The Way Forward

7.3 The Way Forward

The failure to assess performance accurately in the higher bands (5 and 6) could cause problems for institutions that attach a great deal of signiicance to the MUET. This highlights the need for reliability

This section is concerned with conditions for the reform of and validity in tests used in English education, especially those used for

post-secondary English education, together with details of actions entrance requirements to tertiary education.

and outcomes at each phase of the implementation plan.

A related issue is the absence of ongoing formative assessment The following are the conditions for the reform of English for post-secondary students. The MUET is a summative criterion-

language education at the post-secondary level.

referenced proficiency test with no emphasis on coursework (1) Curriculum: the design and development of an internationally-

or formative assessment. Coursework requirements such as aligned teaching and learning curriculum for post-secondary

portfolios, analysis of readings and classroom presentations serve English education, and its effective implementation and delivery.

as a means to help students identify their strengths and limitations, and provide a guide to develop skills needing improvement.

(2) Teaching and Learning: the implementation of CEFR-informed pedagogy; the availability of CEFR-trained English language

Finally, the role of the teacher in formative and summative teachers in every post-secondary classroom; and the availability

assessment has to be addressed. The baseline study found that of internationally-aligned teaching and learning materials and

while teachers understand the role of assessment, they often face resources for every post-secondary English teacher and learner.

challenges in terms of time, resources and confidence in their own assessment practices.

(3) Assessment: the availability of internationally benchmarked English language tests for assessing the proficiency of

The study also found that teachers expressed their lack of knowledge of assessment with regard to the validity, reliability

candidates at post-secondary level; and the inclusion of on- and fairness of tests. These underlying conditions leading to poor

going, formative assessment formats to support learning.

English Language Education Reform in Malaysia The Roadmap 2015-2025

7.3.1 The Roadmap

Teaching and Learning

In phase 1, efforts to build capacity among key deliverers will be The Roadmap for post-secondary English education is organised in

scaled up. This means that all post-secondary teachers, coaches, accordance with the three MEB Waves. Plans are presented in detail

MoE officers and administrators will be trained to implement the for each phase for curriculum, teaching and learning, and assessment.

CEFR-aligned curricula, and for formal teaching and assessment.

Phase 1: Preparing For Structural Change – 2015 to 2016

The requirement for teachers and trainers to achieve at least CEFR C1 will be enforced. There will also be a need to build capacity

Curriculum

for Master Trainers to use CEFR-informed pedagogy in training and in the development of post-secondary teacher education

The key action is to develop a CEFR-informed curriculum for

programmes.

post-secondary English language education, with staged target proficiency levels based on the outcomes of the baseline study

In view of the immense variation in the performance of and the evaluation of the MUET. With this curriculum in place,

post-secondary students, teachers will have to be trained in the classroom instruction will benefit from best practices in the field,

methodology of differentiated teaching. This will be accompanied and appropriate instructional guides can be developed for teachers.

by large-scale efforts to adopt online learning materials and a concrete ICT platform to support learning for all practitioners.

In addition, academic and technical language requirements for tertiary education and differentiated teaching can be included in

Assessment

post-secondary English education. This could be accompanied by the setting up of an independent body responsible (a) for the

The irst stage is to develop a standardised CEFR-informed implementation and monitoring of the reform process at the post-

assessment system for post-secondary English. This will involve the secondary level, (b) for enforcing compliance with the stipulated