Bandar Seri Begawan - Being at the forefront and direct provider of learning, teachers can also be crucial participants in providing solutions to the many problems that beset students' acquisition of knowledge and skills. The circumstances that are happening in the classroom or any place of learning are always witnessed by the teachers.

Teachers therefore, could be the best participants in the problem solving process within the educational setting.

The role of a teacher as a problem solver in the classroom was highlighted by Dr Paryono, the Deputy Director (Professional Affairs) of SEAMEO VOCTECH who delivered the opening speech on behalf of Alias Hj Abu Bakar, the Centre Director of SEAMEO VOCTECH in the opening ceremony of the two-week training programme on "Improving Teaching-Learning Process through Classroom Action Research" yesterday.

The Director who was a teacher and a school principal said, "I imagined how frustrated teachers were when their expectations of students in meeting the learning outcomes of the lessons were not met. Truly speaking, we as teachers are worried why there are students who -do not seem to care about learning the lessons. Some students do not even bother to attend classes for whatever reasons and the worst are those that drop out from their classes. These problems are not isolated cases. One way or another, all teachers have experienced these challenges and there are even other problems in the classroom that add to their predicament.

"Given the necessary tools in gathering, analysis and interpreting the causes of the problems in the classroom, teachers can also provide the necessary solutions. By providing them a systematic reflective tool after conducting a single or a series of teaching learning events, they will be able to analyse and experiment on the possible changes needed in establishing effective teaching learning events. One of these tools is action research."

In response to SEAMEO VOCTECH's mandate of assisting member countries in improving their instructional delivery system, "this Regional Training Programme on 'Improving Teaching Learning Process through Action Research' was duly organised. This training programme will enhance your knowledge and skills in conducting action research which will hopefully improve the teaching and learning process within the classroom or training workshop.

"We look forward that you will utilise action research to upgrade yourself on your educational practice as professionals belonging to the teaching field. Then we will also be trustful that we were able to assist you on your VTET transformation efforts and become 'innovative and research-driven' teachers of the 21st century" he concluded.

A total of 29 teachers and administrators from Southeast Asia including Brunei are taking part in the training course.

--Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin