Construction of the Forest School Framework Based on Indigenous Knowledge in Malaysia

Abstract

The rate of drop outs among indigenous or Orang Asli pupils in primary school is a worrying issue. They were found to be unable to apply the knowledge acquired through formal education systems in Malaysia due to the different 'setting' of the environment. This failure was due to the lack of understanding on how Orang Asli pupils learn, think, and act. The aim of this study was to construct a Forest School framework for the teaching and learning process in Orang Asli primary schools. The qualitative study design involved in-depth interviews with six experts from the Orang Asli community by using semi-structured questions to explore and clarify related sub-constructs. The results showed five elements that need to be incorporated in the syllabus were: indigenous music, herbs and medicine, handicrafts, tools for hunting and forestry. The Forest School framework would serve as a comprehensive guide and reference for policymakers as indigenous knowledge elements need to be incorporated in primary school's syllabus to ensure life sustainability of Orang Asli in the forest. Teachers could take advantage to help Orang Asli pupils to feel more enthusiastic and motivated in processing the knowledge given in classrooms as it hits close to their environment.

The connection between missing school and Indigenous community: challenges and complexities

“…Ideally, the pedagogy of the Indigenous school propositions consists of a learning involvement that matches their children's needs and cultural practices (Wahab et al, 2020). Mustapha et al (2018) suggested bridging the academic subject content with cultural knowledge when strategizing rural school propositions.…”

“…Absenteeism has been the number one issue among Indigenous community school children. One of the factors behind this phenomenon is that they do not understand the syllabus teachers convey (Wahab et al, 2020). As they have their own capacity for absorbing new information, they face difficulties relating the information taught in the classroom to their living environment.…”

Involvement of Orang Asli Youth in Vocational Education and Training in Malaysia: Aspirations and Outcomes

“…Leaving the task of educating Orang Asli children to the JAKOA to improve their condition was futile. They were found to be unable to apply the knowledge acquired through formal education system in Malaysia due to the different settings of the environment (Wahab et al, 2020). The problem is that despite support from the government and other agencies, Orang Asli students remain underachieving and remain disengaged from school (Misnaton, Hamidah & Marinah, 2016).…”

Analysis of Individual Factors in Improving Knowledge Sharing: Case Study of Accounting Education Students

“…Individual factors are internal considerations within the individual. The knowledge-sharing ability of each individual is different (Wahab et al, 2020). One of the causes of the low ability arises from the individual.…”