1 Transforming the Teaching Profession in Malaysia Abdul Mutalib bin Osman Teacher Education Division Ministry of Education Malaysia Dr Haji Ahmad Rafee bin Che Kassim Institut Aminuddin Baki, Genting Highlands Branch Ministry of Education Malaysia Introduction The teaching profession in Malaysia is currently undergoing a major transformation as a result of a comprehensive review of the education system in October 2011 and the launch of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 (Preschool to Post- Secondary Education) in September 2013. The Blueprint stipulates a strategic and operational change at all levels to better prepare the children of Malaysia for the 21 st century. In the context of Malaysia and this paper, the teaching profession encompasses not only those who work directly at classroom level but also those in the school leadership role in government educational institutions. Thus, the discussion in this paper will focus on classroom practitioners as well instructional leaders. This paper starts with a brief overview of the historical background to the teaching profession and subsequently, the changes that have taken place over the years in the Teacher Education System. The main focus of the paper will be on the current practices and the directions in which the teaching profession is moving within the Ministry. This is in line with the effort to improve the quality of teachers and the delivery system in relation to the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025. Early Development of the Teaching Profession The early development of the teaching profession in Malaysia was very much influenced by the rich and diverse social, political and religious identity of the country. Under the British colonial rule, schools were set up separately either by the Colonial Government or the respective communities for the Malays, Chinese and Indians with the vernacular languages as the medium of instruction. English schools were established by the Colonial Government for the mixed urban population with the English language as the medium of instruction (Tunku Ismail Jewa, 1991).
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Transforming the Teaching Profession in Malaysia
Abdul Mutalib bin Osman
Teacher Education Division
Ministry of Education Malaysia
Dr Haji Ahmad Rafee bin Che Kassim
Institut Aminuddin Baki, Genting Highlands Branch
Ministry of Education Malaysia
Introduction
The teaching profession in Malaysia is currently undergoing a major transformation
as a result of a comprehensive review of the education system in October 2011 and
the launch of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 (Preschool to Post-
Secondary Education) in September 2013. The Blueprint stipulates a strategic and
operational change at all levels to better prepare the children of Malaysia for the 21st
century. In the context of Malaysia and this paper, the teaching profession
encompasses not only those who work directly at classroom level but also those in
the school leadership role in government educational institutions. Thus, the
discussion in this paper will focus on classroom practitioners as well instructional
leaders.
This paper starts with a brief overview of the historical background to the
teaching profession and subsequently, the changes that have taken place over the
years in the Teacher Education System. The main focus of the paper will be on the
current practices and the directions in which the teaching profession is moving within
the Ministry. This is in line with the effort to improve the quality of teachers and the
delivery system in relation to the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025.
Early Development of the Teaching Profession
The early development of the teaching profession in Malaysia was very much
influenced by the rich and diverse social, political and religious identity of the
country. Under the British colonial rule, schools were set up separately either by the
Colonial Government or the respective communities for the Malays, Chinese and
Indians with the vernacular languages as the medium of instruction. English schools
were established by the Colonial Government for the mixed urban population with
the English language as the medium of instruction (Tunku Ismail Jewa, 1991).
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The training of teachers was geared towards fulfilling the needs of these
respective schools. Separate training courses were organised for teachers in Malay,
Chinese, Tamil and English schools by different stakeholders. However, in 1955 at
the verge of Independence, in order to bring about national consciousness in a multi-
ethnic society, recommendations were made by the country’s first Minister of
Education, Dato’ Abdul Razak, towards the establishment of a national education
system. A report known as the Razak Report formed the basis of the present day
national education system. The Razak Report stipulated that the Minister of
Education would be responsible for teacher training and that the teaching profession
be reorganised (Tunku Ismail Jewa, 1991). This was the beginning of the
establishment of teacher education system with a more structured training for the
teaching profession in the country.
An Overview of Teacher Education System
The National Education System was established in 1957 through the Education
Ordinance 1957 and overseen by the Ministry of Education Malaysia. Currently, the
Ministry of Education comprises two sectors namely, the Education Sector and the
Higher Education Sector. Under the Education Sector of the Ministry, there are 33
divisions responsible for different aspects of the education system (Ministry of
Education Malaysia, 2014a).
