Jabreel Asghar - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

My publications by Jabreel Asghar

This study examines the impact of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge inAction model base... more This study examines the impact of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge inAction model based in-house professional development workshops on teachers' practices of technology integration at a Saudi university. The study uses questionnaires to gather feedback on the participants' pre and post training workshops, coupled by semi-structured interviews to highlight factors that determined the outcome of the training workshops. The findings show that despite the participants being qualified in pedagogy, they were unable to successfully use their expertise to beneficially incorporate technology in their teaching. The failure partly occurred due to apparent misunderstanding of confusing the knowledge of an application with the pedagogical skills of using the application, and partly due to the lack of concrete guidance by the administration on what and how to integrate technology in regular teaching. The study recommends to structure training workshops incorporating pedagogical handling of technology alongside technical training on how to use an application. The study also suggests that an institutional policy regarding the use of technology is inevitable to make such ventures successful. Such a policy needs to be devised and incorporated in regular syllabus, and should be clearly addressed in all training workshops on professional development.

Papers by Jabreel Asghar

Global Social Sciences Review

The current paper critically reviews the Single Nation Curriculum to verify the claims made by th... more The current paper critically reviews the Single Nation Curriculum to verify the claims made by the document after its launching in 2020 as being the first policy document for educational reformation at the national level after several decades. The analysis compares the document with the National Curriculum (2006) which has been acknowledged as the main reference document in the preparation of the Single Nation Curriculum. The paper analyses various sections of the document, with a focus on English language teaching, to expose that the new curriculum is only an imitation of the previous 2006 curriculum without introducing any significant change in the policy, content, and methodology. The paper hopes to raise awareness among the policymakers and authors of SNC about establishing connections between research and practice, hence augmenting professional development with a focus on improved practices in the area of education and curriculum development.

Two corpora of online conversation on a mobile phone application Whatsapp by two EFL groups were ... more Two corpora of online conversation on a mobile phone application Whatsapp by two EFL groups were analysed to examine the types and quality of online interaction in EFL context. The analysis focused on three main categories, i.e. nature of interaction, quality of interaction and quality of language of interaction, to assess if using the application in classroom setting provided enhanced learning experience with greater support and exposure to target language. We categorised interaction types in the corpora to determine the variety of interaction, and used the numerical data to scaffold descriptive analysis of the quality of interaction as well as language. Analysis of the corpora revealed that the participants preferred using the application more for administrative communication, rather than discussing the subject matter and meta-language, mainly due to unplanned use of the application, and the students therefore missing the opportunity to process the target language in real life. Th...

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2016

Life sciences

The positive and constructive paradigms have typically been popular among researchers as two main... more The positive and constructive paradigms have typically been popular among researchers as two main approaches to scientifically investigate issues of life and social sciences. Particularly novice researchers unconsciously tend to fit their studies in one of the framework set up by either of these approaches. This paper develops arguments in the perspective of paradigmatic issues in research to highlight the comparatively young paradigm of critical theory which has not yet gained due projection. The discussion informs on how critical approach to research may gain equally, or even more, valuable insight not only by analyzing and exploring the situation but also by offering a change agenda for reformation. The paper also appraises one of the critical research tools, critical discourse analysis in depth, to elaborate the philosophical and theoretical basis of this research methodology in order to enhance awareness among novice researchers investigating under the umbrella of critical para...

This paper critically analyses the discourses of a news report of one Pakistani and one British n... more This paper critically analyses the discourses of a news report of one Pakistani and one British newspaper on the same incident. The analysis suggested that both newspapers, in line with van Dijk (1988) and Halmari & Ostmanb (2001), managed to fulfill the expectations of their primary audience and give their own interpretation of reality. The analysis indicated how social and cultural identities played a role in shaping these newspapers’ ideologies regarding the incident. Though, Dijk (1988) hypothesised that the Third World Press essentially lacks freedom and independence because it is dominated by Western information and communication policies, this analysis generally seems to suggest that despite the Pakistani newspapers sought the international (generally western) news agencies for the source of information, and despite the Pakistani government’s policies on the issue in question were in alignment with the West, the Pakistani newspaper managed to maintain and reflect its ideologi...

