Beyond Memorization: Cultivating Critical Thinking Skills through Classic Literature in Secondary Education for the 21st Century Learner

The use of classic literature to develop critical thinking skills is commendable for secondary school. This paper analyzes classic texts, using modern pedagogical methods to demonstrate that they can improve students' abilities to analyze, interpret, evaluate, and synthesize information. Traditional pedagogy does not allow students to develop their critical thinking but to remember more things. Socratic Seminars, inquiry-based learning, and group discussions provide new methods to let students deal with complex narratives, moral conflicts, and symbolic meanings and enable them to develop analytical reasoning and intellectual autonomy. This paper discusses the cognitive benefits of classic literature reading through various studies. Reading plays like Hamlet, and The Great Gatsby facilitates students' inferential and evaluative capacity, and these results confirm it. Deeper meanings and moral conflicts in ambiguous language encourage students to develop advanced viewpoints by encouraging deeper meanings. In addition, digital technologies and multimedia tools augment the accessibility and engagement of classic literature in relation to modern learners. Although these benefits still exist, challenges like historical biases of the literary canon and a heterogeneous student population remain. The challenges that need to be addressed can be tackled through solutions such as incorporating culturally diverse texts, exploring themes related to real-life issues, and implementing differentiated instruction. Additionally, further research is required to investigate the long-term effects of classic literature on cognitive development and to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative instructional methods. Instead, classical literature can be utilized by educators who adopt innovative teaching methods to equip students for academic challenges and real-world issues

The Impact of Liquidity Management on Profitability of Listed Oil & Gas Company

This research aims to study how effective management of cash reserves affects an oil and gas company's earnings. This research focuses on analyzing liquidity management because its connection to business profits. Company determines their profits through both assets return and equity measures. Liquidity management reveals if a company can fulfill its financial responsibilities while showing how products make money for the business which is why companies must handle this process effectively. Through our analysis we selected liquidity metrics including DSO, DPO, DIO and current assets alongside key dependent factors return on assets and return on equity. We study the connection between these measures and their influence on company earnings

Predicting Chemistry Students’ Achievement Through their Ratings of Teacher Effectiveness

  The single most influential factor responsible for effective science teaching are teachers because they are in direct contact with students and are accountable for the effective delivery of educational contents to students on daily basis. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between chemistry teachers’ effectiveness and students’ academic achievement in chemistry. The correlational research design and quantitative survey method was used to address the research questions. Three thousand four hundred and sixty 10th graders from 41 public secondary schools (boys and girls) of District Lahore were selected as a sample size of the study using proportionate stratified random sampling technique. The study adopted a valid and reliable research instruments to collect data about teacher effectiveness; School Teacher Effectiveness Questionnaire (STEQ) with overall reliability coefficients as ?=.88. The students’ achievement in Chemistry was obtained from the results of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Lahore (2024). The collected data were analyzed using descriptive (Mean and Standard Deviation) and inferential statistics (Pearson r and Regression). The results revealed a strong positive correlation between teacher effectiveness and students’ academic achievement in Chemistry (r=.846). The findings also reported that 71.5% variance in chemistry achievement was observed by their perceived teacher effectiveness. It was concluded that various factors of teacher effectiveness – their subject expertise, instructions, assessment skills, communication skills, and classroom management skills – all play a significant role in fostering their students’ academic success in science education. It was recommended that school administrators should organize professional development programs and evaluation systems for their teachers to keep them engage with contemporary teaching competencies and to improve their existing professional skills

Exploring Marginalization and Social Injustice: A Critical Discourse Analysis of William Blake's “The Chimney Sweeper”

