Abstract

Pakistan is paying special attention to its educational system and training of the teachers to improve the quality of teaching as a profession. One of the most highlighted elements in this educational development is the quality teaching practices in terms of National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST).Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis techniques were applied to analyze the comparison between teachers and head-teachers’ perceptions of NPST. Through simple random sampling technique 30 head-teachers (15 males and 15 females) and 300 teachers (150 males and 150 females) were selected. Two questionnaires were developed to assess the teachers and head-teachers’ perceptions about NPSTs. The results revealed that comparatively female teachers who were more qualified and experienced were recently hired teachers who knew about National Professional Standards, were more enthusiastic about how to practice these standards in comparison to the teachers who had joined this profession in the late 80’s and 90’s.  

Key Words

NPST, Teachers, Head-Teachers, Secondary Level

Introduction

Education is the key factor and the integral variable which affirms the status of a nation or country as ethically sound and socially civilized in the world. Education offers us a profound understanding of how to enhance or improve a nation on academic and intellectual grounds. Teacher is the founding stone whom the entire process of education counts upon and he, along with the other managing academicians, is solely responsible for the entire process of nation building in the true sense of meaning (Minhas, 2012). The ever-increasing interest of the educational world has expected to be geared up for the professional development of teachers. The idea of engaging teachers has been changed throughout the world. An entirely new concept has been introduced for presenting teacher assessment and accreditation, framework to evaluate the individual and expert skills of the educators.

Several studies have been conducted during the previous two decades that are directly linked with teachers’ effectiveness to students’ learning skills and objectives  (Darling-Hammond, 2008). Educationists usually lay special emphasis on students’ sound knowledge, learning and intellectual development. They also consider continuous professional growth, collaborative learning and relationships as key characteristics. In addition, it is flattering more and more and obviously that is the impact of teacher’s excellence. Education could be observed upon student’s learning for the years to come even if not having a direct contact with an individual teacher (Mendro, 1998). For this reason, drastic measures have been taken up to guarantee optimum quality in teaching and learning.

National Professional Standard for Teachers in Pakistan
National Professional Standards for Teachers in Pakistan, was launched by the Policy and Planning Wing, Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad, (2009) . The National Education Census (NEC) 2005 information and a number of research  demonstrates that professional planning of instructors in Pakistan is not one or the other standardized nor based on satisfactory proficient measures. The NEC information demonstrates that 26% of instructors within the workforce are untrained, 37% have as it were simply preparing at the PTC and CT levels, 44% have not completed indeed 12 years essential instruction. These constitute by any degree, slightest qualities instructors, detailed indeed a more terrible picture of proficient capabilities of instructors at the essential level, whereas it was 21% have completed B.Ed. and M.Ed. degrees. Pakistan  may be a creating nation of the world. On the off chance that Pakistan has a point to end up the developed country of the world, at that point Pakistan should reshape its instructive infrastructure. Pakistan should design such an infrastructure of instruction from kindergarten to postgraduate level that incorporates a profitable character. Quality instructing exercise and quality instructive framework is not conceivable without dedicated and qualified instructors from kindergarten to matriculation. The teachers  ought to have multi characteristics so that they can persuade learners to quality learning and educating. Quality learning can as it were be conceivable in the event that the instructors are genuine proficient and they are prepared to convey at any level.


