SoTL IN MALAYSIA HIGHER EDUCATION SETTING: CHALLENGES FACED BY NEW TEACHING SCHOLARS

Ahmad Thamrini Fadzlin Syed Mohamed, Afifah Quraishah Abdul Nasir, Nur Khadirah Ab. Rahman, Emily Abd Rahman

Abstract


Teaching is an important component in Higher Education Institutions (HEI).  To ensure the quality of education in HEI, it is vital to understand the skills and duties that need to be performed by new teaching scholars. Recently, the Ministry of Higher Education has launched the Orange Book that outlines a new and proactive career track for lecturers, with the intention to develop human capital and enhance professionalism in teaching at HEI.  However, there is still not much being done in identifying the challenges faced by newly appointed lecturers in Malaysia HEI. Utilising semi-structured in-depth interviews, two new teaching scholars and two expert lecturers at one of Malaysia HEI were interviewed to determine the challenges faced by new teaching scholars.  Transcribed interview sessions were analysed using thematic analysis. The results show that the new teaching scholars face challenges in developing their substance knowledge, managing the Gen-Y, and having little knowledge on teaching approaches and methodologies. The paper put forward some suitable and effective suggestions in assisting these newly appointed lecturers to improve the quality of teaching and learning (T&L) process in Malaysia HEI.


Full Text:

PDF

References


Anuwar Ali. 2012. Women in Leadership Role in Academia and Education: Enhancing Malaysian Female Participation. ISTIC/NIEW: High-Level International Roundtable for Women in Leadership Roles in Science and Technology – “Getting There”. 4-5 September 2012.Swiss Garden Kuala Lumpur

Akerlind, G. (2005). Learning about phenomenography: interviewing, data analysis and the qualitative research paradigm. Doing Developmental Phenomenography, 63.

Allan, H. T., Magnusson, C., Horton, K., Evans, K., Ball, E., Curtis, K., & Johnson, M. (2015). People, liminal spaces and experience: Understanding recontextualisation of knowledge for newly qualified nurses. Nurse Education Today, 35(2), e78-e83.

Albers, C. (2008). Improving pedagogy through action learning and scholarship of teaching and learning.Teaching Sociology, 36(1), 79-86

Albers, C. (2003). Using the syllabus to document the scholarship of teaching, Teaching Sociology, 31(1), 60-72.

Baillie, C., Bowden, J. A., & Meyer, J. H. F. (2012). Threshold capabilities: threshold concepts and knowledge capability linked through variation theory.Higher Education, 65(2), 227–246. doi:10.1007/s10734-012-9540-5

Bennett, R., Hobson, J., Jones, A., Martin-Lynch, P., Scutt, C., Strehlow, K. & Veitch, S. (2016) Being chimaera: A monstrous identity for SoTL academics, Higher Education Research & Development,35:2, 217-228, DOI:10.1080/07294360.2015.1087473

Bhabha, H. K. (1994). The location of culture. London & New York, NY: Routledge.

Biggs, J., Tang, C. (2011). Train-the-trainers: implementing outcomes-based teaching and learning in Malaysian higher education. Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction, 8, 1-19

Blackburn, S. C., &Nestel, D. (2014). Troublesome knowledge in paediatric surgical trainees: A qualitative study. Journal of surgical education, 71(5), 756-761.

Boyer, E. L. (1997), Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities for the professoriate, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.

Cousin, G. (2008). Strategies for Researching Learning in Higher Education (SEDA Series) Taylor and Francis. Kindle Edition.

Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2011). Strategies of Qualitative Inquiry. Sage.

Dushku, S. (2000). Conducting individual and focus group interviews in research in Albania. TESOL Quarterly, 34(4), 763-768.

Evans, C. A., &Kevern, P. (2015). Liminality in preregistration mental health nurse education: A review of the literature. Nurse education in practice, 15(1), 1-6.

Felten, P. (2016), On the threshold with students, in: Threshold concepts in practice, In Land, R., Meyer, J.H.F. and Flanagan, M.T., (eds), Sense Publishers, Rotterdam/Boston/Taipei, Chapter 1, 3-9

Felten, P. (2013). Principles of good practice in SoTL. Teaching and Learning Inquiry, 1(1), 121-125.

Grauerholz, L. & Zipp, J.F. (2008). How to do the scholarship of teaching and learning. TeachingSociology, 36(1), 87-94

Gosling, D. &Turner,R. (2015) Responding to contestation in teaching and learning projects in the Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in the United Kingdom, Studies in Higher Education, 40:9, 1573-1587, DOI: 10.1080/03075079.2014.899339

HadijahJaffri et al. (2016). A single case study on the practice of scholarship of teaching and learning, Manin India, 96 (1-2), 255-265

Healey-Etten, V., & Sharp, S. (2010). Teaching beginning undergraduates how to do an in-depth interview a teaching note with 12 handy tips. Teaching Sociology, 38(2), 157-165.

Hollins, E.R., Luna, C., & Lopez, S. (2014) Learning to teach teachers. Teaching Education, 25:1, 99-124, DOI: 10.1080/10476210.2012.755956

Lodge, J.M &Bonsanquet, A. (2014) Evaluating quality learning in higher education: re-examining the evidence. Quality in Higher Education, 20:1,3-23, DOI:10.1080/13538322.

