A STUDY ON THE PROCESS OF TEACHER APPRAISAL IN SELECTED FULL-TIME ISLAMIC SCHOOLS UNDER

YA Y ASAN ISLAM KELANT AN

BY

ZARADAH BT ZAKARIA

A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER

OF EDUCATION

KULLIYY AH OF ISLAMIC REVEALED KNOWLEDGE AND IIUMAN SCIENCES

INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA

OCTOBER 1998

ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS

The study presented in this thesis is just part of the whole educational process pertaining I

to Islamic schools. It uncovers the practice of teacher appraisal in fifteen selected Islamic

schools under Yayasan Islam Kelantan (YIK). The study used questionnaire and

unstructured interview for the purpose of getting enough data to be analysed.

It was found in the study that teacher appraisal has not been taken as a systematic practice

of the schools under Yayasan Islam Kelantan (YIK) until the New Pension Scheme for

teacher appraisal was introduced four years ago. Since then teacher appraisal has been

conducted in a way suitable to both the teachers and the principals, with special attention

given to appraisal interview rather than combining a few methods together. Classroom

observation, which was thought to be the main focus in appraising teachers, has not been

taken seriously due to certain reasons which will be mentioned later in the analysis. In

order for the schools to proceed with a better system in appraising teachers, Yayasan

Islam Kelantan (YIK) needs to come up with a suitable training for the appraisers

regularly.

Despite the shortcomings that they face in appraising teachers, the principals and their

assistants admitted that most of them are responsible and sincere in performing their jobs

as teachers. What concerns them most is the blessings from Allah s. w.t.

ii

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APPROVAL PAGE

I certify that I have supervised and read this study and that in my opinion it conforms to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Education.

C" Sha'b~ Ismail 0 n Supervisor Date: /il-::110[5g

I certify that I have read this study and that in my opinion it confonns to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Education.

jrv Aini Ibrahim Examiner,.,A .. .A Date : ':{"" I qf

This thesis was submitted to the Department of Education and is accepted as partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education.

((-1· Rosnani Hashim Head, Department of Education Date : io--'f ~ / 1t .

I

This thesis was submitted to the KulJiyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences and is accepted as partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education.

iv

Abdullah Hassan ---D~, Kulli~ic Revealed K~ ;nd Human Sciences Date : 1 Q • I D · Cf I

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this thesis is the result of my own investigations, except otherwise

stated. Other sources are acknowledged by footnotes giving explicit references and a

bibliography is appended.

Name: Zaradah binti Zakaria

Signature: Date: C/ /10/q~

V

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Praise be to Allah s.w.t. for His blessings in completing this study. The first person I

would thank is Dr. Sha'ban Muftah Ismail for supervising the thesis. His knowledge and

experience has given me deeper insight into this field. Special thanks to my husband, Hj.

Mohd. Roslan, his other wife, Faezah, and my family members for supporting me

spiritually and materially. Many thank to Asimah, my colleague for her moral support,

my two sisters Zalizawani and Zamzami for their time and my three friends Mat Rozi,

Azanizam and Khartini the computer specialists. I would also like to thank Suhaimi, my

brother-in-law and Bambang for their Arabic translation, and Abdul Muhaimin for

editing part of the thesis. Thanks are also due to the staff of the Department of Education

and the librarians for their cooperation. My thanks and appreciation to the people in

Yayasan Islam Kelantan who participated in the study, and to all the people involved in

the study.

vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract 11

Abstract( Arabic) 111

Approval Page 1v Declaration v Acknowledgements vn List of Tables x

CHAPTER 1 : FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSIS 1 The Scope and Significance of Research l Islamic Education in Kelantan 2

The Early Stage (before 1910) 5 The Progressing Stage (1910 - 1945) 7 The Declining Stage (1945 - now) 8 Islamic or Arabic Schools 10 History of the Establishment of Yayasan Islam Kelantan (YIK) 13 The Role of YIK 15 The Objectives of YIK 16 The Philosophy of Education of YIK 16 The Administration of YIK 17 The Schooling System of YIK 18 The Schools Under YIK 20 The Financial Sources of YIK 21

