Hamdard Educus

Peace and Conflict in Two Friends: A Naturalistic Short Story

Youssef Loumim — 2025-01-29

As a mover and shaker man of letters, the French short story writer Guy de Maupassant penned hundreds of groundbreaking stories, yet sundry of them are still eclipsed owing to the rarity of reviews. Two Friends (1882), one of his eloquent works, is a pertinent case which is worth reading and analyzing. As a result, this article comes to terms with Two Friends to uncover the story’s narrative structure, point of view, setting dimensions, historical context, style, and symbolism to cognize readers about the significance of this piece of work that comes to grips with two dialectical phenomena which are peace and brutality. These juxtapositional facts in human nature explicate how realistic literature in the 19^th century represented societies by shedding light on divergent issues in Two Friends and conversing about the impulse that thrusts Guy de Maupassant to talk about the faith of two commoners living in Paris. This will inform us about how war is sometimes the repercussion of foolish decisions or human greed while innocent human beings are the overt victims who pay a heavy price.

Environmental Factors Causing Stress in Primary School Teachers in Pakistan: Effects and Coping strategies

Rabia Nauman — 2025-01-29

Primary school teachers often experience high levels of work-related stress. In the teaching profession, stress arises from undesirable events associated with the job, which negatively affect teachers’ physical health and emotional well-being. Excessive stress impacts not only teachers’ performance but also compromises their mental health, leading to outcomes such as anxiety, frustration, or depression. This qualitative study aims to explore the causes of stress, examine its effects, and document the coping strategies employed by teachers. Nine primary school teachers from grades III, IV, and V, working in an elite private school in Karachi, participated in the study. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured individual interviews, focusing on identifying stressors, understanding the impact of stress, and revealing the coping mechanisms used by the teachers. The findings highlight that environmental stressor such as excessive workload, unfavourable organizational policies, student behavioural issues, limited resources, and lack of support from parents and school leadership as key contributors to stress. Additionally, the study reveals that teachers often struggle with adopting effective coping mechanisms, resulting in behavioural and psychological challenges. This research underscores the need for supportive school environments and institutional strategies to mitigate stress and promote the well-being and professional development of teachers.

Exploring factors contributing to the performance of prospective teachers of pre-service teacher education programmes in the external examination: A case study

Gillian Ann Rodrigues — 2025-01-29

Assessment plays a pivotal role in the academic life of a student. External examination systems are intended to maintain standardization. Examinations perform the task of an appraisal of student performance. Within the backdrop of valuing diversity and equity, it is imperative to work towards helping all students succeed. Several factors influence student performance in examinations. These include entry grades, support from family, performance in previous examinations, language skills, test anxiety, study effort, among others (Burnham & Makienko, 2017; Al-Hussaini & Shukor, 2022)). However, some of these factors either facilitate and/or impede student performance at the examinations. The participants in this study were attending a teacher education programme where 40% of their grade is determined internally while 60% of their grade is determined through external exams at the degree awarding university. Understanding these factors required an understanding of multiple realities and varied perspectives; hence, the case study method by Merriam was employed. Data were collected through a questionnaire and interviews that were conducted with the participants. Findings revealed that the students’ experiences of assembly, pastoral care and English support classes at the institute contributed to their global personal growth. Moreover, factors such as the exam paper preparation, levels of thinking being assessed, and invigilation practices emerged as impeding factors in their performance at the examination. Recommendations include language as well as other support classes such as academic literacy that need to be made a compulsory part of the curriculum. Further, there is need for non-academic support services as well.

Social Context as a Source of Teaching-Learning Process: A Qualitative Study in District Mohmand Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Syed Rambel Shah — 2025-01-29

Social interaction exerts an immense impact on the process of teaching and learning. A student cannot educationally survive in a social vacuum. The holistic and overall development can only occur in a vital and potent social environment. This qualitative study aimed to investigate how social context affects the overall development of students. This study highlighted the role of teachers and peers in the classroom, as well as the role of society outside the school, in fostering the learning and socialization process of the students. A case study as a method of inquiry was employed to gain an in-depth understanding of the problem. The purposive sampling technique was used for the collection of data through semi-structured interviews. The total number of respondents was fifteen; five teachers who were well versed in the field of education and social work, and ten students who were the topper of five public sector schools in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination, 2023-24. The collected data was properly reduced by elimination of redundancy and thematically analyzed. This study revealed that society has have the grave effects on the socialization of the students. The interaction of teachers, their teaching techniques, their cooperative behavior, the impact of ICT on students, proper utilization of leisure time, and morality as a master value were revealed by the teacher respondents of the study. The students’ reflections were about their social ordeals, skills of social relation, learning disability, coping with stress, and some cooperation as well as some grievances from society. Deficient communication skills and negligent teaching practices can contribute to the expansion of learning disabilities in students within an oppressive classroom environment. The study recommends that home-school relationships and parental involvement should be given due importance.

Investigating the Impact of the Smart Classroom Approach on Girls' Education: Challenges and Opportunities at BUETK

Dr.Kiran Hashmi — 2025-01-29

Girls' education is crucial for personal empowerment and the socio-economic development of a nation. In the digital era, technology has transformed the teaching and learning process, making education more accessible and interactive. Smart classrooms, as technologically advanced learning environments, have been introduced in various universities across Pakistan to enhance educational outcomes. However, the effective integration of technology in these classrooms requires students, especially girls, to be technologically literate. This study explores the impact of the smart classroom approach on girls' education, with a particular focus on their learning experiences, challenges, and levels of engagement. Utilizing a qualitative research design, it employs focused group interviews with 15 female students from computer science and education disciplines at Balochistan University of Engineering and Technology Khuzdar (BUETK). The findings highlight that while smart classrooms offer significant benefits for future education delivery, their success depends on comprehensive teacher training and curriculum redesign for sustainable technology integration. Additionally, technological literacy among female students has improved, enabling them to engage more effectively in learning. However, challenges such as limited infrastructure, insufficient teacher training, and socio-cultural barriers persist, particularly in regions like Khuzdar, Balochistan.