DR. HUMAIRA IRFAN | University of Education Lahore (original) (raw)
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Papers by DR. HUMAIRA IRFAN
Special Issue: Language in the Aftermath of Covid-19, 2021
The purpose of the research paper is to discuss the perceptions of university teachers and studen... more The purpose of the research paper is to discuss the perceptions of university teachers and students towards digital classroom pedagogy, learning, and assessment methods in higher education in Pakistan amidst the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The researchers used the mixed method approach. The data was collected from a large-scale public-sector university with nine campuses across the province of Punjab, Pakistan. The instruments used for the collection of the data included Google Survey Form for students (n=92), university teachers' interviews via WhatsApp (n=15), and university students’ views extracted from social media platforms i.e.official Facebook page of the university (n=20). The data obtained from multiple sources was analyzed using the corpus-based techniques for Sentiment Lexicon Generation (Darwich et.al, 2019). The findings of this study have revealed that 92% of students were interested in face-to-face classes and 82% of students had a preference for a face-to-face assessment. It has also been observed that the students also expressed their views negatively on social media regarding online teaching and assessment. They poured out their frustration against the university administration for conducting online assessments amidst COVID-19 qualms, chaos, and uncertainty. In contrast to this analysis, it has been perceived that both teachers and students struggled and successfully adapted themselves to the online environment. Moreover, it is interpreted from the university teachers’ views that the quality of digital pedagogy, learning, and assessment can be enhanced through mentoring, observation, novel techniques and strategies, teamwork, and self-directed learning. The study has recommended that teacher education programs in Pakistan can organize digital pedagogical and assessment trainingfor teachers to meet the drastic changes in pedagogy and assessment amidst COVID-19.
The purpose of the study is to explore the perceptions of a public sector university faculty abou... more The purpose of the study is to explore the perceptions of a public sector university faculty about the role of teacher education to endorse the culture of collaborative research projects between researchers and practitioners to create small communities. The findings show that policymakers, researchers and practitioners should have shared concerns about the context to create a dialogue about the existing educational problems in Pakistan. The problem solving and inquiry-driven mechanism should be developed to identify key problems of an education system. The need is to develop the standards that should provide the parameters for curricula, assessment and teacher education to achieve the global objectives. However, these standards would emerge through interactive and collective discourse.
The paper discusses creative writing and its pedagogy in a Pakistani classroom. The quantitative... more The paper discusses creative writing and its pedagogy in a Pakistani classroom. The quantitative and qualitative data collected from the postgraduate students of a large public sector university– who are also in-service school teachers – determines that English teachers in Pakistan do not teach to develop the creative writing of pupils. The findings confirm that English teachers are confused about strategies required for rousing learners’ interest in creative writing. The teachers make their students memorise compositions from the textbooks to be reproduced in class. English teachers must be interested and trained to participate in activities that are vital for boosting creative writing in schools.
Pakistan Social Sciences Review
The paper explores the professional development of English language teachers through the comparat... more The paper explores the professional development of English language teachers through the comparative study of M.A TESOL programs of two high ranked universities of Punjab and Sindh. The researchers using content analysis approach critically evaluated the M.A TESOL Scheme of Studies of two universities. The findings reveal that these universities award the same degree but substantial variation exists in both universities' rationale, objectives, courses, teaching strategies and modes of assessment. However, significant similarities in above mentioned two MA TESOL Programs are also noteworthy, such as, disassociation of contents with Pakistani regional languages context, marginalization of a course about cultural pluralism and omission of the notion of World Englishes (WE) and the debate about English medium of instruction (EMI) in Pakistan. The researchers interviewed 10 faculty members of TESOL Programs of both universities about these omitted issues. It is recommended that the universities having MA TESOL Program should explicitly reflect Higher Education Commission (HEC) guidelines to maintain uniformity of contemporary trends in teaching
Global Mass Communication Review
The purpose of the study is to explore the negative role of social media on university students m... more The purpose of the study is to explore the negative role of social media on university students mental health amidst digitalized COVID-19 setting that throbs excruciating pain, fear, anxiety, stress and depression. The quantitative and qualitative data were collected from the Department of English students of a public university in Punjab, Pakistan. The findings reveal that students' are engaged daily for 4 hours on social media forums for online chats, information and amusement. The social media platforms strategically create situations to express unrestrained sentiments. The use of cartoons and images reflect students' potential for creativity, criticality and social innovation.
