Course: Teaching of Pakistan Studies (6511)

ASSIGNMENT No.1

SUBMITTED BY

Ammara Abbas

PROGRAMME: MA Education

Student ID: 0000263773

SEMESTER: Autumn2022

ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY

Islamabad
Q.1 Discuss the nature and need of Pakistan Studies and further elaborte the
relation with other subjects.

PAKISTAN Studies is a subject that targets upgrading understudies' information

about history, culture and geology of Pakistan and to teach positive energy in the
hearts of understudies so they might turn into a productive member of society.

In spite of the fact that Pakistan Review is a mandatory subject from Class IX up to
the college level, it's obviously true that large numbers of the understudies know
nothing about significant verifiable figures and occasions.

Regardless of whether they know some, it's simply the names of a portion of the
renowned characters and not the insights concerning their accomplishments, life
and reasons for progress or defeat.

The books on Pakistan Investigations of various levels cover the points which are
rehashed in every one of them.

There is compelling reason need to show those chose subjects at each level. Rather
the need is to incorporate more subjects, which could be educational, as well as
helpful, for the understudies.

Other than history, there ought to be subjects of recent concerns and issues which
our nation is presently confronting.

Basic liberties and its significance should be educated to destroy social disasters
and issues which our nation is confronting.

In addition, the substance introduced in the book shouldn't form understudies to

become extremist and parochial. Points ought to be to open the personnel to
acknowledge past indiscretions and figure out how to correct the missteps.
This would make edification in understudies and urge them to get what their
predecessors didn't accomplish.

Course books genuinely must are liberated from inculcation and any sort of
inclination or generalizing and ought to give undeniable realities and figures.

This doesn't imply that course books ought to just hold back statistical data points,
rather they ought to be introduced in a fascinating manner so understudies
appreciate learning and understanding books.

It ought to make and foster interest towards the subject and assist with broadening
their standpoints and open new vistas of information. There ought to be various
inquiries, as well as exercises, for students so they can learn with fun.

References and sources should be given in the books for additional review.

Q.2 Highlight the objectives of teaching Pakistan studies at Elementary level.

Pakistan studies curriculum is the nameof a curriculum of academic research and

study that encompasses
the culture, demographics, geography, history, International
Relations and politics of Pakistan. The subject is widely researched in and outside
the country, though outside Pakistan it is typically part of a broader South Asian
studies or some other wider field. Several universities in Pakistan have
departments and research centers dedicated to the subject, whereas many
independent research institutes carry out multidisciplinary research on Pakistan
Studies. There are also a number of international organizations that are engaged
in collaborative teaching, research, and exchange activities on the subject.
International organizations

As the second largest South Asian country, and one of the major actors in the
politics of the Muslim world, Pakistan is a focus of multidisciplinary
studies. Various universities in the United States and the United Kingdom have
research groups busy in academic and research related activities on Pakistan
Studies. One such example is the American Institute of Pakistan Studies (AIPS) at
the University of Wisconsin–Madison, established since 1973. An affiliate of
the Association for Asian Studies, the institute regularly holds events such as
seminars, public lectures, and conferences on various topics related to the
Pakistan Studies. It also offers annual international fellowships for the research on
materials relating to the history and culture of Pakistan.

In April 2004, AIPS organized an international workshop on the Salt

Range Culture Zone of Pakistan at the University of Pennsylvania and the
University of Wisconsin–Madison. The event provided the international audience
with an opportunity to understand the archaeological and architectural heritage of
the country.

Another academic initiative is the British Association for Pakistan Studies that was
established in 1989. The forum has wider views on the topic than the
common historiographical contexts, and encourages research and dialogue that
involves both the academics and practitioners. The forum acknowledges that the
topic has not received the sort of individual attention that the country and its
society deserve, and therefore strives to increase international awareness on the
subject.

