11/5/2014

KSSR and the Modular Approach | BEYOND CHALK & TALK

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Thursday, October 13, 2011

KSSR and the Modular Approach

Next to Phonics, the Modular

Approach or Modular
Configuration is one aspect in
KSSR that seems to be inviting a
lot of scratching of the heads
among Malaysian teachers. What
is this Modular Approach all
about?

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Before we continue, I need to set

this straight: I am no expert on
KSSR, or Phonics, or Modular
Approach or anything related to
education for that matter. Its
'Stick Puppets' for Language Arts
just that when people around me
start questioning things, I cant
help but try to read up and find the answers to those questions as best I could. And
all these things that I put in this post (and all the posts before this) on KSSR are
merely what I managed to gather from my little reading of books, documents,
articles and some Internet researches. Some of the things that I write could probably
be a bit inaccurate, and if that is so, I humbly and sincerely invite you to enlighten
and correct me. I like to share, sharing is my passion, and I believe that sharing is
equal to caring. Heheh! ;-) This is important to be established before I move on
because I dont want my readers to assume that I have the slightest pretension that
whatever I write here may have any authoritative value whatsoever. Please bear in
mind that this is just a simple blog by a small and insignificant primary school
teacher in a remote town called Kunak. Im only putting down my thoughts and
reflections on matters that interest me. My main aim is to provide one medium for us
to share our thoughts, opinions and knowledge and nothing more beyond that.
Please feel free to leave comments about the topic below my blog posts if you like,
or if you prefer, you could always send me a message through Twitter or Facebook
and we could continue our discussion on the topic from there.
Having established that, allow me to move on to the topic that Ive chosen to write
about today: The Modular Approach in KSSR.
Modular?

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KSSR and the Modular Approach | BEYOND CHALK & TALK

The word modular is an adjective that comes from the noun module. According to
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (2003), module is defined as:

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We can see the connection of Definition 1 and Definition 2 with education and KSSR,
and although Definition 3 is directly related to a spacecraft (heheh!), I decided to
include it here because it does have its relevance to KSSR.
'Module' is the noun, and 'modular' is the adjective. Describing something as 'modular'
means referring to it as having separate units that when combined together make a
complete whole. Therefore, we could roughly interpret 'modular approach' in
education as an approach where different units (or skills) taught separately or
individually make up one whole complete curriculum when they are combined
together. Furthermore, using the spaceship analogy, learners subscribed to this
curriculum are also expected to be able to use (or 'operate') the individual skills
('parts') independently of the other skills, even (and especially) when separate from
them.

Modular Education in International Learning Institutions

Modular education is still new in Malaysia education scene, especially in primary
school context. Yet, the idea itself is not entirely new. Internationally, a lot of
education or training institutions worldwide have adapted the modular approach in
their curriculum or system. This is especially true in higher learning institutions, such
as universities and colleges and also in professional trainings conducted by
professional boards in the medical, economic or legal fields.
In a modular education, learners would learn topics, skills and units separately or by
'modules'. TVETipedia, the online portal for the exchange of information on technical
and vocational education and training (TVET) hosted by UNESCO-UNEVOC explains
modular education as "a training made up of a determined number of modules" (read
more here). The two requirements for a training module: 1. It should be 'get on
touch' in an independent way. 2. It should have its own internal coherence.
To make the idea of 'modular education' clearer, it would be helpful to take a look at
how some education institutions run their modular curriculum. The Ramkhamhaeng
University in Thailand, for instance, when describing their 'Modular Course System',
explains to potential students that:

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1. one of a set of separate parts which, when combined, form a complete whole;
2. one of the units which together make a complete course taught especially at a college
or university;
3. a part of a spacecraft which can operate independently of the other parts, especially
when separate from them.

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In the traditional university system, each subject (course) is stretched over the whole
semester period with usually three lecture hours a week. In the modular course system, in
contrast, each course is usually two days a week for four weeks.
The modular course system makes understanding much easier since it is more intense than
the traditional system of teaching one course over a whole semester.
(http://www.iis.ru.ac.th/iis/modular_course_system.html)

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YWAM Finland which also adapts the modular education system states some of the
benefits of the modular education system that they apply in their institution:
1. It provides students with intensive and focused time on each topic.
2. It allows mobility for both students and teachers (faculty).
3. It allows for different learning strategy.
(Read more here).
Curriculum Organisation in KSSR

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Cynthia C. James
So how is the curriculum organised under this new KSSR? According to the official
Standard Document for KSSR published by the Curriculum Development Department
of the Ministry of Education, primary education is divided into two stages: Stage One
refers to Year 1, 2 and 3 and Stage 2 refers to Year 4, 5 and 6. In Year 1 and 2, there
will be four modules:

