The Digital Education Policy (DEP) 2023 aims to connect technological advancement with pedagogical innovation, in order to prepare students for a digital economy expected to contribute 25.5% to GDP by 2025 (MOE, 2023). Since the 2015 Education Blueprint, Malaysia has made progress, with 87% of universities offering MOOCs and 30% of adult learners using the APEL-C credit system (MOE, 2015). However, challenges such as varying levels of teacher readiness and infrastructure disparities need to be addressed.
Malaysia’s tech-integration journey, spanning Computer Literacy (1980s), ICT (2006), and robotics (2017), remains unfinished. Educators’ digital competency is evaluated using the Digital
Competencies Standard for Educators (DCS-E), adapted from international frameworks such as DigComEdu and ISTE Standards. Screenings revealed that 58% of teachers and 53% of administrators are at the Basic level, and only 2% achieves Advanced proficiency (MOE, 2023). A
2020 analysis of principals and headmasters, using the School Leader Competency Standard (KOMPAS 2.0), revealed an average score of 2.7 out of 5.0 for digital ecosystem integration. This
underscores their challenges in adapting to a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world (MOE, 2023). Despite initiatives such as the Jauhari mentorship program and Google’s Gemini Academy AI pilot in 2023, some rural educators still depend on occasional and one-off workshops without ongoing support.
IPG’s upgrades such as Huawei’s Cloud Campus with 10 Gbps connectivity and 265 Wi-Fi 6 access points are impressive. Their participation in the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (NPDL) project with preservice teachers trained in the 6C model demonstrates commitment to
innovation (Fullan et al., 2023), this underscores the need for holistic training that merges technical proficiency with pedagogical creativity. For example, Singapore’s Teachers’ AI Playbook empowers educators to co-design AI tools, while in Malaysia only 15% of teachers possess coding skills to customize digital solutions (MOE, 2024).
Despite IPG’s advancements, historical and structural challenges persist. A 2020 government review found that nearly half of educators stopped using digital tools due to a gap between technology training and subject-specific teaching methods (MOE, 2020). A 2024 report reveals that 94% of classrooms have smart devices, yet only 58% of teachers demonstrate proficiency in
blended instruction (MOE, 2024). Rural schools face challenges with insufficient hardware, while
urban schools deal with outdated devices. While 90% of schools excel on Smart School benchmarks (SSQS, 2011–2023), 36% of urban students and 35% of non-urban students lack devices, and 79% face poor internet connectivity (MOE, 2023). As the ASEAN Chair in 2025, Malaysia is dedicated to leading AI reforms by addressing disparities and preparing leaders for
digital transformation (ASEAN, 2024).
A Specialized Digital Education Programme
What’s missing is a specialized Digital Education programme at IPG that transforms teachers from mere users into tech innovators. Malaysian schools need educators who can design tailored solutions, such as IoT energy monitors for rural schools or AI chatbots for overcrowded urban classrooms (MOE, 2024). These educators would master various tools—creating offline apps for low-connectivity areas, building AI models, designing games via Scratch or Unity, and integrating coding into non-tech subjects. For example, they could gamify Math with Python or recreate historical events via augmented reality. MDEC’s initiative to train 500 teachers in coding is a step forward, but IPG plays a key role in institutionalizing these programmes. In 2023, IPG collaborated with tech companies on data-driven instruction training, showing that advanced skill-building is feasible within the existing framework.
A specialized track could integrate pedagogical expertise with technical innovation, enabling educators to create interactive learning modules that go beyond conventional tools. For example, teachers could learn to develop simulations that adapt to student learning patterns, such as gamified problem-solving exercises that adjust difficulty based on real-time performance. In addition to bridging gaps, such training would empower schools to implement localized solutions, like automated feedback systems that analyse student work or after-hours chatbots offering academic support. This approach alleviates overcrowding pressures while fostering self-directed learning.
Introducing a specialized Digital Education programme at IPG would be a forward-thinking investment in Malaysia’s future. It addresses current shortcomings in teacher training by emphasizing emerging technologies and pedagogical innovation. Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPG)
stands at the center of this transformation, bridging the gap between policy ambitions—such as the DEP’s call for digital fluency—and classroom realities. Following global examples like Singapore’s tech-fluent educators, Malaysia need to align infrastructure upgrades with equitable teacher upskilling so that no student is left behind in the digital revolution.
References
ASEAN Secretariat. (2024). ASEAN digital education framework 2025. https://asean.org Fullan, M., Quinn, J., & McEachen, J. (2023). New pedagogies for deep learning: Nurturing creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. Corwin Press.
ISTE. (2023). ISTE standards for educators. https://www.iste.org
Ministry of Education Malaysia. (2015). Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015–2025 (Higher Education). https://www.moe.gov.my
Ministry of Education Malaysia. (2020). Review of digital tool adoption in Malaysian classrooms.
Ministry of Education Malaysia. (2023). Digital Education Policy (DEP) 2023.
Ministry of Education Malaysia. (2024). National Digital Education Policy (NDEP): Annual progress report.
UNESCO. (2023). Digital literacy and immersive technologies in teacher training: Asia-Pacific regional survey. UNESCO Digital Library. https://unesdoc.unesco.org
Google for Education. (2023). Gemini Academy: Pilot report on AI tools in Malaysian schools.
Huawei Technologies. (2023). Partnership with IPG for data analytics training. https://www.huawei.com
Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation. (2023). MyDigitalMaker initiative: Computational thinking modules. https://www.mdec.my
Microsoft Educator Center. (2023). Innovative Educator Experts program. https://education.microsoft.com
UNESCO & International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA). (2015). School library guidelines. https://www.ifla.org

Written by Hilda Hiew