STUDENTS’ TOLERANCE LEVEL AND THEIR SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICES AT UNIVERSITY LEVEL IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

The study highlights the perceptions of university teachers about students’ tolerance level toward social and religious experiences in the contemporary society. Tolerance is human capacity to accept existence of differences among people. The teachers of public sector Universities of Pakistan were the population of the study. Five public sector universities were selected from all the provinces of Pakistan. A random selection of ten departments from each university was made. Gender and nature of departments (science and arts were given equal representation in the sample. Questionnaire was used as a tool for the selection of data that have 25 items and 2 open ended questions to fulfil the qualitative aspect of the study. Research tool was administered to 120 teachers from each university; Total sample was one hundred twenty teachers. Factors from teacher’s data set include Social tolerance level of University students, Student’s attitude in classroom, Students Behaviors with fellow. Frequency and percentage of responses on each item of the factor was calculated. Frequencies on strongly agree and agree categories were merged to give rise agree set of responses whereas responses on strongly disagree and disagree categories were added to yield disagree category of responses. Frequencies and percentage of responses on both agree and disagree categories were calculated on each item of the factor and then factor together. Significance of difference between agree and disagree sets of responses were calculated through paired sample t test. Impacts of demographic variables on each factor were calculated through independent sample t test or one-way ANOVA followed by Bonferoni as post hoc test. Thematic approach was followed to analyze the responses on open-ended items. Results showed that respondents had moderate level of tolerance. Sixty-four percent respondents were displaying their tolerance. To achieve the educational aims and to develop level of tolerance of students, lectures on tolerance and civic and tolerance education must be included in syllabus at every level of degree.