Students’ Community Engagement and Experiential Learning to Preschools in Penang

16 & 17 January 2023

A total of 11 students from Bachelor in Early Childhood Education (Honours) and 5 Lecturers from the School of Education and Human Sciences (SEHS) attended the Students’ Community Engagement and Experiential Learning to Preschools in Penang. 4 Kindergarten and Nursery in Penang was involved in this program; Hadhanah Childcare Centre, Pusat Islam USM; Koperasi Tadika MINDEN; Tadika Iman Ehsan and Tadika Bintang Mutiara Pintar. During the visit, the students were given the assignment to observe children’s learning areas, children’s development, and managerial aspect of the school. Students also get an opportunity to do simple lessons and play activities like singing and dancing with children. Through this program, students gain experiential learning in actual preschool settings that offer a unique opportunity to see the concepts and theories they learned in action. Furthermore, students get a rare opportunity for real-life interaction and experience with teachers and children. Therefore, the program also provides insights into different approaches used by preschools that can be applied in the future. We really enjoyed it a lot and dispersed with a sincere hope that such a program should be organized again giving the students a chance to expand their knowledge.