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Islamic Education teachersperceptions of the teaching ofakhlaq in

Malaysian secondary schools

Ab. Halim Tamuri*

National University of Malaysia, Malaysia

The teaching ofakhlaq (moral values) in Islamic Education lessons is one of the important aspects

in the Integrated Curriculum for Secondary Schools in Malaysia. Its purpose is to develop the

potential of the individual in a holistic, balanced and integrated manner, encompassing the

intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical aspects in order to create a balanced and harmonious

human being with high moral standards. The aim of this article is to examine teachers perceptions

of the teaching ofakhlaq at secondary school level. Data were collected from 22 respondents about

the process of teaching and learning akhlaq, the school environment and the internal and external

factors that might influence the students akhlaq. The study found that most of the Islamic

Education teachers interviewed were satisfied with the process of teaching and learning akhlaq in

their schools. Despite a few weaknesses in terms of implementation, they believed that school

activities, religious activities and school regulations at their schools gave positive and significant

contributions to the development of students akhlaq. It was also found that peers, negative

attitudes among some teachers, parents and local communities, the mass media, entertainment

centres and the demands of jobs had negative influences on the students akhlaq.

Introduction

In 1982, various groups within and outside the Ministry of Education embarked on

planning to work out a national philosophy of education that would provide the

foundation of the educational system in Malaysia (Langgulung, 1993, p. 25). As a

result, a statement of national philosophy of education was successfully formulated

as follows:

Education in Malaysia is an on-going effort towards further developing the potential of

individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are

intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonious, based

on a firm belief in and a devotion to God. Such an effort is designed to produce

Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral

*Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (National University of Malaysia), 43600

i S l l i il bh li @ k

Journal of Moral Education

Vol. 36, No. 3, September 2007, pp. 371386

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standards and who are responsible and capable of achieving a high level of personal well

being as well as being able to contribute to the betterment of society and the nation at

large. (Malaysia Ministry of Education, 1989a, p. 5)

The proclamation of the National Philosophy of Education was generally seen as a

significant stage in the reformation of the education system in Malaysia since thephilosophy became the foundation and guideline of the national education system.

The then Minister of Education explained that:

The philosophy of education becomes the kernel and the root of our national education

system so that all educational programmes and activities are the reflections from the

principles and values of the philosophy. (Ibrahim, 1989, p. 64)

The formulation of the National Philosophy of Education is also seen as an attempt

to bring the separate, ad hoc and implicit aims into a clear statement of national

educational policy (Ahmad, 1991; Mohd Said, 1991). In fact, there is a relationship

between the philosophy and the previous educational policy, as Langgulung (1993,

p. 25) stated: the philosophy of education which was unwritten has now been

written and has become the national philosophy of education. Religious and moral

values are taken seriously in the Malaysian educational system since the statement

has clearly set out some of the important criteria of Malaysian citizenship, such as

belief in and devotion to God, knowledge, possession of high moral standards,

competence and responsibility. The philosophy emphasises the ethical, knowledge-

based, balanced and harmonious development of individuals.

Thus the introduction of the Integrated Curriculum for Secondary Schools in

1988, followed by the Integrated Primary School Curriculum in 1994, is a significantattempt to translate the notion of the National Philosophy of Education into practice

in secondary and primary education. The philosophy clearly puts an emphasis on an

integrated approach in order to produce individuals who are virtuous, knowledge-

able, balanced and harmonious as well as to achieve national integration. The

introduction of sixteen universal sacred values in the Integrated Curriculum for

Secondary Schools is an important element of building a morally-based education

system and is designed to eliminate the notion of value-free knowledge (Noordin,

1993). The values are compassion/empathy, self-reliance, humility, respect, love,

justice, freedom, courage, cleanliness of body and mind, honesty, diligence, co-

operation, moderation, gratitude, rationality and public-spiritedness. In theory,

these values should be incorporated or integrated in the process of teaching and

learning across all subjects of the Integrated Curriculum for Secondary Schools. As

far as Muslim students are concerned, they are expected to behave morally and

exemplify righteous characteristics, both of which are based on the teaching of Islam.

In achieving this objective, Islamic Education plays an important role in nurturing

Muslim children in Islamic teaching, particularly the aspect of akhlaq (moral values).

