SCHOOL ORIENTATION PROGRAMME (S.O.P) REPORT

Terengganu, in the middle of 1989 and remained as an untrained
substitute teacher in SMK Manir, Kuala Terengganu, for another year. I
pursued the Kursus Perguruan Lepasan Ijazah (KPLI) in Maktab
Perguruan Islam, Bangi, till 1993, after two years of teaching
experience. I am officially offered a position as a trained teacher at
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Miri on July 17, 1993. Until
now, I had served the school for almost 26 years. I was the Senior
Assistant of Student Affairs before holding the position of SMK Agama
Miri's Senior Assistant of Co-curricular Activities since 2014 until now.

Interviewer Wow! Such a wonderful background. Okay, next question. What are
SMK Agama Miri’s best practices and management for the student’s
development?

Interviewee In terms of best practices for SMKAMi, first of all, we look at it in terms
of the school’s motto, which is “Adab dan Akhlak Keutaman Kami”.
We prioritize morality and manners. Before excelling in academics and
other fields, we must first excel morally. That is why we emphasize
discipline through the spiritual aspect of prayer. In schools, over 90% of
students live in dormitories. In the hostel, we emphasize the practice of
congregational prayer. As early as 4.30 am, some students were already
awake, preparing for congregational prayers as they were accustomed to
being educated to get up early for congregational prayers five times a
day. In addition to congregational prayers, another practice they do

throughout their lives in the hostel is to recite Surah Al-Mulk after Isyak
or before bed. Before COVID-19 hit, the recitation would be done in the
surau, but in the current pandemic season, each student just recites alone
and was led by a student reading through a loudspeaker while the other
students are in their respective rooms. Another practice that was done is
the recitation of zikir Hizbul Bahri which is the practice of our students
before Maghrib. Each time after Maghrib, students would gather in a
small halaqah and recite at least four pages of the Quran. In conclusion,
we emphasize manners and morals first, then, only then will it be in line
with excellence in terms of academics and other aspects. From the
academic aspect, students are stressed about manners towards teachers.
Every time they meet a teacher, students are required to greet them.
Before the pandemic, not only did they greet, but they also shake hands
with teachers of the same gender. Another example of manners is to pay
full attention to the teacher's teaching in the classroom. From the aspect
of leadership, students are strongly encouraged to hone their talents in
the field of leadership. We have student leaders and prefects. They are
the ones who help teachers in shaping the personality and discipline of
students. There is also an emphasis in other areas such as co-curricular
activities and so on but the most important is the emphasis on the aspect
of manners because manners and personality are the pillars of student
excellence in other areas.

Interviewer Woah! That was an outstanding practice. No wonder students of
SMKAMi achieved a lot of achievements in every competition and
award. Next question, what are the issues, challenges and problems that
you have to face throughout the period of being an administrator in this
school especially during this pandemic of COVID-19?

Interviewee We cannot avoid problems in any aspect of our lives. Wherever we are,
we must face obstacles in any subject, not least in education, particularly
in schools and other educational institutions. There are numerous
problems, including interpersonal, material, internal, and external
challenges. We may be able to tackle internal issues, but when it comes
to external challenges that are tough to overcome, we will need to enlist
the help of certain third parties. Meanwhile, as an administrator, there is
no denying that there are flaws here and there, such as a lack of facilities
for the development of the school. From the academic aspect, the
challenges involve financial aspects, parents, the commitment of
teachers and school staff. It's no less difficult when it comes to dealing
with our primary consumers, mainly our pupils. In their efforts to deliver
education, teachers, for example, confront problems from pupils who do
not express commitment and dedication in the classroom, disrespect the
teachers, do not complete schoolwork, and so on. That is one of the
difficulties. Some difficulties can be overcome on their own. Some
issues require more time to resolve because they require teacher

