Systematic Review on Issues and Challenges of Pre-Service English Teachers in Malaysia

Abstract

This systematic review focuses on issues and challenges related to pre-service English teachers (PSETs) in Malaysia for the past decade. Even though improving English language teachers’ quality is a primary agenda in the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025, review studies documenting the recent issues and developments of pre-service teachers who are just joining the teaching profession are still lacking. Combining Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) with published review guidelines, the review utilised seven databases to look for current research. Subsequently, the final search yielded twenty articles for the qualitative synthesis using ATLAS.ti. It has been determined that the PSETs in Malaysia experience issues and challenges in terms of (1) teaching competency; (2) professional development; (3) support; (4) the disparity between theories and classroom practices; (5) classroom management and (6) transition stage in becoming a teacher. This study concludes that future teacher education needs to prepare trainee teachers to be more resilient and adaptable to new environments, challenges and unforeseen circumstances. Finally, several recommendations were highlighted for further studies.