849787

Hill, S. (2010). Troublesome knowledge: why don’t they understand? Health Information and Libraries Journal, 27, pp.80–83, DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2010. 00880.x

Hussain Othman et al. (2014). 3C3R model and Malaysian experience in training of trainers for problem- based learning. Pensee Journal.76(5):53-68

Ibrahim K.,Norzaini A.,&Sharina A.H. (2016). Pendekatan program pembangunan bakat akademik. In Norzaini A. (Eds.), MemperkasaKepimpinanAkademik: SemaiBaktiMenuai Budi. (197-220).Terengganu: Penerbit UMT.

Ibrahim K., Norzaini A., Sharina A.H & M. Firdaus H. (2016). Perancangan dan pengurusan bakat akademik. In Norzaini A. (Eds.), Memperkasa Kepimpinan Akademik: Semai Bakti Menuai Budi. (197-220). Terengganu: Penerbit UMT.

Lichtman, M. (2013). Qualitative research for the social sciences. SAGE Publications.

Lodge, J.M & Bonsanquet, A. (2014) Evaluating quality learning in higher education: re-examining the evidence, Quality in Higher Education, 20:1, 3-23, DOI:10.1080/13538322.

849787

Majid Ghasemy et Al. (2015). Assessment of leadership performance effectiveness in higher education: AMalaysian perspective. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Management (Mojem), 3(4), 63 - 79

Matthews, K.E, Lodge, J.M. &Bosanquet, A. (2014). Early career academic perceptions, attitudes andprofessional development activities: questioning the teaching and research gap to further academic development, International Journal for Academic Development, 19:2, 112-124, DOI: 10.1080/1360144X.2012.724421

Meyer, J.H.F. and Land, R. (2006.) Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge: Issues of Liminality, in: Meyer, J.H.F. and Land, R. (eds.), Overcoming Barriers to Student Understanding: threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge, London and New York: Routledge, 19-32

Meyer, J. H. F., & Land, R. (2005). Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge (2): Epistemological considerations and a conceptual framework for teaching and learning. Higher Education, 49(3), 373–388. doi:10.1007/s10734-004-6779-5

Meyer, J.H.F. and Land, R. (2003). Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge: linkages to ways of thinking and practising, in: Rust, C. (ed.), Improving Student Learning - Theory and Practice Ten Years On. Oxford: Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development (OCSLD), pp 412-424. [On- line version: Enhancing Teaching-Learning Environments in Undergraduate Courses, ETL Project, Occasional Report 4, May 2003 last accessed 5 June 2014]

Miles, M.B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. Sage.

Norazila A.A et al. (2010). Brave new world for university educators: Effects of pedagogical training on teaching at higher education level. The 3rd Regional Conference on Engineering Education & Research in Higher Education. 7-9 June 2010, Kuching, Sarawak: 1-16

Perkins, D. (2006). Constructivism and troublesome knowledge. In Overcoming barriers to student understanding(pp. 57-71). Routledge.

Pelan Pembangunan Pendidikan (2015-2025) [On-line version: last accessed 6 June 2017] [http://hes.mohe.gov.my/event/pppm-pt/docs/2.%20 Ringkasan%20 Eksekutif%20

PPPM%20 2015-2025.pdf]

Remmik, M., Karm, M., Haamer, A. &Lepp,L. 2011. Earlycareeracademics’ learning in academic communities. International Journal for AcademicDevelopment, 16:3, 187-199, DOI: 10.1080/1360144X.2011.596702.

Rodger, S., & Turpin, M. (2011, January). Using threshold concepts to transform entry level curricula. In 34th HERDSA Annual International Conference (Vol. 34, pp. 263-274). Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia.Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic books.

Ross, P. M., Burgin, S., Aitchison, C., &Catterall, J. (2011). Research writing in the Sciences: Liminal territory and high emotion. Journal of Learning Design, 4(3), 14-27.

Schröder, A., &Ahlström, G. (2004). Psychiatric care staff's and care associates’ perceptions of the concept of quality of care: A qualitative study. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 18(2), 204-212.

Sherman, T.M, Armistead, L.P, Fowler, F., Barksdale, M.A, &Reif, G. (1987). The quest for excellence in university teaching. The Journal of Higher Education, 58(1), 66-84

Simmons, N., Abrahamson, E., Deshler, J. M., Kensington-Miller, B., Manarin, K., Morón-García, S. &Renc-Roe, J. (2013). Conflicts and configurations in a liminal space: SoTL scholars' identity development. Teaching and Learning Inquiry, 1(2), 9-21.

Tunku Ahmad et al. (2014). Assessment for learning practices and competency among Malaysian university lecturers: A national study. Practitioner Research in Higher Education. 8(1), 14-31

Thornton, T. (2014) Professional recognition: promoting recognition through the Higher Education Academy in a UK higher education institution. Tertiary Education and Management, 20:3, 225 - 238, DOI: 10.1080/13583883.2014.931453

Walker, J.D., Baepler, P. & Cohen, B. (2008). The scholarship of teaching and learning paradox: results without rewards.College Teaching, 56(3), 183-189

Wenger, E. (1999). Communities of practice: learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge University Press.

Wenger, E. (1998). Community of practice: a brief introduction. Learning in Doing, 15(4), 1–7. doi:10.2277/0521663636

Yin, H., Lu, G. & Wang, W. (2014) Unmasking the teaching quality of higher education: students’ course experience and approaches to learning in China, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 39:8, 949-970, DOI:10.1080/02602938.2014.880107.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Index