There are also larger multinational and multicultural organizations that provide
pluralist platforms for the discussions and debates on Pakistan Studies within the
wider contexts of Asia. The Asia Foundation, for example, has launched specific
projects for a diverse understanding of the subject through actions on local
governance, civil society, human rights, and healthcare as well as political,
economic, judicial, and foreign relations.[

Curriculum

Pakistan Studies is one of the few heritage subjects for O-

level[ and IGCSE qualifications governed by Cambridge International
Examinations. The syllabus covers Pakistan's history, cultural heritage, national
identity, geography, economy, and environment, as well as the challenges and
opportunities faced by the country

In Pakistan

In Pakistan, the subject is one of the three compulsory courses (along with
the Urdu and English language courses) at the Secondary School and Higher
Secondary school levels of education. It is also taught as a degree course at most
of the Social Science departments in many universities. There are also university
departments dedicated to the education and research in Pakistan Studies.

Many of these departments provide degree programmes for in-depth studies, as

well as research facilities for MPhil and PhD scholars. Courses broadly range
from the history, politics and linguistics to the country's geography and economics,
and from foreign affairs and religion studies to the social relations
and literature. The focused attention on the subject at higher education levels
means a wider scope for the research, thus making the subject an
increasingly interdisciplinary one.

Curriculum issues

The variable political history of Pakistan shows the country being ruled alternately
by the civilian and military leaderships. This lack of political succession has had
its effects on the way the history was depicted in the curricula of Pakistan Studies
until 2006, which increasingly portrayed what Rubina Saigol termed as
'glorification of military'. However, the occasional attempts to alter the historical
texts did not escape criticisms from the academics and scholars in Pakistan and
abroad. Historian Ayesha Jalal in her 1995 article also raised concerns over the
trends of official historiography in Pakistan's history textbooks.

Yvette Rosser, in an article based on her PhD thesis, regards such curriculum as a
composite of patriotic discourses. She identifies significant defects, inherent
contradictions and inaccurate information within educational syllabus in general
and the Pakistan Studies textbooks in particular. In 2003, Sustainable
Development Policy Institute in Pakistan published a report that had emerged from
a survey of text books of Urdu, English, Social Studies and Civics subjects being
taught at the secondary and higher secondary school levels. The survey identified
inaccuracies of fact and omissions that appeared to distort the significance of
actual events in the country's history. Some of the prominent issues included the
lack of understanding towards the civil society, religious diversity, and gender
relations. The report recommended for major structural reforms and establishment
of a National Education Advisory Board to centralise the curriculum development
and carry out regular revisions.

About the international perception of the subject, Burzine Waghmar of the School
of Oriental and African Studies argues that Pakistan Studies is increasingly
perceived with sonorous sessions on weapons control, civil unrest, bonded
labour, gender inequality and the like. These issues are considered among major
hurdles to the wider international interest in the subject. Waghmar concludes that
Pakistan and India, among other oriental societies, are plagued by
visceral nationalism and post-imperial neurosis where state-sanctioned dogmas
suppress eclectic historical readings.

According to the Sustainable Development Policy Institute report 'Associated with

the insistence on the Ideology of Pakistan has been an essential component of hate
against India and the Hindus. For the upholders of the Ideology of Pakistan, the
existence of Pakistan is defined only in relation to Hindus, and hence the Hindus
have to be painted as negatively as possible. A 2005 report by the National
Commission for Justice and Peace a non profit organization in Pakistan, found
that Pakistan Studies textbooks in Pakistan have been used to articulate the hatred
that Pakistani policy-makers have attempted to inculcate towards the Hindus.
'Vituperative animosities legitimise military and autocratic rule, nurturing a siege
mentality. Pakistan Studies textbooks are an active site to represent India as a
hostile neighbour' the report stated. 'The story of Pakistan's past is intentionally
written to be distinct from, and often in direct contrast with, interpretations of
history found in India. From the government-issued textbooks, students are taught
that Hindus are backward and superstitious.' Further the report stated 'Textbooks
reflect intentional obfuscation. Today's students, citizens of Pakistan and its future
leaders are the victims of these partial truths'.

