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Teacher Education Program: The Malaysian Perspective

Bayani Ursolino Almacen, EdD Philippines

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.

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 21 st century and negotiate the complexities of the Information Age, these needs will only become more demanding as

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

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.

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

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.

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".

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 memorybased 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".

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 inservice 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 inservice 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 halfyear 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-year Diploma 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. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Education for the new economy Revisit the Education Philosophy New Economic Order and National Initiatives Whither the Education System elements should be on: Contents, curriculum or program Key players such as the school administration, students and the all members of the academic team 7. 8. 9. Regulatory agencies government and private accrediting bodies Stakeholders government, employers, parents, etc. 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. 12.

Does a Gap Exist? How do we address it? 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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References Almacen, B. U. (2008), The IMO Model Course 6.09: Its Implications to Maritime Education in the Philippines, Philippines: UPHS The Lighthouse Refereed Journal, Volume 3. Almacen, B. U. (2010), Parents as Education Partners (PEP) Program: The Philippine Experience, Paper presentation at the Conference on Philosophy, Education and Humanity, University of Malaya, Faculty of Education, 6 August 2010. Asizan, A. H. and Abod, S. G. (2010), Closing the Education Industry Gap: The Way Forward, Speech delivered at the Malaysian Education Colloquim 2010, University of Tunku Abdul Raman: June 29, 2010 Ayman, Almisry (2001), The Influence of Rational Philosophy Upon Educational Method, Glickman, Carl D. et. Al, (2010), Supervision and Instructional Leadership: A Development Approach, Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. International Edition. Malakolunthu, Suseela (2008), Teacher Learning in Malaysia: Problems and Possibilities of Reform, 2nd printing: Kuala Lumpur: University of Malay Press. Ministry of Education, Malaysia, http://www.moe.gov.my Molly N. N. LEE, (2004), Malaysian Teacher Education into the New Century, Reform of Teacher Education in Asia Pacific in the New Millennium: Trends and Challenges, The Netherlands: Center for Research and International Collaboration, The Hongkong Institute of Education Reduan, Mohamad Nor (2008), Teachers Perception towards Parental Involvement in their Childrens Education in the Secondary Schools in Temerloh, Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia Sharma, Tanka Nath (2006), Teacher Training from Distance: Challenges and Possibilities, Nepal: National Center for Educational Development. Townsend, T. (2010), Thinking and Acting both Locally and Globally: New Directions for Schools, speech delivered at University of Malaya, Faculty of Education, 6 August 2010 Wallin, J., (2003), Improving School Effectiveness, Vancouver: ABAC Journal, Vol. 23, No.1