مطالعه تطبیقی شیوه های جذب و تامین معلم در ایران و مالزی

1. Introduction
In the new millennium, education systems are trying to make fundamental changes and reforms. UNESCO (2016) emphasizes that teachers’ training and professional development should be prioritized in education policies because having experienced and distinguished teachers is one of the rights of children. For this reason, teachers are one of the effective factors in improving the education system and at the same time have a decisive and significant role in the progress of students. Therefore, teacher education can be considered as one of the most sensitive and important components of the education system. For this reason, the achievement of success in creating transformation in education system depends on professional ability of teachers (Nazari, Golpour, Karimi Baghmalek & Hosseini, 2022). In this regard, UNESCO (2016) considers effective teacher training to be an ongoing process that requires research and investment. Simultaneously with the evolution of teacher education in other countries, educational policy makers in Iran have compiled and approved transformational documents that seek to create fundamental changes in education. One of the first transformational measures was establishment of Teacher Training University (Farhangian University) which works on upstream documents in five areas of recruitment, preparation, preservation & promotion, and evaluation of teachers (Samiinejad, Ali Askari, Musapour & Haji Hosseinian, 2016). In addition, the history of Iran's education shows that many and varied methods have been used to recruit and supply teachers; i.e., hiring graduates of Teacher Education Centers and universities, hiring graduates of faculty of Educational Sciences, hiring contract and part-time teachers (Safi, 2008).
Despite diversity in recruiting and hiring methods, the history of Teacher Education in Iran shows that this system has been suffering from chronic challenges, partial policies and limited insight (Askari, Elahi Menesh & Parizad, 2019, Sangari, & Akhash, 2017). Zare, Parsa & Safai Moghadam (2018) and Samiinejad, Ali Askari, Musapour & Haji Hosseinnejad (2016) also believe that despite the one-hundred-year-old teacher training system and especially the reforms of the last decade, this system has not kept pace with global developments. Shortage of teachers in primary and secondary schools is one of the clear signs of this problem. In this regard, Shahi, Khwaja Kulki, Mehr Alizadeh, & Marashi (2021) refer to lack of specific goals in the selection, training and hiring process of teachers; Kabiri (2018) indicates the challenge of teacher recruitment methods; and Samiinejad, Ali Askari, Musapour & Haji Hosseinnejad (2016) have mentioned problems such as lack of attention to planning in the process of recruiting teachers - according to the subject and geographical region of school. Also, Zare, Parsa & Safaei Moghadam (2018) pointed to the existence of dual policies since 1968 in teacher recruitment in the Ministry of
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Education and the Ministry of Science, Research & Technology. These challenges and social pressure caused by the lack of efficient and effective teachers in the last decade have caused the Ministry of Education to use two major methods to attract and supply teachers: First, to attract students from candidates of the national entrance exam (Konkor) to study at Farhangian University, and secondly, selecting a teacher from among university graduates and conducting a one-year teacher training course for them. Nevertheless, the lack of teachers - especially in the primary school - is still one of the serious challenges of Iran education system. Since the Malaysian teacher education system has experienced fundamental reforms in the last two decades, it is useful for Iranian educational policy makers to be aware of the teacher training policies and programs of this country. In addition, the choice of Malaysia is due to having a common background of Eastern and Asian culture and the changes that have happened in the field of teacher education in the last two decades. In the following paragraph, we refer to the most recent comparative research on teacher education that has been conducted in Iran and other countries:
Musapour Miandehi, Piro Naziri & Glin Moghadam (2018) in the comparative study of "Extracurricular activities in the teacher education systems of Australia, Germany and the United States: Lessons for Iran" determined that the selected countries focused on the cultural and social goals of extracurricular activities. They emphasized that function of these activities is mainly to maintain cultural identity, social cohesion and professional development. Bavakhani, Yarmohamedian & Keshti Arai (2020) showed that there are fundamental similarities and differences between Australia, Singapore and Turkey in the revision models of teacher education curriculum. While teacher education system in Australia seeks to adopt curricular standardization models across the country, this system in Singapore is examining the impact of future developments on the teacher education system and also is seeking to revise its curricula based on the “Life-long, life-deep, life-wide and life-wise” patterns. The findings of this research also show that Turkey is trying to revise its teacher education curricula to train skilled teachers who can prepare the young generation to enter and live in Europe as a developed society. Madandar Arani, Navid Adham & Ranaei (2019) in a study entitled “position of the formal education system of the Islamic Republic of Iran among neighboring countries" reported that Iran ranks seventh in six indicators of teacher-student ratio, human resources, environment and equipment, finance, output and quality. Also, Iran ranks second in the proportion of technical & vocational students’ ratio, fourth in the share of education budget from the public budget, and fifth in the graduation rate of primary school pupils among neighboring countries. Sohaili & Babasheikh Dasti (2015) in the comparative research "Teacher recruitment and training in Iran and USA" stated that the Iran
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teacher education system, compared to the US system, requires changing the level of entry into teacher education courses from diploma to bachelor's degree, creating diversity in teacher training programs, upgrading of teacher training institutions to academic institutions and teacher recruitment through schools and educational districts. In addition, Amraleh and Hakimzadeh (2014) investigated teacher education curriculum quality assessment system in South Korea, England and Iran and indicated that there is a significant difference between the curriculum quality evaluation system of Iran and South Korea and England regarding the evaluation of curriculum goals, content & teaching and learning process.
