The Case Study

MTCP 2009

THE CASE: KPLI – A YES, A NO OR A HOW?

Santhi Periasamy (Malaysia)

Introduction

In Malaysia teachers posted to National Primary Schools were those who had
gone through a teacher training course at one of the twenty-seven teacher
training institutions in the country. These institutions known as Institut
Pendidikan Guru Malaysia (IPGM), conduct a variety of pre-service and in-
service courses. The pre-service courses in particular were conducted with the
intention of producing teachers who would meet the aspirations of the country as
well as the needs of pupils from various ethnic races, socio-economic
background and cognitive abilities. The aspirations of the country and policy-
makers were in line with the Education Development Master Plan (EDMP), 2006-
2010, in particular its third, fourth and fifth trusts (Appendix 1). The EDMP was
developed in line with the second thrust of the Ninth Malaysia Plan which was
launched in 2006 (Appendix 2).

The pre-service courses offered at the IPGM could be divided into two main
categories: for the SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) or the Malaysian School
Certificate holders who completed their secondary education at the age of 17 or
18 who went through the Programme Ijazah Sarjana Muda Pendidikan (PISMP)
or the Bachelor in Education Programme and for graduates who had obtained
degrees in various fields but finally decide to become teachers who had to go
through the Kursus Perguruan Lepasan Ijazah (KPLI) programme or the Post
Graduate Degree in Education programme.

The KPLI programme was a fast track programme that was initiated by the
Ministry of Education (MOE) to fulfill the Government’s policy of having at least
50% of all primary school teachers to be degree holders by the year 2010. This
programme started on 3 January 2003 and produced thousands of graduate
primary school teachers every year. However, the quality of the KPLI teachers
had since been subjected to scrutiny and criticisms by schools, namely head
teachers, senior teachers, parents and the society at large.

Complaints had been forwarded verbally and in writing to the relevant authorities
with regards to the quality of these KPLI teachers. Official surveys had been
carried out by Teacher Training Institutions on an annual basis to review the
opinions of head teachers and senior teachers with regards to the beginning KPLI
teachers. Although the surveys had indicated that the quality of these teachers
satisfied the ISO standards in that 80% of these beginning teachers showed a
performance of 3.50 or higher on a Likert Scale of 1-4 of overall performance in
The Case-KPLI- A Yes , A No or a How?.....Santhi Periasamy (Malaysia) 1
 The Case Study

teaching. Nevertheless the remaining 20% could bring about adverse effects.
Among the reasons suggested by these complainants for the poor quality was
that the duration for the programme was too short. The rationale was students
following the programme would not be able to acquire the necessary skills,
knowledge and school based experience in curricula, co-curricular, self and
national development aspects all in one year or precisely 9 month excluding the
term holidays. On 14 June 2009, the Director of Bahagian Pendidikan Guru
(BPG) or the Teacher Education Division of the Ministry of Education, Datuk
Misrah Ibrahim, confirmed that the KPLI programme duration would be extended
to one and a half years instead of one year. Datuk Misrah had mentioned that
this was in line with the opinions of various quarters that the quality of KPLI
teachers could only be improved by extending the duration of the programme
which would subsequently provide more interaction hours for the training of these
teachers-to-be. However the National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) had
voiced its dissatisfaction in lengthening the duration of the programme. The
NUTP felt that these students had already spent a good four years in the
universities pursuing their first degrees. To extend the programme another six
months would make them wait for too long before they could actually receive
remuneration as qualified teachers. Prof Datuk Dr Aminah Ayob, the Vice
Chancellor of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) also agreed with the views
of the NUTP. Prof Datuk Dr Aminah Ayob felt that what was more important was
the sound and effective manner of imparting pedagogical content knowledge as
well as the allowances for good micro teaching practices and a substantial period
of time for the teaching practicum. The Director General of Education, Datuk
Alimuddin Mohd Dom had also surfaced the opinions of the general public that
the KPLI programme was the dumping ground for unemployed graduates. Datuk
Alimuddin clarified that the selection of candidates for the programme actually
went through stringent measures, Firstly the candidates were to have a CGPA
that was not less than 2.75. The selected candidates would then be required to
sit for the M-test or a qualifying test that assesses language skills, numeracy
skills and IQ. The candidates who passed this test would then be called for
interviews through which selection was made by examining attitudes and
personalities of the candidates.

