Current Issues in Comparative Education (CICE) - Volume 22 - Issue 1 - Special Issue 2020 - Praxis for a Post-Information Future: Evaluating the Impact of a Pedagogical Framework Based on Experiential Learning

Oct 15, 2026

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A pedagogical framework grounded in experiential learning was implemented in a low-cost private school in Karachi to increase students’ engagement with the world. Using classroom observations, formal and informal interviews, and assessment of lesson plans collected over a year, the study tested whether a learning cycle could strengthen learners’ capacity for open-ended inquiry and deeper conceptual probing. Pre- and post-training observations indicate significant improvements in divergent thinking, critical questioning, and reduced passive learning patterns.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Praxis for a Post-Information Future

Background of the Study

Findings and Discussion

The 5A Framework

Current Issues in Comparative Education (CICE) Volume 22, Issue 1, Special Issue 2020 Praxis for a Post-Information Future: Evaluating the Impact of a Pedagogical Framework Based on Experiential Learning Hasnain R. Badami EDLAB Pakistan Rubab Fatima Graduate School of Education, Harvard University This paper traces the implementation of a pedagogical framework in a low-cost private school in Karachi designed to put students’engagement with the world at the center of the learning process. The need for such a framework arose as a response to the realization that education system in Pakistan is lagging behind in preparing children of a post-information future. Through classroom observations, formal and informal interviews, and assessment of lesson plans conducted over the period of a year, the study investigated whether a learning cycle based on experiential learning could enhance student engagement in the learning process and help them develop the skills necessary to navigate an increasingly uncertain future. The observations before and after the training revealed significant impact on such variables as divergent thinking, the ability to ask open-ended questions, and willingness to probe concepts deeper as opposed to passive learning. Keywords: student engagement, learning cycle, experiential learning, critical pedagogy, lesson planning, critical thinking, instructional design Educators, social scientists, and policy makers agree that Pakistan is facing an education emergency in matters of both quantity and quality. While we lament the 22.8 million children out of school in the country (UNICEF, 2020), deficiency of trained teachers; lack of unified curriculum; outdated textbooks; multiple examination boards, and unrealized policies are some of the many hurdles facing provision of quality education in the country (Lall, 2012; Siddiqui, 2016) . Moreover, the existence of multiple educational institutions – public schools, elite private schools, madaris, etc.– cater to particular socioeconomic classes and contribute to further social stratification which also exacerbate the challenges (Malik, 2012; Rahman, 2004; Siddiqui, 2012) . These difficulties have resulted in reducing education from being a transformative experience for its seekers and the society as a whole to merely being a time-bound process of acquiring knowledge that is incomprehensible and irrelevant to the current local and global scenario. With their focus on transmitting a fixed amount of knowledge, rote-memorization, and standardized testing, education system in Pakistan appears to be rooted in pedagogies of the past while preparing learners for an ever-evolving and unpredictable future (Shabeen, 2011; Malik, 2012) . Such an approach, which Papert (1993) terms as instructionism, was promising in Industrial age but is hardly a solution to the problems posed in the 21st century. We are quickly moving towards a post–information age, which is characterized by civic © 2020, Current Issues in Comparative Education, Teachers College, Columbia University. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Current Issues in Comparative Education 22(1), 83-103. Praxis for a Post-Information Future disengagement despite an influx of information and increasing social connectedness (Taube, 2004). While the present pedagogical model is driven primarily by the needs of Industrial age that assumes a one-size-fits-all approach, this age poses a unique crisis of understanding and demands a pedagogy that not only builds “deep conceptual understanding”(Sawyer, 2014, p. 2) but also allows the learner to position himself and his knowledge in relation to the world. Hence, the post-information era necessitates the development of individuals’engagement with global issues together with conceptual development. This paper presents a pedagogical framework for training teachers to reconceptualize the purpose of education as a tool for personal and social transformation. The study described in the pa

FAQs

What problem in Pakistan’s education system does the paper address?

The paper argues that education in Pakistan lags in preparing children for a post-information future, with issues such as disengagement, rote learning, and outdated materials undermining relevance and understanding.

How was the experiential learning framework evaluated?

Evaluation relied on classroom observations, formal and informal interviews, and year-long assessment of lesson plans, comparing conditions before and after teacher training.

What impact did the training have on students?

Students showed increased ability to connect classroom concepts to real-world situations, ask open-ended questions, participate in critical discussions, and demonstrate stronger divergent thinking after training.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by nayy☆