Download - Teacher Education Program Book Chapter Final

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Teacher Education Program: The Malaysian Perspective

Bayani Ursolino Almacen, EdDPhilippines

This chapter presents information related to education in Malaysia with focus on

teacher training. Several works have been referred to, especially those pertaining to the

historical development of the Malaysian education system. Public documents to

establish were used to the need to conduct teacher training programs, to support the

national system of education that is acceptable to the people of Malaysia (the

Federation) as a whole, to satisfy their needs, through the promotion of their cultural,

social, economic and political development as a nation, with regard to the intention of

making Malay the national language of the country while preserving and sustaining

growth of the language and culture of other communities living in the country.

Introduction

Philosophically speaking, education in general is the process of developing the

essential potentialities, in the nature of things through preparing the suitable

environmental conditions for their perfections and removing obstacles which prevent

their natural development (Ayman, 2001). This means that the teacher (educator) must

possess the full knowledge of the essential potentialities of the subject that is to be

educated and the conditions and hindrances that can either lead to its development or

its decline.


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Teacher training is considered to be as a powerful means of professional

development for teachers and convenient approach to teacher education (Sharma,

2007). This can be observed, especially in developing countries. However, developing a

system of effective education for teachers will require coherent national policy and a

commitment to implementation, developing learner-friendly, learning materials, selection

of appropriate and relevant technologies for delivering instruction, competent trainers,

facilitators, content expert, and educational technologists and funding. A national

consortium of government institutions and faculties of education could be used for

teacher training and providing learning opportunities for the masses.

It is universally acknowledged that education is an effective means for social

reconstruction and to a great extent, offers solutions to the problems faced by society.

Access to quality education to all is also universally advocated for resolving problems

be they economic, social, cultural, political, ecological or educational. In spite of the

importance of quality education for nation building and poverty reduction, many

developing nations are still not able to provide quality education to a majority of children

and youths.

Education today has become a more structured and institutionalized process that

often consists of years of schooling or lifetime learning. It serves as a means to different

ends, depending on the context of a specific country. But while it may have evolved into

more systematic experience over time, education still forms the basis of much thought,

communication and interaction and can be adapted to meet the needs of the people.

As we encounter the challenges of the 21st century and negotiate the

complexities of the Information Age, these needs will only become more demanding as


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we are influenced by the technology and the greater interconnectedness among

peoples of different nations. Our new knowledge require more flexibility in the

educational structures to new styles of learning and teaching, new intellectual and social

needs, and a new level of skills development and productivity.

Wallin (2003) claimed that there is a general awareness among political leaders,

in order to improve the quality of education among developing nations, in order to meet

the challenges of globalization and their educational systems must be upgraded. He

stressed the reforming the curriculum and increasing the pay of teachers, saying that

the poorest income earners in developing countries are the teachers. Another focus

should be on the improvement of instructional techniques and school leadership. It has

been demonstrated, for example, that certain instructional methods produce higher

student achievement than other methods. Therefore, focusing on teacher performance

seems to be an essential first step towards achieving higher student achievement.

There is also, considerable evidence that establishes a definite link between the quality

of school leadership and school effectiveness; hence; a teacher training program, is a

must.

The Malaysian Education System An Overview

Education in Malaysia is over seen by two government ministries: the Ministry of

Education for matters up to the Secondary level and the Ministry of Higher Education for

tertiary education. Although education is the responsibility of the federal government,

each state has an Education Department to help coordinate educational matters in their


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respective states. The main legislation governing education is the Education Act of 1996

(Wikipedia, 2010)

The National Education System at school level under the government education

institution category consists of the following: pre-school education program for pupils of

4-6 years of age; primary education the course of study at the primary level planned

for a duration of six years but may be completed in five to seven years, consisting of

national schools or national-type schools (SRK/SRJK(C)/SRJK(T); secondary

education, which consists of lower secondary and upper secondary education.

Secondary education consists of academic schools (SMK), technical and vocational

schools (SMT/SMV) and religious national schools (SMKA).