Pakistan Social Sciences Review
This paper is a critical evaluation of two English language tests, Lahore Board of Intermediate a... more This paper is a critical evaluation of two English language tests, Lahore Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) and University of Cambridge's First Certificate English (FCE). These examinations are compared and contrasted and their strengths and weaknesses are evaluated in terms of specific objectives, specifications, scoring criteria, practicality, and wash back. The researcher used the qualitative methods such as, content analysis method and focus group interview to collect the data. The findings reveal that Lahore (BISE) assesses the memorization potential of the students rather than their creativity and critical thinking. It is found out that Lahore (BISE) has negative wash back effects on classroom teaching and learning. It is recommended that authentic tests should be constructed that would evaluate students' proficiency in English language.
Pakistan Social Sciences Review
Ajmal, A. and Irfan, H. (2020). Effects of Process-Genre Approach on Writing Anxiety among English Academic Writing Learners in Pakistan. Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies, 6(2), 741-752 , 2020
Writing ability is a prerequisite to be successful in academic pursuits. Pakistani student writer... more Writing ability is a prerequisite to be successful in academic pursuits. Pakistani student writers experience a range of issues, including psychological, cognitive, social, and linguistic when they write. Writing instructors need to use appropriate teaching strategies and methodologies to tackle writing-related issues (Khan & Zaki, 2018). Most of the Pakistani ESL writing students are educated through the stereotypical teacher-centered Product Approach focuses on the memorization of ready-made answers. As a result, the learners face great challenges; ESL writing Anxiety is one of the major challenges (Gopang, Bughio, & Pathan, 2018). The aim of this quasiexperimental study based on predominantly the post-positivist and the marginally pragmatic philosophical framework is to explore the effects of the Process-Genre Approach (PGA) on writing anxiety among ESL intermediate/pre-university students in Pakistan. The research tools were included to collect data: Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI), 22-item multidimensional questionnaire, and interviews to investigate the effects of the experiment on writing apprehensions. Data were collected before and after the designed academic writing module based on the Process-Genre approach and pair sample t-test was applied to yield statistically significant results showing that average writing anxiety score was reduced from 77.17 to 66.72 among control group and from 73.57 to 50.25 among the experimental group. Quantities data collected through interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis also supplement that the treatment was effective to reduce writing anxiety.
The paper explores the university students and their faculty's perceptions of policy and practice... more The paper explores the university students and their faculty's perceptions of policy and practice of English as the medium of instruction (EMI) at higher education in Pakistan. It is evidently debated that in language-in-education policy, English as the medium of instruction has been identified as obligatory for university education but qualitative and quantitative data gathered from the two public universities investigate the gap between policy and practice of EMI. The participants' views are compared to find out the language problems about the uses of EMI for the postgraduate study. The research evidence indicates that the university students from diverse educational, linguistic, economic and social backgrounds do not possess positive sentiments for using English language for curricular, extracurricular and interactive purposes in universities. The university teachers also undergo pedagogical dilemmas emerging from EMI. It is recommended that Pakistani universities should introduce a language proficiency course to facilitate students to overcome their academic problems to use English confidently. The teacher training programmes in Pakistan can also enhance the use of EMI by imparting training to the university faculty.
The paper discusses that Pakistani English (PakE) is a unique variety of English because it diver... more The paper discusses that Pakistani English (PakE) is a unique variety of English because it diverges from the native varieties of inner circle in its many linguistic features like syntax, morphology, lexis, phonology, and pragmatics. The findings from quantitative and qualitative data from two large scale Pakistani universities explore university teachers and students' perceptions of Pakistani English and its development in Pakistan. The paper examines postgraduate students' language problems, such as, pronunciation and spellings etc. which they undergo as outcomes of World Englishes. It also investigates their views towards the issue of addressing Pakistani English in language policy so that suitable remedial measures can be taken for its use in academia and recognition at an international scenario.
