ASSESSMENT OF INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES IN BOARDS’ EXAMINATION PAPERS IN PHYSICS: COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AT SECONDARY LEVEL IN PAKISTAN

In secondary schools in Pakistan, the pupils are provided with the concepts of physics at higher level and opportunities to do laboratory work and experiments. The survey of journals and periodicals of inter and intra country repute, revealed that from the pre and post implementation of the new syllabus in Physics operative from the early seventies, no research realization of objectives was conducted although its need was felt. This study is intended to find out scientifically the coverage of objectives by Boards’ examination question papers in the first three aspects of cognitive development in the subject of Physics at Secondary Level in Sindh. A random sample of 280 school teachers working as examiners in the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Hyderabad and of Secondary Education (BSE) Karachi was selected. The tool for determining the weightage of objectives was developed. This included an investigation of five years Physics question papers from (1997 to 2001) to classify the concepts of knowledge, understanding and application. The data were collected through tool. It was found that there was imbalance in proportion of knowledge, understanding and application; it reflected inappropriateness and unsuitability of the weightage of the objectives covered by the paper setters. On the basis of the study findings, the question papers of both the Boards’ were found to be invalid and incapacitated to cover the objectives of physics at secondary level. As a result of this study, various suggestions were put forth to streamline the process for the coverage of objectives.