FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

SSI 3013 - INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION

TECHNOLOGY IN SCIENCE

ASSIGNNMENT 1 - The Challenges Of Teacher Today

NAME MATRIC NUMBER

NUR AFFA NAJIHAH BINTI ISWANDI D20221102314

NOOR SYAMIEHA BINTI MAT JANI D20221102329

NURUL FARHANA BINTI ABDUL JABAR D20221102308

NURUL AINA HAKIMA BINTI ISHAK HELMI D20221102313

LECTURER’S NAME : EN. AZMI BIN IBRAHIM

GROUP : A
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The success and efficacy of education are directly tied to the teacher's
knowledge, conscience, and sense of duty as an educator in addition to possessing the
inseparable intellectual and personal attributes of a teacher.Since teachers serve as role
models and examples for their students, fellow educators, and the community, this is
how they should be effective educators. Though, in contrast to earlier times, when
teachers were frequently hailed and commended as honorable individuals by students,
parents, and the community, the burden of teaching in today era of globalization is
growing and requires instructors to have patience and responsibility in upholding their
trust as educators. However, in the modern educational system, parents of students
denigrate instructors by training their children in a manner that prevents teachers from
correcting, reprimanding, or punishing pupils for misbehaving or failing to complete
assigned work. This results in a number of difficulties and barriers for educators,
particularly instructors, in fulfilling their duty to instruct students.
The biggest obstacle facing educators, particularly teachers, is keeping up with
emerging technology innovations that require them to become proficient in online
learning environments like Zoom, Google Meet, and others. Since the Covid-19
pandemic in 2019, when community mobility was restricted and educators were
compelled to stay at home to stop the virus's spread, this has become the norm for
educators and is no longer an uncommon situation that hinders learning. When given
assignments by their teachers, students must study independently without the presence
of teachers. They must also study independently in order to finish the school's allotted
time to complete the learning syllabus, which forces them to study under the
supervision of their parents alone. Unfortunately, some parents are unable to spend as
much time with their children as they would like to ensure that their education is
uninterrupted because they must leave for work. Because a teacher and student may
communicate and learn online, the Malaysian Ministry of Education decided to
implement a visual learning approach that allows for flexible scheduling and on-site
instruction. In order to incorporate technology into the teaching and learning process,
make learning more dynamic, and make the most of the digital resources that are out
there, a teacher must also become proficient in this field.

2.0 Meeting The Demands of 21st Century Students

Education is an evolving field that is always facing new demands and problems,
especially in the twenty-first century. Due to changes in social norms, standards,
globalization, and technology breakthroughs, today's students are not like those of past
generations. For educators and educational institutions, meeting their different needs
and preparing them for an increasingly complicated future
present tough difficulties.
The speed at how technology is developing is one of the main reasons. Today's
students were raised in a digital age, with computers, tablets, and smartphones at their
fingertips. They are used to conversing over a variety of digital channels and having fast
access to enormous volumes of information. Their expectations and learning choices
have changed as a result of this digital fluency. They frequently choose multimedia-rich,
interactive learning environments over traditional lectures or textbooks. To effectively
integrate technology into their lessons and ensure that students are interested, teachers
must modify their pedagogical approaches. In the twenty-first century, teachers play a
critical role in fostering the development of fundamental abilities that pupils need to
succeed in a world that is changing quickly. It is crucial for educators to promote
21st-century abilities including critical thinking, teamwork, communication, creativity,
and technical literacy.
While there are many advantages to adapting education to the needs of
21st-century students, there are drawbacks as well. Technology can improve
educational opportunities, but an over dependence on it could damage one's capacity
for critical thought and problem-solving. Pupils are at risk of becoming reliant on
technology for information processing and retrieval, missing out on critical cognitive
functions that are cultivated through conventional teaching techniques. Moreover, since
there is so much information available online, students may find it easier to scan the
material rather than do in-depth reading and comprehension. Students that favor fact
memorizing above conceptual understanding and critical analysis may end up with a
limited grasp of the material.
Educators may enable students to flourish in a dynamic and competitive world by
adopting creative teaching methods, overcoming assessment obstacles, fostering a
culture of lifelong learning, and interacting with parents and the community. In addition
to preparing students for the challenges of the information age, these abilities provide
them the means to successfully traverse complexity, find solutions to issues, and
interact with others in a globalized community. Teachers enable students to thrive in a
time of innovation and connectivity by incorporating critical thinking, teamwork,
communication, creativity, and technical literacy into their lesson plans. By adopting
cutting-edge pedagogical strategies, teachers build dynamic learning environments that
encourage student participation, problem-solving, and application of information in
real-world settings. Lastly, by creating thorough evaluation techniques that fully
represent the breadth of students' abilities, educators may overcome assessment
obstacles and guarantee that students have the skills necessary to succeed in a variety
of professional contexts.