Background of the study

As already mentioned, since the introduction of the Integrated Curriculum for

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Muslim students in primary and secondary schools and one of the important aspects

of the subject is the teaching of akhlaq. Today, for example, children are taught the

principles ofAkhlaq Islamiyyah (Islamic Ethics) at the primary level, followed by the

Islamic Moral Code based on Islamic ethics at the secondary level from Form 1 to

Form 5 (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, 2002). Basically, the teaching of akhlaqis designed to achieve one of the main principles of the formulation of the Integrated

Curriculum for Secondary Schools, which are shared by all subjects of the

curriculumthe emphasis on noble values (Noordin, 1993). Of the various

objectives that have been drawn up for secondary education, two in particular are

directly related to human development and morality, namely:

1. to acquire, appreciate and practise accepted moral values

2. to develop a deep sense of responsibility and to be prepared to serve the religion

and nation. (Malaysia, Ministry of Education, 1989b, p. 2.)

Islamic Education is particularly significant for Muslim children although it is

treated only as one among many subjects in the Integrated Curriculum for

Secondary Schools. It is the central objective for this subject that it should provide at

least the fundamental knowledge or the basic teaching of Islam (fard al-ain), such as

ibadah (worship), aqidah (belief) and akhlaq (ethics), as well as the ability to read

Quran to the students. Ahmad (1996, p. 181) claims that:

Islamic Education gives comprehensive emphasis on and attention to the strengthening

of Islamic faith, the understanding of the Islamic characteristics and way of life, the

guidance of good manners and virtuous ethicsIslamic Education emphasises the

practical and experiential aspects.

The philosophy of Islamic Education has also been officially formulated as follows:

Islamic Education is a continuous effort to deliver knowledge, skill and emotional

experience based on al-Quran and al-Sunnah in order to build behaviour, skill,

personality and a view of life as the servant of Allah, responsible for self development,

the community, the environment and the nation for the sake of prosperity and salvation

in this world and in the hereafter. (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, 2002, p. 2)

Today this continuous attempt can be seen in the latest statement of the aim of

Islamic Education, which is focused on the aspiration to educate good Muslim

students:

The aim of Islamic Education is to produce Muslims who are knowledgeable, devoted,

pious, well-mannered and who also have virtuous characteristics based on al-Quran

and al-Sunnah to become the righteous servants and vicegerents of Allah and contribute

to civilization of race and nation. (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, 2002, p. 2)

Several specific objectives of Islamic Education subject are set out, one of which is

directly concerned with akhlaq: After learning Islamic Education in the Integrated

Curriculum for Secondary Schools, the students should have excellent akhlaq and be

able to practise noble values as the foundation of a good nation (Kementerian

Pendidikan Malaysia, 2002, p. 2). Basically, the emphasis on akhlaq is to develop thestudents towards the personality of a Muslim and a Mumin (believer). In terms of

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in the education system than it used to be, since the earlier syllabus of the subject of

Islamic Religious Knowledge did not have a specific topic on akhlaq. For example, in

the earlier syllabus of Islamic Education in the Integrated Curriculum for Secondary

Schools, the teaching of akhlaq came in the section entitled Islamic Characteristics

and Way of Life (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, 1988).In accordance with the earlier syllabus, there were several topics relating to akhlaq

in the Islamic Education textbooks that were provided for all Muslim students. In

brief, there were twelve topics having regard to akhlaq in Form 1, namely: the

characteristics of the life of a devout person; adab (ethical principles) towards Allah,

the Prophet, family, teachers, friends and neighbours; hard work and diligence;

dedication; the purification of soul; the benefit of cleanliness and care of ourselves;

and environmental cleanliness. There were seven topics in Form 2, namely, courage

to stand for truth; moderation (wasatiah) that promises excellence in life;

beneficence (infaq); thankfulness; politeness; Islamic brotherhood; and integration.For Form 3, there were also seven topics, namely, thinking as the basis for

development; socialisation into the right path; wise actions; trust and integrity

(amanah); sacred and honourable sacrifice; happy family; peaceful community; and

the danger of slandering. In terms of the teaching-learning process, the teachers

usually used the Syllabus Description Manuals and Teaching Manuals as their

general guidelines. These manuals suggested several appropriate teaching methods

for every topic, for example, discussions, narration of stories, explanation, debate,

lecture, drill, writing articles, watching and listening to audio and videotapes, visiting

historical places, simulation of activities, acting, note taking, problem solving,

practical activities, fieldwork, group learning, demonstration and projects. All the

Islamic Education textbooks were written in Jawi (the Malay writing system that

uses the Arabic alphabet). The main aim of using Jawiwas to encourage the students

to understand and appreciate the skills of traditional Malay writing as well as to

familiarise the students with the alphabet of the Quran.