The three main divisions responsible for teacher education and teacher
training are the Teacher Education Division (TED), the Institute of Teacher Education
(ITE) and Institut Aminuddin Baki (IAB). The Teacher Education Division (TED) in
principle is responsible for policy decisions related to teacher quality and
professional development at pre-service and in-service levels. Working closely
together with ITE and IAB, TED plans the implementation for teacher training to fulfill
the need for teachers in schools nationwide. The training of prospective teachers
rests under the responsibility of ITE while the training in school leadership is under
the expert purview of IAB.
In 1982, the philosophy of teacher education was formulated to determine the
direction of teacher education. The philosophy gives emphasis to the desire to
educate and produce teachers who are noble and caring, knowledgeable and skilful,
creative and innovative, resilient and competent, scientific in outlook, committed to
upholding the aspirations of the nation, proud of their heritage and dedicated to the
development of the individual and preservation of a united, progressive, and
disciplined society (Ministry of Education Malaysia, 2014b). This underlying
philosophy is translated in principle to the teacher training curriculum, which
encourages the development of balanced, well-rounded individuals, who are trained
and skilled individuals who will ensure that the Ministry’s aspirations are met.
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Teacher Standard
The guiding principle for professional development and training for all teachers,
teacher educators, administrators and managers, as well as teacher training
institutions and agencies in Malaysia is the Standard for Malaysian Teachers
(SGM) developed by the TED. The standard help to identify the level of the teachers’
professional competence; the level of teacher readiness and the implementation of
training needs; and the policies and development strategies for teacher education
that emphasize on the practice of the values of the teaching profession, knowledge
and understanding, and teaching as well as learning skills (Standard for Malaysian
Teachers, 2009). SGM is based on the following framework and model as shown
below:
Diagram 1: SGM Framework and Model
The framework and model for SGM comprises three standards: Standard 1:
The Practice of Teaching Professionalism which details the practice of the
professionalism competency based personal domain, profession, and social, should
be available to the teacher; Standard 2: Knowledge and Understanding which
specifies the competencies of knowledge and understanding of subject
specialization, science education, curriculum and co-curriculum should be available
to the teacher, and Standard 3: Teaching and Learning Skills which stipulates the
competencies of teaching and learning skills that should be mastered by a teacher.
The framework and model also specify the different requirements such as entry
requirement to teacher training, curriculum, evaluation and assessment requirement,
collaboration with different stakeholders, infra and info-structure requirement, and
quality assurance. The framework and model is based on the National Mission,
National Education Philosophy, Teacher Education Philosophy, the Teaching of
Professional Ethics and the Ministry of Education Work Ethics.
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Pre-Service Teacher Education
As mentioned above, Institute of Teacher Education (ITE) is responsible for the
training of prospective primary school teachers. As a note, the training for secondary
school teachers is under the jurisdiction of the Higher Education Sector of the
Ministry. The training of these pre-service teachers is done on 27 ITE campuses
located throughout the country. Currently, the campuses offer a Bachelors of
Teaching with honours degree programme (PISMP) in various academic disciplines.
These include Malay Language, Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL),
Physical Education, Special Education (Hearing Impairment), Special Education
(Visual Impairment), Special Education (Learning Disabilities), Chinese Language,
Tamil Language, Islamic Education, Science, Social Studies, Mathematics, Design
and Technology, Early Childhood, Visual Art, Music and Arabic. This degree
programme is accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency, Department of
Public Service and Education Service Commission.
To enter the degree programme, a candidate needs to acquire a distinction in
any five (5) subjects, at least a credit in Malay Language and History and a pass in
English Language in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) or Malaysian Certificate of
Education Examinations which is equivalent to the O-Level Examinations. The
candidate is also required to undergo several screening tests such as Teacher
Eligibility Test (Ujian Kelayakan Calon Guru) consists of three components which are
Teaching Personality Inventory; Self-Validation Index; and Physical Fitness
Test/Practical Test of Physical Education (applicable to Physical Education
Candidates only). The candidate will also have to attend an interview before he or
she is offered the degree programme. Until September of 2014, a total of 35,551
students are studying at the 27 campuses with 3,535 lecturers where 338 of them
are PhD holders.
