A Study of Stress Factors and Their Impact on Students’ Academic Performance at University Level

The main emphasis of the study is on the academic performance and the stress management in applied science among the students of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Sindh University Campus Dadu. What is the level of stress on the academic success of the students? How does it affect their lifestyle and health? This is what the research study covers to counteract the general stress among the students. The purpose of the study is to inquire and bring light to measure and check the present stress among students of the university. While doing the research a quantitative method was applied for collecting and analyzing the data. The Questionnaires were distributed among different students for this purpose. Innumerable factors of stress were found in the results and the factors were grouped in four categories which are; -Environmental Factors, Academic Factors, and Personal Factors. In environmental factors, the stress was about the happening the fate in the future. The students were found worried about future that what would happen about their fate? How it will happen? What is about to happen? When they came into contact with the new people it raised their stress. Also the class workload was the main reason for the stress among the students regarding academic factors. When the students were experiencing the workload of the class the group of the students came under stress. The last factor was a personal factor which was mainly due to the financial problem among the students. The stress of all categories can be managed through stress management courses and doing different extracurricular activities which will help to divert the attention of the students on different occasions. This study has drawn significant conclusions and Suggests further measures for practitioners which could help other to manage stress. The limitations are also mentioned so that those who are conducting research for the similar cases can extract better results and ways of curbing stress. A survey questionnaire was designed to collect the response from students, the five-point Likert scale was used from strongly agree to strongly disagree. SPSS-21 version was used to interpret the results through different quantitative techniques like descriptive, regression, and correlation. ____________

Developing a Model for the In-Service Training of Secondary School Science Teachers

This research study was carried out to develop a model for in-service training of secondary school science teachers. Objectives of the study were to assess the present system of in-service training of secondary school science teachers; develop a model for the in-service training of secondary school science teachers; and make recommendations for the improvement of in-service training of secondary school science teachers. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, three questionnaires were developed for trainees (secondary school science teachers), master trainers and head teachers. All the questionnaires were comprised of a 4-point scale and one open-ended question. The questionnaires developed for trainees, master trainers, and head teachers were comprised of 38, 25 and 24 items respectively. The population of the study were 2191 trainee teachers, 76 master trainers, and 1509 head teachers. The questionnaires were administered to 724 trainee teachers, 28 master trainers, and 432 head teachers of 432 institutions (schools). The response rate of trainees was 78.72%, master trainers 100% and head teachers 82.63%. The study was conducted in four randomly-selected districts of Southern Punjab. The data collected through questionnaires were tabulated, analysed, and interpreted. Study findings suggest that a majority of trainee teachers, master trainers, and head teachers believed that training courses were a source of greater awareness regarding content, teaching methods, and the use of A.V. aids. The trainees and master trainers considered that the lecture and activity methods were used during the training, contents of textbooks were taught, got perfection over the contents, understood basic principles of teaching and A.V. aids were used during the training of science subjects. Most of the head teachers stated that the majority of teachers’ performance improved, changes in teachers'' behaviour occurred, and evaluation became a prominent skill due to attending training courses. It was concluded that lacking use of practical work, lack of expertise in using laboratory equipments, low TA/DA (Travelling Allowance/ Daily Allowance), and communication gaps were the major drawbacks of training programmes. In light of conclusions, it was recommended that withdrawal of teachers from schools for INSET should be minimized, training centres should be established at local or tehsil levels, lecture method should be used to the least extent, modern methods of teaching (e.g. demonstration and activity methods) should be used and the nomination of teachers should be made on merit. Pre-test and post-test may be designed and administered on a compulsory basis to determine the academic and pedagogical status of participants. There should be continuous feedback, monitoring, and evaluation for INSET programmes. On the basis of recommendations, a proposed model for the in-service training for secondary school science teachers was developed.