Navigating Policy Silos: A Comparative Analysis of Teacher Competency Frameworks in Malaysia's Education Blueprints

Abstract

Malaysia's pursuit of high-income nation status is intrinsically linked to ambitious educational reforms, driven by a suite of parallel national policy documents. Foundational texts such as the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025 (Higher Education) [MEB (HE)] and the more recent Digital Education Policy [DEP] articulate a vision for a transformed education system capable of navigating the complexities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0). This policy landscape necessitates a new profile of teacher competencies, yet there remains a significant lack of scholarly analysis that comparatively examines how these key policies conceptualize the 'ideal teacher'. The concurrent and often overlapping nature of these documents’ risks creating implementation silos for teacher education institutions. This study addresses this gap by employing a qualitative comparative document analysis that interrogates the conceptualization of the 'ideal teacher' across Malaysia's core education policy and standards documents, revealing both strategic alignment and significant structural dissonance. Utilizing a macro-meso-micro analytical framework, the study systematically compares the national policy vision, institutional implementation requirements, and expected pedagogical practices articulated within each document. The article's primary contribution is the development of a synthesized model that identifies critical areas of convergence and divergence. By mapping these policy intersections, this analysis offers a pathway toward a more coherent and integrated national teacher competency framework, providing actionable insights for policymakers and teacher education providers.