  This research applies Norman Fairclough's model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to critically analyze the themes of marginalization and social injustice in William Blake's The Chimney Sweeper. The research qualitatively analyzes both versions of the poem, Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience by William Blake. This study employs a close reading of both the texts in order to find out the forms that power constructions around issues of child labor, class exploitation, and religious ideologies in 18th-century England take, using CDA in three stages: textual analysis, discursive practice, and social practice. From the textual analysis, metaphors, symbolism, imagery, and irony are used in order to symbolize both literal and figurative entrapment into child labor, disparity, and marginalization. The change from the voice of innocence to the voice of experience reflects the growth in class consciousness and institutionalized criticism of power. The discursive practice stage unpacks how Blake condemns the role church and state play in the role of maintaining social stratification and exploitation of labor, stripping to light the religious discourse that makes the oppressed meek. Social practice analysis highlights how Blake's poetry acts as resistance to the broader social systems that function as models of exploitation and fall in line with institutional practices of exclusion. Thus, Blake's use of language is not simply a reflection of social injustice but rather a critique and call for reform. This shows that the issues that Blake portrays in his writing are indeed the issues that society is concerned about today regarding debates over labor rights and institutional power. It can therefore be argued that language has the capability of questioning social inequality and marginalization

Navigating Environmental Sustainability in Pakistan: The Roles of Energy Poverty, Economic Growth, and Foreign Investment

The purpose of this study is to check the impact of energy poverty and economic growth on the ecological footprint in Pakistan, with specifically consideration to the role of institutional quality and foreign direct investment. For the analysis of this study utilizes annual time series data spanning from 2001 to 2023, collected from the World Development Indicators (WDI) and the Global Footprint Network. The ecological footprint is the dependent variable, while energy poverty, economic growth, institutional quality, and FDI assist as independent variables. To measure the stationarity of the data, the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) and Phillips-Perron (PP) tests are employed, revealing a mixed order of integration. Consequently, the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) technique is applied to calculate both short and long-run relationships among the variables. The short-run outcomes indicates that energy poverty and institutional quality negatively affect the EF, whereas economic growth and FDI exert a positive influence. Notably, although FDI shows a positive short-run effect, it is negatively correlated with the ecological footprint. In the long run, energy poverty and institutional quality continue to have a negative impact, while economic growth and FDI contribute positively to the ecological footprint. These findings highlight the complex interplay between development factors and environmental sustainability in Pakistan

Integrating Micro-Credentials into Higher Education: Skilling Youth to Enhance Employability in Pakistan

The rapid evolution in industrial needs and the changing employment requirements making it necessary to put the higher education in line with the altering demands. To address this issue, this study was an effort to analyze the existing state and the future prospects of the integration of micro-credentials in higher education institutions in Pakistan. As micro-credentials offer a hands-on and affordable solution to modify the existing higher education curricula to meet the altering industrial demands. For this purpose, this study has used a quantitative survey-based approach. The researchers collected data from 200 undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students from the selected 10 universities representing all the five geographical zones (Islamabad, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtoon khwa, Sindh, and Balochistan) across Pakistan.  To analyze the data, descriptive statistical tests (cross-tabulation, mean, and standard deviation) were applied. The findings revealed that while there is a broad support for incorporating micro-credentials into degree programs, their formal integration remains limited. The majority of respondents indicate that micro-credentials are not yet well-established within their universities, and institutional policies for recognizing them are lacking. However, there is strong consensus on the need to align academic offerings with industry demands, suggesting that micro-credentials can bridge the gap between education and employability. The study recommends that policymakers develop a robust framework for micro-credential recognition, transfer, and accreditation to enable their seamless integration across Pakistan's higher education system

From the Brick-and-Mortar Campuses to the Screen: Teachers’ Readiness for Online Teaching in Higher Education Institutions

The current descriptive research aimed to assess the readiness of instructors for online instruction. The population of investigation covered (301) teachers from five different public universities in South Punjab, Pakistan.   The study sample represented two hundred and seventeen teachers (80) males and (137) females selected through a convenient sampling technique. A questionnaire FRTO scale (Faculty Readiness to Teach Online) was used to measure teachers' perceived readiness for online learning at higher education institutions. For data analysis, descriptive statistics mean scores and standard deviations, using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). In addition, inferential statistics were applied. The research results indicated that most instructors felt well-equipped to implement online teaching methods. Furthermore, the research revealed disparities in instructors' readiness for online platforms on their demographic characteristics. The study recommended that HEIs invest in their technological structure and ensure all their key stakeholders have equal access to digital learning

Digital Storytelling: A Pedagogical Approach to Enhance Young Learners Social-Emotional Skills