An editorial in Pakistan's oldest newspaper Dawn commenting on a report in The

Guardian on Pakistani Textbooks noted 'By propagating concepts such as jihad,
the inferiority of non-Muslims, India's ingrained enmity with Pakistan, etc., the
textbook board publications used by all government schools promote a mindset
that is bigoted and obscurantist. Since there are more children studying in these
schools than in madrassahs the damage done is greater. '

According to the historian Professor Mubarak Ali, textbook reform in Pakistan

began with the introduction of Pakistan Studies and Islamic studies by Zulfiqar Ali
Bhutto in 1971 into the national curriculum as compulsory subject. Former
military dictator Gen Zia-ul-Haq under a general drive towards Islamization,
started the process of historical revisionism in earnest and exploited this initiative.
'The Pakistani establishment taught their children right from the beginning that
this state was built on the basis of religion – that's why they don't have tolerance
for other religions and want to wipe-out all of them.'

According to Pervez Hoodbhoy, a physics professor at Quaid-i-Azam

University in Islamabad, the Islamizing of Pakistan's schools began in 1976 when
an act of parliament required all government and private schools (except those
teaching the British O-levels from Grade 9) to follow a curriculum that includes
learning outcomes for the federally approved Grade 5 social studies class such as:
'Acknowledge and identify forces that may be working against Pakistan,' 'Make
speeches on Jihad,' 'Collect pictures of policemen, soldiers, and national guards,'
and 'India's evil designs against Pakistan'. However, according to Rasul Baksh
Rais, a political scientist, he has yet to see proof of anti-India or anti-Hindu bias.

Referring to NCERT's extensive review of textbooks in India in 2004, Verghese

considered the erosion of plural and democratic values in textbooks in India, and
the distortion of history in Pakistan to imply the need for coordination between
Bangladeshi, Indian, and Pakistani historians to produce a composite history of
the South Asia as a common reader.

However, international scholars also warn that any attempt for educational
reforms under international pressure or market demands should not overlook the
specific expectations of the people at local levels.

Curriculum reforms
Following the extensive media debate and academic reiteration on the need to
update the curriculum at all levels of education, the Government of
Pakistan carried out measures in 2006 to improve the national curriculum for
Pakistan Studies. These actions were based on the earlier studies and
recommendations by the former University Grants Commission in 2001] and then
later by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) in 2003

The new curriculum, for secondary and higher school certificates, was
implemented from 2007 to include the political history from pre-independence to
the modern times, international relations, evolution of the country's economy and
demographics, diversity of regional cultures and languages, and the status of
religious groups with specific reference to Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s views that he
expressed at his speech of 11 August 1947. It also eliminates prejudice against
non-Muslims, efforts have been made to exclude all such material that promotes
prejudice against the non-Muslims of pre-independence India.

Subsequently, the need was also realised to standardise the subject framework
across the university degrees. As a result, in 2007, the Curriculum Division at the
HEC revised the syllabus for the degrees of Bachelor of Science and Master of
Science in Pakistan Studies. The new higher education course outline goes beyond
the literature, politics, history and culture, and addresses the contemporary
challenges of urbanisation, foreign policy and environmentThe recommendations
also imply the needs for training the teachers to improve their communication
skills in accordance with the new structures.

Q.3 Critically analyse the curriculum of Pakistan Studies and forward

suggestions for its improvement.
 In the history of curriculum development in Pakistan in 1960, social studies
were introduced as compulsory subject at elementary and secondary levels. Later
on in 1976, the name of “Social studies” was changed to “Pakistan Studies” for
high classes (ix-x) with particular emphasis on its ideological, historical,
geographical, socio-economic and cultural aspects of the country.

The content of Pakistan studies at secondary level spreads over ten chapters for
class x.

