Textbooks are the only source of information to pupils in Pakistani classrooms and they rely on these textbooks to find accurate and authentic information. English and Urdu Textbooks in Pakistan are to teach pupils language and to communicate to them a set of values (Islamic) as conceptualized by the state in its curriculum documents. This study chose texts from English and Urdu textbooks that were related, directly or indirectly, with Islamic values. The qualitative content analysis method was used to analyze the selected stories against the criteria derived from the curriculum documents, textbooks and earlier studies. This study found the values portrayed through Islamic lenses and was set in family-focused settings. The characters in the stories also communicated to pupils the importance of family in Islam and what value to practice in an Islamic family and society.
Textbooks are the only source to communicate information considered true, of unquestionable accuracy and whose authenticity could not questioned by anyone. The states, in collaboration with the textbook regimes employed textbooks to impart a certain notion of identity, of 'us' and 'them' through constructing and presenting a state narrative to pupils. The suitable study method for this study was qualitative content analysis and 9 history textbooks were analyzed in this study. The books were selected for their being published by the state textbook authorities. The analysis of textbooks revealed that textbooks writers used representation (positive and negative), unification, avoidance, and trivialization strategies to create the images of 'us' and 'them' through the images of invaders and conquerors and the social, cultural, political, economic, and religious influences and impact on Indian subcontinent and its people. This study recommends that the history textbooks designing exercise should be approached as a discipline covering all historical information about people, culture, lands and achievements.
The present study explores factors that contribute to the making of career and study choices of female students enrolled in postgraduate programmes in Pakistan. This study collected data from students enrolled in Masters and MPhil programmes using a focus group discussion data collection strategy. The focus of data analysis was to unearth reasons given by the participants of their career choices and discover factors that influenced their career choice. The focus group discussions revealed that family and female representation in textbooks were the main reasons for their choices. Female role models that could inspire them to select a particular profession were missing in the textbooks. To address this gap and omission and to help female students in making better study and career choices, this study suggests that the textbook regime in Pakistan should make more space for female-centered content and present to pupils the life stories of successful women in different fields.
The number of women joining the teaching profession has risen in general. In addition, the number of women academics in other faculties and departments in universities has gone up as Pakistan has opened new women-only universities, some having women Vice Chancellors. However, women are generally absent from higher-up and decision-making positions in higher education, and the current paper investigates this issue. Although several researchers have earlier explored this phenomenon, this study attempts to assess it from the students' perspective. Therefore, the question of women as managers in higher education was placed before sixty female students enrolled in postgraduate programmes of four private and two public sector universities. Each research participant was provided enough time to consider and answer the query ―why are there no women in higher leadership positions in universities in Pakistan in co-education set-ups?‖ Each of the in-depth discussion sessions, moderated by the researcher, resulted in creating rich data, which helps in comprehending why academically qualified women are not able to break the glass ceiling and move upward in their professional careers.
The curriculum revision in Pakistan has always been a politically and religiously motivated exercise and this was initiated because of criticism by the religious and political parties. The most recent curriculum revision happened between 2006-2015. The present study looks at the changes made in the textbooks between 2014-2016 and explores the concepts of national identity promoted through the texts. For this study, the textbooks approved by the Punjab Textbook Board and published by different public and private publishers for the academic year 2014-2015 & 2015-2016 were studied. The content of the textbooks was analyzed using the critical discourse analysis approach. The analysis of the textbook content found 'Islam' & 'Muslims' as the common thread amongst all the analyzed textbooks. This thread suggests a single identity, which is synonymous to Islam, 'Pakistanis are Muslims'. This study suggests pluralistic and inclusive content in the textbooks informing students about the TRUE Pakistani society.
English textbooks in Pakistan are an important tool used by the state to construct pupils' imagination of the time and space of the Indian sub-continent, Islam, Muslims and non-Muslims. This study used the qualitative content analysis method and analysed fifteen English textbooks produced by the state-managed institutions and provincial textbook boards. The analysis revealed Islam as the foundation of the imagination of time and space of Pakistan. This imagination of Pakistan found in textbooks negated the plurality of Pakistani society as the textbook authorities did not give any space to the minority groups (religious, ethnic and cultural) living in Pakistan. This study recommends that the textbook authorities include the often-ignored minority groups in the textbook discourses because the majority of pupils form their world-views and construct their imagination of Pakistan, its people and the world through these textbooks, which contribute to pupils' construction of their national and cultural identity.
The textbook is an important and powerful tool used by the state to reproduce the social and cultural habits of a group, most often, of the majority group's social and cultural imaginations. The habitus produces and instills the world-view about society, the social and cultural values that a state valorized and would like pupils to internalize and make it part of their world-view. This study analyzes the English textbook published by the state textbook boards (Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh) for the academic year 2018-2019 for pupils of classes four to eight. The textbook content was analyzed using the Qualitative Content Analysis method. The content of 15 textbooks was digitized (scanned and made readable) to electronically categorized the text into categories using Nvivo 12 Plus software. The analysis revealed that the content is focused on developing and promoting Islamic habitus through stories weaved around family, making it a core component of a Muslim country. The family members practiced Islamic values, social and cultural, not only through their everyday lives at home, in school, and at other public places but also within their community through the celebration of cultural and religious festivals. The textbooks presented the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his family's life as an ideal life to be lead by all, whether Muslims or non-Muslims. The textbook highlighted the 'good,' the 'bad,' valorizing the former and stigmatizing the latter to encourage pupils to develop an Islamic world-view. The textbooks fail to look into the micro-level national habitus, that is, portraying the habitus of its minorities, ethnic and religious, as the content did not integrate their habitus into the national habitus of Pakistan, making it the habitus of the majority. The current fast globalizing world needed to be presented to pupils a world-view, and this required, broadening the scope of textbook content to make it reflective of true Pakistani habitus aligned and rooted in the humane global world-view.
The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become a major driving force in transforming education throughout the world. The usage of ICT in Pakistan has increased many folds in the last 10 years. The latest educational policy of the Government of Pakistan has stressed on using ICT in schools. The curriculum documents have also suggested teachers to integration ICT in their classrooms teaching and learning processes. This study focuses on the use of ICT in schools of Pakistan and it is restricted to four major cities of Pakistan. The study investigates students' and teachers' use of ICT in their everyday life. The study also explores students' views of their teachers using ICT in classroom teaching learning and assessment. The data were collected using survey questionnaire from students studying in secondary schools (classes 7, 8, 9, 10& 11.) and teachers teaching to secondary classes. The schools were invited to participate in this study. The study finds that students and teachers have access to computers in schools and at home and they use computer for different purposes, such as, entertainment, communication, and education. The study also highlights differences amongst teachers and students about what technology to be used in classroom and for what purposes. The study discovers two opposite views. On the one hand teachers believe they use ICT effectively while on the other hand students disagree with their teacher's idea of ICT integration in classroom.
