International Sit In Teaching Practice Program 2020: Preparing Future Ready Graduates

NAJUA SYUHADA AHMAD ALHASSORA

Teaching practice is one of the compulsory courses for students in the School of Education (SoE), Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). Since 2013, SoE Teaching Practice Committee has organised teaching practice program for students in schools around Malaysia and abroad through International Sit In Teaching Practice Program.

Due to active collaboration with SoE international partners, the committee also has managed to host the yearly International Teaching Practice Program for inbound students from Indonesia. To date, the School of Education (SoE) has seven years of experience in coordinating International Sit In Teaching Practice Program which involved 13 universities and 18 schools as collaborators.

SoE encourages students to participate in international teaching practice program since they will have exposure to different systems of education. In addition, students who go abroad will gain new knowledge and different socio-cultural experiences. In the process of adapting to different systems of education and background of students, trainee teachers need to become creative and face the challenges in a positive mind. Thus, the experiences will make them better teachers when they graduate.

For this semester (2019/2020 2), fifteen undergraduate students from SoE participated in International Sit In Teaching Practice Program in collaboration with Universitas PGRI Semarang (UPGRIS) and Universitas Lambung Mangkurat (ULM), Banjarmasin, Indonesia.

Six undergraduate students accompanied by Dr. Megat Aman Zahiri Megat Zakaria (Director of Department of Educational Science, Mathematics and Creative Multimedia) went to ULM Banjarmasin on 10 February 2020. On the same day, there were also nine students who went to UPGRIS, Semarang, Indonesia accompanied by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mahani Mokhtar (Director of Educational Foundation and Social Science) and a senior lecturer, Dr. Najua Syuhada Ahmad Alhassora.

The students will do their 28 days sit in teaching practice at secondary schools namely SMK Negeri 6 Semarang, SMA Negeri Banua and SMK Negeri 4 Banjarmasin located at Semarang and Banjarmasin, Indonesia. The students major in Sport Science, Living Skills and TESL.

The Welcoming Ceremony for International Sit In Teaching Practice Program in Banjarmasin was hosted by ULM. The ceremony started with a welcoming speech by the Rector of the ULM, Prof. Dr. H. Sutarto Hadi, M.Si., M.Sc., and followed by Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Chairil Faif Pasani, M.Si. They hoped that this program would be beneficial to students, schools, and universities from both countries.

Meanwhile, in Semarang, the Welcoming Ceremony was hosted by UPGRIS. The ceremony was held in their main hall and started with a welcoming speech by Dra. Intan Indiati, M. Pd, Director of Profession Development Institute and Mr. Prasetiyo, S.Pd., M.Pd., the Head of Centre of Learning, Curriculum and International Teaching Program, Profession Development Institute.

Dra. Intan hoped that this program will give positive impact and benefit to UTM students as well as students and teachers in the selected school in Semarang. Similarly, in her speech, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mahani Mokhtar hoped that the skills and experience gained throughout the program will help to develop and enhance students’ academic and soft skills.

Students should have the courage to gain new experiences and knowledge. Aside from academic work, students must also take the opportunity to be actively involved in all school activities in order to acquire maximum benefits from the program.

It is hoped that the International Sit In Teaching Program organised by SoE will achieve its mission in producing graduates who have the potential to be global citizens.