Tamil Schools Research Articles

Tamil Schools in the Federated Malay States under British Colonial Rule 1895-1941

In the time of British rule of the Federated Malay States (FMS) from 1895 to 1941, many Indians, especially the Tamils from South India, were brought in as labourers. Long-term Tamil primary schools were established to cater to their children's educational needs. This article presents a historical investigation of the development, challenges, and disparity faced by Tamil primary schools in the FMS between 1895-1941. The study employs thematic content analysis to study the primary and secondary historical sources. The findings report that four themes surrounding challenges and disparity emerged among Tamil schools in the FMS, namely building and equipment; subjects and syllabi; schoolteachers; and teacher training. The study underscores the development of Tamil schools in the FMS, the significant issues faced by the schools under British colonial rule, and the implications for children of Tamil migrants. Significantly, this study contributes new knowledge towards the history of education during British colonialism, emphasising the crucial role of Tamil schools in preserving language and culture and potentially shaping future research in this area.

ANALYSING THE IMPLEMENTATION AND ACHIEVEMENT OF THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE SYLLABUS IN TAMIL PRIMARY SCHOOLS: A CASE STUDY OF UPSR RESULTS AND PROFICIENCY GAPS

The difficulties of using the National Language (NL) curriculum in Tamil primary schools in Malaysia are discussed in this paper. Although Tamil primary school pupils struggle with NL competence, hurting their secondary school preparation, the Malaysian educational system requires mastery of Bahasa Melayu, the National Language. The research uses 2019 UPSR data to examine the NL success levels in comprehension and writing among Tamil school children. Focusing on a sample of Tamil pupils, the approach used a quantitative study of test results from national-type schools. Data were gathered using UPSR Comprehension and Writing papers. The results showed a notable difference in NL proficiency as only 40.11% of pupils attained an acceptable level in both examinations. Important debates focused on the absence of NL exposure in everyday life and the effect of mother tongue interference as main contributing elements. According to the report, standardising the NL curriculum and enhancing it across the institutions would assist to reduce these disparities. This study highlights the necessity of strategic changes to promote Tamil primary school pupils' language competency, therefore guaranteeing better preparation for secondary education.

Perkembangan Sukatan Pelajaran dan Kurikulum Tamil Sekolah Rendah di Malaya Sebelum 1947

Since Tamil education in Malaysia was formally established in Malaya around 1816, it has undergone various changes in terms of syllabus and curriculum before the country gained her independence in 1957, when the direction of education changed towards the formation of the a Malaysian-based educational system. The development patterns and forms of syllabus and curriculum that have been the basis of the development of Tamil Malaysian education for almost 140 years before 1947 were not well explored due to lack of empirical research and resources. Almost all existing literature that describe the nature of this era failed in explaining the compositions of the syllabus and curriculum that were used by stating that the Indian-continent based syllabus was adopted in that era. There were no proper studies that offer thorough explanation of the content and direction of the syllabus and curriculum of that time. Using the historiographical method, this study has delved into this need and listed the process and development of Tamil syllabus and curriculum that have been introduced for Tamil schools in Malaysia before independence. Descriptive qualitative method using descriptions and reporting were used to provide an explanation of the circumstances, events, changes, and developments that took place in the sector of Tamil education before 1947. The findings of the study were discussed through two main aspects, namely, aspects of exploring the history of the development of Tamil education and content analysis of the syllabus components and curriculum of Tamil school education. The results clearly envisage the direction and the development of syllabus content and preindependence curriculum. The finding is expected to be an important platform to know and understand the development of Tamil syllabus and curriculum education in the days before Malaysia gained her independence.

Issues and Challenges of Integrating Technology in Teaching and Learning Among Teachers in National Type Tamil School (NTTS)

The integration of technology in teaching and learning is a crucial cornerstone in the education world to produce competent individuals in the 21st century. Teachers play a key role in contributing to the development of technologically proficient individuals in the field of IT. However, it is found that there is a lack of integration of technology in teaching and learning mainly because teachers face various challenges in implementing technology in pedagogy. Hence, this study aims to discover teachers’ challenges and issues in integrating technology in the National Type Tamil School (NNTS)’s classroom. This study adopts a quantitative research approach using a questionnaire. A total of 31 NTTS teachers from across the country participated in the study. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the demographic characteristics of the respondents and the challenges faced by the NTTS teachers. The results of the study indicate that the level of teachers' skills and knowledge in technology is very high. However, the readiness of students and support from Parent-Teacher Association and Non-Governmental Organizations were found to be unsatisfactory. This study also suggests that school administration, Parents Teacher’s Association (PTA), and the Ministry of Education should focus on the challenges faced by teachers and take various measures such as providing professional development training and facilities such as adequate access to the internet and computer facilities for both teachers and students.

