help us understand how diversity is received in this part of the world. The Season-2 of Bridgerton is loosely based on Quinn’s The Viscount Who Loved Me, and the plot is changed considerably to include South Asian actors. Kate Sheffield becomes Kate Sharma, and her story becomes different from the novel to incorporate her South Asian lineage. Findings from the textual analysis are used to conduct structured interviews with Pakistani readers of the book series and viewers of the show. The purpose, therefore, is to investigate the reception of cinematic diversity created for a predominantly Anglophone audience by a non-Anglophone South Asian audience.

Development and Prototype of the Training Module for Preparing Elementary School Teachers for Inclusive Education in Pakistan

Syeda Beenish Batool, Shaista Syeda, Nida Gul — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In Pakistan, children with disabilities are systematically excluded. Despite the government's best efforts, the majority of the youth (95%) do not have access to education, and only 5% attend schools. This massive gap implies that current schooling, which is based on a separated mentality and the charity model, is essentially incapable of bringing out-of-school children back to school. Furthermore, these children make up a third of the 20 million children who are not in school. It appears that national and international obligations will not be met until these youngsters are integrated into society. Internationally, the right-based approach is a feasible answer, and it is now gaining ground in Pakistan. Inclusion of the learners with disabilities requires trained professionals along with other supports. There is a need for an exhaustive study on preparation of a training module for teachers in order to prepare them to teach and include children with special needs in mainstream settings. The study was aimed at developing a training module for in-service teachers for catering children with disabilities in regular classrooms followed by the validation of the training module for in-service teachers to include the learners with disabilities in mainstream settings. The module was developed to improve the efficacy and capacity of elementary school teachers for including the learners with disabilities in regular classrooms. Classification of the training needs was made on the basis of the domains: knowledge, pedagogical principles (differentiated curriculum, diverse instructional techniques, multiple learning materials and resources and adapted assessment practices), student management, behavior modifications of the learners and community collaboration. It was concluded that the success of inclusion depends on professional development and appropriate training. Regular assistance is also necessary to maintain inclusive educational approaches in regular schools at primary level.

Using Theatrical Skills to Enhance Language Fluency and Situational Learning of Pre-Service Teachers: An Experimental Study

Humaira Rasool, Dr. Moafia Nader, Dr. Afifa Khanam — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Teachers need effective communication to convey their message. Several studies in Pakistan have highlighted the need for better communication skills in pre-service teachers to positively influence their students' language learning. Theatrical skills are not only considered an interesting tool for teaching language in the classroom but also help pre-service teachers become more immersed, active, and effective when delivering their message. A quasi-experimental research design with a pretest-post test control group was chosen to determine the effect of using theatrical skills to enhance pre-service teachers' language fluency and situational learning. A study group of 30 female prospective teachers enrolled in the B.Ed. program at a women's university were introduced to theatrical skills for an entire semester as part of their "English Communication Skills" course. A parallel section of 30 students was kept as the control group, with all other conditions remaining the same. The data collected using two researcher-made rubrics, the "Verbal Communication Inventory" and the "Situational Learning Checklist," revealed a significant difference in the pre- and post-performance of teachers on both instruments. The study suggests that theatrical skills should be incorporated and integrated into teachers' training programs and their professional development activities to enhance their confidence in using language for teaching purposes.

Exploring the Experiences of Teachers Implementing Action Research in a Multi-Grade Classroom for Physically Challenged Students

Dr. Zahida Parveen, Muhammad Usman Khalid, Asifa Rashid — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

A single teacher instructs a group of students with varying ages, grades, and skill levels simultaneously in a multi grade setting of special education institutions. The purpose of the study was to investigate the difficulties faced by teachers of multi grade classes. Action research project was conducted at one of Government Special Education institution and two teachers of physically challenged pupils with multigrade classes were purposefully sampled for this phenomenon, and a qualitative technique was chosen. Individual interviews with these two multi grade classroom teachers were used to gather data about the difficulties they encountered there, and focus group with teachers were held to discuss potential solutions for enhancing students' learning in multi grade settings were also conducted. Additionally, information was gathered via observing lessons. Audio recordings, transcriptions, and open coding were all used to interpret the interviews. The development of themes was the outcome of the synthesizing of data. The results demonstrate that teachers experienced difficulties such as multi grade teaching training, curriculum organization, work overload, classroom management, learner performance, lesson planning, teaching techniques, and assessment. The use of peer tutoring, flexible grouping and differentiated instructions appropriate to the developmental stage of various groups are all possible strategies.

