Impact of Teacher-Centered vs. Student-Centered Approaches on Academic Achievement of Secondary School Students in Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62497/irjed.168Keywords:
education, conceptual understanding, learning challenges, teaching strategies, secondary school students, activity-based learning, KPK, curriculum reform, teacher training, student-centered learning, academic achievement, pedagogy, active learningAbstract
Background: Physics remains one of the most conceptually challenging subjects for secondary school students, often resulting in poor understanding and low academic performance. This study explores the key challenges in learning physics and effective strategies to improve conceptual understanding among secondary school students in Karak District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 200 students from grades 9 and 10, selected through stratified random sampling from both public and private schools. Data were collected using a structured, expert-validated, and pilot-tested questionnaire focusing on demographics, conceptual understanding, teaching methods, student motivation, learning barriers, and preferred instructional strategies.
Results: The findings indicate that a majority of students face significant difficulties in understanding complex physics concepts, particularly in electricity and mechanics, relying heavily on rote memorization. Major obstacles included weak mathematical foundations, traditional lecture-based teaching, and inadequate laboratory resources. Although teachers encouraged questioning and provided real-life examples, activity-based learning and experiments were underutilized. Student motivation was largely driven by teacher support and personal interest, yet confidence in solving numerical problems remained limited.
Conclusion: The study underscores the necessity for student-centered teaching approaches such as experiments, visual aids, and group discussions to foster conceptual learning. It calls for teacher training, curriculum reform, and integration of real-life physics applications to improve engagement and comprehension. Aligning with global research in physics education, the findings advocate for active learning strategies and digital learning tools to address persistent conceptual challenges. Future studies should explore long-term impacts of these interventions across urban and rural schools in Pakistan.
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