3.0 Short Attention Spans and Digital Distractions

Students' attention spans have become a major worry in an era marked by the
rapid expansion of technology and digital connectedness. Students' attention spans are
getting shorter as a result of the ubiquitous use of digital gadgets and the constant
barrage of data.
There are a number of reasons why students' attention spans are getting shorter.
First of all, information is now instantly accessible due to the widespread use of laptops,
tablets, and cellphones. Although there are numerous advantages to accessibility, it has
also created a culture of fast satisfaction where students anticipate prompt responses
and feedback. Students now have shorter attention spans due to this constant desire
for stimulation, which makes it difficult for them to focus for prolonged periods of time.
A wide range of multimedia materials has also been made available by the digital era,
from social networking sites to streaming services. These platforms provide a variety of
engagement opportunities, but they may be powerful distractions as well. Students
frequently multitask by alternating between schoolwork and social media surfing, which
results in fragmented attention and decreased.
Digital distractions and limited attention spans have a significant negative
influence on learning. Educators find it difficult to keep students focused in their lessons
when they are drawn to their digital gadgets. Notifications might cut off lectures and
discussions, which would interfere with the learning process. Additionally, students'
capacity to focus intently on difficult subjects is weakened, which impairs their
understanding and memory of the material. Digital distractions are widespread in
students' study spaces outside of the educational setting. Study periods might be
interrupted by the desire to browse social media or watch videos, which can result in
procrastination and poor academic achievement. These behaviors have the potential to
eventually lead to a loss of critical thinking abilities and an inclination toward simplistic
knowledge.
Despite these difficulties, students can effectively manage their short attention
spans and digital distractions by using a few methods. First and foremost, it's important
to promote a culture of self-awareness and mindfulness. Techniques like time
management and meditation can help students become more focused and skilled at
prioritizing their work. Educators are also essential in reducing digital distractions in the
classroom. Students' attention can be kept longer by implementing rules that prohibit
the use of electronic devices during lectures and by offering interesting, hands-on
learning opportunities. In addition to improving student involvement and lessening the
effects of short attention spans, active learning techniques like group discussions and
hands-on activities should be encouraged. Lastly, it is crucial to promote digital literacy
abilities. Encouraging students to use technology thoughtfully and educating them
about the risks of excessive screen time helps equip them to make responsible
decisions about how much of a device to use.
4.0 The Latest Techniques and Methods in The Introduced Education System
The challenge of the teaching profession at school is the task of a teacher in
delivering his teaching in the classroom. For now, teachers are forced to use the latest
approaches, techniques and methods in the introduced education system. The ‘chalk
and talk’ method is no longer a suitable method.
The teacher not only teaches but it is a lesson that involves exercises or tasks,
thinking and the use of symbols and involves various activities between the teacher and
the students. The characteristics of teaching include teaching plans, lesson objectives,
learning places, teaching methods and techniques as well as processes involving
two-way interaction between students and teachers. Teaching strategies contain
elements of science and elements of art. Teachers must master pedagogical methods
that are synonymous with students' existing knowledge that is homogenous, using
systematic teaching aids'. When teaching aids are used, teachers are forced to use the
latest technology with limited financial resources. Student-centered methods must be
implemented in teacher teaching. Teachers need to function as effective mediators.
Objective achievement must be explicit to encourage students to understand the
learning content. Formative assessment should be implemented.
The impact on students if the technique or approach taught by the teacher is not
effective is that students will have difficulty understanding what the teacher is saying.
This effect is influenced by the teacher's unpreparedness in providing learning
materials. Pupils will also feel stressed when they cannot understand a topic, especially
before the exam day. The pressure faced by students leads them to become
increasingly passive in class, shy to ask the teacher and consider the subject to be a
challenging subject.
Therefore, as a whole, the teacher's delivery system in learning and teaching is no
longer stereotyped but proactive. A teacher's preparation is no longer in the form of
notes or teaching summaries but a complete teaching preparation starting from the
induction set, the development of the teaching content, the evaluation format and the
conclusion linked to values. Value-added elements such as contextualism,
constructivism, mastery learning and multiple intelligences also need to be applied that
have the content of absorption and integration in the teaching content. To face this
challenge, a teacher needs to use the opportunity of the pedagogical improvement
course organized by the Curriculum Unit of the Department of Education and the
Curriculum Development Center. The use of authentic materials as teaching aids can
solve the needs of teaching aids in teaching and learning in the classroom. All
pedagogical knowledge acquired will be able to be implemented well.

