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Education in Malaysia

This book examines Malaysia’s ambitious reform agenda and educational

landscape, drawing upon the 11 key shifts in the Malaysia Education Blueprint
2013–2025.
It provides a comprehensive plan for a rapid and sustainable transformation of
the Malaysian Education System, and what is needed in shaping the educational
reforms in Malaysia, especially post-COVID, through to 2025. The contributors
to this volume – scholars, researchers, and practitioners who possess a deep and
embedded understanding of Malaysian education – focus on the interplay of
prevailing and persistent problems, and what is needed in shaping the educational
reforms in Malaysia.
As a critical assessment of the Malaysian Education Blueprint reform efforts and
policies, this edited book will be of particular interest to educators, scholars, and
policymakers on the latest trends and challenges in Malaysian education policy.

Donnie Adams obtained his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Universiti

Malaya and was recently awarded the Emerald Young Researcher Award 2021 by
Emerald Publishing and Universiti Malaya’s Excellence Award for Community
Engagement in 2019. He is the Editor-in-Chief for the International Online
Journal of Educational Leadership (IOJEL) and Editor for Cogent Education. He
is actively involved in research and development work toward the area of inclusive
school leadership and school-wide reformation of inclusive education agenda in
Malaysia.
Routledge Critical Studies in Asian Education
Series Editors
S. Gopinathan, Wing On Lee and Jason Eng Thye Tan

Families, the State and Educational Inequality in the Singapore City-State

Charleen Chiong

School Leadership in Malaysia

Policy, Research and Practice
Edited by Tony Bush

STEM Education from Asia

Trends and Perspectives
Edited by Tang Wee Teo, Aik-Ling Tan and Paul Teng

Risk Society and Education in Post-Disaster Fukushima

Kaoru Miyazawa

The Political Economy of Education Reforms in Vietnam

Edited by Nguyen Minh Quang and James Albright

Educational Innovation in Vietnam

Opportunities and Challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Edited by Trung Tran, Cuong Huu Nguyen and Loc Thi My Nguyen

Education in Malaysia
Developments, Reforms and Prospects
Edited by Donnie Adams

For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/

Routledge-Critical-Studies-in-Asian-Education/book-series/RCSAE
Education in Malaysia
Developments, Reforms and Prospects

Edited by Donnie Adams

First published 2023
by Routledge
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and by Routledge
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business
© 2023 selection and editorial matter, Donnie Adams; individual
chapters, the contributors
The right of Donnie Adams to be identified as the author of the
editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has
been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Adams, Donnie, editor.
Title: Education in Malaysia : developments, reforms and prospects /
edited by Donnie Adams.
Other titles: Education in Malaysia (Routledge)
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2023. |
Series: Routledge critical studies in Asian education | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022019696 (print) | LCCN 2022019697 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781032155739 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032155746 (paperback) |
ISBN 9781003244769 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Education—Malaysia. | Educational change—Malaysia. |
Education and state—Malaysia.
Classification: LCC LA1236 .E38 2023 (print) | LCC LA1236 (ebook) |
DDC 370.9595—dc23/eng/20220629
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022019696
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022019697

ISBN: 978-1-032-15573-9 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-032-15574-6 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-24476-9 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003244769

Typeset in Galliard
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Contents

Prefaceÿþviii
List of illustrationsÿþxii
About the editorÿþxiv
List of contributorsÿþxv

ÿþ 1ÿþ Malaysian Education System: Progress, standards and aspirationsÿþ1

DONNIE ADAMS AND KING LOK TAN

ÿþ 2ÿþ Gender equity and the “Lost Boys” in Malaysian educationÿþ 19
MOHAMMAD NOMAN AND AMRITA KAUR

ÿþ 3ÿþ Education transformation of Orang Asli students in Malaysiaÿþ 34

AHMAD ZABIDI ABDUL RAZAK

ÿþ 4ÿþ The gifted and talented education programme in Malaysia:

Development, reform, and way forwardÿþ 49
ABU YAZID ABU BAKAR AND ZULKARNIN ZAKARIA

ÿþ 5ÿþ Minding the gap between theory and practice to reinforce
the delivery of STEM educationÿþ 62
MAGESWARY KARPUDEWAN

ÿþ 6ÿþ Notable new navigations of Malaysian English language

educationÿþ 78
ADELINA ASMAWI
viÿþ Contents
ÿþ 7ÿþ Quality preschool education for human capital developmentÿþ 101
HUSAINA BANU KENAYATHULLA, MOHD NAZRI ABDUL RAHMAN,
AND MUHAMMAD FAIZAL A. GHANI

ÿþ 8ÿþ Transformation of Islamic Education for values-driven

Malaysiansÿþ 119
NORFARIZA MOHD RADZI AND ZETTY NURZULIANA RASHED

ÿþ 9ÿþ Fostering national unity in Malaysia: The roles of family

and educationÿþ 135
INTAN MARFARRINA OMAR, AHMAD ZABIDI ABDUL RAZAK AND
FARIDZAH JAMALUDDIN

10ÿþ Moral Education and Islamic Education: The way forward

towards a value-laden societyÿþ 151
VISHALACHE BALAKRISHNAN

11ÿþ ICT in Malaysian education: Preparations and milestonesÿþ 165

KENNY S.L. CHEAH

12ÿþ Technical and vocational education and training in

Malaysia: Reflections, recognition, and renaissanceÿþ 183
DONNIE ADAMS AND KENNY S.L. CHEAH

13ÿþ Empowering educators to transform learning and teachingÿþ 195

DONNIE ADAMS AND SUZIELEEZ SYRENE ABDUL RAHIM

14ÿþ Leadership practices of high-performing school principals

in Malaysiaÿþ 207
ZURAIDAH ABDULLAH, AHMAD ZABIDI ABDUL RAZAK
AND KAZI ENAMUL HOQUE

15ÿþ Vernacular schools and national unity in a multicultural societyÿþ 219

WENDY YEE MEI TIEN AND HAZRI JAMIL
 Contentsÿþ vii
16ÿþ Education transformation in Malaysia: Equity, funding,
and strategic partnershipÿþ 234
ZULIANA MOHD ZABIDI AND DONNIE ADAMS

