The standard of education among the Orang Asli people as an indigenous ethnic in Malaysia is still at a low level. The majority of the Orang Asli people receive formal education only at the primary level. However, there is a significant trend where the majority of students who completed their primary education will drop out from secondary school. Hence, only two percent have been successful in advancing their higher education in tertiary institutions. Such problems are commonly associated with several factors, including students' attitudes, awareness among parents about education, local culture, school leadership, school environment, and problems related to the teaching and learning process. For better understanding of this problem, a specific research was carried out to study the Orang Asli students in Kelantan. The research focused on students' perspectives based on the questions: What are the teaching and learning methods often used by teachers? What are the common problems related to the teaching and learning of the Orang Asli students? What are students' perceptions toward the teaching and learning methods used? The research using qualitative methods involved four Orang Asli villages in the state of Kelantan. Data were collected through interviews, focus group discussion and observation. The respondents consisted of children and young adults. Results showed that teaching pedagogy are generally stereotyped and unable to stimulate students' interest. The common problem in the teaching and learning is related to the attitude and commitment of teachers in the teaching and learning process. The implications of the problems and teachers' attitudes are significantly associated with degrading interest among students on education, issues of attendance and students' academic performance.
Community development emphasizes the utilization of community resources, also known as community capitals. However, it is often difficult for the community to access these resources; this difficulty retards development. Such is the predicament faced by the Orang Kuala, for whom coastal changes have resulted in greater difficulty in accessing their community resources. Nor is that the only threat that they face. For affirmation of these threats, this article lists two objectives, that is, to identify the accessibility of marine resources and to explain the types of threats faced by the Orang Kuala. To achieve these objectives, a study was conducted involving 51 household heads and 5 Orang Kuala informants, all of whom are residents of Sungai Layau village in Johor, Malaysia. This study uses a mixed-method approach, the concurrent embedded design, and also interview-based questionnaires and in-depth interviews simultaneously. For the first objective, the results show that the Orang Kuala can still attain community resources in the form of marine products. However, the Orang Kuala faced three types of threats: trends, shocks, and seasonal changes. The most significant threat to the Orang Kuala is the trend, that is, cost of living and social problems. These threats can reduce their chances of acquiring benefits from these community resources. This condition is called “vulnerability of community capitals.” The objective of this article is to put forth proposals on how to increase the capacity of community resources for the Orang Kuala so that their community can attain sustainable development. This proposal is based on the reality that the threats facing the Orang Kuala are at a critical level and that they are ready to accept changes.
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