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NAVIGATING THE SHIFT FROM TESTING TO TRACKING: A QUALITATIVE INQUIRY INTO TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES ON INTEGRATED LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT IN PAKISTANI HIGHER EDUCATION
Abstract
Abstract
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has also ordered structural changessimilar to the world changing paradigm of higher education from summative “testing” to continuous“tracking” through the implementation of semester system. But little research has been done on thepedagogical realities of teachers in this transition. This qualitative phenomenological study wasconducted to gain insight into the experiences, perceptions, and issues of university educators who useintegrated learning and assessments. Purposive sampling was used and in-depth semi-structuredinterviews were carried out with 14 faculty members from public and private universities in Pakistan.A reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The results indicated four main themesnamely: (a) high conceptual dissonance in which tracking is seen as frequent summative testing; (b)recognized pedagogical affordances of tracking as it is implemented; (c) overwhelming logisticalburden on implementing continuous assessment in large overcrowded classes; and (d) inflexiblesystemic barriers with no institutional support. The result of the study is that at present changing testingto tracking in Pakistan is a matter of compliance rather than a real pedagogical change. In order toinitiate a real reform of education, university leadership has to focus on capacity development,reorganisation of workloads of faculty members and focused professional development.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has also ordered structural changessimilar to the world changing paradigm of higher education from summative “testing” to continuous“tracking” through the implementation of semester system. But little research has been done on thepedagogical realities of teachers in this transition. This qualitative phenomenological study wasconducted to gain insight into the experiences, perceptions, and issues of university educators who useintegrated learning and assessments. Purposive sampling was used and in-depth semi-structuredinterviews were carried out with 14 faculty members from public and private universities in Pakistan.A reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The results indicated four main themesnamely: (a) high conceptual dissonance in which tracking is seen as frequent summative testing; (b)recognized pedagogical affordances of tracking as it is implemented; (c) overwhelming logisticalburden on implementing continuous assessment in large overcrowded classes; and (d) inflexiblesystemic barriers with no institutional support. The result of the study is that at present changing testingto tracking in Pakistan is a matter of compliance rather than a real pedagogical change. In order toinitiate a real reform of education, university leadership has to focus on capacity development,reorganisation of workloads of faculty members and focused professional development.