A Gender Wise comparison of 21st Century Skills of Secondary School Learners

Sobia Kanwal, Farkhunda Rasheed Choudhary — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Advancement in technology is a high demand of 21st century. This study focused at how well high school students understand important skills they need to learn for the modern world. The skills include thinking critically, using technology, and basic reading, writing, and arithmetic i.e., 3Rs skills and to compare these skills on the basis of gender. A sample of 200 male students and female students was used in this study. A survey was conducted on a random sample of 200 using three scales for the measurement of their perceiving level of critical thinking, digital literacy, and test scores of 3Rs skills. Stratified random sampling was utilized. The data was analysed using t-test at 0.05 significance level. Analysis found that secondary school students perceive 21st century skills equally regardless of gender. It is concluded that females’ perceived level of critical thinking was higher, whereas both males and females were approximately equal on digital literacy skills and 3Rs skills. Consequently, the findings revealed that critical thinking skill as the noteworthy determinant of the 21^st century abilities and digital literacy ability. Whereas 3Rs abilities as non-significant determinant of the 21st century abilities between male and female students at secondary school level.

Secondary School Teachers’ Beliefs about the Cultivation of Values in Students: A Qualitative Study Conducted in Narowal, Pakistan

Imran Khan, Dr. Yaar Muhammad, Dr. Sajid Masood — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This qualitative research aims to investigate teachers’ beliefs about the instillation of values in secondary school students. For this purpose, a multiple case study approach was used, and twenty teachers from diverse secondary schools in Punjab were recruited using criteria sampling. For data collection, in-depth semi-structured interviews were done. Interview transcripts were analysed using qualitative content analysis supported by NVivo 12 software. The results suggest that teachers in the area of values education are dissatisfied with the curriculum, methodology, and continuous professional development they receive. In addition, they voiced concerns about the lack of parental support, societal pressures, and administrative obstacles that impeded their attempts to instil values in students. They believed that values education should be taught via role modelling, debate, and reflection and should be interwoven into all academic areas. This research suggests training and resources for teachers to enhance their competence and self-efficacy for the instillation of values in secondary school students.

An Evaluation of Gomal University's BS /AD Programs in light of the Feedback of Stakeholders

Dr. Allahnoor Khan, Atiq Ishaq, Sultan Akbar Shah — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The study aims to evaluate the BS/AD program at Gomal University and its affiliated colleges using various parameters, i.e., program objectives, curriculum, physical facilities, academic & administrative facilities, teaching method, assessment, evaluation, and other social factors. The research team adopted a qualitative research design for this study. The population of the study comprised all Deans, HODs, and Coordinators of the BS/AD programs of eight faculties, forty-eight departments of Gomal University, and, similarly, principals/HODs of twenty-seven public sector and thirty-three private affiliated colleges. The team interviewed twenty respondents in-depth and freely allowed them to discuss various aspects of the BS/AD program and its strengths and weaknesses in detail. Their views and voices were summed up as a narrative summary. The Higher Education Department (HED) runs public sector colleges, and its policy is also implemented in these colleges. There are some differences in how programs are being carried out at Gomal University and its affiliated public and private sector colleges. During assessing these education programs, various factors were considered, including the calibre of teachers, the quality of facilities, the structure of academic schedules, teaching methods, assessment techniques, the presence of research opportunities, and the availability of extracurricular activities. The study suggests that teaching staff should receive professional development to gain a better understanding of semester rules, regulations, and its requirements. The university faculty, particularly the affiliated colleges' staff, need more training in developing curricula, teaching methods, assessments, and research areas.

Life and Death in Daud Kamal’s ‘An Ode to Death’: Stylistic and Pessimistic Analyses

Fareeha Ahmad, Iram Tariq Shah, Namrah Ashraf — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The ode under study has been analyzed from two dimensions; firstly, a stylistic analysis on technical, phonological, graphological, grammatical, lexical and semantic levels has been done and secondly the Pessimistic approach from Existentialism theory has been applied for deeper analysis of the poem (ode) which will also help in diagnosing the structure and style of Daud Kamal’s poetry. Daud Kamal was a leading poet among the English poets in Pakistan. His art is recognized as the unique work of art that remained ignored throughout his life period. His poetic style has individuality and versatility. He is well-known for his concepts of spirituality and mysticism. His poetic work is renowned and fascinated by the world’s most famous poets like W.B. Yeats and Ezra Pound. An ode to death is about the psychological state of the poet, his vision about the universality of death, mortality of life and unending life henceforward death. Kamal’s poetic style is weighed down to the philosophy of existentialism and the pessimistic approach. These analyses are an addition to the comprehension of the poem from the given thematic explanation. Moreover, the analyses of “An Ode to Death “refer to the outstanding use of the linguistic and rhetorical devices. The poem successfully creates psychological effects and captures the attention of the reader about the philosophy behind the universal phenomenon of ‘life & death’ throughout the poem. This study may contribute effectively to the scholars and researchers particularly concerned to the field of linguistics, literature and stylistics.