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Module
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3:
4:

Listening and Speaking

Reading
Writing
Language Arts

In Year 3 to Year 6, grammar is added to the above four modules:

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Based on the four (for Year 1 and 2) or five (for Year 3 to 6) modules for KSSR
English language, teachers are expected to teach these modules separately and
individually, and in sequence. This differs greatly from KBSR where all the four
language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing are not expected to be
taught separately. In KBSR, the four language skills should be integrated in a
thematic and topical lesson. Language arts and grammar are incorporated (most of
the time in a covert manner) throughout the curriculum as part of a lesson activity.
On the other hand, in KSSR, teachers are expected to teach the skills separately and
in sequence, starting with Module 1 (Listening and Speaking), then move on to
Module 2 (Reading), then Module 3 (Writing) and Module 4 (Language Arts). For Year
3 onwards, after Module 4 the sequence will continue with Module 5 (Grammar).
According to the KSSR Standard Document, through the modular curriculum, "pupils
will be able to focus on the development of salient language skills or sub-skills under
each module through purposeful activities in meaningful contexts" (KSSR Standard
Document, page 7). The Standard Document itself is quite clear in explaining the
policy on which the modular approach in KSSR is built on, yet it doesn't seem to
hinder questions upon questions being piled on one after another, by teachers and
educators all over, especially those who are directly involved with the dissemination
and implementation of the new curriculum known as KSSR.
KSSR Modular Approach FAQ
As I've stated, questions upon questions have been asked. I think the best way to
discuss this matter would be to list down the frequently-asked questions on KSSR
Modular Approach, and I'll attempt to provide my views on the matter as best I could.

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Question 1:
Under the modular approach, ONE and ONLY ONE skill should be taught in a particular
lesson. There should be no integration of skills. A reading lesson must strictly be a
reading lesson. No other language skills should be involved. TRUE or FALSE?
Answer 1:
I would answer with a big FALSE. To all teachers and JUs (!!!) who have been
advocating the above to other teachers, I would like to humbly invite you to please
refer to KSSR Standard Document page 7: "This modular approach does not exclude
integration of skills. However, skills integration is exploited strategically to enhance
pupils' development of specific language skills as described in the content and
learning standards in a module." If I understand what it means correctly, I believe
the CDD is hoping that the new curriculum that they've designed would manage to
focus and emphasize on one individual language skill only at one time in a particular
lesson. However, it doesn't mean that integration of skills should no longer be

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KSSR and the Modular Approach | BEYOND CHALK & TALK

29 Oct 14, 04:18 PM

Cindy: Thanks Sumo

29 Oct 14, 04:17 PM

Cindy: Hi eve and bl

19 Oct 14, 02:56 AM

eve: hi cynth
19 Oct 14, 02:56 AM

eve: hi cynth....
23 Aug 14, 05:42 PM

bl: Very informative and

thanks for sharing
23 Aug 14, 05:41 PM

bl: Learn a lot here. Keep

up the good work and
thanks for sharing
23 Aug 14, 05:41 PM

bl: good blog. very useful.

thanks
22 Jul 14, 11:53 PM

practiced. Integration of skills is still as necessary in KSSR as it is in KBSR, the only

thing that differs here is the approach used to integrate the skills.
One example would be integrating listening and speaking in a reading lesson. The
main focus would be on the skill of reading, yet the listening skill is also incorporated
when the teacher points to a word and does the segmenting for instance, and asks
the pupils to listen carefully. The speaking skill is used when the pupils blend the
segmented sounds to form the correct word. It is a reading lesson through and
through, the teacher is teaching the pupils to relate the letters to the sounds by
segmenting the individual sounds in the word, and the pupils practice their phonemic
awareness by blending together the sounds of the written letters they see to form a
word. Yet, as I've demonstrated in the example, listening and speaking skills are also
actively involved in the lesson.

