The Holistic Development Of The Individuals

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

New Primary School Curriculum (KBSR) was tried in 305 schools in 1982 and was officially implemented in all schools in 1983(Choong Lean Keow, 2008). Since Malaysia is a country with different ethnics, traditional and culture; national philosophy of education was formed in 1988 based on national ideology, cultures of Malaysian, national principles and education reports and ordinance in order to provide a fundamental basis for curriculum policies in Malaysia. With the purpose of playing an active role in the realization of NPE and to establish a strong foundation for subjects and basic skills, some changes were made. In 1993 the New Primary School Education (KBSR) was changed to Primary School Integrated Curriculum (KBSR). The changes were made together with the goal to ensure the holistic development of pupils. This development covers aspects that include intellectual, spiritual, physical, emotional, social, talents and aesthetic values which are based on NPE. The aim of KBSR is to raise the literacy level of pupils and to develop their cognitive, thinking skills and most importantly is to produce 21st century learners through teaching-and-learning. To develop children as learns, teachers play a very important role. In realizing the 4 principles of KBSR based on the NPE, teachers need to be open-minded in using ICT and must be ready for new knowledge and skills in classroom, teaching-and-learning willing to implement innovation in the subjects.(227)

The first principle which was focus on KBSR is integrated Approach. As stated by Choong Lean Keow (2008), integrated approach is a type method used in order to produce a holistic individual in a child in most aspects in NPE such as physically, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually and social where knowledge, skills and values are combined. Skills cohesion which is also known as a linking of skills in subject area is one of the ways which were implemented in integrated approach. There are 2 types of skills cohesion that are focused KBSR namely mastering the skills for languages and mastering skills between subjects. For instance, the basic literacy skills that apply in language are speaking, listening, reading, and writing, the cohesion of two skills like listening and speaking or listening and writing is stress in classroom. From the four basic skills students might able to improve their productive skills which can be practice in speaking and writing and also receptive skills which is from listening and reading skills. Besides that, infusion is also another ways implemented in integrated approach whereby moral values are instill indirectly through subjects taught in school to produce individuals with good character. For instance, co-operation or respect one another during group discussion in any subjects are also focused in integrated approach whereby good values are applied to produce holistic learners. From there some students may indirectly develop leadership skills among them which may increase their level of confident. The other two ways of integrated concept are integration of two elements and element-across-the-curriculum.(254)

Holistic Development of individual was the second principle that is focused in KBSR. According to Lean Keow (2008), holistic development of individual is the combination of physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual (JERIS) that are found in all subjects as implemented in KBSR based on NPE. Thus, every subject plays an important role in fulfilling the physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual needs of students. The developments of JERIS usually take place naturally in social environment especially in school compound. To develop students’ physical development and skills in KBSR, the curriculum and co-curriculum play an important role in it. For instance, when students involve themselves in physical and health education or co-curricular activities in school, they are actually involved in maintaining a healthy lifestyle in physical and mental aspect and they might have a higher stamina in sports in the future. There is various ways to development emotional skills through subjects in school. For instance in art education, in the subject class like drawing classes or music classes students may be sensitive towards artistic and aesthetic values in daily lives and thus emotional values was implemented in students’ live. Besides that, emotional skills like cooperation, discipline or respect others can be development in any subjects through group discussion. While for subject like Islamic education and moral education it focus on religious, noble in character, responsible individual, moral values and positive thinking which will develop their spiritual development. Lastly, subjects like Mathematics, language subject, or even science may develop students’ intellectual skills as most subject have problem solving whereby rational thinking was implemented. Thus, holistic development in KBSR is focused in every subject to develop a combination of the physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual in students as a whole.(286)

The third principle which was focus on KBSR is Life-long learning. Life-long learning is more or likely similar with on-going efforts in improving individual knowledge, skills and attitude or values in life which is not restricted by time (Choong Lean Keow, 2008). Life-long learning was implemented in KBSR as it may bring a significant change in an individual life. As the world keeps changing, it is important for a teacher to continue learning so as to open the students’ mind and develop their knowledge and basic skills to enable them to face their daily life situation. It is significant for a teacher to transfer knowledge and desired behaviour to students. Besides that, the implementation of life-long learning in KBSR also focused on nurturing students’ interest in pursuing knowledge and reading culture or to cultivate a hunger for learning in students’ life. For instance, an English subject teacher may teach the student an article regarding to stress which may bring awareness among students on the signs of stress and how to overcome from stress in the future. Thus, life-long learning was introduced in KBSR to build the foundation for students’ basic acquisition to continue their own learning and self-directed in learning even after leaving the school compound.(202)