5.0 Handling Discipline Problems Among Students

Any disciplinary act that has been imposed without any valid reason or with false
intent comes under the category of bad discipline. Even good discipline when carried
out too forcefully so that it gets stressful and mentally disturbing for someone could be
categorized as a bad discipline. Discipline problem is a phenomenon in every school
because the students come from different socioeconomic backgrounds, level of
cognitive, and socio emotion. The development of the community also influences the
discipline problem in school. Therefore, the foremost duty of the school is to teach
discipline to their students as discipline is the key point of all success. The students
should conduct in a disciplined manner. They should obey the rules and regulations of
the school directions which are given by their teachers. Besides that they also should
make a regular habit in their day-to-day work because regularity is also a condition for
discipline.

Nowadays, the discipline problems become uncontrollable and complex not only
in secondary schools but in primary schools too. In primary schools the students did not
have the intention to study. They go to school because of their parent's expectations,
thus they do not concentrate on their studies. Some of the students like to attend
school and some groups of students come to school to pass time without doing their
homework. Some groups of students ignore teachers instructions and are rude with the
teacher. Besides that, the students also are violent with their classmates. For instance,
they bully other students without realizing the consequences afterwards.
 Indiscipline makes students lose focus on educational goals which are achieved
through hard-work, time management, respect for others and self determination. This
implies that disciplined pupils are likely to remain focused on their educational goals
and aspirations, manage their time well, work harder in academics, and show
determination to succeed academically. This is probably because disciplined pupils are
less likely to be involved in disciplinary cases which may divert their attention from
academic work. pupils are more likely to be psychologically settled and ready for
academic work. This enhances their striving for academic success and eventually
boosts their academic performance. This suggests that disciplined pupils may be more
appreciated and accepted by teachers, by their peers at school and by parents and other
relatives at home. The appreciation and acceptance may make the pupils develop a
positive self concept which may then enhance pupils' achievement motivation.

Everyone’s life revolves around discipline. From childhood to adulthood it plays a

crucial role in every phase of human life. The government has to put in the effort of
school officials to implement family and community involvement activities to reduce the
number of disciplinary actions and to ensure a school climate focused on learning.
Regardless of schools' prior rates of discipline, the more family and community
involvement activities were implemented, the fewer students were disciplined by being
sent to principals offices or given detention or in-school suspension. Activities for two
types of involvement, parenting and volunteering, were most predictive of reducing the
percentages of students who were subject to discipline. Also, schools that improved the
quality of their partnership programs reported fewer students in need of discipline. The
results suggest that creating more connections and greater cooperation among the
school, family, and community contexts may be one way for schools to improve student
behavior and school discipline.
6.0 Teachers work in rural areas