This qualitative research examines the pedagogical potential of digital storytelling in promoting the social-emotional competence of young students. With an emphasis on technology integration in education, the study investigates how digital storytelling can promote social skills and emotional intelligence, empathy, self-awareness, and interpersonal skills among elementary school students. The study was qualitative in nature. Before the intervention, we conducted an in-depth needs assessment to determine the student's specific social-emotional issues. The research involved intensive interviews with parents and teachers to gain insight into where assistance was needed. Based on the interview findings, we focused on enhancing students' social skills, self-management, relationship skills, problem-solving abilities, self-awareness, and time-management skills. Research was conducted in the Government Primary School in District Shangla, KPK, Pakistan. The study duration was six weeks (April- May 2024). The sample size was grade 5th students. There were 57 grade 5th students, of whom 33 were boys and 24 were girls. In the participants' group, the mean age was 10-11 years, and they had varied academic and family backgrounds. This specific age group is important for social-emotional development. The findings demonstrate how digital storytelling can create emotionally charged, relatable, and immersive learning experiences that help young learners improve their social-emotional skills. According to the study's findings, students who engaged in digital storytelling showed significant increases in empathy and comprehension because they could relate to the characters' sentiments and circumstances. Students' communication and self-expression skills increased significantly, and they demonstrated greater confidence in expressing their ideas and feelings. Collaborative digital storytelling projects that honed interpersonal and cooperation skills facilitated effective student collaboration. The study discovered that their self-awareness increased when participants engaged in reflective activities and shared stories about their feelings and experiences. Based on the study's findings, digital storytelling is an effective pedagogy to apply in promoting young learners' social-emotional skills. By applying technology and storytelling, instructors can design learning experiences that are relevant, engaging, and empathetic. This strategy assists students in holistically developing their social-emotional talents while also providing them with the tools they need to deal with the problems of social interactions in the digital age. Future research could examine the long-term impacts of digital storytelling on students' social-emotional development and its use in a variety of educational settings

Industrial Development and Climate Action: Analyzing the Co-Benefits of Greenhouse Gas Mitigation via Sectoral Assessment

This research aims to elucidate the co-benefits and ramifications of the critical interplay between global industrial growth initiatives and strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the context of climate change. We analyze the many dimensions of GHG reduction across various industrial sectors via a comprehensive examination of quantitative data and advanced approaches. The two primary objectives of this research are interconnected. Initially, we want to quantify the co-benefits of greenhouse gas mitigation measures throughout the global industrial sector, including advantages for the environment, economy, and society. Secondly, we use input-output modeling approaches and the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) to examine the impacts of modifications in the scope, organization, and intensity of emissions reduction initiatives within the industrial sectors. Our research indicates that greenhouse gas mitigation activities in the industrial sector provide substantial co-benefits with emissions reduction. These include enhanced social well-being, robust economic development, and improved environmental quality. The LMDI research highlights the need to understand the industry-specific factors influencing emissions reductions, with structural changes being crucial. This study can benefit both the business and policy sectors. The acknowledged co-benefits could help legislators create more persuasive climate measures that win over stakeholders. Data on the causes of emissions can be used by businesses to modify their operations and proactively pursue sustainability goals. This study improves our knowledge of the complex connection between industrial development and greenhouse gas reduction.

Role of Human Capital and Renewable Energy in Shaping Economic Growth of Pakistan

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between human capital, renewable energy, foreign direct investment and economic growth in Pakistan. For this purpose, secondary data ranging from 2000 to 2023 is used. Economic growth is used as the dependent variable, while human capital, physical capital, renewable energy, and foreign direct investment are used as independent variables. The Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model technique is used for analysis. The results of this study indicate that, in the short run, physical capital positively impacts economic growth, while all other variables have a negative impact. However, renewable energy and foreign direct investment are found to be insignificant in influencing economic growth. In the long-run results, physical capital has a negative and insignificant impact, while human capital, renewable energy, and foreign direct investment positively impact economic growth. Policymakers and government officials should focus on improving education, particularly skill-based education, fostering public-private partnerships to enhance productivity and capital formation, providing incentives for renewable energy technologies, and implementing investor-friendly policies and tax incentives to attract foreign direct investment. &nbsp