Similar research has been done in other countries. For example, Guiaké and Tian (2021) in a research entitled "comparison of methods of recruiting and retaining teachers in secondary education in Cameroon and China” showed that there are differences between two countries in methods of recruiting & retaining teachers, improvement in living conditions of teachers, and cooperation between educational stakeholders in developed and underprivileged areas. In a comparative analysis, Lawrance & Palmer (2017) reported that teacher education in most countries is conducted in two ways: centralized and decentralized. Australia's state system has many similarities with the United States and Germany - which are decentralized. While in most small countries like New Zealand, England and France, the teacher education system is centralized. David and Hans (2014) examined the differences between Danish and Finnish novice teacher education students and found that Danish student-teachers lag behind their Finnish counterparts in the assessment of mathematical skills. Yadav (2011) by examining the pre-service teacher training program in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka found that all teachers get the necessary preparation to enter the classroom through pre-service programs, but these programs are different from each other in duration of time, importance of curriculum, subjects and their application. Paul, Finn, & Chris (2007) through reviewing teacher education in England and Norway reported that England’s teacher education programs focused on teaching the national curriculum, managing classroom activities, setting assignments to consolidate and develop classroom work, and providing a safe environment learning for students. While, teacher training programs in Norway emphasize and reflect on educational practical concepts and theory, teaching the national curriculum, classroom leadership, importance of the teaching profession, Norwegian values and creating a safe educational environment for students. The findings of previous research show that limited components of the teacher recruitment and supply system have been considered by the researchers. This research, focusing on the methods of recruiting and providing teachers, seeks to find answers to the following questions:
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 What are the similarities and differences between Malaysia and Iran in terms of teacher recruitment and supply methods?
 What are the similarities and differences between Malaysia and Iran in terms of general conditions in recruiting and supplying teachers?
 What are the similarities and differences between Malaysia and Iran in terms of specific conditions in recruiting and supplying teachers?
 What suggestions can be made to improve the recruitment and supply of teachers in Iran?
2. Research Method
This research is qualitative, non-experimental, applied and comparative in terms of its nature, variable control level, goal and method. The research population includes countries that have made reforms in teacher education during the last two decades. For this reason, the two countries of Iran and Malaysia were selected using purposeful sampling method and because of the priority given to teacher training in recent decades and pioneer of Malaysia to improving teacher training system. Research data have been collected using documentary method (library) searching articles, quarterly & annual reports from some international databases - such as UNESCO, the World Bank - and the Ministry of Education homepage of the two countries. To analyze the data and present the results, George Bereday's method - with four stages of description, interpretation, juxtaposition and comparison - was used. According to the purpose of the research, in two countries three dimensions of recruitment and supply characteristics, general conditions and specific conditions for the selection of teaching profession candidates were studied.
3. Findings
This section contains information about the four stages of description, interpretation, juxtaposition and comparison. In the first stage, researchers describe the subject under study based on evidence and information obtained from various sources such as documents and reports. In the interpretation stage, they examine the research topic in the selected countries separately. In the third step, the information reviewed in the previous two steps is classified and put together, and a framework is provided for the next step, which is to compare the similarities and differences of the topic under discussion.
A) Description
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Based on George Bereday's approach, the description stage includes taking notes and providing sufficient data to examine the research topic, which is presented separately for each country.
Malaysia
1. Methods of teacher’s attraction and supply
In order to improve the national education system according to the needs of the life, training and supply of teachers in Malaysia has always been prioritized by the government. The first teacher education college was established in 1922 named Sultan Idris, although the focus on teacher training - on a large scale - began in 1956 and in 1957 the first Day Teachers College (DTC) was established (Yaacob, 2008). Sultan Idris College changed its status to Teacher Education Institute in 1987 and to Teacher Education University in 1997. Also, from 2005, teacher training colleges were upgraded to teacher training institutes. Currently, teacher training institutes - affiliated to Sultan Idris University - are responsible for training primary school teachers. To supply secondary school teachers, public, private and free universities are responsible (Badruddin, Mohd Nurzmi, Mohammad Zaid & Abdul Rashid, 2021). To be recruited to the teaching profession (primary and secondary schools), candidates apply the following methods in Malaysia:
In the first method, candidates with a high school diploma with excellent results in 5 subjects participate in a one-year preparation course and a 4-year bachelor's degree course in teacher education institutions. This path takes a total of 5 years and the candidate succeeds in receiving a bachelor's degree in primary education. These people are employed as primary school teachers in public schools after learning specialized knowledge and teaching methods, participating in an internship and succeeding in an interview. Compared to other methods, using this method to attract teachers is more valid and at the same time more difficult. The second method is for people who are interested in working in secondary schools and have a high school diploma with excellent grades. Candidates study for 1 to 2 years in pre-university courses related to education or public universities and then participate in a 4-year university program and receive a bachelor of education. This path takes between 5 to 6 years.
