The Challenges of Undertaking Citizenship Education Research in Pakistan

A long-standing curriculum controversy erupted in Pakistan in 2009 between two relatively polarised interpretive communities - represented by individuals drawing upon theocratic and liberal-den10cratic influences respectively. Following the announcement of a new National Education Policy, civil society groups and influential commentators vigorously debated features of the policy in opinions and editorial sections of national newspapers. The envisaged research study reported on here was designed to undertake a detailed and comprehensive examination of the curriculum policy for citizenship education in Pakistan, and opinions and editorial sections of national newspapers to understand this curriculum controversy. Interpretive Policy Analysis Framework was to be adopted to infom1 data collection and analysis. However, the fieldwork for the study faced numerous challenges including political instability, the cumulative effects of a hard- fought electio11, limitations to archival access, risk from terrorist attacks, and a shifting policy context. Following the provision of a brief background of this controversy, this chapter narrates the first author's lived experiences with regard to the challenges of undertaking citizenship education research in Pakistan.