Ali, FatimahEducation reform is a contested and complicated terrain where multiple stakeholders with competing visions seek to influence the direction of reform in alignment with their own interests. As a result of these competing visions, education policy is not value free or neutral and favors those who hold the political and economic power to maintain the inertia of the status quo. Despite this unequal balance, education reform remains a dialectic process which is affected by several factors including contexts, resources, accountability processes and the agency of those tasked with policy implementation. Since policy is rarely implemented without some refraction from its original formulation, it is important to examine the implementation process to understand its complexities that can aid in better policymaking by decisionmakers. This multi-case qualitative study examines the implementation of the Single National Curriculum (SNC) Policy introduced during the 2021-2022 academic year in Punjab, Pakistan in primary schools (grade 1-5). Using an institutional lens, this study investigates how public and private schools interpreted the Single National Curriculum Policy and implemented it in classrooms. To highlight the complexity of policy implementation and provide a variegated and nuanced view of policy implementation within different institutional and social contexts, the study was conducted in a public school, a low-cost private school, and a high-cost private school in the cities of Lahore and Kamalia. In total, 22 teachers and administrators across the three schools were interviewed for this research. This study found that the alignment of belief systems, the institutional arrangements of schools and perceived costs of deviation all influenced how closely the SNC curriculum was implemented in each school. Schools interpreted the policy in light of mediating factors which included institutional factors such as the learning environment, capacity and agency of the teachers and administrators as well as their hierarchies and support systems. Adherence to policy was also dependent on the perceived risk of being inspected by government officials and monitoring frameworks established to assess policy implementation. Lastly, in all three schools, administrators and teachers adhered to a spectrum of beliefs that were in alignment with or opposed to the SNC policy. These governed how closely the SNC was implemented in classrooms and or if corrective pressure was applied to maintain their desired student outcomes. As a result of this variation, gaps in student learning remained intact as the new policy did not address the roots of quality differences across schools. However, the government was able to successfully coerce all schools into incorporating more religious instruction and nationalistic citizenship education leading to more tight coupling between the schools on this front.enDissertationEducationEducation policyEducational evaluationInstitutional AnalysisMultiple Case StudyPolicy enactmentPolicy Implementation processSingle National Curriculum Policy