The third method is suitable for candidates who have not scored high marks in their secondary diploma but still want to become a teacher. Most candidates choose this route to become a teacher because the Malaysian Higher School Certificate - which takes 1.5 years - is one of the most affordable pre-university programmes. After 3 years of studying in universities and
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succeeding in the interview, these candidates will start working in secondary school. This path takes 5 to 4 years. In the fourth method, after receiving a diploma for 1 year in public universities and 4 years of studying in the university in the field of education, candidates are employed in secondary school. There are also universities that allow exemptions for some courses, so this degree can be obtained in a shorter period of time. This path takes 5 years. The fifth method requires receiving a diploma of educational sciences for 2 to 3 years from public universities - after high school diploma. The candidate must have at least a C grade in his/her report card in three subjects in the high school diploma. Educational sciences diplomas at local public universities take a maximum of 4 years. This time is less in some universities. The candidate can be employed in public primary schools after passing the interview. In the sixth method, candidates after high school diploma can study in one of three pre-university programs, educational sciences diploma and education basics for 1.5 to 2 years. After that, these people must study for 4 years in the field of Bachelor of educational sciences in a public university. Candidates are employed in public secondary schools after passing the interview. The seventh method is for candidates who have already obtained a related/unrelated bachelor's degree from private or public universities and wish to get a teaching job in a public or private secondary school. These candidates must obtain a postgraduate diploma in educational sciences, which lasts for 1 year. This course prepares the candidate to train at the instructor level - even without a bachelor's degree in educational sciences. Volunteers are given a grant and a contract with the Ministry of Education is signed with them for 2 years. This path takes 5 years.
The eighth method is the most common one to be eligible to teach at primary schools. Candidates who have already obtained relevant/irrelevant bachelor's degree from private/state universities and wish to teach at primary schools can participate in a 1-year Post Graduate Diploma in an educational sciences course conducted by teacher training institutes. Graduate diplomas of teacher training institutions affiliated to the Ministry of Education are only valid. Volunteers are paid a grant and a contract with the Ministry of Education is signed with them for 2 years. This path takes 5 years. The ninth method is specific to providing primary school teachers in Quran, Arabic and Islamic studies. Volunteers participate in Arabic, Quran and Islamic education courses for two years. The purpose of this method is to teach Quran and Arabic language to pupils up to sixth grade. After passing the interview, candidates are only employed in primary schools. The tenth method is for candidates who are interested in teaching teenage students in the middle secondary schools. Candidates interested in working with adolescents who have a bachelor's degree will receive training related to adolescence for two years at the university. These are boarding schools.
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Candidates will be employed in the middle secondary course after passing the interview. The eleventh method is for candidates interested in working in private and international schools. Recruitment in these schools depends on the subject, merit and abilities of the candidate. With a bachelor's degree in educational sciences and with excellent grades and success in the interview, these people can be attracted to these schools. The twelfth way to enter the primary and secondary schools is through the independent and non-profit organization "Teach for Malaysia". Candidates, who have bachelor's degree related/unrelated to educational sciences, are trained in this organization for 2 years. To be eligible for a scholarship during their studies, the candidates must have a grade of C in Malay language at the secondary level. Candidates must get excellent results in the teacher qualification test. They also cannot choose their place of work and subject of teaching which is completely depends on the discretion of the Ministry of Education (University of Malaya, 2019; Jamil, Razak, Raju & Mohammad, 2014; Mehrpour, Henary & Kargar 2019; Moradpour, Miri & Gharibi 2019; Leong, & Hamdan, 2021; Ministry of Education Malaysia, 2019).
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Table 1: Methods of recruiting and supplying teachers in Malaysia
Preparation Routes
Place of the course
Pre-university/year
Total length of course/year
Entrance education
Course implementation type
Course/place of employment
Type of interview
Grant-in-aid
SPM4 >PISMP5 >SK6
Teacher Training Institutes (Bachelor of Education)
1 to 1.5 years
1 to 1.5 + 4 years
High school diploma with excellent conditions
in person
primary
in person
-- -- --
SPM>Matriculation>Degree7>SMK8
Public/Private/Free University
1 to 2 years
1 to 2 + 4 years
High school diploma with excellent conditions
in person
Secondary/Government/Private
in person
-- -- --
SPM > STPM9 > Degree > SMK
State university
1.5 years/Malaysian Higher School Certificate
1.5 +3 years
High school diploma
in person
Secondary/Government/Private
in person
-- -- --
SPM > Diploma> Degree> SMK
State University/Specialized Education
Government
1 year/specialized diploma
1+4 years
High school diploma
in person
Secondary
in person
-- -- --
4 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) or Malaysian Certificate of Education (MCE) is a national examination taken by all fifth form students in Malaysia
5 Program Ijazah Sarjana Muda Perguruan (PISMP) or Bachelor Degree in Teaching
6 Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) or Primary School Teacher in Government Primary Schools
7 Bachelore Degree
8 Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) or Secondary School Teacher
9 Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) or Malaysian Higher School Certificate
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SPM >Diploma in Education>SK
University/Diploma of Education
Public
---
4 years
High school diploma
in person
Primary/ Government
in person
-- -- --
SPM>Pre-University>Degree in Education>SMK