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22 Jul 14, 11:52 PM

Sumo: Happy birthday

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English is a language, and we don't need a diploma or a degree in language or

teaching to understand that restricting to only ONE particular skill exclusively and in
isolation from other skills in language teaching is not only impossible, but also 'not
very smart' (to put it as 'nicely' as I could). All we need in order to know whether the
above statement is 'True' or 'False' is pure common sense; nothing more, nothing
less.
Question 2:
We understand that under the KSSR modular configuration, lessons need to be carried
out in sequence. It means that Listening and Speaking must precede Reading and so
on and so forth. Let's say I've conducted the Listening and Speaking module, and
upon assessment, I realize that I need to repeat the lesson because my pupils still
don't manage to achieve the stipulated learning standard. What would be the best
way to do it? Should I repeat the lesson straightaway the next day (and hence using
up the slot for Module 2, which is Reading), or should I carry on with the reading
lesson and only repeat the Listening and Speaking during the next cycle?
Answer 2:
If a teacher sees a clear need to repeat his/her lesson for whatever reason, why
should he/she wait for whatever? If it's up to me, I would repeat it straightaway! One
of the reasons behind the modular configuration is to provide a 'scaffolded learning
experience' for our pupils, and therefore it means that Module 1 should provide the
scaffolding for Module 2, Module 2 should provide the scaffolding for Module 3 and so
on. If a stipulated learning standard in one particular module is not achieved, then
moving on to the next module would defy the scaffolding purposes.
If we, as teachers, see the need to repeat a lesson, don't wait for the next cycle,
repeat it straightaway! Take as much time as needed for the module we're working
on with our pupils, take the whole week or even the whole month for one module if
we think that's necessary. KSSR applies the Mastery Learning approach, and hence
we as teachers should ensure that our pupils are able to master the skills needed,
before moving on to the next level.
Question 3:
Why teach the skills in sequence? Why must Reading come after Listening and
Speaking? In KBSR, we can teach listening and speaking on the first day then
straightaway jump to writing on the next day. It doesn't seem to create any problem.
Our pupils still learn.
Answer 3:
There are a couple of problems with the argument above. First of all, in KBSR, we
were not expected to teach listening and speaking or writing or reading on the first
day or any particular day. KBSR is all about integration of skills, and although a
teacher can still focus on only one skill in one particular lesson if he/she wants to, no
one expects the teacher to follow the lesson up with any one skill in particular on the
next class. This is because in KBSR, lessons are generally structured using the Whole
Language approach, where the main objective is for learning of skills to be
experienced in context. Unlike KSSR, lessons in KBSR need not be organized in
sequence, because each lesson, although still related with one another, does not
necessarily provide the scaffolding needed for the learning of the skill in the next

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lesson.
Secondly, the Modular Approach in KSSR is not proposed by CDD because 'the old
ways of doing things doesn't seem to work.' Personally, I don't believe this is the
case. Whether learning happens or not does not depend entirely on a particular
approach or system. Learning is influenced by a combination of a variety of factors:
psychological factors, socioeconomic factors, and the 'teacher effect', among others.
I don't have an 'inside knowledge' on why CDD has decided to adopt the Modular
Approach in KSSR, replacing Whole Language. However, after studying a few KSSR
materials and conducting some 'little research' of my own, I've come to these
conclusions:
1. The design of the Modular Approach in KSSR provides a 'scaffolded learning'
experience. Skills should be taught in sequence because the previous skill provides
the scaffolding for the next skill that follows.
2. The Modular Approach in KSSR gives all skills a 'fair chance'. In the former KBSR,
although integration of skills are very much emphasized by the CDD and also the
Nazir, situations such as 'all English lesson is a reading and writing lesson' and 'all
English lesson is a grammar lesson' are very prevalent. Listening and Speaking as
well as Language Arts are almost always forgotten. Why? Because in UPSR, reading
and writing and grammar are the only skills being tested. The Modular Approach in
KSSR is an attempt to rectify that.
3. The Modular Approach in KSSR is an attempt to give all pupils a 'fair chance'.
During the KBSR era, we can see an education system that was so heavily
examination-oriented. Because of that, many teachers fell into the temptation of
teaching what was only needed to pass the examination. Pupils were not given
enough opportunity to truly learn the language, to explore the beauty of it, to enjoy
it. One of the modules included in the KSSR Modular Approach is the Language Arts
module, and when I first learned about that, my first thought was: "Yeay! Finally!"
Although we did have the Children's Contemporary Literature Program in KBSR (which
will still be continued under KSSR, I presume), most of the time teachers wouldn't
spend a lot of time on it with their pupils because the contents are not directly
related to the syllabus content. And although the program is compulsory, many
teachers would just gloss over it because the organisation of the KBSR was such that
teachers were not 'forced' to bring it to the classroom. In the Language Arts module
under KSSR, we could see an attempt to maneuver these whole thing towards the
opposite direction, a positive direction, that is.
So, why must skills be taught in sequence under the Modular Approach? Because it
seems to be the best way of teaching the skills if we want the Modular Approach in
KSSR to work. It isn't because not teaching in sequence is not good or doesn't work,
it is because the Modular Approach in KSSR is designed that way, and it needs to be
conducted that way in order for it to work. And we are not talking about any other
Modular Approach under any curriculum in any other country. We are talking about
the Malaysian KSSR Modular Approach, implemented in Malaysia in 2010.
More on this in my next post.
Question 4:
Wouldn't the modular approach cause problem for our pupils to use language in
context? After all, language is used by combining more than one skills at any one
time. Teaching the skills separately would train the pupils to use the language skills
separately, and they wouldn't know how to use all the skills together in real-life
context.
Answer 4:
As addressed previously in my answer to Question 1, the Modular Approach in KSSR
does not exclude integration of skills. What should happen in Modular Approach in
KSSR is a particular skill being emphasized more, or magnified, compared to other
skills, yet not with the absence of other skills. Would this approach cause problem for
pupils to use language in context? In my humble opinion, that shouldn't be the case.
In addition to "purposeful activities in meaningful context" and "skills integration
exploited strategically", in KSSR, "language input is [also] presented under themes

