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Description
This research aimed to examine the context for learning in Malaysian Primary schools by examining teacher beliefs, parent involvement, and barriers associated with implementing teaching beliefs across the three different types of Malaysian primary schools - Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK, national school, primary language Malay), Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC, national school, primary language Chinese), and international/private schools (primary language English). It is crucial to study teachers’ beliefs, because they affect teaching practices in the classroom. Participants were comprised of 81 primary schoolteachers, 19 (23%) were SK schoolteachers, 41 (51%) were SJKC schoolteachers, and 21 (26%) were private/international schoolteachers. Participants filled out questionnaires at a one-time point, which assessed school-family partnerships, barriers to implementing teaching beliefs in the classroom, personal demographics, and teachers’ beliefs regarding teaching, students, and parent involvement. Findings indicated that private/ international schoolteachers valued student-centered teaching approaches and felt more supported regarding implementing their teaching beliefs in the classroom, whereas teachers at both types of national schools (SK and SJKC) valued teacher-centered approaches more and reported more barriers to implementing their teaching beliefs in the classroom. There were five emergent themes reflecting barriers: 1) time and curriculum, 2) classroom size, 3) limitation on creating ideal space/ environment/ teaching approach for student learning, 4) lack of student participation/ poor student behavior/ student attention, and 5) lack of resources/ materials. SJKC schools had more practices for involving families in volunteering and decision-making, whereas private/ international schools were rated higher regarding communicating with families. Teachers across school types indicated valuing parent involvement in children’s education. However, school practices for involving parents were rated as being only fair. These findings have implications for promoting student-centered teaching approaches in Malaysian national primary schools, removing barriers to teacher success, and developing school practices to further school-family partnerships. Keywords: Teacher beliefs, teaching approach, barriers, parent involvement, school-family partnerships