University/Bachelor of Education 1 to 2 years
Pre-university/diploma of education/fundamentals of education 1.5 to 2 years
1.5 to 2 + 4 years
High school diploma
in person
Secondary
in person
-- -- --
SPM>Degree in Education>DPLI10>SMK
Public University/Post Graduate Diploma 1 year
---
1+4 years
Related/Unrelated B.A with Educational Sciences
in person
Secondary/Government/Private
in person
+
SPM>Degree in Education>KPLI11>SK
Teacher training institutes 1 year post-graduate teaching course
---
1+4 years
Related/Unrelated B.A with Educational Sciences
in person
Primary/ Government
in person
+ with a work contract
SPM>Degree in Education>JQAF12>SK
2 years of training in teacher training institutes
---
2+4
Bachelor of Quran/Arabic/Islamic Studies
Attendance during holidays
Primary
in person
-- -- --
SPM>Degree in
2 years of university
---
2+4
Bachelor's Degree in
Attendance during
Middle school
in person
-- -- --
10 Diploma Pendidikan Lepasan Ijazah (DPLI) or Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching
11 Kursus Perguruan Lepasan Ijazah (KPLI) or Malaysian Teacher Training
12 Jawi, al-Quran, Arabic, Fardu Ain (JQAF) or Quran and Arabic Teacher in Government Primary Schools
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Education>MRSM13>SMK
education
Adolescent Science
holidays
SPM>Degree in Education>Private schools/International Schools
Public/Private/Free University
---
4 years
Bachelor of Education Sciences
in person
Primary/secondary/private/international schools
in person
-- -- --
SPM>Pre-U/Diploma>Degree> TFM14 > SK/SMK
State university
2+4
High school diploma with minimum grade C, related/unrelated bachelor's degree
in person
Primary/secondary
in person
--
13 Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) or Junior Science Colleges
14 Teach For Malaysia (TFM) Fellowship
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1. General conditions for recruitment of teacher candidates in primary and secondary school in Malaysia:
 Malaysian citizen
 Physical and mental health and ability to do teaching work (Malaysia Education Blueprint, 2013).
2. Specific conditions for recruiting teacher candidates in primary and secondary school in Malaysia: In general, the following specific conditions are used in the recruitment and supply of teachers in Malaysia.
 Having a high school and pre-university diploma;
 Having an A-level score in 5 subjects in the high school diploma;
 Having a minimum grade of C in Malay language, history and English in high school diploma;
 Having a minimum grade of A- in the specialized field of interest in the high school diploma;
 Having a minimum average of 2 out of 3 in high school diploma;
 Having a minimum average of 2 out of 3 in the basics of art or any other related basics;
 Succeeding in the teacher qualification assessment test and obtaining the minimum score;
 Success in the interview; (Mehrpour, Henary & Kargar 2019, Elhamian, 2017, Malaysia Education Blueprints, 2013, Goh & Blake, 2015, Vethamani, 2011).
Table 2: Summary of characteristics, general and specific conditions of teacher recruitment and supply system in Malaysia
Data
Indicators
Dimensions
Semi- centralized
Recruitment system approach
Features of teacher recruitment and supply system
Upgrading colleges to teacher training institutions
Structural reforms
Primary level: 4 methods
Diversity and multiplicity of methods of attraction and supply
Secondary Level: 6 methods
Primary/secondary period: 1 method
Private and international schools: 1 method
Government/Private/Free
Universities recruiting teaching job candidates
4 to 6 years (depending on the method)
Length of teacher training courses
Time: After graduation
Employment
Type: contract
Bachelor's degree
Minimum
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admission qualification
Malay
Nationality
General conditions
Physical, mental health and the ability to do the job of a teacher
Physical and mental health
High school and pre-university diploma
Basic degree
Specific conditions
20 to 35 years (it varies according to the course)
Age
Excellent level (A+, A, A-) )
Diploma average
Having an A-level grade in 5 subjects in the high school diploma (especially for the elementary school )
Educational background
Having a minimum grade of C in Malay language, history and English in high school diploma
Having a minimum average of 2 out of 3 in the basics of art
Having a minimum grade of A- in your favorite specialty in high school diploma
English and Malay
Language
Success and qualification as a teacher upon entry into primary/secondary education after graduation
Scientific evaluation
Success in the post-graduation interview
interview
Iran
1. Methods of Supply & Recruitment
One of the priorities of Iran’s governments in the last hundred years has been the issue of recruiting and providing teachers. In the last half century, teacher education centers (affiliated to the Ministry of Education) and a number of universities (affiliated to the Ministry of Science, Research & Technology) were responsible for teacher training (Madandar Arani & Kakia, 2010). After the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988, teacher training centers were closed for about a decade and then reopened in the 2000s. Finally, in 2011, these centers were merged into the newly established university named “Farhangian University”. This university is responsible for providing, training and empowering the human resources of the Ministry of Education. Currently, this university has 98 branches- including 64 campuses and 34 affiliated centers- and more than 70,000 students (Khanifar, 2018). This university recruits and provides teaching job candidates for the Ministry of Education in two ways:
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In the first method, candidates for a teaching job with a high school diploma or a one-year pre-university course, participation in the national university entrance exam (konkor) and an in-person interview are accepted at Farhangian University for a period of 4 years. The education of these student-teachers is round-the-clock and they must serve for twice the amount of time of training (8 years) in primary/secondary schools - and in the geographical areas determined by the Ministry of Education. Students-teachers are exempted from going to the military, which is mandatory for all boys for a period of 2 years. Also, all student-teachers are automatically employed by the Ministry of Education upon entering Farhangian University. The duration of study period at Farhangian University is considered as part of student-teachers service records (Sangari, & Akhash, 2017, Musapour Miandhi, Pironaziri & Glin Moghadam, 2018).
