Tahap Pengetahuan dan Amalan Guru Pasti di Selangor terhadap Pendekatan Berpusatkan Kanak-kanak

The Level of Knowledge and Practices of PASTI Teachers in Selangor Towards the Child-Centered Approach

Abstract

Pendekatan berpusatkan kanak-kanak merupakan satu pendekatan pedagogi yang menekankan penglibatan aktif kanak-kanak, pembelajaran melalui pengalaman, serta mengambil kira keperluan dan minat individu kanak-kanak. Kajian ini bertujuan mengenal pasti tahap pengetahuan, tahap amalan serta hubungan antara kedua-duanya dalam kalangan guru PASTI di Selangor, yang berkaitan dengan pendekatan berpusatkan kanak-kanak. Seramai 127 orang guru prasekolah PASTI di Negeri Selangor telah dipilih sebagai sampel kajian. Data kuantitatif dikumpulkan menggunakan soal selidik. Selain analisis deskriptif, data juga dianalisis secara inferensi menggunakan ujian korelasi Pearson bagi mengenal pasti hubungan antara tahap pengetahuan dan tahap amalan guru terhadap pendekatan berpusatkan kanak-kanak. Analisis ini dijalankan menggunakan perisian Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) versi 27.0 bagi menentukan tahap pengetahuan dan amalan, dan hubungan antara kedua-dua pemboleh ubah tersebut. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa pendekatan berpusatkan kanak-kanak diamalkan secara konsisten dalam kalangan guru PASTI tanpa mengira faktor umur dan kelayakan akademik walaupun terdapat sedikit variasi dalam tahap pengetahuan dan amalan. Dapatan juga menunjukkan bahawa terdapat hubungan positif dan signifikan antara tahap pengetahuan dan amalan guru (r = 0.65, p < 0.05), menunjukkan bahawa semakin tinggi tahap pengetahuan guru mengenai pendekatan berpusatkan kanak-kanak, semakin tinggi juga tahap amalan mereka dalam melaksanakan pendekatan tersebut di prasekolah. Kesimpulannya, program latihan dan pembangunan professional secara berterusan adalah penting untuk memperkukuh pengetahuan serta amalan pedagogi guru terutamanya dalam strategi pendekatan berpusatkan kanak-kanak. Implikasi kajian menunjukkan bahawa pengetahuan guru memainkan peranan penting dalam membentuk amalan pedagogi mereka.

The child-centered approach is a pedagogical approach that emphasizes children’s active involvement, experiential learning, and consideration of their individual needs and interests. This study aimed to identify the level of knowledge, the level of practice, and the relationship between both among PASTI teachers in Selangor regarding the child-centered approach. A total of 127 PASTI preschool teachers in Selangor were selected as the study sample, and quantitative data were collected using questionnaires. In addition to descriptive analysis, the data were analyzed inferentially using the Pearson correlation test to determine the relationship between teachers’ level of knowledge and level of practice regarding the child-centered approach. The analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27.0. The findings showed that the child-centered approach was consistently practiced among PASTI teachers regardless of age and academic qualifications, although slight variations existed in the levels of knowledge and practice. The results also indicated a positive and significant relationship between teachers’ level of knowledge and practice (r = 0.65, p < 0.05), demonstrating that the higher the teachers’ level of knowledge regarding the child-centered approach, the higher their level of practice in implementing the approach in preschool settings. In conclusion, continuous training and professional development programs are essential to strengthen teachers’ knowledge and pedagogical practices, particularly in child-centered teaching strategies, as teachers’ knowledge plays an important role in shaping their pedagogical practices.

KEYWORDS:  Child-centered approach, preschool, teacher, knowledge practice