However even after having observed all these measures and the constant call by
the policy makers for adherence to the thrusts of the National Education Blueprint
and all other government policies pertaining to excellence in education, the flow
of complaints about these teachers had not shown any indications of diminishing.
In fact the nature and momentum of these complaints had become more
persistent. These teachers were said to be lacking in motivation and enthusiasm.
The head teachers and officials from the state education departments expressed
their fear in not being able to tap the potentials of primary school pupils and to
instill noble values besides enabling these pupils to acquire academic knowledge
and skills if they were assigned KPLI teachers.
The Case-KPLI- A Yes , A No or a How?.....Santhi Periasamy (Malaysia) 2
 The Case Study

Background-

The issue of the incompetent KPLI teachers had become a concern for the BPG
unit of the MOE. All directors of the 27 IPGM in Malaysia, Heads of Divisions and
other relevant authorities were called for a meeting to address the issue. At the
end of the meeting the directors were given an ultimatum to hand in a
comprehensive report about the opinions and recommendations from each of the
colleges in three weeks time.

The Director of IPGM (A) Pn Salbiah bt Daud, brought up this issue during the
recent Professional, Administration and Management board meeting which was
attended by the Director, the Assistant Director, Pn Rohana bt Aziz and all Heads
of Departments (HOD). Her main aim of bringing up this issue was because she
felt that the time had come for CHANGE! During this meeting the director had
spoken at length about the issue, reminding the members about the grouses of
the schools and the public at large pertaining to the quality of the KPLI teachers.
She felt that it would be worthwhile in examining other dimensions of this issue by
eliciting the opinions of various quarters and to compare these with the claims of
the public to see if ‘it holds water’. There were many opinions that came up
during this discussion; some promoting the idea for change and some
questioning the feasibility of promoting it. Given below is part of the discussion
that went on during that meeting.

Pn Salbiah: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for your
attendance. And without much ado let me brief you on the reasons
for today’s meeting. The dissatisfaction about the quality of the KPLI
teachers has become a prevalent issue. Complaints and voices of
dissatisfaction are never ending. The Director General has taken
this issue seriously and has requested the BPG to come up with an
action plan within a month. He has indicated that some decisions
must be made as to whether the programme should be discontinued
and if not, how could it be improved. So look all of you…..we don’t
have much time..and we need to produce a report based on our
findings, opinions and suggestions. So, let’s do some quick brain
storming here. What are some of your opinions regarding this
programme?

En Hashim: Pn Salbiah, what is the point of even debating this when there
already exists the idea of extending the duration of the course to a
period of one and a half years instead of one! The indication here is
that the only constraint that exists and that affects the quality of the
KPLI teachers is the duration of the programme.

Pn Salbiah: But we are all leaders in our own capacities and leaders are people
who bring about changes. Hence we should at least work towards
The Case-KPLI- A Yes , A No or a How?.....Santhi Periasamy (Malaysia) 3
 The Case Study

being instrumental in bringing about the change. And we could start

by assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the
programme…..identifying issues that may exist. Issues that have
affected the quality of the KPLI teachers.

Pn Salmiah: Well Pn Salbiah the duration for this course is a mere 9 month
period minus the school holidays out of which 3 months are taken
up for Practicum. So how much of time do we actually have to
impart pedagogical content knowledge effectively to these
students? In fact at the point that they are off for practicum we
lecturers feel uneasy to start assessing them as we know that they
did not have enough interactions with us. So I guess the decision to
lengthen the duration of the programme is rightfully in place.

En Lee: But even that decision is being opposed by the NUTP and others in
the teaching profession for various reasons so how will this decision
be agreed upon?

Director: Oh don’t worry about that….. collective views of an entire

organization will definitely make an impact on the relevant
authorities. So get cracking….