The Attitude Competencies of Tamil Schoolteachers in Implementing Creativity, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, and Communication Skills in Classroom Learning

The attitude of teachers towards 21st century learning is crucial for the effective implementation of the 4C skills (Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication) in the classroom. This research aims to identify the essential attitudes required by Tamil school teachers to implement 4C skills in classroom learning. A Multiple Case Study design was used with nine participants, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews, document analyses, and micro-teaching video analysis. Thematic analysis and triangulation revealed three essential elements of Tamil schoolteachers' attitudes required for efficient implementation of 4C skills: sense of responsibility, teachers' beliefs, and teachers' actions. Acquiring these attitudes will assist teachers in effectively implementing 4C skills among their students, allowing them to compete globally in higher education and employment opportunities.

School culture as predictors of primary schools’ performance

This purpose of this study is to explore the level of school culture and its prediction towards school performance as perceived by teachers. The data was collected using survey questionnaire. Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) developed by Cameron and Quinn (2006) was used to measure school culture. A total of 324 questionnaires were distributed to 36 primary schools in the state of Selangor, Perak, Johor and Pahang in Peninsular Malaysia. Subsequently, the data was analysed using descriptive analysis and multiple regression. The result shows that teachers in National schools and National Type Tamil schools perceive that the level of school culture in their schools is significantly higher than National Type Chinese schools. In addition, clan culture is perceived as most practiced culture in National and National Type Tamil schools. While, hierarchy culture is perceived as the most practiced culture in National Type Chinese schools. There is a similarity between these schools in terms of culture practice where the adhocracy culture become the least culture practiced in these schools. Apart from that, the result also showed that teachers perceived school culture significantly predict the school performance. Hence, it is noted that emphasis in school culture is vital to have an environment, which supports the school performance in the long run. This study would be very helpful for all the relevant stakeholders to identify primary school culture as well as its contribution towards school performance to take any action for school improvement.

The impact of hybrid learning in educating Tamil educator and learner relationship

The objectives of this study are to identify the Tamil educator and learner relationships through hybrid learning in urban and rural areas and to compare the Tamil educator and learner relationships through hybrid learning between urban and rural areas. Technology has become a part of life throughout the world. It has shrunk the world. People become closer and closer due to the invention of technology. It has become a part of all fields including education. Schools started using various methods of teaching and learning with technology. Computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, and applications are some of the gadgets used in education. Online teaching, blended learning, and hybrid learning also came to exist. The findings of studies in hybrid learning explain that the cooperation of all parties including teachers is a factor in Tamil teaching with ICT. The new teaching method has influenced the involvement of students, high attendance rate, assignment delivery, and student behavior; the challenges and strengths of hybrid learning and the flexibility of hybrid learning. The findings of the present study show that there is a relationship between Tamil educators and learners in urban and rural Tamil schools which is the impact of hybrid learning. For the present study, data were collected from urban and rural schools in Perak State, Malaysia in which hybrid learning is implemented. The collected data were analyzed based on the two objectives of the study. The findings of the present study show that there are relationships between Tamil educators and learners in urban and rural Tamil schools which is the impact of hybrid learning.

