An online continuous professional development on Chinese literature pedagogy in Malaysia / Florence Kuek … [et al.]

Chinese Language is a subject offered in both Malaysian Primary and Secondary schools. Literature appreciation forms part of the curriculum content. The Chinese textbooks used in schools have incorporated a good selection of localised literature known as the Malaysian Chinese (Mahua) literature. However, feedbacks from some teachers revealed that they face problem in teaching the Mahua literature and they called for more support (Malaysia Sin Chew Daily, 6 June, 2020). Their felt needs warrant continuous professional development (CPD). The Writers’ Association of Chinese Medium of Malaysia, the Chinese Studies Department of University of Malaya, and Malaysia Secondary School Chinese Teachers Association developed and implemented a 10-week online intervention for teachers who are teaching the Chinese subjects. Mahua literature selected for the primary and secondary school textbooks were used for this CPD. Original authors and other educators were invited to prepare the CPD materials for each of the Mahua literature selected. Upon analysis of these CPD materials, the researchers found that the pedagogical framework in this CPD encompassed four aspects, namely, (a) the linguistics feature; (b) the imagery or object representation; (c) the “pathos” or affection aspect; and, (d) the “logos” or motive of the literature. In brief, the pedagogical framework could be coined as the “Language-Representation- Affection-Motive” (LRAM) framework. Questionnaires were sent to participants requested their view on LRAM framework. In-depth interviews were conducted too. The research findings found that LRAM was well-accepted as a feasible literature pedagogy to assist both novice and experienced Chinese teachers to dive deeper into the understanding of Mahua literature. The participants’ opinions towards the use of LRAM in their teaching as well as challenges they faced in teaching Mahua literature will also be discussed. All in all, this study applies a social-ecological perspective (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Langille, 2010) in examining the promotion of LRAM literature pedagogy to teach Mahua literature through a dedicated online CPD. The study sheds insights on the understanding of the dynamic interactions between literature, teachers, students with the local environment in Malaysia.