Students Learning

Lecture # 23:

Topic: 136

Students Learning

• There are many factors which affect the students leaning in schools. These include: teachers qualification and experiences, teachers guidance to students,availability of teaching learning resources, physical facilities students own cognitive and other abilities and their socio-economic background.

There are many factors which affect the students leaning in schools. These include:

Teachers Qualification and Experiences

Of course this is the first thing that matter whether the teacher is the qualified to teach that subject and also experience is counted to be some strong pillar to hire the teacher. Because it is considered that more experience teacher will have more knowledge of the subject.

Teacher Guidance to students

Now the teacher is well qualified. He have the knowledge,. He have also the experience of teaching the students. But how is he going to guide the students to learn, how is he going to direct his students toward learning

Availability of teaching learning resources

This is very important factor which affect the students learning. Students learning resources like books, computer, visual aids, audio aids, if it is sports then sports equipment, if it is related to |Geography then maps, atlas should be available. If it is science subject then labs should b available. So that students can have the feel of those things which are happening in the scientific areas and also to be able to conduct the experiments in the laboratory. So, all those resources are very important for students learning.

Topic: 137

Family Environment

• Khan and Shah (2002) quote that ‘family environment and parents involvement in educational activities of their children had a positive impact on their achievement. The studies conducted at the academy of educational planning and management (AEPAM)
• Khan and Shah, 2002: Habib et al., 2004) revealed that teachers academic and professional qualification had a positive impact on the students achievement.

Khan and Shah (2002) quote that ‘family environment and parents involvement in educational activities of their children had a positive impact on their achievement. The studies conducted at the academy of educational planning and management (AEPAM). The study proves that family environment is very important in order to bring out good results for the children. The parents involvement in the activities of their children also have positive impact on the achievement of their children. So family environment if it is healthy family environment, that means students are going to be happy children and they will not be having any pressure of the family with them and therefore they will be performance better in school.

On the other hand we have study of Habib and his colleague (2004)revealed that teachers academic and professional qualification, remember. Habib is emphasizing not only the academic qualification but also professional qualification has positive impact on student’s achievements. Again we must note this is a study. This study has certain conclusion so it does not really make it something confirm that this is what good educational standard is. It might be or not might be but this is considered one factor which is important .So that means when we are talking about the factors it is also family involvement/family environment, teacher’s qualification and teacher’s professional training of that skill. So there are number of factors which are making a different in the learning and achievement of the students.

Topic: 138

Number of Teachers

• In schools there are however, factors that affect the school culture and climate; one of the most prominent one is the number of teachers and students in a school.
• Tucker (1997) found small schools have a better leaning climate than large schools because in smaller schools there is a grater likelihood that faculty and students know each other.

In schools there are however, factors that affect the school culture and climate; one of the most prominent one is the number of teachers and students in a school. So it is important to see what is the ratio of students and teacher in a school because that is one of the prominent factor which affect the school culture. Because if there are student but no teacher available to help them because number of teachers are less as per ratio, the standard that should be there that means many students will be neglected. Similarly there are more students and the ratio is according to the requirement of the number of students that mean teachers are available to support the students and the climate and culture of the school will be very smooth, helpful and supportive. Sometime it is out of control of the teachers to support all the students because no of teacher is less.It is also notices that in some cases in some schools, number of students are less and number of teacher are more that is some logistical manner or some reason in which number of teachers are more then students. In that case teacher can give more attention to the students but this is very rare. Mostly the case is either the teacher/ student ratio is normal or teachers are lesser in number than the students.

Tucker (1997) found small schools have a better leaning climate than large schools because in smaller schools there is a greater likelihood that faculty and students know each other. So being a familiar is a factor which improves the behavior of every member of the school. So the teachers will also know the students and the students would also be knowing the teachers. So Tucker points out the fact that small schools are better in a way because learning can take place easier there because if the students have the problem, he would know which teacher he should contact in order to get his problem solved.

