KUCHING: The concepts and designs of teaching and learning must adapt to changes due to the transformation in students as well as modern technology.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg pointed out that educators nowadays are confronted with students who are vastly different from students of yesteryear.
“Students are now more exposed to information obtained from a variety of sources and have the tendency to learn and ask more in-depth questions.
“With the current pandemic, educators have no choice but to redefine their teaching methods,” he said when officiating at the launch of Sarawak Preschool International Convention 2021, which was held virtually via Zoom and Facebook Live on Saturday (Oct 2).
He noted that students in the new millennium had greater access to information as they were more exposed to the rapid pace of technological development.
He said that with the aid of technology and platforms such as Google, YouTube, and Facebook, information could be obtained from anywhere and at any time.
“Apart from that, the current pandemic has forced educators to conduct their classes virtually via Zoom Meetings, Google Meet, and video calls. Therefore, the concept of teaching and learning needs to change,” he said.
Abang Johari said students of today must learn on their own — with the aid of their parents or guardians in the case of younger children. He explained that this was called heutagogy (self-directed learning).
“In the past, where classes can be conducted normally, students were recipients of knowledge, but now as there are limitations to conduct face-to-face classes, children have no choice but to be co-curators of knowledge.
“We need a change of mindsets among educators. Learning is more fun, challenging, active, interactive, and immersive. Educators have to engage in more innovative teaching methodologies such as role-play as well as hands-on and minds-on learning,” he said.
He stressed that competent educators needed to equip themselves with certain skills to facilitate them in facing the challenges of 21st century education and the ongoing pandemic, noting that such efforts required much sacrifice and commitment.
“For committed educators, all the difficulties and challenges will pay off if the students are able to be nurtured so that they succeed in studies and life,” he said.
He said educators must be effective in dealing with challenges, especially in this new norm. He added that it was vital for educators to always motivate themselves and strengthen their determination to face new challenges.
“As such, teachers need to be fair, democratic, responsive, considerate, kind, honest, energetic, attractive, responsible, stable, calm, and confident.
“In addition, effective educators can utilise teaching and learning to cultivate students with good moral practices and noble values,” said Abang Johari.
He also said that character building as the basis of human foundation widely depended on the skills of educators.
He emphasised that educators must be able to adapt to changes and be resilient in their teaching, as education is the core foundation of building the future of the nation.
“Educators must constantly improve and defend the ethics of educational professionalism. As competent educators, they need to gain more skills by supporting lifelong learning and be willing to change with time,” he said.
