Enhancing curriculum alignment skills of the selected primary and middle grade English teachers in Upper Chitral: Lessons from an action research

Date of Award

2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Master of Philosophy in Education (MPhil Ed.)

First Advisor

Dr Meher Rizvi

Department

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

Abstract

Quality education has always been a debate in Pakistan’s education system. Rote memorization, traditional teaching methods, textbook-focused content, and exam-driven assessments have shaped teachers’ practices inside the classroom accordingly. This system needs to be changed if we want our young generation to be critical, problem solvers, and to compete with the fast-developing world, and teachers are the center of this hope. This study explores how primary and middle-grade English teachers can be facilitated to enhance their curriculum practices effectively to maximize students’ learning in the classroom. The study employed action research, grounded in a transformative paradigm, with the belief that change is not easy; however, it must begin. The action research cyclic phases were employed, and the data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, reflection, document reviews, and field notes, and analyzed through manual coding. The findings indicated that a slow but meaningful change was visible in teachers’ beliefs regarding curriculum implementation in the classroom. Teachers started making conscious efforts to make the curriculum alive by including all three domains of Bloom’s Taxonomy in their planning and designing assessments and activities, keeping the SLOs in mind. They practiced creating connections between the SLOs, activities, and assessments as part of their routine activities. The backward model was followed, where assessments for the SLOs were designed first, followed by the teaching and learning activities. They started changing their practices by reviewing, critiquing, and remaking SLOs, showing their agency and autonomy. This change, however, requires systemic support, encouragement, accountability, and opportunities to grow and sustain. The study concludes that collaborative, contextual, practice-based, and curriculum-focused professional development can positively change teachers’ practices and beliefs. The research contributes to existing knowledge by highlighting the importance of a context-sensitive, practice-based, and collaborative professional development model that promotes teachers as change agents.

First Page

1

Last Page

113

This document is available in the relevant AKU library.

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