Investigating Perceptions of Secondary School Teachers Regarding Social Cohesion: A Descriptive Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55737/tk/v5i1.51146Keywords:
Social Cohesion, School Climate, Inclusive Education, School Belongingness, National Unity, Collaborative LearningAbstract
The Social cohesion is vital for peaceful coexistence, inclusive societies, and sustainable development. Schools play a key role in fostering tolerance, respect, cooperation, and unity among students. In multicultural Pakistan, issues such as ethnic, socioeconomic, and sectarian differences impact social integration, making schools essential for developing responsible citizens. This study examines secondary school teachers’ perceptions of social cohesion in Punjab, Pakistan, using a quantitative phase following qualitative exploration of key aspects through literature and expert discussions. Based on these findings, a structured 52-item questionnaire was developed to measure teachers’ perceptions of social cohesion. Experts ensured content validity, and pilot testing confirmed the instrument’s reliability and scale. An overall Cronbach’s Alpha value of 0.964 for the instrument showed that it had excellent internal consistency. Data was collected from 641 secondary school teachers from public sector schools in various districts of Punjab, including Rawalpindi, Attock, Lahore, Sargodha, Multan, and Bahawalpur. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results indicated that, the teachers held a high rating of social cohesiveness in school. School belongingness, environment, diversity, national unity, trust, teamwork, cohesive curriculum, conflict management, and student well-being were rated as factors. Interdependent factors include trust, inclusive environment, and collaboration. Improvements: teamwork, diverse interaction, global citizenship, gender equality. The study concludes that there is significant potential to promote social cohesion in schools in Pakistan; however, efforts are needed to improve these initiatives. The results are highly significant for policymakers, curriculum developers, and educationists to improve social harmony and national integration.
References
Arslan, G. (2021). School belongingness, well-being, and mental health among adolescents: Exploring the role of loneliness. Australian Journal of Psychology, 73(1), 70-80. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530.2021.1904499
Banks, J. A. (2009). Multicultural education: Dimensions and paradigms. In J. A. Banks (Ed.), The Routledge international companion to multicultural education (pp. 9–32). Routledge.
Bush, K. D., & Saltarelli, D. (2000). The two faces of education in ethnic conflict: Towards a peacebuilding education for children. UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre.
Clark, K. N., Dorio, N. B., Eldridge, M. A., Malecki, C. K., & Demaray, M. K. (2019). Adolescent academic achievement: A model of social support and grit. Psychology in the Schools, 57(2), 204-221. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22318
Dinesen, P. T. (2011). Me and Jasmina down by the schoolyard: An analysis of the impact of ethnic diversity in school on the trust of schoolchildren. Social Science Research, 40(2), 572-585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2010.12.002
Green, A., Preston, J., & Janmaat, J. G. (2006). Education and social cohesion: Re-centring the debate. In A. Green, J. Preston, & J. G. Janmaat, Education, equality and social cohesion: A comparative analysis (pp. 19–54). Palgrave Macmillan.
Green, A., Preston, J., & Janmaat, J. G. (2006). Education, equality and social cohesion: A comparative analysis. Palgrave Macmillan.
Healy, M. (2018). Belonging, social cohesion and fundamental British values. British Journal of Educational Studies, 67(4), 423-438. https://doi.org/10.1080/00071005.2018.1506091
Hewstone, M. (2015). Consequences of diversity for social cohesion and prejudice: The missing dimension of intergroup contact. Journal of Social Issues, 71(2), 417-438. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12120
Hughes, J. (2013). Contact and context: Sharing education and building relationships in a divided society. Research Papers in Education, 29(2), 193-210. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2012.754928
Janmaat, J. G. (2010). Social cohesion as a real-life phenomenon: Assessing the explanatory power of the universalist and particularist perspectives. Social Indicators Research, 100(1), 61-83. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-010-9604-9
Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Smith, K. A. (2014). Cooperative learning: Improving university instruction by basing practice on validated theory. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 25(3–4). https://celt.miamioh.edu/index.php/JECT/article/view/454
Lott, A. J., & Lott, B. E. (1965). Group cohesiveness as interpersonal attraction: A review of relationships with antecedent and consequent variables. Psychological Bulletin, 64(4), 259-309. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0022386
Nayyar, A. H., & Salim, A. (2003). The subtle subversion: The state of curricula and textbooks in Pakistan. Sustainable Development Policy Institute.
Oddone Paolucci, E., Jacobsen, M., Nowell, L., Freeman, G., Lorenzetti, L., Clancy, T., Paolucci, A., Pethrick, H., & Lorenzetti, D. L. (2021). An exploration of graduate student peer mentorship, social connectedness and well-being across four disciplines of study. Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, 12(1), 73-88. https://doi.org/10.1108/sgpe-07-2020-0041
OECD (2021). Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education. OECD Publishing.
OECD. (2019). Education at a glance 2019: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/f8d7880d-en
Oetzel, J. G., Ruru, S., Zhang, Y., Simpson, M. L., Nock, S., Meha, P., Holmes, K., Clark, M., Adams, H., Akapita, N., Ngaia, K., Murphy, S., Moses, R., Reddy, R., & Hokowhitu, B. (2021). Enhancing well-being and social connectedness for Māori elders through a peer education (Tuakana-Teina) programme: A cross-sectional baseline study. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 775545. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.775545
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2019). Education at a glance 2019: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/f8d7880d-en
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2021). Education at a glance 2021: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/b35a14e5-en
Osler, A., & Starkey, H. (2006). Education for democratic citizenship: A review of research, policy and practice 1995–20051. Research Papers in Education, 21(4), 433-466. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671520600942438
Putnam, R. D. (2007). E pluribus unum: Diversity and community in the twenty-first century. Scandinavian Political Studies, 30(2), 137–174. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9477.2007.00176.x
Rahman, T. (2004). Denizens of alien worlds: A study of education, inequality and polarization in Pakistan. Oxford University Press.
Trespalacios, J., Snelson, C., Lowenthal, P. R., Uribe-Flórez, L., & Perkins, R. (2021). Community and connectedness in online higher education: A scoping review of the literature. Distance Education, 42(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2020.1869524
UNESCO. (2015). Global citizenship education: Topics and learning objectives. UNESCO.
UNESCO. (2020). Education for sustainable development: A roadmap. UNESCO. https://doi.org/10.54675/YFRE1448
Veerman, G., & Denessen, E. (2021). Social cohesion in schools: A non-systematic review of its conceptualization and instruments. Cogent Education, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186x.2021.1940633
Wentzel, K. R., & Muenks, K. (2016). Peer influence on students’ motivation, academic achievement, and social behavior. In K. R. Wentzel & G. B. Ramani (Eds.), Handbook of social influences in school contexts: Social-emotional, motivation, and cognitive outcomes (pp. 13–30). Routledge.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Copyright in the THE KNOWLEDGE is retained by the author(s). Authors also grant any third party the right to use the article freely as long as its integrity is maintained and its original authors, citation details and publisher are identified.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