discussion. Some situations necessitate the intervention of authorities,
forcing them to confront and negotiate with the pupils' parents. This is a
discussion concerning students. When dealing with teachers, we
occasionally experience difficulties. For example, less committed
teachers, and so on. In general, there are difficulties with student
discipline. No matter how great a school is, it is bound to have issues
with student discipline. What distinguishes it as little or large only, and
how do you cope with it? At SMKAMi, we use a combination of
advising and reprimands, as well as integrating the guidance and
counselling unit. If the disciplinary issues continue, we will have to
involve the parents. That is why we have a parental consensus regardless
of the academic field (academic performance) or a specific personality
to discuss problems connected to student discipline. Many things can be
detected from their parents when speaking with them, and many of them
can be resolved. Eventually, there are going to be issued wherever we
are in school, whether as an administration, a teacher, or even a student.
That is why we must make every effort to solve the problem. We are
unable to completely resolve the issue, but at the very least, we are trying
to minimize the problems.

Interviewer Oh, I see. Big success comes from big challenges. Last question, in your
opinion, what are the best, rational and practical solutions and hope for
the betterment of PdPR during this pandemic?

Interviewee Everything is done at their respective homes while dealing with
concerns in PdPR. When this session takes place, it is unavoidable that
issues such as commitment and student attendance would arise. The
most serious issue is with student attendance. Some are caused by a
person's attitude. They have everything they need, but their attitudes are
the problem. They didn't turn up for online classes on purpose and had
no valid reason. Because many residents in remote areas have mobility
issues, such as internet connection problems. Some students didn't have
enough devices and had to share them with their siblings. As a result,
teachers should try to figure out why students aren't coming to class,
whether it's due to attitude issues or a lack of facilities. As a result,
SMKAMi has conducted visits to the villages and homes of certain
pupils who have recognised their issues. The visit is also not solely to
provide convenience help; it is also for a select group of students with
attitude issues who do not attend online classes on purpose. After
speaking with their parents, they may discover that their child is gone
because their parents are unable to watch their children owing to their
hectic work schedules and the children live alone at home. Because not
all pupils have access to Wifi at home, the school has taken the initiative
to assist with gadgets and Internet data for individuals who have
problems with facilities. Only four to five series of visits to the
countryside have been undertaken so far. When it comes to visits, we
enlist the aid of some NGOs and PTAs, who contribute funds, time, and

ideas to help us solve these concerns. So far, we've been attempting to
travel to Limbang and Lawas, but we're still considering viable routes
and alternatives because the communication path to get there is rather
tough due to several prohibitions. Hopefully, the efforts made will be
able to address a few issues that arise among students.

Interviewer I hope so that all the problems that have you face will be settled easily,
Insha Allah. That’s all for our interview session. Thanks a lot, Ustaz
Sopey for joining this session.

Interviewee You’re welcome.

7.2 APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW 2 TRANSCRIPTION (HEAD OF ARABIC
LANGUAGE SUBJECT)

Interviewer Assalamualaikum, Ustaz Nafir. I am a practical teacher from IIUM. I
would like to interview you as the head of the Arabic language. So can
I know your background first? Willing to share the details that you want
to share.

Interviewee Waalaikumussalam. Yes, sure. My name is Mohd. Nafiruddin Bin Md.
Siadid. I am the Arabic language teacher who was just holding the
position of Head of Arabic Language Subject at the school. I was born
in Pelabuhan Klang, Selangor. I attended Sekolah Kebangsaan
Pelabuhan Utara in Pelabuhan Klang for primary school and Sekolah
Menengah Agama Sungai Selisek in Hulu Selangor for high school.
Then, I received an opportunity to study Islamic Studies at Hassan II
University Mohammedia, Morocco, after only a few months as a Form
6 student. In 2010, I worked as an untrained substitute teacher in Sekolah
Menengah Kebangsaan Tengku Ampuan Jemaah, Pelabuhan Klang and
continued my contract as a substitute teacher in Sekolah Menengah
Kebangsaan USJ 12, Subang Jaya in 2011. Next, I got a one-off offer to
further his studies in Diploma Pendidikan Lepasan Ijazah (DPLI) in
Islamic Education. In 2014, I am officially posted to SMK Agama Miri
as a trained teacher. I began my career as an official teacher teaching
Islamic Education subjects and PJK. The next year, I got the

responsibility to teach the Arabic language and eventually became Head
of Arabic Language subject until now.

