As a teacher, students achievement is very important in judging a teacher's performances. However, talking about performance, we must also take into account how is these students being tested, is it more exam-orientated, more hands-on approach, or more of a balanced type? We will focus more regarding this in the coming weeks (until that very group that suppose to present this topic that is.)
So now, our focus will be on these SIX issues:
- Social economy Status
- Influence of friends
- Gender
- School factor
- Language used
- And of course, teacher themselves.
Social Economy
Ok, now let us go to the first issue, that is social economy status of the student. When we mention social economy, straight away most people will link it with their parents (in case any of the readers is confuse, I am talking about students of course). "What are their occupations?" Yup that will mostly be the first question being asked or at least comes into mind. From here, people will have a bias opinions regarding their characteristics, income, education background, and stability of the family.
Parents with good occupation usually come from good educational background, that is how they manage to get into the position they are now, with that comes a good or stable income in which is important to have a stable family. A stable family can supply their children with equipments that are necessary in today's education world, for example reference book (why? because even teachers use reference book as their main source more than textbook, which means even students which are supply with free textbooks might need to buy at least ONE reference book for EACH subject), computer or even laptop (nowadays, schools even offers a subject call ICT sums it up- the important of technology and skills in using it), internet (well what can I say a lazy but effective way to cure our curiosity as compare to books, knowledge at your fingertips, huh...), stationary such as pen, and so many more, don't even let me get started on basic necessities such as food. All these involve money, how these children are going to be satisfied let alone LEARN COMFORTABLY if their parents cannot afford to? In which if this is the case, they are forced to work. How cruel, but yes their entertainment, their suppose-to-be childhood time is being robbed from them. So, how can a child in this situation can understand the importance of education when he or she is already fighting just to survive? Hence this is a big factor and issue that teachers should be aware of. Now, students are sometimes judge due to their behaviour, but where do they learn all these behaviour from? Most probably their parents. If their parent are those foul-mouth type, then it is very likely that their children will follow as they see it as normal and nothing unusual since they hear it everyday from their parents.
Influence of friends
Friends play an important role in our life. When we are young it is our parents and family members that we are close to, but when we enter standard one, we spend more than five hours in school and this period increases as we tend to be more active school co-curriculum. So who are the ones most probably we spend our time with? There are only two possibilities which are teachers and friends. Still many prefer friends because they are same in age (or almost identical in age for seniors and juniors). There will be curiosity in which they feel they are more comfortable in sharing with their friends compare to teachers and family members. So, when these friends are the type that are lazy, poor in attitude, very likely they will influence people, but at the same time these lazy and poor in attitude children can also be influence by others in becoming better.
Gender
Ermm..., the ability of male and female is always question by many... but are there any significant qualities? The recent results regarding the PMR and SPM suggest that females are leading males. Just look at the students studying in higher learning institute will suggest to you that females are indeed overpowering males in education. How bias... Why... Firstly, let us look at the number of female teachers in a school as compare to male teachers. Just a quick survey even at your nearest school will suggest that female teachers are INDEED MORE THAN male teachers. So, some interesting issues pop-ed out in our recent discussion, are these female teachers female-bias, meaning they are more comfortable around with female students as compare to male students? If so, how they are coping with the male students let alone teach them, guide them. Sooner or later, male students will get the impression that since they are not given enough attention, and having difficulty in their academics but yet feeling guilty in approaching the relevant parties for help (that is teacher), they might as well just sail through the entire process without really trying or being motivated to truly overcome these difficulties. Secondly, again as in the introductory segment, how do our children are being tested, some are good in theories, while some are better in hands-on, and the list is endless, but how are they tested? Is it a well balanced test? Can these results testified that female students are really overpowering male students academically? Thirdly, there exists a rumor saying that female students cannot cope with male students especially in subjects such as Additional Mathematics, Mathematics and Physics (well since this blog touches mainly on Mathematics, so no offense to female readers... I am sure boys are so called weak in other subjects too... just a joke!), but how true are all these? There are multiple research that have been done regarding this issue in overseas but so far the percentage significant is rather small and even negligible.
School
A school is where children or students gain sufficient skills and knowledge to adapt to the ever changing world. Hence a school is a very important place, and not for parents to dump their children there and that's it. Responsible readers will be confused by my previous sentence, but yeah that is what many parents are doing. That is why there exist an association called PIBG where parents need to play their part even in school and not only to let the responsibility be shouldered by teachers only. Let us start this issue from the teachers perspective (mind you I will not touch this issue regarding teachers in detail as in the coming weeks there will be more issues that are teacher related will definitely pop up), each and every students are unique in their own way, this imply to how they can effectively learn something (again some are good theoretically, while some are better in hands-on and the list is endless...). So what should a teacher do? What we witness is still the usual chalk and talk method, don't get me wrong I am not saying that this is not an effective method but rather with so many new technologies at our disposal, why not try out something new. Even a simple model such as setting up a pyramid or square by using cardboard is a good way to inspire our students. This is especially true for subjects that are known as applied mathematics such as Physics. Physics teachers cannot use only textbook or even reference book to teach their students, but must at least do some demonstrations or practical work in order to let their students see their application and thus somehow relate to the real world. Then, not to let their students memorize formulas but guide them how all these formulas they are using come from (this itself is one form of way to let the students see the application of it). Then this is follow by school surroundings. Imagine schools with broken windows, unclean toilets, unorganized tables and chairs in the classroom, poor facilities in laboratory, no greenery, smelly canteen, ... do you as a reader even consider spending a minute there. Then how about the students, which spend at least five hours in that filthy environment! Yet we still blame our children that they do not give their full commitment when they do badly in their exams, but is it really their fault or the one who is suppose to in-charge school cleanliness to blame? This indirectly lead us to the one that assume the highest leadership post in the school, headmaster or headmistress (before I proceed, please do not be misguided that we blame the headmaster for all these cleanliness stuff, we know is a lot more complex than that.). The vision of the headmaster is very important to the teachers, students and even parents. Vision alone is not sufficient, it must be backed up by action too, but who is going to carry out these actions? No way can the headmaster do all these by himself but of course with the cooperation from teachers, and so many parties involve. A good headmaster is a good leader which can motivates and convince all his troops to go along with him and his troops must also support his vision and action. That is why it is important that headmaster (regardless the status of the school as some cluster school even come from a very difficult background) is able to lead his troops to achieve a mission that is in accordance towards the vision of Ministry of Education.
Language
Lately, the language used to teach Science and Mathematics has become a hot topic. This issue will be discussed more in the coming weeks.
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