Comparative Analysis Of Students' Learning Achievements In Formal And Non-Formal Education Settings

Abstract

Education is a central pillar of society which provides knowledge, skills, and social norms to individuals for personal development and societal contribution. Education mainly consists of three modes, informal, non-formal and formal. The current study, entitled “Comparative analysis of students' learning achievements in formal and non-formal education setting” was a comparative study of formal and non-formal system of education in Pakistan, regarding students’ academic learning achievement. This study aimed to analyse the subject-wise academic learning achievements of students in formal and non-formal education system across core subjects and to compare the overall average academic learning achievements of students in formal versus non-formal systems of education. This study is important for policymakers, educationists, and researchers to conduct further research on other parameters. The study was descriptive and quantitative method was used. The population comprised of all SSC and HSSC qualified students from formal and non-formal education systems. The study was delimited to Southern Punjab. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 300 students (150 each from formal and non-formal mode). A learning achievement test was used to measure learning achievement in core subjects including Math, Islamic Studies, General Knowledge, English, and Urdu. Test was validated through expert opinion and reliability was measure by using Cronbach’s Alpha. Data were analysed by using SPSS 27 by applying descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviations) and inferential statistics including independent samples t-tests. The results showed that formal and non-formal education serve complementary roles rather than a hierarchical one: formal education showed better performance in structured academic subjects (Mathematics, English, and Urdu), while non-formal education showed better performance for value-oriented subjects (Religious and Ethical studies). General Knowledge showed consistent performance in both educational systems. This result call for incorporated, flexible, and inclusive educational policies that recognize the strengths of both systems and magnify non-formal education opportunities for both rural and urban population.