Students’ Perceptions Concerning the Site Visit in History, ICSS, Malaysia

Year 2011, Volume: 1 Issue: 1, 31 - 44, 30.06.2011

Mohammad Johdi Salleh

Abstract

The study is essentially an exploratory survey, which sets out to obtain some concrete information on the students’ perception concerning the site visit in the teaching and learning of history, Integrated Curriculum for Secondary Schools (ICSS) Malaysia. The researcher employed the ‘convenience sampling’ method and selected two states in Malaysia, namely Perak and Terengganu, involving four hundred students from each state. The data was collected through distribution of questionnaire and interviews. The findings of the questionnaire reveal that the score in Perakwas higher than Terengganu,boys score higher than girls, Form Four score the highest among the level of education, and, interestingly, both science and religious have the same number of responses in the type of schools categories. As an addition, it was discovered from interviews that site visits allow for student-centred learning, giving students the chance to improve their own skills in using concrete evidence and developing essential historical skills. At the same time it enables students to develop truly cross-curricular skills of various subjects including mathematics and science. It is hoped that the study would raise concern, awareness and benefit to all involved in the teaching and learning of history in the ICSS Malaysia, and school students across the world in this era of globalization.

Keywords

student's perceptions, site visits, advantages

Students’ Perceptions Concerning the Site Visit in History, ICSS, Malaysia

Abstract

The study is essentially an exploratory survey, which sets out to obtain some concrete information on the students’ perception concerning the site visit in the teaching and learning of history, Integrated Curriculum for Secondary Schools (ICSS) Malaysia. The researcher employed the ‘convenience sampling’ method and selected two states in Malaysia, namely Perak and Terengganu, involving four hundred students from each state. The data was collected through distribution of questionnaire and interviews. The findings of the questionnaire reveal that the score in Perakwas higher than Terengganu,boys score higher than girls, Form Four score the highest among the level of education, and, interestingly, both science and religious have the same number of responses in the type of schools categories. As an addition, it was discovered from interviews that site visits allow for student-centred learning, giving students the chance to improve their own skills in using concrete evidence and developing essential historical skills. At the same time it enables students to develop truly cross-curricular skills of various subjects including mathematics and science. It is hoped that the study would raise concern, awareness and benefit to all involved in the teaching and learning of history in the ICSS Malaysia, and school students across the world in this era of globalization.

Keywords

student's perceptions, site visits, advantages

References

• Andreetti, Keith (1993), Teaching History from Primary Evidence, David Fulton Publishers in Association with
• Roehampton Institute, London.
• Archer, A.P. (1985), The Place of Field work in the Teaching and Learning of History, MA Dissertation (unpublished),
• Institute of Education, London.
• Babbie, E.R. (1977) Survey Methods, Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc., California
• Best, John W., and Kahn, James V. (1990) Research in Education - Sixth Edition, Prentice Hall, Eaglewood Cliffs, New
• Jersey
• Black, Jeremy and MacRaild, Donald M. (1997) Studying History, MacMillan, London.
• Brooks, Aris and Perry (1993), The Effective Teaching of History, Longman, London
• Cohen, Louis and Manion, Lawrence (2006), Research Methods in Education, (Fourth Edition; First Edition 1980),
• Routledge, London.
• Cohen, Louis, Manion, Lawrence and Morrisson, Keith (2006), A Guide to Teaching Practice, Routledge, London.
• Coltham, J.B. and Fines, J. (1971), Educational Objectives for the Study of History, Teaching History 35, The Historical
• Association, London.
• Coolican, Hugh (1996), Introduction to Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology, (Second edition), Hodder and
• Stoughton, London.
• Cook, T.D. (May, 1970), ‘Local History: Some Practical Approaches’, Teaching History, The Historical Association,
• London.
• Cooper, H. (1992), The Teaching of History: Implementing the National Curriculum, London, David Fulton Publishers.
• Creswell, John.W.(2008). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research
• (Fifth edition). New Jersey: Pearson Merrill Prentice.
• Department of Education and Science (1991) History in the National Curriculum (England), HMSO.
• Department of Education and Science (1995), History in the National Curriculum 1991 and 1995 (England), HMSO.
• Dickinson, A. (ed) (1992), Perspectives on Change in History Education,Institute of Education, London.
• Marwick, A. (l989), The Nature of History, MacMillan, London.
• Ministry of Education Malaysia (1988), Integrated Curriculum for Secondary -ICSS, Curriculum Development Centre -
• CDC, Kuala Lumpur.
• Ministry of Education Malaysia (2000), History Syllabus ICSS, Curriculum Development Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
• Ministry of Education Malaysia (1989), Local History ICSS: Form One, Form Two and Form Three, Curriculum
• Development Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
• Ministry of Education, Malaysia (2008), Assessment of Local History ICSS, the Board of Examination, Kuala Lumpur.
• Sebba, Judy (1994), History for All, David Fulton, London.
• Smith, L. and Holden, C. (1994), ‘Using Artefacts in History Teaching’, in Teaching History, June, The Historical
• Association, London.
• Southgate, Beverly (1997), History: What & Why, TheFalmer Press, London.
• Watts, R. (Autumn, 1993), Why Site Visit?,Welsh Historian, pp. 15-18.
• Watts, R. and Grosvenor, Ian (eds.) (1995), Crossing the Key Stages of History: Effective History Teaching 5-16 and beyond,
• David Fulton, London.
• Wiersma, W. (2005), Principles of Psychological Measurement, Rand McNally, Chicago.
• White, J. (March, 1994), ‘The School Look Around’, in Teaching History, The Historical Association, London.
• Wood, Elizabeth and Holden, Cathie (1997) I can’t remember doing Romans: the development of children’s understanding in
• history, Teaching History, October, The Historical Association, London.