Indexÿþ248
Preface

Malaysia has an ambitious reform agenda and educational landscape. The reforms
are outlined in the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013–2025 in 11 Key Shift
toward 2025, as it attempts to provide a comprehensive plan for a rapid and sus-
tainable transformation of the Malaysian Education System. Given the centrality
of educational reform in Malaysia, this book is a critical contributor to the assess-
ment of the Malaysian Education Blueprint reform efforts and policies, especially
in a post-COVID era.
It showcases contributions from scholars, researchers and practitioners who
possess a deeply embedded understanding of the Malaysian education, based on
engagement with policy, practice, and research. The book will focus on the inter-
play of prevailing and persistent problems and what is needed in shaping the
educational reforms in Malaysia for the future. We hope and believe that it will
be a valuable resource for students, academics, policymakers, and school leaders.
Chapter 1, by Donnie Adams and King Lok Tan, offers some explanation and
contextualization of diversity of schooling and curriculum options in Malay-
sian education. They also discuss insights on the Malaysia Education Blueprint
2013–2025 aspirations and its linkage to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Significantly, this chapter highlights eight ideas to advance education systems in
the post-COVID era.
In Chapter 2, Mohammad Noman and Amrita Kaur draw upon the data availa-
ble from the sustainable development goal (SDG) index and dashboard, the Min-
istry of Education, and several other sources to provide an account of progress
made on equity issues in education and what more has to be done to meet the
set goals in Malaysia. They report on gender equity and the disparities between
educational attainment of urban and rural students, the probable causes, and the
efforts of the Malaysian Government to reduce these disparities.
The third chapter, by Ahmad Zabidi Abdul Razak, examines the transforma-
tion of Orang Asli and Indigenous Education as stated in the Malaysian Educa-
tion Blueprint. He highlights some of the key aspects and features of Orang
Asli students’ education, issues, and factors related to their dropout and poor
academic achievement and offers some recommendations to improve the Orang
Asli education quality in Malaysia.
 Prefaceÿþ ix
In Chapter 4, Abu Yazid Abu Bakar and Zulkarnin Zakaria examine the edu-
cational provision tailored for gifted and talented students. They report on the
development of two gifted and talented education programs, namely, the Pusat
PERMATA pintar™ Negara in 2009, and Pusat PERMATA Insan in 2010. They
further discuss the reforms and way forward of the gifted and talented education
program in the national education system.
Integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educa-
tion is one of the interdisciplinary approaches gaining attention in recent years
as observed by Mageswary Karpudewan in Chapter 5. She reports on the STEM
education initiatives outlined by the Ministry of Education at the planning level
and the practices implemented in Malaysia. She further outlines suggestions to
bridge the gaps between theory and practice to strengthen the delivery of STEM
education in Malaysia.
The next chapter, by Adelina Asmawi, discusses seven of eleven shifts relevant to
English language education from the Malaysian Education Blueprint, followed by
English language education reformation pre- and post-pandemic, as well as new
navigations emerging from the lenses of both researchers and educators. She then
puts forth the potential of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)
and multilingualism to promote internationalization of students in Malaysia.
In Chapter 7, Husaina Banu Kenayathulla and her colleagues examine the
quality of early childhood care and education under the National Key Results
Areas (NKRA) strategy; they report that the financial allocation varies according
to regional needs, which can be higher for Sabah and Sarawak preschools than
that of the peninsular. They further discuss the human capital and education and
issues in preschool education, and outline measures to enhance the quality of
preschool education in Malaysia.
Islamic Education has become a focus under the third shift of the Malaysia
Education Blueprint 2013–2025. In Chapter 8, Norfariza Mohd Radzi and Zetty
Nurzuliana Rashed discuss what is needed in the Islamic curriculum to preserve
good relationships among humans equipped with good values and ethics in line
with Quran and Sunnah. They further examine how Islamic Education can help
realize the Malaysian National Education Philosophy’s aim of producing people
who are balanced in their mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
The aspect of national unity has become one of the main pillars in the current
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013–2025. In Chapter 9, Intan Marfarrina Omar
and her colleagues examine factors determining national unity practices among
school students and outline recommendations for future research in helping and
shaping national unity in Malaysia.
In Chapter 10, Vishalache Balakrishnan notes that out of the 11 transforma-
tion plans outlined in the Malaysia Education Blueprint, shift 3 emphasizes the
need for students to have leadership skills, strong universal values such as integ-
rity, compassion, justice, and altruism, to guide them in making ethical decisions.
She examines the aspirations and purpose of Moral Education and Islamic Educa-
tion as sources of value, cultural norms, and religiosity.
xÿþ Preface
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, information and communications
technology (ICT) has enabled teaching and learning to be supported, enhanced,
and optimized in the delivery of curriculum. In Chapter 11, Kenny S.L. Cheah
examines the development of ICT in Malaysia and describes the Malaysian Min-
istry of Education’s efforts to equip teachers with technological, pedagogical, and
content knowledge. He also highlights the contextual challenges and strategies
needed to better prepare teachers to achieve the five aspirations in the Malaysia
Education Blueprint.
The Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013–2025) was launched to provide a
comprehensive structure to transform TVET in Malaysia. In Chapter 12, Don-
nie Adams and Kenny S.L. Cheah illuminate the various educational pathways
for TVET in Malaysia and its major TVET providers and organisers such as the
Ministry of Education, Ministry of Human Resource and Development, Minis-
try of Women, Family and Community Development, and others. They further
highlight the challenges of TVET and several strategies to improve it in Malaysia.
In Chapter 13, Donnie Adams and Suzieleez Syrene Abdul Rahim discuss
the various efforts undertaken to address the question of teaching profession in
Malaysia. They examine the relevance of teacher education, the various pre-service
and in-service teacher education programs, and the important aspect of continu-
ous professional development for teachers in Malaysia. Significantly, this chapter
highlights past research on teacher education programs and its major findings to
prepare teachers to manage changes and challenges in the 21st century.
The MEB sets out an ambitious plan for all schools to have high-performing
principals with reference to specific competency guidelines such as the Malay-
sian School Principalship Competency Standards (SKKSM) and School Leader
Competency Version 2 (KOMPAS 2.0). Zuraidah Abdullah and her colleagues
examine the characteristics of high-performing school principals in Malaysia in
Chapter 14. They further discuss the required competencies of Malaysian prin-
cipals and strategies to develop high-performing school principals in Malaysia.
The next chapter, by Wendy Yee Mei Tien and Hazri Jamil, discusses the con-
tentious debate between national schools and vernacular schools in Malaysia.
They argue that this debate is not constructive in building a united multicul-
tural society such as Malaysia. They highlight the fundamental spirit of education
based on the National Education Philosophy (NEP) and the Malaysia Education
Blueprint 2013–2025 (MEB).
The final chapter, by Zuliana Mohd Zabidi and Donnie Adams, examines edu-
cation transformation in Malaysia in the context of increasing educational equity,
optimizing budget allocation to maximize student outcomes, and encouraging
active collaboration of private sectors in education through strategic partnerships.
They further discuss key aspects and features of education transformation such as
the financial support to schools, investment in infrastructures, the development
of District Transformation Programme (DTP), Cluster Schools of Excellence,
Adopt-a-School Programme, and the Trust Schools Programme (TSP).
The chapters in this volume collectively provide a timely overview of Malaysia’s
ambitious reform agenda, drawing upon key shifts in the Malaysia Education
 Preface xi
Blueprint. The scholars in this volume focused on the interplay of prevailing
and persistent problems and what is needed in shaping the educational reforms
in Malaysia, especially post-COVID. We hope that the book will be a helpful
resource for educators, scholars, policymakers, and the general public on the lat-
est trends and challenges in Malaysian education policy.
Illustrations