On the other hand, post - secondary education is provided for individuals who

have completed their lower and upper secondary education, but excludes higher

education; schooling under the government-aided education institution category covers

fully residential schools under the authority of the Fully Residential Schools Unit, School

Division. Other education institutions established at the school level are Special

Education Schools under the responsibility of the Special Education Department and

Sports Schools under the responsibility of the Sports Division.

Education is Malaysia the targeted National Key Result Area (NKRA): 72%

enrolment of pre-school pupils in the year 2010 with an increase to 87% in the year

2012; 90% of pupil can read, write and do arithmetic after 3 years being in primary

school in the year 2012; 100 HPS (High Prestige School) in the year 2012; and new

deals for schools principal and headmasters, such that 2% of them should get the

reward in the year 2012.


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Education Development Master Plan (PIPP 2006- 2010)

The education sector faces a challenging future that requires thorough planning

in a systematic and holistic manner. Thus, the role of each layer of society is to support

the ambition and desire of making the Malaysian education system the best and can be

enjoyed by all Malaysians. The Education Development Master Plan (PIPP) was

created to streamline the implementation of education programs improve the

construction process of human capital as a whole and to continue to produce output that

can meet the local and international needs, as well as further strengthen Malaysia's

position in the global arena. So, a collaborative effort among educators and all

interested parties should be able to harness a teacher training program to advance the

goals contained in the Education Development Master Plan. Indeed, a strong education

system will produce first-class human capital although it may take a long time and

require a lot of effort to realize it.

PIPP 2006-2010(national education blue print) spelled out six (6) cores as

follows: (1) developing one nation with high spirit of patriotism, (2) developing human

potential, (3) empowering primary schools, (4) bridging the education gap in rural and

urban area, (5) bringing the teaching profession to a higher level, and (6) boosting the

achievement of education institutions.

Malaysian Education and Vision 2020

The ultimate aim of Vision 2020 is to gain the status of "a fully developed

country" for Malaysia by the year 2020. This means that, Malaysia, "By the year 2020,

Malaysia can be a united nation, with a confident Malaysian society, infused by strong


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moral and ethical values, living in a society that is democratic, liberal and tolerant,

caring, economically just and equitable, progressive and prosperous, and in full

possession of an economy that is competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient." To

achieve this full development, it is essential that the nation strives to overcome these

nine challenges as stated in Vision 2020:

1. Establishment of a united Malaysian nation with a sense of common and

shared destiny. This must be a nation at peace with itself, territorially and ethnically

integrated, living in harmony, full and fair partnership, made up of one "Bangsa

Malaysia" with political loyalty and dedication to the nation.

2. Creation of a psychologically liberated, secure and developed Malaysian

Society with faith and confidence in itself, justifiably proud of what it is, of what it has

accomplished, robust enough to face all manner of diversity. This Malaysian Society

must be distinguished by the pursuit of excellence, fully aware of all its potentials,

psychologically subservient to none, and respected by people of other nations.

3. Fostering and development of a mature, democratic society, practicing a

form of mature consensual, community-oriented Malaysian democracy that can be a

model for many developing countries.

4. Establishment of a fully moral and ethnic society, whose citizens are

strong in religious and spiritual values and imbued with the highest of ethical standards.

5. Establishment of a matured, liberal and tolerant society in which

Malaysians of all colors and creeds are free to practice and profess their custom,

cultures and religious beliefs, yet feeling that they belong to one nation.


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6. Establishment of a scientific and progressive society, a society that is

innovative and forward-looking, one that is not only a consumer of technology but also a

contributor to the scientific and technological civilization of the future.

7. Establishment of a fully caring society and a caring culture, a social

system in which society will come before self, in which the welfare of the people will

revolve not around the state or the individual but around a strong and resilient family

system.

8. Ensuring an economically just society in which there is fair and equitable

distribution of the wealth of the nation, and there is full partnership in economic

progress. Such a society cannot be in place so long as there is the identification of race

with economic function, and the identification of economic backwardness with race.

