Memperkasa pembangunan modal insan Malaysia di peringkat kanakkanak: Kajian kebolehlaksanaan dan kebolehintegrasian pendidikan STEM dalam kurikulum PERMATA Negara(Enhancing Malaysian human capital from early childhood: A study in the feasibility and integratability of the STEM system in the PERMATA Negara curriculum)

Abstract

Kajian ini adalah mengenai pendidikan STEM (Sains, Teknologi, Kejuruteraan, Matematik) untuk PERMATANegara dan bertujuan menentukan kebolehlaksanaan pendidikan STEM kepada kanak-kanak 3-4 tahun di taskaPERMATA dan kebolehintegrasian pendidikan STEM ke dalam Kurikulum PERMATA Negara. Selain itu, kajianini juga menilai kesan pendidikan STEM terhadap kebolehan inkuiri, penerokaan, rekacipta, refleksi, minat,komunikasi, dan kerjasama dalam kalangan kanak-kanak yang terlibat. Sepuluh Modul STEM telah dibina danditentusahkan oleh pendidik PERMATA dan penyelidik pakar bidang STEM. Seramai 22 orang pendidik dan 160orang kanak-kanak dari 19 buah Taska PERMATA terlibat sebagai responden. Dapatan kajian menunjukkanpeningkatan yang signifikan (p<0.001) terhadap kebolehan inkuiri, penerokaan, rekacipta, reflleksi, minat, dankomunikasi serta semangat kerjasama kanak-kanak. Kesan latihan STEM kepada pendidik juga menunjukkanpeningkatan yang sangat besar dan signifikan terhadap pengetahuan, pemahaman, kemahiran dan keyakinan diripendidik melaksanakan STEM di taska. Dapatan-dapatan ini memberi implikasi positif terhadap pelaksanaan STEMdi peringkat awal kanak-kanak. Bahagian Permata Jabatan Perdana Menteri dan agensi-agensi pelaksana perlusegera mengintegrasikan STEM ke dalam kurikulum PERMATA dan menyediakan latihan profesional STEMkepada pendidik-pendidik menerusi penubuhan Jawatankuasa Pelaksana , penggubalan dasar-dasar yang sesuai , danpenglibatan industri, swasta dan GLC.Katakunci: kanak-kanak 3-4 tahun, kurikulum PERMATA Negara, modul STEM, pendidikan awal kanak-kanak,pendidikan STEM, Problem-based Inquiry Learning (PIL)Developing the skills of inquiry, exploration, invention, and reflection alongside the interest, and the communicativeand collaborative skills among pre- school children may go a long way in enhancing the quality of human capital ofa country. In Malaysia STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematic) education for 3-4 year-old childrenpre-schoolers had been developed to achieve such a goal. This study examined the effects of STEM Education onthe skills of inquiry, exploration, invention, and reflection alongside the interest, and the communicative andcollaborative skills of of Taska PERMATA pre-schoolers. Ten STEM moduleswere developed and verified byexpert educators and researchers in STEM Education. A total of 22 teachers and 160 children from 19 taskaPERMATA were involved as respondents. The findings showed that all STEM modules developed using the 'PIL'GEOGRAFIA OnlineTM Malaysian Journal of Society and Space 12 issue 1 (29 - 36) 30© 2016, ISSN 2180-2491had been effectively implemented with 95% of educators implemented 4 to 5 of the STEM projects provided. Therewas a significant increase (p <0.001) in the children’s abilities of inquiry, exploration, invention, reflection,interests, and communication and teamwork. Educators also showed a significant improvement in knowledge,understanding, skills and confidence to implement the STEM system. These findings have positive implications forthe implementation of STEM in early childhood through integrating it with the existing PERMATA Curriculum ,providing the necessary professional training to educators, and formulating relevant funding policies involvingboth private sectors and the GLCs.Keywords: children 3-4 years, curriculum PERMATA, early childhood education, STEM education, STEMmodule, project-based inquiry learning (PIL)