Iqra University has made its presence felt through its seven constituent campuses in an extensive manner and has completed its major public-private partnership projects in all the four provinces of Pakistan. This gave Iqra University experts team ample exposure to the customs and life styles of all regions as well as the revelation to the geographical location. This phenomenal cultural and regional exposure bred an unfathomable creed amongst the research faculty to work effectively in the concerned areas. The detail of R&D project completed during the years 2004-07 is as under:

1: Research Study Courses for Teachers, Teacher Educators and Educational Mangers Working with Public Sector Under ADP Scheme: 659/2006M

• Awarding Agency:Bureau of Curriculum and Extension Wing, Department of Education & Literacy, Govt. of Sindh.
• Project Amount: Rs. 53.35 Millions
• Project Duration: Three years
• Project Scope

2: Strengthening of SMCs for Schools, Department of Eucation, Govt of Sindh

• Awarding Agency: RSU Department of Education & Literacy Govt. of Sindh
• Project Amount: Rs. 24.9 Millions
• Project Duration : One Year
• Project Location: 13 districts of Sindh including Badin, Dadu, Hyderabad, Ghotki, Jamshoro, Khairpur, Matiari, Nawabshah, Naushero Feroze, Sukkur, Tando Allahayar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Thatta
• Project Scope:

Phase I: Official Correspondence and Community Mobilization (May 2006 – July 2006)

• Official Correspondence with EDOs, DOs, ADOs and Head Teachers of Middle and Secondary Schools.
• SMCs Bank Accounts Verifications from National and Commercial Banks.
• Development of Resource Material on SMCs for District Coordinators, Community Mobilizers, Facilitators and Data Analysts
• Development of School Profile Questionnaire and Educational Pro forma
• Orientation of District Coordinators, Community Mobilizers, Facilitators, and Data Analysts
• Community Mobilization
• Meetings at Tehsil Head Teachers and District Governments Representatives

Phase II: Formation of 1904 SMCs in Middle and Secondary Schools (August 2006 – December 2006)

• General Body Meetings
• SMCs Election, Voting and Result Declaration
• Data Collection of School Profile
• Data Compilation
• Data Entry of SMC Members Profile and School Profile
• Development of Modules for the Training of Elementary School Teachers
• Data Checking, Processing and Data Analysis
• Finalization of Newly Formed SMCs Reports

Phase III: Training of SMCs and Development of School Development Plan (January 2007 – June 2007)

• Development of Training Manual
• Preparation of a Document on Educational Issues
• Sharing of Educational Issues with the District Coordinators and Field Staff
• Discussion and Prioritization of Listed Issues with the Executive Committees of Newly Formed SMCs
• Finalization of First School Development Plans.
• Provision of Assistance to SMCs through Division Officers and Facilitators.

3 : Training Program of Primary School Teachers for English Proficiency

• Awarding Agency: RSU Department of Education & Literacy, Govt. of Sindh
• Project Amount: Rs. 25.35Millions
• Training Target: 2415 Primary School Teachers
• Project Location: Larkana, Mirpurkhas, and Karachi Divisions

4 : Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of SMCs I Hyderabad and Sukkur Divisions

• Awarding Agency: Department of Education & Literacy, Govt. of Sindh
• Project Amount: Rs. 25.62 Millions
• Starting date: September 12, 2005
• Completion Date: February, 28, 2006

Project Scope/ Descriptions

Iqra University conducted training programs for (SMCs) in Hyderabad and Sukkur Divisions. The detail is as under:
For the training of SMC members in the province of Sindh, Education & Literacy Department Govt. of Sindh assigned this responsibility to Iqra University/ Jamia Millia. Iqra University/ Jamia Millia jointly conducted SMC Training in nine districts of the province. The districts include Hyderabad, Dadu, Badin, Thatta, Nawabshah, Noshehro Feroz, Khairpur, Ghotki and Sukkur.
The Key Features of SMC Training Program is as under:

• The duration of the program was two days. The total teaching hours were 14.
• The major themes discussed were
• Roles & Responsibilities of SMC Members
• Record Keeping
• Planning & Implementation
• Financial Management
• Monitoring & Evaluation

A manual was developed to train the master trainers. The manual contained five chapters. Each chapter was divided into sub-concepts and sub-themes. Each chapter of the manual contained objectives to be set for learners, time line, material needed, as well as instructions and required handouts for facilitators. In the manual each activity was clearly mentioned i.e. the nature of activity, the role of participants, role of facilitators, steps to be taken while performing activities.

5 : Leadership Training Program for the Heads of Secondary/ Higher Secondary Schools

• Awarding Agency: Education & Literacy Department, Govt. of Sindh
• Project Amount: Rs. 3.5 Millions
• Starting Date: 30 March 2005
• Completion Date: 21 June, 2005

Project Scope/ Descriptions:

The Faculty of Education & Learning Sciences of Iqra University conducted Leadership Training Program for Kotri, Dadu and Khairpur Districts. The duration of this Program was 24 days. Iqra University trained 180 head teachers, 20 resource persons. In this program, the emerging trends were discussed with respect to school management. The following were the key contents:

• Academic Supervision
• Financial Management
• School Administration
• English & IT

6. Training Program of 92 Master Trainers for the Teacher Training

• Awarding Agency: United Education Initiative, ESRA, Pakistan
• Project Amount: Rs. 9.2 Millions
• Starting Date: August, 09, 2004
• Completion Date: August, 29, 2004

Project Scope/ Descriptions:

Iqra University extended organizational support to UEI/ESRA training Program providing one month training to 92 master trainers for teacher training. The resource persons from University also contributed in the re-evaluation process of the module data in the training sessions. Following were the themes for the module

Theme 1: Content Areas and Instructional Approaches

• English as a Foreign Language
• Math & Science
• Social Studies & Urdu Language and Literature

Theme 2: Innovative Educational Approaches

• Mentoring
• Reflective Practice
• Use of Media

The Program was a US-AID funded. The trained MTs further trained 17,000 teachers in the districts of Khairpur, Sukkur, Hyderabad and Thatta.