Under Wave 1 (2013-2015) of the implementation of the Malaysia Education
Blueprint 2013-2025, ITE aspires to offer high quality and dynamic teacher
development programmes in all its 27 campuses towards a world-class education to
produce the highest quality and competent teachers as well as educators. The effort
towards materialising this aspiration is in progress through strengthening teacher
recruitment channels to ensure that the top 30% of the recruitment into pre-
service training are candidates with excellent results in the Sijil Pelajaran
Malaysia (SPM) or Malaysian Certificate of Education Examinations;
strengthening ITE curricula; improving the quality of leadership ITE; improving the
quality of lecturers; upgrading the infrastructure; enhancing research and innovation
activities; and increasing the profile of ITE.
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Teacher Recruitment
The current practice in teacher recruitment is requiring graduates who have
completed their studies in the field of education in public and private universities or
ITE campuses to submit online application through the official website for the
employment of government services at a portal known as jobsmalaysia.gov.my. The
applications are processed by the Education Service Commission or Suruhanjaya
Perkhidmatan Pelajaran Malaysia (SPP). Eligible candidates are then called for an
interview. Only successful candidates will be appointed as education officers or
Pegawai Perkhidmatan Pendidikan (PPP) after which they will be posted to schools
throughout the country based on vacancies and needs of the schools.
Teacher Responsibilities
Like in many other countries, the role Malaysian teachers’ or specifically
classroom practitioners’ encompasses many activities. The teachers do not only
spend time on instructional activities such as lesson planning, classroom interaction
and grading homework, they also carry out tasks such as running extra curriculum
activities, attending or facilitating professional development activities, handling
student’s affairs, and engaging parents and the community. They also engage in
administrative duties related to teaching and learning such as filling out student
report cards and tracking student attendance in class.
In 2007, the Ministry of Education conducted a review on Teacher Duties and
Responsibilities. On average, teachers spend 66.24 hours weekly to carry out duties
and responsibilities before and after class activities as shown in the diagram below.
Diagram 2: Roles and responsibilities of teachers
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The review shows that teachers spend 48.32 hours on managing curriculum
activities such as conducting instructional activities (lesson planning, classroom
interaction and evaluation and assessment), sitting for relief classes, attending and
managing professional development (meetings, trainings and research), handling
student’s activities (extra classes, motivational talk, student’s workshop and
academic co-curriculum) and engaging with parents and teachers academic
meetings. The detailed time spent on each activity is shown below.
Diagram 3: Time spend on curriculum activities
Salaries
With reference to salaries, Malaysian teachers earn salaries which are comparable
to those working in other public and private sectors in the country like lawyers,
accountants and IT executives (MEB, 2013). In this respect, the teaching
professional offers an attractive remuneration.
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Diagram 4: Average starting salaries of teachers in comparison to other
professions in Malaysia
Starting 1st January 2014, a new salary scheme was introduced for teachers
joining the teaching profession with masters and doctoral degrees. The starting
salary for those with a master’s degree is MYR 2,733.98 and for those with doctoral
qualifications is MYR 3040.60. This new salary scheme however does not apply to
serving teachers with the masters or doctoral degree.
Welfare and Benefits
Teachers in Malaysia are civil servants who work under the purview of the Ministry of
Education. The benefits for teachers are no different from the other civil servants in
various government agencies in terms of annual leave and medical benefits. Those
serving at school levels can enjoy the school breaks and are also given 7 days
leave. Those in the administrative positions such as school principals can enjoy a
maximum of 35 days of annual leave. As for medical benefits, the spouse and
children of the teacher are eligible to receive free medical care. For those who opt for
a pension scheme, even after retirement the government covers the retirees’ medical
expenses.
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At present, teachers also have the privilege to participate in professional
development programmes funded by the Ministry. For example, the Ministry provides
scholarships for teachers to pursue higher education locally or abroad, and the
Ministry also pays teachers’ expenses including their travelling costs to attend
in-services courses. Unlike Malaysia, there are many other countries that do practice
supporting teacher financially to join professional development activities.
In comparison to other civil services, teachers have been given a special
scheme which is known as the time based system where they could be promoted
taking into consideration of the number of years they served. This is not offered to
other civil servants working in other government offices.
