Analytical Study of Attitude of the Teachers towards Reforms at School Level

Abstract

Education is conceived as the powerful instrument for bringing about desired changes in social and cultural life of the nation and the teacher being the key actor in educational process is considered as the change agent. The rapidly changing world is calling new ways of addressing school changes; Pakistan has also brought a lot of changes and reforms to address the educational problems and to keep pace with the fast changes in the field of science and technology. The purpose of this study was to analyze the attitude of the teachers towards reforms at school level in Punjab, Pakistan. For this purpose, seventy two schools having equal number in gender and demographic level of urban and rural, comprising all categories of primary, elementary and secondary were selected through area cluster sampling technique. Survey method technique was applied and a questionnaire based on five-point Likert scale comprising sixty three items divided into five dimensions was developed. The tool was an adaptation of ASTTP (Hussain, 2004). The tool was got validated by experts‟ opinion and through calculating the Factor Loading and also by determining the Cronbatch Alpha. To analyze the data, arithmetic mean, percentage, standard deviation and t- test were calculated by using the computer programs; Ms-Excel and SPSS. It was concluded by the study that respondents showed much positive response towards the questions of administrative reforms, medium of instruction reforms and Chief Minister Roadmap reforms dimensions while, towards examination reforms and computer education reforms dimensions, respondents also showed positive attitude but with lower statistics. Qualifications wise analysis showed that as the degree of qualification of the teachers rises, the level of positivity of attitude is also rises against all dimensions and from this positive impact of reforms is also inferred. The comparison between urban and rural teachers showed that there is significant difference between the attitude of the respondents of the rural and urban areas and the respondents of the rural areas showed much better positive attitude against all dimensions of reforms. The gender wise comparison of the respondents reflected that female teachers had more significantly positive attitude towards all dimensions of reforms as compared to male teachers. Comparison between the teachers of all sections of the selected schools clearly indicated that attitude towards first three dimensions; Administrative reforms, Medium of Instruction reforms and Chief Minister Roadmap reform was much positive as compared to others two dimensions of examination reforms and computer education reforms. Through this study, it was recommended that in policy making or formulating any reform initiative, positive involvement of teachers‟ opinion must be ensured next time. Course outlines and methods of teaching of the teacher training institutions are revised according to trends of the modern era of globalized world. Indicators for the Chief Ministers‟ roadmap must be revised and fixed on the ground realities and on the disparity between rural and urban areas.