Teacher effectiveness: the beliefs of effective Bahasa Melayu teachers

Beliefs play a m~or role in the way teachers respond to an educational innovation such as the Integrated Curriculum for Secondary Schools (KBSM) in Malaysia. This paper gives an account of the effective teachers' perceptions of the notion of teacher effectiveness based on the teachers' theoretical understanding and their classroom practices. Twelve Bahasa Melayu teachers who were identified as effective in their teaching by the education authorities were studied through a semi-structured questionnaire which was later clarified through interviews. The results indicated that some of their beliefs are not parallel with those recommended and expected by the KBSM. This paper suggests that there is a need to consider teachers' beliefs in the planning and implementation of meaningful teacher education programmes

Implementing educational innovation: learning from the classroom interaction of effective Bahasa Melayu teachers in Malaysia

This paper reports a study on classroom teaching techniques five years after the implementation of the Integrated Curriculum for Secondary Schools (KBSM) in Malaysia. Systematic observation was made of the classroom practices of 12 Bahasa Melayu teachers who were identified as effective in their teaching of 12-13 year-old pupils. Contrary to the philosophy of the KBSM, the teachers were inclined to use traditional whole class teaching strategies and to dominate classroom interaction. The study concludes that there is a need to consider the existing teachers' professional knowledge and their beliefs about the notion of good practice when designing and implementing in-service teacher education programmes

Kesediaan murid Tahun 1 mengikuti pengajaran kemahiran proses sains dalam bahasa Inggeris

The Ministry of Education has implemented English as the medium of instruction for Science subject in primary schools in 2003. The students were the most affected by this change. It worries that students would begin to lose their interest and lack of confidence in learning Science. While, teachers and students should be confident with their opinion in order to teach the subject. In addition, the implementation of this teaching also raises problems to the rural students. The students in the rural areas who are not as prone to use English in their daily lives will have problems and are less willing which in turn can cause lose interest and fall behind in their studies. therefore, this study focused on the following aspects: a) to compare the readiness of the Year 1 students in the urban and rural areas to master the process skills and proficiency of Science in English terms, and b) to examine the readiness of Year 1 students to learn the process skill of Science in English

Teaching for quality learning: a leadership challenge

Many educational policies, strategies and action plans are developed based on the available theories and best practices. As learning is central to educational success, this lecture reexamines the field of education, particularly learning and teaching, and how research findings have informed policy development and practices in effecting teaching for quality learning – meaningful change in the knowledge, skills, attitude and behaviour of the learner. First, it explores the dynamic field of education, learning and teaching, zooming into the changing focus of teaching towards student-centred, self-determined, deep and meaningful learning in the wake of 21st century education. Second, teacher effectiveness will be scrutinised to understand how the notion, amid differences in its conception, could bring about impactful teaching on learning. Third, using four major studies undertaken over a span of three decades, teacher and lecturer beliefs and their classroom practices will be analysed to investigate their struggle in implementing the recommended student-centred pedagogies, culminating in the barometer of policy success in educational reforms, and arguing the case of improving teaching for quality learning. The first study highlights how ‘effective’ teachers grapple to understand the concept of student-centredness and teacher effectiveness, implying that continuous empirical investigations are necessary to embed their beliefs and practices that are characteristics of effective teaching for quality learning and, hence, to illuminate the progress of curriculum development and implementation in the uniquely Malaysian context. The second study, the recipient of the Washington Symphony’s International High Notes in Education Award for the year 2000 and has been emulated in the Korean Smart Education initiative, indicates the level of teachers’ and students’ knowledge about smart teaching and learning, confirming the widely held belief that issues of information dilution are widespread in the top-down innovation process, thereby suggesting that a more engaging teacher training strategy should be employed in implementing successful innovation. The third study emphasises the necessity for high order thinking skills as well as a more effective model of teacher recruiting, training, and career development that have become the thrusts of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 (Preschool to Post-Secondary Education). The final study encapsulates the findings of 15 student-centredness inquiries in higher education institutions that express the demand for a more effective training programme on pedagogy and the need to develop leadership in the pursuit of teaching for quality learning. Fourth, based on the research findings, teacher and academic training and development will be reexamined to facilitate teachers and lecturers. Finally, this lecture explores educational leadership, a contentious but promising academic field of research that has tremendous potential to facilitate the transformation agenda of teaching and learning being put forward in volumes of policies, strategies and action plans. Indeed, visionary, persistent, engaging, continuous and well-informed efforts to bring substantial and sustainable changes in teaching for quality learning, especially through teacher and lecture development and leadership, are pertinent for educational reform

Quality Assurance in Higher Education Institutions: Exist Survey among Universiti Putra Malaysia Graduating Students

