Gender Differences in Urdu (language) Reading: Evidence from the USAID Funded Pakistan Reading Project (PRP) for Early Grade Students.

Muneer Ahmed; Batool Atta; Naveed Sarwar

doi:10.30971/jecce.v8i2.2605

Authors

Muneer Ahmed Institute of Education, University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, Pakistan
Batool Atta Institute of Education, University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, Pakistan
Naveed Sarwar Department of English, University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30971/jecce.v8i2.2605

Keywords:

Gender Differences, Reading Achievement, Reading Comprehension, Pakistan Reading Project (PRP), Early Grade Reading

Abstract

This study aims to explore gender-based differences in reading achievement among elementary students in selected PRP schools in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K), Pakistan. Based on descriptive experimental design, data were collected from a stratified random sample of 120 girls and 120 boys in grade II in PRP schools in Muzaffarabad. A reading achievement test was adapted from PRP assessment tools – nine questions addressing lower to higher-order reading skills – was administered. The results were analyzed using PRP’s categorization system specifically developed for Urdu reading assessment of grade II. The study finds no statistically significant gender differences in lower to higher-order reading skills achievement, with boys marginally outperforming girls. Contrary to global trends, gender was not found to be a significant variable in reading achievement in this context. Both genders showed low performance in comprehension, highlighting substantial gaps in the implementation of the PRP initiative. These findings have critical implications for education policy and practice in Pakistan, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to enhance the effectiveness of foreign-funded educational programs like PRP to address persistent challenges in reading comprehension.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Annual Status of Education Report (2010) Education in Pakistan. [online]: http://aser.com.pk/districtdirectory/

ASER Pakistan. (2019). *Annual Status of Education Report*. ASER Pakistan. Retrieved from http://www.aserpakistan.org/

Balducci, M. (2023). Linking gender differences with gender equality: A systematic-narrative literature review of basic skills and personality. Frontiers in Psychology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1105234

Brantmeier, C. (2004). Gender, violence-oriented passage content, and reading in a second language. The Reading Matrix, 4.2, 1–19.

Byrnes, J. P., & Wasik, B. A. (2009). Solving Problems in the Teaching of Literacy. Guilford Press

Chiu, M. M., & McBride-Chang, C. (2006). Gender, context, and reading: A comparison of students in 43 countries. Scientific Studies of Reading, 10.4, 331–362. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532799xssr1004_1

Coles, M., & Hall, C. (2002). Gendered readings: Learning from children's reading choices. Journal of Research in Reading, 25.1, 96–108. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9817.00161

Dwyer, C. A. (1974). Influence of children's sex-role standards on reading and arithmetic achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 66.6, 811–816. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/h0021522

Espinoza, A. M., & Strasser, K. (2020). Is readitng a feminine domain? The role of gender identity and stereotypes in reading motivation in Chile. Social Psychology of Education, 23(3), 861-890. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-020-09571-1

Fahim, M., Barjesteh, H., & Vaseghi, R. (2012). Effects of critical thinking strategy training on male/female EFL learners' reading comprehension. Advances in Asian Social Science (AASS), 5.1, 140–146. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v5n1p140

Gambrell, L., & Marinak B. (2010). Reading Motivation: Exploring the Elementary Gender Gap. Literacy Research and Instruction, 49: 129–141. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19388070902803795

Logan, S. and Johnston, R. (2009) Gender Differences in Reading Ability and Attitudes: Examining Where These Differences Lie. Journal of Research in Reading, 32, 199-214. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9817.2008.01389.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9817.2008.01389.x

Logan, S., & Johnston, R. S. (2010). Investigating gender differences in reading. Educational Review, 62.2, 175–187. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911003637006

Lovenburg, N. (2017, Feb 28). *Bridging the gender gap in education and reading in Pakistan*. Creative Associates International. Retrieved from https://www.creativeassociatesinternational.com/stories/bridging-gender-gap-education-reading-pakistan/

Lynd, D. (2007). *Education and inequality in Pakistan*. Islamabad: Sustainable Development Policy Institute.

