Teacher-Level Predictors of Challenges in Simulated Learning Implementation: The Role of Teaching Experience, Professional Qualification, and Age Among Elementary Science Teachers in Pakistan

Abstract

While global literature affirms the educational promise of simulated learning, implementation barriers remain acute in resource-constrained settings such as Pakistan. Comparatively little attention has been directed to whether teacher-level demographic and professional characteristics predict the magnitude of challenges experienced in simulated learning implementation. Understanding these predictors is essential for the targeted design of professional development and institutional support interventions. This study examined whether teaching experience, professional qualification (B.Ed. vs. M.Ed./M.S.Ed.), and age significantly predict teachers' perceived challenges in implementing simulated learning in General Science at the elementary level in Pakistan. A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted with 273 elementary science teachers from Districts Layyah and Muzaffargarh, Punjab, Pakistan. A validated 10-item Challenges of Simulated Learning (CHSL) subscale was administered. One-way ANOVA was used to examine age-based and experience-based differences, while independent samples t-tests examined professional qualification differences. Effect sizes (Cohen's d and eta-squared) were computed for practical significance assessment. No statistically significant differences in CHSL scores were observed across teaching experience groups (F(3,269) = 0.983, p = 0.401, η² = 0.011), age groups (F(3,269) = 0.368, p = 0.776, η² = 0.004), or professional qualification (t(271) = 0.924, p = 0.356, d = 0.11). All effect sizes were negligible to small, indicating practical equivalence across groups. The borderline-significant finding for the advantages subscale by experience (F(3,269) = 2.166, p = 0.092) warrants further investigation. Teachers' perceived implementation challenges are not determined by experience, age, or professional qualification. This finding suggests that challenges are systemic and infrastructural rather than individual-level, and that professional development interventions targeting simulated learning implementation must address institutional rather than teacher-level variables.