At the lower secondary level, Islamic Education was still allocated six periods per

week (of 3540 minutes each). Four periods were included in the general timetable,

i.e. three periods for general instruction and one for practice, and the other two were

for Islamic co-curricular (i.e. supplementary) activities. At the upper secondary

level, Islamic Education was allocated four periods a week. Accordingly, the teachingof akhlaq occurred once every two weeks since the time allocated to general

instruction was limited to three periods per week. Each section in the subject of

Islamic Education had to be taught alternately. The practical period was usually

used for the jamaah prayers (Zuhur and Asr) since most secondary schools today

have surau (prayer rooms). The remaining two periods were used to improve the

students abilities in reading Quran and also to improve their understanding about

Islam. In addition to the above lessons based on the syllabus of the Integrated

Curriculum for Secondary Schools, the school also conducted several co-curricular

activities and programmes. These co-curricular programmes aimed to develop thestudents knowledge and strengthen their attachment to Islam (Bahagian Pendidikan

Islam n d )

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After nearly thirteen years of implementation, the syllabus of Islamic Education in

the Integrated Curriculum for Secondary Schools was reviewed by the Ministry of

Education and some minor modifications were introduced in the year 2002. For

example, for the secondary school, the section of Jawiand Hadith are new aspects in

the syllabus. In term of the teaching of akhlaq, the section entitled IslamicCharacteristics and Way of Life has also been replaced by the Islamic Moral Code

based on Islamic Ethics. Generally, there were no significant changes in the syllabus

and the changes are mainly focused on teaching and learning strategies, such as the

emphasis on using information and computer technology and new teaching aids. In

the new syllabus, the content and the topics relating to akhlaq are similar to the

previous one, for example, the adab of students daily life; adab in social interactions

or relations; adab in practising ibadah (worship); adab towards parents and family;

adab in studying knowledge; and adab towards Allah and the Prophets (Kementerian

Pelajaran Malaysia, 2002, pp. 1516).From the above outline of the concepts, strategy, aims and objectives of the

subject of Islamic Education, the present teaching of akhlaq can be seen as a positive

attempt to educate Muslim adolescents in secondary schools. It seems that the

development of the personality of the students has been considered more seriously in

the syllabus by the introduction of the section on Islamic Characteristics and Way of

Life, the new section of the Islamic Moral Code based on Islamic Ethics and the

inculcation of the sixteen sacred values in other subjects. In general, the syllabuss

contents in terms ofakhlaq are in line with the Islamic concept ofakhlaq. They cover

the integrative aspects of akhlaq in Islam, i.e. akhlaq in relation to Allah, His

Prophet, parents, teachers, society and the universe, as discussed by Islamic scholars

(al-Qardawi, 1981; Hatem, 1987).

Despite these positive aspects, some weaknesses have been identified. For

example, there is a problem in using Jawiin Islamic Education textbooks specifically

for those students who cannot read Jawi script. Such students do not receive

maximum benefit from the textbooks but depend merely on the teachers

explanation in their classroom or on other sources that are written in roman script.

Other problems found in the akhlaq lessons include a lack of educational resources

and the latest teaching aids, and insufficient time (once a week or once every two

weeks when it is alternated with other topics in Islamic Education), especially for thefloating classes. This term refers to the combining of students from more than two

classes for Islamic Education lessons and, as a result, the allocated time and activities

planned by teachers for their students are significantly reduced.

As discussed earlier, the main purpose of education in Islam is the balanced and

integrated growth of individuals (Ashraf, 1993). Since education has a significant

relationship with the development of students akhlaq, it may be useful to examine

the role of the school and the teacher. Nowadays, due to the complexity and

development of life, the task of education is almost entirely taken over by formal

institutions such as schools and universities, though Sahadat (1997, p. 27) describesschool as the second level of environment after family in the education of children.

