Journal of Advanced Research in English & Education

Narrative, Identity, and Historical Memory in Philip Roth’s Fiction

Mr. S. Karthikeyan — 2026-02-20

Philip Roth’s literary oeuvre offers a profound examination of narrative experimentation, identity formation, and historical consciousness in American fiction. This paper investigates Roth’s key novels—Portnoy’s Complaint, The Ghost Writer, American Pastoral, and The Human Stain—to explore how they articulate Jewish-American identity, negotiate trauma, and engage with national mythologies. By blending satire with psychological depth, Roth confronts the contradictions of personal and collective experience. This study draws from close textual analysis and critical scholarship to situate Roth’s legacy as a pivotal figure in modern
American literature.

Satire, Identity, And National Anxiety: The Transformative Worlds Of Philip Roth.

Mr. S. Karthikeyan — 2026-02-20

This research paper examines the extensive literary career of Philip Roth, focusing on his exploration of identity, satire, trauma, and national anxiety in American fiction. Through critical analysis of key novels—including Portnoy’s Complaint, The Ghost Writer, American
Pastoral, The Plot Against America, and The Human Stain—the study reveals Roth’s approach to postwar American social and cultural crises. Combining textual analysis, contextualisation, and scholarly dialogue, this work situates Roth as both a chronicler and critic of the American
imagination, whose fiction blurs the boundaries between autobiography and invention.

Assessment Practices In ESP Courses: Towards Authentic Evaluation In Higher Education

Eslam Yacoub — 2026-02-21

This study investigates assessment practices in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses in higher education, with a particular focus on their alignment with principles of authentic evaluation. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the research first
examined students’ perceptions of assessment practices and authenticity through a validated questionnaire administered to 415 ESP learners across five disciplines. Quantitative analyses revealed a continued reliance on traditional, language-focused assessment formats, alongside
statistically significant but moderate disciplinary variation in the use of performance-based tasks. While students reported moderate exposure to real-world tasks and authentic materials, perceptions of evaluative transparency, feedback usefulness, and learner involvement remained consistently low. To explain these patterns, qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 ESP instructors and document analysis of 34 assessment artefacts. Thematic analysis indicated that institutional assessments policies, generic rubric structures, time constraints, and limited assessment literacy
constrained the enactment of fully authentic assessment. Although instructors expressed strong support for task-based and discipline relevant evaluation, this commitment was not consistently reflected in evaluative criteria, feedback practices, or learner participation. The
findings suggest that authenticity in ESP assessment is often realised at the level of task design but remains limited in evaluative processes. The study contributes empirical evidence to ongoing discussions on authentic assessment in ESP and offers a foundation for developing more learning-orientated, context-sensitive assessment practices in higher education.

Make them laugh, and they will learn Laughter as a Psychological Learning Environment

Albrecht Classen — 2026-02-28

Laughing is a very simple but deeply meaningful approach to teaching and learning. Teachers are people, as are the students, and both sides form a community. How do we hence build connections? All these questions serve the same purpose, timeless in nature: What makes an effective learning environment? How do we build, as teachers, an effective connection with our students? These questions are universal and yet they always need new, if not always the same answers. Here I propose a very simple method that helps to build direct bridges between students and their teacher: laughter. Whenever the class breaks out in laughter, the participants release energy, or tensions, and they become ready thereby for a more advanced learning process, probably on a higher learning level of acquiring knowledge, understanding, empathy, and sensitivity regarding the matter under investigation. When a teacher jokes about him/herself, in the right context and at the right moment, at least, s/he builds new connections to the class itself. Laughter can humble ourselves; it establishes new connections, it communicates in an ineffable manner that we are all in the same boat as people. Old and young can learn from each other, as the laughing teacher signals to his/her audience. No one is error-free, and everyone has gone through a long process of trial and error before s/he has assumed a teacher’s position. Allowing the class to laugh about themselves, the teacher, the class material, or the foolishness of previous

scholarship, for instance, facilitates an innovative critical thinking free from hierarchical authority. By the same token, teachers who relent to laughter communicate more humanely with their students and allow them to join the same learning community as everyone else. Finally, laughter makes it possible to view the subject matter through a different lens.

Awareness Of Sex Education Among Higher Secondary School Students

Shikha Rohilla — 2026-03-02

Adolescence is a pivotal period of growth and development that is characterised by extensive physical, mental and psychological
transformation. Students in this age group are faced with identity, relational and sexual issues in transition towards adulthood, leaving them more susceptible to misinformation, peer pressure, harmful behaviour and abuse. Hence, sex education is an important part of adolescents’ development, providing them with information regarding reproductive health, relationships, consent and self well - being to enable them to make appropriate sexual health-related decisions. Despite policy-level acknowledgement, awareness and comprehension of sex education among higher secondary school students in India continue
to be inconsistent. This study aims to assess awareness and level of knowledge about sex education among higher secondary school students. A descriptive survey method was used and data was collected from 200 higher secondary school students of Chandigarh. Findings showed that the majority of students showed only a moderate level of sex education awareness. Compared to boys, girls demonstrated a greater awareness of reproductive health, hygiene and safe practices. The study suggest the need for more thorough, organised and inclusive sex education programmes that cover emotional intelligence, consent, healthy relationships, digital literacy and the physical aspects of sexuality which will help students make safe, responsible and informed decisions.