JABATAN PELAJARAN PERAK

2011

WHY SOME RURAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS

UNABLE TO PRODUCE QUALITY LEARNERS

OF ENGLISH

BY

MINACHI NAGAPPAN

SMK SUNGKAIPERAK

CONTENT

Content Pages

Abstract 1

1. Reflection 2

2. Issues 3

3. Objective 5

4.1 The aim of the Research 6

4.2 Targeted group 7

5.1 How the Research was carried out 7

5.2 Action, Carried out 8

6. Listening and Speaking activities 9

6.2 Sharing of knowledge 9

6.3 Quality Learning 10

7 . The Exercise that improves Health 11

7.2 Energy Flow 12

7.3 Food that improves learning ability 12

7.4 The utmost is the first meal of the day 13

7.5 Motivation the very important part 13

8. Reference 14

Abstract

The purpose of writing this research paper is to find out the causes of learners failure in examination

in Rural Secondry Schools. I realize even though this minor problem could be solved but due to the educators’

attitude and refused to accept any ideas or methods which could help them to solve this problem. In many rural

schools, issues related to teaching and learning remained unsolved for years. The very simple method of

applying the four main skills during Teaching and Learning hours could solve the problem and help learners to

learn happily and to improve their proficiency. Interactive skills need to be applied in language class rooms to

see the quality in learners and to help the learners to improve their language skills. Language Teachers need to

use multiple skills to teach the learners, because, learners tend to get bored when the same method being

applied in language class room. This is the main factor where all the language teachers need to practice when

teaching the language based subjects. Various methods and approaches enhance learners learning ability and

create interest among the learners to learn English. English is a subject which is fun to learn with its thousand

and one approaches. Either play as game, by singing songs, involving learners in Choral Speaking, Public

Speaking, playing dramas, Poetry, Story telling, Dialogues and Tongue Twisters. Martin Bygate (1987) says’

That to test a learner to speak, it is necessary to get them to actually say, Something, to do they act on a

knowledge of grammar and vocabulary”

1. Reflection

I realized that many unsolved problems can be solved easily if certain individual’s passive attitude

and negative response, in School during working hours can be changed. Some educators choose the institution

as the safest place for them to pursue their personal affairs and make use of the environment convenient for

them. The learners’ needs and necessity to gain knowledge and skills are not given priority. The educators in

certain schools spilt in two different groups. One group functions as the administrators’ favorite group, this

group consist of educators who teach the upper secondry and their classess are arranged near their conducive

staffroom. The other group stays in their old worn out staffroom which is isolated from the first group

Teachers of this group does the ‘labour’ or the hard task of handling the lower classes and the back ward

classes with the majority number of learners. The educators lack exposure to make the learners to like the

subject and they are not good into sharing or exposing those main skills to the students. Most of the teachers

hardly attend any in service courses which could bring a change in their behavior to make teaching more

interesting and liked by the young adults.

This situation has lead into two grouping system among the teachers. The upper classes have smaller

number of learners with the maximum number of educators who teach them. For example the pre university

learners are given priority and they are the smaller number of learners who being taught by maximum number of

educators who have only minor teaching hours with them. The lower and back ward classes are given to

teachers with maximum number of teaching and learning hours. Favourism is another factor which has affected

seriously the overall performance of the learners. Those favourite Teachers are handling learners who are in

better group. The favourism in dividing the classes to certain teachers has made learning task difficult, until

some learners complained that they don’t understand certain of their teachers teaching method. Few teachers

who majored different subject and do not posses sufficient knowledge and exposure in Language subjects teach

English. Learners overall unable to follow the teachers style and difficult to acquire the particular language

taught by the teacher. Particular Teachers do not apply either the interactive skills or the four main skills in

English. Throughout the year only The paper sheets become the main materials used in the language classroom.

2. Issues

Educators who has the potential and those who can improve the situation or who can bring

positive changes are not given a chance and not included in the programmes organized in School.

The potential or qualified Teachers are always isolated by those who organize the programmes.

Frustrated with the group’s decision and being isolated in school programmes those teachers

transferred to different schools. There is educator without mission or vision in their profession but

only seek buddy support for everything with out any mission or vision for their learners. Most of

the educators find ways to oppose and give zero support and even manipulate those willing to

cooperate with the Teachers, who plan to implements something in their school. If the teachers

change their mind set and always ready for a change in positive manner without wasting their time

and energy in negative thoughts and behavior, success is not very far for them in any matters. The

educator’s creativity is wasted for nothing but in negative thoughts and manners.  