Damon and Colby (1996 p 32) also state that education has come to mean school


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and school has come to mean a place that delivers information and skills defined by

school professionals who converse about such things mainly with one another.

Concerning the significant relationship between school and teacher, Seyyed Hossein

Nasr (1987) explains that the teacher in Islam has an ethical duty as a murabbi (a

trainer of souls and personalities) and not only a muallim (a transmitter ofknowledge). From another point of view, Rosnani Hashim (1997) and Tamuri and

Ismail (2006) associate teacher with the ethical term adab. A teacher is a muaddib

in that he or she is not only concerned with transmission of skill and knowledge but

also the inculcation of adab which is the discipline of mind, body and soul

(Hashim, 1997, p. 57). Although there is a difference in terms of expression, these

two Arabic terms, murabbi and muaddib, clearly show that the teacher in Islam has

an ethical involvement. In fact, Basheer El-Tom (1981, p. 40) claims that:

He [the teacher] is expected to do his utmost to impress upon the minds of his pupils

the general ethos and the morality of Islam at both the social and the individuallevelprimarily, to be a moral tutorThe teacher is endowed with a further

responsibilitythat of a moral mentor and guide in loco parentis to the pupils under

his care.

The ideal of a teacher in Islam should be refer to the Prophet Muhammad, his

companions and also great Muslim scholars. Halstead (1995, p. 31) states that

teachers were expected not only to be learned, but also to have a deep personal

commitment to faith and to be a living example of virtue and piety which students

could unhesitatingly emulate. This is why Lemu (1991, p. 32) insists that a teacher

who has no taqwa (surrender to Allah) cannot of course exemplify it [a good life].Generally, in the context of Malaysia, a school today is regarded as a public

institution that is responsible for implementing the educational policies and

programmes that are determined by the authorities. In fact, school today is

responsible not only for the transmission of knowledge and skills, but also for social

and moral development, which was previously parents responsibility. Nowadays,

Islamic Education teachers have considerable responsibilities in the development of

students akhlaq (Tamuri et al., 2004; Tamuri & Ismail, 2006). They are considered

as role-models for students in schools and this responsibility includes encouraging

and building good relationships with students and also exemplifying good deeds to

the students. Based on the previous discussion regarding the significant position of

teachers in teaching and learning, particularly in Islamic Education, this study

attempts to examine the perceptions of Islamic Education teachers of the teaching of

akhlaq in their schools.

Methods

The researcher carried out semi-structured interviews with 22 Islamic Education

teachers (9 male and 13 female), all of whom had experience in teaching the subject

at lower secondary level (Forms 1, 2 and 3). A random selection technique, based onthe list of Islamic teachers in every school, was used to select one teacher from each

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the school was sufficient. Most of the teachers had a diploma or a degree as their

academic qualification; only two teachers held the Malaysian Higher School

Certificate. Twelve of the teachers taught in national secondary schools, three in

technical secondary schools and the rest in national religious secondary schools.

Twelve of them had worked as Islamic Education teachers for 15 years and theremainder had six or more years of experience teaching the subject.

The questions on the two-page teacher-interview schedules mainly focused on the

process of teaching and learning, the school environment, the internal and external

factors that might influence the students development of akhlaq, co-operation from

parents and suggestions to improve the students akhlaq. During the pilot study,

based on the participants feedback and suggestions, the interview schedule was

refined by the researcher to improve its validity and reliability. In conducting the

interviews the researcher gave a clear statement of confidentiality and made a

request for honesty to ensure the anonymity of participants and enhance the validityof their information. Data from the interviews were manually analysed by the

researcher (cf. Flick, 1998) and classified into relevant ideas, themes, categories or

patterns based on qualitative approaches. After that, the data were carefully

translated and analysed. It may be useful to note that the data and translations were

also checked and validated by four colleagues.

