In 2009, Malaysia decided to take part in Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) for the first time. PISA is an international survey that is conducted by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which... more
In 2009, Malaysia decided to take part in Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) for the first time. PISA is an international survey that is conducted by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which aims to provide information regarding performances in education across countries, particularly in Reading, Mathematics and Science through a special assessment. PISA is conducted every three years for groups of 15-year-olds in both OECD and non-OECD countries. Unfortunately, Malaysia showed poor performance in PISA 2009, as it was ranked the bottom third in the overall ranking. This indicates that Malaysian secondary education students are lacking in terms of higher order thinking skills (HOTS). The outcome of PISA 2009 has left a significant impact to Malaysia Ministry of Education (MOE) in improving the current national education system. In 2011, the MOE has launched Malaysia Education Blueprint which put greater emphasis on HOTS. This concept paper utilizes literature review for data collection. It will specifically discuss (1) various approaches outlined by the MOE in implementing HOTS in secondary education, (2) the ongoing progress as well as (3) the feedbacks from the stakeholders on the implementation of HOTs.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) has emerged as one of the most influential contributor in the development and landscape of the modern world. Students in tertiary education are expected to get out of the way to meet the... more
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) has emerged as one of the most influential contributor in the development and landscape of the modern world. Students in tertiary education are expected to get out of the way to meet the challenges posed by IR 4.0. One of the fields that is affected by this wave of revolution is Education, therefore it is pertinent for a University to provide space and opportunity for future graduates to have a sense of self-identity and competitive ability. Following this view, a student's university experience is significantly correlated with the development of his well-being. The development includes the acquisition of knowledge and skills in their field of choice, although it is generally preferable for a student to acquire skills in various fields. Competent students are those who are well-equipped with knowledge, skills and values that are relevant to current practice. Drawing from this idea, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate students' challenges, skills, and preparations at the University in facing the IR 4.0 era. A qualitative case study was conducted, employing interviews and document analysis to obtain data from 35 respondents. The respondents were comprised of university students who were selected through purposive sampling. The findings identified several main skills; career and life skills, learning and innovation skills, information, media and technology skills. This study discussed the possible scenarios that might be faced by the students and the university in depth. Based on the findings, proactive measures are needed to encourage students to improve their skills, particularly the skills related to information technology, knowledge, and personal soft skills. Such measures are crucial to fulfil the challenges of IR 4.0.
Pendidikan sudah diterima sebagai komponen penting dalam membina perpaduan kaum di negara ini. Persoalannya, sejak merdeka 58 tahun lalu, bagaimanakah pendidikan untuk membina perpaduan dapat diukur samada telah berjaya atau tidak? Bagi... more
Pendidikan sudah diterima sebagai komponen penting dalam membina perpaduan kaum di negara ini. Persoalannya, sejak merdeka 58 tahun lalu, bagaimanakah pendidikan untuk membina perpaduan dapat diukur samada telah berjaya atau tidak? Bagi menjawab persoalan tersebut kertas ini cuba mengemukakan tiga objektif utama yang perlu diperjelaskan. Pertama, kertas ini cuba meneliti sejauhmanakah etnisiti di dalam aliran sisitem pendidikan vernakular telah mempengaruhi pembentukan ‘nation of intent’ di negara ini. Kedua, kertas ini cuba meneliti sejauhmanakah etnisiti telah mempengaruhi perdebatan berkaitan dasar dasar utama pendidikan negara. Ketiga, kertas ini cuba mengenalpasti sejauhmanakah penerimaan pelbagai etnik terhadap idea pembentukan sebuah sistem pendidikan kebangsaan di negara ini.
The term ‘creativity’ is a term that has been used in many different contexts, carrying with it as many different meanings (Starko, 2005), from the Renaissance definition of being able to imitate works of art (Weiner, 2000) to its... more
The term ‘creativity’ is a term that has been used in many different contexts, carrying with it as many different meanings (Starko, 2005), from the Renaissance definition of being able to imitate works of art (Weiner, 2000) to its contradictory meaning we generally apply today, described by Perkins (1988, p. 311) as: “(a) A creative result is a result both original and appropriate, (b) A creative person – a person with creativity – is a person who fairly routinely produces creative results”. In this article I attempt to explore its application in language teaching and learning through the use of drama in English language learning, where it will reflect on two drama units from two research projects, one in New Zealand and the other in Malaysia. I will then propose a model that explores some of the complexities found in the relationship between drama and creative language learning, and suggests reflective questions a teacher can use to be critical of his or her teaching practice.