Interviewer Wow! Such a wonderful background. Okay, next question. What are
SMK Agama Miri’s best practices and management for the student’s
development?

Interviewee Many strategies and efforts were implemented by schools to ensure
student well-being. To ensure student well-being, all levels of
administration have a role. The principal, as the school's leader, ensures
that the school's vision and mission are carried out by the line of senior
assistants and teachers. For example, the Senior Administrative
Assistant serves as the academic division's director and manages teacher
administration to ensure that the school's academics meet their goals
through year-long academic programmes for pupils. But so is the new
norm, once a month online sessions with examination candidates are
held to keep them alert and informed that they will be evaluated. There
are far too many activities to list. For example, academic programmes
such as the Final Acceleration Program 150 days before the exam and
several motivational programmes were held previously before COVID.
Professional speakers are also invited to motivate pupils. From the point
of view of student affairs, in ensuring that the personality of students is
preserved, the enforcement of school rules has been done and ensure that
the rules set are complied with and upheld. The implementation of the

rules also runs as appropriate, including the implementation of
punishments, warnings and so on to ensure the discipline of students is
maintained. In the new norm, it is undoubtedly challenging, particularly
to ensure that students follow the PdPR, but one thing that may be done
is to contact students who have problems with their commitments. There
could be issues that we are unaware of. Here, student affairs take the
initiative to identify the issues that students confront in ensuring that
students do not miss classes while maintaining their discipline and
attitude. From the co-curricular aspect, it involves students' co-
curricular activities. As stated in the National Education Philosophy, the
development of JERI, namely Physical, Emotional, Spiritual and
Intellectual, co-curriculum also plays an important role in the
development of students. Teachers ensure that students follow the co-
curricular activities, uniform bodies meetings, clubs and associations
online to build students' identity and foster a helpful attitude in students.
All of this is important to ensure student well-being even in the new
norms.

Interviewer Woah! That was an outstanding practice. No wonder students of
SMKAMi achieved a lot of achievements in every competition and
award. Next question, what are the issues, challenges and problems that
you have to face throughout the period of being the Head of Arabic
language in this school especially during this pandemic of COVID-19?

Interviewee There is no denying that there are numerous challenges, particularly in
PdPR. There are issues with programmes organised by the committee,
which affects all committees, not only the Arabic language committee.
Before that, we look at the journey in general in a committee. We can
easily meet with students in person and hold programmes during face-
to-face sessions. However, in this new normal, meeting committee
members is challenging, and the majority of operations are conducted
online. The utilisation of Per Capita Grant Assistance (PCG), which is a
per-committee allocation, will be a little slower. There is no doubting
that many issues are handled from the perspective of PdPR. I teach
pupils in Forms 2, 4, and 5. The line problem is one of the most
significant issues. Some students live in remote areas or villages, and
their biggest obstacle to enrolling in online classes is a lack of internet
access. Ironically, some students have all of the necessary resources yet
are absent for no apparent reason, such as late waking up. This is all
related to issues with attitude. Some did not contact the teacher at all and
informed the reason for their absence. Besides, students did not respond
at all while I was teaching. Even if there are, there are only a few people
who respond. When assigned homework, even easy tasks, many pupils
failed to complete them. Some people sent late, while others didn't send
at all. The assignments are designed to determine and test the students'
level of comprehension. However, if pupils do not send, the teacher is
unable to determine whether areas of the lesson are still being

misunderstood by the students. This is a problem that has to do with
students. Teachers face a variety of challenges, including the need to
learn a variety of subjects. It is simple for the teacher to simply explain
orally, use a whiteboard, and lead group activities during the face-to-
face session. However, teachers must now learn about ICT and software
skills to be used in PdPR. Because we do not explore, we may not be
exposed to a simpler and more practical platform if we are stuck with
only one thing. There may be better and easier-to-use applications
available. There are additional platforms that require a lot of data, such
as Google Meet. For example, if I turn on the camera right now, it will
use a lot of data, and many students may not be able to utilise it because
of data and network issues. As a result, as teachers, we must take
initiative since we now offer three types of learning sessions: online,
offline, and a combination of both. We are unable to utilise the internet
just because it would be unfair to pupils who are unable to study online.
As a result, offline sessions are essential in providing the opportunity to
other students who struggle with online learning.