Maccoby E. E., & Jacklin, C. N. (1974). The psychology of sex difference. Stanford University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9781503620780

Malik, A. B., & Amin, N. (2014). Pakistan Education for All: Review Report, 2015. Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, Academy of Education Planning and Management.

Malik, R., Rose, P., & Singh, R. (2014). *Barriers to basic education in conflict-affected areas of Pakistan*. Islamabad: Society for the Advancement of Education.

Malik, R., Rose, P., & Singh, R. (2015). *The political economy of education in Pakistan*. Islamabad: Society for the Advancement of Education.

Meece, J. L., Bower, G. B., & Burg, S. (2006). Gender and motivation. Journal of School Psychology, 44, 351–373. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2006.04.004

Millard, E. (1997). Differently literate: gender identity and the construction of the developing reader. Gender and Education, 9.1, 31–48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09540259721439

One in five rural Pakistani children out of school. https://theirworld.org/news/fifth-of-rural-pakistan-children-out-of-school-rest-not-learning-aser-report / Accessed 3/23/2023.

Pakistan - gender gap in education and reading - Creative. https://www.creativeassociatesinternational.com/stories/bridging-gender-gap-education-reading-pakistan/ Accessed 3/23/2023.

Pakistan - Ratio Of Female To Male Primary Enrollment - 2023 Data 2024 .... https://tradingeconomics.com/pakistan/ratio-of-female-to-male-primary-enrollment-percent-wb-data.html Accessed 3/23/2023.

Pakistan | Education Statistics | CEIC - CEIC Data. https://www.ceicdata.com/en/pakistan/education-statistics Accessed 3/23/2023.

Pakistan PK: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Primary School Enrollment .... https://www.ceicdata.com/en/pakistan/education-statistics/pk-gender-parity-index-gpi-primary-school-enrollment-gross. Accessed 3/23/2023.

Pakistan Reading Project - World Learning. https://www.worldlearning.org/program/pakistan-reading-project/ Accessed 3/23/2023.

Ratio Of Female To Male Primary Enrollment - 2023 Data 2024 .... https://tradingeconomics.com/pakistan/ratio-of-female-to-male-primary-enrollment-percent-wb-data.html Accessed 3/23/2023.

Reilly, D., Neumann, D. L., & Andrews, G. (2019). Gender Differences in Reading and Writing Achievement: Evidence From the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). American Psychologist, 74(4), 445-458. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000356

Rianto, A. (2021). Examining gender differences in reading strategies, reading skills, and English proficiency of EFL University students. Cogent Education, 8(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2021.1993531

School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI .... https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ENR.PRIM.FM.ZS?locations=PK Accessed 3/23/2023.

Sindh lags behind other provinces in primary-level learning: Aser. https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/623883-sindh-lags-behind-other-provinces-in-primary-level-learning-aser. Accessed 3/23/2023.

Sotoudehnama, E., & Asadian, M. (2011). The effect of gender-oriented content familiarity and test type on reading comprehension. The Journal of Teaching Language Skills, 3.2, 155–179.

Thomas, D. P., Hopwood, B., Hatisaru, V., & Hicks, D. (2022). Gender differences in reading and numeracy achievement across the school years. The Australian Educational Researcher. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-022-00583-8

USAID. Pakistan Reading Project (PRP). USAID. Retrieved from https://www.usaid.gov/pakistan/education

USAID-FUNDED "PAKISTAN READING PROJECT" CONCLUDES AFTER IMPROVING THE .... https://pk.usembassy.gov/usaid-funded-pakistan-reading-project-concludes-after-improving-the-reading-skills-of-1-7-million-pakistani-school-children/ Accessed 3/23/2023.

USAID-funded Pakistan Reading Project. (2017). Reading for Girls and Boys: A National Study of Gender Gaps and Opportunities in Pakistan. USAID. https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00WS4W.pdf

World Bank. (2019). School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) [Data set]. The World Bank Group. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ENR.PRIM.FM.ZS?locations=PK

Young, D. J., & Oxford, R. (1997). A gender-related analysis of strategies used to process input in the native language and a foreign language. Applied Language Learning, 8, 43–73.