Development of Science Education in Malaysia

8/13/2019 Development of Science Education in Malaysia

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Siow Heng LokeDean, School of Graduate StudiesAsia e University50000 Kuala LumpurMalaysia


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The aims of this paper are to explore the development ofscience education in Malaysia since independence tothe present, and to examine the future challenges

ahead. The two Government policies namely, 60:40ratio of Science to Arts students (2001), and the useand the discontinuance of English as the medium ofinstruction for the teaching and learning of

Mathematics and Science (2003, 2009), that have had

significant impacts on the Malaysian education systemare examined. The paper concludes by proposing howthe Malaysian science education could face the futurechallenges in the pervasiveness of ICT and

globalization.


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Milestone Year Key Features

Razak Report 1956 • Common language

Malaya gained independence

from the British

1957 • Science was taught as Nature Study,

Hygiene, & Practical Gardening

Rahman Talib Report

(Education Act, 1961)

1961 • National Educational Policy;

• Science was based on CambridgeExamination syllabus

Formation of Malaysia 1963 • Including Sabah & Sarawak;

• Science was much influenced by British

curriculum

Integrated Science Syllabus

for Lower secondary schools

1969 • Adaptation from Scottish Integrated

Science Project

Modern Chemistry, Modern

Biology, Modern Physics

1972 • Adaptation from the British Nuffield

Science (O-level) project

Modern Science 1974 • Adaptation from the British Nuffield

General Science but quite indigenous

Cabinet Committee Report 1979 • Review the implementation of educationpolicy


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New Primary SchoolCurriculum (KBSR) 1983•

Man and His Environment for Year 4-6 beginning1984

Integrated Secondary School

Curriculum (KBSM)

1989 • KBSM Science to replace Integrated Science for

Forms 1-3.

• KBSM Kimia, KBSM Biologi, KBSM Fiziks for

Forms 4-5.

Vision 2020 1991 • Aspiring to be a fully developed nation by 2020

through world-class education;

• Science was given high priority;

Education Act, 1996 1996 • Democratise education – compulsory primary

education;

• Revise KBSR and KBSM;

• Science was compulsory subject from Year 4

onwards.


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National Education Blueprint(2006-2010) 2001•

To increase S&T manpower to 60% versus 40% tonon-science

National Education Blueprint

(2006-2010)

2003 • The teaching of Science and Mathematics in

English, beginning with Year 1, Form 1 and Lower

Six classes

• Compulsory Education Act


(2006-2010)

2007 • Strengthen national education system; narrowing

the education gap; improving teaching profession;accelerating excellence.


(2006-2010)

2008 • Full conversion of BM to English


(2006-2010)

8 July

2009• Reversal of the teaching of Maths and Science

from English to BM


(2013 – 22025)

11

Sept

2012

• Review and improve primary and secondary school

curricula in 2017 to produce learners with better

thinking skills


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Vision 2020 played a pivotal role in science education reform;

Needs to create a critical mass of S&T manpower for K-economy;

Science became compulsory from Year 1 in 1989;

Lee, et al. (1996) found that science to non-science student ratios havedropped from 31:69 in 1986 to 20:80 in 1993;

Statistics from MOE – 28.73%:71.27% sc to non-science in 2001;35:84%:64.16% in 2004;

Siow, et al (2005) found that:(a) Urban schools were more able to meet 60:40 than rural schools by

accepting students with grades C and D into science streams.(b) Performance of 2004 PMR maths and science examination results have

declined as compared to the preceeding three years.


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Misalignment in the 60:40 ratio policy existedbetween intended objectives and implementedoutcomes;

Have serious implications in realising Vision

2020 objectives; At the post secondary level and higher, science

students switched to the non-science (business,law, management, etc);

Tertiary science-related courses are seen to betougher; too long; more expensive; and ROI isnot so lucrative compared to non-sciencecourses.


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Initiated in mid-2002, implemented in January 2003.

With the advent of globalisation and the K-

economy, it was conceived that English is:(i) the language of S&T;

(ii) essential for technology transfer;

(iii) essential in trade and international relations;(iv) sc and maths are the two main fields

experiencing fastest development.


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Phased implementation: Year 1, Form 1, Lower 6 in 2003; Complete cycle by 2008;

Preparation of Implementation: Teacher training on upgrading English language proficiency

(ETeMS); Translating and upgrading curriculum in English; Textbooks; Making available learning resources Ensuring continuous support;

Preparation for assessment in English 2008; Utilizing ICT and teaching courseware.