Pn Wong: Okay.. Madam Chairperson to start off how much entry knowledge
do these students have about the subjects they are assigned to
teach as they come from various backgrounds (first degrees)?

Pn Wong: And ..the attitudes of these students…they did not have any
intentions of becoming teachers from the beginning……………they
probably jumped into this impulsively due to the security that comes
along with the profession!

En Hashim: And for most others this is an escapade in the sense that they may
have not found themselves jobs related to the fields that they had
graduated in…how long can they wait to receive remuneration to
support themselves and their families?

En Rajoo: I would also like to highlight the issue of the selection of lecturers
teaching this programme. I feel this course will require experienced
lecturers as it needs a certain amount of discretion and
manipulation of the curriculum. A lot of times we find that
completing the curriculum as suggested is impossible and as such
lots of decisions have to be made in terms of improvising the
curriculum. This will be rather difficult for the new lecturers as they
have not had enough hands-on-experience with the curriculum to
handle that.

The Case-KPLI- A Yes , A No or a How?.....Santhi Periasamy (Malaysia) 4

 The Case Study

Pn Rohana: Yeah …and maybe we should look at other similar issues that can
be tackled at the institution level.

En Rajoo: Oh and I must say that the time allocation for acquiring co-curricular
skills is rather minimal. It’s a ‘touch and go’ story whereby the
students hardly get the opportunities for good hands-on-
experiences. So who is to be blamed when they do not exhibit
talents and confidence in conducting such activities in school upon
being placed as qualified teachers.

En Tarmizi: Strong morals, ethics and values have been given great emphasis
in our educational polices namely in the second thrust of the Ninth
Malaysian Plan. How well are these aspirations engrained in the
activities incorporated in the programme? I really think that it has to
be revisited.

Director: Okay………..we are now looking at this issue from different angles
and perspectives. The duration is short, the choice of lecturers, the
duration of the practicum period, the choice of lecturers and I
believe there will be lots more from others. Well then can we get
the Research and Development Department (R&D) to help gather
feedback from all relevant parties involved in the issue. These
findings, opinions and suggestions must be then documented in a
systematic and comprehensive manner for further scrutiny by the
Professional, Administration and Management Board subsequent to
which a proposal will be sent to the BPG by the institution.
Remember we only have three weeks and that is inclusive of the
time for the next meeting.

The task of finding out these opinions and preparing a comprehensive report was
then assigned to the Head of the Research and Development (R&D) Department.
The Head of the R&D department had a short meeting with her staff and it was
decided that interviews would be carried out with groups of KPLI beginning
teachers, academic staff who have taught on the programme, heads of school
and an officer from the State Education Department. The focus group interview
would be carried out with the first three groups as it would save time and a
personal interview would be carried out with the State Education Officer. These
interviews were then transcribed and a comprehensive report was done by the
R&D team to be presented in the next Professional, Administration and
Management board meeting. This report was then sent to the BPG for their
further considerations.

The Case-KPLI- A Yes , A No or a How?.....Santhi Periasamy (Malaysia) 5

 The Case Study

Appendices 3, 4 and 5 6 are summaries of interviews carried out by the R&D

team with representatives from KPLI teachers, heads of schools and academic
staff who taught the KPLI programme respectively. Appendix 4 is the transcript
of the interview carried out with the officer from the State Education Department.

The Case-KPLI- A Yes , A No or a How?.....Santhi Periasamy (Malaysia) 6

 Appendix 2

THE NINTH MALAYSIA PLAN: THE FIRST STEP IN THE NATIONAL MISSION

The nation is embarking upon a new phase of development towards realising its
aspiration of becoming a developed nation by 2020. This next 15-year phase will be
guided by the National Mission, a policy and implementation framework aimed at
obtaining greater performance and impact from the country’s collective
developmental initiatives. The Ninth Malaysia Plan represents the first five-year
blueprint of the National Mission, outlining the policies and key programmes aimed at
fulfilling the Mission’s thrusts and objectives for the 2006-2010 period.

