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Profissional Documentos
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13 (KLiCELS 13), 27-28 July 2019. Bangi Resort Hotel, Bandar Baru Bangi, Malaysia. e-ISSN – 2682-8855
Sarah Thangadurai
Universiti Utara Malaysia,
06010 UUM Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia.
Email addresses: tsarah@uum.edu.my
ABSTRACT
Postgraduate teacher training programmes are being widely practiced across the globe over the past nine decades as a
means to train teachers to educate. Teachers in higher educations get greater confidence and motivation through teacher
training programmes. A majority researchers criticise these training programmes that the postgraduate teacher
certifications fail to develop learners’ creativity and intellectual curiosity. Interviews will be conducted to postgraduate
diploma students in focus groups. Given the criticisms that outweigh the positive spectrum of teacher training
programmes, it is essential to explore the extent to which this programme is fruitful.
Keywords: postgraduate diploma, teacher training programmes, student perception, education, qualitative research
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Proceeding – Kuala Lumpur International Communication, Education, Language and Social Sciences
13 (KLiCELS 13), 27-28 July 2019. Bangi Resort Hotel, Bandar Baru Bangi, Malaysia. e-ISSN – 2682-8855
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Postgraduate teacher training programmes are being widely practiced across the globe over the past nine decades as a
means to train teachers to educate learners (Aubrey & Riley, 2017; Guyver & Nichol, 2004; Koetsier, 1995).
Subsequently, several researchers have come forward to evaluate the effectiveness of postgraduate teacher training
programmes to measure the magnitude to which teacher deliver what they are expected to (Goldhaber & Brewer, 2000;
Good, 1979). Accordingly, postgraduate teacher training programmes have been found to be useful for teachers as well
as for the learners. For instance, students who have been taught by trained teachers in higher educations have been
proven to be high achievers (Good, 1979, p. 57). Teachers in higher educations on the other hand get greater confidence
and motivation through teacher training programmes. Although a few scholars agree that postgraduate teacher training
programmes are highly productive and essential (Darling-Hammond et al., 2005), a majority researchers criticise these
training programmes for various reasons. For instance, a shocking discovery reveals that teachers in higher educations
with teaching certificates do not produce students with high achievement as found by some previous scholars (Buddin
& Zamarro, 2009, p. 110). Instead, postgraduate teacher certifications fail to develop learners’ creativity and
intellectual curiosity (Walsh, 2001). Moreover, Goldhaber and Brewer (2000) contend that teachers in higher
educations without certification do not perform worse as their performance is in par with trained teachers. Supporting
Goldhbaer and Brewer’s findings, Darling-Hammond (2002) further argues that teacher certifications are not vital as
long as teachers’ verbal ability is excellent. Hence, given the criticisms that outweigh the positive spectrum of teacher
training programmes, it is essential to explore the extent to which this programme is fruitful.
trainings often complain about the workload they have to bear with and the pedagogical knowledge which does not
serve its purpose when teaching. The fact that too much workload puts pressure on students who are undertaking
PGDHELT is true given the complaints and comments they post on open learning platform which is used by the trainers
who teach lecturers in PGDHELT. A snapshot of one of the comments from open learning is shown in figure 1.
The above figure shows one of the comments made by a student of PGDHELT programme. Accordingly, PGDHELT
increases pressure which becomes detrimental for the learners. Another comment is shown in the following figure.
According to the above figure, PGDHELT does not instil learning instead induces brain cramp due to too many
assignments that students need to cope up with. Another student agrees with the above student which is shown in the
following figure.
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Proceeding – Kuala Lumpur International Communication, Education, Language and Social Sciences
13 (KLiCELS 13), 27-28 July 2019. Bangi Resort Hotel, Bandar Baru Bangi, Malaysia. e-ISSN – 2682-8855
The amount of pressure this programme puts on students could be revealed through this study as it determines to look
into what students perceive about this programme. Practically, this study educates the policy makers within UUM to
consider lecturers’ existing workloads and act accordingly towards helping the academics perform well mentally and
physically.