The second method is specific to candidates who have already obtained a bachelor's degree from other universities (public or private) but are interested in the teaching profession in primary or secondary school. Candidates after successfully passing the entrance exam held by the Administrative and Recruitment Affairs Organization of Iran (ARAO) (affiliated to the President's institution) and also passing the interview are employed by the Ministry of Education. These people must then participate in a one-year skill training course - which is implemented by Farhangian University - and receive a teacher's qualification certificate in order to be employed as a teacher in primary or secondary school (Mehrpour, Henary & Kargar, 2019, Sangari, & Akhash, 2017, Kabiri, 2018).
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Table 3: Methods of recruiting and supplying teachers in Iran
Preparation Routes
Place of the course
Pre-university/year
Total length of course/year
Entrance education
Course implementation type
Course/place of employment
Type of interview
Grant-in-aid
Diploma to Bachelor
Farhangian University
1 year/pre-university under the supervision of the Ministry of Education
4
High school and pre-university diploma
in person
primary/secondary
in person
Recruitment& round-the-clock
Skill training
Farhangian University
1 year/pre-university under the supervision of the Ministry of Education
1+4 years of skill training
A related bachelor's degree
in person
primary /secondary
in person
Recruitment& round-the-clock
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1. General conditions for recruitment of teacher candidates in Farhangian University in Iran (Diploma to Bachelor):
 Citizenship of the Islamic Republic of Iran;
 Believing in the religion of Islam or one of the religions recognized in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran;
 Adherence to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran;
 Physical and mental health and the ability to do teaching work;
 Possessing good morals and behavior and a good reputation commensurate with the dignity of a teacher;
 Not having a criminal conviction;
 No drug, tobacco and alcohol addiction;
2. Specific conditions for recruiting teacher candidates in Farhangian University in Iran
a) Diploma to bachelor
 Certificate of completion of the pre-university course;
 Obtaining a total academic score of 6500 and above in the national entrance examination of universities and higher education institutions;
 Maximum age of 24 years at the time of entering the university;
 Minimum overall grade point average of 15 in high school diploma;
 Birth of the volunteer in the geographic area of service
 Legal obligation to serve in the Ministry of Education for twice the duration of education (8 years) (Sengari & Akash, 2017, Mehrpour, Henary & Kargar, 2019, Kabiri, 2018).
b) For candidates with university degree
 A bachelor's certificate from a university approved by the Ministry of Science, Research & Technology;
 Success in the entrance exam;
 Participating in a one-year skill training course and receiving a teacher qualification certificate;
 Birth of the volunteer in the geographic area of service
 Maximum age of 35 years at the time of registration (Kashifi, 2021, Mehrpour, Henary & Kargar, 2019, Kabiri, 2018).
Table 4: Summary of characteristics, general and specific conditions of teacher recruitment and supply system in Iran
Data
Indicators
Dimensions
Centralized
Recruitment system approach
Upgrading teacher training centers to campus
Structural reforms
Diploma to Bachelor
Methods of
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Skill training
attraction and supply
Features of teacher recruitment and supply system
Government/Private universities and Farhangian University
Universities recruiting teaching job candidates
Diploma to Bachelor 4 years
Length of teacher training courses
1 year skill training
Time: at the beginning of training
Employment
Type: contract/ permanent
Bachelor's degree
Minimum admission qualification
Overnight accommodation and monthly salary payment
Facilities
Iranian
Nationality
General conditions
Islam or one of the religions recognized in the constitution
Religion
Physical, mental health and the ability to do the job of a teacher
Physical, mental and physical health
Adherence to the Constitution
Moral and legal obligations
Lack of criminal conviction
No addiction to drugs, tobacco & alcohol
Having good behavior and good reputation
High school and pre-university diploma
Basic degree
Specific conditions
20 to 35 years (it varies according to the degree)
Age
Success in the national entrance exam for entering universities and obtaining the minimum score
Initial acceptance criteria
Minimum score of 15 out of 20
Diploma average
Success in the interview at the beginning of training
interview
Service commitment (2 times the study period)
Service commitment
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b) Interpretation
In this stage, the emphasis is on evaluating the methods of attraction & supply, general conditions and specific conditions of teacher candidates based on the findings of the previous stage. This section will include an examination of the discussed issue in each country separately.
Malaysia
Based on the Malaysian Education Blueprint (2013), the country attracts teaching candidates based on a wide range of factors such as attitude, teaching ability and personality in accordance with international best practices. The Malaysian Ministry of Education has adopted a comprehensive approach to recruiting teaching candidates. Excellent academic records, suitability of field of study, academic degree, physical & mental preparation, ability to teach, and having management & leadership skills are part of the criteria of teacher education institutions and the curriculum’s content of the Bachelor of Education course. In addition, the Ministry of Education has made various efforts to review and continuously improve the curriculum, improve the career path of teachers, and improve the entry and graduation standards of teaching candidates - with the aim of increasing the effectiveness of teaching and learning. The teacher recruitment and supply planning system in Malaysia is based on a semi-centralized policy. In line with global developments, this country has made fundamental reforms in the teacher education system during the last two decades, which can be mentioned as an example of upgrading the status of teacher training colleges to teacher education institutes (affiliated to Sultan Idris University).
