ACTIVE LEARNING EMPOWERS SK MENSON TEACHERS THROUGH PROFESSOR TURUN PADANG INITIATIVE

CAMERON HIGHLANDS, 31 October 2025 – An interactive and relaxed professional development session took place at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Menson, organised by the Centre for Modern Languages (CML) in collaboration with the Centre for Industry and Community Network (ICoN), Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA).

The programme followed a morning session with Orang Asli pupils held on the same day at SK Menson, Cameron Highlands. A total of 36 teachers and support staff participated in the session titled Active Learning for the Instructors of the Orang Asli Learners, held under the Professor Turun Padang (PTP) initiative.

The session was conducted in a friendly and open setting at the SK Menson canteen. The main focus was to introduce active learning methods and strategies that can be adapted to the context of teaching Orang Asli pupils, encouraging educators to shift from traditional teaching approaches to more interactive and student-centred strategies.

The relaxed environment enabled participants to engage in activities such as Speed Talk and Gallery Walk, two interactive techniques designed to stimulate rapid idea exchange and visual learning. Participants not only experienced active learning first-hand but also explored how these methods could be applied in their own classrooms.

The session was led by Associate Professor Dr Hafizoah Kassim, actively supported by facilitators from CML who played a key role in guiding the activities and assisting participants throughout the programme.

This initiative aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), which emphasises inclusive and high-quality education, and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), which encourages collaboration between educational institutions and communities.

By directly involving teachers, the programme fosters transformation in teaching practices through fresh, practical, and context-sensitive approaches, especially within rural communities such as those in the Cameron Highlands.

Through sessions like these, UMPSA and SK Menson demonstrate a shared commitment to strengthening educational professionalism and improving teaching quality for Orang Asli children through methods that are engaging, practical, and easily implemented.

Prepared by: Hafizoah Kassim, Nor Yazi Khamis & Siti Norzaimalina Abd Majid