CHAPTER 2 : REVIEW OF LITERATURE 24 Definitions of Teacher Appraisal 25 The Potentiality of Teacher Appraisal 28 The Structure of Teacher Appraisal 31 The Purpose of Teacher Appraisal 32

Improvement of Teacher Performance 32 Measurement of Teacher Accountability 34

The Criteria of Teacher Appraisal 37 Minimal Consensual Criteria 37 Own Criteria 38 Higher Order Criteria 38

The Methods of Teacher Appraisal 41 The Pre-Appraisal Stage or Self-Appraisal 41 Classroom Observation 45 Appraisal Interview 51 Follow-up Stage 55

viii

The Personnel Involved in Teacher Appraisal The Ethics of Teacher Appraisal Problems Encountered in Teacher Appraisal

CHAPTER 3 : RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

CHAPTER 4 : RESEARCH FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS Teacher Appraisal Training for Teacher Appraisal Procedure for Teacher Appraisal Focus of Teacher Appraisal Procedure for Classroom Observation Frequency of Teacher Appraisal General Observations

The Purpose of Teacher Appraisal The Methods of Teacher Appraisal

Classroom Observation Appraisal Interview

Time Allocation for Completing Appraisal Form Other Relevant Issues Regarding Teacher Appraisal

CHAPTER 5 : SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Recommendations

APPENDIX 1 APPEND1X2 APPENDIX3 APPENDIX 4(i) APPENDIX 4(ii) APPENDIX 5 APPENDIX 6(i) APPENDIX 6(ii)

REFERENCES

Ix

56 57 60

62

66 69 72 74 77 80 84 86 86 87 87 94 96 97

100 101

104 ]05 106 107 108 109 110 118

126

LIST OF TABLES

Table No. Page

1 Teachers in Schools 20

1.1 Students in Schools 21

1.2 School Expenditure 21

4 Experience in Teacher Appraisal 69

4.1 Attendance During Briefing 70

4.2 Notification About The Importance of Teacher Appraisal 71

4.3 Involvement in the Planning of Teacher Appraisal 71

4.4 Involvement in Training for Teacher Appraisal 72

4.5 Frequency of Classroom Observation Conducted in One 73 Year

4.6 Involvement in Appraisal Interview 74

4.7 Use of Criteria in Teacher Appraisal 75

4.8 Decision for the Criteria 75

4.9 Notification of Criteria to the Teachers 76

4.10 Most Preferred Method of Appraisal 77

4.11 The Number of Methods Used by Appraisers 78

4.12 Frequency of Classroom Observation in One Year 79

4.13 Use of Format for Classroom Observation 82

4.14 Duration of Classroom Observation 82

4.15 Record of Observation 83

4.16 Conducting Appraisal Interview 84

X

4.17 Priority in Outlining the Purpose of Teacher Appraisal 86 ' I

4.18 Meeting Before Classroom Observation 87

4.19 Choosing Appraisers 88

4.20 Number of Appraisers Assigned for Each Teacher 88

4.21 Notification of Classroom Observation 89

4.22 Briefing Prior to Classroom Observation 90

4.23 Focus of Classroom Observation 90

4.24 Feedback After Appraisal 91

4.25 Duration in Giving Feedback 91

4.26 Post-Observation Conference(s) for the Feedback 92

4.27 Informal Feedback to the Teachers 93

4.28 Follow-up of Feedback Session 93

4.29 Duration for Follow-up to be Acted Upon 94

4.30 Focus of Appraisal Interview 95

4.31 Time Taken to Prepare Reports in Appraisal Form 96

xi

CHAPTERl

FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSIS

The importance of teacher appraisal in improving the performance of teachers cannot

be ignored. To what extent this happens depends on various factors that are closely

related to each of the schools. The government schools, which are under an

established education system conducted teacher appraisal in a systematic way.