One education for all was the fourth and the last principle that are lists in KBSR. According to Choong Lean Keow (2008), one education for all in implemented through providing the same curriculum and same schooling level through all students in Malaysia. In other words, all vocational schools and non-vocational schools in Malaysia have been provided the same curriculum and schooling level that starts form age of 7 to 17 which is primary standard one to secondary form 5. Besides providing the same curriculum and schooling level for all, common exam and no school fees are also practiced in one education for all. The purpose of this principle is to universalize Malaysia education system in order to follow up with the First and Second Country. Besides that, it can also bring unity in Malaysian education system based on NPE as students from different ethnics in Malaysia can sit together in the same learning environment learning the same syllabus. In one education for all, there is also a common exam for all students that are end-of-year-examination and public examination such as UPSR. The purpose of this common exam is to identify the students’ achievement level of knowledge and skills in the end of a learning period. Thus, one education for all is implemented in KBSR to encourage the progression of students as they can learning new knowledge, skill and values together in the same learning syllabus and schooling level.(238)

The four principles which are implemented in KBSR based on NPE are to enable teachers to develop 21st century children as learners. However, it is essential for an educator or teachers to understand the characteristic of 21st century learners to ensure that all students or learner can instill knowledge. It would be easier for a teacher to instill teaching-learning process in the classroom if they understand the characteristic 21st century learners. According to Dr. Sarah Elaine Eaton (2011), the characteristic of 21st century learners are creative, collaborative, open minded, curious and active, efficient, enjoy problem solving or critical thinking and they are mostly a higher-order thinkers. The 21st century are called as a creative learners because most of the time they are thinking out of the box. For example, today’s learners are good in download songs or apps to create their own music or stuff to share it with others. They are also a collaborative learners as they enjoy cooperate with friends in a teamwork or group discussion and figure things with their friends. Besides that, they are also open-minded active and curious learners. Most of the 21st century can accept and aware of changes in the environment or surrounding and they like asking question about the environment and demanding for answer. If there are not active learners, they might not feel curious toward the environment and keep on asking questions and hoping for answers. For instance, learners nowadays like to ask questions start with why, what, where, or how regarding to any issue that they don’t understand (According to Dr. Sarah Elaine Eaton (2011). Efficient is also another type of characteristic for 21st century learners. For example, the learners don’t really care much about having a job but about making a difference in the future. Thus, when they are doing their homework or project work, they will do it in an efficient manner without wasting much time.(314)

Apart from that, multimedia literacy is also one of the most common characteristic among the 21st century learners. As technology has started to develop in 20th century, there is no doubt that the 21st century learners will be multimedia or digitally literate. According to John Seely Brown, n.d., Learners nowadays have the habit of finding or searching information and things on the website. Through this, they have indirectly develops a skill that may help them in the context of productive inquiry and rapid exploration of the vast resources of the web. In additions, the 21st century learners who are known as a creative thinker would also like to design and produce websites, mini-documentaries, public service announcements or short films with the use of the technology and multimedia. For instance, there are students from Automotive High School in New York created a How-to DVD that is how to complete various automotive repairs and another student from California created a film on sweatshops that made an international impact in the global (21st century schools, 2008). From there, students may learn what it is to be a contributing citizen, and they can carry these citizenship skills forward throughout their lives. Hence, as a result in multimedia literate, students have acquired the basic skills and content in a meaningful way by constantly apply the digitalized content throughout the duration (21st century schools, 2008).(223)