Also, the Ministry of Education of Malaysia benefits from Sultan Idris University and its affiliated teacher education institutions to provide primary school teachers, according to the focused educational policies. At the same time, the capacity of public and private universities is used to attract and supply secondary school teachers (Badruddin, Mohd Nurzmi, Mohammad Zaid & Abdul Rashid, 2021, Malaysia Education Blueprint, 2013). With the aim of using the capacity of public, private and free universities and higher education institutions, the Ministry of Education of Malaysia has used 12 different methods to recruit and provide primary and secondary school teachers. The length of the teacher training course lasts from 4 to 6 years, and at the end of the course, the candidates succeed in obtaining a bachelor's degree in education. In addition to participating in the face-to-face interview, the candidates send an educational video and a video related to their physical and mental health to the Ministry of Education. Paying attention to academic records, suitability of the field of study, having an average grade of A, having a minimum
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grade of C in Malay, English and history subjects are among the conditions for recruiting a teacher in Malaysia. In general, it seems that the Ministry of Education of Malaysia has considered the scientific, specialized and professional approach in compiling the three indicators of recruitment & supply methods, general conditions and specific conditions.
Iran
The teacher recruitment and supply system in Iran is centralized and governance based. Farhangian University is one out of two universities that has the duty of attracting, providing and training teachers for primary and secondary schools in a centralized manner. During the last two decades and in line with the transformational action in this field, all teacher training centers that had a history of a hundred years were consolidated under the management of Farhangian University. In a nutshell, candidates of this governance-based and mission-oriented university are accepting through the nationwide university entrance exam (Konkor) to study. This policy has made Iran's education system unable to use the capabilities of other universities to attract and supply human resources (Sangari, & Akhash, 2017). In addition, the conditions of lifelong employment from the beginning of admission to Farhangian University, not only does not help to strengthen and motivate more candidates to the teaching profession, but also creates a kind of guarantee and assurance of permanence in the education system. Considering the economic constraints, this is not compatible with the lifelong employment policy in education. Candidates are interviewed in person. This can help the team of consultants and interviewers to ensure the physical and mental health that is done through clinical examinations and a trusted doctor of education.
Considering the social dignity of this profession, conditions as no drug addiction and no criminal & penal convictions for the recruitment and supply of teachers is extremely thought-provoking. The high school diploma average is the only criteria for academic records, while the ability and mastery of English language and Iran’s history are not the criteria for accepting the candidates. Volunteers are committed to serve twice as long as they are studying at Farhangian University. In general, it can be concluded that in Farhangian University, professional and specialized view is not at the top of the priorities of recruiting and providing teachers for primary and secondary schools.
c) Juxtaposition
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Based on the data obtained in the description and interpretation stage, the research evidence is classified in this stage to pave the way for comparing the similarities and differences in the subject under investigation. This stage includes putting together the methods of recruiting & providing teachers, general conditions and specific conditions. It should be noted that these three factors are divided into other sub-factors that are presented in separate tables.
Table 5: Number of main factors and sub-factors
Main factors
Sub-factors
Characteristics of teacher recruitment and supply
8
General conditions
4
Specific conditions
8
1. Juxtaposition of teacher recruitment & supply characteristics
According to the characteristics of teacher recruitment and supply, the Juxtaposition of the two countries is specified in Table 6. The sub-factors of recruitment and supply characteristics are: recruitment system approach, structural reforms, recruitment & supply methods, implementing universities, length of teacher training period, recruitment (time and form of recruitment), educational qualification level for teacher acceptance and facilities.
Table 6: Juxtaposition of selected countries according to characteristics of teacher recruitment & supply
Characteristics /Country
Iran
Malaysia
Recruitment system approach
-
-
Structural reforms
*
*
Recruitment and supply methods
-
-
Executive University
-
-
Course length
*
*
Recruitment
-
-
Degree level
*
*
Facilities
-
-
The information in Table 6 shows juxtaposition of the educational system of Malaysia and Iran based on the characteristics of teacher recruitment and supply. Based on this information, it can be concluded that:
o Both countries have implemented structural reforms in teacher education.
o The length of teacher training is almost the same in both countries.
o The minimum level of education for a teacher in both countries is a bachelor's degree.
In Malaysia, the teacher recruitment approach is semi-centralized with collaboration of public and private universities. While Iran, using the centralization approaches, has entrusted the main
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responsibility of teacher training to Farhangian University only. Also, in Malaysia, 12 methods are used to attract teachers, while in Iran, only two methods of "diploma to bachelor's degree" and "skill training" is used. After the final acceptance, candidates in Iran benefit from boarding and employment facilities during the student period, while in Malaysia these facilities are not provided and the recruitment of candidates is on a contractual basis and after completion of training.
2. Juxtaposition of general conditions for teacher recruitment & supply
The juxtaposition of the two educational systems in the general conditions set for teaching job candidates based on nationality, religion, physical & mental conditions and ability and moral obligations is presented in Table 7.