As for the Islamic schools under Yayasan Islam Kelantan (YIK), teacher appraisal

may have been conducted in its own way. To what extent has it been carried out, how

it is conducted and the related issues on teacher appraisal will be found out by this

study. In order to do this, six research questions are to be considered:

1. Has teacher appraisal been taken as a major activity by the school administration underYIK?

2. Have the appraisers undergone enough training to carry out teacher appraisal?

3. Is there a systematic way of appraising teachers in the schools?

4. Is classroom observation the main focus in appraising teachers?

5. Has classroom observation been carried out in a systematic way in the schools?

6. Is teacher appraisal carried out on a regular basis in the schools?

The Scope and Significance of Research

The significance of this research is that it will further highlight the importance of

conducting teacher appraisal programmes in Islamic schools. It has been a well-

known fact that Islamic schools have been left behind by government schools in

various aspects, and what more in the area of teacher appraisal. Therefore this

research would be able to contribute better alternatives to Islamic schools, so as to be

at par with government schools, if not better. In addition to this, it will also open up

another area of educational administration which may not have been explored by the

administrators in Islamic schools. This will give them some insights into the relevant

practices that have successfully been carried out in advanced countries like the United

States and Great Britain.

Besides, this research will also uncover problems and shortcomings that are faced by

Islamic schools, and it should be made public to let other Muslims realize the

importance of teacher appraisal so that something can be done in order to strengthen

the establishment and further development of Islamic education in the country.

Islamic Education in Kelantan

Kelantan has been and is well-known throughout history for giving birth to many

famous Islamic scholars, such as Tok Kenali, Tok Selihor, and Tok Pulau Chondong.

This was due to the fact that Kelantan was once the centre of Islamic education in the

South East Asian region. The process of Islamic education was first introduced to

Kelantan as soon as Islam came to its people in the middle of the twelfth century.

Initially, the teachings of Islam were conducted verbally and they consisted of the

2

fundamental principles of Islam such as the five pillars of Islam and the six pillars of

Iman. 1

The first person traceable for his role in conducting Islamic education in Kelantan

was Tuan Sheikh Haji Abdul Halim. He started to teach at the end of the 18th century

when he came back from Mecca. In fact, those who came back from Mecca at that

time were reputed for their ability to teach Islam to the people.

By 1780, Kelantan became the centre of attraction for students from both inside and

outside Kelantan. The earliest place that was chosen for the centre of Islamic

education was Kawasan Kampung Sireh and its locality. Again, as there were no

printed books, Sheikh Halim had to teach verbally. He was also regarded as the first

person to teach Islamic education in a well-planned manner. He was the advisor to

Sultan Muhammad I (1800 - 1837), and through his advice the Sultan took an interest

in the welfare of the people by building mosques and places for prayer. These were

also used for the purpose of carrying out Islamic education.2

Later the establishment of the pondok system (which will bJ explained below)

enhanced the growth and development of Islamic education until finally the school

Islamic educational system was introduced for formal teaching and learning.

Therefore, we observe that there were two major systems of education adopted at the

time for the continuation of Islamic education - the pondok education system and the

1 Yunus, M. 1988. The History and Role in Islamic Education in Kelantan. Unpublished M.A. Thesis. Malaya University. 2 Kim, K. K. Warisan Kelantan, (Selangor: United Selangor Press Sdn. Bhd. , 1982), pp.1-3.

3

school education system. These two major systems will be elaborated so as to

understand the contribution of each to the growth and development of Islamic

education in Kelantan.

The Pondok Education System

The word "pondok" comes from an Arabic word which means a place to stay or a

hotel. In Malaysia and southern Thailand, pondok means a private institution for

Islamic education which provides hostels for the students. 3

The pondok education system was in fact the earliest Islamic institution in Kelantan.

It has been in existence since the beginning of the 20th century, when scholars came

back from Patani to establish their pondok for the purpose of giving Islamic education

to the people. At that time, Patani was well-known as the "Balcony of Mecca" and

had many students from Kelantan who were keen on learning from their scholars.