Career Paths for Teachers
In Malaysia, teachers’ career progression can be seen as synonym with the
promotional pathways set by the government and the Ministry. Upon meeting the
criteria set such as demonstrating high performance based on the annual
performance appraisal report and competency evident through the work done
especially with reference to students’ outcomes, teacher could progress further in
their career by taking up different available positions or remain in their current job.
For example, all teachers have the opportunity to enjoy promotional
administrative and leadership positions at school, district, state and ministry levels
based on vacancies. For those who would like a change from teaching children to
training adults, opportunities are set for teachers to pursue their career as lecturers
in training institutes such as Institutes of Teacher Education (ITE), Institut Aminuddin
Baki (IAB), Matriculation Colleges and English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC).
For those who prefer to remain as classroom practitioners, the promotion offered is
through the excellent teacher and excellent lecturer posts (Guru dan Pensyarah
Cemerlang) if they demonstrate excellence in multiple competency areas such as
subject matter and pedagogy. This promotion position however is based on quota.
As stated in the previous section, teachers can also be promoted based on the
number of years in service. In 2012, the time based promotion was reviewed and
improved. Teacher can now progress to the highest grade in the government service
at a shorter promotion timeframe.
Professional Development of Classroom Practitioners
The Ministry recognises that teacher may need assistance in meeting the new
competencies expected of them, and is deeply committed to providing teachers with
the support they need to succeed. At present, MOE has provided teachers with
various support to enhance teaching quality such as developing e-Guru video library
of exemplary teaching and teacher coaching program.
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MEB calls for TED to restructure various in-service training programs
according to the Continuous Professional Development Master Plan (CPDMP) in
ensuring teacher competencies. All training programs will be regulated to match the
standard of quality required to strengthen teachers’ competencies, performances
and skills to remain relevant and of high quality throughout their teaching career.
TED has successfully developed a teacher profiling system known as SPLKPM
which assists the ministry in identifying teachers with certain competencies at every
grade levels. In order to ensure that new teachers are capable of combining their
theoretical knowledge with best practices of classroom teaching to create more
meaningful learning, new teachers will be exposed with the school organizational
aspects, adjustment to school environment and social structure as a transition
support to begin their teaching career more effectively.
Quality teachers must have adequate competencies to potentially build
effective classroom teaching. In order to ensure teachers are equipped with
necessary competencies demanded for high performance services, TED has
developed Competencies Development Modules based on grade levels started with
modules for grade 41, 44, 48 and 52. Various transformation efforts in the ministry
require teachers to have better understanding and insights in new developed policies
and regulations on curriculum development.
In ensuring teachers to have adequate relevant knowledge and skills to
facilitate and manage learning of various types of students ranging from the most
talented and brilliant to the special needs who have different potentials and
capabilities, TED has arranged for more specialized and customized courses. These
courses are grouped under the elective courses where teachers can choose relevant
courses to enhance and strengthen their teaching competencies. TED has started
initial discussion in offering specialized modules for high performing group of
teachers to assist and prepare them to become effective leaders. The focus of the
modules will be on aspects that can uplift their personality trait through talent
management approaches.
Career Path and Professional Development of School Leaders
Recognizing the leadership of the school plays an important role in fostering the
teaching and learning environments that are effective, the 5th shift in Malaysia
Education Blueprint 2013-2025 specifically focuses on school leaders. As presented
in the earlier part of this paper, the discussion on the teaching profession will include
school leaders who will certainly help provide directions for teachers and may be
closely associated with the notion of job satisfaction and self-satisfaction of teachers
(Ministry of Education Malaysia, 2011)
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Due to the fact that the quality of school leaders is the second major school-
based factor in determining student outcomes, it is important to ensure that every
school in Malaysia is led by high performing school leaders (Sharma, Sun & Kannan,
2012. An outstanding school leader is one who focuses both on instructional and
administrative leadership. Research shows that effective school leaders could raise
student outcomes by as much as 20% (MEB, 2012). Therefore, the government of
Malaysia hopes all schools in Malaysia will have high-performing school leaders who
are relentless in his or her focus on improving student outcomes.
To achieve effective and sustainable transformation of the Malaysian
education system, school leaders must understand their roles as instructional
leaders and as agent for change in their organisation. Thus, to ensure transformation
for school leaders runs smoothly, the Blueprint introduces Principal Charter which
provides more expansive view of school leadership in Malaysia.