Figures
ÿþ  1.1ÿþ The Malaysian schooling levelsÿþ 4
ÿþ  1.2ÿþ Overview of Malaysian schooling optionsÿþ 6
ÿþ  1.3ÿþ Types of preschools and curricula in Malaysiaÿþ 9
ÿþ  1.4ÿþ Types of primary schools and curricula in Malaysiaÿþ 10
ÿþ  1.5ÿþ Types of secondary schools and curricula in Malaysiaÿþ 11
ÿþ  2.1ÿþ SDG targetsÿþ 20
ÿþ  2.2ÿþ The gender gap between primary school until Form 6ÿþ 24
ÿþ  3.1ÿþ The percentage of ethnic groupsÿþ 35
ÿþ  3.2ÿþ Number of Orang Asli population according to statesÿþ 35
ÿþ  3.3ÿþ Dropout rates of Orang Asli students for the Year 2008 cohortÿþ 37
ÿþ  3.4ÿþ Students’ attendance rates from 2007 to 2010ÿþ 38
ÿþ  5.1ÿþ STEM practicesÿþ 66
ÿþ  6.1ÿþ Lions 360ÿþ 91
ÿþ  6.2ÿþ Grandpa’s reef – 360ÿþ 92
ÿþ  6.3ÿþ A movie reviewÿþ 93
ÿþ  6.4ÿþ A podcast with Malala Yousafzaiÿþ 94
ÿþ  6.5ÿþ e-Forumÿþ 94
ÿþ  6.6ÿþ A ray of hope from a Malaysian online classroomÿþ 96
ÿþ  8.1ÿþ The four objectives of TICÿþ 124
ÿþ  9.1ÿþ Total population of Malaysia in 2021ÿþ 138
ÿþ  9.2ÿþ Percentage distribution of the Malaysian citizens by ethnic groupÿþ 139
ÿþ 10.1ÿþ Focus of Moral Education in Malaysiaÿþ 160
ÿþ 12.1ÿþ Accreditation of dual agencies for Malaysian TVETÿþ 188

Tables
ÿþ  1.1ÿþ Literacy rate in percentage (2018–2020)ÿþ 5
ÿþ  1.2ÿþ Government schools and student enrolment rateÿþ 7
ÿþ  1.3ÿþ Average class size (pupils per class) (2018–2020)ÿþ 7
ÿþ  1.4ÿþ Number of schools and student enrolment rate in private
institutions (2021)ÿþ 7
 Illustrationsÿþ xiii
ÿþ  1.5ÿþ Malaysia’s current achievement of the MEB aspirations and
SDG 4 goalsÿþ 12
ÿþ  2.1ÿþ The gender disparity in Malaysian public universitiesÿþ 23
ÿþ  4.1ÿþ The development of gifted and talented education in Malaysiaÿþ 53
ÿþ  5.1ÿþ Conceptual underpinnings of integrated STEM education
across different levelsÿþ 67
ÿþ  8.1ÿþ Hifz al-Quran syllabusÿþ 125
ÿþ 12.1ÿþ Organisers and major TVET providers in Malaysiaÿþ 187
ÿþ 14.1ÿþ KOMPAS 2.0 domains and leadership competenciesÿþ 211
ÿþ 16.1ÿþ Financial support for Government and Government-aided schoolsÿþ 236
ÿþ 16.2ÿþ Comparison of public expenditure on education per student as
a percentage of GDP per capita between Malaysia and other
countriesÿþ237
ÿþ 16.3ÿþ Enrolment rate of students in primary and secondary public schoolsÿþ 238
ÿþ 16.4ÿþ Academic performance criteria for each levelÿþ 241
About the Editor

Donnie Adams obtained his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Universiti

Malaya and was recently awarded the Emerald Young Researcher Award 2021 by
Emerald Publishing and Universiti Malaya’s Excellence Award for Community
Engagement in 2019. He is Editor-in-Chief for the International Online Jour-
nal of Educational Leadership (IOJEL) and Editor for Cogent Education. He is
actively involved in research and development work toward the area of inclusive
school leadership and school-wide reformation of inclusive education agenda in
Malaysia. He has also collaborated on research projects with The British Council,
ETH Zürich, The HEAD Foundation, UNICEF, Asian Universities Alliance,
and Teach for Malaysia.
Contributors

Zuraidah Abdullah, Ph.D., is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education,

