Shahnaz
WHILE educators do not see learning loss as a problem post Covid-19, their charges feel otherwise.
Despite more than 80% of teachers saying they are unconcerned with learning loss, many students did not feel they were getting the right support in class after schools reopened, according to a recent study by LeapEd Services - a civil society organisation working towards educational equity and quality.
LeapEd Services chairperson Shahnaz Al-Sadat said the data showed that while almost two-thirds of primary school students and almost three-quarters of secondary school students were happy to be back in school, 60% said they were not getting the right level of support from teachers.
About a third said they didn’t learn anything new even after nine months of being back in school while another third said they were struggling to catch up.
Released in August, the “Post-Covid Education Recovery in Malaysia: Insights from Students, Teachers, School Leaders and Parents” study was conducted nine months after schools reopened in March 2022 with 25,000 respondents from 90 “trust schools” sharing their views through an online survey revolving around two major education disruption points - home to school and school to home.
The study featured the largest survey done on post-pandemic recovery, as it took into account three groups - students, teachers and school leaders, and parents.
“So, you have parents who are highly concerned, students who are moderately concerned and teachers who are not really concerned about learning loss. The dissonance is a basis for action - to resolve the situation, not to blame anyone” said Shahnaz.
Fazilah
Based on the survey results, focus group interviews were held to deep dive into the results together with economics professor Niaz Asadullah, who was attached to Monash University Malaysia, at the time.
Shahnaz said the study showed that less than half of parents, from both B40 and non-B40 groups, trust teachers.
They were also “less confident” in measures to minimise learning loss and “less hopeful” on learning loss recovery.
“The dissonance here is that less than 20% of teachers were concerned about the issues parents were worried about.
“Perhaps this is due to the fact that teachers - the most technically competent among the three groups surveyed, are confident that they can close the gap,” she said.
Shahnaz, however, said teachers seem to be focusing on students of mid-level abilities (known as “middling”), and were struggling with students in the less-ability category and have limited time for high-ability students.
“To be fair, middling is the result of teachers having to deal with constraints in regard to time and resources,” she said, adding that the study also showed that 50% to 85% of students were struggling with reading and writing.
She said Year Four, Five and Six students of today are probably the most affected because they were in Year One of primary school during the pandemic. The learning challenges during that time have negatively affected their foundational skills of read, write and count, she added, noting that the gap between higher and lower economic status groups have also widened.
B40 parents report far higher levels of difficulty with their children’s reading and writing, which was corroborated by 80% of teachers and school heads who were worried about learning gaps among students from lower socioeconomic groups.
And, according to World Bank data, 42% of children in Malaysia at late primary age today are not proficient in reading. Equally concerning is that large-scale learning assessments of students in Malaysia indicate that 42% do not achieve the minimum proficiency level at the end of primary school.
Narrowing the gap
Universiti Malaya Faculty of Education senior lecturer and teacher-trainer Assoc Prof Dr Zuwati Hasim said there are several practices that can be adopted to address educational disparities highlighted in the LeapEd study.
“Given the constraints of large class sizes and diverse learning levels, teachers need innovative strategies and support to effectively reach both high-performing and struggling students.
Zuwati
“We must look at the support system that is currently in place,” she said, adding that teacher training, and support and encouragement from school leaders, are crucial in this respect.
As for the learner support system, Zuwati suggested teachers conduct more group assessments and periodically break classes into smaller groups to address individual needs.
She also called on teachers to promote collaborative learning by pairing high-performing students with those needing more support.
Weaker students, she said, should be assigned remedial education programmes such as after-school or weekend sessions, and emotional and academic support through mentorship sessions.
“Teachers must build a stronger relationship with parents to ensure that learning continues at home with appropriate support,” she said.
These practices, she added, had been discussed at a teacher-led learning circles project organised by Education International and were coordinated by the teaching profession unions from seven countries including Korea, Switzerland, Brazil and Malaysia.
Consistent monitoring through regular formative assessments, said Universiti Putra Malaysia Faculty of Educational Studies Department of Foundations of Education head Dr Fazilah Razali, can help teachers easily identify gaps in student needs for adaptation to teaching according to the requirements of curriculum standards.
After the assessments, she said teachers can implement personalised teaching methods according to the different needs of students, create a flexible and supportive learning environment for the students as well as set realistic goals for their students to achieve.
Fouzi
“Schools that implement this approach effectively have shown a significant improvement in student performance as a whole as well as individually,” she shared.
She also said teacher training that emphasises professionalism development ensures quality teaching according to the needs of the curriculum.
“Train teachers to form teaching strategies to meet the learning needs of different students.
“This can improve the ability of teachers to deal with student learning gaps,” she added.
In response to the LeapEd study results, National Union of Teaching Profession of Malaysia (NUTP) secretary-general Fouzi Singon said its members would implement enrichment and remedial programmes to meet the needs of different students in the classroom.
*NOTE: The Trust School Programme sees a private sector partner entrusted with the management and outcomes of publicly financed schools. It is a long-term commitment to improve accessibility to quality education in national schools.
Teachers are trained in differentiated learning, therefore with experience, they should be able to balance teaching students of varying capabilities with ease. However, the Education Ministry needs to support teachers and train them to give autonomy and accountability. There must be less bureaucracy in managing teachers and key performance indices (KPIs) to promote a positive learning environment.
Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim
Parent-teacher associations (PTA) can form counselling groups comprising members who can help weaker students on weekends. Schools should be able to identify pupils who are lagging in their studies and these parents can complement the efforts of the teachers. Although this programme is run by the parents, there is still a need for close monitoring and support from the teachers.
Malaysian Association for Education (MAE) secretary Hamidi Mookkaiyah Abdullah
