26/03/2026

THURSDAY | MAR 26, 2026

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Learning to think again I N many classrooms today, answers come faster than questions. With a few taps on a screen, information appears instantly, neatly structured and confidently delivered. semester ends. When compared to a structured lecture that covers content efficiently, PBL may appear risky. Discussion can drift. COMMENT by Che Mohd Farhan Che Mat Dusuki

Some groups progress faster than others. The fear of not finishing the syllabus is real. Yet, coverage alone does not guarantee comprehension. Moving quickly through content may create the illusion of progress while leaving understanding fragile. The solution, however, need not be extreme. PBL does not require the abandonment of direct instruction. Lectures remain essential for introducing core concepts, clarifying foundational theories and ensuring that the syllabus is completed responsibly. In this structure, the lecture hall becomes the space for structured delivery where key ideas are laid out clearly and efficiently. Tutorial sessions, on the other hand, can serve a different purpose. They become flexible spaces where thinking is tested and refined. Some weeks may be dedicated to PBL, allowing students to grapple with carefully designed problems. Other weeks may focus on guided problem- solving to strengthen examination writing skills. At times, collaborative presentations, gamified activities or structured methods, such as the jigsaw approach, can be introduced to vary intellectual engagement. Not every session needs to be problem- based. What matters is that students are given regular opportunities to construct understanding rather than merely receive it. Within such a balanced framework, assessment does not need to be abolished or radically transformed. Written examinations continue to play a role in measuring clarity, accuracy and discipline in expression. PBL complements this by strengthening reasoning beneath the answer. When students understand

Yet, beneath this convenience lies a quiet concern: Are students still learning how to think or are they simply learning how to retrieve? Problem-based learning (PBL) is often introduced as a student-centred approach where learners explore issues through discussion and inquiry. The concept itself is not new. Universities have adopted it for decades as a way to move beyond passive lectures and towards active engagement. But its real significance is not found in its definition; it lies in what happens when students are placed in front of a problem and the lecturer steps back. That moment of stepping back is uncomfortable. Students who are accustomed to receiving structured explanations may initially struggle. Silence will fill the room. Some will look at one another, waiting for someone to begin while others may reach instinctively for their devices. It is in this pause that the true purpose of PBL emerges. The task is not merely to solve a problem but also to wrestle with it. In traditional settings, clarity is often delivered. In PBL, clarity must be constructed. Students are required to articulate assumptions, challenge one another’s reasoning and defend their interpretations. Misconceptions surface naturally and corrections come not through immediate lecturer intervention but through dialogue. This process is slower, sometimes messy, but intellectually far more demanding. This slowness often raises a practical concern. Time is limited. Syllabi are dense. Lecturers feel the pressure to complete topics before the

The goal of education cannot be limited to short-term performance. It must also consider durability of understanding. – BE R NAMAPIC

planning but it offers a more sustainable model of learning. Ultimately, the relevance of PBL in today’s education landscape is not about novelty; it is about intention. In an era where information is abundant and technology is powerful; the rarest skill is independent thought. Classrooms do not need to abandon structure to cultivate it. They simply need the courage to create space for thinking alongside teaching. From my vantage point as a lecturer observing these sessions, the most memorable moments are often the quietest. A student hesitates, proposes an idea tentatively and a ripple of discussion follows. Another challenges that idea respectfully and gradually a richer understanding emerges. These are the moments that cannot be captured in grades or exam scripts. They are the proof that learning is happening. And perhaps, in the midst of structured syllabi and looming deadlines, creating room for these small but vital acts of thought is the most important contribution education can offer. CheMohd Farhan Che Mat Dusuki is a lecturer at the Chemistry Division, Pusat Asasi Sains Universiti Malaya. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com March 10 and the RM100 Sara grocery credit disbursed to 22 million adults in February. Monthly Sara credits of RM50 to RM200 via MyKad continue to support households at more than 10,000 participating outlets. These are meaningful interventions and must be sustained – and expanded where necessary – if the conflict persists and prices remain elevated. The storm is real. But so is Malaysia’s strength – and so must be our solidarity. This is not the moment for blame or division. It is the time to close ranks, support one another and trust that a nation which has overcome so much before can do so again. We have weathered worse. As the prime minister said in a recent social media post, let us weather this economic storm together. Salihin Mohd Samah Setia Alam

