Percaya Membuahkan Tindakan (from FB Note)

"Kepercayaan" adalah salah satu perkara yang sering meghantui mutu pendidikan... Bukan kepercayaan yang berkaitan dengan agama, tetapi kepercayaan tentang tugas...

Diakui oleh ramai pakar pendidikan mutakhir, kepercayaan guru membentuk tindakan mereka di dalam kelas... Jika seseorang guru itu percaya bahawa pelajar di dalam kelas yang mereka masuk itu murid yang pandai2, guru akan bertindak selaras dgn kepercayaan mereka... Jika dia (guru) percaya bahawa kelas yang dia masuk itu average, dia akan bertindak secara lain pula... Sudah tentu jika dia masuk ke kelas yang dipercayai "tidak cerdik", maka dia akan melayan pelajar secara tidak cerdik...

Fikirkan contoh ini (dipetik dan diadaptasi drpd kajian yg termuat dlm sebuah jurnal pendidikan antarabangsa)...

Cikgu Z mengajar 2 kelas yang berbeza... Kelas A (yg pandai) dan Kelas B (yg x pandai)...

Ketika berada di kelas A, Ckg Z memulakan dengan pertanyaan sbg set induksi... Pelajar disuruh membincangkan topik yang diutarakan... Kelihatan pelajar mula masuk dalam kumpulan... Ada pelajar yang berjln2 antara kumpulan... Kelas semakin bising... Ckg Z tdk marah krn yakin bahawa bunyi bising itu adalah bunyi perbincangan yg kian rancak... sesekali terdengar pelajar ketawa namun tiada teguran drpd Ckg Z krn dia yakin pelajar ketawa krn terjumpa sesuatu yang melucukan dlm perbincangan akademik mereka... Jgn keterlaluan je... Selepas beberapa masa, Ckg Z melaksanakan perbincangan terbuka tentang topik tersebut... Pelajar segera menjawab bahkan ada yang menjawab secara spontan dan meledakkan ketawa dalam kelas... Ckg Z hanya tersenyum... Tiada aturan dlm menjawab... pelajar boleh memberi respon dengan terbuka pd bila2 masa... Kerja rumah yg agak byk diberikan... Seorang murid meminta dikurangkan krn byk kerja rumah lain yg perlu disiapkan... Ckg Z bersetuju mengurangkan... "Siapkan keje di rumah jika x sempat"... mereka ni bleh dipercayai...

Pd hari yg sama, Ckg Z masuk ke Kelas B... Sebaik saja masuk, Ckg Z menunjukkan perwatakan garang... x blh diberi muka katanya... Pelajar disuruh diam dan tidak bercakap... Hanya apabila dibenarkan bercakap, barulah mereka blh bercakap tapi perlu terlebih dahulu mengangkat tangan... Ckg Z memulakan pengajaran... Murid dilarang melakukan apa2 kecuali mendengar penerangan Ckg Z... Setelah penerangan diberikan, latihan diberikan... hanya sedikit saja latihan diberi... mereka ni "x bekemampuan", malas plak tu, "x nak berubah"... Semua murid perlu menyiapkan segera... Tiada suara bising blh kedengaran krn bising bermakna murid tdk melakukan kerja yg diberi... Muka Ckg Z masih garang... Tiada perbincangan berlaku secara terbuka... Jika siap, murid perlu menghantar kerja... Ckg Z menanda lalu menerangkan kesilapan yg telah dibuat... Sementara menunggu, Ckg Z memerhati kelas... sering jugak Ckg Z terjerit menegur murid dgn suara yang tegas dan keras...

Beginikah yang sepatutnya... Murid Kelas A merasakan pengajaran Ckg Z enjoy dan best... Murid Kelas B merasakan pelajaran yg diajar Ckg Z susah dan membosankan... Jika murid drpd Kelas A tdk menyiapkan kerja rumah atas sbb byk kerja, alasan tersebut sudah cukup kukuh bg Ckg Z, tetapi alasan tersebut tdk diterima di Kelas B krn pre-assumption Ckg Z adlh murid Kelas B malas... Kaedah pengajaran di Kelas A bersifat aktif dan menjana pembelajaran secara konstruktif (Piaget)... manakala, pengajaran di Kelas B bersifat autokratif, monotone dan pasif (behaviorist)... Seperti yg kita tahu, teori konstruktivisma lebih efisien drpd behaviorisma... Maka, Kelas A terus pandai dan Kelas B terus ketinggalan...