Some administrators leave everything about administration to their supervisors, and these super

visors change the teachers’ class as they like. Where these learners always faced with different

teachers every now and then. Frequently almost every two or three months some supervisors or

administrators change the teacher who teach the learners by  using  effective teaching  methods and

their place replaced by young and inexperienced teachers.

        First, within a year, when many teachers teach the same learners. These learners are confused

with different styles, approaches and methods of Teachers.

According to Fauziah Hassan and Nita Fauzee Selamat in “WHY AREN’T STUDENTS

PROFICIENT IN ESL: Teachers Perspective” Quote as “Malaysian classroom Practice is the

Examination Oriented lesson” This is an example to share here that the Malaysian education system is

more focused on The Examination syllabus and not the learners capacity or ability to acquire the

language. This is one more reason why learners unable to acquire The main skills in English

Language. Those who Teach English just want to complete the syllabus and not given any

preferences to the learners need or capacity. This is one of the main reason why learners unable to

speak or write better in English.

        Second, either inexperience or not qualified  Teachers are given examination classes to please

those Teachers due to the teachers request or persuavasive approach, when given a class to teach, they teach as

they like, at times learners  are unable to digest or to understand what the teacher teach. Some teachers

throughout their life remained with the same style and approaches and those who are victimized are the learners.

Few not even acquired the basic skills in Teaching the language subject. This situation is created by an

administrator doesn’t know about learning methods in English. The worst situation is when teachers who are not

qualified, appointed to teach certain examination classes. These teachers do not posses the skills they need to

have to teach the particular subject. The worst part is the emotional intelligence is hardly identified when such

teachers handles these adolescent learners. Due to the inadequate skills and methods, these Teachers struggle

with the learners and shower the learners daily with their scolding and humiliation. Learning which is suppose

to be fun and enjoyable turned out bitter for these young learners.

The numbers of passes are only in ‘D’ category which has been highlighted as something to be proud

of. So far very few learners scored ‘B’ and ‘A’ are the limited ones. Out of 110 students sat for an exam only

one or two managed to get ‘A’ and ‘five’ or ‘six” students managed to get “B” the rest several ‘C’ s and the

majority passed with ‘ D’. This condition created by irresponsible individual who just want to teach what they

know and what the learners need to know for the exam.

3. Objective

The purpose of sharing the important skills in learning language subject is to let others know that

quality learners are produced when these important skills are applied in their Class room teaching.

The four main skills such as the Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing when applied daily and

during every teaching and learning lessons, learners improve their language level and learn where and

how to use certain words and in what context. Writing style and thinking skills of the learners

improved by using all these skills in classroom lessons.    

Teachers need to apply interactive skills daily in the language class rooms. Those interactions with

learners help learners to trust the teacher and clear their doubts in learning. Interaction clears learners

doubts and help them to be more confident and to learn better.

      Learners when meet the teachers, they need time to know them, and need to adjust them selves to

the new teachers attitude and behaviour. The teacher who is new to the class need lots of time and

patience to study the learners. This process takes time and by the time the exam starts, learners have

not learnt what they should have learnt.

       Third, those teachers who teach the examination classes should posses’ extreme belief in their

ability and in their learner’s capability. Because only capable teachers produce capable learners who

excel in studies.

        Fourth, those teachers who teach the upper classes, need to be multiple skilled or versatile

teachers who posses various skills, which can be applied on their learners to mould them as good

learners.

4. The Aim of the Research

The aim of this research is to find out the reasons or factors which being a block to learners to excel

in their learning and how to nurture the learners to become quality learners and achievers in English language.

By implementing the four main skills daily in classroom teaching and learning, the learners improve in the

language and able to convey their thoughts in their writing. Class room interaction helps learners to become

better speakers and give them confident to be speakers. Through interactive skills learners learn new words and

get new ideas for the subject they are learning or for the topic they are assign. This implementation or practice

brings changes in learners’ behavior and help them to gain word power and to enunciate and to pronounce

accurately. Teacher need to implement listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in their daily classroom

teaching. Daily reading in class is a must, which could expose learners to various styles of reading and to

pronounce and enunciate well. Activities such as reciting of Poems, singing folk songs, reading short story,

reciting tongue twisters and reading dialogues help the learners in speaking activities and enhance their

proficiency in writing activities. Such activities polish the language proficiency of the students and give them

confidence. English society can organize or conduct language programmes such as Reading programmes; for

example Readers Theatre, Drama, Public Speaking, Choral Speaking and Interactive session. Only language

Society has the power to implement these activities for the learners and these activities are carried out for the

students in the evenings or during the English camp days or English week and English Month. Proverbs and

Idioms enhance the learners’ usage of English and help these students in diction and to write better or Quality

Essays.

