ROLE OF CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (CPDP) FOR THE PROMOTION OF TEACHING STANDARDS IN THE PUNJAB EDUCATION FOUNDATION (PEF) CERTIFIED SCHOOLS

Abstract

The current study was designed to investigate teachers’ perceptions of the effective use of multi-grade teaching approaches at primary level. The objectives of this study were to determine the impact of multigrade teaching and learning in primary schools and explore the current multi-grade teaching approaches that can be used by teachers to improve their students’ grades and social abilities in multigrade teaching. This study was descriptive. The study sample consisted of 300 primary school teachers from three districts: Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, and Bahawalnagar. A self-developed questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale was prepared for data collection. Collected data were analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS-25.0). To arrive at findings, 
frequencies, percentage, mean score and standard deviation were calculated. The results of the study indicate that there is no proper arrangement for multi-grade teaching and no official recognition for multi-grade teaching. Teachers have limited resources, facing curriculum constraints and there is lack of parents and community interest in PEF schools. Teachers are less trained for multi-grade 
teaching. This study may be beneficial for educational policy makers and curriculum planners, professional training staff and teachers, to take steps for the improvement of academic standards.