In the space of seven days, I Chaired two Ph.D viva sessions and was an External Examiner to one other thesis. These were doctoral thesis that took between three and a half to four years to complete. All three candidates were successful in their defense that took between one and a half to two hours and come the Convocation day in August, they will receive their Ph.D degree. All three also happen to be teachers and two are from the Teacher Colleges. The titles of the Ph.D thesis are: - The Impact of the use of Graphics Calculator on the Culture of Statistics Learning
- Kesan Hipermedia terhadap Pemecutan dalam Pembelajaran Konsep-Konsep Biologi
- The Effects of Inquiry-Based Computer Simulation with Cooperative Learning on Scientific Thinking and Conceptual Understanding in Gas Laws among Form Four Students in Malaysian Smart Schools
ALL three candidates also had their research work presented at Seminars and Conferences and published in Journals prior to their defense. This is all excellent academic endeavours that has produced three more holders of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) for Malaysia, in particular, and the world of education, in general. As fellow academics, I convey my  and  them to the 'club', so to speak, and we will meet each other again (I hope) at Conferences (funding permitting) and in Journals (not face-to-face, of course). They have toiled for a period of time, researched on current educational strategies and pedagogies, tested on respondents in the current educational setting (schools whether smart or not), and through solid theoretical underpinning and conceptual framework, proved that their research works produced an enhancement in educational understanding and achievement of the students as opposed to 'traditional' settings ( this is also a long story - we will do it some other time).
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? What happened to past doctoral/masters research works? I am trying to find the right words here. Our educational system should be able to benefit from all these valid research work done in the local context - in the local context!! They are not some foreign expert who we bring in that know nuts about our students characteristics, educational system and how the management mechanism work. If local institutions of higher learning can't get through our own education system governing the schools (I can back this up, have no fear), foreign advises is always a waste of time and money and after some time, we will be back to the 'normal' exam oriented approach and expectations that ALL our students must get ALL As in ALL subjects!! Call me crazy.
It is time that we are really serious about this if we are really to talk about being an educational hub of the region. We should be serious in implementing innovative pedagogies, appropriate use of the spectrum of educational technologies and perhaps even an open curricula concept from STPM (this is another long story - gosh there is so much to tell) level onwards.
Although we now have two Ministries of Education, they should be like Siamese Twins towards the nation's educational endeavour. With all due respect, we really do not need foreign experts to advise us on our educational settings. We are not stupid, we are not blind. In fact WE MALAYSIANS get invitations to deliver Keynotes Addresses at International Conferences, sit on International Editorial Boards, consultants to International educational bodies, World bodies, International and Worlds Assocations and Societies across the disciplines. Actually, in this respect, we have yet to gain INDEPENDENCE. Technically speaking, we are still COLONISED, in the mind!!
Come on, Malaysians, let's kick butt here .... aiyaa, tak tau lah ..
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