Teacher Learner interaction help the learners to become more confident and more understanding about

the subject the learners learn.

5. Targeted Group

The reason, even the form 6 learners are not conversant in the language. I was shocked, when I

questioned a pre university student a very simple question and she was unable to reply in English. I noticed

only the children of the Teachers who teach English, are the only group of learners who are competent in

English in rural Schools. At This stage the family culture of a child plays an important role to nurture and

nourish a child’s proficiency in English language. Most of the learners are from the villages and from the Felda

Settlement. The non Malay learners are from The Estates and few from the housing areas. Almost ninety nine

percent of these learners are from non English speaking families. Those from The Teachers families only speak

English fluently because their parents are Teachers who Teach English. Several learners parents are English

educated and those kids, acquired the language skills fluently.

6. How the research was carried out

Learners were test during classroom hours, and also interviewed to get feedback. Through discussion

with the learners and during English Society hours. Learners from different groups were questioned during

recess and also after classroom learning hours. What I observed was, The learners waited patiently for the

teachers to give them information and adequate knowledge related to their subjects , but what they received was

the same boring methods and approaches, which had caused the backward class learners to run away and leave

the class when particular language Teacher enters the class. This is one of the main reason caused the learners

for not showing interest in the language subject.According to Worde, 1998

in “anxiety in their foreign language learning” says that ‘Teachers inappropriate ways of Teaching and their

reluctance to develop rapport with their students can also contribute to learners anxiety in foreign language.

One more situation which has created the ‘stagnant ‘situation related to Teaching English in rural

schools is the attitude of the local Teachers and the Head of the Panel who stick with their own methods and

approaches and not giving second thought to anyone who wish to help to improve the situation. This is the

‘bossy’ attitude of not cooperating with those expert Teachers or senior Teachers ,teaching long.Those

victimized are the learners, whom not given a choice to learn better or to get the best of best. Several educators

not ready to accept changes in their line especially “Head of the Panels” who are young and inexperienced in

this field. One more factor which I noticed during my teaching years , The English Language Society not active

or interesting enough to attract the learners to learn or help the learners to improve in that subject. A club or

society plays important role to nurture and to nourish the learners’ ability to acquire a language or a skill. So the

advisors of a society need to be really active and need to posses ample of ideas which could assist and guide the

adolescent learners to excel. Several teachers whom I had observed posses very low level of emotional

intelligence and they were unable to make the teaching interesting or to make the class livelier. When asked the

learners why they have been playing truant, they reply was, they don’t like the way the teacher teach. From

beginning of the year till year end the same teacher uses same method and style in all the classes she has been

assign to teach. when This situation occurs continuously, learners learn nothing during teaching and learning

hours and this is one of the main reason causes failure of the learners in that subject.

6. 1 Action carried out

When asked the learners why they have been playing truancy, their reply was, They don’t like the

teachers style. From beginning of the year till year end the same Teacher uses same method and style in all the

classes she has been assign to teach. When this situation continues, learners don’t understand what was taught

to them Teaching and learning hours and this is one of the main reason which causes failure of the learners in

that subject. The teacher is not creative enough to attract the learners to learn. Teachers lack emotional

intelligence.

The most effective method or approach to overcome this problem is to inculcate the listening and

speaking activity for the learners during teaching and learning hours in Class. Various methods and styles of,

listening and speaking activities are exposed to learners with reading activities, such as shared reading,

Individual Reading, Read in groups and read as class.

6.2 Listening and speaking activities

Listening and speaking activities are very important to learners in daily classroom lessons. Dialogues

and interactive skills, create a conducive learning environment for learners.. Drama, monologue Tongue

Twisters and Choral Speaking activities introduced to learners. Daily Interaction with learners, gives them

confident to learn the subject. Either in groups of three, four or just in pairs, learners are divided in to several

groups and asked to perform the dialogues. Effective learning occurs when effective methods and approaches

are applied. Learners are trained and nurtured to be quality students by quality Teachers who occupy them with

the sufficient activities related to the basic skills. “Seniors Aloud” an online article says that,

” there’s no quality education without Quality Teachers”. This Phrase as it sounds is tells the truth.

