What really happens inside literacy classrooms? A critical analysis of early English Literacy practices across public and private schools in Karachi

Date of Award

2025

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

This study is guided by a main research question, “What really happens inside English literacy classrooms? A critical Analysis of Early Literacy Practices across Public and Private Schools in Karachi”. It examines the current English literacy practices being implemented across different schools in Karachi, Pakistan. The study is grounded in post-positivist paradigm and seeks to get first-hand real time information on the literacy practices instead of depending solely on teacher reported data to eliminate biases. Using structured observation, the data were collected from six schools representing both government and private systems. A minute-by-minute time sampling tool was adapted from previous research to record the activities of teachers and learners in real-time. The study examines all the four English literacy skills; reading, writing, listening and speaking to examine the quality of literacy input that the Pakistani classrooms are provided with. The collected data was examined in two ways; descriptive and comparative while establishing inter rater reliability to ensure consistency. 
The study findings highlight that indicate that early literacy classrooms in both public and private schools of Karachi provide a comparable spectrum of literacy practices across public and private schools in Karachi with more inclination towards traditional teacher-centred approaches. Richer, more interactive experiences were either observed rarely or were completely absent. These findings highlight the need for more balanced approach that encourages collaboration, and critical engagement in young learners alongside nurturing creativity and independence in them. Where public schools focussed on whole-class instruction and while private schools offered more opportunities for independent work in alone setting, reading and writing practices were common across both public and private schools.  Listening and speaking practices reflected divergences across public and private schools where public schools’ students are more likely to enhance listening skills through teacher instructions and peer conversations, while private schools expose them to varied voices such as audios, and praising students. Teacher activities also indicated differences, with public school teachers spending substantial time reading aloud, while private school teachers showed inclination towards observing and praising students. Altogether, both the systems do not provide sufficient input to promote the acquisition of English literacy. The study underscores the need for professional development of teachers in early literacy and suggests policy interventions to promote equitable and effective literacy instruction in early years’ classrooms across Karachi.

First Page

1

Last Page

110

This document is available in the relevant AKU library.

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