Bandar Seri Begawan - Changes in knowledge and education depends heavily on the development of information, surveys and new findings, which affects not only the body of knowledge, but also the methodology.
This was pointed out by Professor Dr Sidek Baba, from the International Islamic University Malaysia, who was invited to speak at the knowledge convention held by the Department of Islamic Studies in conjunction with the New Hijrah Year 1429, recently.
The lecturer, in his working paper entitled "Pendidikan Islam Memerlukan Metodologi Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran yang Dinamik" or `Islamic Education Needs a Dynamic Teaching and Learning Methodology`, highlighted the importance of variations in teaching methods, suitable with the demands of globalization.
It was stated that globalisation was the main challenge, that cannot be prevented from occurring.
Managing globalization would definitely demand several changes in the development of human capital, thus affecting the system and basis of education in a nation.
He also shared the Malaysian experience, in which foreign investment had resulted in the dynamic reshuffling of programmes offered in higher studies institutions, to accommodate the demands at all levels of employment in the job market.
The focus of study became much broader, including professional and technical, biogenetic research and others. Meanwhile, the programmes in literature and religious matters were said to be less relevant, looking at the point of career opportunities.
Professor Dr Sidek also emphasized the needs for the methods of teaching and learning religious matters to be reviewed. He said that, previously, the methodology was more towards prescriptive and not articulative (that promoted thinking).
In Islamic education, the final outcome was for students to understand and have the effects of appreciation, in which he pointed out to be the two factors capable in shaping one`s personality with strong human values.
The typical routine of memorizing cannot be made as the ultimate approach in Islamic education, he stressed. For one to learn, they need understanding.
"We cannot say there is teaching when there is no learning," he wrote.
He further added that the effectiveness of teaching and learning depends on how the knowledge, curriculum as well as the syllabus were developed and conveyed to the students, through a creative and dynamic method, that would help the process of understanding to occur.
Understanding would then lead to thinking. Thinking skills was said to be important in the process of education. The teaching aids and contents should be able to educate the students to think. This was because, knowledge would not develop without thinking.
"The process of memorizing, remembering, understanding and thinking became the important process of internalization of knowledge to occur." Towards the end, he mentioned the roles of parents in educating children, saying that parents should be aware that "school is not everything."
He explained that schools can only provide education based on the standard curriculum through trained teachers with the appropriate facilities.
Life starts at home and early exposure for children to learn is through the parents and the household environment.
If parents are concerned about their children`s education, they would give them affection, attention and nurture them. Schools only continue what had been developed by the family.
Source: www.bt.com (21 Februari 2008)