University of Malaya. She received her Ph.D. degree from the University of
Malaya, in Principalship Studies in 2010. Her career began as a teacher in sec-
ondary schools, and she pursued her studies and became one of the lecturers at
the University of Malaya. Her research is basically focusing on society from the
perspective of education such as the issue of professional learning community
(PLC) in schools, Inclusive education program, the National School Empow-
erment based on the blueprint of PPPM 2013–2025, transgenders, resiliency
of university students, and also promoting peace education to secondary level
students in order to maintain peaceful and boosting unity.
Adelina Asmawi, Ph.D., is Associate Professor and Head at the Department of
Language and Literacy Education, University Malaya. She holds a Ph.D. in
Professional Development of Teachers, TESOL, and Instructional Technol-
ogy from the University of Melbourne. She has published many articles and
books and has appeared in mainstream media for her active engagement with
the community. She is Founder of PEARL project that focuses on English lan-
guage acquisition among urban poor children. She is VIWA 2019 Outstand-
ing Woman in Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Melbourne 2020
Alumni Award winner and is listed in Britishpedia’s Malaysia’s Most Successful
in 2022.
Abu Yazid Abu Bakar, Ph.D., is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Educa-
tion, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). He holds a bachelor’s degree
in psychology from the University of Michigan, USA, a master’s and doctoral
degrees in counseling from UKM, and a postgraduate certificate in gifted edu-
cation from the University of New South Wales, Australia.
Vishalache Balakrishnan, Ph.D., is Director of the Center for International
and Comparative Education Research at the University of Malaya. She is also
the coordinator of SULAM @ Service Learning Malaysia at the University
of Malaya. She went to Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand,
for Doctoral Studies in Moral Education (2009) and to Waikato University,
New Zealand (2016), to complete postgraduate studies in critical educational
xvi Contributors
psychology and inclusive education. She is also actively involved in the inter-
national arena in the development of global Moral Education.
Kenny S.L. Cheah, Ph.D., is Senior Lecturer based in the Faculty of Education,
University of Malaya. He teaches, writes, and publishes in the subjects of Edu-
cational Leadership & Management, School Transformations, Edu-preneur-
ship, Environmental Education Leadership, Organizational Sustainability, and
Future Education Systems. Apart from academia, he is also a Senior Certified
Trainer with ATLAS.ti (CAQDAS Software), a Certified Google Educator,
and a Digital Entrepreneurship Educator in partnership with Malaysia Digital
Economy Corporation.
Muhammad Faizal A. Ghani, Ph.D., is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Edu-
cation, Universiti Malaya. His expertise is in Educational Leadership focusing
on Educational Management and Administration, and School Finance. He has
published some academic materials such as publishing 9 academic books and
200 articles. His latest academic book is titled “Professional Learning Com-
munities: Theories and Practices.” In terms of delivering an academic speech,
he has been selected to be keynote speakers and invited speakers for some
international and national conferences, seminars, and workshops.
Kazi Enamul Hoque, Ph.D., is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education,
University of Malaya. He has garnered 24 years of teaching experience at vari-
ous higher educational institutes in Bangladesh and Malaysia. Since 2009, he
has been serving in the Department of Educational Management, Planning
and Policy of Faculty of Education at the University of Malaya (UM). He is
the author of six books published by renowned publishers. He has published
65 full-length research articles in high impact peer-reviewed journals. The ver-
satile areas of his work include the primary, secondary, and higher education
management, administration, leadership, and policy.
Faridzah Jamaluddin, Ph.D., is a researcher at the Center for Governance
Resilience and Accountability, Faculty of Economics and Management, Uni-
versiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. She has nearly 11 years of research experience
in a variety of areas such as statistics, supply chain, education, entrepreneur-
ship, the elderly, sustainability, agriculture, and accounting. She received her
Ph.D. in Statistics from Universiti Utara Malaysia, where she specialized in
Robust Statistics and Multivariate Control Charts. Her research focuses on the
robustness of statistical procedures such as statistical groups’ comparison and
multivariate control charts.
Hazri Jamil, Ph.D., is a professor specializing in the areas of Educational Pol-
icy and Curriculum Study. His research contributions include publications
of books and articles in national international journals as well as at interna-
tional conferences. Educational policy studies and curriculum and pedagogy
are his areas of research interest, publication, teaching, and supervision. He
was the Deputy Dean for Post Graduate Studies and Research in School of
 Contributors xvii
Educational Studies, Coordinator for Global Higher Education Network, and
Director at National Higher Education Research Institute, Universiti Sains
Malaysia. Currently, he is Professor in Education at School of Educational
Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Mageswary Karpudewan, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the School of Edu-
cational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia. In 2010, she received her Ph.D. in
chemistry education from Universiti Sains Malaysia. She has a vast experience
in integrating green chemistry into education. Her research primarily focuses
on using mixed method approach in the teaching and learning and practical
understanding of science and STEM across primary, secondary, and tertiary
levels. She has published extensively in renowned journals in Science Educa-
tion and listed as an Editorial Board Member and Associate Editor for a num-
ber of Science Education journals.
Amrita Kaur, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Psychology at College of Liberal
Arts, Wenzhou-Kean University, China, where she is the Program Coordina-
tor for Psychology program. Her primary area of research concerns teaching,
learning, and assessment in higher education, students as partners, learning
motivation and engagement, and cross-cultural studies for learning. In her
22-year teaching career, she has taught in India, Thailand, Malaysia, and
China. She was also the recipient of the ISSOTL 2020 fellowship.
Husaina Banu Kenayathulla, Ph.D., is Associate Professor and Deputy Dean
of Research and Development at the Faculty of Education, Universiti Malaya.
She obtained her Ph.D. in Economics and Finance in Education from Indiana
University, Bloomington, USA. Her research interests include economics of
education, educational finance, policy analysis, and comparative and interna-
tional education. In addition, she has been invited as speaker for panel sessions
at various international conferences. She had been invited as a panel expert
by UNESCO for developing subject-specific quality standards in Asia Pacific
region. Additionally, she is also involved as Consultant for Ministry of Human
Resource on Employability for TVET Graduates.
Mohammad Noman, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership
at the Graduate College at Wenzhou-Kean University, China, where he is the
Program Coordinator for Doctor of Education (EDD). His research interests
are in educational leadership and cognitive sciences, focusing on both schools
and higher education. He has published extensively in top journals in the
field, and he serves on the editorials board of three journals. He is also a panel
member of prestigious institutions including BELMAS, AERA, and BERA for
awarding grants and reviewing abstracts for annual conferences.
Intan Marfarrina Omar, Ph.D., is a senior lecturer in the Department of Man-
agement, Planning and Educational Policy, Faculty of Education, University
of Malaya. In academic activities, she is actively involved in research stud-
ies and journal writing related to the field of Industrial and Organizational
xviiiÿþ Contributors
Psychology, especially with regard to Organizational Behavior, Leadership
Psychology, and Organizational Leadership.
Norfariza Mohd Radzi, Ph.D., is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Edu-
cational Management, Planning and Policy, Faculty of Education, University
of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. She holds Ph.D. in Educational Management from
University of Malaya. Her works are published in various international and
local journals including two books titled Educational Management in Malaysia
and School Effectiveness: Theories and Practices (Malay edition). Her research
interest includes Educational Management and Administration, Education
Finance and Entrepreneurship, Islamic and Tahfiz Education, and Interna-
tional Comparative Education.
Suzieleez Syrene Abdul Rahim, Ph.D., is Senior Lecturer at the Department of
Mathematics and Science Education, Faculty of Education, Universiti Malaya.
She holds a Bachelor of Science with Education (Hons) and master’s in Edu-
cation, both from Universiti Malaya. She received her Ph.D. (Mathematics
Education) from the University of Western Australia. She has 27 years of
teaching experience in the field of mathematics education. Her previous teach-
ing experiences include teaching secondary school mathematics and A-Level
mathematics. Her research interests are in the area of mathematics teaching
and learning, assessment, beliefs, and teacher professional development.
Mohd Nazri Abdul Rahman, Ph.D., is Deputy Dean (Student Affairs), Faculty
of Education, University of Malaya. He holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum Design
and Development from the University of Malaya. He actively researches and
publishes in the areas of early childhood education, homeschooling, Indig-
enous people, and teaching and learning innovation. He is especially known
for his homeschooling model for Orang Asli children, which has reframed
current ways of teaching Orang Asli children by tapping into the advantages of
alternative education in Malaysia. His works have been published in Malaysian
and International journals.
Zetty Nurzuliana Rashed, Ph.D., has served for 15 years as Senior Lecturer in
the Department of Humanities Foundation and Methodology, International
Islamic University College Selangor. She has a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
in Islamic Education from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). She is a
member of several editorial boards of local journals as well as being actively
involved as reference experts of Islamic studies. In addition, she became a cur-
riculum evaluator expert at several public universities. Her area of expertise is
in Islamic Education, Pedagogy, Integration Education, Tahfiz Science Cur-
riculum, and Qualitative Studies.
Ahmad Zabidi Abdul Razak, Ph.D., is Associate Professor at the Faculty of
Education, Universiti Malaya. He is currently the Director of Corporate
Performance Office and the Deputy Dean Research Cluster. He received
his bachelor’s and master’s degree from Universiti Malaya and Ph.D. degree
 Contributorsÿþ xix
from Massey University, New Zealand. His area of specialization is in human
resource management in education and educational management and leader-
ship. He has headed several research and authored several books, articles, and
research reports in the area of human resource management in education;
educational management and leadership; and education in general.
King Lok Tan is currently a Ph.D. student and graduate research assistant at
Universiti Malaya. Other than working on collaboration and projects between
the university and organizations such as UNICEF and Teach for Malaysia, he
also had experienced as a moderator in webinar sessions. He is active in writing,
researching, and presenting at conferences. He has won the Poster Presenta-
tion Winner (1st Runner-Up) in International Special Education Exhibition.
He also received an invitation from a university in the USA as a presenter and
recently published a Social Sciences Citation Index journal article.
Wendy Yee Mei Tien, Ph.D., is currently the Director of the Center for Intern-
ship and Academic Enrichment at University Malaya. She is an Associate Pro-
fessor in her department and specializes in the field of Youth Development,
Inter-Ethnic Relations, Global Citizenship Education, and Peace Education.
She has close to 20 years of teaching and research experience with the institu-
tions of higher education. She is also actively involved as consultant and think
tank with various governmental institutions and ministries to develop policies
including the national youth index. She has published in journals and books,
and also presented papers at both local and international conferences.
Zuliana Mohd Zabidi, Ph.D., was a college lecturer and advocate for pro-
fessional learning community (PLC). She is now a MARA (Majlis Amanah
Rakyat) officer who oversees the quality of education in MARA learning insti-
tutions. She writes articles on PLC and teachers’ collective efficacy. She also
uses Many-Facet Rasch Model in her qualitative research and published her
article in WoS journal.
Zulkarnin Zakaria is a lecturer at Kolej GENIUS Insan, Universiti Sains Islam
Malaysia (USIM). He holds a bachelor’s degree in TESL from UKM and a
master’s degree in TESL from Universiti Teknologi MARA and is currently
pursuing his doctoral degree in education at USIM.
Index
1 BestariNet project 167
1Malaysia concept 144, 145–146
academic achievement: male pupils
26–29; Orang Asli students 39–40,
41, 42; performance criteria 241
Adopt-a-School Programme 234,
240–242
Advisory Board for the Coordination
of Islamic Education and Learning
(LEPAI) 121, 123, 124
Al-Quran Class and Fardhu Ain
Integration (KAFAI) 9
al-Quran education 124–125, 128, 151
al-Sunnah education 120, 127–128
Aminuddin Baki Institute (IAB) 210, 213
Arabic language 120
arts schools 10
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) 13
asymmetric digital subscriber line
(ADSL) 237
Bahasa Malaysia 2, 5, 8, 10, 139,
219, 223
Barnes Report 221
Beyond Borders School Adoption
Programme 242
British Curriculum 8
Cabinet Report of 1979 153
Cambridge English 81
catechism 152, 153
child development assessment
methods 107
Chinese instruction 3, 8, 139, 152, 219,
221–222, 225–226
Christian missionary schools 152, 153
Cikgootube 85
CIMB Cares 242
classroom dynamics 200–201
class size 6, 7
cluster schools of excellence 234,
239–240
coaching platforms 198, 239
Collaborative Online International
Learning (COIL) 78, 95–97
Common European Framework
Reference (CEFR) 80, 82, 83, 84,
88–89, 93
communal schools 221
Community Inquiry model 87
Computer-Mediated Communication
(CMC) 87–88
Conversational Framework 87
corporate social responsibility (CSR)
programmes 241–242
course learning outcome (CLO) 190
COVID-19 13, 42–43, 57, 78, 84, 101,
108, 112, 168, 171, 173, 174, 189,
191, 198, 201, 228
Creative Minds’ Volunteer Society 71
critical thinking skills 141
Curriculum Development Centre 153
Department of Orang Asli Development
(JAKOA) 43, 190
Department of Skills Development
(DSD) 186, 187
DidikTV 14, 174–175
Digital Educational Learning Initiative
Malaysia (DELIMa) 85, 171, 237
Digital Maker Hubs 237
Dini curriculum 119–120,
121–124, 131
distance learning 170
District School Improvement Partner
(SiPartner+) 214

