Promoting culturally responsive schools in Malaysia : The leadership factor

Creation of 'Vision Schools' is an important step in the promotion of racial integration among the children of the multiracial Malaysian society. But the success of Vision Schools in promoting multiculturalism depends very much on the school principals and teachers. Their understanding of the Vision School concept and the skills in drawing out strategies and action plans to implement the curriculum and instructional activities are important in realizing its aims and objectives. The competency of principal(s) in the area of policy process, change management, and human development in line with the 'Vision School' policy is crucial in creating schools that are culturally responsive. Based on the findings, some systemic policy decisions can be made with regard to developing and preparing "culturally responsive leadership " for the Vision Schools

Teacher professional experience and performance: impact of the work environment and general welfare in Malaysian secondary schools

This study investigated the work environment and general welfare of the Malaysian secondary school teachers. Past studies have explicated that the experience of work environment and general welfare exerted a direct influence on the performance of the teachers, hence student outcome. In the factor analysis, the study identified six factors, namely collective purpose, respect and recognition, job design, health and learning, work load, and institutional support as the components of work environment affecting Malaysian teachers. When the factors were subjected to a survey inquiry, the results revealed that the Malaysian teachers were having an adverse professional experience with regard to the work environment and general welfare. Descriptive analysis and analyses of variance provided statistical support that there was consensus among the teachers about their professional experience. The findings may indicate the necessity for the policy community to give serious attention on improving the work conditions and general welfare of teachers for better performance and student outcomes at schools

Multicultural education as a reform initiative: reconstructing teacher preparation for Malaysian ``Vision Schools''

This article reports a case study of three ``Vision Schools'' in Malaysia. The Vision Schools house the Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil vernacular primary schools in the same compound, which allow their members to share space and facilities, and jointly organize school events. These have been constructed to promote cultural awareness, co-existence, and cooperation among the students of different racial and ethnic groups by creating opportunities for them to come together and mingle, learn about one another's way of life, and become culturally tolerant and informed. The key players in the promotion of the ideals of the Vision Schools are the teachers who, however, have not been able to bring forth their contribution. The study reveals that they have to have a multicultural mind-set and conceptual understanding of multiculturalism. They also have to be pedagogically proficient and be provided with a proper curricular structure and content in multicultural education. It is imperative that these aspects are incorporated in teacher development programs for successful implementation of multiculturalism