Results

From the interviews, it was found that the majority of teachers (15/22) weredissatisfied with the time allocated for the lesson in akhlaq since they felt that it was

insufficient. It was difficult for them to explain the wide scope of the content of the

akhlaq syllabus within a period of 3540 minutes. Although six periods per week

were allocated for Islamic Education, these six periods had to be distributed between

the various components of Islamic Education. Within the restricted time, the

teachers also had to answer questions that were raised by the students during the

lessons. Due to these time constraints, therefore, they had to teach only the most

important and essential parts of the syllabus to the students. In fact, one teacher

stated that he could only give a brief explanation regarding a concept or principle of

akhlaq within one lesson. In addition, the problem of lack of time obviously occurredin the floating classes since the students had to move from one classroom to

another for their Islamic Education lessons. However, seven teachers from the

religious secondary schools stated that the time allocated for the teaching of akhlaq

was sufficient. From their own experience, the teachers felt that they could usually

complete the teaching within a single lesson. The adequacy of time was closely

related to the teachers capability and the students own abilities, and to the fact that

the teachers did not face major difficulties from the students that might hinder them

during the lesson.

In terms of the content of akhlaq, the majority of the teachers (16) considered thatthe content was sufficient and suitable for the students. They said they could adapt

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observation, most of the students could understand the principles and content of

akhlaq taught to them. They also believed that the content of akhlaq in the syllabus

covered all the fundamental Islamic principles of the subject. The teachers

mentioned that they were able to relate the content of akhlaq to current issues

during the lessons. However, five of the teachers who were interviewed felt that thecontent ofakhlaq in the existing Islamic Education syllabus was insufficient because

there were some students who did not achieve a proper level of understanding. The

two remaining teachers said that they could only give brief or very general

explanations to the students regarding the content ofakhlaq. This problem was also

closely related to the lack of time for the lesson. Moreover, they felt they did not have

adequate teaching opportunities and only the important parts of the content were

given priority and explained by teachers.

One teacher also felt dissatisfied because the scope of the content of akhlaq in the

syllabus was very broad and he was unable to explain the content in detail within theallocated time. In addition, there was a teacher from a religious secondary school

who was dissatisfied because he felt that the content of akhlaq was insufficient to

overcome the youngsters own problems. Moreover, as a result of some students

inability to read the Jawi script, they might not have sufficient understanding of the

principles of akhlaq that were explained in the textbooks. In fact, only four teachers

were satisfied that the existing textbooks were suitable for all the students. The

majority (18) were dissatisfied with the existing Islamic Education textbooks. They

claimed that the explanations of the principles of akhlaq in the textbooks were

inadequate and too general. The students needed to read other books or materials to

gain further information since the textbooks could only provide basic information

regarding the principles of akhlaq. Some students were unable to identify the

important points from articles in the textbooks since they were not set out

systematically and did not provide clear guidelines for the students. The teachers

discovered that some students felt de-motivated when reading and referring to the

Islamic Education textbooks.

The majority of teachers (17) also felt dissatisfied with the teaching methods used

in the akhlaq lessons. They felt they could not use appropriate teaching methods

because of the lack of time, their own lack of training and differences in terms of

school conditions, students abilities and the local environment. They had to makeminor modifications in approaches to the lessons, which relied on their own

knowledge and creativity. The teachers also admitted that the most common method

used for the akhlaq lessons was the lecture method, although they realised that this

method was suitable only for a general explanation of a principle of akhlaq and was

not appropriate for a detailed clarification. However, five teachers, all from religious

secondary schools, were satisfied with their teaching methods and thought they were

suitable for the akhlaq lessons.

Regarding teaching aids, only six teachers were satisfied with the OHPs, charts,

posters and printed materials available in their schools. Even so, they also stated thatsometimes they faced problems such as time constraints and insufficient

opportunities to use the teaching aids frequently The majority (16 teachers) were

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not satisfied with the teaching aids provided by their schools for the akhlaq lessons.

They blamed the school and educational authorities for not equipping their schools

with sufficient teaching aids. In fact, some of the teachers had difficulties in finding

appropriate and relevant teaching aids and had to use their own money to buy the

materials. However, due to their lack of expertise and financial resources, they facedmany problems in developing teaching aids and were not able to produce these

consistently. In terms of training, all the religious teachers said that they had

attended several in-service courses about the teaching and learning of Islamic

Education but none had attended any dealing specifically with the teaching of

akhlaq. There were only general discussions or brief explanations regarding the

teaching of akhlaq in the courses that they had attended. Some of the teachers also

claimed that there were no courses that focused on the teaching ofakhlaq conducted

either by the Ministry of Education or by the state educational departments.

