Iqbal’s Shaheen Or Cramming Parrots: Assessing Students Capacity In Science

Abstract

Philosophy provides grounds for educational aims at national level. Iqbal, being a prominent and poet and educational philosopher viewed that education should mold an individual into a dignified, brave, self-confident, creative and sharp like an eagle (Thesufi, 2016). In this technological eon, every nation hold expectations from its education, particularly, from the Science stream to produce highly skilled and competent individuals. Science education is started right from elementary levels as learners are anticipated to comprehend scientific notions from early life. Alongside, in the native scenario, English medium is seen as a symbol of wisdom and a highly required discipline. Presently, the course of Science has been offered in English medium for elementary classes as well.  This investigation was initiated to establish the students’ proficiencies in Science subjected delivered through English. Similarly, it was targeted to accumulate teachers’ discernments regarding students’ competencies in Science. It was a concurrent-mixed-method investigation. In the beginning, numeric informations were assembled via a locally developed bi-lingual test of leaners capabilities in Science. The items of the test were built on the initial three echelons of cognitive areas of Bloom’s Taxonomy (1956) i.e. knowledge, comprehension and application. The test items were constructed both in Urdu and English versions so as to arbitrate the existence of any variations of learners’ accomplishments in both. The learners were gaged in both formats concurrently.  In the 2^nd stage, the teachers were subjected to an open-ended interview regarding study aftermaths and their outlooks about students’ comprehensions. The outcomes of the test yield that the learners exhibited superior means values in Urdu format. In addition, on echelons of comprehension and application, the students attained meaningfully better score in Urdu form in relation to English.  The summary of the teachers’ opinions established that native languages were far superior in acquisition, retention, communication and creating. Moreover, there has been English language bear certain adverse impacts such as propensity to cram, stereo-type maneuver of learning and inadequate conceptual development. In addition, lack of comprehension, results in lower motivation, curiosity, interest and self-confidence. This investigation recommended the adaption such medium for instruction and course content that facilitate learning superior cognitive levels, particularly for elementary classes such as Urdu or Pashto in this case.