Comparison between Italy education and Malaysian education

DIFFERENCES
FEES

QUANTITY OF
STUDENT IN
ONE CLASS
PRIMARY
SUBJECT

SECONDARY
SUBJECT

Italy
Free state education is available
to primary children of all
nationalities who are resident in
Italy. Parents must pay school
fees at secondary grade.
Classes are small with between
10 to 25 students.
Italian.
Geography.
Computer studies.
Social studies.
Compulsory subjects
Italian.
Foreign language.
French.
Latin.
Technology
Upper secondary stream:
Classical.
Scientific.
Fine art.
Teacher training.
Artistic.
Technical.
Professional.

PRIMARY
ASSESSMENT

Students no longer take a

leaving exam at the primary
school.

SECONDARY
ASSESSMENT

1.Secondary 1 and 2 students

will receive school report.
2.Secondary 3 will take an
examination. If students pass

Malaysia
Not fully free. The half
cost is paid by
government and the
half cost by parents.
Classes are big with
between 35 to 45
students.
Malay.
Visual art.
Health education.
Physical education
Compulsory subjects
Malay
Health education.
Information &
communication
technology.
Life skills.
Civic & citizenship
education.
Upper secondary
stream:
Science.
Literature.
Technical & vocational.
Art.
Islamic studies.
Business studies
Students need to take
UPSR exam at the end
of year of primary
school.
1.Secondary 1, 2 and 3
students will receive
school report (PBS).
2.PBS and PT3 marks

the exam, they will proceed to

upper secondary

will be combined.
Students will choose a
stream according to the
results of the
examination to enter
Secondary 4.
3.Students need to take
SPM exam at the end of
year of secondary
school.
MALAYSIA
1 years in care center
(ECCE) (start at age
3/4/5).
1 year in nursery (KSPK)
(start at age 6).
6 years in primary (start
at age 7 and end at age
12).
5 years in secondary
(start at age 13 and end
at age 17).
48 -50 hours per weeks

DIFFERENCES
SCHOOLING
TIMEFRAME

ITALY
1 years in nursery (start at age
3/4/5).
5 years in primary (start at age
6 and end at age 10).
3 years in lower secondary (start
at age 11 and end at age 13).
5 years in upper secondary
(start at age 14 and end at age
18).

CLASS HOURS

24 to 30 hours per week

-There 3 types of school
schedule that parents choose

TEXT BOOK

No specific text book

Have specific text book

by KPM or others
publications

TEACHER
MATERIALS

Using any resources

Use VLE FROG and any

applicable to pupils
The curriculum is
comprehensive and
good enough to produce
the holistic product as
being outlined. But , the
way science curriculum
is implemented and
assessed are far from

SCIENCE
CURRICULUM

The curriculum and its

accompanying guidelines
suggest how the development of
valuable scientific skills,
concepts and knowledge will be
achieved as these topics are
explored.

what is outlined in
writing.
EDUCATION
POLICY

Guideline from National policy

like PPPM 3 Waves from 20112025

SIMILARITIES
TEACHERS
QUALIFICATIO
N

ITALY
MALAYSIA
Primary teacher-4 years
Primary teacher-diploma
teachers training
in education
Secondary teacher-degree in
Secondary teacherspecialized field
degree in education
Not compulsory

NURSERY
STAGE
PRIMARY &
SECONDARY
STAGE
PRIMARY
SUBJECT

SECONDARY
SUBJECT

Guideline from the

European National
Policy

Compulsory

Compulsory subjects:
Reading and writing.
Mathematics.
Science
Music.
Religious is optional.
Compulsory subjects:
Literature.
History.

Geography.
Mathematics.
Science.
English.
Art.
Music.
Physical education.
Religious is optional.

Science and the integrated curriculum

While science makes an important and distinctive contribution to the
development of the child, scientific education complements the growth of
the childs learning in geography and history. All three contribute to the wider
social, environmental and scientific education of the child, and their
complementary roles will be reflected in the organisation of learning.
Throughout the primary school, and in the early years especially, much
learning in science, geography and history will take place through the
integrated themes or topics that teachers use to organise their work. Many of
these topics will arise out of the childs need to explore and understand
his/her immediate environment and local community. The curriculum and its
accompanying guidelines suggest how the development of valuable scientific
skills, concepts and knowledge will be achieved as these topics are explored.
Information and communication technologies

Information and communication technologies are an important resource and

tool for learning in science. Childrens investigations and explorations can be
enhanced by using information and communication technologies in recording
and analysing information, in simulating investigations and tests that support
scientific topics, in communicating their scientific information and findings, in
collaborating with children in other schools in science investigations and in
accessing a range of sources of scientific and technological information.
Assessment
Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning in science, as in
other areas of the curriculum. The section on assessment outlines how a
range of informal and more formal assessment techniques can assist in
enriching the learning experience of the child and provide useful information
for pupils, teachers, parents and others.

