Page 148 - Jurnal Kurikulum BPK 2020

(Extracted and translated from PPK, 1992a, 2000a, c; KPM, 2018 a)

Malaysian national curriculum adopts the behavioral curriculum design where
observable and quantifiable specific learning outcomes are formulated for each theme/learning
areas/topic. However, changes have been observed in how the subject matters, learning
objectives, and learning experiences are being organized in the curriculum document. In the
KBSR (1983) and KBSM (1989) document, each topic is delineated very straight forward into
its knowledge and skills needed (Appendix 1 Table 1). The revised KBSR (2002) and KBSM
(2002) has a more complicated design whereby each theme or learning area is organized under
one or more General Learning Outcome(s) which is further expanded into several Specific
Learning Outcomes. Each Specific Learning Outcome is completed with suggested learning
activities or learning experiences. The Specific Learning Outcome also provides indicators for
evaluation. Specific Learning Objectives are sorted under three levels, Level One, Level Two,
and Level Three. Levels show the general hierarchy of the learning outcomes, Level One is
prerequisite to Level Two and Level Two is prerequisite for Level Three. Teachers are advised
to teach according to the sequence of these levels. However, teachers are also free to alter the
sequence if their professional judgments think that it is necessary (PPK, 2000a, b, c). Examples
of the learning outcomes and their levels are given in Appendix 1, Table 2.
In KSSR and KSSM, each theme/learning area/topic is delineated into Content
Standard, Learning Standard and Performance Standard. The performance standard is
aggregated into 6 Achievement Level based on revised Bloom Taxonomy where Level 3 the
application level is the minimum standard to be achieved, Level 6 the creating level is the
highest level that the student can achieved. This is the first time in the history of Malaysian
Curriculum where assessment standard (in the form of performance standard) is being stated
explicitly for each topic in the curriculum document, thus the curriculum document is named
as the Standard-based Curriculum and Assessment Document. Each teacher is required to
conduct classroom based assessment where each student’s mastery of the topic/skill/knowledge
is being recorded based on the levels given in the curriculum document. Examples of the
Curriculum and Assessment Standard is given in Appendix 1, Table 3.
It appears that the curriculum design adopted by MOE Malaysia has gotten more
complicated and prescriptive from 1980s to current year. In KBSR/KBSM, information that
teachers, textbook writers or other stakeholders obtained from the curriculum documents are
the list of knowledge and skills (included activities such as the experiments to be carried out)
needed for each topic. The teachers and textbook writers appear to have the freedom of using
their ingenuity in conducting the lesson or writing of textbook. In the revised KBSR/KBSM,
with the focus on outcome based learning, a more prescriptive approach is taken where
observable specific outcome is delineated and suggested learning activities given for each of
the learning outcome. With KSSR and KSSM, the trend continues, on top of it, this time it is
with assessment standard for each topic specified. The curriculum is getting more prescriptive
and the fear of robbing the teachers of their creativity in teaching has been raised. The extent
of the prescriptiveness of the curriculum was a point of contention within the Curriculum
Development Division MOE. A study has been conducted (2009, undocumented) where
respondents were being asked if they want a prescriptive curriculum, would a curriculum
framework delineating curriculum outlines only is sufficient. The overwhelming response was
teachers want the prescriptive curriculum design. In the quest of raising the professionalism of
teachers, a timeline need to be set up to give the autonomy of deciding specific activities in the
classroom to the teachers.
As the need to indicate the thinking component in the learning objectives arises during
the development of the Smart School Science and Mathematics Curriculum, Curriculum
Development Division has designed a specific formula for writing the thinking based

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