Acknowledgements
"These are my words
That I‟ve never said before
I think I‟m doing ok
And this is the smile
That I‟ve never shown before
Somebody shake me „cause I, I must be sleeping"
(Lewis, 2003)
I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to „Waheguru‟
and all those who directly or indirectly extended their helping hands in landing me on
the terrain of higher education and accomplishing my childhood dreams, imbibed in
me by my beloved parents who always believed in the philosophy of “Miles to go
before I sleep”, of having Ph.D.
First and foremost, I express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Prof. Harjee Kaur
Bhatia (Head, Department of Educational Studies) who always showed an
unshakeable faith in me that fueled my strength to initiate this study. Prof. Bhatia is
blessed with critical insights, affability and a thorough grasp on the subject which
proved to be a boon for me to make carry out this extensive research work. Easy
accessibility and ability to put her scholars to ease is truly remarkable and earns her
respect and admiration from all corners. Her incisive intellect and enduring work
commitment is a source of inspiration to all those who know her.
I am also thankful to my co-guide, Dr Lovely Puri (Senior Lecturer, DIET), who
made untiring efforts to complete my research study. I shall remain indebted to her
encouragement, motivation and guidance and full support during my work.
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My thanks are due to Prof. Ilyas Husain (Dean, Faculty of Education, JMI) whose
valuable suggestions have enabled me complete my work. I shall remain obliged to
him who used to encourage and motivate me and always stood there for any sorts of
help. I would fail in my duties if I miss to acknowledge Prof. Ajaz Masih for his
valuable suggestions from time to time. I am very thankful to all my mentors of the
Department of Educational Studies along with non-teaching staff, namely Mr. Jamal,
Mr. Wasim and Mr. Aftab.
Not less appreciation deserves Md. Zamir (Principal, DIET, SCERT, Delhi) for his
continuous encouragement and support during the phase of data collection. Md.
Zamir, who always sounded very confident and energetic, is widely felt to be a source
of positive vibes. I also thank all the principals of DIETs, particularly Mr. Surinder,
who facilitated the way for me to gather data.
I particularly thank librarian J. Mir of Dr. Zakir Hussain Library of Jamia Millia
Islamia. I would like to extend my special thanks to Mr Shahabuddin, Mr Mumtaz,
Ms. Shaheen and other staff of the Dean Office for their support throughout my
journey.
I am also indebted to my fellow research scholars, particularly Ms. Anjana Chhilar,
Mr. Shabbir Ahmed and Mr. Mousuf Raza, who always sensed what I needed during
the course of my research and provided reinforcement day in day out.
I express my sincere thanks and feel grateful to all experts who extended their support
not only in finalization of the research tools but also providing valuable suggestions
with regard to several aspects of the study.
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I would like to dedicate my thesis to my mother Paramjit Kaur Chugh and father
Kuljit Singh Chugh who kept encouraging and motivating me. I would like to thank
my grandfather Kulraj Singh Chugh and grandmother Jagjit Kaur Chugh who dreamt
to see me holding a Doctorate degree. I would take this opportunity to offer my
gratitude from the core of my heart to my brothers CA Sarabdeep Singh Chugh and
Sahib Singh. Both brothers are my pieces of heart who always motivated me and kept
me away from all worries. I would thank my aunt (bhua) Jatinder Kaur who called me
up every weekend and encouraged me to complete my thesis on time.
Last but not least, I owe my thanks to Mr. Abhishek Kumar, an adoring and loving
gentleman whom I tied the knot to, who never complained and always made
adjustments during my busy schedule. He always encouraged me to complete my
thesis and it would not have been possible for me to accomplish this great task
without his support. I truly thank Almighty Who blessed me with such a delectable
husband. Thank you so much Abhishek for accompanying me in this difficult journey.
I am very thankful to my father-in-law Mr. Anil Kumar (Deputy Secretary, UPSC)
and mother-in-law Saroj Bala for giving me ample opportunities to pursue higher
education and keeping me away from all sorts of worries. I would also like to thank
my cousins, friends and my best wishers for all their support in the process of
completing my research work.
Amanpreet Kaur Chugh
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