This blog is based on the DARE-RC research study ‘Exploring the Implementation Challenges of Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) in Pakistan.
“All students can learn and succeed, but not on the same day, in the same way.”
— William G. Spady (contributed by Dr Muhammad Ilyas Khan)
A System in Transition
For many years, teaching and learning in Pakistan have relied heavily on textbook memorisation and recall-based examinations. While this approach helps students remember information, it does not accommodate the diversity with which young people learn, nor does it always show whether they understand concepts or can apply them. Recognising these limitations, we would hope that the policymakers in Pakistan have been seeking ways to make learning expectations clearer and more meaningful.
As part of this effort, Pakistan introduced Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) into its national curriculum. An SLO is a clear statement describing what a student should know and be able to do by the end of a lesson or unit. For example, instead of stating “Teach Chapter 5,” an SLO might specify that “students will be able to explain the process of photosynthesis.” The Single National Curriculum (SNC) now updated as the Pakistan National Curriculum 2022–23 incorporates SLOs across all subjects and grade levels, aiming to shift the focus from coverage of content to the achievement of learning.
This policy shift represents an effort to make teaching more focused on knowledge, skills and attitudes.
Where the Challenges Appear
Although SLOs are now part of curriculum documents, implementation in schools has not been consistent. Studies examining ‘Pakistan National Curriculum 2022-23’ alignment show gaps between written SLOs, textbooks, assessments, and classroom practice.
Teachers and principals are aware that the system is moving toward SLO-based teaching and assessment, but many report that they do not have the training or tools needed to apply SLOs in their daily classroom practices (Dayan, 2025).
During our research project workshops and field visits, teachers raised practical questions such as:
- How to plan a lesson using SLOs
- How to break an SLO into teachable steps
- How to design classroom activities aligned with SLOs
- How to create assessments that measure SLOs rather than memorisation
Because of this lack of guidance, many teachers continue using traditional and thus familiar methods even as policy expectations have changed.
Our Project: Understanding the Transition
Our research project aims to examine how the transition to SLO-based education is being experienced at the school level in practical terms. To do this, we are working across several areas:
1. Reviewing Global and National Understandings of SLOs
We have begun reviewing international literature on outcomes-based education and are studying Pakistan’s curriculum documents, including the National Curriculum Framework and ‘Pakistan National Curriculum 2022-23’. The purpose is to clearly identify the role (or absence) of SLOs as key components of the curriculum.
2. Examining Curriculum Frameworks, Exam Papers and Policies
We are in the process of reviewing selected exam papers, assessment policies and curriculum frameworks. This will help us understand how SLOs are being interpreted in practice and whether assessments and textbooks reflected the curriculum intentions. Based on a scoping review of SLO case studies globally we suspect that there will be partial alignment i.e. SLOs will be theoretically presented in documents, without much clarity on classroom practice or assessment (Khan and Khalid, forthcoming).
There is clear indication through anecdotal evidence that while SLOs are a formal requirement, the system has not yet provided enough practical support to help teachers apply them.
3. Listening to Teachers, Principals and System Actors
We organised an initial workshop for researchers and enumerators, which also included teachers, principals, examiners, paper-checkers, and representatives from curriculum and examination boards. These sessions covered:
- The concept of SLOs
- Research ethics
- Safeguarding
- Project methodology
During discussions and later fieldwork, participants consistently reported that although SLOs appear in curriculum documents, there has been limited support for teachers on how to use them. Many teachers described the shift as occurring without corresponding professional development or changes to school processes.
Developing a Practical Teacher Resource
During our project’s workshops and field visits, teachers raised practical questions for example, their incapacity to implement SLO based teaching due to limited training (Ahmad and Khalid, forthcoming). This experience taught us that what seems to be missing is a simplified understanding of what we have called, the ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ of this SLO shift. Once it is clear what SLO based education is it becomes clearer why it is needed and then one can move towards how to do this in regular teaching.
To address this issue, we decided to create a simplified SLO resource for teachers and principals titled ‘Teacher Training Companion’ for Teachers. In the resource we target teachers and principals of class 9 and 10. The only aspect that makes it specific to these levels is that we use examples from the English and Mathematics curriculum to demonstrate how to implement SLOs. This output was not part of the initial plan of our project but rather emerged as a need which would address gaps and provide support to frontline educators. The aim of this resource is to give teachers a simple, practical guide that explains:
- What are SLOs?
- How to interpret an SLO
- How to plan lessons aligned with SLOs
- How to select or design classroom activities
- How to assess student performance based on SLOs
- How to provide feedback linked to SLOs
The resource is designed to be straightforward and easy to use, with examples drawn from the current curriculum.
Who Developed the Resource?
The research work was conducted by Ms Nafeesa Mir Zaman, and Mr Shahbaz Jahangir. The initial drafting was done by Dr Shakil Ahmad, under the supervision of Dr Muhammad Ilyas Khan and Dr Hameedah Sayani. The resource was then finalised by Dr Irfan Ullah, who has experience in SLO-related teaching and resource development and will be the main educator for the delivery of the workshops that will follow. The process was supervised by myself (Dr. Aliya Khalid – Study Principal Investigator) and Dr Hafiz Muhammad Inamullah (Co – Principal Investigator).
Next Steps
The Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has asked our team to build on this work by developing a 15-day online training course for thousands of teachers across the province. This programme will use the expanded version of the ‘Teacher Training Companion’ and is expected to take place in early 2026.
On 15 December 2025, we will conduct a training workshop to introduce the resource to teachers, principals, and education experts. After the launch, the resource pack will be available on the DARE-RC website for wider use.
Conclusion
Pakistan’s move toward SLO-based education is a significant policy change. Curriculum documents clearly outline SLOs, but many teachers still need support in applying them in classrooms. Our research project under DARE-RC aims to help address this gap by providing practical tools and guidance. The ‘Teacher Training Companion’ and planned training sessions are steps toward helping teachers use SLOs more effectively in their daily work.
References
Ahmad, S. M., & Khalid, A. (Under consideration). HSSC 2025 Results: A Hard Reality Check for Examinations and Schooling in KP. The Frontier Post.
Dayan, U. (2025, September 20). Student Learning Outcome based Education and Pakistan. Daily Aaj.
Ilyas Khan, M., & Khalid, A. (Under review). From ‘Traditional’ to ‘Student Learning Outcomes’-Based Education in Pakistan: A Shift without a Paradigm Shift? DAWN Pakistan.
Authors: Dr Aliya Khalid (Senior Departmental Lecturer in Comparative and International Education, Department of Education, University of Oxford), Dr Hafiz Muhammad Inamullah (Director/Professor, Institute of Education and Research, University of Peshawar, Dr Hameedah Sayani (Senior Lecturer & Director CPD at Government Elementary College Hussainabad (Adopted by Durbeen)), Dr Shakeel Ahmad (Finance Manager, Institute of Education and Research University of Peshawar). Dr Shakil Ahmad (Principal, Elementary and Secondary Education, KP), Ms Nafeesa Mir Zaman (PhD Research Scholar, Institute of Education and Research University of Peshawar), Mr Shahbaz Jahangir (PhD Research Scholar, Institute of Education and Research University of Peshawar), Dr Irfan Ullah (Principal, Pak-Turk Maarif International Schools and Colleges Peshawar Campus, KP)
Editor and Quality Assurance: Dr Sahar Shah (Senior Research Manager, DARE-RC)
Copy-Editor: Maryam Beg Mirza (Assistant Consultant, Education at OPM)
