Challenges to Digital Transformation of Monitoring and Evaluation in Pakistani Secondary Schools

Abstract

This study investigates the potential of digital technologies to enhance Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) practices in Pakistani secondary schools. The study has focussed to identify the key challenges hindering the digital transformation of M&E system in Federal Government Secondary Schools, to explore the perceived impact of these challenges on the effectiveness of M&E practices. Concurrent triangulation research design of mixed methods was used to take the qualitative and quantitative data for analysis.  Census sampling method was used, and all members of population, 12 Regional Directors, 186 MEAs and 186 principals of FGEIs (C/G) were taken as a sample and analysed. Self-structured questionnaire was developed for MEAs and principals and semi-structured interviews of Regional Directors were conducted for qualitative data. Validity of the research tools was carried out through experts’ opinions while the reliability was checked by using Cronbach Alpha. The data was collected and analysed by using SPSS, (version 2022). Descriptive statistics (M, Median & SD) were used for data analysis while thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. Major findings of the current study were that in most of the schools M&E is conducted manually without using digital technologies and there are also internet connectivity issues in schools.  The study recommended that there is a need to develop adequate virtual infrastructure with internet connectivity to integrate digital technologies in the M&E practices. The proposed transformation will improve the M&E mechanism resulting improvement in academics, management, curricular, co-curricular activities of school.