Student voice in education is changing how we accelerate and invest in their learning
Student agency and voice have become more important than ever in the education space. By listening to and incorporating student inputs in their education, we can reshape teaching to match how students want to learn.
To help educators, parents & institutions gain insight into what students in Malaysia want for their education, Project ID launched Student Voice Matters - a platform for students to share their opinions on their state of learning, well-being, and soft-skills development.
This year, Student Voice Matters returns with its 4th issue, incorporating over 1,200 students’ voices into how we can collectively improve their learning experience moving forward.
“Students have a lot to say when it comes to the education system. We want more elements of the digital world in our classroom, we want to know how to handle stress properly. SVM is crucial to capture what students want to tell everyone else. At the end of the day, it is students who are most affected by changes to the education system—and we are hopeful for an education system that can bring out the best of us.”
Education for 2023: Our Call to Action
Our Call to Action addresses students’ main needs for the future of their learning, general well-being, skill development and career aspirations.
#1. Complement in-person learning with an effective digital experience.
As is, students have continued to learn digitally via social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook. Beyond that, there is a growing recognition of the value of gamified learning and assessment (quizzes, mini-competitions, educational games) in education which students picked up on. Hence, when planned and facilitated effectively, digital learning can be a promising solution to address learning gaps.
“[My ideal learning environment is] digitally, like through a game on that certain subject or topic.”
#2. Teach students stress management strategies, with emphasis on peer-to-peer support.
Beneficial stress (eustress) can help students by motivating them to raise their grades or pursue extracurricular opportunities. However, left unaddressed, stress can have long-term detrimental effects. Whether self- or peer-guided, students who successfully navigate stress become more emotionally resilient and are set up to discover how far they can extend their own capabilities.
“We learn about stress management only a few times within the academic year. For those in Form 1, it is during orientation; for Form 5, in the months before facing SPM. So those in between, like us Form 4 and Form 2, couldn’t get much exposure to stress management.”
#3. Incorporate rest in students’ learning routines.
In fast-paced, high-pressure learning environments, there is a need to put rest at the heart of well-being. Educators and parents can help students learn more effectively by structuring brain breaks during studying. These include physical movement, mindfulness exercises, or sensory activities. Not only does rest give space for students’ minds and bodies to recharge, it can also be a valuable opportunity to pause and reflect on current habits and behaviours.
“I want to be able to learn without rushing, and with sufficient time for us to rest. I would like homework but not overload, and sufficient time for us to complete it. I want learning to be interactive and motivating and not just “for the sake of an A”.”
#4. Strengthen aptitude and skills development to build career readiness.
In leaving secondary and tertiary education, students need more than academic qualifications to succeed in the competitive working world. There needs to be a space for students to develop crucial self-learning aptitudes and interpersonal skills while in school. Providing students with more career exposure can help them make informed decisions, bridge the gap between education and the workforce, and reduce unemployment rates.
“I’m scared to determine a career because I don’t believe in myself enough to be able to achieve a certain goal. Another thing is I don’t want to experience failure and disappointment.”
Read, Watch, Share!
Explore Student Voice Matters and Project ID in the news.
Malaysian students have mixed feelings, but ‘generally comfortable’ to begin physical classes again
Feature from Malay Mail
Lebih separuh daripada pelajar negara ini pilih pembelajaran hibrid
Media Feature from Astro Awani
Student Voice Matters (SVM) - by Project ID
Feature from HundrED
School closure takes toll on pupils, survey reveals
Feature from The Malaysian Insight
Malaysian students have mixed feelings, but ‘generally comfortable’ to begin physical classes again
Feature from Yahoo!
Survey finds most students enjoy hybrid learning
Feature from The Malaysian Insight
6.8分舒适度 学生满意返校上课
Media Feature from leading Chinese newspaper in Malaysia, Nanyang
M’sian students excited to return to school despite mixed feelings
Feature from Focus Malaysia
2023
How Can We Build Powerful Youth-Adult Partnerships?
The Teach For All network share their experience in building impactful partnerships with students, to empower and create change in schools and the wider community.
Featuring Kelvin Tan (CEO of Project ID and Alumnus of Teach For Malaysia) and Nur Ariana Iman binti Mohd Farid (Student, Teach For Malaysia and Project ID) among others.
Watch the full discussion to learn more from the panelists.
2021
Beyond four walls: Building a more conducive learning environment post-COVID
Teach For All convened a diverse panel of practitioners moderated by the Financial Times Global Education Editor Andrew Jack from across the network and beyond at the 2021 UKFIET Conference, including Project ID CEO Kelvin Tan.
Watch the full discussion for more insights and perspectives from the panelists.
BFM 89.9 Podcast - Empowering Students with Leadership Skills
In an effort to bridge those gaps, co-founder and CEO Kelvin Tan shares how Project ID is working tirelessly to empower students with leadership skills, and how those skills will carry the next generation into a brighter future.
Seek to Speak Podcast - Online Learning and Student Empowerment with Kelvin of Project ID
Kelvin Tan, co-founder and CEO of Project ID explains how he grew a school-based initiative into the impactful social enterprise it is now!
Student Voice Featured!
Special thanks to the many news and publications that featured us.
The Student Voice Matters 2023 Report
The findings detailed in this report, offer insights into actionable, student-centered strategies for policymakers and educators.
An overview of SVM 2023 insights
Explore our previous survey insights!
2022:
Students’ Perspectives after Two Years of Online Learning & School Closures
Following two years of remote classes, students shed light on their preferences, and challenges in their learning post-pandemic.
2021:
Changes in Students’ Online Learning Experience After A Year
Recurring school closures have prevented students from returning to normalcy, and virtual classes continue to be the core mode of learning for many students.
2020:
How Students Are Coping with the Switch to Online Learning
Since the Movement Control Order, teachers nationwide continued classes and student learning through online platforms: Google Classrooms & Whatsapp.
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Student Voice Matters is a study designed to help educators, parents & institutions gain insight into what students in Malaysia want for their education. Since its launch in 2020, SVM has evolved into a platform for students to share their opinions on how they want to learn and help shape education in this country.
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This year, we set out to understand how students think in-person classes and digital learning can be meaningful and effective, while offering their perspective on the current state of learning as well as their ideal learning environment. We also ask students how parents & teachers can continue to support their mental, physical and emotional well-being. Another topic we sought to understand is how educators and parents can help students to be future-ready with soft-skills development and clear pathways towards their chosen career.
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Student Voice Matters 2023 was designed to combine quantitative and qualitative approaches as we sought to have richer insights on the state and future of learning, from students’ point of view. Our study comprises a series of focus groups, an online survey and a validation session conducted in Bahasa Malaysia and English.
Connect with us!
We are Project ID!
We are an education organisation that focuses on creating innovative learning experiences for students. Over the past year, we have run over 300 free virtual workshops endorsed by the Ministry of Education to provide high-quality self-development resources in career planning, emotional well-being & more!
Since Student Voice Matters, we have launched Edflow, a digital learning platform that enables high-school students to succeed by providing a space for them to share and access learning resources. Visit edflow.app to find out more.
Join our growing and passionate student community!
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Get Involved with Our Student Communities @ PID Point Discord Server
For questions and collaboration opportunities, you can email us at
hello@project-id.org.