REVEALING THE REALITY: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS ABOUT SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS

Abstract

The purpose of the present research was to determine the school effectiveness factors as perceived by students in public and private sector secondary school (SS). The context of the study was district Rawalpindi (Punjab, Pakistan).  Responses of 400 SS students were collected through School Effectiveness Survey Questionnaire (SESQ). Findings detected significant differences in perceptions of students of both sectors about school effectiveness factors. Private sector SS students score was higher on factors of safe environment, practical opportunities for students to learn, definite focused mission, monitoring students’ progress frequently, and home school relation, whereas public sector SS students” score was higher on climate of high expectation, effective time management and instructional leadership. Public sector SS lack in safe environment, involvement of stakeholders, teaching support to students based on frequent assessment. Private SS lack in climate of high expectation, time management and instructional leadership as perceived by students.  Based on findings, it was concluded that factors like safe school environment, practical opportunities for each student to learn, definite mission, monitoring students’ progress frequently, home school relation, having high expectations about each student, effective time management and instructional leadership are the major factors for considering effectiveness of school. Therefore, it is recommended that school principals, teachers, district management, policy makers and planners are required to take steps to promote safe environment for students to learn, involve stakeholders and to promote frequent assessment in public sector SS.  Moreover, district management can instruct private sector school management to improve climate of motivation, effective time management and instructional leadership in private SS. This study contributes to the literature about global school effectiveness methods to assess secondary school effectiveness in Pakistani context.