The Four Principles Of Kbsr

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Integrated approach is an approach where knowledge, skills and values are combined to integrate the physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual aspects. Actually, the integrated concept occurs through four ways which are skills cohesion, infusion, integration of two elements and element-across-the-curriculum. Skills cohesion is carried out either in one subject or between subjects. In one subject, the four main skills for languages are speaking, listening, reading, and writing. In one teaching and learning session, cohesion of only two skills is emphasized. Learner can use cognitive theory to learn certain subjects. Cognitivism is the theory that explains how information is processed to produce learning. It is the transform in a learner’s mental behavior. Cognitive theory looks at how information travels from the sensory memory to the working memory to the long-term memory. This theory emphasizes on gaining and keeping the learner’s attention. After the learner’s attention is gained, then practice and visuals are used to move the information in the memories. Reinforcement is used primarily as feedback (Woolfolk, 2004). Two famous contributors to Cognitivism are Jean Piaget who is known for the theory that children progress through stages and J. Anderson who is known for the two types of memory procedural and declarative. The implementation in a cognitive classroom learning takes place through using strategies to obtain facts, skills and concepts. First, the teachers are finding many ways to gain learner’s attention. For example, teacher can play a video to start a lesson. Besides that, teachers can draw the outline or graphic of the lesson on the board. This is an effective way for visual learners as to connect the information in the learner’s memory. Therefore, it will show the understanding of students by looking to the evidence of grouping smaller pieces of information into larger groups of information. Furthermore, teacher should repeat and review the content of the lesson in order to strengthen the learner’s memory. Besides, learners will then use mnemonics method to remember formulas and facts. This condition always happens in subject mathematic. The teacher serves as a modeler of strategies in the Cognitive classroom. Modeling has been shown to be an important part of helping students learn the process of constructing meaning and of helping them learn the various strategies and skills involved in this process (Bandura, 1986). Bandura(1986) identified four basic elements in the learning process through modeling, that is, attention, retention, reproduction and reinforcement (motivation). Modeling of specific strategies and skills is also provided by the teacher for those students who need it. Modeling by the teacher is also done through reading out loud (Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, & Wilkinson, 1985), through demonstrating response activities and discussions (Martinez & Roser, 1991), and through shared writing (Cooper, 1993). In addition, teacher’s presentation should be skillful and interesting so as to become a role model for the students to follow.

Infusion refers to different knowledge areas in the subjects and cuts across values in the various subjects. For example, English, language skills are integrated into a Mathematics lesson. Howard Gardner of Harvard has identified seven different intelligences. This theory has appeared from recent cognitive research and "documents the extent to which students possess different kinds of minds and therefore learn, remember, perform, and understand in different ways," according to Gardner (1991). According to this theory, "we are all able to know the world through language, logical-mathematical analysis, spatial representation, musical thinking, and the use of the body to solve problems or to make things, an understanding of other individuals, and an understanding of ourselves. These intelligences are combined to carry out different tasks, solve various problems, and progress in various fields. As an example, students should be able to use words effectively for linguistic subject. These learners have highly developed auditory skills and often think in words. They like reading, playing word games, making up poetry or stories. Thus, teachers can encourage them by asking learners to say and see words or read books together. The uses of ICT such as computers, games, multimedia, books, tape recorders, and lecture serve as a best tool in teaching. Linguistic intelligence involves sensitivity to spoken and written language, the ability to learn languages, and the capacity to use language to accomplish certain goals. This intelligence includes the ability to effectively use language to express oneself rhetorically or poetically; and language as a means to remember information. On the other hands, Logical -Mathematical must be reasoning and calculating. Learners are tend to be able think conceptually, abstractly and are able to see and explore patterns and relationships. They like to do experiment, solve puzzles, and ask outer space questions. So, they can be taught through logic games, investigations, and mysteries. They need to learn and form concepts before they can deal with details.

Next, integration between two elements is done either between curriculum and co-curriculum, knowledge and practice, and existing and new experiences. The co-curricular activities which are uniformed bodies, clubs or societies, games or sports are complementary to curricular activities in the classroom. For knowledge and practice, the knowledge acquired in the classroom can be applied to situations in the home, society and so on. For instance, knowledge and skills for the 21st century must be built on core subjects. There is no child left behind identifies these as English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics, government, economics, arts, history and geography. Furthermore, the focus on core subjects must expand further than basic competency to the understanding of core academic content at much higher levels. Students need to learn academic content through real-world examples, applications and experiences both inside and outside of school. Students understand and retain more when their learning is related, engaging and significant to their lives. In the global, networked environment of the 21st century, student learning also can expand outside the boring and dull classroom. Thus, teacher should emphasize learning skills for the learners. For example, experiment should be carrying out for science subject in laboratory or outside the school. As the learner can do and observe the real outcome, they can have better understanding on those topics. To develop in an area of inquiry, students must have a strong basis of knowledge, understand facts and ideas in the context of a conceptual framework, and organize knowledge so they can retrieve and apply it.

