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Medical Education, Research and Development Unit (MERDU), Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya 

 

Science Education (Biology); Environmental Education; Science Teacher Education, Medical Education; Integrating Technology in Teaching; Learning and Cognition; Pedagogies

 

 

Esther was formerly attached to the Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Faculty of Education, University of Malaya. She has been a teacher educator for more than two decades. Previous to that she was a science teacher in premier schools such as Sekolah Datuk Abdul Razak, Seremban, the Malay College Kuala Kangsar and Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Ipoh. Her area of expertise and background is in science education, environmental education, technology integration in the science classroom and learning and cognition and has conducted numerous training workshops and seminars related to research, pedagogies and has been a Master trainer for new lecturers in institutions of Higher Learning. Her research has focused on science education, in particular biology and environmental education. Numerous students under her supervision have successfully completed their postgraduate studies. She has worked with WWF-Malaysia in conducting in-depth research and in training teachers in infusing sustainable development education. She has published papers in journals as well as presented at various conferences both local and International. She has written numerous training modules for the teaching and learning of Science and for Environmental Education. More recently she has also been involved in Medical Education with a focus on the cognition of learning. Her latest book is entitled ‘Biology Education in a Changing Planet’. In 2016, Esther received the UNESCO-HAMDAN international award for the effective training of teachers in Paris from the Director General of UNESCO on October 5th 2016, which is the day designated as World Teachers’ In 2017 she received the Venus International Women’s Award (VIWA) for a ‘Lifetime Achievement in Science Education (Specialisation-Biology). She has also served as the chair of the National Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) Eco-Campus Committee. Recently (2018) she was awarded the Excellence Award for the academic with the highest international grant by the University of Malaya. Esther is now an Honorary Professor in the Medical Education, Research and Development Unit, Faculty of Medicine UM.  She was involved in the development, implementation and review of the MoHRE programme at the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, especially for the educational aspects of curriculum structure, pedagogy and assessment approaches. She is also attached to the UM-WWF-M Living Planet Centre, a research centre,  as an affiliated member and has just completed the Sustainable Development nation-wide research. At present, she and the WWF- Malaysia team has embarking on a nation wide research related to the effectiveness of environmental education in Malaysia.