Standard 1: Subject Matter Knowledge
Teachers  should continuously be commonplace with the information of subject matter knowledge. Educator ought to continuously plan such exercises for all the learners who are concurring to the educational modules or standard of the substance information. (Peters, 1981) stated that In the event that anything is to be respected as particular planning for instructing learners, the need must be given to an intensive establishing in something to instruct. That subject matter  knowledge is a basic component of instructor information is not one or the other an  unused  nor a Questionable explanation. After all, in case educating learners involves making a difference others learn, at that point understanding what is to be instructed may be a central necessity of instructing. The endless assignments of instructing, such as selecting beneficial learning exercises, providing supportive clarifications, inquiring beneficial questions, and assessing learners skills, all depend on the educator's understanding of what it is that learners have to memorize and understand. According to Buchmann (1984), it would be odd to anticipate an instructor to arrange a lesson on, for the occasion, composing reports in science and to assess related learner assignments, in case that educator is uninformed around composing around almost science, and does not get it what learner advance in composing science reports might mean (p. 32). Helping learners learn subject matter includes more than the conveyance of realities and data. The objective of educating learners is to help learners in creating mental assets to empower them to take part in, not only to know around, the major spaces of human thought . These incorporate the past and its connection to the present; the real world; the thoughts, reliance, and values of our possess and other people groups; the measurements of space and amount; representation and aesthetics; and so on. Understanding involves being able to utilize mental thoughts and abilities as devices to pick up control over each day, real-world issues. Learners ought to see themselves, either alone or in participation with others, as able to figure out things of utilizing mathematics  to characterize and reason through an issue; of following down the roots of the current social approach; of translating a lyric or story, of understanding how physical powers work; of reproducing in composing a feeling, thought, or encounter. They ought to both be able and slanted to challenge the claims in a politician's discourse, to form a sense of and criticize introductions of measurable data, and to compose a viable letter to the editor. A conceptual dominance of subject matter and the capacity to be basic of information itself can enable learners to be viable artists in their environment.


Standard 2: Human Growth and Development
Human growth and development is an exceptionally vital perspective of instructor proficient improvement. The information and application of human development and advancement in classroom instruction makes viable teaching. It is exceptionally imperative to gotten to be a competent instructor that one ought to know the components influencing on learner's execution, the assorted fashion of learning, and different ways of getting information and have the esteem to treat learners similarly. Educators ought to get it how youth and children create and  learn  in an assortment of school, family, and community settings and give openings that bolster passionate, physical, social, and passionate improvement (Government of Pakistan, 2009).


Standard 3: Instructional Planning and Strategies
Teachers  must have the cutting edge information of instructing strategies, methods, and audio-visual help so that instructors can plan such exercises for the learners which can enhance issue tackling and basic considering within the learners. Instructional planning may be a professional ability of the educator to see and foresee into long term learning the why and how of the educating learning strategy as stated by (Zulueta, 2006). Guidelines  are ought to be continuously considered  not as it were on the course but moreover on the requirements of the students. Another thing must be kept into consideration that all abilities of the learners are diverse and all instructional planning must be done accordingly . 


Knowledge of Islamic / Social Life Skills
Knowledge of social life and Islamic values are exceptionally critical for the instructors. As i and Islamic moral values bring worldwide and domestic/national peace, solidarity, and social alteration in society. The competent instructor is the one who continuously illustrates and practices social life skills throughout educating learners in the classroom. The information of Islamic values and social life abilities makes a difference. Educator must teach the Islamic code of conduct to instruct resistance, standards of Islamic philosophy within the texts books and to enhance the common values among learners. It moreover makes a difference to get it the social background of learners. With the assistance of these abilities, educators can successfully instruct and exchange information and abilities among learners in a superior way as stated by the   (Government of Pakistan, 2009).