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Siow, et al (2005) found: Majority of students especially in the rural areas had low English

language proficiency level; Teachers were however more prepared; Some teachers and students have asked for a reversal of policy;

Teachers had to wrestle on 2 issues: Poor mastery English, andscience content. ETeMs helped them but more towards proficiency and

communication in English. But they needed help on the teachingof certain concepts & skills.

ICTs were useful but teachers did not use them all the time. Assessment: still in dual languages.


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Despite of initial teething problems, students,teachers and parents are accepting theadvantages;

More support from MOE is needed; Needs science & mathematics teachers who are

competent in English to conduct ETeMs.


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8 July 2009

‘the gap between rural and urban students haswidened since PPSMI started’

Only 19.2% of secondary school teachers and9.6% of primary school teachers weresufficiently proficient in English

In the media, the switch resulted in mixedreactions


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Replaces K-economy

Superhighway communication

Rapid, sophisticated, and efficient technologies.

Malaysia’s superhighway corridor.

The world will get smaller


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Reduction of traditional learning: teacher talks – students listen;reduction in memorization and rote learning.

The acquisition of analytical thinking skills; ability tocommunicate.

Unable to make long-term planning.

Important for students to search and evaluate information. Ability to make decisions based on good moral values. Important for 21st century science curriculum: knowledge,

scientific skills, thinking skills and moral values. Teachers become the sources of information, facilitator of learning. Teachers must update themselves with modern technologies;

multimedia


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Changes from agriculture to industries = 100years.

Changes from industries to ICT = 20 years.

Industries are however more capital intensiveand high technology.

Needs workers with advanced knowledge,

highly skilled; productive, proactive and abilityto make decisions.

People in Malaysia will be more affluent


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Area of specialisation is not static – multidisciplines, integration ofdisciplines, and multi-skills.

Needs more workers in ICT. Science education needs human capital who are knowledgeable, skillful,

disciplined, good moral values. Life-long learning. Teacher certification is not life-long. Teachers will work as contract workers, and the renewal of contract will

depend on new certification and new knowledge and skills acquired. Education becomes less formal. Opportunities to acquire further education and training are plenty and

more accessible.

Provide incentives for S&T workers. Science education should change according to time and needs. Science should be taught interestingly and be more practical. Counseling and career guidance should be made available. The use of ICT will increase, the use of textbooks will reduce.


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The speed will continue to acclerate.

Jobs will change dramatically every 5 to 10years.

Workers being displaced and will be movingconstantly from one job to another.

Workers of 21st century hop jobs easily.

Formal education will not cease.


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Institutions and systems will become smallerunits and less formal.

People oriented; human rights & individual

rights will be more pronounced; allowed tomake own decisions.

Corporatisation of institutions to improvequality control and quality assurance.

Malaysia aspires to the centre of excellence inAsia.


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Administrative and management structure will bemore efficient; reduction of red-tapes.

Institutions are allowed to make own decisions,including their own academic programmes.

Encourage research and development. Increase number of skilled workers in S&T. Teachers play important roles in decision making. Class-size will reduce. Workers are more risk taking. Science education has the advantage to nuture freedom

and provide opportunities to try, test, innovate, becreative, analytical and to communicate with others.


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Overall improvement in market access as a result of tariffreductions on a WTO wide basis and the phasing in of AFTA;

Continued efforts of industries to sustain and expand marketshare in face of greater competition as tariff barriers are graduallydismantled;

Move towards more skills- and technology-driven strategy toenhance competitiveness under the WTO trading regime and thestep towards more intra-regional alliances under the AFTA tradeand investment regime to intensify industry’s resilience andcompetitiveness;

Mechanisms under the WTO and AFTA to safeguard domesticproduces against sudden surges of imports that will cause seriousinjury; and

Gradual phasing in of commitments to commensurate with thelevel of development.


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Current wave of globalization have been unevenlydistributed;

Woodward (1998, p. 4) argues, ‘suggests that theconvergence of per capita incomes have not occurred

during the current period of globalization, but ratherthat countries have diverged’.

Quah’s (1993, p 17) analysis of 118 developing anddeveloped countries found ‘a world with economiestending, in the long run, towards either the very rich or

very poor, with the middle-income classes vanishing’. The rich-poor income disparity appears to be widening

(Leung (2003);


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The development of science education inMalaysia was much influenced by both internaland external factors;

Up to 1970s, most of science education policies

are influenced by British education system; The science education initiatives of 1980s

onwards were more indigenous but focused onproducing a wholesome being;

With the pervasiveness of ICT andglobalisation, Malaysia has to produce more I-K-educated individuals.


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Thank you very much …

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Development of Science Education in Malaysia

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