This paper reviews the implementation of higher order thinking skills for teaching and learning in Malaysia. Several recent studies have found that there are issues with the implementation of higher order thinking skills from aspects such... more
This paper reviews the implementation of higher order thinking skills for teaching and learning in Malaysia. Several recent studies have found that there are issues with the implementation of higher order thinking skills from aspects such as lack of knowledge on the educators’ part, inadequate understanding of the strategies to inculcate HOTs amongst teachers, insufficient materials and references to teach HOTs and improper environmental settings to instil the learning of HOTs in the education classrooms. Teachers lack the appropriate pedagogical knowledge to teach HOT (Fisher, 1999; Zohar, 1999; Zohar and Schwartzer, 2005). This paper analyses further the implementation of higher order thinking skills for the teaching and learning of HOTs which is of paramount importance in order to address these rife matters.
The influence of international organizations on national education systems have been increasing substantially in recent years. As the role of nation-states is changing in education governance, this has enabled international organizations... more
The influence of international organizations on national education systems have been increasing substantially in recent years. As the role of nation-states is changing in education governance, this has enabled international organizations to not only govern, but also regulate education practices around the world. In order to unpack the complexities of the advancing role of international organizations on national education systems, this research pays attention to Malaysia, a country from the Global South and has recently experienced its first political transition. Utilizing a discourse analysis underpinned with theoretical framework of complexity theory, this study investigates the Malaysian Education Blueprint, a major education policy document, alongside 24 online blogs and articles related to the Malaysian education system. An analysis of the blueprint shows the nation’s over-reliance on benchmarking the education system against OECD’s standards. Similarly, findings from a discourse analysis of the articles and a learning module, PISA HEBAT Reading Module, highlight the influence of OECD PISA in orienting literacy learning in the Malaysian education ecosystem. Three emerging themes emerged in this study, which are uncritical take on international assessments, the emphasis on decentralization, and the growth of International Baccalaureate.
The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between teaching History subject and the students’ performance at five schools that performed poorly in the history subject in SPM. The five teaching aspects are; teachers’... more
The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between teaching History subject and the students’ performance at five schools that performed poorly in the history subject in SPM. The five teaching aspects are; teachers’ ability (KGS), teaching skills (KMG), teaching methods (TPG), usage of teaching aids (BBM), and teachers’ observation on the students work (PTK). A sample of 436 form five students from the five poorly performed schools in SPM with a minimum mean score of 36.08 and below; in the year 2002 to 2004 was selected as respondents. These five schools are located in Perlis and Penang. The respondents are inclusive of male and female students and Malays and non- Malays students. The instrument used in this study is a set of questionnaire to measure the students’ perceptions regarding the teacher’s performance. The findings show that the KGS and KMG are found to be positive, whereas the TPG, BBM, and PTK are moderately positive. Overall, the students’ perception towards the teacher’s teaching method is moderately positive. The inferential statistics used in this study include Chi-Square Test and t-Test. Chi-Square Test shows that there is no significant difference between the female and the male students, and the Malays and non-Malays students in their History examination results. Whereas the t-Test shows that there is no significant difference between the female and the male students on the perception regarding the teacher’s performance. But there is a significant difference between the Malays and non- Malays students. The correlation analysis shows that there is no significant relation between the teaching aspects and the students’ results except for the teaching skills. This study suggests that it is importance to the schools and teachers to find an approach that will assist the History teachers to improve and vary their teaching skills and consequently produce excellent students in History.
Sir #CecilClementi (1875-1947) was famous among the #Hongkongers for his splendid administration and contribution as a #governor of #Hongkong during 1925-1930, not to mention, his fluenty in #cantonese and expertise in... more
Sir #CecilClementi (1875-1947) was famous among the #Hongkongers for his splendid administration and contribution as a #governor of #Hongkong during 1925-1930, not to mention, his fluenty in #cantonese and expertise in #chineseclassicalliterature .He was posted to the #straitssettlement as governor and high commissioner of #BritishEmpire from 1930 to 1934,ended up as results of controversy and prejudice because of his concerned about the #chineseaffairs and #economicdepression in #BritishMalaya .In this two part article published on #Cuphistory #即食歷史 ,I was trying to understand the factors and consequences behind,a risk that Sir Cecil preferred to take and felt no regrets of what he had done to create a greater and nativism,unity #Malaya.
