Date of Award

2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Master of Philosophy in Education (MPhil Ed.)

First Advisor

Dr Sadia Muzaffar Bhutta

Department

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

Abstract

Quality science education is essential for preparing students to meet the multi-dimensional demands of society, fostering moral, intellectual, and practical skills necessary for future success. A critical aspect of achieving all this lies in the incorporation of varied learning activities, which are grounded in the students’ preferences and nature of the subject. Exploring students’ experiences with these activities is equally important, as it provides valuable insights into how they engage with and benefit from different teaching strategies. Therefore, this study aimed to explore students’ voices about learning activities employed in the chemistry classroom at secondary level, in schools affiliated with two different examination boards within the same system of schools in Chital, KPK. 
This study employed cross sectional survey design to collect students perceived level of frequency, popularity and usefulness of chemistry learning activities. Stratified random sampling was used to collect data from (n=410) students from same system of schools affiliated with different examination boards (5 schools from each examination board) representing equal number of both gender and grades. The chemistry learning activities assessment questionnaire (CLAAQ) was adapted, validated and found reliable for sample of study. Descriptive and inferential analysis were carried to describe students’ overall experiences with Chemistry learning activities and to compare such experiences across the boards and grade levels. 
The results highlight that the constructive activities (experiments, games & puzzles and making things) which are least employed, perceived as popular and useful.  Similarly, social activities are liked and perceived as useful by students but some of them are less frequently applied. Passive activities, particularly explanations, are popular and perceived as useful and frequently employed. Whereas written activities are least liked and valued, with notetaking highly used and poem/story writing rarely included. 
Students affiliated with the public board experienced comparatively high employment of a constructive activity (making things) and a social activity (group work). While same social activity (group work) and two written activities (exercises worksheet & quizzes and writing poems) were perceived more popular by public examination board affiliated students. In, private board affiliated students perceived passive (explanation and watching videos) and written activities (taking notes and calculation) not only frequently applied but popular and useful more than public board students. The students of 9th grade have experienced written activities (written exercises quizzes & worksheet and doing calculations) as more frequent while those students of 10th grade perceived social and constructive activities (group work, experiments and making things) as more frequent. Interestingly, 9th grade students liked constructive (experiments and making things), written activities (doing diagram & drawing and writing poems & stories) and a social activity (acting & role play) more than their counter parts.
The result highlights mismatch between students' preferences and the activities employed in classrooms, with less liked chemistry learning activities being frequently used while engaging constructive activities like experiments are rarely implemented. Addressing this disparity requires professional development for teachers and improved resource allocation to support the integration of impactful, student-preferred activities. The findings also underscore the need for examination boards to standardize assessment practices that encourage the integration of engaging learning activities.

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1

Last Page

126

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