Malaysian students are keen to learn, but deeper thinking still matters

Malaysia has drawn attention for its students' performance in international assessments, prompting a focus on how students learn, think, and apply knowledge in the classroom. Despite not always excelling in tests, a majority of Malaysian 15-year-olds exhibit a strong desire to learn. According to the latest Pisa 2025 findings, 80% of these teenagers describe themselves as curious, while 79% are willing to exert extra effort when faced with difficult schoolwork.

These figures surpass the OECD averages of 73% and 60% respectively, indicating a more positive learning mindset among Malaysian students.

Furthermore, Malaysian students demonstrate a willingness to seek help when needed. An impressive 92% of students turn to teachers for assistance, while 94% ask for support from classmates if they struggle to understand a concept. This aspect is crucial because learning is rarely a straightforward process, often involving confusion, wrong answers, and moments of doubt.

These positive attitudes align with improvements in science and reading scores, with Malaysian students scoring 419 and 393 respectively in Pisa 2025. However, there is a decline in mathematics, with scores falling by 11 points to 397.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek highlighted a contrasting trend, noting that while students feel strongly supported by their teachers, parental support for learning has declined. Rather than assigning blame, Sidek emphasized the importance of understanding what children need from the adults in their lives. The broader question is how to transform the curiosity and persistence students already display into deeper understanding and stronger academic results.

OECD Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher believes that part of the solution lies in preserving students' ability to think critically, particularly as classrooms become more exposed to artificial intelligence (AI) and an overwhelming amount of information. Schleicher emphasizes that the most valuable resource is not information itself, but the attention and effort students invest in processing that information.

For students, learning has shifted from merely finding answers to determining the reliability of those answers, understanding how they were derived, and questioning them when necessary.

As AI becomes an integral part of students' daily learning, educators face the challenge of leveraging these tools to foster critical thinking rather than replacing it entirely. Pisa 2025 revealed that 56% of Malaysian students use AI chatbots for learning at least once a week, surpassing the OECD average of 46%. Students utilize these tools for preliminary research, summarizing texts, and drafting assignments.

When used wisely, AI can be beneficial. However, Schleicher cautions against relying too heavily on AI, comparing it to exercise. He asserts that just like we don't get fit by watching sports but by doing the exercise ourselves, true learning comes from wrestling with difficult questions, making mistakes, and revising our thinking rather than simply outsourcing the challenging aspects.

The findings also suggest that Malaysian teenagers are comfortable seeking assistance from others when faced with obstacles. A majority (52%) reported regularly questioning their understanding to ensure they have grasped the material. These habits may prove increasingly vital as students navigate a complex learning environment encompassing textbooks, teachers, search engines, social media, and AI-generated content.

The strong reliance on teachers also draws attention to the concerning decline in parental support, especially considering the more intricate learning landscape that current students face compared to previous generations. Consequently, the challenge for schools and families may lie less in convincing young people to value learning and more in helping them transform curiosity into judgment, concentration, and the confidence to tackle complex problems independently.