Lebih-lebih lagi, pelajaran di Kelas A lebih advance... semua topik disentuh... di Kelas B, hanya yang mudah2 saja disentuh dan sering silibus x sempat dihabiskan... sesuailah dgn tahap mereka... Peperiksaan tetap sama... mestilah standard... Dlm peperiksaan semua topik diuji drpd yg sng hingga yg susah... Mcm mana dgn murid kelas B? Kelas A sudah tentu berpotensi utk mjawab semua walaupun tdk dpt dipastikan betul kesemuanya (krn tlh belajar semua topik dan aras)... Kelas B hanya dpt menjawab yg senang2 dan yg sempat diajar Cikgu Z dlm kelas...

Ditambah dgn 'kegilaan" guru dan sekolah utk membina soalan mencabar bg murid mereka (spy murid cemerlang- alah bisa tegal biasa), jelas menunjukkan bahawa murid Kelas B secara x langsung telah diprojektil untuk gagal dan terus gagal krn peratus dan potensi utk lulus dalam peperiksaan hanya semaksimum 25% iaitu peratusan bilangan soalan senang dan topik yg sempat disentuh yg terdapat dlm peperiksaan (katakan 50% soalan senang dan 50% topik disentuh)...

Benarkah murid Kelas B tidak "berkemampuan"? Apakah yg menentukan tahap kemampuan (ability)? Bagaimana pula cara mengukur kemampuan? Adakah pencapaian menggambarkan kemampuan? Adakah sebarang pertalian langsung antara pencapaian dan kemampuan?

"mampu" terlalu subjektif utk diukur... pencapaian bukanlah ukuran kemampuan... Apatah lagi pencapaian yg bersifat UMUM - (peratusan BM + BI + MATHS + PAI dll...)- yg digunakan utk menentukan pembahagian kelas... Tidak hairanlah satu demi satu instrumen untuk mengukur kemampuan dirumus oleh pakar pendidikan dan psikologi... X cukup dgn IQ, lalu dirumuskan EQ... Segalanya adlh untuk mengukur kemampuan natural manusia namun kesemuanya masih belum dapat mengukur setepat-tepatnya apa yg dikatakan sebagai "kemampuan"... Adilkah guru meletakkan tanggapan awal tentang kemampuan murid tanpa mengadakan ujian yg benar-benar sahih?


Allahu 'alam...

~KEMPEN MARI BACA BUKU~
http://www.stormreaders.net/shamsukama

Curriculum Wars

Curriculum Wars In The Name of Equity and Equality: Is it real?

By Shamsukama Bin Mohd Zahri

Submitted on June 4, 2010

For EDUC7030: Curriculum Design & Practice

Masters Of Educational Studies (Mathemnatics)

Introduction

        It is interesting to found that globalisation has inspired people all around the world to think about what will happen to the world in the future. Among the most interesting parts is how globalisation has made people tends to think about other’s future. Even about the one who they do not know and have not met in the real life. Another interesting fact is how globalisation has agitated the sense of fighting for one’s rights and equality which has charged one’s attention about how changes in the surrounding community affect one’s rights. However, reading this news below made me rethinking about what will happen to education in the future if everyone tends to think only about himself and his/her groups’ interest and subsequently want special attention to be drawn in the school curriculum.

        In explaining this notion, I agreed with Apple (as cited in Murray, 2008) that political and ideological issues are inherent in curriculum development (besides educational issues). Therefore, for me, it is the time to go back to the basic question in educational curriculum design that is “What knowledge is of most worth?” This question should be discussed in the light of equity and equality in education, so that, we can clearly see whether the slogan of “asking for equality” that have been used by some political and ideological groups are really for the sake of children’s education or not. This issue is important in order to make sure that curriculum reforms can be implemented smoothly without wasting time wiggling with suggestions that are not related to the main objective of the reforms itself (i.e. children’s education for successful future life).

