An analytical study of teacher education programme in IIUM from the perspective of humanisation of education

Abstract

The focus of this research is to establish the importance of humanisation of education that begins in teacher education program. This research focuses on IIUM teacher education program under the Kuliyyah of Education, as the university is built on the notion of Islamisation of Knowlegde (IOK). This study thus aimed to: (1) highlight the significance of humanisation of education in the current academic setting, (2) discover if the missions of IOK is in line with the notion of humanisation of education and (3) identify practices of humanisation of education that can be adopted in teacher education program in IIUM. The overall study aspires to draw a number of general conclusions which may be useful to the teacher education program in IIUM specifically and Malaysian education policy at large. This study includes an exploration of the different dimensions of the notion of humanisation of education which may be useful to the teacher education practice in IIUM. The critical orientation of this study is derived from the critical analysis of the aims and practices of teacher education program. Theoretical criticism and analytical explorative approach are employed to develop and propose a new perspective that is expected to be a major contribution of this study. A conceptual framework to aid this study was developed based on the concept of Humanisation of Education by Paulo Freire in Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1984). The three principal components of the framework are, (i) de-commodification of knowledge, (ii) de-captive mind, and (iii) the inculcation of social vision. Habermas’ theory of knowledge-constitutive interest which elaborates upon three main generic cognitive areas namely practical, emancipatory, and technical (work) in which human interest generates knowledge (MacIsaac, 1996) are also referred to. This has enabled the study to address the requirements of a new perspective for the betterment of IIUM teacher education program and analyse essentially what is needed today. Stemming from the guiding framework, three overarching themes are unearthed throughout the study. They are, (1) process of acquiring knowledge, (2) realisation of self and (3) situatedness in society and manifestation of values. The study also indicate that the implementation of IOK fortify the notion of humanisation of education by holding on to tawhidic paradigm.