Topic: 139

Variable that Affect

• And this could affect the level of openness, trust, cooperation, atmosphere and other culture and climate variables that can directly or indirectly affect the student’s achievement.

If we are taking the example of small school in which the teacher and student are familiar with one and other. They know each other. What are the variable that is going to affect the school culture and the students learning and achievement? This could be level of openness because there are few people, so people can be frank one another,. They have more chance to interact and therefore they become more friendly. So they can frankly discuss with their problems. They do not hesitate to talk one another because they are not stranger. So this is one of the variable which happen when the school is small and people know to each other and they do not feel shy to talk about their problems.

Trust

Trust is another factor when the school is small and the teacher is friendly with the students and students know the teachers and they have a feeling, they can trust their teachers. Because of frankness of the teachers of their students there is a lot of trust which build up in their relationship.

Cooperation

Because every boy knows everybody so everybody want to have prelateship and everybody want to have good reputation and good image because they all know to each other.

Atmosphere

Atmosphere is another cultural climate variable which directly or indirectly affect the students achievement.

So what is happening level of openness, trust, cooperation and atmosphere are positive. The culture is very encouraging

Topic: 140

Variable that Affect

• The study of Mirze and Hameed (1994) revealed that primary section of middle and high schools were most effective in promoting cognitive achievement and molding student’s behavior.

The study of Mirze and Hameed (1994) revealed that primary section of middle and high schools were most effective in promoting cognitive achievement and molding student’s behavior. So this study which was done in 1994 proves that primary age is the age where the students can be moulded in order to have skills of creativity. The study proves that those school who have the middle and the secondary school sections when they compare the cognitive skills and achievement amongst their students in the primary, middle and secondary section, they find this is the development that take place in the primary age. So that means that age is very important for the students to be attending school. Normally such school which have all the three sections in the school are more establish that the ones that are running just primary section because they do not have more exposure of the teachers in the school. It is just the primary section and probably it is very small section and ideally speaking, there should be a lot of development in cognitive achievement and moulding the students skills an behavior However, according to the study, Mirza and Hameed , it has been proved that school who have all the three sections can probably compare the capabilities the students who are coming from the different sections and therefore because of that they can see the children who co me from the middle school after passing the primary school have already developed cognitive skills and have molded their behavior.

Topic: 141

Qualifications

• At master level, the teachers have more trend of gaining academic qualification rather professional qualification. This might be due to having more opportunity to find other jobs.

As we know, all schools need the qualified teachers. Usually At master level, the teachers have more trend of gaining academic qualification rather professional qualification in context of Pakistan. In other countries with the academic qualification, it is compulsory to have professional qualification as well. But unfortunately in Pakistan the career and profession of teaching, there is no compulsion to have professional qualification and that bring all the miseries to the education system. It is very good that teachers they do their master and go for teaching, there is no doubt the qualification of master but then the professional qualification is more important to join the certain occupation. It is compulsory that since teaching is a profession, it is a skill and art and therefore it needs to have qualification and the professional abilities to conduct the duties in order to skills implemented in the right direction. This might be due to having more opportunity to find other jobs.

So why do people consider doing the master and joining the teaching profession and not going to any professional qualification because they have a mind that we will do master and apply all the jobs which are possible or the jobs where the criteria of recruitment is master. So in any case if they get job in any sector/department, they don’t mind to joining that because they have not gone for any professional development. So they just do their MA and apply the various kind of jobs and just join the ones which is offered to them.

Topic: 142

Small Schools

• The smaller schools have better and positive school culture in comparison to medium or average and large schools.
• In small schools teachers are more willing and well prepared to teach their subjects.
• They are more caring with the students and they shared ideas and material with their colleagues.
• They respect and support each other.