“The danger of being in the teaching profession for too long (especially without much or any INSE... more “The danger of being in the teaching profession for too long (especially without much or any INSET) is that one’s teaching can end up being based on one’s own uncritical subjective principles.”(Lanseley 1993:54). This is what exactly happening in the educational system of Pakistan. This research work introduces a plan for teacher development programme for a public high school in Pakistan. Specifically designed programmes focusing on professional development, and followed by an appraisal process are innovative to the context. Literature review in Chapter 2 defines the term, discussing the aims and the whole process of teacher development as well as teacher appraisal. It also discusses and evaluates some important approaches to the topic in the context of the institute in question. The research study is based on questionnaires, administered to twenty-five Pakistani teachers of the institute. A questionnaire method combined with interview method would have been ideal for this kind of s...

In this essay, I compare and contrast grammatical model of intonation with discourse intonation m... more In this essay, I compare and contrast grammatical model of intonation with discourse intonation model. I have selected the former model first because grammar and intonation historically have been considered close and inter-related (Coupler_Kohlen: 1986) and are still popular in countries like Pakistan where teaching of pronunciation is in an early transitional phase. Secondly, grammatical model being one of the earliest approaches to intonation seems to be the base for other approaches to intonation. Finally, ELT textbooks still tend to teach intonation from grammatical dimension, especially in Pakistani language classroom that is already heavily influenced with grammar in other aspects. Keeping in view a good number of discussions on various approaches to intonation and the limited scope of this paper, this paper confines the discussion only to grammatical and discourse models of intonation. This paper discusses major aspects of both approaches, followed by comparative discussion o...

This paper investigated the way an English textbook at higher secondary level in Pakistan is bein... more This paper investigated the way an English textbook at higher secondary level in Pakistan is being used in EFL context. The study conducted a questionnaire survey to gauge the level of text comprehension and the expected learning outcome of the textbook in line with the curriculum goals of developing awareness of various cultures as well as critical thinking among learners. The data analysis highlighted that the current pedagogical model of the textbook dis-empowered the participants of the study by imparting either misperceived or incomplete information due to using inappropriate pedagogic approach. The textbook offered superficial comprehension of the texts and restricted independent as well as critical thinking to understand the texts and synthesise new learning with the learners’ existing world knowledge. The findings called for a shift in pedagogic paradigm in order to exploit the textbook effectively to achieve the goals as set in the national curriculum.

‘How can we teach critical thinking skills to ESL/EFL learners?’ This paper answers this specific... more ‘How can we teach critical thinking skills to ESL/EFL learners?’ This paper answers this specific question with a proposed model of critical reading. The paper presents sample materials designed following Wallace’s (2003) three dimensional model of critical reading with linguistic, conceptual and cultural foci. The paper informs material developers and action researchers on how Wallace’s three dimensional approach to reading texts may enable readers to develop broader perspectives on various issues, and give critical insight into the texts. The sample material also demonstrates how Wallace’s three-dimensional approach to reading may help learners become critique of the outer world and allow them decode the texts in the light of their own schematic knowledge.

Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 2015

Metadiscourse is a popular concept among linguists and educators. It helps to understand how writ... more Metadiscourse is a popular concept among linguists and educators. It helps to understand how writers structure their texts in order to facilitate the understanding of the text successfully. This study explores various features of metadiscourse and contrastive rhetoric in a small corpus of academic writing of Pakistani learners at tertiary levels. The paper follows Hyland's (2004) interactive and interactional resources modal to determine metadiscourse features in the corpus. The analysis explores the data through quantitative examination as well as qualitative investigation into the texts. The paper emphasizes on developing awareness of metadiscourse features to make students' writing more effective and well structured.

This review of an official document launched by the Ministry of Education of Pakistan reports on ... more This review of an official document launched by the Ministry of Education of Pakistan reports on the goals set for teaching of reading and critical thinking skills at tertiary level. The report reviews the benchmarks and the goals for reading skills, set in the curriculum, in relation with an independent research study conducted to evaluate one of the textbooks being taught to achieve the same goals in Pakistani mainstream state colleges. The report highlights that the curriculum, despite setting appropriate goals for the level, does not provide guidance on the teaching methodologies and teaching materials, which resulted in failure to achieve these goals in classroom. The report also proposes critical pedagogy as a potential approach to be used to fill the gap between the learning goals in the curriculum and the teaching as well as learning straggles.