Leadership Behaviour on Teachers Job Satisfaction at Tamil Schools in Malaysia

Teaching professionals towards the 21st century is an indicator for showing a combination of leadership and education. In fact, the job satisfaction of a teacher less emphasized by the leaders of a school. This survey study aims to studying the transformational leadership of headmasters with teacher job satisfaction in SJKT (Tamil based National Schools). Satisfaction teacher work can improve the performance of teachers, students and schools or vice versa. Transformational leadership of headmasters can affect or vice versa on satisfaction teacher work. A total of 162 teachers from 18 SJKTs in Kulim Bandar Baharu District were involved in this research. This study is a survey method using a scale questionnaire Five -Point Likert for the ‘Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire’ (MLQ) research instrument and Herzberg’s Motivation and Hygiene factors. The findings of the study as well found that the level satisfaction with the leadership behavior of headmasters from the structured dimension was high, while the level of teacher satisfaction with the work they do is very high with an overall. Research outcomes also found that there are very strong influence of the principal's leadership behaviour on teachers' job satisfaction, school culture, and the influence of school culture on teachers' job satisfaction. Implications of the study to various parties including the school and Ministry of Education in producing excellent leadership and ensuring that schools can high performance. In addition, this study can provide exposure to headmasters SJKT to review their leadership while managing administrative matters in the school. In conclusion, the transformational leadership of headmasters will have an impact on teacher job satisfaction.

THE IMPACT OF THE HEADMASTERS’ TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP STYLE ON TEACHERS’ ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT AT TAMIL NATIONAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN KEDAH, MALAYSIA

In this technological era, educational institutions are facing many challenges to improve their performance of the institutions through successful leadership behavior. Effective leaders play an essential and important role in accomplishing the target goals for the betterment of organizations through making subordinates committed. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of headmasters’ transformational leadership style on teachers’ organizational commitment in Primary Tamil Schools in the state of Kedah, Malaysia. The measuring instruments used in the study were Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ Form 5X) and the Three-Component Model (TCM) survey for organizational commitment. The stratified random sampling technique was used to collect data from 346 teachers from primary Tamil schools through a survey method. Data were analyzed descriptively by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and utilized the Structural Equation Modeling technique on higher-order constructs to test the hypotheses of the study by using Smart PLS statistical software. The study’s findings revealed that headmasters’ transformational leadership style has a significant impact on teachers’ organizational commitment. This study also contributes empirical evidence for leaders (Headmasters) to enhance their leadership attitudes to be a more efficient and suitable relationship with teachers’ organizational commitment. KEYWORDS: Transformational leadership, organizational commitment, structural equation modeling, attitudes, stratified random sampling technique.

Attitudes and acceptance of information and communication technology (ICT) among urban and rural teachers in teaching and facilitation

The purpose of the study was to find out the attitudes and acceptance of information and communication technology (ICT) among urban and rural teachers in Teaching and Facilitation (TnF). The use of ICT helps in improving the effectiveness of all areas including education. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) introduced by Fred Davis was used to identify the relationship between teacher attitudes and differences in ICT acceptance between urban and rural areas teachers’ behavior in TnF. This was to determine the actual influencing factors among the Tamil language teachers on the use of information and communication technology in Tamil language TnF. There are several other works carried out in this field including computer teaching and learning, challenges of ICT, teachers' perceptions of ICT, and many more, but the present study is based among urban and rural teachers of Malaysia. Other works done in this field do not focus on students and teachers of Tamil schools. This study is a quantitative study involving a questionnaire. The study involved 96 Tamil schools in the state of Selangor and a total of 260 Tamil language teachers participated in this study. 167 urban schools and 93 rural schools were involved in this study. Data obtained through questionnaires were evaluated using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, hence documented in chronology relevant to the objectives of the study. The findings of the study showed that there is a significant relationship between teachers in urban and rural areas in the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Tamil language TnF. Through this study, a strong culture of ICT use is applied in the Tamil language TnF process in urban and rural SJK (T) which can be practiced by various stakeholders.

Meaning Cognitive Theory with Lesson Study to Improve the Quality of Learning in Low School

This article presents a proposal to improve teaching excellence among elementary school students by using the Lesson Study (LS) approach. LS is a model of professional development of educators originating from Japan. In the LS process, a group of educators systematically reviews the practice of educators with the aim of producing a more effective teaching and learning process. It begins by identifying certain subject units that have problems in the teaching and learning process. Thus, objectives were set to provide the focus and direction of the research. Furthermore, the process of planning, teaching, observing, and evaluating lesson units is carried out. This process is repeated. Finally, a study report is generated and the LS findings are shared with other educators. This LS approach can mobilize pedagogical knowledge and skills among educators. It provides opportunities for educators to collaborate to overcome difficulties encountered in teaching subject units or methodologies. Thus, this approach is expected to provide benefits in improving students' understanding and academic achievement. Proposals regarding the implementation of LS in One of Primary Tamil School Malaysia will be discussed in this article.

