Lecturer Superior University
When Dr. Tahira walked into her first postgraduate classroom, she felt an intoxicating mix of pride and purpose. Years of research, a freshly minted PhD, and the title “Doctor” beside her name everything she had worked for was finally real. The students looked at her with admiration, notebooks open, pens ready. But within the first fifteen minutes, that sparkle faded. Faces grew blank. A few exchanged quiet glances. One brave student finally said, “Ma’am, can you please explain that again in a simpler way?”
That single question lingered long after class ended. Sitting in her office later, Dr. Tahira found herself wondering, Was I trained to teach or only to research?
And that, right there, is the silent question echoing across our universities today.
In Pakistan, a PhD has almost become a fashion statement. Everyone wants one not always for the love of research, but for the prestige it brings. It opens doors, earns promotions, and secures administrative positions. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: while the degree proves one’s ability to research deeply, it doesn’t automatically make one a good teacher. A doctorate might certify knowledge, but it doesn’t guarantee connection.
Many people in academia never planned to be teachers. Some became educators by choice, drawn to the joy of shaping young minds. Others became teachers by fate it was the opportunity available after graduation. Yet, both groups face the same dilemma once they enter the classroom: is it the PhD that defines a teacher, or the ability to teach well?
The reality is that research and teaching are two very different worlds. A PhD focuses on a narrow, highly specific area of expertise often so specialized that only a handful of people fully understand it. But teaching, especially at the postgraduate level, demands the opposite: breadth, adaptability, empathy, and clarity. Students don’t just need information; they need inspiration. They need someone who can simplify, contextualize, and make complex ideas meaningful.
Dr. Tahira realized this quickly. Her years of academic writing hadn’t prepared her for managing a room full of distracted digital-age learners. These students weren’t impressed by jargon; they wanted interaction, clarity, and relevance. Her PowerPoint slides filled with citations and frameworks didn’t hold their attention. What they needed was conversation not a monologue.
And that’s the crux of the PhD versus teaching skills debate. In an age when new research emerges almost daily, the relevance of a PhD degree isn’t in question but its application is. Does the degree help teachers evolve with changing times? Does it encourage them to update their teaching methods, explore new technologies, or understand student psychology? Or does it trap them in the comfort of intellectual prestige?
The 21st century classroom doesn’t just need informed teachers; it needs effective ones. Those who can blend knowledge with empathy, and theory with practice. Yet, universities often reward publication counts more than classroom impact. Titles rise, but teaching quality doesn’t always follow.
It’s also worth asking who teaches better at the undergraduate level? Someone with a PhD in a very narrow research topic, or an M.Phil. graduate who understands the broader subject and connects well with students? Many would argue that experience, communication, and a genuine interest in learning how to teach outweigh titles any day. Teaching is, after all, not about performing intellect but about facilitating understanding.
Some teachers, in trying to bridge this gap, swing too far toward entertainment jokes, flashy slides, videos forgetting that education without depth quickly becomes hollow. Others stick rigidly to pure information, making learning dry and detached. The balance lies somewhere in between: engaging, but grounded; lively, but meaningful.
Dr. Tahira eventually found that balance. She started attending pedagogy workshops, learned to use digital learning tools, and experimented with active learning strategies. Her classes became more interactive less about how much she knew and more about how much students learned. Over time, she discovered that teaching wasn’t a lesser art than research; it was simply a different one one that demanded its own learning curve.
Her journey reflects a truth we often overlook: a PhD can open the door to academia, but only good teaching keeps it open.
In a world where information changes faster than curricula, it’s not the degree that sustains relevance it’s the teacher’s willingness to grow, adapt, and connect. Because at the end of the day, it’s not the title that teaches it’s the teacher who keeps learning.
Lecturer Superior University