Lastly, element-across-the-curriculum refers to language across the curriculum, environment across the curriculum, science across the curriculum, thinking skills across the curriculum and so on.

Secondly, holistic development of individual is achieved through all subjects to fulfill pupils’ physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual needs. According to psychologists, individual potentials cannot be developed in isolation. This means that each potential in related to the others. For instance, a pupil who is potential skilled hockey player needs to develop knowledge that the effective ways of playing and skills of the game, as well as nurture co-operation, follow the game rules and discipline. According to multiple intelligences theory, bodily kinesthetic intelligence requires the potential of using one's whole body or parts of the body to solve problems. It is the ability to use mental abilities to coordinate bodily movements. Howard Gardner sees mental and physical activity as related. For example, physical education subject in KBSR not only taught the subject content in classroom but also carry out exercise or outdoor activities. Teacher of 21century learner should encourage transfer of learning. Students need to build up the ability to apply skills, concepts, knowledge, attitudes or strategies they develop in one context, situation or application to another, reflexively (low-road transfer) or after deliberate thought and analysis (high-road transfer). On the other hands, behaviorism is the theory that describes learning is due to an observable change in behavior. The behaviors are sometimes learned in the process. In this theory, the learners observe the information, practice the information and then receive reinforcement through praise. The classic example of behaviorism is when Pavlov used classic conditioning to investigate the digestive system of dogs. Pavlov conditioned the dogs to react to the sound of a tuning fork. The tuning fork became a conditioned stimulus. Other famous theorists include Edward Thorndike who is known for inventing the puzzle box to investigate problem solving in animals and B. F. Skinner who is known for inventing the concept of operant conditioning. The implementation in behaviorist classroom learning takes place through acquiring facts, concepts and skills. All behavior is seen as a stimulus-response relationship, including learning and classroom engagement. Conditioning is the behaviorists term for learning based on what the individual does in response to a specific object, event, or stimulus. For example, learners may observe a reward system for positive learning behavior. They will be receiving effective praise in small or large accomplishments. Thus, the teacher emphasizes for both positive and negative behavior. Teachers can use the word ‘well done’, ‘excellent’ or ‘outstanding’ to encourage their students. This is because teacher is a controller in the Behaviorist classroom. Finally in this classroom there may be an emphasis on mastery learning with rewards and consequences in place. In addition, cooperative learning is also a very effective instructional strategy that works well in literature-based instruction (Slavin, 1987). Students learn to read, write, and think by having meaningful engagements with more experienced individuals (Wells, 1990). Many times these individuals may be their peers. Thus, Buddy-Studies in behaviorist classroom are a good method too. A buddy-study allows two or three students to work together on a project. The result is that all may share the research and analysis or organization of information. However, each student must complete an individual product to demonstrate learning that has taken place and be accountable for their planning, time management and individual accomplishment.

Thirdly, life-long learning means that the learning process takes place continuously and is not restrained by time. Education is an on-going effort because it starts from the time we were born until the end of our life. Thus, the schools play an important role for developing education for students. Schools have two main roles. First, schools are the first formal institution where pupils obtain knowledge and basic skills. In relation to this, KBSR builds the foundation for pupils’ acquisition of the necessary knowledge and skills to enable them to face their daily life situations. Upon completion of their schooling, this education process does not stop. Instead, each and everyone of us are encouraged to continue with our own learning. In addition, schools also nurture every pupil’s interest to pursue knowledge and contribute to the existing pool. This endeavor requires the habit of wanting to and knowing how to pursue knowledge. In this respect, teachers play a vital role in inculcating and nurturing the knowledge and reading cultures in their pupils. As an example, learners can use constructive learning theories in their lesson. Constructivism is the theory that describes learning due to the construction of knowledge. The theory focuses on the understanding the information. A big component of Constructivism is socializing. The learners are posed with guiding questions and the learners work together to acquire the new information. Two famous contributors to Constructivism are Lev Vygotsky who is known for the definition of Zone of Proximal Development and Jerome Bruner who is known for stating that learning is an active process. For instance, constructivist classroom learning takes place through retrieving prior knowledge and collaborating to acquire new knowledge. In this type of classroom, learners are working in groups and discussing a possible solution to a particular problem or task. While the teacher moving from group to group assisting in the discussion and asking relevant questions. This shows the teacher serves as a facilitator in the Constructivist classroom. As the learners use their prior knowledge to construct new things, they will never stop to learn. For 21st century learners, they constantly adapt, revise, and synthesize information, using ‘old learning’ in new, unfamiliar, meaningful ways. Thus, teachers should emphasize learning skills. As much as students need knowledge in main subjects, they also need to know how to keep learning continually throughout their lives. Learning skills comprise three broad categories of skills: information and communication skills, thinking and problem-solving skills, and interpersonal and self-directional skills. In fact, there are many different strategies can be used in activating prior knowledge and most of these strategies help students become independent in activating their own prior knowledge. Research on schema theory and prior knowledge has clearly shown that students construct meaning by using their prior knowledge to interact with the text (Anderson & Pearson, 1984). A thematic organization in which themes are carefully developed with related pieces of literature also supports the activation and development of prior knowledge; by reading several related selections, students build on their prior knowledge from previous selections as they read the next selection.

