They say that if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. But what is often overlooked is that the method of teaching plays a crucial role in how effectively the lesson is learnt. This highlights the importance of creativity and innovation in education. Dr Sirhajwan Idek, an English language teacher at Keningau Vocational College in Sabah, is a prime example of an educator who goes above and beyond for his students through his innovative approach. His project, Virtual, Remote, Live (VRL), enables students and teachers to interact with their counterparts from around the world through online activities such as masterclasses, cultural exchanges and virtual chats. To date, the project has benefitted over 2,000 participants globally. Recognised as one of the best practices in TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) education in Southeast Asia, Dr Sirhajwan’s VRL initiative continues to make a significant impact. In an interview with Top 10 of Asia, he shares insights into his upbringing, his journey as an educator, and his vision for the future of education.
- Could you briefly tell us something about yourself?
I was born and bred in Kota Belud, a land known for its Bajau-Samah vibrant culture and yes I am Bajau-Samah and I am a native speaker of my mother tongue. I went to the schools in this district prior to pursuing my tertiary education at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Shah Alam in Selangor. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) and started teaching at then Keningau Vocational School (now known as Keningau Vocational College) in 2012. I took my part-time postgraduate studies at the same university in the same field which I completed in 2019. I am specialised in English language teaching and I helm our research and innovation department and guide other teachers and students in their projects involving research, innovation, entrepreneurship and social impact.
- Can you tell us about your upbringing and how it shaped who you are today?
I grew up in a traditional Bajau-Samah family which upholds the custom and the lingua of the Bajau Samah that go back centuries. My mother used to tell me folktales and legendary stories related to our ancestors when I was little. These became an extremely important part of my identity as I always draw inspiration and strength from our history and adapted the values from our ancient tales to guide me in forming perspectives and making decisions.
- Can you describe a pivotal moment in your career?
A pivotal moment in my career took place during my earlier career where I successfully trained our debate team to win a state level tournament. It was a momentous moment for us because our school is located in the rural area of the state and for such team to be able to deliver an impressive performance against teams from the urban areas and eventually won the competition was a remarkable feat. It gave me a very strong motivation that dedication and hard work as well as having a faith can be truly game-changing.
- What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your field, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge is to get students to converse in English since many students feel reluctant, embarrassed and insecure to speak the language and this hindered them from learning the language and improving their proficiency at it. It is still work in progress but I have developed several classroom teaching strategies as well as after school activities to build their confidence in practicing their language skills namely speaking and writing. Another challenge is access such as the opportunity to take part in competitions and conferences or any programmes outside the state or even outside the district and this can be attributed to financial constraints to cover travel expenses. Hence, I have changed my approach by focusing on activities that can be done virtually and remotely while strengthening our involvement with events that are held in this state only.
- How do you stay inspired and motivated in your work?
I always believe in the power of a tiny deed that can make a huge breakthrough difference and this helps me to maintain my motivation and drive by consistently focus on smaller steps that can lead to a profoundly positive impact. This enables me to appreciate every little progress as a meaningful milestone in the path of discovering and reaching something greater.
- What values or principles guide your work and decisions?
My principle is to not let your heart rule your head. Humans are emotional beings and we often let our feelings cloud our judgment and acumen at the expense of rational, logical and wise decisions. It is extremely important to be empathic and compassionate as these can make us decide better but we must fully harness our analytical and evaluative skills in making informed decisions in any situation.
- How do you define success for yourself?
Success to me is an undertaking that we proactively take in order to achieve a beneficent goal and an effort is regarded as success once it meets its purpose which is to deliver positive impact to a specific group of beneficiaries. As simple as being able to teach my students in a single lesson to acquire a new list of vocabulary and use it for practical reasons is already a triumph for me.
- Is there a project or dream you haven’t yet pursued?
I have a lot! I always want to publish my compilation of Bajau-Samah folktales. I have written some and a few have been adapted into theatres but I never really publish them through any official means. I also want to have my own zine that addresses specific issues and topics.
- What are your goals for the next few years?
As someone who has been tasked to spearhead research and innovation, I would like to continue promoting social entrepreneurship in vocational college education by developing approaches in guiding students to develop and test their social enterprise model. I also want to continue devising methods and strategies in helping students and adult learners with limited English proficiency to master conversational skills in the language which can boost their confidence and grant them the prerequisite basics in improving their proficiency further.
- What advice would you give to someone starting in your field?
Ask yourself what changes that you would like to see and let it be your direction in your planning and endeavors.