According to social scientist, the smaller schools have better and positive school culture in comparison to medium or average and large schools. The social scientists think because of small school there are a few people in the school, a few teacher and a few students, so they know to each other. They are familiar to each other and at the same time, in small schools the teachers are willing and well prepared to teach their subjects. It may be different in the different schools, may be in large school the teachers are also willing and prepared to teach the subjects but this is the study which is done and these are the conclusion which are be made”

Because the schools are smaller, the teachers are more willing. Probably there are more pressure when more number of students are in the class. The teacher because more number in class get sort of pressurized and there is possibility that they do not prepared well or even if they have prepared because of number of students being more then what they are expect they are upset and disturb and they feel they cannot deliver the way they want to deliver in the classroom. But again there is always exception there can be people in small school who would not be well prepared to deliver the lesson or who would not been so willing to teach the student in a manner that they are supposed to do.

Lecture # 24:

Topic: 143

Personal Social Characteristics

• As pointed out by Getzel and Jackson (1963), some personal social characteristics were different for men and women teachers, with men generally being more business like less friendly and responsible.

Jatoi,H. Gender of teachers and teaching practices in Pakistani schools.These are also the factors which bring the change in the school environment. As pointed out by Getzel and Jackson (1963), some personal social characteristics were different for men and women teachers, with men generally being more business like less friendly and responsible. So this has been pointed out by GEtzel and Jackson in 1963. Things might be different because this has said 30 years ago. OranaJatoi said, social characteristics are different in men teachers than the women teachers. Men are less friendly and less responsible so it is consider that male teachers, they would be more in business rather than teaching and they tend to be less friendly because of their nature they tend less frank to the students, less friendly and less caring than female teachers.

According to the study it has been compared that female teachers tend to be more friendly, responsible and more caring. Where the male teacher tend toward the business that is being matter of fact, just teaching not thinking beyond that or not really taking care of the emotions of the students however this is one opinion which is discussion by Oranajoti.

Topic: 144

Teachers Experience

• Mwamwenda et al. (1989) study concluded that pupils taught by female and long experienced teachers performed significantly better than pupils taught by males and those with short teaching experiences.
• In Pakistani context this concept is mostly taken to be authentic thus recruitment criteria is based on longer duration of experience.

This is another factor which is considered by social scientist. Mwamwenda et al. (1989) study concluded that pupils taught by female and long experienced teachers performed significantly better than pupils taught by males and those with short teaching experiences. So, there are four categories

Female Teacher

Teachers with long experience

Teacher with Short Experience

Male Teacher

According to Mwamwenda and his colleage studies say, the conclusion is the people who were taught by female teachers have better learning abilities and better achievement results. They perform better.

Teachers with long experience

Teachers who have more experience, Students benefited more of them because long period of experience and their good performance because the well trained teachers can guide the students more effectively. Whereas students who were taught by male did not perform well compare to those who were taught by female teachers.

At the same time the students who were taught by teachers having shorten experiences did not perform well compare to the students who were studying and getting the guidance from those teachers who have longer duration of teachers experience.

In Pakistani context this concept is mostly taken to be authentic thus recruitment criteria is based on longer duration of experience.

Topic: 145

Literature Review

• A number of self studies comparing male and female teachers found that female teachers were more satisfied with their careers, possessed a better attitude towards their profession, students and school work.
• Exhibited better mental health and suffered less from problems related to their teaching activities.

If we look at the studies that have been done on teacher both male and female, we come to know that number of self-studies comparing male and female teachers found that female teachers were more satisfied with their careers, possessed a better attitude towards their profession, students and school work. There could be reason why the male teachers were not very satisfied. It could be possible that salary of the teachers are low and therefore male in Pakistani context is supposed to look after the family, so the income is generated through teaching profession is not enough the whole family. Whereas on the other hand, women generally it is like a pocket money that she is earning as a teacher. So she tends to more satisfied. And females are not given opportunities to have more exposure in their life in the Pakistani context. We can say female teachers are more satisfied with their career and job and they have better attitude toward their profession.