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and topics which are appropriate for pupils" (KSSR Standard Document, page 7).
While it is true that only one skill is being magnified in Module 1 to 3, Module 4 which
is the Language Arts module would be 'The Module' where the four language skills of
listening, speaking, reading and writing can come together and the English language
may be experienced and explored through enjoyable, fun, creative and most
importantly, meaningful activities.
And don't forget that KSSR isn't all about Modular Approach. There are various other
elements of the curriculum that may provide meaningful and contextual learning for
all pupils. The educational emphases that include thinking skills, mastery learning,
ICT skills, multiple intelligence, constructivism, contextual learning, learning how to
learn, values and citizenship, knowledge acquisition, creativity as well as
entrepreneurship all contribute towards making learning meaningful and relevant to
real-life context for all our pupils.
The Spacecraft Analogy
Referring back to Definition 3 of the word 'module' according to Cambridge Advanced
Learner's Dictionary (2003), we could think of an individual language skill (listening,
speaking, reading or writing) as an individual part of a spacecraft (which is also
known as a 'module'), while the English language itself is the spacecraft. The
spacecraft wouldn't work well if the individual 'modules' are not in working order. To
ensure that the spacecraft is able to do its job of flying and exploring the outerspace, each and every individual module must be able to function properly. How do
we ensure that each and every module is functioning properly? By taking the
individual module apart from each other and by testing whether it is able to function
properly when it is separate and independent from one another. If an individual
module has a problem, we should go to the root of the problem, and fix it. And we
should test it again and again, until we are satisfied that every individual module is in
its tip-top condition.
When everything is ready, we put the modules back together to form a complete and
whole spacecraft.
And then we take off.
Next Post
This has become longer than I initially planned it to be, and there are still many more
things that I believe I need to cover. I know there are lots more questions that are
still unanswered; well, as far as KSSR is concerned I believe everyone is still in the
process of learning.
I hope all my teacher friends would not hesitate to share your thoughts, opinions or
questions regarding KSSR and the Modular Approach. I would be working on a
continuation of this post to deal with several of the matters that haven't been
discussed in this post, and if I have encouraging feedback, I would attempt to address
the issues raised by the responses to this post, too.
Till then, thanks for reading and happy teaching. ;-)

Related Posts :
KSSR
'Look and Say' vs. Phonics - The KSSR 'Debate' (Part 5: Resolving the Debate)
'Look and Say' vs. Phonics - The KSSR 'Debate' (Part 4: The General Concerns)
'Look and Say' vs. Phonics - The KSSR 'Debate' (Part 3: History and Controversy)
'Look and Say' vs. Phonics - The KSSR 'Debate' (Part 2)
'Look and Say' vs. Phonics - The KSSR 'Debate' (Part 1)
Modular Approach

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Posted by Cynthia C. James at Thursday, October 13, 2011

Labels: KSSR, Modular Approach
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11 comments:

Anonymous October 13, 2011 at 6:32 PM

Thank you Cynthia..u have answered our big question which almost cracks our head down..
God Bless u.
Sandakan ELTDP
Rose Jean.
Reply

cindyjbj October 13, 2011 at 8:11 PM

Thanks for reading, Rose. Probably during your ELTDP meeting tomorrow you may get some
feedback from your colleagues about KSSR and modular approach that you would like to
share with me and others.
Feel free to be in touch anytime! ;-)
Reply

Anonymous October 20, 2011 at 9:53 PM

Thanks for clarifying the Modular Approach. I am attending the district level Year 2 KSSR
course and nothing was explained about it.
Reply

Anonymous October 20, 2011 at 9:54 PM

I have been reading ur blog for sometime d. Today i would like to drop a note of Big Thank
You. Thanks for the input...made many things clearer...sorry to say KSSR was definitely "push
onto many teacher" with uncertainty especially with the assesment.Teaching shouldn't be a
burden.It should be fun and enjoyable.With uncertainty the lose interest.I believe the person
who create KSSR was also uncertain. Thanks to the Lord there's someone like you who go to
the trouble seek and find to make thing clearer to us. Don't stop. LOL..Lilianna A lost teacher
frm Kudat
Reply

Anonymous October 23, 2011 at 4:44 PM

Hi Cyn..we had just finished our KSSR Yr 2 course. After the 4 days course I'm down with bad
flu and fever..it has been raining lately here.
I managed to collect some Questions from the teachers who still have uncertain about what is
inside the KSSR.
Question 1: I teach in SJKC and I found there are too many new words ( vocab) to be learned
by my pupils in each of the topic. Teaching them to understand the meaning of the word and
translating them is really a burden and not an easy task. Should I continue the next topic or
repeat the lesson on the next cycle?
Answer: She was told by the trainer it all depends on the teacher to think what is best for
his/her pupils.
Question 2: How do we teach Phonics in the classroom? In what ways can it be taught
effectively in the classroom?
Asnwer: the trainer told us that we do segmenting and blending the sound.

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BUT......a teacher came up with a question again..Don't you think it will kill the pupils interest
by doing segmenting and blending all the way long in order to make them able to read the
words? it might kill the pupils interest and hate the lesson.
Answer: Left unanswered

Question 3: How can we teach all the 32 sounds as mentioned in the Learning Standard 2.1.1
to complete the Band 1 assessment in Module 1(L&S) before we are able to proceed and
assess in Module 2 ( Reading)? to complete 32 sounds is ridiculous! Again we refer on how to
teach Phonics effectively.
Answer: Left unanswered.

Question 4: Why can't we proceed to assess pupils to the next modular if the first Modular L&S
has not been objectively achieved?
Answer: the trainer told us that we need to follow what has been informed by the MOE.
BUT..... a teacher stood up and argued with the statement by saying; It is not practical. A
language should not be learned or mastered by following sequences. It's because some pupils
might not be good in L&S but they are able to read and comprehend the text.Some pupils
might be good in writing but not able to listen and follow instructions as well as replying to
questions. the teacher says that the pupils should be given a 'fair chance'in assessing them in
the Language.( The Science and math subject is giving the flexibility in assessing the pupils
except for English Language)
Question 5: How do we teach Dictionary skills? In what ways can we use this skill effectively in
the classroom? (Refer Learning Standard 2.2.5)
Answer: Left Unanswered

Regards.
Rose Jean;)
Reply

Anonymous October 23, 2011 at 4:50 PM

sory..there is an error in Question 3. Please note. tq.
* Learning Standard 2.1.1 focuses in Module 2(Reading)
Rose jean.
Reply

Anonymous October 23, 2011 at 4:55 PM

Sorry..there is an error in Question 3. Please note. tq.
* learning Standard 2.1.1 focuses in Module 2 (Reading) before we are able to proceed and
assess in Module 3 (Writing) to complete the 32 sounds is ridiculous! Again we need to refer
on how to teach Phonic effectively.

so sorry for all the errors..being not well here..:(

Rose Jean
Reply

cindyjbj October 23, 2011 at 10:34 PM

Hi, Rose, thanks a lot! You must have put in a lot of effort in compiling all those questions and
I can't thank you enough.
I'm glad to be able to know what confuses teachers in Sandakan about modular approach and
KSSR in general. I learn that a lot of teachers are having trouble with Phonics and also
assessment.
I promise to study each and every question and discuss them with my friends and other
teachers, okay. They will be the 'source of inspiration' for my next post, which I hope to

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complete very soon.
Thanks again, Rose. You're the best! ;-)
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cindyjbj October 23, 2011 at 10:41 PM

Thanks also for all my dear colleagues who've been reading and giving feedback, please feel
free to continue to share your thoughts and questions, so that we can discuss this together.
And also to Rose, I hope you get well soon, dear. ;-)
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ct hajar July 23, 2012 at 10:49 PM

thanks.. i've got a lot of info here..
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Miss Irah July 16, 2013 at 6:12 AM

Thank you writer, this piece of article enlighten me on what modular approach is.. before this,
it turn up to be unclear image to me.. and the clear explanation on what is KSSR helps me to
break the wall in my head. lol
Fell in love with your writing.. keep it up. :)
With Love - Future Teacher.
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