Language and science

Language is such a pervasive influence in the teaching and learning process
that particular examples of the integration of science with language are not
delineated in the curriculum statement. Much of the childs learning in
science takes place in the interaction between language, whether Irish or
English, and experience.
Through discussing their ideas and the results of their scientific
investigations children will develop their scientific understandings. Through
language children name and classify things, express and modify ideas,
formulate questions and hypotheses, and report conclusions. In this way
language contributes to the expansion of the childs conceptual
development.
Language is the principal means of communication in every aspect of the
learning process. The teacher uses language to question, to explain, to
suggest, to prompt, and to stimulate the child to think. The children are
encouraged to describe, discuss, predict, explain, hypothesise and analyse
ideas. Language is important, too, in helping children to access and to
retrieve information and to record and communicate ideas. The
extent,therefore, to which language is an integral part of the teaching and
learning process should be a consistent concern in the planning and
implementation of the curriculum in science.

The aims of science education are:

to develop knowledge and understanding of scientific and technological
concepts through the exploration of human, natural and physical aspects of
the environment
to develop a scientific approach to problem-solving which emphasizes
understanding and constructive thinking
to encourage the child to explore, develop and apply scientific ideas and
concepts through designing and making activities
to foster the childs natural curiosity, so encouraging independent enquiry
and creative action
to help the child to appreciate the contribution of science and technology
to the social, economic, cultural and other dimensions of society
to cultivate an appreciation and respect for the diversity of living and nonliving things, their interdependence and interactions
to encourage the child to behave responsibly to protect, improve and
cherish
the
environment
and
to
become
involved
in
the
identification,discussion, resolution and avoidance of environmental
problems and so promote sustainable development
to enable the child to communicate ideas, present work and report findings
using a variety of media.
Integrated science teaching occurs mostly at lower levels of education
In all European countries, science education begins as one general
integrated subject and is taught in this way almost everywhere throughout
the entire period of primary education. In many countries the same approach
is continued for one or two years into lower secondary education.
By the end of lower secondary education, however, science teaching is
usually split into the separate subjects of biology, chemistry and physics. At
general upper secondary level (ISCED 3), the vast majority of European
countries adopt a separate subject approach, and science often forms one of
the specialist branches or streams open to students at this level. As a
consequence of this increased amount of choice, not all students are taught
science at the same level of difficulty and/or study science subjects
throughout all grades at ISCED 3.

Most European countries recommend that science should be taught in

context. Usually this involves teaching science in relation to contemporary
societal issues. Environmental concerns and the application of scientific
achievements to daily life are recommended for inclusion in science lessons
in almost all European countries.
The more abstract issues relating to scientific method, the 'nature of
science' or the introduction of scientific knowledge are more often linked to
the curricula for separate science subjects which are usually taught in the
later school years in most European countries.
In general, steering documents in European countries mention various
forms of active, participatory and inquiry approaches to science education
from primary level onwards. In the last six years, there have been general
curriculum reforms at different levels of education in more than half of the
European countries examined. Naturally, these reforms have also affected
science curricula. The main motivation for these reforms was the desire to
adopt the European key competences approach.
Science curriculum
Social, environmental and scientific education (SESE) provides
opportunities for the child to explore, investigate and develop an
understanding of the natural, human, social and cultural dimensions of local
and wider environments; to learn and practise a wide range of skills;and to
acquire open, critical and responsible attitudes. SESE enables the child to
live as an informed and caring member of local, national, European and
global communities.
SESE takes place within, and contributes to, many areas of the
curriculum. It thus contributes significantly to many aspects of the childs
development. Within this curriculum, SESE is presented under three subject
headings: history, geography and science. Each of these areas has a
distinctive role to play in enabling the child to explore and understand the
natural, human, social and cultural environments in which he/she lives.
The science curriculum
Primary science involves helping children develop basic scientific ideas
and understanding, which will enable them to explore and investigate their
world. In well-planned, practical investigations childrens natural curiosity is
channelled and they are equipped with the strategies and processes to
develop scientific ideas and concepts.

The teaching of science in the primary curriculum involves the

development of two types of understanding: conceptual understanding and
procedural understanding. Childrens conceptual understanding is concerned
with the development of scientific knowledge and with their deepening
understanding of fundamental scientific ideas. The four strands of the
science programme are Living things, Materials, Energy and forces, and
Environmental awareness and care.
These outline the knowledge and understanding that children acquire
and describe the scientific ideas that they will encounter. Knowledge of the
scientific process is sometimes referred to as procedural understanding. The
section of the science curriculum entitled Working Science 6 scientifically
outlines how children may engage in scientific enquiry. It is a procedural
model of how scientists work and includes statements of the various
component skills that contribute to this methodology.
The curriculum area of SESE is specifically founded on the pupils
relationship and interaction with the world around them. The environment, in
its broadest sense, is the springboard for learning, and pupils classroom
experience will be deepened and extended by direct experience of their own
surroundings.
The locality will provide the starting points for environmental
education, and as childrens knowledge and understanding grow and develop
they will encompass other places and direct pupils to Irish, European and
global dimensions.
The skills involved will be developed progressively through the primary
school as children tackle open-ended problem-solving tasks.The subject
matter of designing and making relates to all aspects of experience, such as
energy, force, transport, homes, materials, industry and food.
The focus of a design and make curriculum can come from any
response to a human need. Involvement in designing and making activities
should awaken an interest in how processes are applied in everyday
situations and how common tools, objects, appliances and machines work.
Designing and making is a process which draws on the whole curriculum and
should be developed in association with and through visual arts, science and
mathematics.