Economic growth, competitiveness and dynamism will be pursued together with

equal opportunity, social equity and inclusion. The quality of human capital will be
upgraded as it is a key determinant in the achievement of the Plan’s goals and
objectives. The quality of life of all Malaysians will be enhanced further. The national
implementation machinery will be streamlined and strengthened. In all, these efforts
will ensure that the overriding objective of the nation, that is national unity and
integration, will be strengthened.

In light of the National Mission and the recognition of the importance of a joint
national effort to ensure its achievement, the theme of the Ninth Plan is set as
Together Towards Excellence, Glory and Distinction. All Malaysians have a stake in
the nation building process – the private sector as the engine of growth, the public
sector as facilitator and regulator, and civil society and others as partners in
development. The quest to attain developed nation status can only be realised
through the sustained commitment and contribution of each and every citizen.

The Ninth Plan period is expected to be challenging and requires greater resolve to
ensure its success. External shocks such as rising high oil prices, global economic
imbalances, outbreak of infectious diseases and large-scale natural disasters dictate
the need for vigilance and resilience. At the same time, domestic challenges
including enhancing fiscal management; developing new sources of growth, wealth
and income; strengthening education and training; and reducing socio-economic
disparities require urgent and focused attention.

SUMMARY OF THE NINTH MALAYSIA PLAN, 2006-2010

Given the changing domestic and global economic landscape, initiatives to enhance
national competitiveness and resilience will continue to be given high priority. At the
same time, efforts to close inter- and intra-ethnic socio-economic disparities will be
intensified, with measures that focus more accurately on target groups. All
development initiatives during the Ninth Plan period will be guided by the universal
principles of Islam Hadhari.

1
 Appendix 2

Overall macroeconomic management during the Plan period will focus on sustaining
growth and strengthening the economy’s capacity to cushion against downside risks
and shocks. The Government will ensure that price pressures remain manageable;
that an appopriate monetary policy is in effect; that the Federal Government
operating expenditure is managed in a prudent and cost-effective manner; that a
gradual reduction in the Federal Government deficit is observed without retarding
overall growth; and that a strong balance of payments and external reserves position
is maintained at all times.

The Ninth Plan is organised according to the thrusts of the National Mission. The
following are the key highlights and programmes of the Ninth Plan under each of the
five thrusts:

THRUST 1: TO MOVE THE ECONOMY UP THE VALUE CHAIN

THRUST 2: TO RAISE THE CAPACITY FOR KNOWLEDGE AND INNOVATION
THRUST 3: TO ADDRESS PERSISTENT SOCIO-ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES
CONSTRUCTIVELY AND PRODUCTIVELY
THRUST 4: TO IMPROVE THE STANDARD AND SUSTAINABILITY OF
QUALITY OF LIFE
THRUST 5: TO STRENGTHEN THE INSTITUTIONAL AND IMPLEMENTATION
CAPACITY AND NURTURE ‘FIRST CLASS MENTALITY’

THRUST 2: TO RAISE THE CAPACITY FOR KNOWLEDGE AND INNOVATION

In the Ninth Plan period, efforts will be intensified to develop the country’s human
capital in order to drive the transformation to a knowledge-based economy.
programmes and projects will be undertaken to deliver the National Mission’s
priorities of improving the education system, increasing innovation and ensuring
holistic human capital development.

Improving the Access to and Quality of the Education System at All

Levels

Curriculum and Teaching

During the Ninth Plan period, the implementation of the National Pre-school
Curriculum will be accelerated to ensure standardisation and quality. At the school
level, the curriculum and co-curricular activities will be reviewed to ensure that it
provides a strong foundation for the development of core competencies and is
relevant to changing needs. The teacher training curriculum will also be reviewed
which among others, will improve subject content, enhance pedagogical skills and
enable greater application of ICT in education.

2
 Appendix 2

At the tertiary level, to better respond to market requirements and reduce skills
mismatch, collaboration between industry and institutions of higher education will be
improved. New courses will be introduced in line with the changing requirements of
the labour market. To improve employability of local graduates, a requirement for
internship and industrial attachment programmes will be strengthened. Appropriate
improvements to the curriculum will also be made.

Training programmes will be redesigned in line with changing industry requirements.

