Connecting Theory and Practice: Bridging Academic Feminism and Activism in Pakistan

Feminism is named as the demand for equality between men and women; however, it is not easily acceptable for the so-called super-gender called men, in any patriarchal society. It is not only a phenomenon but also a chapter of life that varies day by day, though is accepted by many communities, but difficult to adopt or accept in a patriarchal society as in Pakistan. There are many factors behind acceptance or rejection, which is debatable. Either the economy, politics, society, religion, or education is the aspect to enrol it in life. This article is the demonstration of factors, which is responsible for bridging the gap between academic feminism: which is being read to the generation, excluding the reality of the physique of gender, and the activism in feminism, which is being practised with social norms. This debate would be qualitative in nature. Though it concluded that Feminism in the society of Pakistan is not digestible for men members, however, the accelerator for equality or, even equity is slow but consistent and some of the changes are happening gradually.

Implementing the Process of Science Concept Development in Early Childhood Education Through Young Childrens Learning of Living and Nonliving Things: An Action Research

Exploring of the science concept development and change in young children has been a neglected area in most of the developing countries. Research in the developed world indicates that many children do not have a scientific understanding of such concepts like; energy, force, motion and living nonliving things, even by the age of 10 years. The purpose of this study was to explore and to develop young children's (age 3 to 5 years) learning of the concept of living and nonliving things in one of the private schools in Karachi. This exploratory research used the action research approach and qualitative data collection methods like classroom observations, and interviews to investigate the process of conceptual development and change students' learning about living and nonliving things. During explorations most of the students were found to think about living and non living things in a nonscientific way like every moving thing is living and when living things is in pictorial form students consider it nonliving. Students' ideas and understanding about living and nonliving things were limited to their daily life observations and experiences. The study involved classroom teaching over the 6-week lessons of teaching the concept living and nonliving things'. A small group of six students was focused during the study to find out changes in the process of conceptual development. The predominant changes were development of scientific terminology and improvement in the use of criteria for explaining living and nonliving things. The social set up of the classroom and the teaching strategies based on explorations, problem-solving, and hands-and minds-on experiences helped the students to learn in a better way. Students having some prior understanding of the concept of living and nonliving things were identified as being able to benefit from classroom instruction. However, the students who had no prior understanding of the concept were found least able to develop the concept. The study also discusses the factors related to classroom practices of the teachers' that facilitate or hinder the process of scientific concept development and change. Recommendations were made for teaching that the teaching instructions should focus on conceptual development and change rather than enrichment of knowledge alone.