Standard 4: Assessment
The instructor must assess student’s execution utilizing different procedures of evaluation. Instructors must decipher the outcome of that appraisal reasonably to enhance the learning of the learners. Evaluation strategies and prerequisites likely have a more prominent impact on how and what learners learn than any other figure. This impact might be of more prominent significance than the effect of instructing materials as explained by (Boud, 1992, p.39).Appraisal does more than distribute a review or degree classification to learners. It plays a major part in centering their consideration and, as Sainsbury & Walker (2007) observe, really drives their learning. Gibbs (2003) states that appraisal has six fundamental capacities:
• Capturing learners  time and consideration
• Producing suitable  learning activities for learners
• Providing timely input which learners pay consideration
• Helping learners to internalize the discipline’s guidelines and ideas of uniformity
• Generating marks or grades which recognize between learners or empower pass/fail
• Decisions to be made for future learning.
Giving prove for other outside the course to empower them to judge the suitability of guidelines on the course. Evaluation plays a number of parts in a student's life, a few of which they may be more mindful of than others. It is broadly acknowledged that students’ learning designs, instructive center, and assignment of time will be specifically impacted by evaluation.
The Quality of instruction in any level cannot be realized without quality instructor. Instructors are the key figure of the instruction framework and without an energetic, committed and well qualified educator it will be troublesome to have bewildering advancement in instruction division. In this manner, it is the requirement of the moment that prepared and professionally competent educators be accepted within the framework. But, on the other hand instructor advancement cannot be carried out in confinement. Being the individuals of society, instructors have to be taken into thought a few commitments from their families, institutions, and community as well. In this manner, instructor preparation ought to be considered at the side the improvement of a conducive environment for scholastics, as well as to inquire about the advancement within the instruction, explained by  (Hammon & Cobb, 1996). The proficient information of instructors is more often than not representative of their disposition.
It implies that the teachers’  states of mind, behavior and set of values is subordinate on their professional information. As far as the nature of the teachers is concerned,  the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE, 2001)  states that “dispositions are the values, commitments, and proficient morals that impact behaviors towards learners, families, colleagues, and communities that influence learners in learning, inspiration, and advancement as well as the educator’s claim proficient growth”. Within the same way Taylor & Wasicsko (2000) characterize it as the “personal qualities or characteristics that are had by people, counting states of mind, convictions, interface, values, modes of adjustments and appreciations”.

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to: 

1. Identify the levels of perceptions of Government secondary school teachers about National Professional Standards

2. Identify the levels of perceptions of Government secondary school head teachers about National Professional Standards 

3. Find out the difference between male and female teachers and head teachers’ perceptions regarding NPSTs in terms of their demographic variables (age, experience, gender, qualification)




Research Questions

The research questions of this study were: 

1. What are the levels of perceptions of Government secondary school teachers about National Professional Standards? 

2. What are the levels of perceptions of Government secondary school head teachers about National Professional Standards? 

3. What is the difference between male and female teachers and  head teachers’ perceptions regarding NPSTs in terms of their demographic variables (age, experience, gender, qualification)?




Delimitation

Due to limited time and resources this study was delimited to 15 government secondary schools (for boys and girls) teachers and head teachers of district Lahore. The study was also delimited five National Professional Standards for Teachers.  

Methodology

The nature of the study was quantitative. Population of this study was comprised of head teachers and teachers in the entire public sector secondary schools of Lahore district. At this time, there are 152 government boys’ secondary schools and 179 government girls’ secondary schools in Lahore in which 3544 male teachers and 5969 female teachers are working (School Education Department, 2017). At the first stage, since there were two strata (male and female secondary schools) in the population, so stratified random sampling technique was used to draw sample from each stratum. At the second stage, schools were selected using simple random sampling technique. At the third stage, principals and teachers was selected by using random sampling technique. Therefore, 30 principals (15 male and 15 female) and 300 teachers (150 male and 150 female) were selected.

In this study, two survey questionnaires were developed to collect data, first for the principals and the second for the teachers as per requirements of the study. These instruments contained closed-ended questions and open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions were developed at 5-Point Likert Scale ranging from ‘strongly agree (SA)’ to ‘strongly disagree (SDA).’ These tools were prepared by the researchers after reviewing the related literature. Demographic variables of first and second questionnaires were age, experience, gender and qualification. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis techniques were applied to analyze the data. Mean and standard deviations were calculated in the descriptive statistical analysis to evaluate the exact averages of the subjects in accordance with their demographic representations. Whereas descriptive and inferential statistics were used to find  the comparison between teachers’ and principals’ perception and command over National Professional Standards. One-way ANOVA and independent sample t-test were used on demographic variables like; age, experience, gender, qualification etc. 

