Understanding Motivational Influences on Withdrawal Among Orang Asli Secondary Students in Perak

Ahmad Farhan Hakim; Nuramira Anuar; Noor Fazzrienee J Z Nun Ramlan; Puteri Rohani Megat Abdul Rahim; Nurshahirah Azman

doi:10.47405/mjssh.v11i3.3829

Ahmad Farhan Hakim Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Perak Branch, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia
Nuramira Anuar Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Perak Branch, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia
Noor Fazzrienee J Z Nun Ramlan Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Perak Branch, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia
Puteri Rohani Megat Abdul Rahim Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Perak Branch, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia
Nurshahirah Azman Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Perak Branch, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v11i3.3829

Keywords: Withdrawal, Orang Asli, Perak, Motivation

Abstract

This study examines how the influence of motivation affects withdrawal among secondary school students in Orang Asli (OA) in Perak. Education has been universally acknowledged as a basic right and it is a crucial factor in the social and economic growth of the Orang Asli communities in Malaysia. In spite of this appreciation, OA students still experience problems in adapting to the national education curriculum. The main aim of this research was to study the withdrawal trends amongst OA secondary school students in Perak. The study was conducted in a qualitative approach, and semi-structured interviews were used to investigate the perceptions and experiences of teachers and students in the particular issue of school withdrawal. Four experienced teachers who worked directly with OA students and three OA students were interviewed. The questions were aimed at the factors that led to the withdrawal in secondary schools. The interpretation of of the interview data indicated that the withdrawal decision was a key issue that was driven by lack of motivation. These results highlighted the role of motivation in determining the withdrawal patterns among OA students in Perak. All in all, the findings indicated that the motivational issues may be a key to comprehending the withdrawal patterns.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Aidil Fitri bin Sawalludin, Lim Jia Mun, C., & Mohamad Izzuan Mohd Ishar. (2020). The struggle of Orang Asli in education: Quality of education. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), 5(1). https://doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v5i1.346

Battiste, M. (2013). Decolonizing education: Nourishing the learning spirit. Purich Publishing. https://doi.org/10.55016/ojs/ajer.v60i3.55840

Bernama. (2022, December 30). Orang Asli: High dropout rate due to lack of monitoring, evaluation of aid programmes. https://bernama.com/en/bfokus/news.php?id=2152503

Bodkin-Andrews, G., & Carlson, B. (2016). The legacy of racism and Indigenous Australian identity within education. Race Ethnicity and Education, 19(4), 784-807. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2014.969224

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press.

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

David, M. (2023). Attrition of Indigenous nursing students due to the cultural shock they face in the clinical educational program. Research Square. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2517177/v1

Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2018). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Gay, G. (2018). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice. Teachers College Press. https://www.tcpress.com/culturally-responsive-teaching-9780807758762

Gibbs, J., Paradies, Y., Gee, G., & Haslam, N. (2022). The effects of Aboriginal tertiary students’ perceived experiences of racism and of cultural resilience on educational engagement. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 51(2). https://doi.org/10.55146/ajie.v51i2.27

Hollinsworth, D., Raciti, M. M., & Carter, J. (2020). Indigenous students’ identities in Australian higher education: Found, denied, and reinforced. Race Ethnicity and Education, 24(2), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2020.1753681

Idrus, F., Yaacob, A., & Abdul Razak, N. Q. F. (2023). The integration of cultural elements in the English language classrooms: A case study of selected Orang Asli schools in Pahang, Malaysia. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 8(1), 78–104. https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol8iss1pp26-45

Letchamanan, H., Abdullah, N. S. M., & Fadzil, K. S. (2021). Language education for Orang Asli children in Malaysia. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 29(S3), 443–458. https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.29.s3.23

Md-Ali, R., Veloo, A., Shanmugam, S., Yusoff, Y. A. J., & Awang Hashim, R. (2021). The issues and challenges of mathematics teaching and learning in Malaysia's "Orang Asli" primary schools from teachers' perspectives. Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction, 18(2), 129-160. https://doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v8i2.2061

Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Mohd Sajat, N., Hassan, Z., Mohd Hizwan, M. H., Harun, J., & Abd Wahab, B. (2023). Transitional dropout of Indigenous pupils: A case study in Sungai Siput, Perak. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 12(2), 1593–1607. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v12-i2/18109

Nelson, H., White, T., & Ziefflie, B. A. (2018). Indigenous students: Barriers and success strategies—A review of existing literature. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 9(3), 70. https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v9n3p70

Norwaliza, A. W., & Ramlee, M. (2015). Reflections on pedagogical and curriculum implementation at Orang Asli schools in Pahang. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 172(1), 442-448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.376

Quincho-Apumayta, R., Carrillo Cayllahua, J., Cchencho Pari, A., Inga Choque, V., & Cardenas Valverde, J. (2025). University dropout among Indigenous university students: A global systematic review. F1000Research, 14, Article 641. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.162508.1

Suthan a/l Panchadcharam, & Saludin, M. N. (2025). The role of socioeconomic disparities in Orang Asli education in Malaysia: Advancing continuous educational improvement through technological development and innovative teaching methods. Journal of Information Systems Engineering and Management, 10(43). https://doi.org/10.52783/jisem.v10i43s.8505

Thackrah, R. D., et al. (2021). Respect, relationships, and "just spending time with them": Critical elements for engaging Aboriginal students in primary school education. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(24), 13201. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010088

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC). (2015). Calls to action. National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Retrieved from https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/aa/bgrd/backgroundfile-84404.pdf

Wan, Y. S. (2020). Education policies in overcoming barriers faced by Orang Asli children: Education for all (Policy Paper No. 66). Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS). https://www.ideas.org.my/publications-item/policy-paper-no-66-education-policies-in-overcoming-barriers-faced-by-orang-asli-children-education-for-all

Wan, Y. S., & Idrus, R. (2021). Contextualising education policy to empower Orang Asli children (IDEAS Report). Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS). https://ideas.org.my/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Education_V6.pdf