The content of each chapter is briefly stated

Chapter# 1 Ideological Basis of Pakistan

This chapter contains themes such as

· Features of an Islamic society

· Ideology of Pakistan

· National characteristics

Chapter#2 the Making of Pakistan

This chapter discusses

· Different revival movements started by shah waliullah, syed Ahmed shaheed, Haji
Shariatyllah etc.

· Two nation theory, Muslim League as mass movement and the establishment
of Pakistan.

· Role of various provinces in making of Pakistan.

Chapter# 3 the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

This chapter concentrates on the objective resolution, constitution making history,

the Islamic and main provisions of 1973 constitution. The chapter ends with
explaining the causes of the fall of East Pakistan.

Chapter# 4 Land and Climate of Pakistan

The chapter discusses the geographical features and characteristics of Pakistan.

Sub themes of the chapter are

· Location

· Physical features

· Climate of Pakistan

· Influence of climate on the activities of the people in different regions.

Chapter# 5 Resources of Pakistan

This chapter discusses different types of resources such as

· Natural resources

· Agricultural resources

· Mineral resources

· Power resources

· Human resources
The underlying concepts of the chapter are conservation, preservation and
exploitation of resources. Children are also made aware of the irrigation system
of Pakistan and the reforms which have been brought in agriculture.

Chapter# 6 Industrial Development in Pakistan

The industrial resources include such topics as means of communication, roads,

railways, air, sea, trade and commerce, foreign trade etc. The chapter also
describes the different types of industries.

Chapter# 7 Population of Pakistan

This chapter includes the following topics

· Demography: Population and population characteristics urban/rural, literacy

rate.

· Growth of population, migration

· Development of resources and population growth

Students are adequately familiarized with the concepts of census, population,

population growth, urbanization and migration factors and forces.

Chapter# 8 the Pakistani Culture

The culture of Pakistan include such topics

· Language of Pakistan

· The importance of national language

 · Common culture manifestation in the national life

· Dress, arts, crafts, and festivals

In the context of cultural orientation, the concepts of unity, integration, national

cohesion, preservation of heritage and promotion of national unity in diversity,
patriotism etc has been highlighted in the content.

Chapter# 9 Education in Pakistan

The education in Pakistan discusses such issues and types of education system
in Pakistan

· Formal primary, secondary and professional education

· Importance of education in different fields of life

· Problems and prospects of education

Chapter# 10 Pakistan: A welfare state

The main features of the content contained in this chapter are the concepts
of welfare state, national goals, need for sustained constructive efforts, and self
sufficiency in food, universal education, egalitarian society, universal
brotherhood and world peace, balanced distribution of resources and role of
individuals towards welfare state.

Critical review

The curriculum of Pakistan studies is comprehensive in nature. A thematic

approach has been adopted for all its constituent parts of history, geography,
civics and economics of country but the chapters are not given in separate
thematic strands.

Some of the chapters like ‘Resources’ and industrial development in

Pakistan are unnecessarily lengthy and slightly difficult and boring for students,
while others are normal in length and lead students from easy to difficult concept.

On the whole the course is theoretical in nature, not supported by various

activities to be carried out by students so that the subject could be making
interesting and consolidate the understanding of concepts around the topic.
Activity is the natural urge of the child, while this need of the child is not
incorporated to bring the student close to the real life situation.

No objectives are given in the beginning of each chapter. Contents are not devised
properly due to lack of objectives.

In order to make the student familiar of social, cultural and geographical

environment, study trips is the most important activity but we cannot see any
provision for such trips.

A variety of audio-visual aids have not been recommended to be used in teaching

of Pakistan studies. There is no indication which type of aid is prepared by
teachers and students.

No pictorial representation i.e. pictures of important personalities and places are

not provided. The book is not attractive for the students.

New social problems & issues will emerge with the passage of time but in this book
there is no flexibility to absorb and accommodate such changes and development
without disturbing its fundamentals and equilibrium.
Important project work is not given at the end of each unit as to ensure the
participation of social children in various community based activities outside the
school.

