Conditions for Improved Teaching and Learning

9.3.2 Conditions for Improved Teaching and Learning

To ensure that English language teachers

maintain high levels of teaching knowledge Figure 9.3 Cyclical Process for

and classroom practice and delivery, the

Short-Term ELTE Training

ELTC needs to operationalise its Pedagogical

Programmes and Initiatives

Standards (PSELT) and develop a

English Language Education Reform in Malaysia The Roadmap 2015-2025

competency matrix for the professional development of all English to create a professional training development system to meet the language educators across the different levels of education. CPD

following conditions:

programmes should be planned and implemented using the school- based model.

(1) Train teachers to map, reflect upon and monitor their own professional development and achievements.

In order for professional development programmes to be meaningful and impactful, the selection of teachers or even teacher

(2) Collaboratively identify teachers’ needs and competencies. educators for training cannot be based on an ‘other-selected’ basis or purely as a reaction to policy or curriculum changes. Instead, (3) Allow teachers to choose for themselves courses to attend to professional development for teachers should be planned from

fulfil their needs, instead of having them selected by the state, their irst appointment, and periodically reviewed together with an

the district or by the head of the school or the department. assigned mentor and with teaching coaches and instructional leaders.

(4) Plan courses at the central level according to identified needs

A mentoring and coaching system should be put in place to help

and gaps.

new English language teachers chart their development and to observe (5) Provide clear and accessible support systems to enable effective

and adopt good classroom practices. An early mentoring system classroom implementation of the knowledge and competencies

should also be put in place so that trainee teachers and new teachers

acquired during the courses.

can be mentored by excellent or master teachers. Such a CPD model should be extended to language teachers in higher education.

(6) Independently monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the

courses in teaching and learning practices.

There is a clear need to have a more systematic professional development plan to meet teachers’ professional needs and

The programmes must be well-developed and appropriately curricular needs in line with the PSELT. The present system of

designed to produce high quality English language teachers able reactive-oriented, ‘other-selected’ in-service training is not the to transfer the knowledge and competencies acquired through the best way to develop positive attitudes to professional development.

programme into classroom practice, thereby improving the English In order to move towards higher quality teaching and learning in

proficiency and skills of their students. All in-service professional the classroom, there must be a concerted and systematic effort

development programmes should comply with established development programmes should comply with established

development, and their understanding of local ELT conditions. The also move towards accreditation.

success of programmes such as Pro-ELT cannot be determined just by the pre- and post- tests, and should begin with and be followed

There should be a conscious effort to develop specialisms by an evaluation of teacher classroom practices and student

to meet the needs of students at different levels of education, performance based on quantitative and qualitative measures.

especially in the case of primary school teachers. These specialisms could include early literacy skills, diagnostic skills, differentiated

At the in-service level, there must be adequate opportunities learning and reading conducted in collaboration with international

for the use of English to provide trainees with maximum exposure providers and accredited internationally.

and experience of using English in a variety of contexts, and to enable them to develop a deeper knowledge and higher competence

All programmes including short-term initiatives should undergo in the language. English should be the medium of instruction in the

scheduled independent evaluation and review, ideally carried out teaching and learning of additional subjects such as the Education

by independent international bodies which should also benchmark component of the ELTE curriculum. Where possible, other

pre- and in-service programmes. There should be a planned cyclical subjects can also be taught in English to provide trainees with a

process of implementation, monitoring, independent evaluation

stronger English environment.

and review (see Figure 9.3 and Section C). ELTE at both the pre-service and in-service levels should

Data should be collected even at the planning stage of an

be based on outcome-based education and focus on student- initiative or programme so that baseline data is available, and

centred learning and communicative methodologies. There must comparisons can be made with control groups. Reliable and valid

be diversity in the way the curriculum is delivered and assessed measures of achievement for specified learning and programme

in order to develop independent and reflective learning, as well outcomes must be planned at the implementation stage, and not

as creative and critical thinking among trainees. Further, teaching towards the end of a programme or initiative.

and learning in ELTE must be conducted by trained educators. External training providers in any training programme must

Measures must be taken to ensure that teacher educators in ITE

be carefully selected according to their qualifications, relevant have postgraduate qualifications, including PhDs.

English Language Education Reform in Malaysia The Roadmap 2015-2025

A mentoring and coaching system should

be put in place to help new English language teachers chart their development and to observe and adopt good classroom practices.

This move will also avoid hierarchical relationships between Notwithstanding the attributes and competencies that teachers ITEs and universities offering ELTE programmes and avoid the

need to possess, language teachers should first and foremost be misperception that primary school education can be provided by

proficient in the language that they are teaching. less qualified trainers. In addition, the capacity building of Master

In the case of ELTE, there can be no compromise with regard CEFR trainers needs to be carried out to ensure the successful

to levels of English proficiency either at the entry level, or at the implementation of CEFR-aligned curricula, teaching and learning,

output level. In addition to the Malaysian Educators Selection and assessment. English language educators must have higher

Inventory (MEdSI), and the ITE’s criterion that only the top 30% proficiency levels than the trainees.

of SPM holders should be admitted (Ministry of Education, 2015b), there should be an added criterion in the form of a standardised internationally aligned entrance test for ELTE programmes based