JSE

Assessing the School Environment: A Study of Physical Condition and Science Teachers’ Perception in Multan

Matin Gul — 2025-12-18

The study evaluates the physical school environment of public secondary schools in the District Multan, Pakistan, against World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines by the perception of science teachers. The science teachers are chosen due to their qualifications in chemistry and biology, and their understanding of chemical and biological reaction of physical school environment. Recognizing by science teacher, that a school's physical condition is a critical determinant of student health, enrollment, and academic performance, this research assesses ten basic indicators, including waters’ quality, sanitation services, good hygiene practices, waste disposal, Conditions of building, and safety. Employing a mixed-methods convergent parallel design, data were collected from 158 schools via questionnaires for school heads and science teachers, supplemented by direct diary observations. While indicators like School security and waste disposal were relatively better, none met the international standard. The analysis also uncovered stark disparities, with urban schools demonstrating significantly better conditions than rural schools, and notable variations across different tehsils. The study also revealed that science teachers as respondents played a vital role as a critically, scientifically and significantly in study keeping in view their science subject knowledge. The study concludes that despite some progress, the physical infrastructure of schools in Multan falls considerably short of WHO standards, potentially hindering educational outcomes. It recommends the formal adoption of WHO guidelines, conducting comprehensive facility surveys, and implementing targeted programs to address the identified gaps, with a specific focus on improving water safety and sanitation, particularly in rural and female schools.

Effect of Graphical Advance Organizers on the Applying Skills of Grade Nine Biology Students

Saadia Gulzar — 2025-12-18

In the dawn of twenty-first century, the science content becomes increasingly complex, especially at secondary level, therefore, the need for cognitive tools to enhance comprehension and application becomes crucial. This research study seeks to find out the graphical advance organizers effect on the “applying” skills of grade nine biology students. This study involved two intact groups that is experimental and control. Quasi-Experimental design was used to compare and find out the achievement of the sample groups. The sample size of the study was 57 students. The total duration of study was eight weeks. Graphical advance organizers teaching method is employed for experimental group. Effect of the graphical advance organizers on the applying skills, was found by conducting a biology achievement test comprising of short questions and MCQS for measuring application skills as pre and post test which was taken by both groups at a specified time before and after the intervention.
The validation of the tool was done by ten science experts and then reliability was measured by using Cronbach’s Alpha which was 0.79. Data was analyzed by using t-test to determine whether the mean scores of both groups differ significantly or not. It was found from collected data that experimental group has more applying skills as compared to the control group in grade nine biology. Hence, it can be concluded that the use of graphical advance organizers in biology instruction positively influences
students’ ability to apply learned concepts. Therefore, it is recommended that Educators should integrate graphical advance organizers into biology teaching strategies to enhance students’ applying skills and overall academic performance.

Effect of Questioning Technique on Critical Thinking Skills in the Subject of Chemistry at Secondary Level

Muhammad Irfan — 2025-12-18

In contemporary science education, fostering students’ critical thinking has become a pedagogical imperative, yet classroom practices often rely on lower-order questioning that limits cognitive growth. The present study investigates the effect of questioning technique on the development of inference and argumentation skills among secondary school students in the subject of Chemistry in Federal Government Educational Institutions (Cantt. & Garrison), Kharian Region, District Gujrat. Guided by Bloom’s Taxonomy and constructivist learning theory, a quasi-experimental design was adopted involving 67 students of science of Grade 9 divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental group received instruction through structured higher-order questioning strategy for six
weeks, while the control group experienced traditional teacher-led instruction. Pre- and post-tests measuring two critical thinking dimensions inference and argumentation were administered. Statistical analysis using independent t-test revealed significant improvement in the experimental group’s overall critical thinking performance, particularly in inference, deduction and interpretation domains. These findings affirm that well designed questioning frameworks can transform science teaching from
rote learning to active inquiry. The study provides empirical support for integrating questioning-based pedagogies into Chemistry education and highlights the need for professional development programs that train teachers in promoting higher-order thinking across secondary science curricula.

Gender Based Study: Science Processing Skills of Eight Grade Students in Government and Private Schools of Muzaffarabad

Kashif Khursheed — 2025-12-18

The current research aims to examine 8th-grade students’ science processing skills in Muzaffarabad’s Government and Private schools. The nature of the study was quantitative. A random sampling strategy was used to select 20 schools (10 private and 10 Government). There were 140 students in the sample, 70 of whom were male and the remaining 70 were female. From 70 male students, 35 students were drawn from five Government schools, with seven students from each school, and the same process was used for selecting the female students from five private schools. An achievement test containing
questions of basic Science Process Skills was used as a research instrument. As a research instrument, an achievement test was used. So, for developing an achievement test science book of class 8th was studied by researcher, and many websites too. After these activities, an achievement test initial draft was developed by the researcher with the help of a respected supervisor. An achievement test comprised of six fundamental Science Process Skills. Observing, Classifying, Measuring, Communicating, Inferring, Predicting. For comparing the achievement test results, the Independent Sample t-test was used. When comparing more than two groups in this study, one ANOVA was
used. Results of this research showed that the female students were better on science process skills compared to male science students. And the levels of private schools’ performances were higher than the performances of the Government schools with respect to science processing skills.

Using Item Response Theory to Develop and Validate Item Bank in Elementary Grade Mathematics

Muazzam Dildar — 2025-12-18

In Pakistan, educational institutions use a variety of assessments, of which tests are the most often used type at all levels. The creation of item banks is one of the contemporary test trends. The development and validation of an item bank in mathematics for elementary-grade pupils was the aim of this study. The study's approach was quantitative, and a math test for grade 8 was created using a table of specifications. Initially, the test had 150 items. After applying item difficulty and discrimination index, 36 items were excluded due to poor values on these indices. The way these items were changed, the discrimination index and difficulty level of 18 items were both fairly good. Due to the regulated difficulty level and discrimination index, 96 items were also included. In the end, the researchers obtained 114 items for the study's target audience, which was intended to be administered to 720 Grade 8 pupils in the Lahore division. ConQuest software was used to evaluate the data, and it was discovered that 33 of the items were good, 31 were fair, 30 were put in the poor grade category, and 22 were eliminated. These resources can help teachers better prepare Grade 8 pupils for the Punjab Examination Commission. To enhance the value of assessment, item bank may be developed for all
educational levels.