CONTENT PAGE

CHAPTER 1 PAGE

1.1 Introduction 4

1.2 Background of The Study 4–6

1.3 Problem Statement 6–8

1.4 Research Objectives 9

1.5 Research Questions 9

1.6 Purpose of Study 10 – 11

1.7 Limitation of Study 12

1.8 Operational Definition 12 – 13

1.9 Summary 13

CHAPTER 2

2.1 Introduction 14

2.2 Constructivism Theory of Learning 14 – 15

2.2 Implementation of English Language Arts (ELA) 15 – 16

2.3 Changes That Occurs In Language Teachers and Pupils. 16 – 18

2.4 Model of Curriculum Change 18 – 19

2.5 Summary 19

CHAPTER 3

3.1 Introduction 20
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3.2 Research Design 20 – 21

3.3 Population, Research Sample and Sampling Methods 21 – 22

3.4 Data Collection Methods 22

3.4.1 Library Research 22

3.4.2 Interview 22

3.4.3 Classroom Observation 22

3.5 Data Collection Procedure 23

Table 1 23

Summary of Research questions, instruments and data analysis

3.6 Data Analysis 24

3.7 Summary 24

REFERENCES 25 – 27
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the background of the study which encompasses lengthy

information on problem statement, purpose of the study, research questions, significance

of study, limitation, and operational definition that’s relevant to the study. Brief

information on this current trend of primary education in Malaysia with the

implementation of Language Arts in Standard-Based Curriculum for Primary Schools or

called as KSSR and also the new language curriculum for national primary schools which

provides emphasis on the Standard-based English Language Curriculum (SBELC) is

additionally included.

1.2 Background of the Study

Malaysia undertook a comprehensive reform of the primary education system which

encompasses structural and curriculum change by presenting KSSR (Kurikulum Standard

Sekolah Rendah) or the Standard-Based Curriculum for Primary Schools (SBCPS) in

2011 starting Year one (seven – year old) cohort. Implementing a new-fangled

curriculum demands teachers to change from the former programme to the new

programme. Hence, implementing the new curriculum is difficult and takes time because

educational leaders must convince teachers to simply accept and implement the

curriculum as intended.

Furthermore, curriculum implementation is hit or miss process and the part of the

change requires teachers to acquire new knowledge about the curriculum; however,
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mastering the new knowledge is not the only necessity for the teachers in order to change

their attitudes and instructional requirement for the teachers to change (Ornstein &

Hunkins, 2014).

McNeil (2009) identified several forms of curriculum change consistent with its

complexity: substitution, alteration, perturbation, principle change, and restructuring.

Likewise to make sure that the curriculum change is successfully implemented, teachers

should be dedicated to any change occurs within the curriculum and committed to

implementing the new curriculum in their school (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2014).

Respectively, they ought to demonstrate positive reactions to the new curriculum.

However, within the process, teachers may refuse to just accept the change for various

reasons. In keeping with Ornstein and Hunkins (2014), frequently teachers view change

as something that needs them to try and do more work which adds up to their already

overloaded schedule. To them, curriculum change means they need to do extra at the

prevailing routine and this seeks them to sacrifice their time, energy, and even money to

satisfy what needed in the new curriculum specifications. Teachers might also deter

change because nobody values their effort for they are doing to earn extra or get any

reward although they are doing extra work or sacrifice their time, energy or money to

address curriculum change.

In fact, many teachers view new curriculum programme signify new teaching

skills to be learned, or new competencies to be developed which demand them to attend

extra courses and workshops. In an endeavor to promote mastery of 100% in teaching

language arts after three years of schooling at foundation level (lower primary), the

Ministry of Education has adopted the standard-based English language curriculum. The
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training standard of year one and to deal with basic language arts approach. With

relevance the curriculum implementation, an issue arises on whether schools have

implemented the new language curriculum particularly language arts in Year one

instruction as necessary. Realizing this is often central to grasp teachers’ implementation

of the new language curriculum, how they deal with the change and also the barriers that

the teachers place between themselves and alter efforts, the researcher proposed a

comprehensive study on the implementation of the standard – based English language

curriculum in Year one basic language arts aims to specifically instruction in. The study

specifically aims to analyses teachers’ perception and their daily instructional practices in

implementing language arts in SBELC in Year one

1.3 Problem Statement

A new curriculum, the standard-based English language curriculum was introduced to

Year one cohort in Malaysian lower primary schools in 2011. Likewise, language arts

approach was presented collectively of the new curriculum content. Since teachers are the

key players in curriculum implementation process, a study conducted by Barrett-Mynes

(2015) investigated first and second grade teachers’ perceptions and practices in

implementing English Language Arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in

their literacy instruction. Findings from this study provide information about the

implementation of the ELA CCSS in literacy instruction and also the enacted literacy

curricular. Findings suggested that multiple levels of context influenced the ELA CCSS

implementation, including teachers’ perceptions. They also suggest that teachers may

teach from a standardised curriculum and therefore the literacy learning opportunities
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differs in each class which has the same notion by Caughlan et. al (2017) reinforced on

the changes that taken by the teachers in changing the nation and to handle the challenges

resulting from these changes. The study on teachers’ perceptions of implementing ELA

CCSS and actual implementation of ELA CCSS supports the notion that a study on

teachers’ perceptions is critical for teachers’ perceptions somehow will influence the

curriculum implementation process, and teachers may provide different learning

opportunities to the students despite the actual fact that they teach the identical

curriculum.

Likewise, a study made by Nguyen (2013) investigated teachers’ perceptions and

actual curriculum implementation. The study examined first grade teachers’ perceptions

of their levels of knowledge information in literacy concepts and development in terms of

the Big 5 Ideas and therefore the possibility of their influence on actual daily instructional

practices. The findings revealed that there have been strong relationship between the

observed first grade teachers’ perceptions of the Big 5 Ideas and their actual

implementation of the Big 5 Ideas. The study also sees teachers’ perceptions of a

curriculum should be examined for his or her perceptions may influence their actual

implementation of the curriculum.

Another study of English language curriculum implementation in national

primary schools was conducted by Yanik (2007). The study aimed to analyse how

English language curriculum of the sixth, seventh and eighth grades of public primary

schools was implemented by teachers and the way it had been experienced by students.

The foremost areas of investigation were the teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the

curriculum goals and content, instructional strategies, evaluation and assessment

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procedures, learner attitudes and also the problems encountered during the curriculum

implementation. The findings revealed that the implementation process of the English

language curriculum showed differences in relation to the facilities of schools and

classrooms, teacher and student characteristics and perceptions. It seems that the study

also examines teachers’ perceptions and actual curriculum implementation.

Evidently, those studies on English language curriculum implementation in

primary schools not only investigated the implementation of English language

curriculum, but also examined the implementation of ELA and teachers’ perceptions of

the curriculum. With great importance is placed on curriculum implementation; however,

in Malaysian context, no evidence based research has examined Year one teachers’

perceptions about the new language curriculum and its implementation in Language Arts

element In other words, in searching for the literature on the implementation of the

Standard-based English Language Curriculum (SBELC) in Year one syllabus. There is no

previous research in the area of implementation of ELA in Year one and teachers’

perceptions of the new curriculum. This information implies that the current study on

implementation of ELA in Year one primary school syllabus and the challenges faced by

teachers’ is still insufficient. Therefore, a need exists for researcher to examine the gap

between implementation of ELA in Year one syllabus and the challenges faced by the

teachers’ in actual classroom setting. With the aim of addressing this gap, the following

research objectives were the focus of this study.