Teacher education in Pakistan with particular reference to teachers\u27 conceptions of teaching

This paper discusses teacher education in Pakistan with particular emphasis on teachers’ conceptions of teaching in improving quality of education. This paper is based on an initial study that examines teachers’ conceptions of teaching in the context of Pakistan. The study seeks to explore whether teachers’ conceptions of teaching influence decision-making in classroom teaching. It describes conditions of teaching and learning in Pakistan and argues for reform in teacher education to improve quality of teaching and learning

Changing assessment practices in Pakistani schools : A case of AKU-EB middle school assessment framework

Assessment is inevitably linked with the processes of teaching and learning. Assessment for learning (AFL), the focus of this paper, is germane to students’ learning in that the purpose of AFL is to help students improve their learning in light of the feedback they receive on the quality of their work. Educational research indicats that AFL is a viable alternative to traditional examination system at school level, and in case of high stake public examinations, it helps students perform better at summative examinations, especially when both formative and summative assessments are used in tandem (Assessment Reform Group, various papers; The State of Queensland, Department of Education, (n.d, online); Klenowski, 2002; Elwood and Klenowski (2000). The Aga Khan University Examination Board (AKU-EB) has introduced AFL in its Middle School Assessment Framework (MSAF, grades VI to VIII through two modes of assessment: Progress tests and project portfolio. Being formative, these are offered as diagnostic tools to support students in their educational processes so that they are better prepared for their current and future learning. The focus of this paper is on project portfolios and their assessment. Adopting a multi-disciplinary inquiry approach, students are engaged in collaborative as well as independent learning and reflection. Assessment, therefore, is built in as a continuous process. The emphasis is on the process of learning leading to a final product and reported in the form of competencies achieved in a ‘personal achievement record’, based on a number of assessment processes. The paper presents a critique of conventional school assessment based on marks and grades and suggests that portfolio assessment is a viable alternative to be used in schools in Pakistan at least up to Middle school level, based on descriptive remarks, feedback, and peer and self-assessment in developing critical competencies in students. Since the framework has only been introduced last year, its results are not yet available to gauge its impact on learning

Tracking graduates of AKU-IED’s MEd programme: The classes of 1999, 2000 and 2002

In each of the years 1997, 1998 and 2000 a new cohort of course participants joined the two-year MEd programme at the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development in Karachi, Pakistan (AKU-IED). Some two years later 87 or 92% of the entrants graduated from the programme and returned to their respective employers or systems. This paper focuses on the employment of and roles played by these 87 ‘completing’ course participants before they entered and then after they exited from the AKU-IED MEd programme. The paper is based on interviews with the 87 graduates carried out some one year and some two years after programme completion for two of the cohorts and some eight/nine months after completion for the most recently graduated cohort. The paper charts changes in numbers in such categories as School-based educators (e.g. teachers; head teachers) and Non-school-based educators (e.g. teacher educators; university teachers) and asks whether these numbers appear to be affected by the regional and system background of graduates; their roles at entry to the programme and length of time since programme graduation. Discussion is focused on issues related to ‘flight from the classroom’ and on the need to acknowledge complexity in the design and execution of studies of programme impact

Teachers conceptions of teaching : case studies of professional development teachers from Pakistan

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Radiation efficiency and nitrogen fertilizer impacts on sunflower crop in contrasting environments of Punjab, Pakistan

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is the leading non-conventional oilseed crop in Pakistan. Nitrogen fertilizer can affect plant growth and productivity by changing canopy size which has an effect on the radiation use efficiency (RUE) of the crop. The response of sunflower hybrids in terms of phenology, fraction of intercepted radiation (F-i), and RUE to nitrogenous rates (0, 60, 120, 180, and 240 kg ha(-1)) was studied in three field experiments conducted in three various environments: Multan (arid), Faisalabad (semi-arid), and Gujranwala (sub-humid) during spring seasons 2008 and 2009. The treatments were laid out according to a randomized complete block design with split plot arrangements, keeping the sunflower hybrids in main plots and nitrogen rates in subplots, and replicated three times. The results showed Hysun-38 took a maximum number of days to anthesis (101) as compared to Pioneer-64A93 (100) and Hysun-33 (99). The mean values of F-i were 0.850, 0.903, and 0.978, and the estimated values of RUE for total aboveground dry matter were 2.14, 2.47, and 2.65 g MJ(-1) at experimental locations of Multan, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala, respectively. The values of RUE for grain yield (RUEGY) were 0.78, 0.98, and 1.26 g MJ(-1) at experimental locations of Multan, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala, respectively. The average RUEGY values over three locations were 2.61, 2.60, 2.43, and 2.36 g MJ(-2) in N-4 (180 kg ha(-1)), N-5 (240 kg ha(-1)), N-3 (120 kg ha(-1)), and N-2 (60 kg ha-1) treatments, respectively. Increasing rates of N increased RUEGY over the standard treatment N-3 (120 kg N ha(-1)); however, the averaged values over three locations were 1.22, 1.08, 0.99, and 0.92 g MJ(-2) in N-4, N-5, N-3, and N-2 treatments, respectively. Therefore, optimum water and N doses are important for attaining higher RUE, which may enhance sunflower growth and yield

