A Case Study of Teachers Coping as Distance Learners at the Open University Malaysia

• Main Author: Latifah Abdol Latif
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Published: 2007
• Subjects: LC5201 Education extension. Adult education. Continuing education
• Online Access: http://library.oum.edu.my/repository/35/2/A_case_study_of_teachers_coping.pdf; http://library.oum.edu.my/repository/35/
• Institution: Open University Malaysia

Compared with full-time on-campus learners, part-time distance learners are faced with greater challenges as they pursue their higher education. Currently, Open University Malaysia (OUM) has 10,000 teachers out of its 23,000 learners. These teachers are sent by the Ministry of Education under a special contractual programme. Being distance learners, they have to cope with their responsibilities as full-time teachers while at the same time study on a part-time basis. As part of an effort by both OUM and the Ministry to ensure that this group is able to cope with their studies, OUM examined the academic performance of these teachers to see if special measures need to be taken to help them manage their learning effectively. This paper reports on their performances and compares them with those of the learners from the open market. The paper also discusses the issues and challenges faced by this special group of learners, and highlights some of the measures that have been taken to help them improve their academic performances.