UPSI Digital Repository (UDRep)
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UPSI Digital Repository (UDRep)
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| Full Text : Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris |
| The focus of this study is the conception of beginning teachers' competence. There exists very little research about beginning teachers' conceptions of their own teaching competence from Malaysian beginning teachers' perspective. This study adds to the debate about competence by including the voice of the beginning teacher. This study locates itself within the context of local issues and is also used to explore if there is alignment (or not) of the conceptions of competency of beginning teachers with those espoused in the new Standard Guru Malaysia. A total of eighteen beginning teachers volunteered and were interviewed individually through the telephone in order to identify and describe the variation in their conceptions of competence. The beginning teachers represented teachers from the states of Perak, Selangor, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak. The beginning teachers were drawn from preschools, primary, secondary and included school counselors. Although the conceptions varied, five conceptions of beginning teacher competence have been identified. A competent beginning teacher: i) must be able to understand the students being taught, ii) is sure of the subject content, iii) is able to manage and control the classroom environment, iv) is able to create communication and working with colleagues and, v) possesses values of professionalism. Competence does not exist alone, but is judged in relation to something - usually a predetermined standard or level. As such, the present study argues that any investigation of beginning teacher competence must include some mention of the Standard Guru Malaysia. The study indicates that this group of beginning teachers have partially developed conceptions that somewhat align with those presented in the Standard Guru Malaysia. The report ends with recommendations for future studies and discusses some of the challenges teacher educators will face in the era of the Standard Guru Malaysia. |
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