Full article can be read using this link below: http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,50494,00.html

Equity and Equality

        Both phrases seem similar and sometimes they are both reciprocally used in discussing about human rights. Surprisingly, all dictionaries are unanimous in differencing both phrases. For instance, TheFreeDictionary.com defines equity as

1. The state, quality, or ideal of being just, impartial, and fair.
2. Something that is just, impartial, and fair.
3. Law
   
   
   • Justice applied in circumstances covered by law yet influenced by principles of ethics and fairness.
   • A system of jurisprudence supplementing and serving to modify the rigor of common law.
   • An equitable right or claim
   • Equity of redemption.
4. The residual value of a business or property beyond any mortgage thereon and liability therein
5. 
   
   
   
   • The market value of securities less any debt incurred.
   • Common stock and preferred stock.
6. Funds provided to a business by the sale of stock

The same dictionary defines equality as

1. The state or quality of being equal.
2. Mathematics A statement, usually an equation, that one thing equals another.

I listed down some other links that gives the same explanation about equity and equality.

1. http://www.differencebetween.net/language/difference-between-equity-and-equality/
2. http://frtuck.blogspot.com/2006/12/equity-vs-equality.html (Tuck, December 6, 2006)

These links below discusses about educational equity and equality.

1. http://crookedtimber.org/2009/03/31/educational-equity-and-educational-equality/ (Brighouse, March 31, 2009)
2. http://mste.illinois.edu/hill/papers/equity.html (Hill, no date)

        Therefore, equity and equality are different in definition. To conclude, equity means ‘fairness or the ideal of being fair’ but equality means ‘the state of being equal’. Due to Sherman and Poirier (2007), - in writing for UNESCO’s Educational Equity and Public Policy: Comparing results from 16 countries- equality was listed as one of the equity principles.  In contrast, Brighouse (2008) explained equality as it is as the same as equity but he later (March 31, 2009) admits that equity in fact differs from equality. The notion that equity is more meaningful than equality is supported by many scholars (see Hill, no date; Tuck, December 6, 2006), except for Brighouse (December 31, 2009) in which he argues that equity is some sort of action to calm people for not achieve pure equality. In valuing the meaning of equity and equality, I am prone to accept dictionary’s definition (which is resonance with most scholars) and see both words in a positive way (rather than agreeing with Brighouse).

Moreover, in addressing about equality, almost all scholars frame their discussion among the notion of every child should get equal opportunity to succeed in education rather than they should be treated equally in every aspect (see Jencks, 1988; Brighouse & Swift, 2008). This notion has been widely discussed in the light of improving the accessibility to school and education sources, and reception of a quality education.

        One the other hand, equity has been explained as the notion that every child should be treated as fair as possible in order to enable them to have similar level of educational resources and similar result (Sherman & Poirier, 2007). In this case, fair does not mean equal because children from different region might need different type of support. For instance, afterschool classes might be needed in a rural area rather than in a city due to the fact that additional resources of education are limited in that region. It is important to acknowledge that different educational treatment might be needed by different individual and/or community. Even, sometimes the difference might be based on gender and race/ethnicity. For example, spatial-thinking skills have been found as naturally better among boys than girls. Therefore, mathematics geometry curriculum should be able to address the weakness of girls in spatial-thinking skills more than that to boys.

        Obviously, it is likely to say that the focus of new curriculum is neither to equalize everyone in every aspect nor to treats every difference in everyone. In fact, educational equality and equity in curriculum reforms means to make sure every child have the same standard of education by equalizing the opportunity to have better education and trying to make education equitable for every child. Moreover, we should remember that not everything can be equalized but we surely can equate them!

Does everything in curriculum wars really need to be addressed?