Lastly, one education for all implies that all pupils at the same schooling level follow the same curriculum irrespective of the school type while the differences only in the medium of instruction. In general, there are three areas in KBSR that are communication, Man and his environment and individual self- development. Communication includes the basic skills which are 3R’s-reading, writing and arithmetic under the subjects Bahasa Malaysia and Mathematics. While the mankind and environment are spirituality, values, attitude, humanity and surrounding which in Pendidikan Moral or Pendidikan Islam. Next, individual self development emphasizes act and recreation, through Pendidikan moral, Pendidikan Jasmani, Art, Communication, manipulative skills, and school assembly. However, the three areas can be divided into six components namely basic skills, spirituality, values and attitudes, living skills, art and healthy and the last is co-curriculum. In Malaysia, the opportunity of schooling is given for every child and encompasses education beginning from pre-school to university. The schooling can begin earlier, from 3-6, in kindergarten. Then, Primary education in Malaysia begins at age seven and lasts for six years, referred to as Year (Tahun) 1 to 6 (also known as Standard (Darjah) 1 to 6). Year 1 to Year 3 are classified as Level One (Tahap Satu) while Year 4 to Year 6 are considered as Level Two (Tahap Dua). All schools admit students regardless of racial and language background. Malay and English are compulsory subjects in all schools. All schools use the same syllabus for non-language subjects regardless of the medium of instruction. The teaching of the Chinese language is compulsory in SJK(C), and Tamil language is compulsory in SJK(T). In addition, students are required to sit for a common public examination such as the Primary School Achievement Test / Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (PSAT / UPSR).

One of the most signal characteristics of 21st century students is that they are products of a technology-rich environment, which has shaped their educational expectations. They are natural multitaskers, who grew up doing homework, watching TV, listening to music, and instant messaging simultaneously, and who look forward to constant stimulation. Thus, the uses of ICT’s facilities as the teaching tools are quite effective to gain the attention from the learners. Teachers must know the individual differences of the learners like Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic (VAK) learning style model. The visual learner are tend to watch video, using flash card, and charts in a lesson. While the auditory learners are learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through and listening to what others have to say. For instance, teacher can organize group discussion in class. During large group discussion activities, teachers direct the higher level questions to the students who can handle them and adjust questions accordingly for student with greater needs. All students are answering important questions that require them to think but the questions are targeted towards the student’s ability or readiness level. Moreover, kinesthetic learners have a tendency to remember and process information through interacting with the space around them. Thus, teacher can plan a hand on experimentation for these learners.

In conclusion, ‘To cope with the demands of the 21st century,’ the report states, ‘students need to know more than core subjects. They need to know how to use their knowledge and skills-by thinking critically, applying knowledge to new situations, analyzing information, comprehending new ideas, communicating, collaborating, solving problems, and making decisions.’ Therefore, teachers should plan their teaching strategies based on the different theories as to take care of the individual different of the learners. Teachers in the 21st century are deal with the challenges opened up by globalization. Teaching in the 21st century need to be well-prepare with the understanding on how to use information technologies. Then, the teachers should deliver their techniques of ICT for their students on computer usage, reasonable methods of Internet research, and how to analysis useful information. Additionally, this focus on technology can open up a world of new resources to support traditional teaching methods, such as the integration of software programs in the classroom. Teaching in the 21st century is not easy because students receive so much stimulation from television, computers and other electronic devices that may find school dull and lost their interest to go to school. So, teachers should make lessons relevant to students' everyday lives. Making these connections will ensure that students are engaged in learning and will keep the important objectives covered each day.