SCIENCE EDUCATION IN MALAYSIA: CHALLENGES IN THE 21STCENTURY

This article analyses the development of science education in the Malaysian schools’ context. Several big changes have shifted the direction of science teaching to Malaysian students over the last fifty years. It started with curriculum reforms adopted by western countries in the 1960s and 1970s. The introduction of a new curriculum with an underlying ‘child-centred’ philosophy was developed and implemented in the 1980s. The importance of information technology and English as medium of instruction were characteristic in the late 1900s and 2000s. The impact of international study’s such as TIMSS and PISA paved a new directionfor science education. Dynamics of science education in Malaysia shows interesting developments that informs us how the education system has adapted to challenges and trends.