9. Establishment of a prosperous society, with an economy that is fully

competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient.

In the history of Malaysia, it is evident that the education policy over the past

years has been consistent and in line with Vision 2020. Vision 2020 emphasizes

Malaysia as a fully developed country, which is developed in every aspect -

economically, politically, socially, spiritually, psychologically and culturally.

Likewise, the Malaysian National Philosophy of Education calls for "developing

the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce

individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and

harmonious".


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One of the strategies used is to introduce the subjects of Islamic and Moral

Studies, which are compulsory for students. Teachers are encouraged to sow moral

values during lessons to gird students with positive values of tolerance, moral

responsibility, concern for the underprivileged and a sense of religion. In doing this, the

government aims to overcome the challenges named 4, 5 and 7.

Challenge 6 can be overcome by ensuring that adequate human resources are

provided in the area of science and technology. This is done through increasing the

intake of Science students, encouraging the use of computers and multimedia

technology in educational institutions and providing courses in Information Technology.

At a school level, the government is already in the process of setting up 90 pilot

Smart Schools. These schools are one of the 7 flagships of the Multimedia Super

Corridor (MSC) project and aim at transforming the education system from memory-

based learning into simulative thinking and creativity, through access to modern

technology.

The National Education System of Malaysia has gone through many reviews

from time to time to ensure that it will be in line with the progress and needs of our

country - to restructure the society, achieve racial unity and achieve the aim of the

Vision 2020, where Malaysia will not only be developed in terms of economy, science

and technology by the year 2020, but also in terms of moral and ethical values.

This is clearly stated in the National Education Philosophy to produce "Malaysian

citizens, who are knowledgeable and competent, possess high moral standards and

who are responsible and capable of achieving a high level of personal well-being".


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Citizens should also be able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family,

society and nation at large. The creation of Smart Schools is an example, of one of the

ways to realize the vision of the National Education Philosophy. Another example

includes the implementation of three compulsory subjects - Malaysian Studies, Bahasa

Malaysia, and Moral and Ethics - for all private institutions of higher education by the

National Accreditation Board of Malaysia, since January 1999.

Teacher Education in Malaysia: Issues and Challenges

Prior to the establishment of the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) on 27

March 2004, teacher education and training in Malaysia was entirely thought out,

planned and organized by the Ministry of Education (MOE). From the year 2004

onwards, the secondary and primary school teacher education and training were

separated and given to MOHE and MOE respectively. MOE trains primary teachers via

the Institute of Teacher Education (ITE) (previously known as Teacher Training

Colleges) and MOHE trains the secondary teachers via the government-funded

universities.

Teacher Education Division (TED) is a section in the Malaysian Ministry of

Education, which oversees teacher training in Malaysia. The TED has various units that

help in its operations. For example, the Planning and Policy Unit plans and determines

the direction of teacher education in Malaysia. The Curriculum Unit determines the

curriculum for the different courses offered in the teacher training colleges; the

Assessment Unit handles the setting of examination questions and marking of answer

scripts as well as the awarding of the student teachers grades, the Student -selection


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Unit conducts aptitude tests and interviews and selects candidates for the teacher

training colleges.

Basically, all administration with regards to teacher-education other than the

training are administered by the TED. The TED is headed by a director and three

deputy directors who manage the administration of the division. There are also several

assistant directors who head the various units and these heads of units are supported

by senior academic and clerical staff. Though MOE is solely responsible for primary

school teachers education and training and MOHE is responsible for secondary school

teacher education and training, all other affairs in relation to schools and teachers,

whether it is secondary or primary schools or teachers fall under the jurisdiction of MOE.

Over the years teacher education in Malaysia has gone through many changes

to meet the challenges of modern times. Thirty years ago, college graduates were

conferred certificates in teaching after attending a two-year pre-service training

program. Twenty years ago the training was extended to three years and the students

were awarded a Diploma in Teaching. In the last five years efforts have been made to

award a degree for those students who pass the courses and the training program has

been extended to five and a half years.

