IDENTIFYING FACTORS EFFECTING STUDENTS’

PARTICIAPTION IN THE CLASSROOM

By

Syed Muhammad Irfan

Roll No. BJ657789

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements

for B.Ed. (1.5 years) program in Education at Department of Early Childhood

Education and Elementary Teacher Education

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD

May 2018

© Syed Muhammad Irfan, 2018

 FACULTY OF EDUCATION

ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD

APPROAL FORM

The research project attached hereto, titled Identifying Factors Effecting Students’

Participation in the Classroom Proposed and submitted by Syed Muhammad Irfan

Roll No. BJ657789 in partial fulfilment of the requirements for B.Ed. (1.5 years)

program in Education is hereby accepted.

Supervisor: ______________________________

(Kareem Nawaz)

Evaluator: ______________________________

(Kareem Nawaz)

Dated: __________________
 DECLARATION

I Syed Muhammad Irfan Son of Syed Mushtaq Ahmed Shah Roll No. BJ657789

Registration No. 16PDN02470. A student of B.Ed. (1.5 year) programme (Education)

at Allama Iqbal Open University do hereby solemnly declare that the research project

entitled Identifying Factors Effecting Students’ Participation in the Classroom

submitted by me in partial fulfilment of B.Ed. (1.5 year) programme, is my original

work, and has not been submitted or published earlier. I also solemnly declare that it

shall not, in future, be submitted by me for obtaining any other degree from this or

any other university or institution.

I also understand that if evidence of plagiarism is found in my

thesis/dissertation at any stage, even after the award of degree, the work may be

cancelled and the degree revoked.

_______________________

Date: ______________ Signature of Candidate

_______________________

Name of Candidate
 Research Project Submission Approval Form

Research project entitled Identifying Factors Effecting Students’ Participation in

the Classroom Submitted by Syed Muhammad Irfan Roll No. BJ657789

Registration No. 16PDN02470 Programme B.Ed. (1.5 year) has been read by me and

has been found to be satisfactory regarding its quality, content, language, format,

citations, bibliographic style and consistency and thus fulfils the qualitative

requirements of this study. It is ready for submission to Allama Iqbal Open University

for evaluation.

_______________________

Date: ______________ Name of Supervisor

_______________________

Signature of Supervisor
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

All praise to ALLAH ALMIGHTY, the omnipotent and omniscient, the Lord of

Worlds. In the former and the latter, praises be to ALLAH ALMIGHTY, the Creator

of the Heaven and the Earth, who created the man, taught him the utterance, honored

the human being and perfected him above many of creatures with marked

performance. We offer our humblest thanks from the deepest core of our hearts to the

HOLY PROPHET HAZRAT MUHAMMAD (P.B.U.H) who is forever a model of

guidance and knowledge for humanity. I especially want to offer thanks to Sir

Kareem Nawaz, who always welcomed the curiosity of the researchers and provided

guidance at each and every step during research process. My affectionate and loving

parents, brothers, sisters and my beloved wife, who are everything for me in this

world and whose inspiration, encouragement, affection, sacrifices, moral and financial

support, guidance, experience, wisdom and knowledge made this study possible and

successful. Last but not least we must admit that we are thankful to all whose names

cannot be written individually and pay our heartiest thanks.

Syed Muhammad Irfan

 ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors effecting students’ participation in

the classroom. The researcher conducted a survey study be developing a questionnaire

comprising of such factors and administered it to the students of Allama Iqbal Open

University Islamabad. The objectives of this study were: 1) To give awareness about

psychological factors affecting students' participation in the classroom. 2) To

investigate physical factors that affect participation of students in the class. 3) To

identify domestic problems that affect students' participation in the classroom. 4) To

analyze social factors affecting students' participation. 5) To identify mental factors

that affect student’s participation in the class. All students of Allama Iqbal Open

University Islamabad were the population of the study and data were collected from

200 students from different departments of Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad

as sample. The data were analyzed and interpreted in terms of percentage. It was

concluded that different factors like domestic, psychological, physical environmental

and social factors affect students’ participation in the classroom. The researcher also

recommended suggestion for the removal of those factors.

