Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek and Education director-general Datuk Pkharuddin Ghazali (back row, fifth and sixth from left, respectively) posing for a photo with the teams who won a spot to represent Malaysia at the WRO Friendship Invitational Tournament in Denmark. Photo taken at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) on Sept 7.
THE Education Ministry (MoE) will not stop fostering a love for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) among its students.
This is in light of its target to have 60% of students taking up the STEM stream.
“STEM education in schools is very important and has many benefits,” it said recently.
Among these benefits is that it encourages students to think critically, analyse problems and develop innovative solutions.
It also equips them with the skills needed to navigate and excel in a technology-driven world, besides fostering creativity by inspiring students to explore, experiment and think outside the box.
Participation in STEM activities at school emphasises cooperation and teamwork, reflecting the real-world work environment while bridging the gap between theory and practice by connecting classroom learning to real-world applications.
“It also prepares students for a variety of career opportunities in rapidly growing fields such as technology, engineering, healthcare and renewable energy,” the MoE added.
“The MoE has implemented various proactive measures in an effort to increase the interest and percentage of student participation in the STEM field,” it said, adding that this is in line with what is in the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025.
Part of the blueprint is to increase students’ interest through new learning approaches and strengthening the curriculum; improving the skills and abilities of STEM teachers; and increasing awareness of STEM among students, parents and the general public.
“In order to increase awareness of STEM among students, parents, the community and the public, programmes and campaigns in the form of entertainment and fun have been held continuously,” it said.
Students showing off their robots at the closing ceremony of the 2023 Final Stage National Robotics Competition at UTHM on Sept 7.
Programmes have been held at school, district, state and national levels to give equal opportunities to all students from various backgrounds.
These include the:
> STEM Carnival;
> Digital Skills Carnival;
> Innovation, Science, Technology and Engineering Competition;
> National Robotics Competition;
> Young STEMist Expo Programme;
> International Mathematical Olympiad;
> International Physics Olympiad;
> International Chemistry Olympiad;
> International Science and Engineering Fair; and
> Vibrancy of STEM and Robotics Programme.
The ministry said students are always encouraged and given the opportunity to highlight their STEM talents through extracurricular activities.
This year, a total of 13 national and international STEM competitions and activities were implemented and involved approximately 16,000 students from all over the country.
These do not include programmes organised by universities, other ministries such as the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) and the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (NRECC); and external agencies.
“Most recently, students under the ministry have successfully won two gold medals and two bronze medals in the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) Friendship Invitational Tournament, Odense, Denmark, which took place from Sept 21 to 24,” the MoE said.
It added that it is always striving to develop knowledgeable and skilled human capital to join the STEM stream.
“To produce adaptive STEM talent that will meet future needs, the MoE’s strategy includes improving the quality of academic and training programmes, ensuring more equitable learning outcomes, leveraging emerging technologies and strengthening governance.
“This is in line with the demands in the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (DSTIN) 2021-2030,” it said.
The ministry said it is continuously working on improving the learning experience in schools.
One of the measures implemented to increase students’ interest and further encourage them to choose the STEM stream at the higher education level is strengthening teaching and learning activities (PdP) inside and outside the classroom.
“Students are encouraged to implement inquiry-based learning, project-based learning and problem-based learning in a real-world context.
“The MoE has also reimplemented the science practical test for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exam, in line with the Secondary School Standard Curriculum (KSSM), since 2021.
“The implementation of this practical test aims to attract students’ interest in science subjects through hands-on or experimental PdP methods,” it said.
The ministry has also produced its own PdP support materials, such as the STEM Implementation Guide in PdP; Science Inquiry Resource Materials; Mathematics Inquiry Resource Materials; Inquiry Approach Modules through the Mastery of Science Process Skills Level II Primary School; Middle School Science Resource Materials; the Biology, Physics and Chemistry, Mathematical Thinking PdP Guide; the Mathematical Modelling PdP Guide; and the Additional Mathematics PdP Guide.
The support materials provided can be accessed at the Curriculum Development Division Portal, Digital Educational Learning Initiative Malaysia (DELIMa) and the SumberKU Repository.
As for the infrastructure needed, RM100mil has been set aside in Budget 2024 for STEM empowerment, specifically maintaining and upgrading school computer laboratories as well as the procurement of new equipment.
In addition, under the Third Rolling Plan, another allocation of RM254.1mil was approved for the supply of Technology Design (RBT) teaching equipment and another RM25.7mil for renovating and upgrading RBT rooms in primary schools.
“All these provisions show the government’s seriousness in supporting STEM education” said the MoE.
There can be no teaching in schools without competent teachers.
“Efforts to improve teacher competence and strengthen PdP inside and outside the classroom are also among the measures implemented to increase students’ interest in STEM education,” it said.
In fact, the ministry has collaborated with Yayasan PETRONAS (YP) to implement the YP-KPM Teacher Ambassador Programme to empower 4,500 STEM teachers.
This long-term programme with the industry strengthens the ability of STEM teachers to teach higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) at their schools where the majority of students are from the B40 group.
“In addition, the programme aims to produce a future-proof generation of problem solvers,” it added.
Other programmes that focus on improving pedagogical mastery among teachers is the Integrated STEM Project-Based Learning (PBL) under the STEM Executive Consultation Project.
The project emphasises improving the capabilities of school principals and heads, using an organisational development approach, to lead schools in implementing integrated STEM education by involving all school members and the local community.
“In addition, the MoE has produced a STEM teacher competency document to be used as a guide for teachers, leaders, policymakers and training providers to ensure that MoE teachers are always quality and future-proof.
“This step is implemented so that the competence of MoE teachers is always in line with the educational challenges of the 21st century as well as the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” the ministry said.