Motivational Encouragement of Self Performance Assessment Instrument in Mastering National Language Based on Keller’s Arcs Model

This research aims to identify the influences of using Self Performance Assessment Instrument which known in Malay language as Instrumen Penilaian Prestasi Kendiri (IPKK) on motivational encouragement for students’ learning in national language of Malaysia. Before conducting this survey, the students had a chance to use IPKK for two different tests. The survey uses the Attention (A) – Relevance (R) – Confidence (C) – Satisfaction (S) Model of Motivation, or ARCS, which was pioneered by John M. Keller. This research is quantitative-based and uses questionnaires as the main instrument. Approximately 115 students from three different schools, specifically National Type Tamil Schools or Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil were chosen as purposive sample. They compared every item based on their experience, which is to say after and before using IPPK. The findings indicate that IPPK influenced the students’ motivational encouragement to control balancing emotions when mastering the national language. It piques their attention or desire to learn, supply appropriate knowledge, form self-confidence, and generate self-satisfaction.

KĒ. PĀLAMURUKAṈ ‘CURUṬṬU’ CIṞUKATAIYIL KUṬUMPA UṞAVUKAḶ [FAMILY RELATIONSHIP IN K.BALAMURUGAN ‘CURUTTU’ SHORT STORY

This study, based on K. Balamurugan’s "'Suruttu' Short stories: Family Relationships” aims to explore the status of family relationships in short stories. There are various interesting short stories published in recent times. The relationships between family members is essential in the progress of a family and society. Positive family relationships can create prosperous families. Prosperous families can create a good society. Malaysian short story writer K. Balamurugan's short story 'Suruttu' is used as the primary source for this study. K. Balamurugan, who is a Tamil school teacher is a celebrated short stories writer who has written fascinating short stories. He is particularly interested in creating stories for children. This research studies and analyses the importance of family relationships through K. Balamurugan’s 'Suruttu' short stories.

School Innovativeness as Predictors of School Performance in Malaysian Primary Schools

This study is an attempt to explore the level of school innovativeness and its prediction towards school performance as perceived by teachers. The data was collected using survey questionnaire from the sample of 324 teachers from primary schools in Johor, Perak, Pahang and Selangor. Subsequently, the collected data was analysed using descriptive analysis, One-way ANOVA and multiple regression. The result showed that Malaysian schools practiced moderate level of innovativeness as overall. However, National Type Tamil schools practiced higher level of innovativeness in comparison with National schools and National Type Chinese schools based on teacher’s perception. Apart from that, the result also showed that teachers perceived school innovativeness significantly predict the school performance. With the result obtained, this study proposed some recommendations to the ministry, policy makers as well as researchers to improve school performance in Malaysian primary schools.

Effectiveness Of Quizizz in Interactive Teaching and Learning Malay Grammar

Abstract: For teaching and learning Malay language grammar, there are many types of online assessment tools and applications have been developed in Malaysia. One such application is Quizizz, a game-based online quiz that facilitates teaching and learning. The purpose of this research is to measure the effectiveness of Quizizz application to teach and learn Malay grammar. We have used descriptive questionnaire research design, and chosen 130 students from Tamil schools by following the simple random sampling strategy. We have explored the effectiveness of Quizizz application as a formative quizzing tool for teaching and learning Malay grammar in year-four Tamil school students from 15 Tamil schools in Manjung district. The results showed that it was imperative to use Quizizz as a formative assessment tool to learn and teach Malay grammar to Tamil students. Students also responded positively to the use of Quizizz in the classroom through survey questionnaire results. At the end, we conclude that it is important for teachers to consider using fun and entertainment technology quizzing tools to teach Malay grammar.
 