Under this Charter, every school will have high-quality principal and
supporting leadership team to provide instructional leadership and drive overall
school performance. The way principals are selected, developed and rewarded will
be enhanced. Measures undertaken will include 1) refining and clarifying the
selection criteria; 2) building a pool of potential future school leaders; 3) improving
preparatory and continuous professional development; and 4) introducing a
performance and competencies based on performance management approach.
Selecting the right candidates to leadership positions has a significant
impact on school performance. Therefore it is important to secure the best talent
available in the entire teaching body for its leadership positions; and ensure the
talented principals will serve in their role for a longer time. TALIS 2013 showed that
the average age of school leaders in Malaysia is 53.5 years as most of the principals
in the schools are selected based on seniority of employment and work experience
in the field of management as well as administration. Under the Charter, the new
principal selection criteria are being implemented based on performance, level of
education and courses attended by the principals. A rigorous, clear, and transparent
principal selection process is critical for building and sustaining effective schools.
The effort to standardize and improve the selection and preparation process
for new principals is made in recognition of the fact that 40% of the current principals
will retire over the next five years. Thus, a non-tenure-based selection criteria and a
standardized process have been utilised for the selection of school leaders. Only
candidates who have a minimum of three years of service before retirement, and
who have completed the National Professional Qualifications for Educational
Leaders (NPQEL) training programme (see below for elaboration) will be appointed.
Potential principal candidates are encouraged to apply for and undergo the NPQEL
programme if they are interested to pursue the career at school leadership level.
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The Ministry is targeting a back-to-back transition process between the
outgoing and incoming principals. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the
selection process for every retiring or transferring principal commences early, and
that the selection process is shortened by at least 50%. The Ministry is also working
at widening the pool of potential candidates through a more aggressive recruitment
campaign. In sum, the Charter includes the processes of Selection, Placement and
Development of school leaders as shown in the diagram below.
Diagram 5: Process of Selection, Placement and Development of School
Leaders
National Professional Qualifications for Educational Leaders (NPQEL)
In order for teachers to be eligible to take up a leadership role in school, teachers are
required to obtain the National Professional Qualifications for Educational Leaders or
NPQEL through undergoing a training programme to equip future managers and
leaders of the school with the necessary competencies and skills.
This programme started in 1999 as a result of the following key factors:
1) the rapid expansion of education in Malaysia and the global development which
causes school managers and school leaders to acquire and master new knowledge
and skills such as conceptual skills as well as craft skills for use in schools (Guskey,
2002); 2) the recommendations made in the Cabinet Committee Report (1979) that
education officers should undergo training to improve their professionalism; and
3) the influence of professional training programmes for managers and school
leaders offered in the United States (Council of Chief State School Officers, CCSSO
1996) and in Britain (Teacher Training Agency, TTA, 1998) which formed the basis
for the production of NPQEL training modules in Malaysia (Abdul Aziz, 2003).
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PRIme
Newly appointed headmasters and principles are then further supported in their new
role through a programme known as PRIme. This programme is designed to develop
excellent school leadership, and train leaders who are well prepared for changes in
education system. It is a holistic training framework which encompasses three
phases as shown in the diagram below:
Follow up(IAB)
PRIme
strengthening capabilities / competencies of school leaders
Diagram 6: PRIme Framework
Under this programme, novice leaders (principals / headmasters) are
provided guidance to as they embark in their new positions as leaders of the school
for the first time. Through a residency programme, they will be able to gain
experience and understand the environment and climate of the school. The novice
principles and headmasters will receive the professional guidance in this immersion
programme from the Principle Coach (PC). The overview of this residency
programme is illustrated below.
Diagram 7: Overview of the Residency Programme
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Differentiated Continuous Professional Development
To ensure that school leaders maintain personal and organisational excellence,
Differentiated Continuous Professional Development Programme is also offered
covering a range of courses designed for principals who are at different performance
levels. It is expected that the competencies of each principal will differ as they rise
through the three levels, namely Competent, Excellent, and Expert as school
leaders.
