KUALA LUMPUR: Recently, a radio disc jockey took a lot of flak when he shared a TikTok video of a primary school teacher conducting a science lesson in English on the new Education TV channel DidikTV and made fun of her pronunciation and teaching style.
He was slammed by netizens for publicly shaming the teacher who was seen trying to explain the human reproductive system in an enthusiastic manner.
Although the sharing of the video clip on social media was done in poor taste, it, however, revealed flaws in the teaching and learning system and the incompetence of some of DidikTV’s teaching staff.
DidekTV was launched on Feb 17 as part of the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) efforts to enhance access to quality education for students nationwide.
DidekTV can be viewed through channel 107 on MYTV, 147 on Astro and ntv7 on TV Unifi from 7am to midnight daily.
For most of the teachers roped in by DidekTV, it is the first time they are conducting lessons in front of television cameras in a studio, so it is only natural for them to feel nervous. After all, “talking to a camera” is far different from teaching face-to-face in a classroom.
Effective and interesting
Sharing her experiences as a DidikTV teacher, Haslindar Nor Ismail, who teaches Bahasa Melayu at SMK Seri Mulia, Cheras, said she was filled with trepidation as well as excitement the first time she faced the camera to teach Bahasa Melayu.
“My heart was pounding because I was worried I would not be able to execute whatever I had planned, especially the part which required me to sing a song to attract the attention of my viewers.
“At the same time, I was also excited as I couldn’t wait to share my knowledge with all the students, as well as challenge myself as I wanted to see how far I can go in exploring this new teaching medium,” she told Bernama.
Haslindar said to ensure that she did not have to endure any awkward moment in front of the camera, she came well prepared and used her creativity to make her teaching sessions effective and interesting.
“Whilst conducting the class, I imagined my students listening to me whilst watching me live on TV, even though I was only staring at a camera,” she said.
Monitor
She also said that apart from making use of their knowledge and teaching experience, DidikTV teachers must also take the initiative to use various other materials and approaches to make their teaching sessions interesting and easy to understand.
“One of my colleagues who teaches science on DidikTV displayed the replica of a skull whilst conducting her lesson … this is how we teachers try to make our lessons interesting and easy to understand,” she added.
The DidikTV teachers’ presentations, meanwhile, are closely monitored by MoE’s Co-curricular Development Division to ensure that their knowledge delivery is effective and in accordance with the standards set by the ministry.
Haslindar said although society expects teachers to be perfect as they play the role of educators, in reality, however, they are ordinary human beings who have their own weaknesses too.
“There are people out there who think we are not competent enough. But as teachers, we must view their criticisms positively. We must make sure we keep improving our knowledge and are well prepared for our presentations.
“And, as teachers of the new millennium, we have to be mentally strong as we are living in an era where certain matters can go viral (on social media),” she added.
Beneficial
Parents interviewed by Bernama expressed their support for DidikTV which they regarded as extra lessons for their children, particularly those preparing for major examinations.
Zaliah Hashim, the mother of a Form Three student, said having experienced teachers participating in the DidikTV programme would help students to revise their lessons at home.
“With our nation still facing the Covid-19 pandemic, some parents prefer their children to study at home. Furthermore, many tuition centres have not started operating yet,” she said.
Another parent Zulfazli Hamzah said the education channel was beneficial for students and that he found the various approaches taken by the teaching staff effective.
“Take, for example, Cikgu Rohani (Md Nor) who teaches additional mathematics … she has been receiving positive feedback from the public. (Through her teaching techniques) she makes a tough subject seem easy and we parents are excited to see the way she teaches,” he added. – Bernama