Later when Patani fell into the hands of the Siamese, Kelantan was left to continue

the traditional pondok system for the continuation of Islamic education. Although

there were other means of conveying Islamic teachings to the people, the pondok

education system was the only system which boosted the growth and development of

Islamic education in Kelantan.4

3 Nik Mohd Salleh, N. M. , Warisan Kelantan 4, (Selangor: United Selangor Press Sdn. Bhd. , 1985), pp.99-100.

Nik Hassan, N. A. A., l~lam di Negeri Kelantan, (Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia, 1983), p.92.

4

The pondok education system in Kelantan began to develop at the beginning of the

201h century. Three stages are involved:

1. The Early Stage (before 1910)

2. The Progressing Stage (between 1909 - 1945)

3. The Declining Stage (1945 - now)

The Early Stage {before 1910)

The years before 1910 could be regarded as the early stage for the growth of the

pondok system in Kelantan. Although the Kelantan government was under the

influence of the Siamese government, the administration of education in Kelantan

was left undisturbed. With the help of the kings, their chiefs and the scholars, the

pondok education system was then established widely throughout Kelantan.5

The first pondok in Kelantan was believed to be built in 1820 by Tuan Guru Haji

Abdul Samad bin Abdullah, in Pulau Chondong, twenty-eight kilometres south of

Kota Bharu. He was known by the name of Tok Pulau Chondong. Throughout the

years the number of students increased, and by 1880, he had nearly 500 students who

came from other areas of Peninsular Malaysia, and from as far as Sumatera,

Cambodia, and Patani. 6

1t was believed that the traditional pondok educational system originated from Patani

which is now part of southern Thailand. Most of the teachers and scholars who lived

5 Yunus, M. , pp.24 - 25. 6 Nik Mohd. Salleh, N. M. , p. l 00.

5

in Kelantan during the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century were

graduates from pondok in Patani. They brought back to Kelantan whatever they had

learnt there which did not only include the knowledge but also the methods as well as

the rules and regulations of teaching. The books that they used were translated by the

scholars in Patani from Arabic to the Malay language, which was written in Jawi.

Jawi consists of Arabic letters together with a few additional letters to fit into the

spelling form of Malay words. It was not surprising at all that all these had taken

place because throughout the years before 1909, Kelantan and Patani were related by

blood and history. In fact, it can be seen today that the people of both Kelantan and

Patani speak the same dialect which, in tum, have a similar influence on their daily

conduct.7

At this stage, the pondok was not only meant for learning Islamic knowledge but it

also served as a place for moulding the moral conduct of children and teaching them

to read and write in Jawi and Arabic. The education system was not yet fully

developed. In addition, there were no desks and chairs for students. Students only sat

on floors listening to the teachers. Students did not have their choice of subjects but

was only limited to the study of aqeedah, fiqh, and akhlaq. The language used was the

Malay language, which was deeply influenced by Arabic especially in the aspects of

grammar, vocabulary and the way it was pronounced. There were a number of

7 Nik Mohd. Salleh, N. M., p.100.

6

pondoks that bad been established during this early stage. These pondoks are listed in

Appendix 1. 8

The Progressing Stage (1910 - 1945)

The years form 1910 to 1945 could be regarded as the golden age of the development

of the pondok institution in Kelantan. During these years, pondoks were built and

established widely in Kelantan. The development was such that certain pondoks had

more than 1,000 students each. This went on until 1945 which marked the end of

Japanese rule in Malaya. 9

History shows that the pondok education started to be more dynamic when Hj. Mohd.

Yusuf bin Ahmad came back from Mecca in 1910. He was well-known as Tok Kenali

and he was able to initiate a few pondoks which later led to the birth of many other

pondoks. By 1917, the number of pondoks in Kelantan reached 100. These pondoks

produced many famous scholars who in turn established their own pondoks. 10

The development of the pondok institution was also due to other factors. Firstly, there

was no competition from modem institutions such as Malay or Arabic schools, as

they did not exist at the time. Secondly, the Malay society at that time was strongly

religious and did not wish to see their children influenced by the West. Sending their

children to pondoks would prevent them from such influence. 11

8 Nik Mohd. Salleh, N. M. , p.101. 9 lbid., p.104. 10 Yunus, M. , p.26. 11 Ibid.

7

During this golden era, more subjects were taught in the pondoks in addition to those

given during the early stage of pondok development. The additional subjects, among

others, were hadith, tafsir, mustalah hadith, usul tafsir, nahu, sarf, balaghah, mantiq,

usul fiqh, tarikh Islami, and a few more. Although many subjects were offered, extra

attention was given to the two major subjects of nahu and sarf. The famous pondoks

during this time are listed in Appendix 2. 12

The Declining Stage (1945 - now)