Teachers who work in the interior, especially in Sabah and Sarawak have a big task
that needs to be done. These teachers are dealing with certain ethnic groups, who have
less interaction between ethnic groups due to geographic factors and their respective
ethnic cultures. The integration process needs to be nurtured indirectly because there is
almost no ethnic mixing in the school. Teachers face challenges especially if the
teachers are not from the ethnic group. In addition, the issue of teachers who refuse
outside the city despite being aware of the responsibility and role of the teaching
profession, it is not an agreement for graduates of teaching institutions to accept offers
to teach in remote areas. In addition to the fact that the school is very far away, most of
them find it difficult to accept if they are sent outside the area due to limited facilities. In
addition to the problem of facilities, the safety of the teachers is also disputed when
they are in the countryside. Because of that, there are teachers who are willing to bother
and change their profession rather than being sent far inland. However, not all teachers
think like that, those who carry out their responsibilities and roles as educators of the
nation's children will accept the offer to teach even if they have to leave their families
and live in the city.

A few teachers do not want to be sent to the deep school because it is a

transportation problem. Most rural schools in Sabah and Sarawak do not have ground
transportation facilities. So this problem will be a nightmare for the teachers who will be
sent to the in-depth school. The loss of contact with the outside world is also the cause
or reason why teachers now do not want to be sent to rural schools. For example,
teachers who teach in rural schools in Sarawak usually go home on vacation only at the
end of the school year. Next, it cannot be denied that teachers in the interior face
difficulties in food supply, for example in Kinarut when teachers go out to buy goods in
Persiangan, sometimes the teacher who goes out will be stranded for two days when
the driver forgets to pick up the teacher. This will cause teachers to be unable to teach
while their cost to go and return is approximately RM500 by just taking the boat.
 Despite the problems faced by teachers in the interior, the government does not
take lightly the problems they face. The government is trying to upgrade the lives of
teachers in the classroom as best as possible. In addition to that, teacher's quarters are
also becoming an issue at the moment because it is said that teacher's quarters in rural
areas are very old and do not have facilities such as water supply and electricity supply.
The same goes for buildings that are not strong. However, there are other problems
apart from the problem of the teachers' quarters being buried, which is the problem
where the teachers have to cross a forest area filled with wild animals every day to
come to school. The same goes for teachers who have to wade through several creeks.
Challenges like this will weaken the spirit of the teachers who will be sent to the interior.
But our responsibility as educators must be fought for and make it a life experience.
Teachers must adapt and surely teachers will become more mature and happy to carry
out their responsibilities as educators no matter where the teacher is placed.

Furthermore, some rural areas do not have clinic facilities. This makes it difficult
for teachers to get treatment and buy medicine. Only bring a supply of medicine bought
at the pharmacy. If you want to go to the clinic, it will take a long time. Unless the health
condition is serious, then you have to go to the city to get treatment.

7.0 Conclusion

In conclusion, in the world of education that is becoming more sophisticated along

with the development of technology, a teacher cannot run away from the challenges that
are getting bigger either in the classroom or in schools in general. The task of educating
and teaching in schools needs to be implemented to ensure the vision to be achieved
through the National Education Philosophy to produce people who are balanced and
harmonious from the physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual aspects (JERI) in
order to become Malaysians who are knowledgeable, virtuous, responsible, skilled and
capable in achieving Vision 2020. In fact, teachers have been given the responsibility
and trust as educators to educate the nation's children, surely all difficulties
encountered should not be an obstacle, despite considering it as a challenge. Madah
mentioned that the teacher is like a candle, burning himself to enlighten others is very
reasonable because they do not consider the lack of infrastructure or the discomfort of
living in the interior as an obstacle to their work. Therefore, the challenge that comes
needs to be answered by a teacher whether it is the challenge in imparting knowledge to
his students and the principles that have been set in the education system even if
school sociology is not encouraging. That is the duty and responsibility of a teacher at
school.