Is it necessary to include every personal political interest into curriculum reforms? Does it worth it to include everything and gain nothing? Thus, what is important and more in priority to be addressed? As we discussed in previous section, the notion of equity and equality in education is more on how to design a curriculum such that it will be more equitable in quality and equal in opportunity to every children regardless of place, ethnic, status and situation. To this extent, I agree with the excerpt below (taken from the same news article)

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,50494,00.html

        In addition to my arguments, I listed below some principles of equality and equity in education from some scholars to show clearly that the notion of equality and equity in education is nothing more than for education itself (obviously, not for other unrelated interest). 

UNESCO’s Principles of equity (Sherman & Poirier, 2007, p.24)

1.    Horizontal equity

Serve equitable education system for children who equally situated (i.e. for them to have similar level of educational resources and achieve similar results).

2.    Vertical equity

Serve education system that can be considered as equitable for children who differently situated and unequal starting points (i.e. for them to have considerably similar level of educational resources and achieve similar results).

3.    Equal Education Opportunity

Children should have equal opportunity to succeed (relatively based on children’s motivation and effort).

Principle of equality (Jencks, 1988, p.519-520)

1.    Democratic equality

To give every child equal time and attention regardless of their performance, effort and attitude, and how the time and attention given to them beneficial to others.

2.    Moralistic justice

To reward virtue and punish vice.

3.    Weak humane justice

To compensate previously disadvantage students (in education)

4.    Strong humane justice

To compensate previously disadvantage students (in area other than education including those genetically disadvantage)

5.    Utilitarianism

To give equal opportunity to race for an unequal reward (a race must be open, levelled and based on performance)

        Last but not least, I leave it to the readers to evaluate whether four ideological fronts attached below (obviously it is the same with the one I have attached before) ask for an ‘educationally reasonable’ demand for the sake of children’s education and successful future life.

 

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,50494,00.html

REFERENCES

Brighouse, H. & Swift, A. (2008). Putting educational equality in its place. American Finance and Policy,444-466.

Brighouse (March 31, 2009). Educational Equity and Educational Equality. Retrieved on May 2, 2010 from http://crookedtimber.org/2009/03/31/educational-equity-and-educational-equality/

Hill, J. (no date). Equity vs. Equality? Retrieved on May 2, 2010 from http://mste.illinois.edu/hill/papers/equity.html

Jencks, C. (1988). Whom Must We Treat Equally for Educational Opportunity to be Equal?. Ethics, 98(3), 518-533.

Murray, H. (2008). Curriculum wars: national identity in education.London Review of Education, 6(1), 39-45.

Sherman, J.D. & Poirier, J.M. (2007). Educational Equity and Public Policy: Comparing results from 16 countries. Montreal: UNESCO-UIS.

Tuck, F. (December 6, 2006). Equity vs. Equality. Retrieved on Mei 2, 2010 from http://frtuck.blogspot.com/2006/12/equity-vs-equality.html

Berkatnya redhamu guru (from FB notes)

Tiba-tiba teringat kepada salah seorang guru yang memberi kesan yang besar dalam hidupku... Almarhum Cikgu Abdullah merupakan seorang guru sejarah yang bersahaja dan lucu tetapi sering menasihati kami seisi kelas... Walaupun agak lemah-lembut dan sopan, tidak janggal rasanya jika dikatakan beliau sangat kami sanjungi...
 
Peristiwa yang sering bermain diingatan
1) Tulang telunjuk kananku bengkak sudah hampir seminggu... Sudah seminggu juga aku menulis dengan meletakkan pen di celah-celah jari telunjuk dan jari hantu kerana jari telunjukku tidak boleh dibengkokkan untuk memegang pen...

Suatu hari, beliau datang kepadaku lalu menawarkan diri untuk mengurut jari telunjukku. Walaupun kesakitan, aku membiarkan sahaja beliau mengurut lokasi bengkak itu. Keesokan harinya, jariku bertambah bengkak... Rupa-rupanya, beliau bukanlah pandai mengurut tetapi demi seorang anak didik, dicuba juga... Sabo aje la... Tapi aku redha kerana beliau guruku... Terima kasih, cikgu...

