Organic intellectuals, which was first conceptualized by Gramsci in his book ‘Prison Notebooks’ [1], basically refers to a group of individuals who continually interacts with society, making an effort to influence people’s opinions, participating in the advancement of knowledge, bringing up relevant topics, and upholding reasonable norms of social well-being, freedoms, and justice [2]. Apart from being portrayed as education actors who transmit knowledge according to what’s been mandated by the state, in other contexts, teachers in Malaysia behave like organic intellectuals. This role is manifested differently in a variety of contexts among teachers but essentially they possess such qualities.

Conducting action research is the norm in the Malaysian teaching profession. This is the most common form of intellectual activity that teachers undertake. Competitions and conferences are held annually to showcase teachers’ findings and research in the classroom. Teachers undertake such activities autonomously as well, without the need to present at conferences. Action research is basically a small-scale intervention in how the “actual” world operates, as well as a methodical, in-depth analysis, monitoring, and review of its results, combining action and reflection to enhance practice [3]. Since it is a small-scale activity of inquiry, and the framing of problems is confined locally, whilst taking account of all factors within a specific context, this thus aligns with one of the qualities of an organic intellectual – they serve as the primary interpreters of the major issues and difficulties of their era and social milieu [4], which typically characterized teachers who initiate action research within their educational context. 

Professional learning community (PLC) is also a common practice among teachers and school leaders in Malaysia. PLCs are oftentimes integrated into school meetings. The major idea behind establishing a PLC is to get teachers to collaborate and share ideas in order to solve a particular problem or just for general improvement in the classroom or teacher and student well-being. Alternatively, PLCs can be done in an informal manner, which indicates that it has been integral as a daily routine. Whether formal or informal, discourse among teachers regarding every aspect of the school typically factors in societal conditions and dynamics. For example, resolving student absenteeism, managing student discipline, improving school infrastructure, and the likes are some of the discourses that take place among teachers. These instances present teachers as organic intellectuals operating within the framework of PLC.

Social media is a space that enables teachers as organic intellectuals to present themselves. Teachers on social media in their individual capacity (viralled Facebook posts such as heavy school bags and revamping primary school curriculum) and teachers who are involved in civil society organizations (such as ‘Tiada.Guru’, an NGO that amplifies the issue of extreme teacher absenteeism) are engaging in conversations revolving around issues in education and connecting them to the societal, political and administrative domain of education. Although these insights have been expressed mostly on social media, they reflect the realities that the teachers experienced by cleverly connecting those issues to a broader system. Social media has amplified the issues portrayed by them which consequently gained the interest of the public, not only teachers. Their insights and the issues they publicize give more awareness of the realities that manifest in different educational contexts. Although there might be variations of insights to the same issue, it still depicts teachers as organic intellectuals because they’re the ones experiencing them and because they’re dissatisfied with the current condition, they offer alternatives in the field with respect to the issues they put forth.

Lastly, in another dimension of the digital space, apart from the manifestations of teachers as organic intellectuals on social media who amplify issues in education, an emerging online platform that gathers teacher voices as a collective has emerged – HIVE Educators. This platform gives visibility to teachers as thinkers and intellectuals, as the pieces contributed to the website are reflective in nature and constitute the experiences of the teachers with linkages to their contextual position (be it political, social, or economic). By writing, the teacher acts as the active subject to form their own insights informed by theories and practice. Thus, presenting themselves as organic intellectuals.

Since the trait of an organic intellectual and critical thinker does not belong exclusively to any one ideological or party bent, it is possible to see critical thinking attitudes, unconventional behavior that defies established norms, and a dialogical attitude [5] among teachers because education is a cross-party or cross-ideological public good. The descriptions above are not exhaustive of how teachers as organic intellectuals manifest themselves in Malaysia, but they can give a preliminary picture to clarify that these acts and behaviors are reflective of the Gramscian concept of ‘organic intellectuals’. 

References:

[1] Gramsci, A., Buttigieg, J. A., & Callari, A. (2011). Prison notebooks. Columbia University Press. 

[2], [4], & [5]  

Getman, A. P., Danilyan, O. G., Rojas-Bahamón, M. J., Arbeláez-Campillo, D. F., & Ptashnyk-Serediuk, O. (2021). Rethinking the category of organic intellectual of/by Antonio Gramsci in today’s world. Cuestiones Políticas, 39(68), 273–289. https://doi.org/10.46398/cuestpol.3968.17 

[3] Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research methods in education. Routledge. 

Written by Auzellea Kristin Mozihim