Interviewer Oh, I see. Big success comes from big challenges. Last question, in your
opinion, what are the best, rational and practical solutions and hope for
the betterment of PdPR during this pandemic?

Interviewee It is entirely up to the students to improve the PdPR system. We are
unable to regulate the difficulties that develop as a result of the network

system in Sarawak, which contains many settlements in various
geographies. There is no one-size-fits-all solution that will work for all
students. Each student's solution is different. Students must also be
aware of their responsibilities as students undergoing learning, even
though it is conducted online in their homes. He must be aware of his
responsibilities. When that awareness develops, he will consider a
solution whenever he is confronted with the difficulty of being unable
to attend due to the line problem. He was supposed to message his
teacher to find out the assignment. So the teachers also need to be
prepared with a backup plan for students who cannot participate in
online classes, such as recording teaching sessions. Students need to
realize first that their responsibility now is to study, not a vacation. In
addition, parents' readiness and participation are required to ensure that
their children follow the PdPR. I recognise that some parents work, but
parents must ensure that their children attend the PdPR in any situation.
To be honest, teaching online can be rather tedious for teachers.
Sometimes the teacher himself is exhausted and can't afford to spend a
full hour online. I was often required to assess them after less than an
hour of teaching. Some teachers are completely unaware of the situation.
As a result, teachers must devise strategies to address issues that
develop, particularly the problem of students who fail to submit
homework. Unfortunately, due to the enormous number of pupils taught,
teachers are unable to monitor all students in three to four classes are

taught, which total hundreds of students. As a result, teachers must
create a strategy to address this issue. I hope that PdPR will be phased
out soon. Perhaps learning online is not a problem in a developed foreign
country because their development differs from ours. Our country's
condition is complicated by the fact that not everyone has access to the
same resources. As a result, if PdPR continues, the illiteracy rate,
particularly among primary school kids, may increase. Teachers have
expressed their dissatisfaction with this situation in teacher
organisations. My other wish is for pupils to be aware of their academic
duties. There are indeed some limitations to be aware of as many schools
and teachers are taking steps to better understand them. However, if they
refuse to join online classes for no apparent reason, we will be unable to
assist them. That's all I have to say.

Interviewer I hope so that all the efforts will ease the problems encountered, Insha
Allah. That’s all for our interview session. Thanks a lot, Ustaz Nafir for
joining this session.

Interviewee You’re welcome.

7.3 APPENDIX C: INTERVIEW 3 TRANSCRIPTION (STUDENT 1)

Interviewer Assalamualaikum, Audi. I am a practical teacher from IIUM. I would
like to interview you as one of the students in SMKAMi. So can I know
your background first? Willing to share the details that you want to
share.

Interviewee Waalaikumussalam. Yes, sure. My name is Mohamad Audi Al-Amin
Bin Amin. In school, I occupy the role of Pembimbing Rakan Sebaya
(PRS), which entails assisting teachers in providing motivation to
students and guiding them as peers. I am from 5 Ar-Rasyid which is an
accounting stream. I was born in Miri Sarawak. I am the youngest
among my siblings. My father is a religious teacher, while my mother is
a housewife. I attended Sekolah Kebangsaan Anchi in Miri and
graduated with 2A’s, 3B’s, and 1C in Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah
(UPSR). In 2017, I enrolled in SMK Agama Miri and got Penilaian
Tingkatan Tiga (PT3)’s result with flying colours. My greatest
achievement in co-curricular activities is my involvement as one of the
Sarawak representatives in the Short Video Contest and got 3rd place
on the National level. I am also appointed to be one of the persons in
charge of TV PSS SMKAMi.