The National Dual Training System will be improved through closer consultations
with stakeholders including industry associations, and the National Advisory Council
on Education and Training will be established to guide policies and strategies related
to education and industrial training.

Infrastructure and Facilities

Access to pre-school education will be expanded with the provision of
more pre-school classes, particularly in rural areas. With respect to primary
and secondary education, better facilities will be provided in rural areas as well
as in Sabah and Sarawak. More classrooms will also be built to ensure the
achievement of universal primary education. In addition, the capacity for university
education and advanced skills training will be expanded.

Making National Schools the School of Choice

To make national schools the school of choice, the quality of teaching in national
schools will be improved with 100 per cent and 25 per cent of teachers in secondary
and primary schools, respectively, having first degree qualifications by 2010. More
in-service training opportunities will also be provided for teachers. In an effort to
produce knowledge workers of the future who are adept at using technology and
ICT, efforts will be taken to make all national schools ‘smart’ through the Program
Pembestarian Sekolah. Education opportunities for children with special needs and
learning disabilities will also be increased in national schools. To reduce the
performance gap between rural and urban areas, various initiatives will be
undertaken, including the provision of better educational facilities and basic
amenities. The quality of teaching will be improved through the deployment of more
experienced teachers to schools in the rural areas. In addition, educational support
programmes will continue to be provided to assist students from low-income
households.

Producing Tertiary Institutions of International Standing

Efforts will be taken to enhance the quality of tertiary education to become of
international standing. For this purpose, local institutions of higher education will be
benchmarked against international standards and a rating system will be introduced.
The institutions will also be required to conform to the standards for quality
assurance procedures set out in the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF). To
support the implementation of the MQF and to establish a unified quality assurance
3
 Appendix 2

system, the Malaysian Qualifications Agency will be set up in 2006. The quality of
the academic personnel will be
improved through more staff development programmes. In addition, the number of
academic staff with doctorate qualification in public universities will be increased to
achieve the target of 60 per cent of total academic staff by 2010. In order to increase
the quality and global outlook of universities and their academic staff, international
engagements with renowned international institutions will be pursued, including
through research collaborations.

Nurturing Top Quality Research and Development, and Scientific and

Innovation Capability

Strengthening Policy Commitment

During the Plan period, the Government will place emphasis on human resource
capacity building and on strengthening the National Innovation System. A National
Innovation Council will be established to provide leadership in the formulation of
policies and key strategies to stimulate a culture of innovation in the country.

Enhancing Research and Development Capabilities

The Ninth Plan targets national R&D expenditure of 1.5 per cent of gross domestic
product by 2010. To reap the value of this investment, research and innovation
capability will be strengthened. To help build a critical mass of researchers in priority
areas, various initiatives will be undertaken. More researchers, scientists and
engineers (RSEs) will be developed to meet the target of 50 RSEs per 10,000 labour
force in 2010. A National Brain Gain

Programme will be launched, initially focusing on science and technology human

capital. Centres of excellence in emerging technology areas will be set up and
the R&D capacity of universities and research institutions will be increased.
In addition, the private sector including GLCs, will be encouraged to provide
more scholarships, grants and endowment funds for research in priority and
strategic areas including in developing innovative products for commercialisation.

Promoting Technopreneurship and Technology-based Enterprises

The Technology Incubator Programme will be enhanced to develop a sustainable
pool of indigenous technopreneurs and technology-based companies. It will be
integrated into the broader strategy of enhancing utilisation of new knowledge and
technology produced by universities and research institutions. As financing is a key
enabling factor, measures will be undertaken to improve funding mechanisms and
access to funding. To further encourage innovation, technology transfer and
commercialisation, the existing intellectual property (IP) framework will be
strengthened to enhance IP support facilities and to shorten the IP approval process.
The technopreneurship development programme will also be utilised as part of the
effort to nurture a Bumiputera Science and Technology Community.
4
 Appendix 2

Empowering Women and Youth

Towards the further advancement of women, more education and training
opportunities will be made available to women to increase their employability. To
promote greater participation of women in business, their access to financing will be
improved. Measures will also be undertaken to increase the provision of childcare
facilities and promote flexible working arrangements to facilitate the greater
participation of women in the labour force. The Government will continue to focus on
reducing the incidence of poverty, especially among female-headed households. In
terms of gender justice, all existing laws and regulations that could potentially
discriminate against women will be reviewed. In addition, the Government in
collaboration with the private sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) will
continue to take appropriate measures to address violence against women.

