Current Performance

1. Current Performance

Table B.1 brings together the overall results published in 2013

of the Cambridge Baseline (i.e. the pooled results for Listening, Table B.1 the overall distribution

Reading, Writing and Speaking) expressed as percentages and taken from tables on pages 17 to 29 of the Results Report.

of CEFR levels

English Language Education Reform in Malaysia The Roadmap 2015-2025

At the present time 29% before rising again to 32%. This pattern reflects the increasing range from high performers to underperformers remarked upon in

• 78% of preschool children are working towards A1, the the Cambridge Baseline. The increase for Form 6 is to be explained

remaining 22% having achieved A1 or A2;

by the fact that many underperformers will have left the education system at this stage.

• By Year 6, the largest group (34%) is in A1, and a majority

(66%) is in A1 or below;

Judging by the figures in Table B.1 and taking into account our current level of national performance, A1, A2 and B1 would appear

• By Form 3, the largest group (29%) is in A2, and a majority

(57%) is in A1 or A2;

to be appropriate teaching targets for respectively Year 6, Form 5 and Form 6. Future performance targets can take the form either

• By Form 5, the largest group (29%) is in A2, while 26% of increasing the percentage of students achieving the target level,

have advanced to B1, and 27% still remain in A1;

or of raising the target itself.

• By Form 6, the largest group (32%) is in B1, while 27%

remain in A2, and 14% in A1 or below.

1.2 High Performance and Underperformance

While large numbers of students are in the middle of the range

(see Table B.1), others score below or above it. The majority of In order to describe the present situation in more detail, we

1.1 The middle of the range

students are not more than one level above the middle range at have to consider the whole distribution, starting with the middle of

preschool level, and not more than one level above or one level the range, or the grade that typical students can expect to achieve.

below the middle range at all other levels. This includes 94% of The middle of the range corresponds to below A1 for preschool,

students at preschool level, 88% at year six, and 74% at Form 3. A1 for Year 6, A2 for Form 3 and Form 5, and B1 for Form 6.

For Form 5 we have to guess the number remaining below A1, but if we make the generous assumption that the 12% at Form 3

Note that the middle of the range is also the biggest group, i.e. has halved, the majority group includes 66% of students. The the largest percentage in each column. The general tendency is for

corresponding figure at Form 6 is 60%. What these figures show the size of the biggest group to decrease, from 78% to 34%, 29%,

is that the distribution flattens out over the years. Whether this is that the distribution flattens out over the years. Whether this

remaining number of underperformers nevertheless represents a waste of potential from a national point of view, and no doubt a

High performing students are those who score two or more loss of career opportunities for many of the students themselves. levels above the middle, and underperformers score two or more Although general teaching levels will be set to suit the majority of levels below the middle. The igures for high performance are 6% students, attention has also to be paid to the needs of those students at preschool level, 13% at year 6, 14% at Form 3, 19% at Form 5, whose performance falls below the median level. This will have and 6% at Form 6 (where the middle itself rises to B1). These consequences for classroom teaching, for example in practising figures raise the question whether high performers are sufficiently differentiated teaching, as proposed by the Cambridge Baseline. stretched, or whether appropriate intervention could further raise

the number or level of performance of high performers. The only The figure of 78% of preschool children below A1 (see Table reliable figures for underperformance are 12% at Form 3, and 14%

B.1) includes a wide range from those just missing A1 to those who at Form 6.

have learnt almost nothing at all. The same is true of the 32% who are still below A1 in Year 6. The Cambridge Baseline figures

The 12% and 14% belong to the set of the more worrying indicate that some at least of those who do not reach A1 in primary figures to emerge from the Cambridge Baseline concerning the school nevertheless make progress in secondary school, and reach number of students who make very little progress if any in the

A1 in Form 3 and A2 in Form 5.

study of English: However, the figures also indicate that a substantial number

• Preschool: 78% below A1 of students have still made at best very little progress by Form 5. Leaving aside students who have difficulties in language learning on

• Year 6: 32% below A1 account of some disability or disorder, the target size and date for

• Form 3: 12% below A1 this non-performing group should be zero by 2020, and the setting of this target needs to be accompanied by a remedial programme

• Form 5: 27% in A1 or below

designed to get the students started in learning English.

• Form 6: 14% in A1 or below

English Language Education Reform in Malaysia The Roadmap 2015-2025

Students who get started in this way will join the students with training to become autonomous language learners, underperformers two or more levels below the median level. An

and so enable them to realise their full potential. indication of the size of this group is given by the 12% at Form 3, and the 14% at Form 6. This group should also be reduced to zero,