Diagram 8: Framework of Differentiated CPD for Principals
Diagram 9: Modules for school with specific requirements
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Teacher Reforms and Innovation
The Ministry will ensure the delivery of effective student-centered and differentiated
teaching and learning in every classroom and elevate teaching to become a
profession of choice. The Ministry will achieve this goal by introducing a new
Teacher Career Package to fundamentally change the way teachers are selected,
developed and rewarded throughout their entire careers. Measures undertaken will
include raising and enforcing entry standards into teacher training programmes,
improving the effectiveness of pre-service and continuous professional development;
and developing exciting new career pathways that support fast-tracking based on
performance and competencies, along with opportunities for redeployment for
consistent underperformers.
The Ministry will also ensure that every school, regardless of location and
performance level, will have a high-quality principal and supporting leadership team
to provide instructional leadership and drive overall school performance. The Ministry
will achieve this goal by introducing a new career package to enhance the way
principals are selected, developed and rewarded. Measures undertaken will include
refining and clarifying the selection criteria, building a pool of potential future school
leaders, improving preparatory and continuous professional development and
introducing a performance and competencies based performance management
approach.
Private-sector innovation in Malaysian education: Teach for Malaysia
Based on the successful Teach for All programmes such as Teach for
America in the United Kingdom and Teach for India in India, the Teach Malaysia
(TFM) programme is aimed at attracting high-performing young graduates into the
teaching profession.
The Teach for All programmes target students who have very strong
academic credentials, leadership and management skills and an aptitude for
teaching. In America, the programme currently attracts applications from close to 20
percent of graduates from top universities such as Yale and Harvard, allowing them
to be extremely selective.
Established in late 2010 with the support of numerous corporate sponsors, the
TFM programme works with the Ministry to place TFM fellows in high-need schools
in two-year placements. TFM fellows are provided coaching and support during their
placements, while simultaneously working towards a professional qualification in
teaching. The pioneer group, comprising of 50 fellows, were placed in 17 schools in
Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.
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Instructional Coaching Program: School Improvement Specialist Coaches
To strengthen the nation’s mission to boost Malaysian education standard, initiatives
were also proposed to help the low performing schools to improve. School
Improvement Specialist Coaches (SISC) programme was introduced and conducted
in 2011 and changed into School Improvement Specialist Coaches Plus (SISC+) in
2013. It aimed at improving the performance of low-performing secondary and
primary schools throughout the nation by surpassing the teachers’ teaching quality
with the help of instructional coaches. School Improvement Specialist Coaches are
experienced, highly accomplished, and well-respected educators. Coaches must
have credibility with teachers and administrators, the ability to juggle several roles,
and the skills needed to work one-on-one with teachers as well as to oversee a wider
professional development effort in the school.
Previously, specialist coaches are currently part-time positions, leading to
inconsistent and insufficient coverage of schools. By creating full-time positions at
the PPD level, coaches will be able to specialise in mentoring, and can develop
stronger relationships with their teachers and principals. The level of support
provided by the specialist coaches will be differentiated based on the school’s
performance band. The specialist coaches are responsible for coaching along the
three interlinked dimensions of curriculum, assessment, and pedagogy. They will
focus on providing school-based coaching to teachers in lower band schools (Bands
5, 6, and 7). These coaches are appointed from various sources within the education
system: Excellent Teachers or Guru Cemerlang, Excellent Head Teachers or
Pengetua Cemerlang, IAB or ITE officers, existing FasiLINUS, and officers from the
States and Ministry level. By 2015 almost 1300 Specialist Coaches are expected to
be deployed to all districts nationwide.
Issues and Challenges
Higher Expectation by Public
The role of teachers in schools must be addressed. Currently, teachers are
burdened with work beyond their primary scope of teaching. At present, teachers are
over-burdened with secondary tasks, such as administrative work, assessments, and
long meetings.
Teachers are seen as agents of change by the society and teachers not only
teach academic subjects, but also serve to educate and build personality of students.
Parents put high expectations towards teachers. They demand teachers to help their
children to excel in academics, co-curricular activities and also accountable for the
personal development of their children. With the implementation of 10% merit-based
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points student participation in extra-curricular activities policy, which determine the
selection of students to enroll in Public Higher Education, a greater responsibility is
given to teachers to provide opportunities for all students to engage in such
activities.
On the academic achievement of students, the national assessment system
requires students to compete among themselves in order to achieve the level of
excellence which give them the access to enroll in high performing schools, higher
education institutions local and abroad, and to be offered selections of scholarships.