2) Entah kenapa aku benar-benar malas pada hari itu. Tiba-tiba terlintas di fikiranku untuk ponteng kelas buat kali pertama dalam hidupku (kelas sejarah)... Semasa aku mencari 'port' yang agak baik, aku dan kawanku ternampak beliau dalam perjalanan ke kelas kami... Nasibku baik, kami menyorok di tangga... Tidak semena-mena, bahuku disentuh orang... Sambil tersenyum, beliau mempelawa kami ke kelas... Untuk 'cover line', terpaksalah aku berbohong tidak mendengar bunyi loceng... Sambil terus tersenyum beliau menunjukkan loceng yang betul-betul berada di bahagian atas kepala kami... Malunya aku... Terima kasih, cikgu... Teguranmu menyelamatkan aku...

3) Keputusan SPM telah diisytiharkan di televisyen. Keesokkan harinya aku ke sekolah untuk mengambil keputusan peperiksaanku... Kerana dilambai oleh guru kelasku yang mengajar matapelajaran Fizik, jadilah aku antara orang pertama yang mengambil keputusan SPM pada tahun tersebut... Sebaik sahaja hendak keluar, aku bertembung dengan beliau di pintu kiri dewan... Beliau mengheretku ke tepi dewan lalu menolakku perlahan ke dinding dewan... Sambil mengcekak leher bajuku dan mengacukan penumbuk ke mukaku, beliau bertanya keputusan SPMku bagi matapelajarn yang diajarnya... Apabila jawapanku memuaskan hatinya, beliau melepaskan aku lalu mengucapkan tahniah kepadaku (sebenarnya sebelum SPM aku sangat lemah dalam matapelajaran yang diajarnya)... Tapi aku tahu, beliau melakukan begitu kerana redhanya dan sayangnya kepada kami... Terima kasih, cikgu...

4) Dua Khamis berturut-turut aku ditinggalkan di dalam kelas selepas waktu sekolah... Dah la pada hari Khamis, dewan makan menghidangkan menu nasi ayam (yang menjadi kegemaran kami)... Semuanya gara-gara tertidur semasa kelas beliau... Manakan tidak, 2 jam bersengkang mata belajar matapelajaran sejarah di waktu tengahari membawa ke petang... Maafkan aku, cikgu... Sudah puas aku menahan mataku... Apa yang menjadi kenangan, beliau memberhentikan kelas sebaik sahaja aku tertidur dan kelas diarahkan supaya diam dan tidak bising... Terima kasih, cikgu... Sejak itu, aku tidak lagi tidur dalam kelas beliau... tak tergamak aku mencipta rekod tiga kali berturut-turut ditinggalkan di dalam kelas...

5) Peristiwa yang paling aku ingati... Suatu hari, kami bertanya beliau tentang cara beliau belajar sehinggakan berjaya dalam matapelajaran sejarah (yang paling aku tak suka)... Sambil berseloroh beliau menyarankan kami supaya belajar sambil menonton televisyen kerana iklannya lebih panjang daripada cerita (betul juga ye)... Gelak ketawa kami memecah keseriusan pada tengahari tersebut... Lalu beliau memberikan satu petua yang agak tidak kelihatan rasionalnya iaitu berselawat dan tidur sebelum mula belajar... Yakin dengan kata-katanya, aku menurut saja saranan beliau sehari sebelum peperiksaan bulanan (kawan-kawan lain aku tak tahu)... Keesokkan harinya, apa yang aku belajar dan hafal semalam 'keluar' dalam peperiksaan tersebut... Apa lagi, skor la aku... Selepas peperiksaan, aku bertemu beliau dan mengucapkan terima kasih sambil menceritakan apa yang berlaku... Menurut beliau, petua tersebut hanya satu panduan agar kami banyak berselawat... Berkatnya redha guru... Jika diikuti dengan taat, Insya Allah mempunyai keberkatan... Terima kasih, cikgu... Aku berjaya jua dalam matapelajaran yang paling aku tak suka...

Berkatnya redhamu guru... Walaupun dalam keadaan bergurau dan bersahaja...
Semoga ruhmu dikumpulkan bersama orang-orang yang beriman di syurga...
Al-Fatihah...