To educate the 21st century learners, it is important for teachers to understand the way students learnt which is slightly different from the past generations. Thus, play a very vital role in implementing school curriculum through teaching-learning process. According to Mok Soon Sang (2006), teacher or an educator must be aware and ready of the changes due to the reformation of school curriculum. They should improve and upgrade the required skill, knowledge and values to interpret the concept of the changes and to implement the modified curriculum according to its requirements, aim and objectives. Besides that, teacher also played a role as a supplier of learning information to help students to gain more knowledge and turn the information into wisdom (21st century schools, 2008). Teachers should realize the potential of multimedia can enhance the learning process. So, teachers can educate the 21st century through teaching-learning by proving knowledge to students through teaching skills which includes integrating skills, learning skills and values. Besides that, teachers should also apply different teaching skills according to the students’ ability and needs. For instance, if a teacher entered a dull class, he or she should prepare some teaching aids like flash cards to attract the students’ attention and make them involve. A teacher must also maintain their students’ interest by possess a positive innovation characteristic to help them see what they are leaning and can be used in the real world. Teachers should be flexible in the way they teach so that the lesson in the classroom will not be bores. Lastly, teaches must also continuously instill curiosity values in students as the key to life-long learning and also excite learners to become even more resourceful so that they will continue to learn outside the formal school day. Thus, the application of teaching and learning process from a teacher is important especially to educate the 21st century learners which are active.(316)

According to Mok Soon Sang (2006), "teaching refers as an activity or process which is related with the imparting of certain specific knowledge or skill, guiding and assessing, with the aim of assisting students to learn effectively." There is an interrelationship between teaching and learning. Thus, a teacher should teach with the intention to bring about learning to learners. Bloom taxonomy which was developed by Benjamin Bloom is one of the teaching methods that a teacher can use in classroom activities. The purpose of blooms taxonomy was to create an environment that allow or gives opportunities for teachers to engage in higher-order thinking. There are 6 levels of terms in Blooms, namely remembering, understanding, applying, analysis, evaluating and creating where by teachers can use these terms in different classes based on the students understanding level. For instance, by implementing the first principle in KBSR that is infusion, an English teacher may apply remembering term for the weaker students through a story mind map or pictures regarding to the lesson taught so that students can absorb and remember the topic through observing and listening. Hence, the teacher has infused teaching of art in English subject.(194)

Besides that, a teacher should also use differentiated instruction as a teaching method this is because in differentiated instruction teachers can identify various student background and can figure out a process to approach teaching and learning for students of different abilities. There are 3 main universal designs to differentiated instructions namely content, process and products. In content, teachers were asked to plan the topic of a subject or topic based on the school curricular syllabus. While in process, teachers were ask to think about how to teach the students according to their understanding level. In this level, teachers will considered about the various teaching and learning style such as the visual, audio and kinaesthetic, group discussion, role play, quiz, demonstration and some education game which are suitable of their students. With a proper planning, teachers can develop children as learners. Lastly is the product, where teachers will ask the students to rehearse, apply and extend what the students had learned in a topic. For instance, a teacher can ask his or hers students to make a role play or answering some quiz of what had been taught in a subject.(190)

In addition to this, as a teacher, the understanding of different learning style such as visual, audio and kinaesthetic is also important in planning a teaching method in a classroom. This is because different learners have different learning styles and different way of learning. In visual learning style, the idea, concept and information are linked with an image or a diagram. Learners with visual learning style usually will communicate with pictures, colours; diagram, maps or image and they can and can easily visualize the outcome of a topic discussed .Thus, teacher should use some visual aid to educate visual learners. For instance, when a teacher is teaching Directions in English language, he or she may use maps as their teaching aid to teach visual learners. By doing this, visual learners are able to receive the knowledge given which may indirectly nurture their knowledge in life-long learning process which is implemented in the fourth principle in KBSR. While for audio learning, learners learnt through listening and hearing to what have been taught in the classroom. Audio learners can understand and remember the details they hear quite accurately. Hence, teacher should teach these audio learners through allow the learners to read out loud and also teach them the task by talking to them. Lastly, for kinaesthetic learning styles, learning takes place in movement of the students and the learners are often considered as hyperactive learners. To educate the kinaesthetic learners, teaching method that can be used by teacher is like role play, games like hangman.(253)

According to Longman Dictionary (2009), learning is known as the acquisition of knowledge, skills or values through experience, practice, studying or by being taught. Thus, there will be changes in an individual’s behaviour in doing something.