District Transformation Programme
(DTP) 234, 238–239
Dokumen Standard Kurikulum dan
Pentafsiran (DSKP) 65, 69–70, 71,
73, 74, 157, 159, 161
dropout rates 37, 39, 42, 43
early childhood care and education
(ECCE) 7–8
Early Point Projects (EPP) 185–186
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
Curriculum 8
Economic Development Programme
34, 36
Economic Transformation Program
185–186
Education Act 1961 3, 185, 220
Education Act 1996 (Act 550) 51,
52, 234
education crisis 79
Education Development Plan for
Malaysia 239
Education Ordinance of 1957 152
Education Performance and Delivery
Unit (PADU) 234
education system: aspirations of
135–136; brief history 3–4, 151–152;
education as common good 14;
finance 15, 21, 104, 235, 236, 237;
fostering unity through 135–137;
gender equity 19–30; gifted and
talented education 49–58; governance
2–3; infrastructures for schools
235–238; National Education System
103; national unity 135–137,
141–146; Orang Asli communities
36–44; in post-COVID era 13–15;
preschool education 5, 6, 7–8, 9,
101–112; primary education 4–9, 10,
81–82, 83, 198; reform 1–2; schooling
levels 4–11, 4; schooling options 5–6,
6, 144, 151–152; secondary education
4–7, 9–11, 11, 82, 198; Student
Integration Plan for Unity 142–143;
teacher education 195–202; technical
and vocational education and training
183–192; tertiary education 4
EduWebTV 85
Eleventh Malaysia Plan (11MP) 11, 183
EmpowerNCER-Academic programs 43
engineering design 65, 70, 73
English language education: challenges
85–86; COIL 78, 95–97; as
Indexÿþ 249
compulsory subject 5; development of
221–222; Dual Language Programme
(DLP) 84; English Language
Education Reform Roadmap 78,
81–86; English Language
Standards and Quality Council 81;
FasiLINUS 89; ICT solutions 80,
82; initiatives 155, 242; modules 81;
multilingualism 78, 95, 97; Native
speaker programme 89; online ESL
education 90–94; online learning
models 87–88; online teaching
84, 85; practices 87–88; primary
education 81–82, 83; ProELT
programme 89; proficiency 2, 156;
PT3 examination 84; secondary
education 82; Standard Based
Curriculum for Secondary Schools
(KSSM) 82; teacher education
88–90; theories 86–87; vernacular
schools 223
English medium schools 152
enrolment rates 6, 7, 21–26, 29, 238
equity: in education 19–20, 36–37;
gender equity 19–30; ICT solutions
174–175
ethics 152, 153
ethnic groups 34–44, 135, 137–140,
142, 143, 144, 146, 151–152, 162,
163, 219, 221–222, 224–226, 227
ethnic nationalism 226
ethnic populations 137–140
Express Class System 52
external locus of control 41
fairness 36
family 140
female pupils: enrolment rates 6, 7,
21–26, 29; gender equity 19–30;
stereotypical roles 29; vocational
education 25–26
finance 15, 21, 104, 235, 236, 237
formal education 104
Framework for STEM Integration in the
Classroom 64–65, 69
Frog VLE 167, 169, 171, 173
Garis Panduan Pengoperasian
Program Pendidikan Pintar
Cerdas (Operational Guidelines of
Educational Programme for the
Gifted and Talented) 57
gender 28
250ÿþ Index
gender equity: female enrolment rates
21–26; lost boys 20–21, 23–26, 29;
strategies for 27–29; United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals 19;
universities 20–21
gender parity 20, 22
gender stereotypes 27–30
GENIUS@Pintar Annual Camp
programme 55
GENIUS programmes 54–55
gifted and talented education:
acceleration approach education
programme 52; current development
51–56, 53; definition of students 49;
early development 50–51; initiatives
52–56; OECD policies 50; policy
development 54–55, 57; programmes
52–58; reform 56–57; strategic
development plan 54
Google meet 85
Government-Aided Religious School
(GARS) 120, 121, 127
Government-Industry TVET
Coordination Body (GITC) 189
government schools 5, 7, 8, 142, 144
Harvard Global Education Innovation
Initiative 90
Higher Education Policy Institute 22
higher-order thinking skills (HOTS)
110, 155, 162–163
Higher School Certificate 11
high-performance schools 211–212
holistic development 141
human capital 101, 104, 183, 184
HundrED 90
inclusion 36
inclusive education 202
inclusive education programme (IEP) 5
Indian students 225
informal education 104
information and communications
technology (ICT): development of
166–170; distance learning 170;
English language education 80; Frog
VLE 167, 169, 171, 173; government
expenditure 169; infrastructures
237; innovations for underprivileged
groups 156; integrated practices
109–110, 155, 165–166, 200–202,
237–238; internet access 43, 167,
168, 169, 175, 200, 237; Learning
Management Systems 168–169;
literacy 42, 170–174; literate teachers
170–174; online teaching 84, 85,
106, 110–111; Orang Asli students
40–43; pedagogy 172; preschool
education 102; self-paced learning
170; solutions for equity/access
174–175; use of TPACK model
172–173, 175
inquiry-based learning 111
in-service education programmes 198
Institute of Teacher Education (ITE)
196, 197
Institut Latihan Perindustrian and
Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara 187
Integrated Secondary School
Curriculum (KBSM) 123
internal locus control 41
International Baccalaureate (IB) 8, 11
International Commission on the
Futures of Education 13
international curriculums 8
International General Certificate of
Secondary Education 11
international schools 6–7, 10
internet access 43, 167, 168, 169, 175,
200, 237
Islamic education: aims/objectives 157;
aspirations of 159–160; assessment
126–127; challenges 157–158;
curriculum 119–126, 135, 136, 158,
159–160; development of 152–153;
Dini curriculum 119–120, 121–124,
131; elements of unity in 161–162;
higher-order thinking skills 162–163;
Islamic appreciation 159; Islamic
cultivation 159–160; Islamic knowledge
159; Islamic practices 159; issues 154;
Majlis Amanah Mara (MARA) 124;
mandatory subjects 119–120; Model
Ulul Albab, 124; pedagogy 128–129;
philosophy of education 154; policies
158; preschool education 5, 107;
primary education 5; role of teachers
130–131; Standard Document for
Curriculum and Assessment 120;
Tahfiz curriculum 119–120, 131;
transformation 127–130, 154–156; as
value-driven education 129–130; value-
laden focus 157, 159–160, 163
Islamic Education Philosophy 122,
127–128
Islamic Sharia education 120