Most students showed positive responses during the akhlaq lessons in school. Itwas evident that all the teachers believed that their students were able to follow and

understand the teaching of akhlaq that was provided for them. Additionally, the

teachers expressed the view that they did not face major difficulties since most of the

students showed an interest in the lesson and were co-operative. Effective teaching

methods and good relationships with students were the main factors that

significantly contributed to these positive responses. Students were said to be more

interested in the lesson if the teachers were able to relate the contents of the lesson to

contemporary issues. Teachers claimed that the students who came from the best

classes in their school or had higher academic achievement levels and had received

initial religious education in their family, mosque or elsewhere commonly showed

more positive responses during the lesson, while the weaker students usually gave

less positive responses. However, there were a few students, specifically the problem

students, who showed negative responses during the lesson. The teachers felt

dissatisfied with these students because they did not pay attention when they were

being taught. Teachers found that a few were not seriously concerned about learning

akhlaq at school since they thought that the Islamic principles of akhlaq were simple

and very easy to understand. As a result, they were not co-operative with their

teachers and they concentrated less during the akhlaq lessons. Teachers also

admitted that certain commonly used teaching methods, such as reading texts andlectures, failed to attract the interest of all students.

In general, the majority of teachers (14) believed that the teaching of akhlaq could

have a positive effect on the moral development of students at their schools by

raising their Islamic consciousness. They also believed that the lessons significantly

prevented or at least lessened behaviour problems among the students at their

schools. Moreover, all teachers from the religious and technical schools stated that

the teaching ofakhlaq had significant effects on the students moral behaviour. Since

most of the students in these schools were living in the school hostels, the teachers

had a lot of time with their students and many useful activities related to akhlaqcould be conducted with the students. However, there were eight teachers who felt

the teaching of akhaq at school was not very effective in terms of the students


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personal moral development. Some of their reasons were related to time constraints,

the exam-oriented system, teachers negative attitudes and the negative environ-

ment.

The teachers were also asked to identify factors that influenced the akhlaq of

students. They identified two main kinds of influence: the school and externalfactors.

School factors

The majority of teachers (18) stated that their schools existing religious activities,

such as religious talks, additional religious classes, celebrations of Islamic holy days,

jamaah prayers and ibadah camps, had a positive influence on the development of

students akhlaq. The teachers believed that the religious activities in their schools

significantly supported the teaching of akhlaq in the classroom. In fact, based ontheir observations, teachers claimed that certain religious activities, such as religious

talks, usrah (circle discussion) and other discussions, could enhance the akhlaq of

students effectively. Only four teachers, all of them from national secondary schools,

said that the religious activities had little effect on the akhlaq of students. Teachers,

especially those who were teaching in national secondary schools, complained that

they were unable to organise adequate religious activities for their students because

they did not have sufficient time and suitable rooms. Since most national secondary

schools have two sessions (morning and evening), few rooms were available for

teachers to conduct any co-curricular or religious activity after their classes.In terms of co-curricular activities, there were eight teachers who stated that these

did not create any problems for the students akhlaq. Nine teachers from the national

secondary schools felt that generally extra-curricular activities contributed positively

to the development of students akhlaq, though they also stated that there were a few

problems during the implementation of these activities. Basically, success in

implementing any extra-curricular activity would depend largely on the organisers

and their advisers. The teachers observed that some of the co-curricular activities

went against Islamic teaching. Many of the students were more attracted to school

activities that had entertainment slots such as dancing and singing. Five of the

teachers claimed that the co-curricular activities at their schools made only limitedpositive contributions to the development of akhlaq among the students. Some of

these activities created problems and dilemmas for students if certain aspects of the

implementation of the activities were unsuitable for the students or contradicted

Islamic teaching.

All of the teachers agreed that the existing school regulations and discipline made

a positive contribution to the development of students akhlaq. They felt that schools

should take necessary precautions to eliminate or at least reduce the influence of

negative elements from outside. Teachers were generally satisfied with the co-

operation and support given by colleagues in their schools. In other words, they didnot have any problems or face any major obstacles from their colleagues in terms of

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they were disappointed with the attitudes of a few teachers of other subjects who did

not give full co-operation to developing the students akhlaq. For example, there

were a few teachers who claimed they did not have any responsibility for that,

because they believed that the development of students akhlaq was the duty of

religious and discipline teachers alone. There were a few teachers who did not wantto assist voluntarily in organising the schools religious activities, and only did so if

they were officially instructed by the school principal.