Results

RQ1: What are the levels of perceptions of secondary school teachers and head teachers about NPST?

 

Table 1. Comparison of Male and Female Teachers and Head Teachers’ Perceptions about National Professional Standards at Secondary Level in Terms of Gender

Gender		Teachers’ Perception	Head Teachers’ Perception
Male	Mean SD N	101.57 7.75 145	57.94 9.11 15
Female	Mean SD N	105.09 7.38 155	60.72 57.94 15

 

Table 1 shows the mean scores and standard deviation to compare the mean scores of perceptions of male and female secondary school teachers and head teachers about national professional standards in terms of gender. According to the mean scores, it is indicated that mean scores of female teachers’ perception was higher (M=105.09, SD= 60.72) or advanced as compared to the mean scores (M= 101.57, SD= 57.94) of male teachers’ perception regarding national professional standards at secondary school level. Hence, it is concluded that female teachers emphasized more on using national professional standards as compared to the male teachers.

In the case of head teachers, female head teachers’ perception is high as compared to the male head teachers’ perception regarding NPSTs at secondary school level. Hence, it is concluded that female head teachers emphasized more on using NPSTs as compared to the male head teachers.

RQ2: What are the levels of perceptions of secondary school teachers and head teachers about NPST?

Table 2. Comparison between Male and Female Teachers and Head Teachers’ Perceptions about National Professional Standards at Secondary Level in Terms of Academic Qualification

Academic Qualification		Teachers’ Perception	Head Teachers’ Perception
B.A/B. Sc	Mean SD N	102.80 7.68 143	59.87 11.15 16
M.A/M. Sc	Mean SD N	103.77 7.99 123	57.36 8.73 11
M. Phil	Mean SD N	104.32 6.40 25	59.00 0.20 1
Ph. D.	Mean Median N	105.00 9.21 9	60.50 12.02 2

 

This table 2 illustrates that the mean scores and standard deviation to compare the perceptions of male and female secondary school teachers and head teachers about national professional standards in terms of their academic qualification. Mean scores indicated that teachers and head teachers’ perception having qualification Ph. D have high mean scores (M=105.00, SD= 60.50) as compared to the mean scores of teachers and head teachers having qualification (BA/B. Sc, MA/M. Sc and M. Phil) regarding NPSTs at secondary school level. Hence, it is concluded that teachers and head teachers having qualification PhD emphasized more as compared to the teachers and head teachers having qualification (BA/B. Sc., MA/M. Sc. and M. Phil) regarding NPSTs at secondary school level.

RQ3: What is the difference between male and female teachers and head teachers’ perceptions regarding NPST in terms of gender?

Table 3. Difference between Male and Female Teachers and Head Teachers’ Perceptions about National Professional Standards at Secondary Level in Terms of Gender

Variables	Gender	N	M	SD	t	df	Sig.
Teachers’ Perception	Male Female	145 155	105.09 101.57	7.38 7.75	4.01	298	0.000
Head Teachers’ Perception	Male Female	15 15	60.72 57.94	11.27 9.11	0.73	28	0.46

 

Table 3 indicates that an independent sample t-test was employed to compare the secondary school teachers and head teachers mean scores for the male (M=105.09, SD=7.38) and female (M=101.57, SD= 7.75) teachers’ perception about National Professional Standards for Teachers in terms of gender. There was significant mean difference existed between male and female teachers’ perceptions about NPSTs at p?0.05 level of significance. Hence, it was reflected that male and female teachers have different perceptions about national professional standards at p?0.05 level of significance.

As it is also shows that there was no significant mean difference existed between male and female head teachers’ mean scores (M= 60.72, SD= 11. 27) of perception regarding NPSTs at p?0.05 level of significance. Hence, it was reflected that no meaningful difference was found in the perceptions of male and female head teachers about NPSTs.