PGDHELT is expected to let the students achieve the following Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs):
Demonstrate appropriate competencies in planning, delivering and evaluating their teaching learning,
assessment across disciplines and contexts.
Foster the development of informed insights into the cultural, social, political, economic and religious contexts
within which learning takes place.
Demonstrate an awareness of, interest in and commitment to the aims and values inherent in the theories and
practices of education.
Commit to raising the capacity to use problem solving and scientific skills in implementing the curriculum
relevant to the needs of learners in post-secondary educational settings.
Demonstrate a capacity for reflection and critical analysis of their own exemplary practices and for continuing
professional enhancement.
Demonstrate an understanding of the changing world and foster the development of professional mind-sets
which are able to objectively weigh, make decisions, anticipate and accommodate innovation.
Combine suitable business and entrepreneurial skills in IT related projects.
Engage in continuous learning effort and incrementally develop talents and potentials.
Develop expertise in teaching, coaching and mentoring and build credibility to become role models in post-
secondary educational contexts.
Be actively engaged in contributions to community development through professional organisations or other
voluntary organisations.
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Proceeding – Kuala Lumpur International Communication, Education, Language and Social Sciences
13 (KLiCELS 13), 27-28 July 2019. Bangi Resort Hotel, Bandar Baru Bangi, Malaysia. e-ISSN – 2682-8855
Despite having inspiring PLOs, many students from the current batch have been complaining about the programme and
its usefulness in their teaching delivery. One of the reasons could be introduction to too many technological tools to
teach students. As Budaghyan (2015, p. 200) argues, trainees should not be overloaded with different technology as it
would be difficult for them to learn all available technological tools at once. Moreover, it is important to realise that
lecturers who are taking PGDHELT also teach undergraduate and postgraduate students in addition to supervising
research students. Hence, PGDHELT programme organisers should also take the lecturers’ other activities into account
before burdening them with too much workload. Therefore, it is crucial to explore the extent to which students perceive
PGDHELT is beneficial to them.
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Proceeding – Kuala Lumpur International Communication, Education, Language and Social Sciences
13 (KLiCELS 13), 27-28 July 2019. Bangi Resort Hotel, Bandar Baru Bangi, Malaysia. e-ISSN – 2682-8855
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Proceeding – Kuala Lumpur International Communication, Education, Language and Social Sciences
13 (KLiCELS 13), 27-28 July 2019. Bangi Resort Hotel, Bandar Baru Bangi, Malaysia. e-ISSN – 2682-8855
assessment methods and learning goals for teaching effectiveness to be enhanced (Biggs, 2003). Assessment practices
based on a learner-centred assessment enhance the active involvement of the students, produce feedback, enable
collaboration between students and faculty and allow teachers to realise how learning is occurring (Webber, 2012).
Such practices prepare students for professional life promoting problem solving and skills development in real-life
contexts (Dochy et al., 1999).
3.0 METHODOLOGY
The research aims to explore what students perceive about postgraduate diploma in teacher training program from
different dimensions. Target interviewees are those PGDHELT students that have been enrolled or are enrolling
currently in the program (PGDHELT cohort 1 and cohort 2). Qualitative case study research is proposed to be
conducted for this research as it provides in-depth analysis on the students’ perception about PGDHELT program.
Interviews will be conducted with PGDHELT cohort one and cohort two students in focus groups. Interviews will be
transcribed and data analysis will be carried out using NVivo after investigation. The knowledge and theory which are
derived from data in qualitative research offer deep insight that enhances understanding of the reality in the subject that
is under study (Loo & Nasruddin, 2015; Strauss & Corbin, 1998). This study is expected to reveal why students feel
PGDHELT is stressful and causes ‘brain-cramp’ as students have mentioned in their assignments and discussions.
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