Identifying the Leadership Styles in Public and Private Sector: A Comparative Study in Power Sector Organizations

Muhammad Ahmad, Maqsooda Parveen — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study compares the ideas of leadership used in power organisations in the public and private sectors. The primary data collected from middle level manager across Pakistan through online by using simple random sampling method. To assess the various leadership philosophies i.e., Autocratic, Democratic, Delegative, a questionnaire developed. The questionnaire contains 10 questions each for exploring the Autocratic, Democratic, Delegate leadership styles. The total 210 questionnaires distributed in middle level managers of 105 public and 105 private power organizations posted in different locations. 100%-filled questionnaires received from respondents. The collected data entered in MS Excel software for measuring the mean value and standard deviation. According to the study findings, public sector power organisations dominated by autocratic leadership, while private sector power organisations dominated by democratic leadership. Private sector power organizations performance is better than public sector power organisations at their jobs. Therefore, it is recommended that the public sector organisations employ a mixture of both the autocratic and democratic styles of leadership to improve beneficial role, efficiency and for attaining the required consequences.

Unveiling the Importance of Teacher's Interpersonal behaviour in Students’ Academic Performance: A Review of English Learning

Latiba Khanam, Dr. Muhammad Javed — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The purpose of this research was to investigate the critical effect of the teacher's interpersonal conduct in students' academic progress and English language development. The influence of the teacher-student interpersonal interaction on numerous elements of students' educational experiences was investigated through a comprehensive assessment of prior studies. Positive teacher-student relationships greatly improve intrinsic motivation, engagement, and enjoyment in the learning process. Teachers who promote a friendly and nurturing environment in the classroom encourage active student involvement and greater academic success. The objective of this research was to identify the importance of teacher’s interpersonal behaviour in students ‘academic performance. It was a review research paper based on self-determination theory. For this purpose, the researcher reviewed previous studies. The review highlighted the significance of creating a conducive and caring learning environment to foster students' success and well-being in their academic and language learning endeavours. The findings provided valuable insights for educators and policymakers aiming to enhance students' educational experiences and promote effective language learning strategies.

The Effects of Stress and Anxiety on the Academic Performance of Students: A Cross-Sectional Experimental Study

Nadia Youcefi, Muhammad Irfan, Fahad Aldylaylan — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Research in education often explores factors impacting students’ academic performance While numerous studies have sought to explore the influence of anxiety on working memory, a noteworthy gap exists in the investigation of this relationship within the context of Algerian EFL undergraduates. This study aims to redress this imbalance by probing the impact of anxiety on working memory and assessing the degree to which anxiety can debilitate this cognitive function. Adopting a cross-sectional experimental research design, the study utilises Spielberger’s Trait-State Anxiety Inventory (STAI) for measuring anxiety levels, visual observation methods to gauge stress, and the forward and backward subtest of the Wechsler Working Memory Scale (WWMS) for measuring working memory capacity. The participant cohort comprised 45 first-year EFL undergraduates from the English department. Participants' anxiety levels were first quantified using STAI, after which they were tasked with a challenging dual-task activity involving concurrent reading comprehension and information retention. The WWMS was administered in the form of a text discussing the societal impacts of social media, with stress visually monitored throughout the process. The findings highlight the detrimental effect of anxiety on working memory, as exemplified by the superior performance of non-anxious participants compared to their anxious counterparts.

Analysing the Role of Fire Arms as Evidence in Homicides in Pakistan

Manzoor Hussain, Dr. Hidayat Ur Rehman, Dr. Ashraf Ali — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

To bring actual offenders to justice, Pakistan's criminal justice system is made up of a number of parts such as police, prosecution, judiciary, prison and probation that operate together. Our legal system has a number of mechanisms and rules for the application and endorsement of cutting-edge techniques and research in the prosecution and investigation of crimes. According to various laws and dicta established by rulings of superior courts, using a qualitative approach, this article analyze the usefulness of firearms and their expert reports as evidence in murder cases in Pakistan. It also looks at the function of these reports and how they can influence whether a case ends in conviction or acquittal. Additionally, it makes some recommendations for improvement in how to use these reports in compliance with the law and established practices. Implementation of these recommendations will enable various stakeholders of the criminal justice system in holding true offenders accountable and exonerating innocent people.

