NSPC / NSPK Flashcards
How was the NSPC and assessment document developed?
Based on developmentally appropriate practices and child development theories
What are the NSPC components?
- Communication
- Spirituality: Attitudes & Values
- Humanities
- Personal Competence
- Physical Development & Aesthetics
- Science & Technology
What is ‘Communication’ in the NSPC components?
Exposure to language skills using verbal and non-verbal strategies for interaction
What is ‘Spirituality, Attitudes & Values’ in the NSPC components?
The appreciation of religious practices, beliefs, attitudes & values
What is ‘Humanities’ in the NSPC components?
The exposure to knowledge and practices of the local, national and global community as well as the environment
What is ‘Personal Competence’ in the NSPC components?
To foster leadership and personality through curricular and extra-curricular activities
What is ‘Physical Development and Aesthetics’ in NSPC components?
The physical development and health for personal well-being, as well as fostering imagination, creativity, talent and appreciation
What is ‘Science & Technology’ in NSPC components?
The scientific knowledge, skills and attitudes, as well as the mathematics knowledge and skills
What should be included in the pupils’ profile?
- Resilient
- Communicator
- Thinker
- Team spirit
- Inquisitive
- Virtuous
- Informative
- Loving / Considerate
- Patriotic
How to know when pupils are resilient?
Pupils are able to face and overcome difficulties and challenges with wisdom, confidence, tolerance and empathy
How to know when pupils have become communicators?
Pupils are able to express their thoughts, ideas and information confidently and creatively in oral and written form, using a variety of media and technology
How to know when pupils are thinkers?
- Able to think critically, creatively and innovatively
- Able to solve complex problems and make ethical decisions
- Able to think about learning and about being learners
- Able to generate questions and are receptive towards other people’s perspectives, values, individual traditions and community
- Confident and creative in handling new learning areas
How to know when pupils possess team spirit?
- Able to cooperate effectively and harmoniously with others
- They share collective responsibility, respect and cherish the contribution of each member in the team
- They acquire interpersonal skills through collaborative activities, enabling them to become better leaders and team members
How to know when pupils are inquisitive?
- Able to develop natural inquisitiveness to explore new strategies and ideas
- They learn skills that are necessary for inquiry and research
- Displays independent traits in learning
- Able to enjoy continuous life-long learning experiences
How to know when pupils are virtuous?
- Pupils have a sense of integrity and sincerity, equality, fairness and respect for individuals, groups and community
- Responsible for their actions, reactions and decisions
How to know when students are informative?
- Able to obtain knowledge and develop a broad and balanced understanding across various disciplines
- Can explore knowledge effectively in terms of local and global contexts
- Can understand issues related to ethics or laws regarding information that they have acquired
How to know when pupils are loving / considerate?
- Able to show empathy, sympathy and respect towards the needs and feelings of others
- Committed to serve the society and ensure the sustainability of the environment
How to know when pupils are patriotic?
Pupils are able to show their love, support and respect for the country
What are Higher Order Thinking Skills? (HOTs)
The ability to apply knowledge, skills and values in reasoning and reflecting to solve problems, make decisions, be innovative and be able to create. HOTs encompasses critical and creative thinking skills, reasoning and thinking strategies
What is application in HOTs?
The usage of knowledge, skills and values in different situations to complete a task
What is analysis in HOTs?
The ability to break down information into smaller parts in order to understand and make connections between these parts
What is evaluation in HOTs?
The ability to consider and make decisions using knowledge, experience, skills, values and justify decisions made
What is creation in HOTs?
The ability to produce creative and innovative idea, product or method
What type of thinking skills are there?
- Critical thinking skills
- Creative thinking skills
- Reasoning skills
- Thinking strategies
What is meant by critical thinking skills?
The ability to evaluate ideas logically and rationally in order to make reasonable judgements based on valid reasons and evidences
What is meant by creative thinking skills?
The ability to produce or create something new and valuable using original and imaginative thinking unconventionally
What are reasoning skills?
The ability of individuals to make considerations and evaluations logically and rationally
What are thinking strategies?
A way of thinking that is structured and focused on problem-solving
Where can HOTs be applied?
In the classroom through reasoning activities, inquiry learning, problem-solving and project work. Teachers and pupils need to use thinking tools and higher order questioning techniques to encourage pupils to think
What are thinking tools?
Thinking maps and mind maps
What are some higher order questioning techniques?
Question examples:
- What would happen if…?
- What is a different way to solve the problem?
- How would you have solved the problem?