Education Research International, 2014

Textbooks, particularly in developing countries, are used as a tool to propagate the agendas of s... more Textbooks, particularly in developing countries, are used as a tool to propagate the agendas of state and other groups in power. This paper informs the reader on the issue of how a tertiary level English textbook used editors’ voice to form the opinion of its readers by shaping facts and perspectives depicted in the texts. The editors of the textbook not only censored the information to block autonomous learning, but also attempted to misrepresent the themes of various texts to meet the censorship guidelines set by the textbook-board and/or the state. The paper aims to raise the question of learner autonomy and learners’ right to access information in its original form to be interpreted independently in the schematic background of each individual. By pointing out the issue and initiating the discussion, the paper hopes to bring awareness in the less explored area of the use of language power in the Pakistani educational context.

Global Language Review, 2021

This research paper looks at the language use to exploit and propagate certain stereotypes imposi... more This research paper looks at the language use to exploit and propagate certain stereotypes imposing on the parties involved in the institution of marriage. A critical discourse analysis with a field, tenor, mode approach uncovers how bride and bridegroom are deprived of their consents on various issues and are socially forced to accept the assumptions created by prevalent social norms. The study exposes how the use of certain discourses and lexical choices restrict the participants to overlook or discard other options which could be otherwise legally and religiously granted to them. The study emphasizes that the current marriage certificate (Nikah Nama) needs to be thoroughly revised in order to eliminate language exploitation and allow both parties to be well aware and exercise their rights before giving their consent in good faith, predetermined by the social taboos.

... support whenever and wherever it was required. Some of them include: Ahmad Feroze Ahmad Qadri... more ... support whenever and wherever it was required. Some of them include: Ahmad Feroze Ahmad Qadri Ehtasham ul Haq Faiza AbdulWahid Falak Naz Hasan Ahmad Maqbool Ahmad Rahila Isa Rana AbdulWahid Saeed Tahir Dr Usman Khalil Usman Shaukat Zahid Ali Akbar ...

Teaching is an ongoing professional activity rather than something that can be mastered once and ... more Teaching is an ongoing professional activity rather than something that can be mastered once and for all through the acquisition of a restricted set of skills. It needs to be refreshed and developed with the passage of time as new ideas and approaches towards teaching and learning are discovered. This emphasises the need of development activities for staff to update and enhance their professional skills. This paper explores the concept of teacher-development giving a comprehensive account of the topic and discusses the teacher appraisal system as its integral part. A review of various approaches is also given to enhance the concept of teacher development. The paper also makes suggestions to implement a teacher development plans taking into account the phases in the successful implementation of change.

Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 2014

Critical discourse analysis (CDA) has increasingly become popular as one of interdisciplinary app... more Critical discourse analysis (CDA) has increasingly become popular as one of interdisciplinary approach to gain insight into various kinds of discourses. A large number of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in applied linguists and media studies across the world have included various forms of language analysis to familiarise graduates with different dimensions of text analysis. This paper reviews the concept of critical discourse analysis, its various dimensions and tools which can be used for discourse analysis for a critical insight into texts by focusing on an example of commercial discourse. The discussion provides theoretical and practical layers of the approach by illustrating the concepts through sample analyses of the texts. The paper aims to serve as a quick reference note for readers with little or no previous knowledge of CDA, providing rudimentary understanding of the topic.

Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2015

Journal of Educational and Social Research, Sep 4, 2014

Teaching is an on-going professional activity rather than something that can be mastered once and... more Teaching is an on-going professional activity rather than something that can be mastered once and for all through the acquisition of a restricted set of skills. It needs to be refreshed and developed with the passage of time as new ideas and approaches towards teaching and learning are discovered. This emphasises the need of development activities for staff to update and enhance their professional skills. This paper explores the concept of teacher-development giving a comprehensive account of the topic and discusses the teacher appraisal system as its integral part. A review of various approaches is also given to enhance the concept of teacher development. The paper also makes suggestions to implement a teacher development plans taking into account the phases in the successful implementation of change.

Journal of Educational and Social Research, 2014