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Page
1 INTRODUCTION 01
1.1 Statement of the Problem 3
1.2 Objectives of the Study 3
1.3 Significance of the Study 3
1.4 Research Question 4
1.5 Methodology 4
1.6 Delimitation of the Study 4
2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 5
2.1 Theories of Participation 5
2.1.1 Need Hierarchy Theory 5
2.1.2 Life Transitions Theory 6
2.1.3 Reference Group Theory 6
2.1.4 Social Participation Theory 7
2.2 Classroom Structures that Encourage Student Participation 7
2.3 Classroom Management 7
2.3.1 Creating a Learning Environment 8
2.3.2 Setting Expectations 8
2.3.3 Motivational Climate 8
2.3.4 Maintaining a Learning Environment 9
2.3.5 When Problems Occur 10
2.4 Encouraging Student Participation in Discussion 10
2.5 General strategies 11
2.5.1 Encourage students to learn each other's names and 11
interests
2.5.2 Get to know as many of your students as class size permits 11
2.5.3 Arrange seating to promote discussion 11
2.5.4 Allow the class time to warm up before you launch into the 12
discussion
2.5.5 Limit your own comments 12
2.6 Tactics to Increase Student Participation 12
2.6.1 Make certain each student has an opportunity to talk in 12
class during the first two or three weeks
2.6.2 Plan an icebreaker activity early in the semester 13
2.6.3 Ask students to identify characteristics of an effective 13
2.6.4 Periodically divide students into small groups 13
2.6.5 Assign roles to students 14
2.6.6 Use poker chips or "comment cards" to encourage 14
discussion
2.6.7 Use electronic mail to start a discussion 15
2.7 Tactics to Keep Students Talking 15
2.7.1 Build rapport with students 15
2.7.2 Bring students' outside comments into class 15
2.7.3 Use nonverbal cues to encourage participation 16
2.7.4 Draw all students into the discussion 16
2.7.5 Give quiet students special encouragement 16
2.7.6 Following strategies: 16
2.7.7 Discourage students who monopolize the discussion 17
 2.7.8 Tactfully correct wrong answers 18
2.7.9 Reward but do not grade student participation 18
2.8 Psychological dimensions of classroom 20
2.8.1 Interaction 20
2.8.2 Interaction and Motivation 20
2.8.3 Interaction and achievement 20
2.8.4 Interaction and Memory 21
2.8.5 Interaction and creativity 21
2.8.6 Interaction and skill 22
2.8.7 Interaction and communication 22
2.9 Student impressions of the value of participation 22
2.9.1 Hones reasoning skills 22
2.9.2 Encouraging critical ability 22
2.9.3 Accumulating and remembering facts and ideas 23
2.9.4 Enjoyment 23
2.9.5 Motivation 23
2.9.6 Chance for consultation 23
2.9.7 Social skill 23
2.9.8 Transferable skills 24
2.10 Factors affecting the lack of participation on the part of students in 24
the Classroom
2.10.1 Physical problems 24
2.10.2 Personal problem 24
2.10.3 Environmental problem 25
2.10.4 Emotional problems 25
2.10.5 Atmosphere and other condition 26
2.10.6 Drug alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, Underage Drinking: A 26
Major Public Health Challenge
2.10.7 Injury and Social problem 26
2.10.8 Domestic Violence problem 27
2.10.9 Cultural Differences problem 28
2.10.10 Employment and domestic situations problem 28
2.10.11 Fatigue 29
2.10.12 Sex differences in fatigue 29
2.10.13 The effect of age on participation 30
2.10.14 Parent’s attitude 30
2.10.15 Anxiety 30
2.10.16 Learning problems 31
2.10.17 Home problems 31
2.10.18 Attention seeking 31
2.10.19 Lack of motivation 31
2.10.20 Lack of clarity of presentation 31
2.10.21 Love mental level of students 32
2.10.22 Lack of academic atmosphere 32
2.10.23 Defective methods of teaching 32
2.10.24 Lack of true reinforcement 33
2.10.25 Lack of fresh air and sunlight 33
2.10.26 Poor health 33
2.10.27 Fears 33
2.10.28 Economic condition 34
3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 35
3.1 Objectives of the Study 35
3.2 Nature of Design 35
3.3 Population and Target Population 35
3.4 Sample and Sampling Technique 36
3.5 The Instrument and Validation of the instrument 36
3.6 Data Collection 36
3.7 Analysis of Data 36
4 DATA ANALYSIS 37
5 SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND 54
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary 54
5.2 Findings 55
5.3 Conclusions 57
5.4 Recommendation 58
REFERENCES 60
APPENDIX – A 65
 LIST OF TABLES
Table Name Page No.
Table 1 Identifying Home Factors Effecting Students’ Participation in 37
the Classroom
Table 2 Identifying School Factors Effecting Students’ Participation in 38
the Classroom
Table 3 Identifying Physical Factors Effecting Students’ Participation 38
in the Classroom.
Table 4 Parents' illiteracy is the cause of less participation in class. 39
Table 5 Harsh and bad behaviour of parents makes students less 40
participant in class.
Table 6 Students who do not enjoy love and care of parents participate 41
less in the class.
Table 7 Domestic/financial problems are of one of the reasons of 42
student's less participation in classroom.
Table 8 Students who have to face domestic riots of parents become 43
less participated in the class.
Table 9 Bad sitting arrangement in the classroom makes students less 44
participant in the class.
Table 10 Difference between mother and institutional language also 45
makes students less participant in class.
Table 11 Lack of motivation from both parents and teachers is the 46
cause of less participation of students in class.
Table 12 Teachers providing less time for enjoyment make students less 47
participant.
Table 13 Students having less interaction with other classmates have 48
less participation in class.
Table 14 Weak eye sight also defects students ability to participate in 49
class.
Table 15 Poor hearing skill damages student's capability to participate 50
in class.
Table 16 Physical weakness hinders students to participate in class. 51
Table 17 Mental weakness of the students badly affects in classroom 52
participation.
Table 18 Inferiority complex also makes students less participant in 53
class.
 LIST OF FIGURES
Figures Page No.
Figure 1 Parents' illiteracy is the cause of less participation in class. 39
Figure 2 Harsh and bad behaviour of parents makes students less 40
participant in class.
Figure 3 Students who do not enjoy love and care of parents participate 41
less in the class.
Figure 4 Domestic/financial problems are of one of the reasons of 42
student's less participation in classroom.
Figure 5 Students who have to face domestic riots of parents become 43
less participated in the class.
Figure 6 Bad sitting arrangement in the classroom makes students less 44
participant in the class.
Figure 7 Difference between mother and institutional language also 45
makes students less participant in class.
Figure 8 Lack of motivation from both parents and teachers is the 46
cause of less participation of students in class.
Figure 9 Teachers providing less time for enjoyment make students less 47
participant.
Figure 10 Students having less interaction with other classmates have 48
less participation in class.
Figure 11 Weak eye sight also defects students ability to participate in 49
class.
Figure 12 Poor hearing skill damages student's capability to participate 50
in class.
Figure 13 Physical weakness hinders students to participate in class. 51
Figure 14 Mental weakness of the students badly affects in classroom 52
participation.
Figure 15 Inferiority complex also makes students less participant in 53
class.