- What plan would you carry out if this happened to you?
What is the learning environment?
The atmosphere and the physical surroundings where teaching and learning takes place
What are the benefits of a good learning environment?
It will contribute to effective learning, good class control, active teacher-pupil relationship and ensuring fun learning
How do you ensure the safety and health of a learning environment?
- Clean and safe space, furniture, equipment and materials
- Appropriate lighting and ventilation
- A safe natural environment that stimulates learning
How should the classroom layout be?
- Flexible classroom layout according to lessons planned
- Appropriate layout of furniture & equipment, allowing for movement and activities
- Equipment and resources arranged neatly and accessible. They should be changed periodically to maintain pupils’ interest and to achieve learning objectives
- Pupils’ work should be prioritised and displayed; boosting their self confidence which will encourage pupils to practice more works
How do you plan out and decorate learning centres?
- Should be well-equipped, easily accessed, appropriate with adequate resources, and updated regularly according to teaching and learning needs
- Provide learning centres which encourages individual and collaborative play
- Involve pupils in setting up learning centres
How do you plan teaching and learning activities?
- Long-term and short-term planning of teaching and learning activities should be in tandem with the needs of the curriculum
- Timetable planning should be based on pupils’ development and implemented flexibility
What should be taken into consideration when planning teaching and learning activities?
- The ability and cognitive development of pupils
- Use of realia in teaching and learning to assist pupils to acquire concepts and knowledge
- Teaching and learning activities should be balanced & varied so that effective and meaningful learning takes place (outdoor and indoor, active and passive, individual, group and whole class activities, as well as activities initiated by pupils and planned by teachers)
What should teachers consider providing pupils when planning teaching and learning activities?
- Provide opportunities for pupils to make choices during activities
- Provide sufficient time and opportunities for pupils to carry out explorative activities
What is the best teaching and learning strategy?
There is no one method or strategy which is deemed the best. Teachers have to make the best choices using various strategies appropriate with the development, needs, abilities, talents and interests of pupils for effective and meaningful learning
What is child-centered learning?
Students are in charge of their own education. Their needs, interests, and encouragement drive their learning. While studying, they have the freedom to select the tasks, resources, and amount of time. The learning activity will be guided by the teachers
What is learning through play?
Designed and organised to give students the chance to learn in a free and safe environment. Gives students the freedom to explore, discover, and create in a natural way
What is inquiry based learning?
Students expand on their prior knowledge through inquiry and exploration to create their own knowledge and understanding. “Learning by doing”
This encourages critical, imaginative, and creative thinking, sparking students’ interest and enabling them to pose questions
What is integrated approach?
Combines two or more abilities that students will learn in a single lesson. Educators must use students’ everyday experiences. It enables them to comprehend life’s realities and the idea that situations in life are connected and should not be viewed as separate
What is thematic approach?
Arranging the curriculum and lessons around a selected theme or subject in accordance with the time, location, interest, background, and developmental stage of the students
What does the thematic approach involve?
- Usage of a generic theme across various learning strands
- Choice of themes is based on pupils’ level, situation or current happening
- Inter-related with existing and new experience obtained in a consistent and systematic manner
- Expansion and reinforcement of knowledge and skills
- Learning stages from easy to difficult and generic to specific
What is project-based learning?
Systematically planned practical assignments within a time frame. Research in the form of projects in order for pupils to gain knowledge. Assessment is carried out at every phase until completion. It is based on real life experiences
What are the characteristics of project-based learning?
- Can be conducted individually or in groups
- Assessment is carried out at every phase until completion
- Teacher-pupils interaction is guidance and negotiation during every project phase
- Collection and processing of materials, information, and data, reporting and self-reflection
- Method is based on skills, knowledge, experience and pupils’ abilities
- It’s based on real-life experiences
What is mastery learning?
The mastery of lessons learnt. This ensures all pupils have acquired the expected learning objectives before moving onto the next lesson. Enrichment and remedial activities should be included in teaching and learning
What is contextual learning?
A teaching strategy that incorporates classroom knowledge with the student’s, community’s, and workplace experiences on a regular basis. This offers opportunities for practical learning that are mind and hands-on.
What are the multiple intelligences?
- Verbal-linguistic
- Logical mathematical
- Visual-spatial
- Kinaesthetic
- Musical
- Interpersonal
- Intrapersonal
- Naturalist
What is the verbal-linguistic intelligence?
The ability to use words effectively in oral and writing
What is logical-mathematical intelligence?