Youth programmes will focus on vulnerable groups, which include those dropping out
of the education system and the unemployed. Access to education and skills training
will be improved while other programmes that seek to build leadership, self-
confidence and good values such as the Rakan Muda and National Service
programme will be strengthened.

Fostering a Society with Strong Values

Nurturing High Performance

Developing a high performance culture requires measuring and exacting
performance in all spheres. In line with this, more performance-based elements will
be incorporated into diverse areas such as R&D grants, entrepreneur development
programmes and public sector employment. A performance-based approach will also
be made a key aspect in monitoring Ninth Plan projects, which includes the
measurement and tracking of KPIs.

Instilling a Progressive Outlook and Moral and Ethical Values

A progressive outlook as well as strong morals, ethics and values will be a key
component in developing human capital. Programmes under the National Integrity
Plan (PIN) will be implemented more widely to cover more segments of society. In
addition, the promotion of Islam Hadhari as a foundation for a progressive
developmental outlook will be intensified. Within the schooling system, the j-QAF
programme for Muslim students will be expanded to all primary schools. Moral
education will be provided for all students. The Sivik dan Kewarganegaraan subject
will be improved and expanded to all students in Years 4 to 6 and all levels of
secondary education. At the community level, programmes that promote
volunteerism will be promoted, and NGOs and religious institutions will also be
encouraged to play an important role in promoting positive values.

5
 Appendix 3

Summary Of Interview Findings With 10 KPLI Qualified Teachers

Was the programme beneficial in terms of subject matter (content N %

knowledge)?
• Yes it was beneficial 1 10
• There wasn’t enough time to cover all topics, so we had to 4 40
rush through
• Could not cope with content matter, methodology and 3 30
electives all at the same time..too heavy
Was the programme beneficial in terms of pedagogical content N %
knowledge?
• It was....but more time would have been better 4 40
• We did not have enough hands on practice 2 20
• We should have more micro teaching before we went for 4 40
practicum
Was the programme beneficial in terms of co-curricular N %
knowledge and skills?
• Very basic 2 20
• We did not have enough time to go thoroughly into everything 5 50
• We could not learn anything much 3 30
Was the programme able to spur interest in the teaching N %
profession
• Not really 3 30
• We were too busy with lots of work that we did not have time 3 30
to enjoy the course 3 30
• No difference
Was the programme able to motivate students to become N %
teachers?
• Yes 4 40
• Maybe a little 3 30
The reason for applying for this programme N %
• Wanted to get a job easily and quickly 3 30
• Wanted to become a teacher 2 20
• Can become a teacher and then we only have to work half a 4 40
day
How effective was practicum? N %
• Well firstly we were not prepared fully before we went out for 4 40
practicum
• The lecturers did not come in the first few weeks because 4 40
they were busy and so there were a lot of things we coul not
ask until much later
• Cooperating teachers were always busy and we did not feel 2 20
nice troubling them
How confident were you when you started off as a qualified N %
teacher in school?
• Not very 2 20
• Confident 7 70
How helpful are the senior teachers and school administrators in N %
helping you with your tasks?
• They would help when we approach them 3 30
• Yes they were very helpful 3 30
What overall comments do you have regarding the KPLI N %
programme?
• The duration of the programme should be longer 4 40
• Only experienced lecturers should become practicum 2 20
supervisors
• Practicum supervisors should visit us more often during the 2 20
practicum period.

