The Action – Reflection – Modelling (ARM) Pedagogical Approach for Teacher Education: a Malaysia-UK Project

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine

This article presents the Action – Reflection – Modelling (ARM) pedagogical approach for teacher education developed through a Malaysia–UK collaborative project. The work supports the construction of a Bachelor of Education (Honours) program in Primary Mathematics, with English and Health and Physical Education as minor subjects. The article outlines the rationale for selecting ARM’s three principles—active participation and learning, reflective learning and reflection, and modelling between staff and student teachers and between student teachers and pupils—then describes research methods and discusses findings from surveys of more than 180 participants.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages31

Reading Time1 h 18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Context

Education in Malaysia and the UK

The ARM Pedagogical Approach

Principles of ARM

Research Methods and Participants

Findings and Discussion

Implications for Change and Practice

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 39 | Issue 3 | Article 5 | | --- | --- | | 2014
The Action – Reflection –Modelling (ARM) Pedagogical Approach for Teacher Education: a Malaysia-UK Project
Joy Jarvis
University of Hertfordshire, [j.jarvis@herts.ac.uk](j.jarvis@herts.ac.uk)
Claire Dickerson
University of Hertfordshire, [j.e.c.dickerson@herts.ac.uk](j.e.c.dickerson@herts.ac.uk)[ ](j.e.c.dickerson@herts.ac.uk)Kit Thomas
Sally Graham
University of Hertfordshire | | Recommended Citation Jarvis, J., Dickerson, C., Thomas, K., & Graham, S. (2014). The Action – Reflection – Modelling (ARM) Pedagogical Approach for Teacher Education: a Malaysia-UK Project. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 39 (3). Retrieved from [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol39/iss3/5](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol39/iss3/5) This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol39/iss3/5](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol39/iss3/5) Australian Journal of Teacher Education The Action – Reflection – Modelling (ARM) Pedagogical Approach for Teacher Education: a Malaysia-UK Project Joy Jarvis Claire Dickerson Kit Thomas Sally Graham, University of Hertfordshire Abstract: This article presents the Action – Reflection – Modelling (ARM) pedagogical approach for teacher education developed during a Malaysia-UK collaborative project to construct a Bachelor of Education (Honours) degree programme in Primary Mathematics, with English and Health and Physical Education as minor subjects. The degree programme was written collaboratively by teacher educators in two Institutes of Teacher Education in Malaysia and in the University of Hertfordshire, UK, to meet the requirements for training Malaysian school teachers to teach in Malaysian schools. A cohort of 120 students studied the programme full-time over four years, graduating in 2010. The three principles of the ARM approach were chosen to underpin the learning and teaching for the programme. These principles highlight the role of active participation and active learning on the part of the learner; the value of reflective learning and reflection for both student teachers and pupils; and modelling by staff to student teachers and by student teachers to pupils in school. The approach was aligned with the curriculum specifications for mathematics in primary schools in Malaysia, which emphasised components of active learning. This article explains how the ARM approach was developed, shared and used during the BEd degree programme; provides the rationale for selecting the three principles; and describes the research methods used to explore the views and experiences of programme participants. Some findings from the research arepresented, drawn from a dataset that comprises survey responses from more than 180 participants: Malaysian senior managers, teacher educators, student teachers and school mentors. The findings are discussed in the context of using ARM in teacher education and in primary schools in Malaysia, and of implementing change in learning and teaching. Throughout this project the teacher educators from Malaysia and the UK engaged in dialogue about their professional practice and learnt about the personal, professional and cultural values and beliefs that shaped the pedagogies of both parties and of the individual practitioners. The value of articulating pedagogy as a means of developing practice endorses the views of others with expertise in this area who stress the importance of making pedagogies explicit in teacher education and has implications for the practice of student teachers and teacher educators. Vol 39, 3, March 2014 89 Australian Journal of Teacher Education Introduction This article presents the Action – Reflection – Modelling (ARM) pedagogical approach for teacher education developed during a Malaysia-UK collaborative project to construct a Bachelor of Education (Honour

FAQs

What does the ARM (Action – Reflection – Modelling) approach emphasize in teacher education?

ARM emphasizes active participation and active learning, reflective learning and reflection for student teachers and pupils, and modelling by staff to student teachers and by student teachers to pupils in school.

How was the degree programme structured in the Malaysia–UK collaboration?

The project developed a Bachelor of Education (Honours) program in Primary Mathematics, with English and Health and Physical Education as minor subjects, designed by partners in Malaysia and the University of Hertfordshire in the UK.

Who participated in the research and what data source was used for findings?

Findings were drawn from survey responses from more than 180 participants, including Malaysian senior managers, teacher educators, student teachers, and school mentors.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine