1.

0 Introduction

The goal of a successful educational program and thus effective curriculum designing and
implementation should be to meet the needs and current demands of the culture, the society,
and the expectations of the population being served. Therefore curriculum development and
the educational reform process continually undergoes review, revision, and constant change
(Johnson, 2001). Curriculum development can be challenging, therefore the involvement of
all stakeholders, especially individuals who are directly involved in student instruction, are a
vital piece in successful curriculum development and revision (Johnson, 2001). Hence, this
reflects the important role of the teachers towards the new directions in Malaysian curriculum
as outlined in Master Plan of Development Blueprint (2013-2025).The role of teachers in
designing and implementing a curriculum are vital for successful transformation of the
Malaysian school curriculum in meeting the five aspirations outlined in the Pelan
Pembangunan Pendidikan Malaysia (PPPM).

2.0 Role of teachers in designing the curriculum

One of the many roles of the teachers in designing the curriculum is as a curriculum
planner. Oloruntegbe (2011) said that curriculum can be effectively implemented if teachers
are part of the processes of development and implementation. In Malaysia, the planning
stage for the curriculum involves teachers as the members in the Curriculum Development
Centre (CDC) who is responsible for the designing and development of the school
curriculum (United Nation Development Report, 2004, p. 23). Teachers know their students'
needs better than others involved in the curriculum process. While state or federal standards
often dictate the skills covered by the curriculum, a teacher can provide insight into the types
of materials, activities and specific skills that need to be included. Ornstein & Hunkins (1988)
said that to guarantee continuity, integration and unification of curriculum, teachers must be
actively involved in the curriculum. Teachers from multiple grade-levels may collaborate to
identify skills students need at each level and ensure that the curriculum adequately
prepares students to advance to the next grade-level and to meet the standards. The
teacher may need to create lesson plans and syllabi within the framework of the given
curriculum since the teacher's responsibilities are to implement the curriculum to meet
student needs (Carl, 2009). For instance, taking my personal experience as a practicum
teacher, I never took part, directly or indirectly, in the process of curriculum design but
merely implemented a curriculum already designed. However, I was involved in the process
of externally developing curriculum materials such as the lesson plans and teaching aids. In
short, teachers play a vital role as a curriculum planner to create a high-performing
education as dictated in the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025.
 Another role of the teacher in the designing of curriculum is as a researcher. Teacher
as a researcher involves the commitment to systematic questioning of one’s teaching as a
basis for development. According to Pezaro (2015) teacher research stems from teachers'
own questions and seeks practical solutions to issues in their professional lives. Farooq
(2012) said that curriculum is a dynamic process, keeping in view the characteristics, there is
a need to conduct research in order to bring about desirable changes in the curriculum.
Teachers in most of the countries are taking part in various types of researchers in
curriculum development process in order to review and evaluate the curriculum. As a teacher
trainee, I am carrying out an action research for professional growth and reflective
educational practices. Professional development of teachers is an important factor
contributing to the success of curriculum development and implementation (Handler, 2010).
Hence, professional development of teachers can help the country's education system to
elevate its standards by upgrading the skills and competency of teachers to create a high-
quality workforce. Therefore, it is incumbent upon educators to continue refining their skills in
accordance to what is outlined in the Malaysian Education Blueprint and the English
Language Roadmap 2015-2025.

3.0 Role of teachers in implementing the curriculum

As noted by Fullan and Pomfret (cited by Marsh, 2009), a curriculum, however well
designed, must be implemented if it is to have any impact on students. One of the roles of
the teachers in implementing the curriculum is as a knowledge and skill practitioner. With
their knowledge, experiences and competencies, teachers are central to any curriculum
improvement effort as they are the major pillars in the teaching and learning process. An
effective practitioner needs to be a lifelong learner and able and willing to support others to
develop their knowledge and competence. Teachers are required to improve their knowledge
on new curriculum, instructional design, theory and pedagogical approaches (Ornstein &
Hunkins, 1988). This is in accordance with the fourth shift in Malaysian Education Blueprint
2013-2025, which is to produce competent teachers in the teaching profession. The
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 will raise the bar of recruiting teachers to the top
30% of the graduates i.e. the cream of the crop to ensure a quality learning process
(Malaysian Educational Blueprint, 2013). The learning process for the teachers won't end
there, instead it will continue through the time they impart education to students and they
would be encouraged to guide each other as well. Apart from that, teachers will develop an
individualized Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programme when they enter the
profession (M0E, 2012).The English Language Roadmap 2015-2025 highlights the
additional support given to the teachers such as the English Native Speaker Mentoring
Programme, School Improvement Subject Specialist Coaches (SISC) and many more for
teachers to become an effective skill and knowledge practitioner. Other than that, the
Ministry of Education (MOE) also provides a platform to student-teachers to acquire the
required knowledge, skill and develop positive attitude, values and beliefs to produce quality
teachers. As a teacher trainer that is doing my Bachelor of Teaching, I have to complete 5
years of training in order to be qualified to teach in schools. The training aims to produce
teachers that appreciates and practices the principles, ethics, and legal responsibilities of
teaching as a profession. In short, teachers hold a crucial part as a knowledge and skill
practitioner in implementing the curriculum.

Another role of the teachers in implementing the curriculum is as an agent of change.

Teachers need to adapt and aligned with the changes (Nooreiny Maarof & Indira Malini,
2015). It is teachers’ responsibility to know the changes that has been made in KSSR such
as the teaching approaches, time allocation for each subjects and ways to evaluate pupils’
progress. In other words, teachers should be dedicated and be prepared mentally, physically
and emotionally to face all the changes that occur in our curriculum. Fullan (2012) said that
the teacher is the change agent and the student is the knowledge worker. This statement
indicates that the teachers are not playing a passive role, but a very active change-agent
role. No matter what happens, it is teachers’ responsibilities to teach pupils. For an example,
teachers should know about School-Based Assessment (SBA) which is used to assess
pupils’ overall performance and participation in classroom instruction. Pupils will not be
assessed using grades but using band system. The role of teachers in the new assessment
system is vital as they will be given empowerment in assessing their students (Faizah A
Majid, 2011). As a teacher trainee, I was exposed to the current changes that are happening
in the education system. For example, I was given a Common European Framework of
Reference for Languages (CEFR) workshop and the 21st century teaching and learning that
need to be implemented in the school later on. In short, teachers play an utmost important
role as an agent of change in the implementation of the curriculum.

4.0 Conclusion

Careful planning is necessary to ensure the implementation of the curriculum. Thus,

the school plays an important role in creating a conducive environment that encourages
excellence. In this respect, teachers need to understand and internalize the National
Education Philosophy, the aims and objectives of the National Education Policy and the
integrated approach of the curriculum in order to design and implement curriculum efficiently.