The ability to use numbers effectively, have the ability of logic, wise reasoning and arguing
What is visual-spatial intelligence?
The ability to identify and visualise forms, space, colour and lines
What is kinaesthetic intelligence?
The ability to use one’s body to express ideas, feelings and solve problems
What is musical intelligence?
The ability to identify rhythm and songs
What is interpersonal intelligence?
The ability to understand feelings, motivation, habits and desires of others
What is intrapersonal intelligence?
The ability to understand one’s strengths, weaknesses, desires and wants
What is naturalist intelligence?
The ability to know and classify plants, minerals and animals including grass and stones as well as flora and fauna
Why should the parents and the local community be involved?
- To assist in pupils’ learning
- Ensure the continuity of teaching and learning from the school to the home and vice versa
- Good relationship between the school and parents as well as the local community gives a positive and meaningful learning experience to pupils
How can teachers plan strategies to address children with special needs?
- Identify pupils’ levels, differences in learning and their needs
- Prepare portfolios to compile works and record pupils’ development & learning progress
- Diversify learning content and activities for effective teaching and learning
- Modify learning resources based on pupils’ needs
What is ‘elements across the curriculum’ ?
A value-added element embedded in the teaching and learning process. The application is aimed at strengthening the human capital skills and competency, as well as to prepare pupils for the challenges of the present and the future
What are the elements across the curriculum?
- Medium of instruction
- Environmental sustainability
- Values
- Science and technology
- Patriotism
- Creativity and innovation
- Entrepreneurship
- Information and communication technology (ICT)
- Global sustainability
- Financial literacy
What is meant by the medium of instruction?
The correct use of pronunciation, sentence structure, grammar and technology of the language to assist pupils organise ideas as well as communicate effectively
Why is environmental sustainability emphasised in the NSPK?
- Developing awareness towards the love of the environment in the pupils should be nurtured
- Knowledge and awareness on the importance of the environment help shape pupils’ ethics in appreciating nature
How are values emphasised in the NSPK?
Values encompass the aspects of spirituality, humanity and citizenship which are practised in daily life and are emphasised to ensure pupils are aware of its importance
Why is patriotism in NSPK?
Patriotism develops love for the country and pride to be Malaysians
How does the application of ICT benefit pupils?
It motivates pupils to be creative and stimulates their interest, making teaching and learning enjoyable as well as improve the quality of learning
Why is global sustainability emphasised in the NSPK?
These elements are essential in preparing pupils to face challenges and current issues in various situations, be it locally or globally, and are taught directly or embedded in related lessons
What are the aims of assessment in preschool?
- Monitor the growth and development of pupils according to their age
- Identify pupils’ level of intelligence and potential to strengthen and enhance their holistic development
- Identify pupils’ strengths and weaknesses from time to time
- Provide feedback to pupils, parents/guardians and school management on pupils’ growth and development in learning
- Identify the effectiveness of teaching as well as learning opportunities and the environment provided
How does assessment assist teachers in planning?
To plan effective follow-up actions to:
- Develop and maximise pupils’ potential
- Assist in pupils’ learning
- Improve teaching methods
What are the implementation principles of assessment according to NSPK?
- It encompasses cognitive, affective and psychomotor aspects in tandem with NSPC
- Carried out continuously
- Methods should be valid and reliable; in accordance to pupils’ development and based on scientific methods
- Has to be carried out ethically and children’s rights taken into consideration
How should assessments be?
- Criterion based and not comparison between pupils
- Through continuous observation and assessment of pupils’ works, not tests or formal exams
What should be included in a timetable according to NSPK?
- Routine activities
- Learning activities
- Outdoor activity
- Islamic & moral education
What are routine activities?
- Circle time
- Recess
- Reflection
What is circle time and why is it important?
It’s to prepare preschoolers mentally and emotionally to focus on the learning activities of the day
What are the activities included in circle time?
- Sharing of ideas and information
- Storytelling
- Singing
- Other activities that can improve their vocabulary and social skills
What is recess?
A time for pupils to have their meals as well as for physical and mental relaxation. It can be used to involve pupils in food and dining preparation, and to emphasise self-management, manners, healthy eating, balanced diet
What are the benefits of time for reflection?
It provides opportunities for teachers and pupils to reflect on their learning and happenings of the day
When is islamic and moral education be taught?
When there are classes that have 5 or more Muslim pupils, taught by a certified teacher. For classes that have 5 or more non-muslim pupils, moral education is taught. However if not, moral education can be integrated