Interviewer Wow! Such a wonderful background. Okay, next question. What is your
opinion about PdPR? Did you ever miss any classes during PdPR?

Interviewee In my opinion, Teaching and Learning from Home (PdPR) have
replaced Learning and Facilitation (PdPc), which is generally conducted
in school. It is impossible to deny that PdPR has advantages and
disadvantages. I have no problems with connectivity, but sometimes I
missed several lessons because of waking up late. Sometimes I was
distracted by the amenities and devices, causing me to overlook any
updates from teachers regarding classes.

Interviewer Oh, I see. Next question, which one do you prefer, face-to-face class or
PdPR? Why?

Interviewee Face-to-face sessions are far more comfortable, efficient, and productive
for me and other students to learn and receive input when compared to
PdPR. If I had any doubts or enquiries during regular classes, I can easily
ask my teachers immediately and resolve the misunderstanding.
Nonetheless, during PdPR, most students find it difficult to
communicate with teachers owing to unforeseen issues, including the
fact that each student lives in a different area or region. PdPR isn't all
that horrible. One of the benefits is we are constantly close to their
family and, for some, as comfortable as we are at home. On the other
hand, I can’t agree more that PdPc or regular classes are still the best
and have the greatest impact on students' understanding. In contrast to
online classrooms, where teachers cannot supervise their students'
behaviour and activities behind the webcams, students' manners and

moral development are kept and can be directly monitored by school
and teachers during physical sessions. Our practices on congregational
prayers also cannot be ensured and hoping that every parent plays their
role to take care of their children obligatory practices as a Muslim to
pray five times a day.

Interviewer Oh, now I understand why students are excited to go to face-to-face
classes as soon as possible. Let’s move on to the next question. Can you
tell me a little bit about any issues and challenges you or maybe your
friends faced during PdPR?

Interviewee I identified certain concerns and problems that we had while teaching
and learning from home based on my observations. The biggest
difficulty is a lack of internet connection. When it comes to internet
access, the connection is always an issue, since online learning is still a
relatively new phenomenon whose efficiency is still being evaluated and
improved. This issue arose because some students lived in rural
locations where maintaining a stable Internet connection is challenging.
This will result in a higher rate of student absences, as well as a higher
probability of misunderstanding about the topic being taught.
Furthermore, some pupils may not even have adequate technology to
attend online lessons and will be required to share with their siblings.
Additionally, some of them never attend any online classes because the
only device they have is the one brought by their parent to work.

Nonetheless, I found that some of my friends have no difficulty
attending lessons, and they continued to do so for no apparent reason
other than unawareness. Besides, some of my acquaintances always
participate in online game broadcasting but not in online classes.

Interviewer No wonder sometimes, the issues during online classes is quite difficult
to be overcome. Okay, my last question, in your opinions, what are your
suggestions to the teachers and school in improving home-based
Teaching and Learning?

Interviewee In my opinion, the only way to solve this problem is we as students have
to be more alert. The students themselves should be aware of their
responsibilities as students, particularly those who will be taking public
exams, including me, which are Form 5 and Form 6 students. We also
should emphasize the importance of maintaining decent manners. To
receive the blessing for their entire life as a student, we must follow our
teachers' advice, complete the assigned schoolwork, and consistently
respect them in any situation.

Interviewer I hope so that all the efforts will ease the problems encountered, Insha
Allah. That’s all for our interview session. Thanks a lot, Audi for joining
this session.

Interviewee You’re welcome.

7.4 APPENDIX D: INTERVIEW 4 TRANSCRIPTION (STUDENT 2)

Interviewer Assalamualaikum, Akmal. I am a practical teacher from IIUM. I would
like to interview you as one of the students in SMKAMi. So can I know
your background first? Willing to share the details that you want to
share.