External factors

There were at least six external elements, which were identified as follows:

N Sixteen of the teachers who were interviewed said that the students peers,

especially school leavers or working youngsters, had a significant influence on

students daily activities and personalities, as well as on their akhlaq.N Twelve teachers stated that improper actions, behaviour, dress style, attitudes and

pictures which frequently appeared in television programmes, internet websites,

and magazines had damaging effects on the akhlaq of students. Certain

programme content (particularly designed as entertainment and celebrity

programmes) was considered inappropriate for students.

N Ten teachers observed that some problem families had a lack of religious

consciousness and did not care seriously for their own children. They did not set a

good example to their children. Teachers also noted that there were a few parents

who were inclined to protect and defend their children blindly even when they

had been found guilty of disciplinary offences.

N Six teachers found that some students preferred to do paid work rather than to

attend school. They were more interested in earning a small salary for their own

pocket money. This occurred particularly in industrial and tourist areas, but this

problem also existed in the estates of the Federal Land Development Authority, a

government agency responsible for the development of agriculture in rural areas;

some students could collect dropped palm seeds and then sell them to get their

pocket money.

N Entertainment arcades or recreation areas, such as cinemas, laser disc centres,

shopping complexes, snooker and video games premises and parks, were also seenby four teachers as significant threats to the akhlaq of students. These teachers

also claimed that the entertainment centres encouraged truancy.

N Finally, the uncaring attitudes among some members of the local community

were seen as another element that could have a negative effect on the akhlaq of

students.

Discussion

From the teachers point of view, most of their students showed an interest in theakhlaq lessons, and those who did not were mainly influenced by the kind of teaching

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to use many of the teaching methods or activities suggested in the curriculum and

often resorted to lectures. This is consistent with the recent study by Tamuri et al.

(2004) who also found that the lecture method was the most frequently chosen for

teaching akhlaq. This was probably due to the lack of time for the lesson, the lack of

training, the unsatisfactory conditions in some schools and classrooms and theability levels of the students. The students were also dissatisfied with the teaching

aids used for akhlaq lessons. The study found that the environment and programmes

organised in the school hostels could assist teachers achieve their objectives.

Surprisingly, the study found that none of the teachers, even the senior religious

teachers, had ever attended in-service courses that specifically dealt with the

teaching ofakhlaq. In fact, a previous study found that there was a lack of training for

the teaching of akhlaq among religious teachers, even in the national religious

secondary schools (Bahagian Pendidikan Islam, 1993).

Most of the teachers also believed that the principles of akhlaq that were outlinedcould guide the students to be good Muslims so long as they could fully observe the

principles which had been learned. The syllabus for the teaching of akhlaq covers all

the fundamental aspects of akhlaq in Islam, as shown by al-Qardawi (1981) and

Hatem (1987). However, this kind of learning is a collective responsibility between

school and parent, and there needs to be consistency between the religious education

provided by school and the informal education obtained by the students at home.

Halstead and Cheema (1987, p. 27) have argued that it will be harmful especially to

young children if the education they receive at home is in conflict with what they

receive in school.

The study also showed that the co-curricular activities potentially give a positive

contribution to the students akhlaq. However, due to the lack of consultation with

religious teachers, they observed that there are some activities in the national and

technical secondary schools that are not in line with Islamic principles. The findings

of the present study support the arguments of Stapa (1994), Abu Bakar (1997) and

Tamuri & Abdul Ghani (2004) who have claimed that in the context of Malaysia

there are certain types of sports that do not significantly contribute to the

development of akhlaq since the clothing they require uncovers the aurah of the

sportsmen and women. Conversely, in the religious secondary schools teachers are

able to ensure that all the co-curricular activities are in harmony with Islamicteaching. This is probably due to the existence of iklim dini (the religious

environment) that directly or indirectly encourages the realisation of Islamic

teachings in the religious secondary schools activities.