National Information and Issues

The government hopes to raise education in Malaysia to world standards. For

that purpose, it is making the effort to have 100 percent of teachers in secondary

schools to be degree holders by the year 2010 and at least 70 percent of teachers in

primary schools to be degree holders by the same year. In 2006, teacher training


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colleges were upgraded to the status of institutes and they are now known as Institute

of Teacher Education (ITE). The aim of establishing ITEs is to further enhance the

quality of teacher education in Malaysia. Lecturers in ITEs are expected to have at least

a masters degree in their respective disciplines and are encouraged to obtain a PhD in

their respective fields. Other issues concern ensuring teacher trainees develop the

competency to teach in the different medium schools e.g., Malay (Mandarin, Tamil, and

Malay plus Arabic) as well as developing proficiency in English.

The State of Teacher Education in the Asia-Pacific Region

The biggest challenge for the TED division is catering to the different medium

schools that coexist in the Malaysian education system. There are four major types of

schools in Malaysia. (1) The national schools, which use the Malay language as their

medium of instruction (though in the last seven years English has been used to teach

science and mathematics), (2) the Chinese schools, which use Mandarin as the medium

of instruction, (3) the Tamil schools, which use the Tamil language as their medium of

instruction and (4) the privately managed Islamic religious schools (whose

administration has been taken over by the Malaysian Ministry of Education in the last

five years), which use Malay and Arabic for teaching. ITEs have to provide training in

the respective languages while teaching other related subjects such as sociology and

psychology in the national language.

The universities have, accordingly, altered their approach to teacher education

and training based on the current events and changes in the Malaysian education

scenario. For instance, the teacher education for Mathematics and Science are now


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conducted in English. Also, the education and training provided for the teachers at the

universities would enable them to function effectively in the Chinese and Tamil type

schools. Universities such as Universiti Islam Antabangsa Malaysia (UIAM) and

Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) offer programs that train religious and Arabic

language teachers, who would be able to teach in any type of secondary school.

In addition, the ITEs and universities need to provide English language courses

for would-be English teachers and non-English teachers as it is compulsory for teachers

of all four types of schools to be proficient in English. As for the teacher education

programs at the universities, almost all of the programs offered are for pre-service

teachers. However, there are some in-service teachers who are pursuing their

bachelors degree as part of the national agenda for all teachers to have a bachelors

degree. Under the program of Program Khas Pensiswazahan Guru (Special Program of

Graduate Teachers) or PKPG, the in-service teachers undergo the first year education

at selected ITEs before continuing another two years at a local university of their choice.

These teachers are sponsored by MOE and given priority in placement or posting of

teachers after finishing their studies.

Teacher Education Institutions

1. Pre-Service Training: There are 27 ITEs which are strategically located

in all 14 states of Malaysia which provide both pre-service and in-service courses. In the

past, the teacher training institutes were referred to as teacher training colleges.

However, with the upgrading of the teacher training programs from holding diplomas to


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degrees, the status of the colleges has been raised to higher education institutes, and

since 2006 they have been referred to as teacher training institutes.

2. In-Service Training: The 27 teacher training institutes. As for in-service

training for practicing teachers, some of the universities do plan and organize short-term

courses, seminars and conferences for teachers to enhance their teaching abilities and

their professional and personal development, as well as increase their knowledge. For

example, the School of Educational Studies in USM conducts workshops, seminars and

short courses for pre-school teachers. The Faculty of Educational Studies in UPM

organizes off-shore and distance education programs for busy teachers who are unable

to attend campus-based academic programs. Almost all the faculties/schools of

education in the 13 universities have organized national and/or international

conferences, where in-service teachers have either presented papers or participated in

the conferences. This is a recent trend engagement in professional development of

teachers in Malaysia.

The student population in the 27 institute is about 800 1,000 per institute.