Interviewee Waalaikumussalam. Yes, sure. My name is Muhammad Akmal Danish
bin Adzrin. I serve as a Pembimbing Rakan Sebaya (PRS) at school,
which comprises supporting teachers in motivating pupils and guiding
them as peers. I am from the accounting stream, 5 An-Nabil. I was born
in Miri, Sarawak. Among the siblings, I am the oldest. My father works
as a marine technician, and my mother works as a clerk. I graduated with
2As, 3Bs, 2Cs, and 1D in Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) from
SJK(C) Chung Hua Krokop, Miri. I enrolled in SMK Agama Miri in
2017 and received 4As, 4Bs, 1C, and 2Ds in Penilaian Tingkatan Tiga
(PT3). My greatest achievement in co-curricular activities is my
involvement as a Miri district group representative in Festival Nasyid
Sekolah-Sekolah in 2019 and got 2nd place. I am also appointed to be
one of the persons in charge of TV PSS SMKAMi.

Interviewer Wow! Such a wonderful background. Okay, next question. What is your
opinion about PdPR? Did you ever miss any classes during PdPR?

Interviewee In my opinion, Teaching and Learning at Home (PdPR) are difficult and
complex for a variety of reasons. Some of us are unable to attend online

classes because of unforeseen circumstances. It is because, to avoid
misinterpretation during online classes, they must use appropriate
gadgets with a stable internet connection. To be honest, I had missed
some classes due to late wake-ups, particularly during the morning
session. Not being aware of and alert to information and updates
provided by teachers via online platforms regarding virtual classes is
one of the reasons for not attending virtual classes.

Interviewer Oh, I see. Next question, which one do you prefer, face-to-face class or
PdPR? Why?

Interviewee I prefer the Learning and Facilitating (PdPc) lesson since it is conducted
physically. The advantage of face-to-face classes is that we as students
can meet our teachers in person. If there is confusion during the session,
we can immediately meet with their teacher and, if necessary, create a
separate appointment. It is the most efficient approach to recall how
much we have learned so far in the class. When it comes to online
lessons, however, most of us are more likely to be distracted because we
are not in a classroom where we will be observed by teachers. For
instance, some of us may open and play games behind the cameras,
diverting our attention away from the class. This will eventually lead to
a lack of understanding of the topic being taught, and that they will fall
behind.

Interviewer Oh, now I understand why students are excited to go to face-to-face
classes as soon as possible. Let’s move on to the next question. Can you
tell me a little bit about any issues and challenges you or maybe your
friends faced during PdPR?

Interviewee According to my acquaintances' stories, the majority of them had trouble
connecting to the Internet. The inconsistent connection was caused by
the fact that their homes were located far away from a high-bandwidth
area. This will have an impact on their academic progress, and they
might eventually fall behind owing to their inability to attend online
classes. As I stated before, some students do not have any difficulties in
participating in virtual lessons, but they took advantage of the
opportunity to avoid attending classes for no apparent reason because of
their negative attitudes and behaviours.

Interviewer No wonder sometimes, the issues during online classes is quite difficult
to be overcome. Okay, my last question, in your opinions, what are your
suggestions to the teachers and school in improving home-based
Teaching and Learning?

Interviewee In response to these concerns, I made several recommendations for
student involvement in online classes. I suggest the teacher must plan
the class schedule on the availability of the students. The aim behind
this is to guarantee that pupils are prepared to attend courses on time.
Apart from that, parental involvement is important in encouraging

pupils to participate in class. As the online classes are conducted from
home, parents should keep a close eye on their children, reminding them
to enter the classes and avoiding pampering them so that they are aware
of the necessity to attend the class. Last but not least, I know that raising
student awareness is the most crucial factor in resolving this problem.
We as students should be aware of our responsibilities as learners and
keep track of our class schedules. Without the students’ awareness, the
help of others will be meaningless, as we are the ones who will decide
our fate.

Interviewer I hope so that all the efforts and suggestions will ease the problems
encountered, Insha Allah. That’s all for our interview session. Thanks a
lot, Akmal for joining this session.

Interviewee You’re welcome.