Special Issue: Language in the Aftermath of Covid-19, 2021
The purpose of the research paper is to discuss the perceptions of university teachers and studen... more The purpose of the research paper is to discuss the perceptions of university teachers and students towards digital classroom pedagogy, learning, and assessment methods in higher education in Pakistan amidst the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The researchers used the mixed method approach. The data was collected from a large-scale public-sector university with nine campuses across the province of Punjab, Pakistan. The instruments used for the collection of the data included Google Survey Form for students (n=92), university teachers' interviews via WhatsApp (n=15), and university students’ views extracted from social media platforms i.e.official Facebook page of the university (n=20). The data obtained from multiple sources was analyzed using the corpus-based techniques for Sentiment Lexicon Generation (Darwich et.al, 2019). The findings of this study have revealed that 92% of students were interested in face-to-face classes and 82% of students had a preference for a face-to-face assessment. It has also been observed that the students also expressed their views negatively on social media regarding online teaching and assessment. They poured out their frustration against the university administration for conducting online assessments amidst COVID-19 qualms, chaos, and uncertainty. In contrast to this analysis, it has been perceived that both teachers and students struggled and successfully adapted themselves to the online environment. Moreover, it is interpreted from the university teachers’ views that the quality of digital pedagogy, learning, and assessment can be enhanced through mentoring, observation, novel techniques and strategies, teamwork, and self-directed learning. The study has recommended that teacher education programs in Pakistan can organize digital pedagogical and assessment trainingfor teachers to meet the drastic changes in pedagogy and assessment amidst COVID-19.
The purpose of the study is to explore the perceptions of a public sector university faculty abou... more The purpose of the study is to explore the perceptions of a public sector university faculty about the role of teacher education to endorse the culture of collaborative research projects between researchers and practitioners to create small communities. The findings show that policymakers, researchers and practitioners should have shared concerns about the context to create a dialogue about the existing educational problems in Pakistan. The problem solving and inquiry-driven mechanism should be developed to identify key problems of an education system. The need is to develop the standards that should provide the parameters for curricula, assessment and teacher education to achieve the global objectives. However, these standards would emerge through interactive and collective discourse.
The paper discusses creative writing and its pedagogy in a Pakistani classroom. The quantitative... more The paper discusses creative writing and its pedagogy in a Pakistani classroom. The quantitative and qualitative data collected from the postgraduate students of a large public sector university– who are also in-service school teachers – determines that English teachers in Pakistan do not teach to develop the creative writing of pupils. The findings confirm that English teachers are confused about strategies required for rousing learners’ interest in creative writing. The teachers make their students memorise compositions from the textbooks to be reproduced in class. English teachers must be interested and trained to participate in activities that are vital for boosting creative writing in schools.
Pakistan Social Sciences Review
The paper explores the professional development of English language teachers through the comparat... more The paper explores the professional development of English language teachers through the comparative study of M.A TESOL programs of two high ranked universities of Punjab and Sindh. The researchers using content analysis approach critically evaluated the M.A TESOL Scheme of Studies of two universities. The findings reveal that these universities award the same degree but substantial variation exists in both universities' rationale, objectives, courses, teaching strategies and modes of assessment. However, significant similarities in above mentioned two MA TESOL Programs are also noteworthy, such as, disassociation of contents with Pakistani regional languages context, marginalization of a course about cultural pluralism and omission of the notion of World Englishes (WE) and the debate about English medium of instruction (EMI) in Pakistan. The researchers interviewed 10 faculty members of TESOL Programs of both universities about these omitted issues. It is recommended that the universities having MA TESOL Program should explicitly reflect Higher Education Commission (HEC) guidelines to maintain uniformity of contemporary trends in teaching
Global Mass Communication Review
The purpose of the study is to explore the negative role of social media on university students m... more The purpose of the study is to explore the negative role of social media on university students mental health amidst digitalized COVID-19 setting that throbs excruciating pain, fear, anxiety, stress and depression. The quantitative and qualitative data were collected from the Department of English students of a public university in Punjab, Pakistan. The findings reveal that students' are engaged daily for 4 hours on social media forums for online chats, information and amusement. The social media platforms strategically create situations to express unrestrained sentiments. The use of cartoons and images reflect students' potential for creativity, criticality and social innovation.
