A Comparative Analysis of Literacy Proficiency in Writing and Numeracy Skills among ECE Students and Non-ECE Students at Primary Level in District Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Keywords:
Literacy, Writing skills, Numeracy skills, Pedagogy, ECE Schools, Non-ECE schools.Abstract
The study aims to compare the quality of literacy skills; writing and numeracy of 2nd grade students who studied under ECE (Early Childhood Education) based schools and those in Non-ECE (Early Childhood Education) based schools in Peshawar. A comparative analysis was conducted to compare the literary skills; writing and numeracy among the 2nd grade students who studied in ECE (Early Childhood Education) schools and students in Non-ECE (Early Childhood Education) schools. This study was descriptive in nature. The sample of the study consisted of 30 students (15 students from five (5) ECE (Early Childhood Education) primary schools and fifteen (15) students from five (5) Non-ECE base schools. All the students taken for study were from public boys primary schools of Circle Hazarkhawani district Peshawar. The researcher adopted purposive sampling technique using the rule of thumb “sample to items ratio” for selecting samples and collected data through a self-developed achievement test. The study concluded that the Non-ECE basic school students were lower in writing and numeracy skills as compared to those students who studied in ECE (Early Childhood Education) primary schools. The study recommended that students at Non-ECE schools should be treated equally with ECE (Early Childhood Education) schools. Each and every Government primary school should have a well decorated room for ECE (Early Childhood Education) and also should have at least one trained teacher for ECE (Early Childhood Education) in every Government primary school. Training of teachers should be made mandatory in field of literacy especially in writing and numeracy skills. Activities, playful pedagogy, pencil grip exercises, and using latest apps for writing and numeracy skills were recommended for both ECE (Early Childhood Education) based and Non-ECE (Early Childhood Education) based schools.