Junior Science College 226
Junior Vocational Education 10
Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family)
145–146
Key Performance Indicator 199–200
Kolej GENIUS Insan (KGI) 55, 56, 57
Kolej PERMATApintar™ 58
KOMPAS 2.0 210–211, 211, 213
Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Rendah
(KBSR) 38, 227
Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah 8
labour force participation 25–26
leadership: characteristics of high-
performing school principals
208–209; competency model
210–211, 211; continuous
professionalism development
programme 214; development
strategies for high-performing school
leaders 213–215; effectiveness of
207–208; high-performance schools
211–212; high-performing school
leaders 208, 209–210; KOMPAS
2.0 210–211, 211, 213; new career
package for principals/ headmasters
215; NPQEL programme 213–214;
preschool education 107, 109; risk
analysis competence 208; SiPartner+
214; studies 208; succession planning
process 214–215
Learning Management Systems (LMS)
168–169
Lemon Committee 184
Lions 360 91–92
literacy rate 5, 5, 20
lost boys 20–21, 23–26, 29
Lower Secondary Assessment (PMR)
10, 21
Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) 190
Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA)
Institutions and Community Colleges
Skills training 187
Malaysia Airports 242
Malaysia Digital Economy
Corporation 237
Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB):
current achievement of aspirations
12, 15, 229–230; English language
education 79–82, 84, 93; as
framework for reform 229–230; gifted
Indexÿþ 251
and talented education 54, 57; ICT
transformation 167; Islamic education
119, 122, 128, 136; lost boys 22;
moral education 135–137; national
unity 145; new career package
for principals/ headmasters 215;
outcomes 2, 123; PISA rankings 1–2,
15; preschool education 104–105;
role of PADU 234; STEM education
65, 67, 69, 73; teacher quality 196;
transformation phases 38, 65, 69, 78,
81–84, 89–90, 108, 120, 121,
154–156, 183, 196; TVET 185–186
Malaysian Certificate of Education
(SPM) 10, 21, 56, 84, 186, 191, 238
Malaysian Education Development
(PPPM) 122
Malaysian Gender Gap Index 22
Malaysian Higher Education Certificate
(STPM) 11, 120
Malaysian Independent Chinese
Secondary Schools (MICSS) 10–11
Malaysian Qualification Framework 187,
188, 190
Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA)
8, 186, 187
Malaysian Religious High Certificate
126–127
Malaysian School Leaders’ Competency
Standard (Standard Kompetensi
Kepengetuaan Sekolah Malaysia –
SKKSM) 210
Malaysian Skills Certificate 10, 186
Malaysian Technical University Network
(MTUN) 188, 191
Malaysia Religious Higher Certificate
(STAM) 120, 127
male pupils: enrolment rates 6, 7,
21–26, 29; gender equity 19–30;
gender-specific roles 27; gender-
stereotypical peer group pressure
28; lost boys 20–21, 23–26, 29;
masculine stereotypes 28–29; out-
of-school phenomenon 26–27;
underachievement 26–29; vocational
education 25–26
Mandarin instruction 11
Marland Report 49
masculine stereotypes 28–29
mastery learning strategy (MLS) 41
MENSA Malaysia 52
mentoring platforms 198
Microsoft Teams 85
252ÿþ Index
Middle Years Programme 11
missionary schools 152, 153
MIT-BLOSSOMS project 68
Montessori Curriculum 8
moral education: aims/objectives 156;
aspirations of 160–161; Central
Curriculum Committee 153–154;
challenges 157–158; curriculum 102,
135, 136, 158, 160–161; development
of 153–154; elements of unity in
161–162; focus of 160; higher-
order thinking skills 162–163; issues
154; moral behaviour 161; moral
emotions 160–161; moral reasoning
160; philosophy of education 154;
policies 158; preschool education
102, 107; secondary education 155;
transformation 154–156; value-laden
focus 157, 163
Movement Control Order (MCO) 83,
105, 111, 171, 175
multicultural education 224
multilingualism 78, 95, 97
multimedia 111
Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC
Malaysia) 166
National Association for Gifted Children
of Malaysia (NAGCM) 52
National Association for the Education
of Young Children (NAEYC) 103
National Critical Economic Areas
(NKEAs) 186
national day 227
national education 224
National Education Philosophy (NEP)
4, 15, 122, 135–136, 158, 221,
229–230, 231
National Education System 103
national identity 123, 223–224,
227–228
National Key Result Areas (NKRAs) 243
national language 2, 5, 8, 10, 139, 155,
156, 219, 221–224, 228
National Preschool Standard
Curriculum (NPSC) 8
National Principles (Rukun Negara)
143, 229
National Professional Qualification for
Educational Leadership (NPQEL)
programme 213–214
National Religious Secondary School
(SMKA) 120
national school system 3, 8, 144, 211,
221, 225–226
National STEM Centre 67, 71
national-type schools 144
national-type school system 3, 8, 9
national unity: challenges 144; ethnic
groups 137–140; fostering through
education system 135–137; fostering
unity through 141–142; role of family
140–142; strategies for 145–146;
Student Integration Plan for Unity,
142–143
National Unity Blueprint 143, 145
niche schools 5
non-Government-funded schools 5
Northern Corridor Economic Region
(NCER) 43
Northern Corridor Implemented
Authority (NCIA) 43
numeracy skills 13
online ESL education: e-Forum 93–94;
movie review 92–93; play learning
90–91; podcast 93; virtual trips
91–92
online teaching 84, 85, 106, 110–111
open-source technologies 14
Orang Asli: academic achievement
39–40, 41, 42; academic performance
programs 43; Comprehensive Special
Model School (K9) 38; curriculum
enhancements 38–39; demographics
34–36; dropout rates of students
37, 39, 42, 43; education system for
students 36–44; ethnic groups 34,
35; groups 34; improving educational
quality 40–43; infrastructural
development 35–36; Jabatan Hal
Ehwal Orang Asli (JHEOA) 37;
Kurikulum Asli dan Penan (KAP).
38–39; Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah
Rendah (KBSR) 38; language barriers
40; mastery learning strategy 41;
Orang Asli Transformation Plan
38; population 34, 35; Risale-I
Nur program. 42; traditional
learning approach 41; use of ICT
40–43
Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development
(OECD) 1, 21, 22, 36, 50
outcome-based education (OBE) 190
out-of-school phenomenon 26–27

