UPSI Digital Repository (UDRep)

Improving teacher competence through the new Malaysian Teacher Standards: Exploring the challenges for teacher educators

AVAILABLE Article 94 Views
Scan QR Code to share or view item link:

Digital Assets & Download Files
Login required to access this item.
General Information Cached
Title
Improving teacher competence through the new Malaysian Teacher Standards: Exploring the challenges for teacher educators
Type
Article
Main Author
Swee , Pauline Choo Goh
Subject
LB Theory and practice of education
ISSN
2232-0458 /eISSN 2550-1771
Language Code
eng
Bibliographic Details
Place of Production
Tanjong Malim
Publisher
Fakulti Pembangunan Manusia
Year of publication
2011
Notes
Vol. 1 No. 1 (2011): Journal of Research, Policy & Practice of Teachers & Teacher Education (JRPPTTE)
Degree Type
Others
Corporate Name
Perpustakaan Tuanku Bainun

Abstract

Teacher competence is recognised as an important requisite to improve students_ academic performance and their experiences of schooling. The current strategy in Malaysia to improve this competency and outcomes of education culminated in the articulation of the Standard Guru Malaysia or the Malaysian Teacher Standards (MTS). Introduced in December 2009, the MTS is to establish high teaching standards and sets out to recognise accomplished teaching among the teaching profession. Although proponents of the standards have welcomed its introduction, this article argues that the MTS poses significant challenges for teacher educators as they set out to train new teachers to begin teaching in ways that are congruent to the standards. The article claims that the new MTS represent the standards towards which teacher educators must now aim for. In fact, this is an intentional element embedded in the MTS. The Malaysian government hopes that by initiating standards by which teachers are to be appraised upon, will in turn effect changes in how they are prepared. However, less understood are the challenges it presents for the teaching institutions. This article presents various challenges (and possibilities) for teacher educators. Although the article lacks empirical base for examining these issues, due to the newness of the MTS, it offers instead a logical analysis based on the authors_ own (and others_) experiences to illuminate the issues. Keywords: Standards, Teaching standards, Malaysian Teacher Standards, Teacher education.

References

Abd Rashid, A.R. (2002). Dasar inovasi pendidikan dalam konteks agenda

wawasan 2020 [Innovation policies of education in the context of Vision 2020

agenda]. In S.Hussin (Ed.), Inovasi Dasar Pendidikan - Perspektif Sistem dan

Organisasi [Innovative Systems - Perspectives from Educational Policy and

Organization] (pp.19-47). Kuala Lumpur: Universiti Malaya Press.

 

Asri, S.(2009, December 21). SGM jadi peringatan kepada pendidik [MTS to be a

reminder to educators]. Harian Metro. Retrieved June 24, 2010 from

http://www.nib.com.my/archives/text/view/2937129?pos=1&hide_header=1&r

esultset=nstpec%3Awww/crosssearch/

search.php%3A_1310553357%3Aresultset

 

Banks, J., Cochran-Smith, M., Moll, L., Richert, A., Zeichner, K., LePage, P., et

al. (2005). Teaching diverse learners. In L. Darling-Hammond & B. Johns

(Eds.), Preparing teachers for a changing world: What teachers should learn

and be able to do (pp. 232-274). San Franscisco: Jossey-Bass.

Berliner, D.C. (1986). In pursuit of the expert pedagogue. Educational Researcher,

15(7), 5-13.

 

Berliner, D.C. (2005). The near impossibility of testing for teacher quality. Journal

of Teacher Education, 56(3), 205-213.

 

Blanton, L.P., Sindelar, P.T., & Correa, V.I. (2006). Models and measures of

beginning teacher quality. The Journal of Special Education, 40(2), 115-127.

 

Chapman, K. (2009, June 28). Measuring up to new standards. The Star Online.

Retrieved October 1, 2010 from

http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2009/6/28/education/4201502

&sec=education

 

Darling-Hammond, L. (2009). President Obama and education: The possibility for

dramatic improvements in teaching and learning. Harvard Educational Review,

79(2), 210-223.

 

Feiman-Nemser, S. (2001). From preparation to practice: Designing a continuum

to strengthen and sustain teaching. Teacher College Record, 103(6), 1013-

1055.

 

Feiman-Nemser, S., & Featherstone, H. (Eds.) (1992). Exploring teaching:

Reinventing an introductory course. New York: Teachers College Press.