Only quality Teachers produce quality Learners and they won’t complaint about the learners they teach or the

classes they handle, because quality teachers are problem solvers and they find whatever ways to solve the

problems and not to create problems.

6.3 Sharing of Knowledge (Quality Teacher and Quality education)

In house Training is one of the important factor where all the rural schools need to implement in

their School. The Main reason why some school are not producing good results is because the quality Teachers

or effective Teachers are not given a chance to conduct in house Training and to share their experience and

knowledge of producing good or excellent results in their present Schools. Most of the administrators look

down or ignore the dedicated Teacher who wants to share their ideas with their peers. At times these

administrators

Become the cause of failure of certain qualities in their School, due to certain ignorant Principles who

are not really exposed to the effective ways of Teaching and Learning English, such Head of the Schools,

isolate good teachers and refused to let them share their ideas with the School Community.

Most of the successful schools with good results in the Examination are produced by sharing of ideas

and methods which have been implemented and followed in that School. Cooperation is very essential in school

administration and when a School administrator listens to his co workers Positive ideas, he or she can see

Progress in the School examination results.

The article “ How many years are needed to Teach the sufficient Language in the Schools of the

poor.” Shares about learners in Zambia like this, “Children were taught in mother Tongue when they were in

standard one and at the same time, they were exposed to listening and speaking skills in English. The Learners

were exposed to interactive and instructional activities, while Teaching and Learning hour was Student Centred.

This implementation showed Positive Progress in the learners learning ability. From this Zambian rural school

we can learn, that interactive and instruction skills when frequently used with young learners they learn very fast

in the new language.

6.3 Quality learning

In most of the Schools, Teaching and Learning hours are maximum hours but, not many teachers use

it to teach quality Teaching. Learners learn less and there is no quality in Teaching and Learning hours. Some

schools do have English Clubs and societies, but these Societies functions only for name sake, these societies

make no difference or positive Changes in the learners part. For name sake these societies are functioning but

learners gain insufficient or learn nothing.

Actually The Language Society, especially English society need to play important role to inculcate

reading habit among learners and to teach knowledge based activities which can bring positive changes in the

young mind.

7.1 Exercise that improves health, gives energy and strength

Exercise is something essential for learners to be always active and to be attentive.

Rubbing both palms and the arms are something very effective and instant energy created by the body, and the learners feel refreshed after this activity. Students stay actively and concentrate in the lessons for long hours when they are involved in this rubbing and massaging activity.

Rubbing on legs and shoulders enhance the blood circulation and make one to be more active and energetic. If one rubs the body during shower, it improves ones health and gives the complexion glow and improves the skins texture. This activity should be done only during day time and if Practiced in the late evening, learners are unable to sleep because this exercise provide extreme, energy to the person who practice it and help the muscles to be active.

Massaging the palms and hands to give energy and to refresh them selves.

7.2 Energy flow (refreshing)

Drinking fresh Juice or Plain water. Plain water provides oxygen to the heart and , it makes the muscles to function actively and refreshes one who drinks Plain water.

Fresh fruit Juice Provides vitamins and functions as a booster and detoxifies the body.

7.3 Food that helps to improve learning ability

Calcium Rich food such as Milk and almonds improves overall health and help to improve memory

Power.

7.4 The Utmost is the first meal of the day

The very important and first meal of the day the students must eat is the early morning breakfast

before going to school. It can be either bread with margarine, rice with vegetable and fish, or oat meal Porridge with milk. The early morning breakfast provide energy and strength for the whole day. This is one of the reason why some kids perform better in studies compared to their peers.

Bread

Rice and fish

7.5 Motivation The very Important Part

Every individual need to be motivated. Especially the youngsters of today. Motivation stimulates an individual and when it has been done there is a change in that particular Childs behavior and emotion. Positive changes occur in that particular Teenager and Progress can be seen clearly.

It is very important for a Teacher to motivate her or his students always. This activity doesn’t need an expert from outside to visit the School and to conduct the motivation. Ever School, has one or two People who specialized in such matters and their service can be used instead of wasting money and inviting outsiders to carry out this activity.

Refference

1. HELLAN ABADEI, Effective Learning for the poor.

2. Worde, 1998 anxiety in their foreign language learning.

3. “ How many years are needed to Teach the sufficient Language in the Schools of the poor.” Online article.

4. Hassan and Nita Fauzee Selamat in “WHY AREN’T STUDENTS PROFICIENT IN ESL: Teachers Perspective”

5. DISSERTATION WRITING SERVICES - METHODOLOGY HELP . ONLINE ARTICLE