Table 7: Juxtaposition of general conditions for teacher recruitment & supply
Conditions /Country
Iran
Malaysia
Nationality
*
*
Religion
-
-
Physical, mental & ability conditions
*
*
Moral and legal obligations
-
-
The information in Table 7 shows the juxtaposition of the education system of Malaysia and Iran based on the general characteristics of teacher recruitment and supply. Therefore, it can be concluded that:
o Both countries consider nationality as one of the conditions of the teaching profession.
o Both countries consider the physical and mental health and ability to work as teacher conditions of the teaching profession.
In Iran, being a follower of Islam or one of the formal religions, accepting the Iran’s constitution, not having a criminal record and not being addicted to drugs are among the criteria for accepting candidates, while in Malaysia, these factors are not considered as criteria in attracting candidates for the teaching profession.
3. Juxtaposition of specific conditions for teacher recruitment & supply
The specific conditions for recruiting and providing teachers in the educational system of Malaysia and Iran are determined based on the basic educational qualification, age, diploma average, academic record, language, scientific evaluation, and interview (Table 8).
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Table 8: Juxtaposition of specific conditions for teacher recruitment & supply
Conditions /Country
Iran
Malaysia
Basic education degree (bachelor's degree)
*
*
Age
*
*
Diploma average
*
*
Educational background
-
*
Language
-
*
Scientific evaluation after graduation
-
*
Interview
*
*
Entrance examination
*
-
The information in Table 8 shows the juxtaposition of the educational system of Iran and Malaysia based on the specific characteristics that are intended to attract and provide teachers. Based on the information in the table, it can be concluded that:
• Both countries consider a bachelor's degree as a first condition for recruitment into the teaching profession.
• Both countries have set an age limitation for entering the teaching profession.
• Both countries consider high school diploma average as one of the recruitment requirements.
• Both countries consider success in the interview as one of the recruitment conditions.
Of course, entering the teaching profession in Iran requires participation and competition in the national entrance exam for universities and higher education institutions (Konkor), while there is no such tough competitive exam in Malaysia. Also, while in Malaysia, paying attention to academic records such as having an A grade in five subjects of the high school course, having a C grade in English, Malay language and history subjects and having a minimum GPA of 2 out of 3 in the art basics course are the admission requirements. While in Iran, academic records are not taken into account.
d) Comparison
At this stage, the subject of research in two countries is examined based on similarities and differences.
1. Comparison of characteristics of teacher recruitment and supply in Iran and Malaysia
The degree of similarities and differences between the educational system of Iran and Malaysia in terms of teacher recruitment and supply characteristics is shown in the table below.
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Table 9: Frequency of similarities and differences in terms of characteristics of teacher recruitment and supply
Characteristics
Similarities
Differences
Recruitment system approach
0
2
Structural reforms
2
0
Recruitment and supply methods
0
2
Host University/s
0
2
Length of the teacher training course
2
0
Recruitment
0
2
Minimum admission qualification
2
0
Facilities
0
2
The Table 9 reveals that the greatest similarity between Iran and Malaysia in terms of the characteristics identified for attracting teaching job candidates is related to structural reforms, length of teacher training period, and educational qualifications. The information in the table also indicates that the main difference between these two countries is related to the approach of the recruitment system, methods of recruitment & supply, universities conducting recruitment, recruitment method and facilities provided for student-teachers.
2. Comparison of the general conditions of teacher recruitment and supply in Iran & Malaysia
The similarities and differences between the educational system of Iran and Malaysia can be seen with regard to general factors such as nationality, religion, physical & mental conditions, ability to do job, obligations & moral and legal requirements (Table 10).
Table 10: Frequency of similarities and differences according to the general conditions of teacher recruitment & supply
General conditions
Similarities
Differences
Nationality
0
2
Religion
0
2
Physical, mental conditions and ability to do work
2
0
Moral and legal obligations and requirements
0
2
The findings of Table 10 highlighted that the most similarity between the educational systems of Iran and Malaysia in terms of the general conditions consider for providing teachers is related to the physical & mental health and ability of teacher candidates to do teaching job. Also, the main difference between the two countries is in paying attention to conditions such as nationality, religion, obligations and moral & legal requirements of candidates. Also, the educational policy makers of teacher education in Iran place a high value on conditions such as adherence to the
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constitution, no criminal convictions, no drug addiction, and good behavior & reputation in selecting candidates for teaching jobs.
3. Comparison based on the specific conditions of teacher recruitment and supply
The comparison of the specific conditions of teacher recruitment and supply between the educational system of Iran and Malaysia shows its criteria such as basic education degree, age, diploma average, academic record, and language, scientific evaluation after graduation, interview and entrance exam (Table 11).
Table 11: Frequency of similarities and differences according to the specific conditions of teacher recruitment and supply
Specific conditions
Similarities
Differences
Degree of education
2
0
Age of volunteers
2
0
High school diploma average
0
2
Language
0
2
Educational record
0
2
Scientific evaluation after graduation
0
2
Interview
2
0
Entrance examination
0
2
The findings of the table revealed that the most similarity between the two studied countries in terms of the specific conditions of recruiting and providing teachers is related to having a bachelor's degree, age between 20 and 35, and interviewing the candidates. In Malaysia, the interview is done after the completion of the student-teacher education, while in Iran it is done before the candidate enters Farhangian University. The major difference between the two countries in the specific conditions of the teaching job is related to the GPA of the secondary school diploma, language ability, educational background, academic evaluation after graduation and entrance exam. In Iran, it is mandatory to have a minimum average of 15 out of 20, while in Malaysia, the conditions are strict and having an A average is the admission requirement. Also, in Malaysia, obtaining a minimum grade of C in English and Malay is considered, while the planners of Iran's teacher training system do not consider mastery of English as a criterion for recruiting candidates. The academic record of candidates in high school in Malaysia includes things such as having an A grade in five subjects in high school, obtaining a minimum average of 2 out of 3 in the art basics course, having a C grade in three subjects of history, Malay and English languages, and obtaining minimum score in the academic evaluation after graduation, are the differences between the
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teacher recruitment and supply system in Malaysia and Iran. In Iran, success in the entrance exam of universities and higher education institutions and obtaining a minimum score in this exam is one of the special conditions for recruiting candidates to the teaching profession.
