TEACHING ATTRIBUTES AND STUDENT OUTCOMES: EVALUATING TEACHERS EFFECTIVENESS AT THE PRIMARY LEVEL IN DISTRICT KOTLI, AJ&K

Abstract

This research was aimed at exploring the level of teachers' effectiveness at the primary schools in District Kotli, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. It also focused on measuring how teachers' effectiveness related to their teaching characteristics and how these influenced the students' academic performances. A descriptive survey design was used for the study. The target group consisted of 756 female teachers working in the government primary schools of District Kotli. Through stratified sampling, 300 teachers were chosen to be studied. A questionnaire on a five-point Likert scale was developed after reviewing the literature and expected outputs. The questionnaire was also validated by subject matter experts and pilot testing was done with 10 teachers who were not included in the sample. The data were collected by the researchers personally. For data analysis, simple percentages and mean scores were used. The results indicate the strengths like strong subject knowledge (95.8%), clear communication (86.6%), creativity (85.1%), and active engagement (82.8%). Nonetheless, there are critical gaps. For example, only 46.7% prepare lesson plans regularly, 40.2% use teaching aids, and 57.9% summarize lessons. Besides, 11.9% of teachers confessed to unequal treatment of students. Although teachers have some main characteristics, the lack of planning, the use of modern techniques, and equity may lead to poorer learning outcomes and rising dropout rates. The research recommends that lesson planning may be made compulsory, audiovisual aids may be provided, and training on equitable teaching practices may be arranged.