This paper presents the exit survey of graduating students at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). The results gathered from 1,823 final year students of the 2006/07 session indicate that overall, the students’ satisfaction level is moderately high (3.55 ± 0.79). The students’ perception on the attributes of graduates resulting from learning outcomes is also moderately high (3.65 ± 0.66). Although there are no differences in students’ satisfaction level according to gender (t = .582, p > 0.05) and students’ residence (t = .121, p > 0.05), however, it differs according to students’ study programs (F = 35.44, p < 0.01), with Social Science students having a higher satisfaction level (3.80) compared to their counterparts in the Physical Sciences and Engineering (3.48) and Bioscience and Medicine (BSM) programs (3.37). Through this exit survey, together with many other assessment initiatives, the university aspires to provide the highest possible quality in terms of teaching, research and professional services

Student Teacher of Malay Language as a First Language: Do They Have the Confidence to Teach

The objective of the study was to assess the teaching confidence of student teacher who’s specialization is Teaching of Malay as a First Language. The specific objectives were to determine the teaching confidence in terms of student engagement; instructional strategies; classroom management and teaching with computers in classroom. Data were gathered from a sample of 53 student teachers. Findings indicate that a majority of the respondents had a high level of confidence in terms of student engagement (Mean: 3.97, S.D: 0.29), instructional strategies (Mean: 3.93, S.D: 0.38), classroom management (Mean: 3.90, S.D: 0.32) and teaching with computers in classroom (Mean: 3.83, S.D: 0.57)

Student teachers of malay language as a first language: do they have the confident?

The objective of the study was to assess the teaching confidence of student teacher who’s specialization is Teaching of Malay as a First Language. The specific objectives were to determine the teaching confidence in terms of student engagement; instructional strategies; classroom management and teaching with computers in classroom. Data were gathered from a sample of 53 student teachers. Findings indicate that a majority of the respondents had a high level of confidence in terms of student engagement (Mean: 3.97, S.D: 0.29), instructional strategies (Mean: 3.93, S.D: 0.38), classroom management (Mean: 3.90, S.D: 0.32) and teaching with computers in classroom (Mean: 3.83, S.D: 0.57)

Teaching efficacy of Universiti Putra Malaysia science student teachers.

The objective of the study was to access teaching efficacy of Universiti Putra Malaysia Science student teachers. The specific objectives were to determine teaching efficacy of Science student teachers in terms of student engagement; instructional strategies; classroom management and teaching with computers in classroom; their satisfaction with teacher education program and lastly to determine their attitudes towards teaching profession. Data were gathered using questionnaire. The sample size was 144. Findings indicate that a majority of the respondents had a high level of confident with their efficacy in term of student engagement (Mean: 3.89, S.D: 0.32), instructional strategies (Mean: 3.85, S.D: 0.33), classroom management (Mean: 3.83, S.D: 0.33) and teaching with computers in classroom (Mean: 3.89, S.D: 0.48). Pearson correlation showed that teaching efficacy and perception toward teachers education program were significantly correlated with each other (r = 0.464, p<0.05). The relationship between these two variables was positive and of moderate strength. In contrast teaching efficacy was weak and negatively correlated with attitude toward teaching profession (r = — 0.146, p< 0.05)

Pelaksanaan pendidikan keusahawanan di Malaysia: kesan terhadap aspirasi keusahawanan pelajar

Realizing the importance of entrepreneurship education in preparing students with opportunities and potentials to choose future careers as entrepreneurs, the Ministry of Education have shown their commitment towards its implementation. The entrepreneurship component was introduced in the living skills subject at the lower secondary school level. Based on this effort, a study is needed to evaluate the effect of this on students' choices of entrepreneurship as a career. About 1336 Form Four students were selected to participate in the study by using the multi-stage random sampling procedure. Findings indicated that students' aspirations are still low. Those who obtained high academic achievement in PMR examination have low entrepreneurial potential and vice versa. There is a significant difference between students' characteristics and potentials between those who choose to be self employed and those who choose working with others. As a whole, students' entrepreneurial attitudes and characteristics are moderately positive. Implications of the study are discussed in the paper to infuse the entrepreneurial spirit among secondary school students

Sense of efficacy among beginning teachers in Sarawak

This study examined the level of teachers' sense of efficacy among beginning teachers in Sarawak, Malaysia. It also sought to investigate whether there is any difference in beginning teachers' sense of efficacy in relation to gender, race and types of teacher preparation program. The study was conducted by using the teacher sense of efficacy scale. The sample consisted of 328 beginning teachers. The mean score of beginning teachers' sense of efficacy was 6.57 and the standard variation was .80. There were significant differences in teachers' sense of efficacy in relation to race (F = 3.46, p<.05) and types of teacher preparation program (F = 3.92, p<.05). The differences in overall teacher sense of efficacy were also significant in relation to the interaction between gender and types of teacher education (F = 4.59, p<.05) and interaction between all the three demographic variables (F = 3.32, p<.05). The implications of the study on the theory and practice of teachers' sense of efficacy was discussed