Public expect the quality of the national education system to constantly rise,
especially in terms of curriculum reform, assessment system, infrastructure and the
quality of teachers.
These factors explain why teachers are working hard to fulfil all of these
demands and at the same time develop the personality of their students.
Consequently, teachers have little time to invest in teaching and improving their
teaching skills and methods. It is recommended that the Ministry to review the role of
teachers in schools, and ensure that the majority of time is spent on teaching.
Schools should be employing non-teaching staff for administrative work.
Placement of teachers
Immediate placement after completing the pre-service teacher’s training is believed
to inhibit competition and lack of excellence among temporary trained teachers.
Unlike other countries, the selection and appointment of excellent graduates as
teachers helps in building up a quality teaching profession. The tendency of rejection
on teacher placement in rural and remote areas has led to a critical shortage of
teachers in certain areas. This problem implies an excessive amount of teachers in
other areas especially the town and city and placement of untrained teachers and
non-option teachers especially in rural and remote areas. Human factors are often
taken into account in the course of teachers exchange and settlement thus led to the
problems. Other teachers have to do extra work due to the teacher shortage.
Placement of temporary teachers and non-option teachers who are lack of content
expert on the subjects affects the quality of teaching and learning. In addition these
teachers need more time to prepare lessons.
Inconsistent Professional Development
While there are many excellent teachers in the Malaysian education system, a 2011
research by AKEPT found that only 50% of lessons were being delivered in an
effective manner. This means that the lessons did not sufficiently engage students,
where it followed a more passive, lecture format of content delivery which was only
effective in achieving surface-level content understanding, instead of using higher-
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order thinking skills. This study showed that teachers were found lacking in key
competencies such as creativity and high-order thinking to deliver the curriculum in
creative ways that could make learning meaningful as well as interesting for
students.
Continuous professional development is very important for professional and
personal development of teachers. For that reason, the fundamental exertion
initiated by TED is to come out with The Continuous Professional Development
Master Plan (CPDMP), a comprehensive guideline as a core reference by educators
on how to execute continuous professional development.
The execution of training mode currently caused many complaints. The
frequency of teachers leaving the classroom has led to other teachers spend more
time on class relief. Implementation of courses conducted by several organizers is
causing duplication of courses and participants. The absence of features to detect
the movement of teachers attending course in the existing database had caused the
same teachers being called for the courses more than once.
The current training mod widely use prescriptive modules that give precise
instructions to teachers on the ‘what’ and ‘how’ to teach specific topics or content.
This practice restricts creativity and autonomous learning among participants. The
unintended consequence is a higher risk of developing a cohort of teachers with a
dependent mind-set, who lack creativity and have less inclination to take risk in
changing their teaching practices. Being less creative, teachers tend to restrict
students’ creativity and spontaneity in the classroom. This practice if continued over
time will make learning boring as it lacks ‘wow’ factor to attract and retain students’
interest in the classroom. The challenge in moving forward is to ensure teachers’
creativity is enhanced and critical thinking strengthened by doing away with
prescriptive modules that is commonly practiced in the current CPD activities.
The current CPD programmes and modules do not adhere to any specific
quality process and are not managed in a systematic way. This practice has many
unintended consequences such as poorly developed programmes with vague
learning outcomes. Deficient planning also meant that many training programmes
lack the development and growth approach that allows participants to track progress,
continuity and articulation for further advancement that contributes to career growth
and talent management. For the recommendation, more specific and well manage
continuous training is needed to improve teaching skills. A culture of continuous
learning and improvement among teachers is vital to ensure we have world class
teaching standards.
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Suggestions for ASEAN Cooperation
Teacher Exchange Program (pre-service and leadership) and International CPD
Programme
In accordance with Malaysia’s vision to enhance international cooperation in
education, the nation through the Ministry of Education will continue to initiate efforts
in organizing courses to upgrade continuous professionalism in pedagogy,
leadership in education and other specific educational fields. This initiative may be in
the form of program that involves exchange in expertise or international discourses
in education.
We would also like to suggest that initiative is taken to promote best practice
in education through the establishment of professional learning communities. With
the advancement of the technology and the significance of the 21st century skills, we
should promote professional dialogues among all practitioners.
19
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