There is no provision of skill development for school children e.g. Map making, or
making models of different form of landscapes.

Being teacher of Pakistan studies I noticed many students

consider Pakistan studies as the most boring, dry and difficult subject. The need is
to make it interesting so that they may not memorize the content instead motivated
to develop strong intellectual and social skill to build a moral society.

Q4: What are the factors which affect content selection? What is the rationale
for adopting the principles of selection of content for Pakistan Studies.

The micro curriculum employs the seven criteria for the selection of subject matter
below. For the macro curriculum, the subjects needed for the curricular program
or course comprise the content.

1. SELF-SUFFICIENCY
To help learners attain maximum self-sufficiency most economically is the central
guiding principle of subject matter or content selection (Scheffler, 1970) as cited
by Bilbao et al. (2008). Although the economy of learning implies less teaching
effort and less use of educational resources, students gain more results. They can
cope up with the learning outcomes effectively.
This criterion means students should be given a chance to experiment, observe,
and do field study. This system allows them to learn independently.

With this principle in mind, I suggest that there should be a one-day independent
learning activity each week for a high school curriculum or preparatory year.
However, this should be carefully planned by the teacher. When the students
return, they should present outputs from the activity.

2. SIGNIFICANCE
The subject matter or content is significant if it is selected and organized to
develop learning activities, skills, processes, and attitudes. It also develops the
three domains of learning, namely the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills,
and considers the learners’ cultural aspects. Particularly, if your students come
from different cultural backgrounds and races, the subject matter must be culture-
sensitive.

In short, select content or subject matter that can achieve the overall aim of the
curriculum.

3. VALIDITY
Validity refers to the authenticity of the subject matter or content you selected.
Make sure that the topics are not obsolete.

For example, do not include typewriting as a skill to be learned by college

students. It should be about the computer or Information Technology (IT).

Thus, there is a need to regularly check the curriculum’s subject matter or contents
and replace it if necessary. Do not wait for another five years to change it.
 Modern curriculum experts are after current trends, relevance, and authenticity of
the curriculum; otherwise, the school or the country become obsolete.

4. INTEREST
Some teachers are bookish.

This criterion is valid to the learner-centered curriculum. Students learn best if the
subject matter is interesting, thus makes it meaningful to them.

However, if the curriculum is subject-centered, teachers have no choice but to

finish the pacing schedule religiously and only teach what is in the book. This
approach explains why many students fail in the subject.

5. UTILITY
Another criterion is the usefulness of the content or subject matter. Students think
that a subject matter or some subjects are not necessary to them. They view it as
useless. As a result, they do not study.

Here are the questions that students often ask:

 Will I need the subject in my job?
 Will it give meaning to my life?
 Will it develop my potentials?
 Will it solve my problem?
 Will it be part of the test?
 Will I have a passing mark if I learn it?
Students only value the subject matter or content if it is useful to them.

6. LEARNABILITY
The subject matter or content must be within the schema of the learners. It should
be within their experiences. Teachers should apply theories in the psychology of
learning to know how subjects are presented, sequenced, and organized to
maximize students’ learning capacity.

7. FEASIBILITY
Feasibility means the full implementation of the subject matter. It should consider
the school’s real situation, the government, and society. Students must learn within
the allowable time and the use of resources available. Do not give them a topic
that is impossible to finish.

For example, you have only one week left to finish the unit, but the activities may
take a month for the students to complete. Thus, this requirement is not workable.
Do not offer a computer subject if there is no electricity in the area, or there are no
computers.

Further, feasibility means that there should be teachers who are experts in that
area. For example, do not offer English for Business Communication if there is no
teacher to handle it.

Also, there is a need to consider the nature of the learners. The organization and
design of the subject matter or content must be appropriate for the nature of
students.