4. Conclusion
This research was conducted with the aim of comparing the methods of recruiting & supplying teachers in Iran and Malaysia. The findings indicated that the two countries have many differences and few similarities in the components of teacher recruitment & supply. This can be caused by the different policies of these two countries in the field of attracting and providing efficient and effective human resources for the education system. In terms of the features of the teacher recruitment & supply system, similarities such as carrying out corrective measures in the management structure of the teacher education system in the last two decades, attention to the educational qualifications of the candidates and interviewing them show the similarities between Iran and Malaysia. The planning system, the variety of recruitment & supply methods, participation of public, private and free universities in the process of teacher training, the length of teacher training period, terms and conditions of employment and existence of facilities can be seen as factors that reveal the difference between the two countries. Considering this finding, it can be said that the planning of Iran's teacher education system should be aimed at solving problems, while the experience of the last four decades of this system to attract and provide human resources in a centralized way and hand over teacher training exclusively to Farhangian University has shown that this policy has failed and the teacher shortage crisis is still going strong. The historical experience of this type of policy has shown that it does not respond to the multiple needs of the society, and therefore, a review of the strategies for attracting and providing teachers is one of the basic needs of Iran's education system.
Not providing chance for the graduates from other universities to become teachers - while one of the big problems in Iran is the lack of jobs for a large number of university graduates - is an indefensible policy. Malaysia's semi-centralized planning in the process of recruiting & supplying primary school teachers and making this exclusive to teacher training institutions and recruiting and supplying secondary school teachers through other universities can be a valuable experience for Iran's teacher education system. While Malaysia has used both centralized and decentralized approaches to attract teachers, the use of a semi-centralized planning system and the use of the capacity of other universities & higher education institutions with the coordination of the Ministry of Education can improve the social mobility of university graduates in Iran. The findings related to
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the general conditions of teacher recruitment & supply revealed that both countries are similar in regard to conditions such as nationality and physical & mental health of candidates for teaching jobs. In Iran, paying attention to the candidates' religion, their adherence to the constitution, having good morals and reputation in the society are among the important conditions for selecting candidates for the teaching profession, while these dimensions are not explicitly mentioned in the laws of Malaysia. In addition, the lack of drug addiction and criminal & penal convictions are among the conditions for being recruited into the teaching profession in Iran. The policy makers of the teacher education system in Iran attach great importance to these features. This priority can be due to the society's extraordinary attention to the social status of the teacher due to the influence of national and Islamic culture.
Examining the findings of the research related to the specific conditions of recruitment & supply of teachers in Iran and Malaysia showed that both countries have a common point of view in giving priority to secondary and pre-university diplomas to enter the teaching profession, while the intense competition between candidates for recruitment to teaching profession through the national entrance exam to enter the universities, high school academic records, paying attention to subjects such as Malay, history and English, having an A average and evaluating the candidates' academic qualifications are the different characteristics of the two countries. The findings of the research show that among the three indicators of recruitment & supply methods, general conditions and specific conditions of teacher recruitment & supply in primary and secondary school, the Malaysian education system, while using many and diverse methods of teacher recruitment and supply, taking into account high school academic records, focusing on strategic subjects such as English and history, have chosen a more specialized approach in the process of recruiting and providing teachers. In Iran, the focus is on general conditions - and its components such as religion, lack of reputation for corruption, adherence to the Iran constitution, and lack of criminal convictions - which do not have an educational aspect. These components show that the cultural approach is the priority approach in recruiting and supplying teachers in Iran, while in Malaysia, the expertise-based approach and attention to knowledge components are prioritized. In this regard, while the efforts of the Iran’s Ministry of Education to use high school records in the university admissions process have not yet resulted, the current procedure of recruiting and providing teachers - promoting a person from a diploma to a bachelor's degree and one-year skill training - has not helped to solve the shortage of human resources in schools. According to the findings, the following suggestions are presented:
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 Decentralization in the process of recruiting and providing teachers by benefiting from the participation of all universities & higher education institutions approved by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology;
 Accrediting programs and recruitment and supply policies by holding a comprehensive exam at the end of the teacher training course;
 Adopting a collaborative approach through the implementation of a trans-departmental policy in the process of recruiting and providing teachers;
 Collaboration of other universities with Farhangian University - as the main institute responsible for teacher training - in the process of training human resources
 Creating diversity in teacher recruitment & supply policies with the aim of attracting capable volunteers;
 Paying attention to the academic records of the candidates with emphasis on courses related to the field and subject of study;
 Priority to the scientific, specialized and professional approach in the selection of teacher candidates.