A Comparative Study of Public and Private School Teachers’ Teaching Styles in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan

Abstract

Teaching style is one of the most important aspects of student-teacher interaction patterns at the classroom level, as it directly influences the dynamics of learning and the achievement of desired educational outcomes. This comparative study aimed to investigate differences in teaching styles between public and private secondary school teachers, considering how institutional structures and resources might shape pedagogical approaches. Teachers from both public and private secondary schools constituted the population for this research, and the study followed a descriptive qualitative research design to capture nuanced differences in instructional methods.

A Teaching Style Inventory (TSI) was used as the primary tool for data collection, which was pilot-tested to ensure validity and reliability before the formal data-gathering process. The collected data were analysed using frequencies, mean scores, and independent sample t-tests to compare the two groups systematically. The findings revealed that while there was no statistically significant difference between the teaching styles of public and private school teachers, the majority of educators in both sectors still adhered to traditional, teacher-centred approaches, such as lecture-based instruction, rather than adopting more student-centred, interactive methods like collaborative learning or inquiry-based techniques.

These results suggest that institutional type (public vs. private) may not be the defining factor in teaching style variation, but rather, broader educational policies, teacher training programs, and cultural norms in pedagogy play a more influential role. Given the global shift toward 21st-century skills—such as critical thinking, creativity, and student autonomy—the study recommends that teachers in both sectors actively work toward modernizing their instructional strategies. Professional development workshops, peer mentoring, and exposure to innovative teaching models could facilitate this transition, ultimately enhancing the overall quality of secondary education. Future research could explore the underlying reasons for the persistence of traditional methods and assess the impact of specific training interventions on teaching style evolution.

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