Q.5 Compare Activity method and Project method. In your view which is the
most appropriate for teaching Pakistan Studies.
A project is a multistep activity undertaken by an individual or group to achieve a
particular aim. With that broad definition there’s a lot of project-based learning
happening in schools these days. Some is better than others and there are a lot of
variations: some thin, some deep; some teacher-led, some student-driven; some
with clear deliverables, and some very open-ended.

In an effort to help educators select a strategy appropriate for intended outcomes,

this post is an attempt at providing a framework for variations on project-based
learning (PBL) and part of our project-based world campaign.

Gold Standard PBL

Buck Institute for Education (BIE) defines project-based learning as “a teaching

method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended
period of time to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex question,
problem or challenge.” Their Gold Standard PBL Essential Project Design
Elements include:

Key Knowledge, Understanding and Success Skills. The project is focused on

student learning goals, including standards-based content and skills such as
critical thinking/problem solving, collaboration and self-management.

Challenging Problem or Question. The project is framed by a meaningful problem

to solve or a question to answer, at the appropriate level of challenge.

Sustained Inquiry. Students engage in a rigorous, extended process of asking

questions, finding resources and applying information.
Authenticity. The project features real-world context, tasks and tools, quality
standards or impact. Or it speaks to students’ personal concerns, interests and
issues in their lives.

Student Voice & Choice. Students make some decisions about the project,
including how they work and what they create.

Reflection. Students and teachers reflect on learning, the effectiveness of their

inquiry and project activities, the quality of student work, obstacles and how to
overcome them.

Critique & Revision. Students give, receive and use feedback to improve their
process and products.

Public Product. Students make their project work public by explaining, displaying
and/or presenting it to people beyond the classroom.

We think that is a good and useful set of design principles. Most of it applies not
only to project-based learning but also to a group of related instructional
strategies. We see seven key dimensions (design variables) for projects and related
learning activities:

Outcomes: Clearly defined up front or open-ended

Directed: Teacher designed or student designed

Scope: Narrow or integrated

Steps: Short problems or extended multi-step project

Approach: Individual or team

Manager: Teacher managed or student managed

Combinations: PBL combined with other strategies

Each of these dimensions offers a series of tradeoffs. The continua presented below
aren’t a range of bad to good, they are a series of instructional strategies that
should be consciously selected for a set of intended outcomes.

Outcomes: Clearly Defined Up Front or Open-Ended

Projects typically have a set of desired outcomes and defined deliverables; often
knowledge, skills as well as dispositions. Desired outcomes are often incorporated
into a rubric assessment and clearly communicated up front.

Learning experiences with less well-defined content outcomes (although they may
be quite specific to a particular skill set) include:

Inquiry-based learning focuses on questioning, critical thinking and problem-

solving. “The idea behind true inquiry-based learning is to ignite your students’
curiosity, the spark that motivates them and makes them want to learn more,” said
Chicago teacher Georgia Mathis. She identifies three or four lines of inquiry
explored simultaneously over a five-week period allowing student voice and choice
in production of something that demonstrates acquisition of knowledge and
understanding. With well-defined lines of inquiry and guidance in research and
production, inquiry-based learning is very similar to project-based learning.

Applied learning emphasizes hands on experiences. Like Project Lead The Way
courses, they may be a series of teacher-led activities or more open-ended
projects.

Maker education is only bounded by the materials, tools, and creativity of teachers
and learners. It’s a design and tinkering experience based on a particular
challenge and/or set of resources.
Exploration-based learning includes virtual science environments, virtual reality
expeditions, and outdoor learning experiences. Pathways may be limited, directed,
adaptive or open-ended.

Creative play, such as the Global Cardboard Challenge, lets children explore their
interests and passions through open-ended activity but can be relatively specific
about desired outcomes including creativity, critical thinking, resourcefulness,
perseverance and teamwork.

Well defined outcomes → Identified options → Guided discovery →

Open ended

Project topics and deliverables can be defined by a teacher as they are at most
New Tech Network schools.