UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHERS’ SENSE OF SELF-EFFICACY

AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

ZANARIAH RIDZWAN

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirementsfor the degree of

Masters in Education (TESL)

Faculty of Education

March 2011

Candidate's Declaration

I declare that the work in this dissertation was carried out in accordance with the

regulations of Universiti Teknologi MARA. It is original and is the result of my own

work, unless otherwise indicated or acknowledged as referenced work. This dissertation

has not been submitted to any other academic institution or non-academic institution for

any other degree or qualification.

In the event that my dissertation is found to violate the conditions mentioned above, I

voluntarily waive the right of conferment of my degree and agree to be subjected to the

disciplinary rules and regulations of Universiti Teknologi MARA.

Name of Candidate

Candidate's ID No.

Programme

Faculty

Dissertation Title

Signature of Candidate

Date

Zanariah bt. Ridzwan

2008264696

Master of Education (TESL)

Education

Mathematics and Science Teachers' Sense of Self-

Efficacy and English Language Proficiency

Abstract

The implementation of ETeMS (English in the Teaching of Mathematics and Science) in

Malaysia in 2003 posed many challenges to both the students and teachers. One of the

main issues is the lack of English language proficiency among the Mathematics and

Science teachers. In 2009, the Education Minister announced the reversal in the policy

and Mathematics and Science will again be taught in Bahasa Malaysia or vernacular

languages by 2012. Many studies have been carried out linking teachers’ sense of self-

efficacy to positive academic outcomes including English language proficiency. The

main purpose of this study is to measure the level of teachers’ sense of self-efficacy,

English language proficiency and to investigate if there is a significant relationship

between the two variables. In this correlational descriptive study, 100 Mathematics and

Science teachers from five secondary schools in the Petaling Utama district, Petaling

Jaya, Selangor responded to the given questionnaires. A mixed method approach was

used to analyze the data. The results showed that the teachers are fairly efficacious which

means that they are confident of their teaching abilities and that these abilities will make

a difference in student learning. The result also showed that the teachers are moderately

to very proficient in the English language. Correlational analysis showed positive

correlation between teacher efficacy and English language proficiency. The implications

and recommendations of the study are also discussed.

Abstrak

Perlaksanaan PPSMI (Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa

Inggeris) di Malaysia pada tahun 2003 telah menimbulkan pelbagai masaalah kepada

guru-guru serta pelajar-pelajar. Salah satu masaalah utama ialah guru-guru Sains dan

Matematik kurang berkemampuan berbahasa Inggeris. Pada tahun 2009, Menteri

Pendidikan telah mengumumkan pemansuhan sepenuhnya PPSMI di sekolah-sekolah dan

Sains dan Matematik akan sekali lagi diajar di dalam Bahasa Malaysia atau bahasa

ibunda pada tahun 2012. Beberapa kajian telah mengaitkan konsep efikasi kendiri guru

dengan hasil akademik yang positif termasuk kemahiran berbahasa Inggeris. Tujuan

utama kajian ini dijalankan ialah untuk mengukur tahap efikasi kendiri dan kemahiran

berbahasa Inggeris guru-guru Sains dan Matematik dan untuk menyiasat jika ada

hubungan signifikan antara kedua pembolehubah ini. Di dalam kajian deskriptif korelasi

ini, 100 guru-guru Matematik dan Sains dari daerah Petaling Utama, Petaling Jaya telah

memberi respon kepada soal selidik yang dikemukakan. Kaedah campuran digunakan di

dalam menganalisa data. Dapatan menunjukkan bahawa guru-guru ini mempunyai tahap

efikasi yang agak tinggi. Ini bermakna mereka yakin tentang kebolehan mereka untuk

mengajar dan kebolehan itu dapat menghasil pembelajaran yang berkesan. Mereka juga

mempunyai tahap kemahiran berbahasa Inggeris di antara sederhana hingga sangat baik.

Analisis korelasi menunjukkan hubungan positif antara efikasi kendiri guru dan

kemahiran berbahasa Inggeris. Implikasi dan cadangan turut dibincangkan.

Acknowledgements

First of all, I would like to thank the Almighty Allah, Most Beneficent, Most

Merciful for making this possible for me. Next, 1 would like to express my gratitude to

my supervisor, Professor Dr. Habibah Ashari, who constantly offered invaluable input for

my research. I would also like to thank all the lecturers, who taught me throughout the

course, for their guidance. “Your commitment to education is truly inspiring”. To my

course mates, “thank you for making this a wonderful and interesting journey”.

Most importantly, I would like to thank my family for their love, support and

prayers. A heartfelt thank you goes to my parents, Haji Ridzwan Hj Idris and Hajah

Mariah Hj Ahmad, who have instilled in me the value of hard work, persistence and

perseverance. To my children, Hannan, Bashirah, Nawal, Nadiah and Muhammad Zayd,

“thank you for your patience and words of encouragement”. Most of all, I would like to

thank my husband, Khairil Anwar Ahmad, for his unwavering support and for believing

in me. “You always found the right words that kept me going”.

MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCETEACHERS’ SENSE OF SELF-EFFICACY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCYCandidate’s DeclarationAbstractAbstrakAcknowledgementsTABLE OF CONTENTSList of TablesAbbreviationsCHAPTER ONE THE RESEARCH1.1 Introduction1.2 Background to the Research1.3 Statement of the Research Problem1.4 Purpose of the study1.5 Research Questions1.6 Significance of the Study1.7 Methodology1.8 Delimitation1.9 Limitations of the Study1.10 Definitions of Terms1.11 Conclusion

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW2.1 Introduction2.2 Language Policy in Malaysia2.2.1 English for the Teaching of Mathematics and Science (ETeMS)2.2.2 Problems and Issues in Implementing ETeMS

2.3 Self-efficacy2.3.1 Teacher Efficacy2.3.2 Sources of Efficacy Information

2.4 Collective Efficacy2.5 The Role of the Principal2.6 Conclusion

CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY3.1 Introduction3.2 Research Design3.2.1 Correlational Study

3.3 Population and Sample3.3.1 Sample Characteristics

3.4 Instrument3.4.1 Rationale3.4.2 Qualitative analysis3.4.3 The Questionnaire

3.5 The Data Collection Process3.5.1 The Pilot Study3.5.2 The Main Study

3.6 Conclusion

CHAPTER FOUR DATA ANALYSIS4.1 Introduction4.2 The Pilot Study4.3 The Analysis of the Main Study4.3.1 Demographic data4.3.2 The Analysis of the Teaching Efficacy Instrument4.3.3 The Analysis for Language Proficiency Instrument4.3.4 Self- Reported English Language Proficiency

4.4 Correlation between Teacher Efficacy and English Language Proficiency4.5 Teachers’ Opinions on the Policy Change4.5.1 Quantitative Analysis4.5.2 Qualitative Analysis

4.6 Conclusion

CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS5.1 Introduction5.2 Overview of the Study5.3 Teacher Self-Efficacy5.4 Language Proficiency5.5 Teacher Efficacy and English Language Proficiency5.6 Teachers’ Opinions5.7 Implications and Recommendations5.8 The Relevance of this Study5.9 Conclusion

ReferencesAppendix