Ravindaran Maraya, Silllalee S. Kandasamy, Sheiladevi, Bharathi Mutty, Parvathi Wajindram
Perinatal Journal - 2026;34(1):8-11
This study explores the comparative awareness of Malaysia's national learning crisis among ESL (English as a Second Language) and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) trainee teachers. By examining how future educators from different disciplinary backgrounds perceive and interpret this issue, the investigation directly addresses the foundational requirement for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4): Quality Education, particularly Target 4.c, which focuses on substantially increasing the supply of qualified teachers. Understanding trainee teachers' awareness is critical, as their capacity to recognize systemic barriers dictates their ability to implement effective, equitable, and inclusive teaching practices necessary to overcome the crisis. Using a mixed-method approach, data were collected from 60 trainee teachers (30 ESL and 30 STEM) through semi-structured interviews and an online awareness survey. Findings revealed that while ESL trainees primarily identified classroom literacy and motivation issues as central to the learning crisis, STEM trainees demonstrated broader systemic awareness, citing curriculum rigidity, policy gaps, and socio-economic inequalities as contributing factors. Quantitative analysis indicated that STEM trainees scored significantly higher on the 'Systemic Awareness Index' (M = 4.1, SD = 0.6) than ESL trainees (M = 3.3, SD = 0.8). The study suggests the urgent need for reform in teacher education curricula to integrate multi-dimensional analyses of educational problems, ensuring all future teachers are equipped with the systemic knowledge required to advance SDG 4.
