Teachers and Teaching in Malaysia

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to broadly describe and discuss the characteristics of teachers in Malaysia and their classroom practices, in the midst of significant and much-needed systemic changes that are expected in the years to come. The data are drawn from various national and international agencies as well as from IMCEP (Inquiry into Malaysian Classroom Educational Practices), a research project that researched teachers’ practices in Malaysian classrooms. The IMCEP study found that the predominant teaching practices in Malaysian classrooms are very unlikely to help students improve higher-order thinking and “learning-to-learn” abilities. It is critical to note that when such practices are so consistent and widespread, system-wide issues must be raised. How pedagogical practice plays out in the classroom is shaped in significant ways by the larger social, cultural and political milieu. The discussion attempts to highlight some of the key narratives within this context.