(NORADIAH) Why I Further My Studies The world today no doubt is the product of education of the past.

The worlds population has experience so many changes and reforms in education along the way. Almost all the major fields are involved in reformation and teacher professional development is not to be forgotten. Many say that to change the world, we must improve the quality of the educators; teachers!

Therefore, as a teacher, I personally feel that I have to improve my teaching quality as well. This is because teachers are the main agent in the educational reforms, especially in Malaysia. Almost everyday we would hear discussions on globalization, world-class education as well as producing human resource to the utmost level. So, in this essay, I would like to share why I further my studies by giving some related points to support them.

My first reason is due to the expectation of the society itself. We have always heard that the society out there is very concerned with the quality of teachers, who have a big responsibility in shaping the human resource, namely the students. I believe that teachers in todays world are under a growing pressure to perform. Higher expectations and greater needs now pressure the teachers to perform effectively in classroom. It all comes down to quality teachers who are the determinants of student achievement. Even the most prepared and genuinely qualified teacher still has a great deal to learn when they begin to teach. Hence it is vitally essential that teachers like me are well prepared when they begin to teach and they continue to improve their knowledge and skills throughout their careers.

The second reason is that I need to set a good example to the younger generations; my students, my siblings, and the people around me. I need to show them that even though I already have a career, a firmed income and economically stable, I still have the motivation to study. I deeply hope that what I am doing right now will be taken positively by my students and in return motivates them to work hard, to strive for better results and to serve the community in future. I also see that valuing the opportunity for education can serve as a powerful motivator for my students to study harder and move on even further. If I succeed, which I know I will, it would give me a great satisfaction in life. I want nothing more than that.

Apart from the two reasons I have mentioned, I strongly feel that I am obliged to respond to the call by the Ministry of Education through the Teacher Education Division (TED) due to its role as a department within the Malaysian Ministry of Education which oversees the teacher training education in the country. In order to support its aspirations or the achievement of its national target to become a developed country the TED has taken up the task to develop its teachers. One of the programs is the in-service course which is designed to provide in-service training for serving teacher trainers as well as primary and secondary school teachers so as to upgrade their professional skills and competencies academically and professionally in their respective fields (Budget Speech, (2008a)).

So, all in all, I believe that I have given strong reasons why I further my studies. Of course there are many other reasons in the list but I again believe that these three are my strongest points.

Reference

Government of Malaysia (2008a). Budget Speech. Retrieved July 5, 2010, from http://www1.bharian.com.my/Misc/ajet/Hari/Teks_Ucapan2008/200709017529/Article1