RQ4: What is the difference between male and female teachers and head teachers’ perceptions regarding NPST in terms of their age?

Table 4. Difference between Male and Female Teachers and Head Teachers’ Perceptions about National Professional Standards at Secondary Level in Terms of Age

 

Variables		df	Sum of Square	Mean Square	F	Sig.
Teachers’ Perception	Between Group Within Group Total	5 294 299	1000.40 16971.18 17971.58	200.08 57.72	3.46	0.005
Head Teachers’ Perception	Between Group Within Group Total	5 24 29	348.57 2472.39 2820.96	69.71 103.01	0.67	0.645

 

A one-way analysis of variance was found between male and female teachers and head teachers’ perceptions about national professional standards in terms of their age. This table shows that there was statistically significant difference at p? 0.05 level of significance between male and female teachers’ perception regarding national professional standards in terms of their age. Hence, it was concluded that significant difference was found in teachers’ perceptions about national professional standards regarding their age groups.

 In the case of head teachers there was statistically no significant difference at p? 0.05 level of significance between male and female head teachers’ perception regarding national professional standards in terms of their age. Hence, it was concluded that no significant difference was found in head teachers’ perceptions about national professional standards regarding their age groups.

RQ5: What is the difference between male and female teachers and head teachers’ perceptions regarding NPST in terms of their experience?

Table 5. Difference between Male and Female Teachers and Head Teachers’ Perceptions about National Professional Standards at Secondary Level in Terms of Experience

Variables		Df	Sum of Square	Mean Square	F	Sig.
Teachers’ Perception	Between Group Within Group Total	5 294 299	539.81 17431.76 17971.58	107.96 59.29	1.82	0.109
Head Teachers’ Perception	Between Group Within Group Total	3 26 29	31.87 2789.09 2820.96	10.62 107.27	0.09	0.960

 

A one-way analysis of variance was found between male and female teachers and head teachers’ perceptions about national professional standards in terms of their experience. This table shows that there was statistically no significant difference at p? 0.05 level of significance between male and female teachers and head teachers’ perception regarding national professional standards in terms of their experience. Hence, it was concluded that no significant difference was found in teachers and head teachers’ perceptions about national professional standards regarding their experience.

RQ6: What is the difference between male and female teachers and head teachers’ perceptions regarding NPST in terms of their academic qualification?

Table 6. Difference between Male and Female Teachers and Head Teachers’ Perceptions about National Professional Standards at Secondary Level in Terms of Academic Qualification

Variables		Df	Sum of Square	Mean Square	F	Sig.
Teachers’ Perception	Between Group Within Group Total	3 296 299	112.00 17859.58 17971.58	37.33 60.33	0.61	0.603
Head Teachers’ Perception	Between Group Within Group Total	3 26 29	46.17 2774.79 2820.96	15.39 106.72	0.14	0.932

 

A one-way analysis of variance was found between male and female teachers and head teachers’ perceptions about national professional standards in terms of their academic qualification. This table shows that there was statistically no significant difference at p? 0.05 level of significance between male and female teachers and head teachers’ perception regarding national professional standards in terms of their academic qualification. Hence, it was concluded that no significant difference was found in teachers and head teachers’ perceptions about national professional standards regarding their academic qualification.

Discussion

The main objective of the study was to investigate the male and female teachers and teachers’ perceptions regarding National Professional Standards for Teachers at secondary school level of district Lahore. Findings of the study showed that there was significant mean difference found between male and female students’ perceptions about National Professional Standard for Teachers. These findings are congruent with the previous findings (Ball, 2000; Clements, 2001). As the researcher was able to analyze the result it was apparent that female teacher were more qualified and experienced, furthermore, they know about National Professional Standards and how to imply them in comparison to the teachers who had joined this profession in late 80s and 90s’. According to a research conducted by Shakir (2012) in his study “secondary school teachers’ competencies based on National Professional Teaching Standards" 33.6% teachers were found at the level of developing teachers and 4.8% teachers were fully accomplished. NPST since then have emerged as the basic necessity for any teacher who wants to perform her job effectively and with quality. 