The study also identified six major factors that might have a significant negative

impact on the akhlaq of students. The first factor is students peers. Previous studies

(Bradley & Dubinsky, 1994; Bee, 1995; Seifert & Hoffnung, 1996; McCormick &

Pressley, 1997; Mohd Noor, 1998) have demonstrated the significant effects of peers

on young people. Although not denying that the effects of peers on the students

daily lives may be positive, the present study found that the majority of teachersinterviewed stated that the students peers and friends, including school leavers and

working youngsters could negatively influence the akhlaq of students It seems that

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this finding is consistent with Baron (1989) and Bee (1995) who have argued that

the maximum impact of the peer group on young people is during the period of

adolescence, particularly the ages of 14 to 16 years. Generally, students peers did

not play significant positive roles in advising them.

The study revealed that certain parts of the mass media in Malaysia had negativeeffects on the students akhlaq, notably those involving entertainment, music and

celebrities. This is consistent with the evidence found in many studies, such as those

by Larking (1997), Francis (1997), Seifert & Hoffnung (1996) and Tamuri et al.

(2005), who found that the mass media, especially television, have significant effects

on the development of children. We may also assume that the presence of un-Islamic

programmes and content in the mass media, even in Muslim countries, may be due

to the absence of an Islamic code of media ethics (cf. Mughees-uddin, 1997).

Family was another factor that made a significant contribution to the development

of students akhlaq. Baron (1989, p. 262) has argued that there does not seem to bea large gap in attitudes or beliefs between teenagers and their parents. The findings

revealed that the majority of teachers stated that most parents play a significant role

in the development of students akhlaq. These findings also support the views of

Ghani & Abd Rahman (1995) and Tamuri et al. (2005) regarding the vital role of

parents in developing their children. In general, most of the teachers were satisfied

with parents cooperation in the development of students akhlaq, though there were

a few parents who failed to play their roles in educating and setting good examples

for their children.

Another factor was the role of the community. From the Islamic point of view (cf.

Rahman, 1994), all members of the Islamic community have significant roles in the

process of socialising the young. The study, however, found that there are some

members of the Muslim community who ignore their responsibilities in the

development of students akhlaq. Basically, the absence of caring attitudes among

some members of the community will have negative effects on the development of

students akhlaq since the students will feel that they are no longer being watched

over by other people. The study revealed that job opportunities were seen by some

teachers as another negative factor that significantly affected the students akhlaq,

especially in industrial or tourist areas. Due to financial difficulties, there were some

exceptional cases where the students had to work to support their families. Teachersgenerally observed that most of these students in work were tired when they came to

school and lost interest in education. These problems might be caused by excessive

working hours. Based on several researches, Seifert and Hoffnung (1996) have

argued that students who work more than ten hours per week have a range of

academic, psychological and physical problems.

Conclusion

To sum up, the development of good individuals is clearly outlined in the NationalPhilosophy of Education and this provides the inspiration for the aims and objectives

f d d ti Th I t t d C i l f S d S h l


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concentrates on the internalisation of noble values and the creation of good Malaysian

citizens. At the same time, Muslim students are also taught akhlaq within the subject of

Islamic Education in an attempt to education their attitudes and character. The akhlaq

syllabus encompasses all the fundamental aspects of akhlaq in Islam, i.e. akhlaq in

relation to Allah, His Prophet, parents, teachers, society and the universe.Despite a few weaknesses in terms of implementation, most of the teachers in the

study claimed that school activities, religious activities and school regulations

contributed positively to the development of students akhlaq. However, there were

several major difficulties faced by teachers in the implementing of akhlaq lessons,

especially the lack of time, poor textbooks, the use of Jawi, unsuitable teaching

methods, inadequate teaching aids and lack of training. The study also found that

religious activities, co-curricular activities, school regulations, teachers positive

attitudes and behaviour and a positive school environment were the major factors that

had a positive influence on the students akhlaq. There were also several factors thathad a negative effect on the akhlaq of students, particularly the unsound influence of

peers, whether from the inside or outside the school; negative attitudes among some

teachers; inappropriate content in the mass media; negative attitudes among the

students parents and their local communities; the unhealthy influence of entertain-

ment centres; and the distractions resulting from excessive amounts of part-time work.

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