<p> <em>Phenomenology as a philosophy and a method of inquiry is not limited to an approach to knowing, it is rather an intellectual engagement in interpretations and meaning making that is used to understand the lived world of human beings at a conscious level. Historically, Husserl’ (1913/1962) perspective of phenomenology is a science of understanding human beings at a deeper level by gazing at the phenomenon. However, Heideggerian view of interpretive-hermeneutic phenomenology gives wider meaning to the lived experiences under study. Using this approach, a researcher uses bracketing as a taken for granted assumption in describing the natural way of appearance of phenomena to gain insights into lived experiences and interpret for meaning making. The data collection and analysis takes place side by side to illumine the specific experience to identify the phenomena that is perceived by the actors in a particular situation. The outcomes of a phenomenological study broadens the mind, improves the ways of thinking to see a phenomenon, and it enables to see ahead and define researchers’ posture through intentional study of lived experiences. However, the subjectivity and personal knowledge in perceiving and interpreting it from the research participant’s point of view has been central in phenomenological studies. To achieve such an objective, phenomenology could be used extensively in social sciences.</em></p>

This study aimed to explore teachers' perceptions about parental role in developing reading habits of children to improve their academic achievement. The study was conducted in one of the private schools of Gilgit city situated in the Northern part of Pakistan. Using a case study approach to research within the qualitative design, semistructured interviews were used for data collection, which enabled the researchers in capturing qualitative experiences, opinions, beliefs and perceptions of purposefully selected research participants. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis approach and emerging themes were represented in the form of figures to provide a clear understanding. The study confirmed that reading habits, for example, out of school reading and reading for pleasure, have influenced academic performance and parental role is pivotal in developing children's interest in reading because healthy reading activities can help them to develop critical thinking and analytic skills. This could also develop their vocabulary to a great extent. Consequently, children exhibit improvement in their overall academic performance. The findings confirmed that if parents focused on reading improvement of their children in early ages, they could better develop reading as a routine activity. The study recommended that parents should play an active role in developing attitude towards reading by

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Assuming the effectiveness of student-centered approach to teaching, this study explores the perceptions of purposefully selected seven students and teachers from a community school in Karachi about this pedagogical approach. Using interviews and observations of classroom practices as methodological tools, we concentrate on finding answers to the questions: How does student-centered approach to teaching used in community schools in Pakistan contribute to achieving quality education? How does this approach affect teaching and learning activities? How does this approach facilitate teachers to overcome the problems of teaching and learning? The findings of this study identify that student-centered approach to teaching encourages students" engagement in teaching-learning activities focusing on individual interaction to achieve common objectives. However, inadequate resources, small sized classrooms, and lack of expertise on the part of teachers were the challenges to the teaching learning activities in the community schools. These findings would be valuable to teaching and learning communities and educational policy makers as well.

Students’ classroom presentations as teaching and assessment techniques are widely in practice at universities all over the world. Previous studies indicate that university students are provided unsatisfactory time for presentations. It frustrates them especially when teachers use the presentation as an assessment tool. The present study aimed to explore the views of teachers and students’ perceptions behind their dissatisfaction with the uses of presentations by teachers as a teaching method as well as an assessment tool. In this qualitative study, researchers usedsemi-structured interviews from 14 M. Phil students and three of their teachers. Both teachers’ and students’ practices were also observed during sessions as scheduled for presentation activity. The observations were made towards the end semester from the qualitative thematic analysis. It was found that students’ and teachers’ expectations from each other regarding many aspects of the presentation did not match. Especially, students felt unhappy about the time duration allowed toprepare presentations. Feedback was also regarded as useless and of low quality. Presentations were more frequently used at the end of the semester rather than through the semester. Teachers need to share criteria based on the possible time for an average student to understand and present the assigned tasks in class.