KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — The Ministry of Education (MOE) plans to strengthen the competencies of mathematics teachers through targeted training and the strategic placement of qualified mathematics teachers.
This initiative aims to enhance students’ mastery of the subject and their ability to apply mathematics in daily life.
Deputy director of the Science and Mathematics Sector at MOE’s Curriculum Development Division Dr Aszunarni Ayob said that the Mathematics Teacher Competency Standards – developed under the Malaysia Mathematics Education Transformation Plan (RTPMM) 2026-2035 – will allow for training programmes to be tailored to the specific needs and competency levels of individual teachers.
“Through these standards, we will be able to gauge the competency levels of our teachers, which will then allow us to provide them with targeted training.
“We will not implement a ‘one-size-fits-all’ training programme for all teachers,” she said while as a guest on the Bernama TV programme Ruang Bicara entitled “RTPMM 2026-2035: Nurturing a Mathematically Literate Generation,” here last evening.
She said teachers with expertise in the field will be appointed as ‘Mathematics Specialists’ to mentor their peers.
Furthermore, several Teacher Education Institutes (IPG) will be designated as centres for mathematics education, focusing on teacher training in this specific domain.
Aszunarni said the deployment of teachers specialising in mathematics is being coordinated to ensure their expertise is utilised optimally.
This aligns with the six core pillars of the RTPMM, which encompass governance, curriculum and assessment, teacher competency, co-curricular activities and support, infrastructure, and collaborative networks.
She explained that the understanding of mathematical concepts will be strengthened under the 2027 School Curriculum (KP2027) through a Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract approach.
Meanwhile, the ‘Bilik Darjah Fikrah’ approach encourages students to articulate their problem-solving processes and provide justifications for their answers.
She further mentioned that in secondary schools, emphasis is placed on both calculator-assisted and non-calculator calculations.
This is intended to strike a balance between mental arithmetic skills – such as mental calculation and estimation – and the ability to solve more complex problems.
“As part of the RTPMM, we intend to develop an integrated virtual hub for teaching resources.
“This is designed to facilitate easier access to these materials for both teachers and students.
“This is because we actually possess a wealth of materials, and we aim to integrate these resources into a single platform that is easily accessible to both students and teachers,” she said.
Aszunarni stated that the mathematics education network will also be strengthened through the involvement of universities, agencies, the industry and community, who will share their expertise and demonstrate the application of mathematics across various fields.
She noted that efforts to foster students’ interest and confidence also require the support of school administrators, counsellors, teachers of other subjects and parents.
This includes incorporating mathematical elements into co-curricular activities and daily life — such as managing pocket money or measuring ingredients for cooking.
“In reality, one way to spark their interest in mathematics is to help them understand that mathematics is all around them.
“That is the most important thing.
“We want them to grasp that mathematics is everywhere.
“Only then will they be able to appreciate it, rather than feel afraid of it,” she said.
She added that the RTPMM will be implemented in phases: beginning with the strengthening of foundations and readiness; followed by enhancement and expansion; and finally moving towards consolidation and impact assessment — all with the goal of producing a mathematically literate generation. — Bernama
* Editor’s note: RTPMM stands for Rancangan Transformasi Pendidikan Matematik Malaysia, or the Malaysia Mathematics Education Transformation Plan.
IPG stands for Institut Pendidikan Guru, or the Teacher Education Institutes.
KP2027 stands for Kurikulum Persekolahan 2027, or the 2027 School Curriculum.