Appendix 3- Summary Of Interview Findings With 10 KPLI Qualified Teachers

 Appendix 4

Summary Of Interview Findings With 10 Head Teachers

How many KPLI teachers do you have in your school N %

• 1-5 4 40
• More than 5 6 60
Were they given an orientation by the school when they first N %
arrive?
• Yes a one to two day orientation 3 30
• They got orientated on the job 4 20
• A week long orientation 1 10
How easily do they adapt to the environment in the school? N %
• Quite easily.. 4 40
• They are very aloof. 3 30
• They do not interact much with the senior teachers 3 30
Do they show enthusiasm in the teaching and learning process? N %
• Not as much as expected 4 40
• Not really 3 30
• Not at all 3 30
Do they confer with senior teachers with regards to lesson N %
preparation?
• Sometimes 4 40
• Rarely 6 60
Do they confer with senior teachers with regards to preparations N %
for co-curricular activities?
• More frequently than they confer about lessons 5 50
• Sometimes 5 20
What can you say about their interpersonal skills? N %
• Some of them do possess good interpersonal skills and it 3 30
would be good if they can channel that to work
• Their ability to communicate with pupils is good 4 40
• Yes, they are confident and can perform better if they want 2 20
to.
What can you say about their rapport with pupils? N %
• Good 6 60
• Can be better 4 40
What can you say about their performance on the whole? N %
• They are disappointing in the sense that they are not willing 4 40
to do any extra work over and above their normal routines 4 40
• They are always full of complaints about everything 5 50
• They lament that they did not get enough input during the 5 5
KPLI programme and that explains their inefficiency
• They are not pro-active...they wait to be told 6 60
• They feel that they are better qualified than the senior teacher 3 30
because they have degrees and adapt aloof behaviour
• Content knowledge does not seem to be good 5 50
What overall comments do you have regarding the KPLI N %
programme?
• The duration of the programme should be made longer 4 40
• The duration for practicum should be longer 4 40
• Proper supervision should be done by practicum supervisors 3 30
• Students for the various subjects should be selected based 4 40
on their competence in those subjects
• Selection criteria especially in assessing attitudes of student 5 50
need to be more stringent during selection

Appendix 4-Summary Of Interview Findings With 10 Head Teachers

 Appendix 5

Summary Of Interview Findings With 20 Academic Staff (lecturers) Teaching

KPLI Programme

Was the programme beneficial in terms of subject matter (content N %

knowledge)?
• We were facing a time constraint in trying to complete the 2 20
syllabus 4 40
• Some of the students were not competent in subject matter 4 40
so we had to take a longer time with these students
• Students did not show interest in learning subject matter by
themselves
Was the programme beneficial in terms of pedagogical content N %
knowledge?
• Again there was the constraint of time 4 40
• Only one round of micro teaching could be done and even 2 20
then we had to sort of rush through evaluation and comments
• Students wanted more of macro and micro teaching but we 2 20
did not have the time
Was the programme beneficial in terms of co-curricular N %
knowledge and skills?
• Yes especially the uniform units 3 30
• Students showed more interest in co-curricular activities 5 50

Was the programme able to spur interest in the teaching N %

profession
• The students did show a good level of interest during classes 4 40
• Only some showed interest..others did not 3 30
• It was rather difficult to gauge them 3 30
Was the programme able to motivate students to become N %
teachers?
• Yes probably 4 40
• Maybe a little 4 40
What do you think were the reasons for students applying for this N %
programme
• Wanted secure jobs 3 30
• Wanted a half day job 3 30
• Had assumed that a teacher’s job would be easy 4 40
How effective was practicum to students in your opinion? N %
• I would think that student did not have enough exposure and 4 40
practice in terms of macro and micro teaching before they
went for practicum
• Maybe yes...to the extent of getting the right exposure 4 40
• Maybe we should be allowed to visit them more often and not 2 20
just the stipulated number of times.
How helpful were cooperating teachers with students during N %
practicum?
• They did observe them according to the schedule given 3 30
• But maybe they could have spent more time with mentoring 3 30
What overall comments do you have regarding the KPLI N %
programme?
• The duration of the programme should be longer 4 40
• The curriculum should be reviewed in terms of the amount of 3 30
subject matter .
• More pedagogical content knowledge matter maybe. 2 20

Appendix 5-Summary Of Interview Findings With 20 Academic Staff (lecturers) Teaching KPLI Programme