BACKGROUND

The Faculty of Educational Studies was established on 15 January, 1975 and was initially referred to as the Faculty of Educational Services in line with its functions at the time. The faculty offered courses to studies pursuing the Diploma in Science with Education and the Bachelor of Science with Education programmes which were offered by the Faculty of Science and the Environment. Besides these courses, the faculty also offered elective and general courses which were taken by students from various faculties in Universiti Pertanian Malaysia at that time.

From 1976, FPP offered its own programmes, beginning with the Bachelor of Education (Agricultural Science) and Bachelor of Education (Home Science) programmes. In the early 1980s, Bachelor of Education programmes in Guidance and Counselling; the Teaching of Bahasa Malaysia as the First Language; the Teaching of English as a Second Language; and Physical Education were offered.

In the early years of its establishment, the faculty consisted of three departments: The Education Department, the Social Science Department, and the Language Department. In 1989, a structural reorganisation saw two of the three departments form their own faculties. The Social Science Department merged with the Human Resource Department from the Faculty of Agriculture to form the Faculty of Human Ecology while the Language Department formed the Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication with the Communication Department from the Centre for Extension and Continuing Education.

In 1996, with the inclusion of the Department of Extension Education, FPP consisted of two departments which were the Department of Education and the Department of Extension Education. In 1997, the Department of Extension Education was renamed the Department of Professional Development and Continuing Education.

In 2002, FPP once again underwent a structural reorganisation. The Department of Education was reorganised into four new departments, which were the Department of Foundations of Education; the Department of Language and Humanities Education; the Department of Human Movement and Behavioural Studies; the Department of Science and Technical Education.

In 2004, the Department of Human Movement and Behavioural Studies was split into two departments: the Department of Counsellor Education and Counselling Psychology.

The faculty serves to produce teachers who can teach at the secondary school level as well as professionals who are responsible for human resource development. At present, FPP offers Bachelor of Education degrees in Agricultural Science, Home Science, Physical Education, the Teaching of Bahasa Malaysia as the First Language, the Teaching of English as a Second Language, Guidance and Counselling as well as Information Technology.

Besides the Bachelor of Education degree, the faculty also offers a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Development degree that is structured to prepare training and human resource development officers to serve government, private and non government agencies. The faculty also offers the Diploma in Youth in Development Work in order to produce graduates who will work with youth. This programme was established in 1999 and is offered via distance education and takes a period of two years. It serves as a feeder programme for the B.S. Human Resource Development programme.

Graduates from this Diploma will have bright career prospects in organisational and community work as Assistant Youth and Sports Officers, Youth and Sports Officers, Assistant Social Development Officers, Assistant Training Officers, Assistant Counselling Officers, Assistant Community Development Officers, and Assistant Social Welfare Officers.

The Faculty was established in order to:

• Conduct teacher education, extension education and human resource development programmes;
• Coordinate graduate studies programmes related to teacher education;
• Conduct research related to education, extension and human resource development
• Provide professional services and consultatiion to government, private and non-governmental agencies.