The year 1945 marked the downfall of the pondok system of education in Kelantan.

This was due to changes in the development of education in Kelantan. At that time

public schools (sekolah-sekolah rakyat) started to operate with Arabic as the medium

of instruction. The government also established Malay and Islamic schools. The

situation provided great competition to the traditional institution of the pondok.

Furthermore, the system adopted by the new schools was perceived to be much better

and more organized compared to the pondok system. The school. environment was

more comfortable for the students. With these odds against them, pondok began to

lose influence on the society. The youths became less interested in the pondok style

of education. Rather, they were more attracted to the new school system which was

recognized by the government as it provided them with certificates throughout their

study. This does not mean that the pondok education system disappeared; it is still

operating until today but it lags behind the new system of education. 13

12 Nik Mohd. Salleh, N. M., p.104. 13 Ibid., pp.107 - 108.

8

By 1950 the pondok education system became worse and received iittle support from

the society. As the competition from state-sponsored Islamic schools grew, certain

pondoks took the initiative to adapt themselves to the school system by recognizing

themselves and they were then called madrasah (school).14

After the Malayan independence in 1957, the pondok system continued to decline to

the extent that some pondok had to be closed down and some others were modified

into ''modem" schools. For example in 1971, Pondok Terusan Pasir Tumboh, six

miles from Kota Bharu was regarded as the most progressive pondok with the highest

number of school enrolment in Kelantan. At that time there were 500 students, and by

1975 the number there increased to 700. In 1973, there were 54 pondoks throughout

Kelantan with a total number of 3,152 students. By 1981 the number of pondoks was

reduced to 41. 15

Despite what has happened to the pondok system of education, it is still continuing

and fulfilling its role in providing Islamic education to Malay society. The pondok

system has been able to produce knowledgeable scholars respected by the society. It

is important to note that the existence of the pondok played a major role in

establishing and upgrading the Islamic education system in Kelantan. 16

14 Nik Mohd. Sall eh, N. M. , p.109. 15 Ibid. 16 Ibid. , p. I 08.

9

Islamic or Arabic Schools

The growth of Islamic or Arabic schools in Kelantan was just a continuation of the

pondok institution which had developed throughout the years. As the development of

Islamic education received encouraging support from society, during which period

some Islamic scholars together with certain Islamic councils thought that the system

of Islamic education needed to be recognized. Such reorganization of the previous

system led to the establishment of Islamic schools in Kelantan. These schools were

called Islamic public schools (sekolah agama rakyat) or Arabic schools. 17

The system of Islamic schools started in 1940 when the first school was built at

Lorong Tok Semian in Kota Bharu. However the development of Islamic schools was

given impetus when the Majlis Agama Islam dan Adat Istiadat Melayu Kelantan

(MAIK) was formed in 1915. The first school under MAIK was Madrasah

Muhamadiah which was founded on the 5th of August 1917 and situated at the MAIK

building. The subjects taught here were Arabic and the Malay language. It was also

well-known as Malay school of the Majlis and catered for male students only. In

1919, MAIK succeeded in forming four more schools in Kota Bharti, Pasir Mas, Pasir

Puteh, and Kutan repectively. In that year alone, the total number of students was

400. In order to cater for the educational needs of female students, Madrasah

Muhamadiah opened its branch for them on the 6th of February 1932. 18

The actual development oflslamic/ Arabic schools started on the 1st of April 1937