parental involvement 112
PdPc methods 105, 106, 110, 111
PdP methods 105
pedagogy 110–111, 128–129, 163, 172
Penilaian Tahap Satu (PTS) 52
People’s Religious School 121, 127
PERMATA Division 53–54
PERMATA Insan programmes 53
PERMATApintar™ 53
PINTAR Foundation 242
‘place and train’ educational concept 190
play learning 90–91, 110–111
portfolios 106
preschool education: child development
assessment methods 107; curriculum/
pathways 7–8; enrolment rates 6; for
human capital development 101–
112; integrated practices 109–110;
National Preschool Curriculum
Standard (NPCS) 102–103; National
Preschool Quality Standards (NPQS)
103; online teaching 110–111;
parental involvement 112; pedagogy
110–111; play learning 110–111;
portfolios 106; Programme Standards
8; quality education 101, 103–104,
109–112; school leadership 107, 109;
STEM education 65; teacher issues
104–107; types 5, 9
pre-service teacher education 197, 201
primary education: characteristics 4–7;
curriculum/pathways 8–9; English
language education 81–82, 83;
enrolment rates 6, 238; multilingual
219; Orang Asli 39; religious
education 226; STEM education
65, 68, 72; teacher preparation
programmes 198; types 5, 8–9, 10;
use of Chinese mother tongue 139;
use of Indian mother tongue 139;
vernacular schools 225; vocational
education 184
Primary School Achievement Test
(UPSR) 9, 21, 83, 227, 238, 242
Primary School Standard Curriculum
(KSSR) 119, 120
Primary Years Programme (PYP), 8
private kindergartens 5, 8
private schools: enrolment rates 7;
secondary schools 10–11; transition
rate 6–7; types 5, 7
professional learning community
(PLC) 202
Indexÿþ 253
Programme for International Student
Assessment (PISA) 1, 15
project-based learning 64, 111, 163
project-based teaching selection and
inquiry 111
PT3 examination 84
public preschools 5, 8
public primary education 5
public–private partnership (PPP) 243
Pusat GENIUS@Pintar Negara (PGPN)
55, 57
Pusat PERMATA Insan 55
Pusat PERMATApintar™ Negara 55
quality education 101, 103–104,
109–112, 196
Quran and Fardhu Ain Classes (KAFA) 9
Rahman Talib Report 1960 220, 222
Razak Report 1956 220, 222
reading skills 13
religious education: kindergartens 8;
mandatory subjects 119–120; national
curriculum 120; preschool education
8; primary education 9, 226;
secondary education 10, 226;
see also Islamic education
religious kindergarten schools 5
Report of the Education Committee 152
residential schools 211
residential secondary schools 226
right to education. 14
“Rimbagogi” pedagogy 42
Risale-I Nur program. 42
risk analysis competence 208
Roadmap for English Language
Education 78
Rubber Industry Smallholders
Development Authority 190
scaffolding 87
school-based Assessment (PT3) 10
School Improvement Specialist Coaches
(SISC) 239
School Improvement Specialist Coach
(SISC+) programme 198
school infrastructures 235–238
Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM): APEC STEM-
PLUS programme 71; Bitara-STEM
67, 70, 72; conceptualisation 63–64;
conceptual underpinnings 66–67,
67, 68; curricula 65; Dokumen
254ÿþ Index
Standard Kurikulum dan Pentafsiran
(DSKP) 65, 69–70, 71, 72, 73,
74; engineering design 65, 70, 73;
Framework for STEM Integration
in the Classroom 64–65, 69; gaps
between theory/practice 69–72;
Guidebook for Implementing STEM in
Teaching and Learning 65, 66–67,
69, 73; impact on education system 2;
implementation 62–63; ineffectiveness
of teachers 73; initiatives 67–69;
integrated practices 64–65, 67–69,
70, 72–73; MIT-BLOSSOMS project
68; National STEM Centre 67, 71;
planning 65–69; policy development
72; practices 66, 66; STEMCamp 68;
STEM Content Provider/Friends of
STEM 68; STEM For All programme
71; STEM teaching module 68
scientific literacy 15
Sdn Bhd (Tesco Malaysia) 242
secondary education: characteristics 4–7;
class size 6; curriculum/pathways
9–11; English language education 82,
83–84; enrolment rates 6, 238; lost
boys 25–26; moral education 155;
Orang Asli 39; religious education
226; Standard Based Curriculum for
Secondary Schools (KSSM) 82, 119,
120; STEM education 65, 72; teacher
preparation programmes 198; types 6,
10–11, 11
secular education 221
Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) 8
Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil 8
Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK); 8
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan 10
Sekolah Menengah Sains Pendang 57
self-paced learning 170
service learning 159, 163
sex 28
Sijil Peperiksaan Malaysia (SPM) 186
Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia
(Malaysian Higher Education
Certificate) 126
single-stream schools 144
SK Paya Mengkuang 242
Smart School Qualification Standard 167
Smart Schools 166–167
social development 141
Social Development Programme 34–35
social harmony 130
social media 85
social spaces 14
sociocultural theory of learning 86–87
special education: definition 52;
inclusive education programme 5–6;
preschools 5, 8; pupils 5–6; secondary
schools 6, 10; special education
integrated programme 5–6; types of
schools 5–6
sports schools 10
Standard Based Curriculum for
Secondary Schools (KSSM) 119, 120
State Religious Schools 121, 127
state-sponsored schools 226
Steiner Curriculum 8
Structured Placement Programme
34, 36
Student Integration Plan for Unity
[Rancangan Integrasi Murid Untuk
Perpaduan] (RIMUP) 142–143
students: participation 14; rights 14
subject specialists 239
SULAM@Service Learning 163
Swiss Curriculum 8
Tahfiz curriculum 119–120, 124–126,
131
Tamil instruction 3, 8, 139, 151, 219
teachers: classroom dynamics 200–201;
coaching/mentoring platforms 198;
continuous professional development
198; English language education
88–90; entry standards 155;
gender equity issues 29–30; ICT
literacy 170–174, 200–202; ICT
preferences 169–170; ICT training
167–168; inclusive education 202;
ineffectiveness of 42–43; integrated
practices 109–110; KPI model
for exceptional teacher practices
199–200; language barriers 40; moral
education 158; PLC development
platform 202; preschool education
104–107; pre-service teacher
education 197, 201; research on
teacher education 198–200; role in
Islamic education 130–131, 158;
in-service education programmes 198,
201; SISC+ programme 198; STEM
education 73; STEM enrichment
programmes 67–69; STEM practices
66, 66; STEM teaching module 68;
teacher education 195–202; teacher
performance assessment 199; teacher