Regional climate assessment of precipitation and temperature in Southern Punjab (Pakistan) using SimCLIM climate model for different temporal scales

Unbalanced climate during the last decades has created spatially alarming and destructive situations in the world. Anomalies in temperature and precipitation enhance the risks for crop production in large agricultural region (especially the Southern Punjab) of Pakistan. Detailed analysis of historic weather data (1980–2011) record helped in creating baseline data to compare with model projection (SimCLIM) for regional level. Ensemble of 40 GCMs used for climatic projections with greenhouse gas (GHG) representative concentration pathways (RCP-4.5, 6.0, 8.5) was selected on the baseline comparison and used for 2025 and 2050 climate projection. Precipitation projected by ensemble and regional weather observatory at baseline showed highly unpredictable nature while both temperature extremes showed 95 % confidence level on a monthly projection. Percentage change in precipitation projected by model with RCP-4.5, RCP-6.0, and RCP-8.5 showed uncertainty 3.3 to 5.6 %, 2.9 to 5.2 %, and 3.6 to 7.9 % for 2025 and 2050, respectively. Percentage change of minimum temperature from base temperature showed that 5.1, 4.7, and 5.8 % for 2025 and 9.0, 8.1, and 12.0 % increase for projection year 2050 with RCP-4.5, 6.0, and 8.5 and maximum temperature 2.7, 2.5, and 3.0 % for 2025 and 4.7, 4.4, and 6.4 % for 2050 will be increased with RCP-4.5, 6.0, and 8.5, respectively. Uneven increase in precipitation and asymmetric increase in temperature extremes in future would also increase the risk associated with management of climatic uncertainties. Future climate projection will enable us for better risk management decisions

Optimizing the phosphorus use in cotton by using CSM-CROPGRO-cotton model for semi-arid climate of Vehari-Punjab, Pakistan

Crop nutrient management is an essential component of any cropping system. With increasing concerns over environmental protection, improvement in fertilizer use efficiencies has become a prime goal in global agriculture system. Phosphorus (P) is one of the most important nutrients, and strategies are required to optimize its use in important arable crops like cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) that has great significance. Sustainable P use in crop production could significantly avoid environmental hazards resulting from over-P fertilization. Crop growth modeling has emerged as an effective tool to assess and predict the optimal nutrient requirements for different crops. In present study, Decision Support System for Agro-technology Transfer (DSSAT) sub-model CSM-CROPGRO-Cotton-P was evaluated to estimate the observed and simulated P use in two cotton cultivars grown at three P application rates under the semi-arid climate of southern Punjab, Pakistan. The results revealed that both the cultivars performed best at medium rate of P application (57\ua0kg\ua0ha-1) in terms of days to anthesis, days to maturity, seed cotton yield, total dry matter production, and harvest index during 2013 and 2014. Cultivar FH-142 performed better than MNH-886 in terms of different yield components. There was a good agreement between observed and simulated days to anthesis (0 to 1\ua0day), days to maturity (0 to 2\ua0days), seed cotton yield, total dry matter, and harvest index with an error of -4.4 to 15%, 12-7.5%, and 13-9.5% in MNH-886 and for FH-142, 4-16%, 19-11%, and 16-8.3% for growing years 2013 and 2014, respectively. CROPGRO-Cotton-P would be a useful tool to forecast cotton yield under different levels of P in cotton production system of the semi-arid climate of Southern Punjab