Effectiveness of Technical and Vocational Education at Secondary Level as a Tool for Poverty Alleviation in Pakistan.

Abstract

Poverty is a worldwide problem in these days. The greater part of population in the world are poor if we set the bench mark of poverty 2$ per day per head. All the experts have consensus on two sorts of poverty, absolute and relative. There are sufficient empirical evidences to support the idea that education and especially technical & vocational education (TVE) is the way which leads toward happiness and prosperity. It provides essential human capital that is backbone for economic growth. It has been realized now that investment in human development is important to alleviate poverty. Present study was held to explore the effectiveness of technical & vocational education (TEV) at secondary level as a tool for poverty alleviation in Pakistan. In study descriptive research design was adopted. Survey method was applied involving students, teachers, parents, and employers. Four questionnaires were developed i.e. for students, teachers, parents and employers. The questionnaires were approved by experts and then pilot tested. It was presupposed that most of the responding parents and employers might be illiterate or might face problems in filling out the questionnaire, so Urdu version of questionnaires was also developed. For generalization, random selection of respondents through stratified and proportional sampling process was adopted to generalize the findings quantitative data of the study. Questionnaire as a research instrument was used to answer different research questions. There were 815 students in Punjab who passed secondary school certificate examination (Matric) technical & vocational in 2013, 2014, and 2015. The sample was comprised of students i.e. 500 (60%), parents 500 (60%), the teachers 268 (100%) and employers82 (100%). Stratified random sampling method was adopted to select the sample from the targeted population. To select an envoy sample, 36 districts of Punjab were disseminated in three levels on the basis of zones i.e. center, south and vii north. In the next stage, the students were selected proportionally from each zone (proportionally from districts and ultimately zone) i.e. 153 from center zone, 126 from north zone and 359 from south zone. In this way, the valid responses of 494 students, 494 parents,250 teachers and 82 employers were received and all included in the study. The statistical design for data analysis was prepared according to the research questions of the study. Quantitative analysis was made using SPSS version 22. Descriptive analysis was carried out; one-sample t test, independent sample t test, Pearson test, one-way ANOVA, Mean score, Post hoc LSD test and linear regression test were used in inferential statistical analysis. The study established technical & vocational education at secondary level performs an effective role to alleviate poverty. The students, especially female students consider that the objectives of the course, physical facilities, curriculum, assessment & evaluation and academic facilities factors have great importance and can alleviate poverty more effectively whereas male students perceived better about factor effectiveness i.e. social aspects, for poverty alleviation. The urban students‟ perceptions are more favorable than rural students on course objectives, physical facilities and assessment & evaluation factors. However, rural students‟ perceptions are better on academic facilities, curriculum and social aspects factors. Then the vocational trade students‟ perceptions are more favorable than technical trade students on course objectives, physical facilities, academic facilities, and assessment & evaluation factors. However, technical students „perceptions are better on curriculum and social aspects factors. Furthermore, the students, who had high class socio economic status, were significantly perceived more about physical facilities factor, than the students who had medium class socio economic status. The students did not show any significantly different perceptions based on SES. The students showed significantly different perceptions based on viii institute regarding course objectives factor, physical facilities factor, academic facilities, curriculum, assessment and evaluation, social aspects and overall poverty alleviation factors. The rural parents have positive opinion about the factors i.e. academic facilities, curriculum, assessment & evaluation and social aspects of TVE at secondary level as a tool for poverty alleviation. The rural parents‟ perceptions are higher than urban parents on academic facilities, curriculum, assessment & evaluation and social aspects factors but equal regarding physical layout factor. The parents did not show any difference based on age and socio economic status regarding physical layout, academic facilities, curriculum, assessment & evaluation and social aspects factors. Besides, academic qualification difference was found on academic facilities factor but not on physical layout, curriculum, assessment & evaluation and social aspects factors. Female teachers‟ opinion are more favorable than male on course objectives, physical facilities, academic facilities, administrative facilities, assessment & evaluation, curriculum and social aspects factors. Rural teachers‟ perceptions are more favorable than urban teachers on course objectives, physical facilities, academic facilities, curriculum, assessment & evaluation and social aspects factors. However, urban teachers‟ perceptions are higher on staff development. The teachers‟ perceptions who had age 26-35, are more favorable about course objectives factor than the teachers, who have age range between less than & equal to 25 years. The teachers, who have age 26-35, are higher perceptions about „academic facilities factor‟, than the teachers, who have age range between 36-45 years. No difference was found in teachers‟ perception on physical facilities, administrative facilities, curriculum, staff development, assessment and evaluation and social aspects factors. In this way the perception of the teachers who have higher qualification is more favorable than the teachers having low qualification on academic facilities factor. ix However, no academic qualification difference was found on course objectives, physical facilities, administrative facilities, curriculum, staff development, assessment & evaluation and social aspects factors. The teachers did show significantly different perceptions based on institute. The female employers‟ perceptions are more favorable than male on graduates‟ competencies, effective curriculum and social aspects factors. Whereas male employers‟ perceptions are higher than female on academic & institutional effectiveness and graduates skills factors. The employers did not show any significantly different perceptions based on age and academic qualification. It was concluded that there is significant positive strong relationship exists between students‟, parents‟, teachers‟ and employers‟ perceptions towards effectiveness of technical &vocational education and poverty alleviation. Therefore, the results revealed that most of the factors mentioned in study are significantly and positively predicted the outcome variables poverty alleviation for effectiveness of TVE at secondary level.