 

Fenstermacher, G.D., & Richardson, V. (2005). On making determinations of

quality in teaching. Teachers College Record, 107(1), 186-213.

 

Fuller, F.F. and Bown, O.H. (1975). Becoming a teacher. In K. Ryan (Ed.),

Teacher Education: Seventy-Fourth Yearbook of the National Society for the

Study of Education (pp. 25-52). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

 

Goh, P.S.C.,Wong, K.T., & Masran, N. (2011). Beginning teachers’ conceptions

of competency and its alignment to the ‘Standard Guru Malaysia’ for improved

teacher education. Unpublished report, Sultan Idris Education University,

Malaysia.

 

Griffin P., Nguyen, T.K.C., & Gillis, S. (2004, November). Developing and

Validating Primary School Teacher Standards in Vietnam. Paper presented at

the Annual Conference of the Australian Association for Research in

Education, University of Melbourne.

 

Grossman, P.L. (1990). The making of a teacher: Teacher knowledge and teacher

education. New York: Teachers College Press.

 

Harms, W., & DePencier, I. (1996). Dewey creates a new kind of school.

Retrieved October 12, 2010 from http://www.ucls.uchicago.edu/aboutlab/

history/index.aspx

 

Idris, R. (2009, December 6). SGM iktiraf profesion guru, bukan bebanan [MTS

recognises the teaching profession and is not a burden]. Berita Harian.

Retrieved June 24, 2010 from

http://perkhidmatanpelajaran.blogspot.com/2009/12/sgm-iktiraf-profesionguru-

bukan.html

 

Ingvarson, L., & Rowe, K. (2007). Conceptualising and evaluating teaching

quality: Substantive and methodological issues. Australian Journal of

Education, 52(1), 5-35.

 

Kagan, D.M. (1992). Professional growth among preservice and beginning

teachers. Review of Educational Research, 62(2), 129-169.

 

King, M.B. (1994). Locking ourselves in: National standards for the teaching

profession. Teacher and Teacher Education, 10(1), 95-108.

 

Malaysia first in region to adopt benchmark for educators. (2009, December 3).

The Star Online. Retrieved October 1, 2010 from

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/12/3/nation/5225720&sec=nat

ion

 

Malaysian Teacher Standards (2009). Putrajaya: Teacher Education Division.

 

Murray, F.B. (1995). Beyond natural teaching: The case for professional

education. In F.B. Murray (Ed.), The teacher educator’s handbook: Building a

knowledge base for the preparation of teachers (pp. 3-13). San Franscisco:

Jossey Bass.

 

Ng, P.T. (2008). Educational policy rhetoric and reality gap: A reflection.

Instructional Journal of Educational Management, 22(6), 595-602.

 

Pimpa, N. (2005). Teacher performance appraisal in Thailand: Poison or panacea.

Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 4(2-3), 115-127.

 

Raja Musa, R.M.F., & Nik Yusoff, N.M.R. (2000, November). The Malaysian

smart school: a new hope for the philosophy of education. Paper presented at

the International Conference on Teaching and Learning, Renaissance Palm

Garden Hotel, Putrajaya, Malaysia.

 

Reynolds, A. (1992). What is competent beginning teaching? A review of the

literature. Review of Educational Research, 62(1), 1-35.

 

Richardson, V. (Ed.) (2001). Handbook of research on teaching (4th ed.).

Washington: American Educational Research Association.

 

Serafini, F. (2002). Possibilities and challenges: The national board for

professional teaching standards. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(4), 316-327.

 

Othman, S.S. (2007, May 31). Piawaian bertaraf dunia angkat imej guru [World

class standards lift the image of teachers]. Berita Harian. Retrieved October

12, 2010 from http://ddms.usim.edu.my/handle/123456789/1957

 

UPSR and PMR may be abolished: Muhyiddin. (2010, June 20). The Star Online.

Retrieved October 12, 2010 from

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/6/20/nation/20100620133714&se

c=nation

 

Tschannen-Moran, M., & Woolfolk Hoy, A. (2001). Teacher efficacy: capturing

an elusive construct. Teaching and Teacher Education, 17(7), 783 -805.

 

Zakaria, A. (2000). Educational development and reformation in the Malaysian

education system: challenges in the new millennium. Journal of Southeast

Asian Education, 1(1), 113-133.

 


Installed and configured by Bahagian Automasi, Perpustakaan Tuanku Bainun, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
If you have enquiries, kindly contact us at pustakasys@upsi.edu.my or 016-3630263. Office hours only.