7. Ascertaining the Efficacy of Distribution of Textbooks and Stipend Distribution Schemes

• Project Awarding Agency : UNICEF
• Project Amount : 2.9 millions
• Project Duration : Four months
• Project Location : 23 districts of Sindh

This was an impact study conducted under the auspices of the Reform Support Unit and the UNICEF to assess the feedback of the concerned stakeholders and to find out the various shortcomings present in the system of textbook and stipend distribution system.

The main objective of the study was to ascertain the elements of transparency, reliability and efficiency of the system. For this purpose a research methodology based on analysis of documents, questionnaires for field survey, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions was adopted. However, the most important part of this strategy remained to be its field methodology which comprised of a carefully prepared research instrument that covered both the quantitative as well as qualitative assessment of the scheme. Moreover the field survey also included focus group discussions which were carried out in almost all divisions of Sindh. It is worth noting that the analysis of policy documents and in-depth interviews could not be carried out due to the unavailability and disinterest of the concerned authorities.
The field survey was carefully planned for all 23 districts of Sindh wherein a sample size of 1% was used to carry out this study. The sample size was evenly distributed amongst all districts and was also divided amongst various respondents. According to the sample size 486 schools were supposed to be surveyed. However, as a precaution, the sample size was increased by 0.1% and a total of 539 schools were surveyed by a team of 67 researchers. The main instrument used in this field survey comprised of a set of four questionnaires, each focused on a particular stakeholder or institution. These questionnaires were carefully devised so as to check and cross check the responses of the respondents and to see similarities as well as disagreements on the issues pertaining to patterns of distribution, preference of agencies, claims made about the amount distributed or received or even the perceptions attached to the entire procedure.
Before sending the instrument in the field, it was properly tested and modified by taking feedback from a group of participants, all of whom had a real stake in the process. This was done so that any missing elements, unclear questions and other refinements could be incorporated into the final instrument. The final instrument was thus a pre tested and modified version that had already been applied on concerned stakeholders. But the planning stage did not simply include the designing and pilot testing of instruments; it also had an important element of the identification and selection of proper surveyors.

8. Ascertaining Efficiency and Efficacy of Textbooks Delivery (Class I to X) in Sindh GovtSchools and Distribution of Scholarships to Girls (VI to X)

Project awarding agency: Reform Support Unit, Education and Literacy Department, Government of Sindh.

Project Amount: 2,971,679/= Rs.
Project Duration: 25th September 2007 to 24th September 2007
Project Location: All 23 districts of Sindh: Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando
Allahyar, Tando Mohammad Khan, Matiari, Thatta, Badin,
Jamshoro, Dadu, Nawabshah, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar,
Umarkot, Tharparkar, Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Jacobabad,
Kashmore, Nowshero Feroze, Shikarpur, Larkana, Kambar

Project Scope:

• Designing of Research Instruments
• Pilot testing of research instruments
• Finalization of research instruments
• Submission of inception report
• Orientation of Surveyors
• Introduction to the study
• Content of the questionnaire
• Interviewing techniques
• Data Collection tools, technique and methodology
• Report Writing
• Development of Action plan- district wise
• Survey
• Monitoring of Data Collection Process
• Submission of final report

9: Ongoing Projects

Professional Competency Test for the Award of Incentives to Primary, Junior and High School Teachers

Project awarding agency: Department of Education and Literacy, Government of Sindh
Project Amount: 30 million Rupees
Project Scope:

Phase I: Planning

• Announcement of Incentive Package for Teachers
• Preparation and printing of Information Booklet and Admit Cards
• Distribution of Information Booklets
• Identification and Selection of Test Centre Venues
• Selection of Field Coordination Team and Centre In charge
• Appointment of Monitoring Team
• Preparation of Guidelines for Invigilators, Field Coordinators, Centre In charge, and Monitoring Team
• Test Construction
• Pilot Testing
• Finalization of Test Papers and Printing
• Preparation of Test Schedule

Phase 2: Implementation and Monitoring

• Announcement of Schedule
• Collection and Distribution of Application Forms
• Scrutiny and Screening of Application Forms by Categories of Teachers
• Delivery of Admit Cards with Test Schedule
• Orientation of field staff including Invigilators, Field Coordinators, Centre In charge, and Monitoring Team
• Transportation of Test Papers to Centre
• Delivery of Stationery, Information Brochure, Attendance Sheet and Guidelines to Test Centres
• Logistics and Seating Arrangements
• Conducting the Competency-Test
• Monitoring Visits
• Transportation of Answers Sheets