 Keywords: Malay grammar, Quizizz, Self-assessment, Teaching and learning

Teaching Methods Used by Tamil School Physical Education Teachers

Teaching Methods Used by Tamil School Physical Education Teachers

KĒ. PĀLAMURUKAṈ ‘CURUṬṬU’ CIṞUKATAIYIL KUṬUMPA UṞAVUKAḶ [FAMILY RELATIONSHIP IN THE SHORT STORY BY K.BALAMURUGAN

This study, based on K. Balamurugan’s "'Suruttu' Short stories: Family Relationships” aims to explore the status of family relationships in short stories. There are various interesting short stories published in recent times. The relationships between family members is essential in the progress of a family and society. Positive family relationships can create prosperous families. Prosperous families can create a good society. Malaysian short story writer K. Balamurugan's short story 'Suruttu' is used as the primary source for this study. K. Balamurugan, who is a Tamil school teacher is a celebrated short stories writer who has written fascinating short stories. He is particularly interested in creating stories for children. This research studies and analyses the importance of family relationships through K. Balamurugan’s 'Suruttu' short stories.

Development and Validation of a Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment with Ordered Multiple-Choice Items for Addition of Time

Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment (CDA) is an alternative assessment which can give a clear picture of pupils’ learning process and cognitive structures to education stakeholders so that appropriate instructional strategies can be designed to tailored pupils’ needs. Coincide with this function, the Ordered Multiple-Choice (OMC) items were incorporated into the CDA developed in this study. This paper describes the process of developing and validating a Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment with OMC items for assessing pupils’ attribute mastery on ‘Addition of Time’ and reports the psychometric properties of the items, the model-data fit, the attribute reliability and the overall reliability of the assessment. The sample of the study consisted of 30 Year Four National School (SK) pupils, 48 Year Four National-Type Chinese School (SJKC) pupils and 12 Year Four National-Type Tamil School (SJKT) pupils in Penang state, Malaysia. The data was analysed using two measurement models, namely Classical Test Theory and Attribute Hierarchy Method (AHM). The findings of the study indicated that the instrument developed consisted of good-quality OMC items with appropriate difficulty and high discrimination power. With the satisfactory model-data fit in AHM, the inference made about pupils’ attributes mastery based on their performance in CDA with OMC items was valid. The CDA with OMC items developed in this study was found to be reliable at both attribute level and assessment level. Perhaps, this instrument could be used in the mathematics classrooms for supporting teachers in diagnosing pupils’ cognitive strengths and weaknesses for ‘Addition of Time’.

Mother Tongue Interference in English Writing among Tamil School Students

Writing is considered one of the most challenging language skills that students need to acquire. In Malaysia’s vernacular schools, students encounter several challenges as they need to write in variety of languages: their mother tongue, Malay and English. The students’ mother tongue can interfere when writing in English due to the difference of structures between these languages. This paper aims to explore this issue further by examining how the Tamil language in particular influences its young native speakers’ writing of English essays. For the purpose of this study, 30 writing samples of Year 5 students from a Tamil school were studied in terms of structure, vocabulary usage, and spelling. Errors committed in the essays were identified, categorized and scrutinized. The findings reveal that the main issues in the students’ writings are related to grammar, direct translation of the Tamil language, vocabulary and spelling. While we need to understand why and how mother tongue interference affects their writing, it is crucial to curb these writing issues at the primary school level so that such errors can be minimized as they will be doing higher levels of writing. The findings of the study suggest that students need to recognise the differences between their first language (L1) and the English language and learn to understand the different features and structures of the languages in order to write communicative and correct sentences.

THE INFLUENCE OF L1 (TAMIL LANGUAGE) IN THE WRITING OF L2 (ENGLISH)

This study focuses on the interference of L1 grammatical rules in the writing of L2 with specific reference to the interference of Tamil (L1) in English (L2). Though many research have been done in mother tongue interference, very few research have been conducted in terms of Tamil versus English. This study seeks to find out the components of the L1 (Tamil language) grammar that the students of Tamil schools use interchangeably in their daily writing of L2, namely English. This study will follow a mixture of qualitative and quantitative survey research design, the purpose of which is to find out the influence of mother tongue linguistic items in the writing of English (L2), among the standard 4 students of a selected school. The findings of the study clearly indicated that mother tongue and the national language interfered (negative transfer) in the writing of L2 among Tamil school students. Apart from the interference of L1, the research also found that there is a heavy influence of the national language (Malay) in the writing of students' L2.