Meanwhile, most, if not all, teacher training Institutes have the following departments:

the Malay Studies Department, the Department of Languages (to include the English

Studies Unit, the Tamil Studies Unit and the Chinese Studies Unit), the Islamic Religion

and Moral Studies Department, the Science and Environmental Studies Department,

the Mathematics Department, the Education Department (sociology, psychology and

pedagogy), the Social Studies Department, the Physical Education Department and the

Department of Information and Technology.


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Each of these departments has a Head of Department who is directly responsible

for the management of their department. Each academic staff member (lecturers) is

placed in one of these departments based on the subject that they are teaching. Apart

from these academic departments, all of the 27 teacher training institutes also have four

supporting units. They are: the Examination Unit, the Co-curriculum Unit, the In-Service

Unit and the Practicum Unit, which are headed by respective Unit leaders and assisted

by academic and nonacademic staff. Each of these 27 teacher training institutes is

headed by a director and a deputy director who manage the general administration of

the institutes.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching is a one-year course while the Bachelor

in Teaching is a five and a half-year course. For the In-Service training, the two- to three

day refresher courses are conducted by lecturers from the various departments for

practicing teachers. Phonology and Phonetics for English language teachers and

Teaching using the Inquiry Method for science teachers are some examples of such

refresher courses. The teacher training institutes also provide six-week, 10-week and

14-week courses in various disciplines for practicing teachers. One very important in-

service course is the three-year Diploma in Teaching conducted for practicing

temporary teachers in schools.

Who determines the content (subject matter & pedagogy)? The teacher training

institutes provides the Teacher Education curricula for both the pre-service and in-

service training for teachers.


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Entrance into Teacher Education Programs

The Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching is a one-year course for graduates with a

degree in the relevant subject from any local or foreign university recognized by the

Malaysian government. Aspiring candidates with the required qualifications apply online

to the TED when an advertisement is posted.

The Student Selection Unit will call the short-listed candidates to sit for a written

aptitude test. Candidates will be further short-listed based on their performance on the

aptitude test and be called for an interview. Based on their performances in the

interview, candidates will be offered a place in any one of the ITEs or universities to

pursue a Diploma in Teaching. During their one-year training the postgraduate trainee

teachers are given an allowance of RM1000/- per month.

Bachelor in Teaching: The requirement for the Bachelor of Teaching course is a

strong pass in the Form 5 Malaysian public examination known as Sijil Pelajaran

Malaysia. A minimum of six credits equivalent to the O levels is the basic requirement

to qualify for the course.

Aspiring candidates with the necessary qualifications apply online when an

advertisement is posted. Short-listed candidates will be called for an interview. For

primary school teacher education, selected candidates will complete a one and a half-

year foundation course. At the end of the course the students will have to sit and pass a

written examination. On successful completion of the foundation course the students

proceed to do their degree program in the related disciplines, which involves four years

of study.


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Upon completion of the degree program the successful trainee teachers will

receive the Bachelor of Teaching degree and be posted to the various schools in

Malaysia. During their five and a half years in college the trainee teachers are given an

allowance of RM345/- per month.

As for secondary school teacher education, candidates will pursue a four-year

teacher education program at local universities. In order to qualify for this program, the

candidates are required to have a strong CGPA in the Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia

examination (STPM), which is equivalent to the A-level. They must have a strong CGPA

in the matriculation program. Candidates are then required to undergo an aptitude test.

Short listed candidates will then be interviewed by a panel of teacher educators from the

local universities. Successful candidates will then proceed to do their degree program in

the related discipline for four years.

Language Requirement

The institutes provide English language courses for would-be English teachers

and non-English teachers as it is compulsory for teachers of all four types of schools to

be proficient in English.

The period of minimum education for the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching, for

individual candidates, who are university graduates are as follows:

1. Bachelor in Teaching: A minimum of six credits equivalent to the O levels

is the basic requirement to qualify for the course.


