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

 

Science Education (Biology); Environmental Education / Education for Sustainable Development; Science Teacher Education, Medical Education; Integrating Technology in Teaching; Learning and Cognition; Learning Sciences, Metacognition, Pedagogies

 

Esther is an  educator, formerly with the Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Faculty of Education, Universiti Malaya. With over three decades of experience as a teacher educator, her professional journey began in some of Malaysia’s premier boarding schools—Sekolah Datuk Abdul Razak, Seremban; the Malay College Kuala Kangsar; and Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Ipoh—where she taught science with distinction.

Her academic expertise spans science education, environmental education, technology integration in science classrooms, and learning and cognition. She has conducted numerous workshops and seminars on research methodologies and pedagogical innovations, serving as a Master Trainer for new lecturers in institutions of higher learning. Her research has primarily focused on science, biology and environmental education, and many of her postgraduate students have successfully completed their studies under her supervision.

Esther has collaborated extensively with WWF-Malaysia, contributing to in-depth research and teacher training initiatives that promote sustainable development education. Her scholarly footprint includes published journal articles, conference presentations (local and international), and the authorship of several teaching and research modules—including those on Science pedagogy, Environmental Education, Sustainable Education and Qualitative Research Methods.

Among her notable publications are Biology Education in a Changing Planet and Cognition in Science Education. Her contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including:

• The UNESCO-Hamdan Award (2016) for effective teacher training,
• The Venus International Women’s Award (2017) for Lifetime Achievement in Science Education (Biology),
• The Universiti Malaya Excellence Award (2018) for securing the highest international grant.

More recently, she has ventured into Medical Education. She currently serves as an Honorary Professor at the Medical Education, Research and Development Unit, Faculty of Medicine, UM. She played a key role in developing and implementing the MOHRE (Master of Health Research Ethics) programme

She is an  affiliated member of the UM-WWF-M Living Planet Centre, having recently completed a nationwide Sustainable Development research initiative. Esther led a nationwide study on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) with PPPLS (Pertubuhan Pendidikan Pembangunan Lestari Selangor) from 2022 to 2023. Esther is a senior fellow at the Asia Office of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) in Sunway University. She is also involved in the UNESCO-Chair Project for ESD (2022–2025) in collaboration with Asia Pacific University (APU), and serves as a consultant on Mission 4.7: Transformational Learning through ESD, a global initiative by the (SDSN) at the Jeffrey Sachs Centre, Sunway University (2023–2025). She is also the co-researcher for the UNESCO Action Research project for ESD (2025). She is also attached to the Asia – University (AeU) and the Asia Pacific University (APU) of technology and innovation as an Adjunct Professor.

She is also a member of the Jawatankuasa Rakan Strategik Pendidikan untuk Pembangunan Mampan dan Kewarganegaraan Global KPM (2025-2026) and involved actively in preparing an action plan for ESD and Global Citizenship.