As Peterson (2007) supported that " there are many skills that children need in order to be successful in 21st century, the most important skills are; promote effective leadership, quality of teaching, ability to collaborate, critical thinking skills, oral presentation skills, written communication skills etc. and now after years of spreading awareness and the need to learn and follow NPST, this study  shows that may teachers are following the standards in order to create a better performance and effective teaching for their students. 

In this study not only, the importance of the education system is discussed but how it is changing rapidly and massively too. NPST not only helps the teachers to improve their quality teaching but is defined as the development of professional and career cycle occurring as the teacher moves his/her professional career (Glatton 1995) explained the importance of the standards now in a teacher's lives. As the results show many teachers already know and are following NPST intentionally and unintentionally too.  Afshan and Huma (2013) stated that teacher training in Pakistan is passing through a transitional era; and the institutions that imparting educational training to the teachers are developing curriculum for a period of 4-5 years which can explain better results from many previous studies which concluded that many teachers in Pakistan does not know what National Professional Teaching Standards are. The results of this study shows that teachers who are more experienced, qualified and aged know what NPST are and how to imply them more than the teachers who have started their professional careers and are new to it. When a teacher trains to improve the quality of his/her performance, he/her also helps in improving the quality of the institute they work in and in the teaching profession as a whole too. Therefore, teacher training should be considered together with the development of conducive environment for academics, as well as research and development in the education (Hammon & Cobb, 1996). 

Male and female teachers have different perceptions about NPSTs. The results are supported by Shakir (2012) who concluded that male teachers were more active in practicing NPSTs as compared to the female teachers. According to the age level the young teachers are more aware of NPSTs as compared to the teachers who were inducted in 19s (Messo, 2010).

That there was statistically no significant difference at p? 0.05 level of significance between male, female teachers and head teachers’ perception regarding National Professional Standards for Teachers  in terms of their experience. The results are supported by (Ganser, 2000) who concluded quality of teaching practices can be improved with the help of informal experiences (such as reading journal articles related to quality of teaching and watching documentaries which are related to an academic discipline) and formal experiences (such as organizing and attending professional symposium, workshops and meetings, mentoring and team teaching). 

There was statistically no significant difference at p? 0.05 level of significance between male and female teachers and head teachers’ perception regarding national professional standards in terms of their academic qualification. The study is supported by (Cochran, Smith & Lytle, 2001; Walling & Lewis, 2000) who said that with the passage of time, the quality of teaching practices of a teacher in classroom in the perspective of National Professional Standard for Teachers has been considered a long-term process that includes planned and mutual experiences of teachers and providing them regular opportunities to promote the quality teaching practices in classroom for the professional development of teachers. 

Conclusion and Recommendations

The researcher, with the help of descriptive and inferential statistical analysis techniques, was able to analyze the data collected from the teachers of government secondary school sector and the entire study reached this conclusion that many teachers intentionally or unintentionally knew about the National Professional Standards and they used them both in the classrooms and out of the classrooms in order to improve their processional teaching quality. Among newly hired teachers, females who are more qualified and experienced, than the hired teachers of the late 80’s and the 90’s, happened to know more about the standards. Newly inducted teachers followed the standards and had very clear concept of standards so they were found to be more enthusiastic about practicing these standards. 

 In the light of findings and conclusions, the following recommendations are given: 

1. Teacher training may not be limited to only the ethical rules. It should be relevant to each teacher’s subject and its practices. 

2. Every government school may organize monthly, if not weekly, in-service training programs for teachers to discuss their problems and concerns in the classroom. 

3. A meeting should be held outside of training programs to discuss the quality teaching and related problems with it.

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