Beyond intellectual development, PBL also reshapes classroom culture. It demands participation. It makes passive listening visible. It requires collaboration, negotiation and shared responsibility. Students learn that ideas gain strength through discussion and that disagreement, when managed respectfully, sharpens understanding rather than weakens it. These are not secondary skills; they are central to academic maturity. There is, admittedly, uncertainty in this approach. Discussions do not always unfold perfectly. Progress may be uneven. Some sessions may feel less productive than others. Yet, within these imperfections lies growth. When students eventually present their reasoning in their own words rather than copied from a source, the confidence is different. It is earned. Over time, the difference becomes clearer. Information that is memorised for an examination often fades quickly. Ideas that are debated, questioned and defended tend to remain. The goal of education cannot be limited to short-term performance. It must also consider durability of understanding. A balanced integration of direct instruction and problem-based engagement may demand careful

how an idea is formed, they write with greater confidence and coherence. The aim is not to replace existing systems but to deepen the intellectual quality of what those systems measure. The lecturer’s role shifts accordingly. Instead of always dominating the conversation, the lecturer learns to alternate between instruction and facilitation. There are moments to explain and there are moments to step back. This balance requires judgement. Too much direction weakens independence. Too little guidance creates confusion. Thoughtful integration, rather than rigid adherence to a single method, becomes the mark of professional maturity. In the current technological climate, this structure is more important than ever. The accessibility of artificial intelligence tools introduces a new dilemma. If a problem can be instantly solved by an algorithm, the learning process risks being bypassed entirely. PBL loses its value when thinking is outsourced. For this reason, clear ground rules are essential. Internet resources may support exploration but reliance on AI-generated solutions undermines the very objective of cultivating reasoning.

The Middle East shock is real but so is our resilience AFTER three decades in the oil and gas industry, I have lived through enough price cycles, supply disruptions and geopolitical crises to recognise the difference between a manageable storm and a catastrophic one. Shipping costs, insurance premiums and energy prices are all rising globally. This pressure is reaching our shores whether we invited it or not. What Malaysians must also

ringgit collapsed to 4.90 against the US dollar during the 1997–98 Asian Financial Crisis, GDP contracted by 6.7% and we rebounded to 5.6% growth within a year. We weathered a 1.7% contraction in 2009 and a 5.5% collapse in 2020. Each time, Malaysia recovered – not because the shocks were trivial but because our response was collective and determined. Today, the ringgit, which hovered near 4.80 just two years ago, trades around 3.96, reflecting two years of disciplined policy and renewed investor confidence in our fundamentals. To the government’s credit, it has been proactive. Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah has confirmed that fuel supply stocks remain healthy, with supply stability across petrol, gas and industrial users as the immediate priority. The RM15 billion STR and Sara social protection package for 2026 – up from RM13 billion last year – is already underway, with Phase 2 STR payments reaching 5.2 million recipients from

understand, however, is that our exposure is genuinely mixed. Malaysia is a net LNG exporter and a small net exporter of petroleum products – at Brent above US$100, that could translate into an additional RM2.5 billion in export revenues this year. Yet, we have been a net crude oil importer since 2022, meaning higher prices simultaneously inflate our import bill and strain fuel subsidy commitments. I have seen this double-edged nature of oil price shocks throughout my career. The honest answer is that the net outcome remains uncertain – and uncertainty itself carries real economic costs through weaker investor sentiment, a more volatile ringgit and dampened consumer confidence. Malaysia has been here before. The

What we are facing today is serious but it remains manageable, provided Malaysians understand it clearly and respond wisely. The conflict in the Middle East is an external shock. It did not stem from any failure of Malaysian policy, any weakness in our economic fundamentals or the commercial arrangements of our national oil company, Petronas. Since hostilities escalated in late February, Brent crude has surged nearly 45%, breaching US$100 (RM396) per barrel and touching US$118 in a single day – the largest absolute price jump on record. The Strait of Hormuz, which carries one-fifth of the world’s oil and LNG supply, has been severely disrupted.

“The storm is real. But so is Malaysia’s strength – and so must be our solidarity.