STEM Model in Johor, Malaysia
meriSTEM@NIE was awarded a grant from Temasek Foundation to co-fund and co-implement this four-year programme with the JCorp Foundation, as the host community partner. The programme seeks to co-create a sustainable and scalable partnership model between schools and STEM industries that support continual STEM capacity-building of residents of Johor and Singapore, as well as design and implement connected and customised STEM programmes.
In Phase 1, a 3-day baseline study of the state of STEM education and the profile of STEM industries in Johor, Malaysia was conducted from November 6 and 7, 2023. The NIE team observed lessons from 5 chosen schools accompanied by focused-group discussions with teachers, students, and school heads. Aside from the schools, industry heads affiliated with JCorp along with state board executives from the Ministry of Education (MOE) attended the focused-group discussions to understand the needs of the industries.
During the school visits, the schools presented the background of their school along with different types of STEM curricula in their schools. The school visits also included lesson observations and focused-group discussion with the members of each school community. This provided the NIE consultants with insights on the state of STEM curriculum and the school leaders’ and teachers’ understanding of STEM education. On Day 1, SMK Seri Medan, SMK Bandar Baru Uda, and SMK Telok Kerang were observed. On Day 2, SMK Bandar Penawar and SMK Buluh Kasap.
SMK Seri Medan, located on 18km from Batu Pahat town, actively promotes STEM education through various hands-on activities and participation in various competitions. The school’s involvement in Global IT Challenge for youth with disabilities has also shown their commitment to an inclusive STEM education. Additionally, the school also offers unique STEM programmes.
SMK Bandar Baru Uda ranks 11th among the top 15 schools in Johor Bahru. The school actively participates in various STEM-related activities which includes national-level competitions and international digital classroom conference. There are also agriculture activities managed by students themselves which incorporates technology.
SMK Telok Kerang was founded in 1960 and takes in students mainly from Malay communities living around Kampung Telok Kerang. The school has a strong emphasis on the environment and sustainability with the aim of “educating SMK Telok Kerang members and the surrounding community to be more sensitive concerning environmental issues and applying the knowledge, skills, values and commitment to act individually or collectively toward solutions of environmental issues.” Being a small public school with limited resources, the school community takes pride in the fact that their school punches above its weight and does well in regional, national, and international Sustainability-related competitions.
SMK Bandar Penawar, located in Kota Tinggi, is enthusiastic about demonstrating its technological advancements, particularly in high-tech agriculture. The school actively involves students in diverse STEM-related competitions and activities. One of the school staff also leads a unique honey project involving stingless bees, engaging students and staff in the extraction and sale of honey within the school. Another unique initiative within the school involves a student-run café during recess, aimed at replicating learned agricultural practices. The school sells agricultural produce, mainly fruits and vegetables cultivated by students, as part of the J-Biotech Farm to School initiative.
Established in 1983, SMK Buloh Kasap derives its name from its proximity to Buloh Kasap Town. Spanning within an area of approximately 30 acres, the school primarily focuses on agricultural activities, with one acre dedicated to farms, orchards, and gardens. The school offers a vocational program in crop production, emphasising a balanced assessment between theoretical knowledge and practical application. The modular vocational program in crop production enables special education students to pursue Malaysia Skills Certificate modules, emphasising both theoretical and practical assessments. In tandem with its academic offerings, SMK Buloh Kasap also actively engages the students in extracurricular activities and hosts various thematic months with a range of engaging activities like fairs and competitions.
During the trip, NIE consultants also conducted a focus group discussion with industry representatives who held strategic positions in the company and oversaw the business operations related to agricultural and/or engineering companies and so on. Their insights provided invaluable information on the competencies that they sought to have in current and future employees.
