School Improvement Specialist Coaches Plus (SISC+) Competencies in Pedagogical Aspects: A Perspective as the Front Line of the Education System in Malaysia on Improving the Quality of Teachers.

Abstract

School Improvement Specialist Coaches Plus (SISC+) who started mentoring teachers in Malaysia’s as early as 2013 are considered as frontliners in the education system of the new millennium. According to the District Transformation Programmed 3.0 (DTP 3.0), the roles of the SISC+ is underpinned by knowledge and skills in curriculum aspects. The aim of this study was therefore to identify the level of competence of SISC+ in the curriculum aspects. Quantitative study design using the survey method has been used in this study. Data were collected through a set of questionnaires distributed to 118 SISC+ in Sarawak and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics involving frequency, mean score, standard deviation and percentage were used in the study. The findings show that the SISC+ level of competence in pedagogy knowledge is at a high level with a mean score of 4.63, sd=0.469. The findings of this study indicate that SISC+ is competent and knowledgeable in the pedagogical aspects of the subject being taught. The findings of this study provide insight into the ability of SISC+ in coaching teachers in school and in their practice of quality teaching and learning. The authority must therefore provide support and cooperation to ensure that SISC+ continues to be competent in providing quality coaching to teachers. In line with their increasingly complex and challenging role, SISC+ certainly needs various support and guidance, especially from stakeholders such as policy makers and the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) and support for the infrastructure and welfare aspects of SISC+. Discipleship