17 Yunus, M. , p.35. 18 Ibid. ' p.36.

10

when Madrasah Muhamadiah 'Arabiah was formed as a continuation of Madrasah

Muhamadiah Melayu. It started off with 75 students and 3 teachers. The curriculwn

used was similar to government schools except that Islamic subjects, Arabic and

English, were also offered in addition to normal ones. The school received a lot of

support such that it had to open higher classes for the students. Some of them were

able to further their studies in Egypt and the Middle East. Later in 1948, the school

expanded to the secondary level. As the number of students increased, the school

needed bigger space. Finally, in 1956 the secondary students were placed in a new

school building under the name of Maahad Muhamadi. The Malay stream was then

slowly terminated leaving only the Arabic stream today. 19

Besides opening new schools, the Majlis also took over the administration of some

public schools. In 1952 there were 10 schools that had been sponsored and managed

by MAIK. Between 1949 and 1959, the public schools that were registered under

MAIK increased to 47. The subjects that were taught in Islamic schools at that time

were aqeedah, Islamic history, khat, tajweed, letter~writing, comprehension,

mathematics, and geography. 20

Before 1955, the curriculum in Islamic schools were not properly organized and the ' '

certificates issued were not recognized by any higher education institution. Things

changed when Ustaz Haji Hassan Idris, a famous educational figure came back from

Egypt. He was elected as the senior assistant to the principal in one of the Islamic

19 Yunus, M., p-38. 20 Ibid. , p.40.

11

schools. In the same year he introduced a new system for Islamic education for the

Islamic/ Arabic schools. The earlier system had only two levels, that is, the primary

and the secondary levels. But the new system was divided into three levels which

were the primary, the preparatory and the secondary levels, each one having a

duration of three years. Students then had to complete nine years of schooling

altogether. In fact the new system placed the students into more specific classes and

their progress could be monitored better within each level. In 1956, MAIK adopted

the new system fu1ly for a11 Islamic/Arabic schools. 21

Through the initiative carried out by Ustaz Haji Hassan, the certificates issued by

Islamic/ Arabic schools were later recognized inside and outside the country. Later in

1968, his effort materialized when an examination board for the certificates of Islamic

schools was formed by MAIK. The examination system coordinated all the exams

together with the respective certificates. The certificates issued by the examination

board received recognition from the state government for employment purposes and

for continuing studies in higher education institutions like Yayasan Pengajian Tinggi

Islam Kelantan (YPTIK) and Al-Azhar University in Egypt. 22

In 1971 a new education system together with its new curriculum was implemented to

upgrade the quality of Islamic/ Arabic schools. The new system must be used by all

the Islamic/Arabic schools. The stages of development and the problems faced by the

Islamic/Arabic schools sparked the initiation of new councils or government bodies to

21 Yunus, M., p.41. 22 lbid. , p.44

12

oversee them. This is the subject of the next subtopic.

History of the Establishment of Yayasan Islam Kelantan (YIK)

Y ayasan Islam Kelantan (YIK) is an Islamic institution under the state government of

Kelantan responsible for all activities relating to Islamic education and the learning of

Arabic language among the people. Before discussing further on YIK, we need first

of all to look at the continuity of the role of YIK in relation to the role of MAIK

which was mentioned earlier under the school education system.

The establishment of YIK was very closely related to the establishment of MAIK. As

mentioned earlier, after MAIK was formed, a few schools were opened. But there

were also public schools (sekolah agama rakyat) which were not under the

administration ofMAIK. In 1960, the number oflslamic schools throughout Kelantan

increased up to 143 with 16,299 students and 628 teachers. What happened was that

there was no coordination between public schools and MAIK schools. Until 1970,

public schools were administered by their respective board of directors and

headmasters, whereas MAIK only looked after 8 schools.23

This situation of administration later led to related problems in the schools, such as

finances, the school curriculum itself, the facilities, and shortage of teachers. As these

dragged on, the schools went on a decline to the extent that some schools had to be

closed down as the number of students reduced badly. The sudden decline in the

number of schools can be seen from the fact that there were 189 schools in 1962 and

23 Yunus, M. , p.46.

13