KUCHING: Yayasan Petronas has inducted the second cohort of 176 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teachers from across 120 secondary school districts for the Program Duta Guru (PDG).
“The selected teachers are excellent educators with high potential to become leaders in their field and communities,” said Yayasan Petronas chief executive officer Nelly Francis Shariah.
“Together with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and our PDG implementation partner, Teach For Malaysia, we believe that STEM teachers are the frontliners who can improve the quality of students’ learning in embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
PDG aims to empower 4,500 teachers to be highly capable STEM educators, serving as role models in enhancing students’ interest and competency in STEM education, especially the underprivileged students, and in strengthening their higher-order thinking skills by 2030.
“This is because STEM is critical to the nation’s progress and in building the future workforce.
“We will continue to grow this programme in stages while maintaining quality to ensure its goals are met,” said National STEM Centre senior principal assistant director Dr Ihsan Ismail.
Each teacher will undergo a two-year training programme comprising online workshops, industry visits and projects addressing issues that hinder STEM progress in their communities.
They will be able to strengthen their professional development through a blend of content, coaching, community development and commitment, upskill themselves and encourage peer-to-peer sharing.
The programme has received 450 applications from 136 school districts and teachers are selected based on recommendation from their respective principals. Priority is also given to teachers from B40 schools.