Pakistan Social Sciences Review
This paper is a critical evaluation of two English language tests, Lahore Board of Intermediate a... more This paper is a critical evaluation of two English language tests, Lahore Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) and University of Cambridge's First Certificate English (FCE). These examinations are compared and contrasted and their strengths and weaknesses are evaluated in terms of specific objectives, specifications, scoring criteria, practicality, and wash back. The researcher used the qualitative methods such as, content analysis method and focus group interview to collect the data. The findings reveal that Lahore (BISE) assesses the memorization potential of the students rather than their creativity and critical thinking. It is found out that Lahore (BISE) has negative wash back effects on classroom teaching and learning. It is recommended that authentic tests should be constructed that would evaluate students' proficiency in English language.
Pakistan Social Sciences Review
Ajmal, A. and Irfan, H. (2020). Effects of Process-Genre Approach on Writing Anxiety among English Academic Writing Learners in Pakistan. Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies, 6(2), 741-752 , 2020
Writing ability is a prerequisite to be successful in academic pursuits. Pakistani student writer... more Writing ability is a prerequisite to be successful in academic pursuits. Pakistani student writers experience a range of issues, including psychological, cognitive, social, and linguistic when they write. Writing instructors need to use appropriate teaching strategies and methodologies to tackle writing-related issues (Khan & Zaki, 2018). Most of the Pakistani ESL writing students are educated through the stereotypical teacher-centered Product Approach focuses on the memorization of ready-made answers. As a result, the learners face great challenges; ESL writing Anxiety is one of the major challenges (Gopang, Bughio, & Pathan, 2018). The aim of this quasiexperimental study based on predominantly the post-positivist and the marginally pragmatic philosophical framework is to explore the effects of the Process-Genre Approach (PGA) on writing anxiety among ESL intermediate/pre-university students in Pakistan. The research tools were included to collect data: Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI), 22-item multidimensional questionnaire, and interviews to investigate the effects of the experiment on writing apprehensions. Data were collected before and after the designed academic writing module based on the Process-Genre approach and pair sample t-test was applied to yield statistically significant results showing that average writing anxiety score was reduced from 77.17 to 66.72 among control group and from 73.57 to 50.25 among the experimental group. Quantities data collected through interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis also supplement that the treatment was effective to reduce writing anxiety.
The paper explores the university students and their faculty's perceptions of policy and practice... more The paper explores the university students and their faculty's perceptions of policy and practice of English as the medium of instruction (EMI) at higher education in Pakistan. It is evidently debated that in language-in-education policy, English as the medium of instruction has been identified as obligatory for university education but qualitative and quantitative data gathered from the two public universities investigate the gap between policy and practice of EMI. The participants' views are compared to find out the language problems about the uses of EMI for the postgraduate study. The research evidence indicates that the university students from diverse educational, linguistic, economic and social backgrounds do not possess positive sentiments for using English language for curricular, extracurricular and interactive purposes in universities. The university teachers also undergo pedagogical dilemmas emerging from EMI. It is recommended that Pakistani universities should introduce a language proficiency course to facilitate students to overcome their academic problems to use English confidently. The teacher training programmes in Pakistan can also enhance the use of EMI by imparting training to the university faculty.
The paper discusses that Pakistani English (PakE) is a unique variety of English because it diver... more The paper discusses that Pakistani English (PakE) is a unique variety of English because it diverges from the native varieties of inner circle in its many linguistic features like syntax, morphology, lexis, phonology, and pragmatics. The findings from quantitative and qualitative data from two large scale Pakistani universities explore university teachers and students' perceptions of Pakistani English and its development in Pakistan. The paper examines postgraduate students' language problems, such as, pronunciation and spellings etc. which they undergo as outcomes of World Englishes. It also investigates their views towards the issue of addressing Pakistani English in language policy so that suitable remedial measures can be taken for its use in academia and recognition at an international scenario.