quality 196, 197, 238–239; teaching
as profession of choice 196; training
institutes 155; use of TPACK model
172–173, 175; value of 14
Teacher Training Institutes 168, 171
Teaching and Learning at Home
(PdPR) 108
technical and vocational education
and training (TVET): accreditation
of dual agencies 188; brief history
184–186; challenges 189–190, 192;
educational pathways 186–188, 192;
GITC membership 189; importance
of 188–189; improvement strategies
190–192; initiatives 192; lack
of accreditation 190; negative
perception 191; organisers 187,
187; programme 25–26; providers
187, 187; requirements 185–186;
transformation 183–184; types of
schools 186
Technical and Vocational Education
Division 185
Technical Management Department 185
Technological Pedagogical Content
Knowledge (TPACK) 172–173, 175
technology 14
Telekom Malaysia 242
tertiary education 4, 22–23, 65, 191
Tesco Stores (Malaysia) 242
Thirteenth Malaysia Plan (13MP) 11
Trades School 184
traditional learning approach (TLA) 41
‘train and place’ educational concept
190
Trends in Mathematics and Science
Study (TIMSS) 15, 27
Trust Schools Programme (TSP) 234,
243–244
Twelfth Malaysia Plan (12MP) 11, 183
UKM1 test 56
UKM2 test 56
underachievement 26–29, 39–40
Unified Examination Certificate 11
United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) 13, 21, 27, 79, 135,
191, 234
United Nations Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) 19
United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 4
View publication stats
Indexÿþ 255
11, 12, 19; Goal 5 19; goals 13, 27,
231; support 11; targets 20, 21
United Nations Sustainable
Development Summit 11
universities 22–23
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
54, 55, 56, 57
Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) 191
Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP)
191
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
(UPSI) 43
Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM)
54, 55, 57
Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka
(UTEM) 191
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia
(UTHM) 191
upper-tier Qualifications 10
vernacular schools: abolishment 220;
brief history 151–152; contentious
debates 220–228; development of
219, 221–222; Islamic education
153; lack of national identity among
students 227–228; lack of patriotism
among students 227; national day
celebrations 227–228; national
identity 223–224; national language
221–224; national unity 144;
polarisation of 224–226; primary
education 8, 142; quality education
225–226; statutory protection
219–220; types 151
very small aperture terminal (VSAT)
technology 237
virtual trips 91–92
Vision School (Sekolah Wawasan) 143
visual teaching 111
vocational education 10, 25–26, 184–185
Winsted Committee on Industrial and
Technical Education 184
Women’s Empowerment in Selected
Domains 22
World Bank 1, 21
Yayasan Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin 242
Year One Assessment 52
Zone of Proximal Development
(ZPD) 87
ZOOM learning 112