Stylistic Deviation in Percy Bysshe Shelley and Robert Frost’s Selected Poems

Rahat Riaz, Muhammad Zeeshan Jameel, Jamil Akhtar — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The study under study is a stylistic attempt aiming at highlighting linguistic deviation in Shelly and Frost’s selected poems. The study also aims to discuss the foregrounding strategies used by these poets for creating specific effects in their poems. The study does so by purposively selecting the poems of both authors and then does a thematic analysis by using qualitative technique. The poems of these poets are pregnant with wit and wisdom, image and imagination. The poets use many linguistic and stylistic techniques for adding beauty to their thoughts and expression. The stylistic analysis of the selected poems reveals that these poets were apt in using language to its best. The kind of language mastery and execution of ideas presented in the selected poems is praiseworthy. The poets very beautifully create an amalgam of natural beauty and human aesthetics.

Teaching Methods, Learning Styles and Achievement on Levels of Learning of Bloom’s Taxonomy

Ghulam Ali Akbar, Dr. Muhammad Amin — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of teaching methods compatible with students learning styles on their “achievement on levels of learning” with respect to their learning styles. First three levels of blooms taxonomy were focused i.e. knowledge, comprehension and application. Learning styles of participants were determined by Kolb’s Learning Styles Inventory (KLSI, 1984). Teaching methods compatible with students learning styles were assumed on the basis of literature keeping in view the preferred characteristics of participants of respective learning styles. It was true experimental research design. The study was carried out in a public sector school with 80 participants of grade seven in the subject of general science. They were divided into two groups Control (N=40) and Experimental (40). Each group has the participant of four learning styles i.e. assimilator, convergent, divergent and accommodators. These styles were taken from the Work of Kolb (1984). Tiered/differentiated Lessons were developed and this was the intervention to the experimental group. While control group were taught in traditional way i.e. through lecture method. The experiment continued for 8 weeks (48 working days). A post-test was conducted. And scores of both the groups were compared by One-way ANOVA. The results indicate that both the groups were not significantly different on levels of learning in general. But they were significantly different with respect to learning styles on their achievement at first three levels of learning of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Enabling Factors for Women Entrepreneurs in Education: Case of Private Schools

Asia Khalil, Dr. Muhammad Amin — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This research paper explored deep into understanding what factors contribute to the success of women entrepreneurs within the private school sector of Pakistan. A qualitative research approach was employed, focusing on phenomenology, specifically transcendental phenomenology. This allowed the researcher to uncover the factors that enable success through the real-life experiences of the participants. To gather qualitative data, in-depth interviews were conducted with accomplished women entrepreneurs, carefully chosen through purposive sampling to match the study's objective.

From these six in-depth interviews, the researcher discovered ten key factors that play a pivotal role in enabling women's success. These factors cover a range of aspects including the support they receive from family and spouses, their desire for financial independence, their courage to take risks, their educational degree and knowledge, their access to financial support, the influence of socio-cultural support, their need for achievement, self-confidence, high motivation, and their contributions to family income.

The synergy of these diverse factors was found to be crucial in shaping the journey of successful women entrepreneurs in the private schools. Based on these insights, it's suggested that it's time for a reevaluation of government policies related to private schools. These policies should be revamped to create an environment that offers more opportunities for female entrepreneurs. Additionally, targeted awareness sessions for private schools are proposed, shedding light on how women can access quick loans from financial institutions designed to support them. This approach not only equips women entrepreneurs to handle financial challenges but also encourages the growth of their school businesses.

Existential Choices in Macbeth and Hamlet

Dr. Muhmmad Jawwad — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Macbeth and Hamlet are the great tragedies of William Shakespeare. Much has been written on these plays and also on other plays of Shakespeare from different perspectives. My perception here is Existentialist. In these tragedies we notice extraordinary choices made by the main characters and their destruction as the consequences of them. Macbeth was over ambitious and this was the basic factor behind his gradual decline and destruction. Under the influence of his vaulting ambitions, he made choices which were not in accordance with Universal Morality or Ethics. In the case of Hamlet, we come across a very hard choice that is to live a life of a coward or to fight against the evil forces as a hero. The first choice of Hamlet can lead him a life of passivity but security and the second choice lead him to a life of bravery but with lot of dangers. This article is an attempt to understand and share the universal message behind these great tragedies of the world.