TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES ON TEACHING NATIONAL HEROES IN MALAYSIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: AN ISLAMIC EDUCATIONAL APPROACH

Abstract

This research examines secondary school teachers' perspectives on the teaching of national heroes in Malaysia while emphasizing the embedding of Islamic moral principles. To study teachers' perspectives on what hinders and aids in the teaching of national heroes, with special reference to the consideration of Islamic values, especially akhlaq (moral character), adl (justice), and jihad ilmu (striving for knowledge), in the curriculum. Through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions based on ten teachers from the North of Malaysia, the study finds that teachers use various methods to engage their students such as storytelling, project-based learning, and local content. Besides obstacles such as a rigid curriculum and scarce resources, teachers have nevertheless established the integration of Islamic values with critical thinking, student involvement, and moral reflection. It shows that integrating Islamic principles encourages students' understanding of national heroes, paving the road for national unity and character building. The study highlights the need for the enhancement of teachers' professional development to enable them to teach values across the curriculum and gives a fresh perspective on this kind of values teaching in Malaysian history, thus, contributing to a more inclusive and holistic approach toward education.