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2. Internships: Students from both courses have to do a stipulated period of

practical teaching in schools where they will be supervised and assessed by mentor

teachers and lecturers.

3. For the Postgraduate Diploma there are three months of teaching practice

during their one-year training course, while the Bachelor degree program trainees will

do their practicum during their final year.

4. In addition, the degree program trainees have a school-based experience

(like an internship) for about two weeks in each year of their studies.

Standards (Licensing of Teachers Initial and Continuing):

1. Probationary Period: Upon successful completion of their courses,

trainee teachers are posted to either primary or secondary schools in Malaysia based

on the type of courses that they have undergone in ITEs and universities. In schools

they have to serve for three years before they are confirmed as full-fledged teachers.

2. Licensure Renewal/Sustaining: Malaysian teachers are given a blue

book, which is considered their license to teach. Teachers do not need to renew their

license. They may be sacked on disciplinary grounds and at which point their license

will be cancelled.

3. Evaluation and Rewards: Teachers are observed by a panel of

inspectors from time to time while headmasters and their deputies make annual

appraisals of performance for promotion and other corresponding rewards, such as the

excellent service award which carries a one-off award of RM1000/- and a certificate of

commendation from the government.


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4. Continuing Education: In-service programs are mainly refresher courses

or updated courses. They range from two- to three-day courses to six weeks, 10 weeks

and 14 weeks. Currently practicing teachers who are teaching subjects for which they

were not trained undergo six to ten week conversion courses to qualify them to teach

those subjects and usually they are given a certificate of participation from the

respective colleges. For example, non-English trained teachers teaching English are

given a six-week conversion course while teachers teaching science who are not

trained in the subject undergo a 10-week conversion course. The 14-week course is a

smart school program focusing on the use of ICT in teaching.

5. Apart from these courses, the three-yearDiploma in Teaching in-service

course is conducted during the school holidays. This course is specially designed to

cater to the many untrained teachers who have been teaching in Malaysian schools for

several years and have missed out on mainstream teacher training. They follow the

face-to-face training component during their school holidays and the distance learning

mode component during their teaching days for three years. To qualify as trained

teachers, at the end of every year, they need to sit and pass written examinations and

also have to pass their teaching practice.

6. Upon successful completion of this course the temporary teachers will be

reemployed as full time trained teachers in the government service.

The Need for Teacher Training

Traditional methods of teaching in Malaysia were inadequate in preparing

students to move rapidly towards the future. Acknowledging this trend, the Malaysian


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Governments Vision 2020 plan places emphasis on integrating technology into

education as a result of computers and broadband access being introduces in schools.

Having said all this, they still face the following challenges: (1) the need for effective and

innovative technology integration into teaching and learning activities, (2) the need for

student-centered learning and outcome-driven educational approaches, and (3) the

need to enhance the development of students' 21st century learning skills

Closing Education Industry Gap

Asizan and Abod (2010), in the Malaysian Education Colloquium held recently,

disclosed that education should focus on knowledge and skills that the industry needs,

hence, bridging the gap:

1. Education for the new economy

2. Revisit the Education Philosophy

3. New Economic Order and National Initiatives

4. Whither the Education System elements should be on:

5. Contents, curriculum or program

6. Key players such as the school administration, students and the all

members of the academic team

7. Regulatory agencies government and private accrediting bodies

8. Stakeholders government, employers, parents, etc.

9. Infrastructures and facilities


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10. Identity of a University philosophically, market and socio-economically

driven to be an institution of higher learning

11. Does a Gap Exist? How do we address it?

12. New skills for changing economy plan ahead, seek new sectors and

have the will to innovate and invest in human capital.

They further stressed that the objective of the New Economic Model (NEM) of

Malaysia is to transform Malaysia into an advanced, high income, inclusive and

sustainable nation. High income means valuing the cost of labor and expertise and

raising the level of productivity.

Approaches and Benefits:

Townsend (2010) disclosed different approaches and benefits of the teacher

training program, as follows:

1. Implement a comprehensive Training Program for professional development

of teachers.

2. Build capacity to enable lecturers to become certified Master Facilitators and

Senior Trainers in the Intel Teach Program

3. Incorporate the program into the teacher training curriculum to enable

teachers to bring the benefits of the program to their own schools upon

graduation

4. Program helps pre- service and in-service teachers build up the necessary

skills to enable them to prepare students to face a global 21 st century

knowledge-driven economy.


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5. The program provides professional development for teachers to improve

themselves, and build upon their technical and pedagogical proficiencies to

become better teachers.

6. The program promotes career satisfaction for teachers to realize further their

goals in providing high-quality education to their students

It is therefore imperative that teachers be trained according to what is demanded

by the industry in order to produce quality education. As teachers are the major players

of the change, Townsend (2010) endorsed the nine (9) categories of change that need

to be focused such as: Technology, Environment, Health, Wealth, Employment,

Society/Population, Culture, Relationships and Values.

Out of the 9 significant factors mandatory to the knowledge and skills of the

teachers, the last, which is on values are often neglected and missed. Desirable values

should also be part of the appreciation skills to be transferred to the beneficiaries of

education and that should be imbedded in the minds and hearts of the graduates. This

would lead them to be more fruitful and productive citizens of the country where they

belong.

The Way Forward

The capable teacher is he, who is able to move beyond basic competence

(knowledge and skills) towards a flexibility (coping with present twists and turns) and an

adaptability (coping with uncertain futures) in a manner that demonstrates potential and

professionalism (Cairns, 1998).


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Teachers should, therefore be trained to develop people who are bound to be

part of the society and the industry that define the needs of the nation. Fulfilling the

skills and the knowledge in various fields of their choice, desirable values and positive

attitudes towards work and professions may have been missed by the educators as part

and parcels of the educative process.

Almacen (2010) and Reduan (2008) recommended that parental involvement in

schools should also be part of the curriculum for teacher training. The current trends in

the education of children are the maximum participation of the parents in schools

activities, and this should also be included in the curriculum for teachers training.

In other words, teachers should be trained to provide knowledge, skills and

attitudes (KSA), with focus on the preservation of culture so that harmony is achieved

for more progressive and united Malaysia.

Summary

Education is the process of developing the essential potentialities, through

preparing the suitable environmental conditions for their perfections and removing

obstacles which prevent their natural development. This means that the teacher

(educator) must possess full knowledge of the essential potentialities of the subject that

is to be educated and the conditions and hindrances that can either lead to its

development or decline. Teacher training is considered as a powerful means of

professional development of teachers and convenient approach to teacher education.

Education is an effective means for social reconstruction and to a great extent;

offers solutions to the problems faced by the society. Access to quality education for all


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is also universally advocated for resolving problems be they economic, social, cultural,

political, ecological or educational. In spite of the importance of quality education for

nation building and the reduction of poverty, many developing nations are still not able

to provide quality education to majority of children and youths.

In order to improve the quality of education among developing nations there is a

general awareness among political leaders in order to meet the challenges of

globalization, their educational systems must be upgraded. Reforming the curriculum,

and increasing the pay of teachers are some motivational factors to improve teacher

education system. Another focus should be on the improvement of instructional

techniques and school leadership. It has been demonstrated, for example, that certain

instructional methods produce higher student achievement than other methods.

Therefore, focusing on teacher performance seems to be an essential first step towards

achieving higher student achievement. To produce quality education, teachers should

be trained according to what is demanded by the industry. As teachers are the major

players of the change. The nine (9) categories of change, namely: Technology,

Environment, Health, Wealth, Employment, Society/Population, Culture, Relationships

and Values must take part in curriculum for teachers.

In sum, there is a need to review the teacher education program in Malaysia and

revise priority areas and focus on the most relevant and current issues to address the

need. If we expect quality graduates of a quality school from a quality education system,

how about quality teachers? Lets give it a try, it may make the difference.


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24

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