ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
Understanding the demographic and professional characteristics of teachers is essential for improving teaching quality and policy planning, particularly in suburban school contexts. This study aims to provide a descriptive profile of secondary school teachers in suburban areas of Melaka, focusing on their academic background, teaching experience, employment status, educational qualifications, subject specialization, and teaching context. A quantitative descriptive research design was employed, involving 97 secondary school teachers selected from suburban schools in Melaka. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency and percentage. The findings reveal the respondents came from diverse academic disciplines, with a strong representation from Language and Literature and Technical and Vocational backgrounds. Most teachers were mid-career educators with more than ten years of teaching experience and were employed on a permanent basis. The majority held degree-level qualifications and taught a wide range of subjects. Additionally, a considerable proportion of teachers reported commuting moderate to long distances to school, highlighting potential contextual challenges faced by suburban educators. The findings provide valuable baseline information on the demographic and professional profile of suburban secondary school teachers and offer insights for policymakers, school administrators, and future researchers in planning targeted professional development and support strategies.
Abarca, J. B., & Malonzo, E. M. (2025). Financial Management Behavior And Teacher Stress: A Prediction Model On Quality Of Work Life Among Public Elementary Teachers. European Journal of Education Studies, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v12i3.5856
Abbad Alessa, I., & Hussein, S. (2023). Using Traditional And Modern Teaching Methods On The Teaching Process From Teachers’ Own Perspective.
Abedi, E. A. (2024). Tensions between technology integration practices of teachers and ICT in education policy expectations: implications for change in teacher knowledge, beliefs and teaching practices. Journal of computers in education, 11(4), 1215-1234. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40692-023-00296-6
Adekunle, A. A., & Adeyanju, J. A. (2025). Commuting patterns and teachers’ disposition to work in public secondary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria. Lavai - International Journal of Education, 21(33), 14–28. https://doi.org/10.5564/lavai.v21i33.4193
Aini, R., & Ismail, M. (2025). Bridging the Digital Divide in Malaysian Education.
Amini, M., Ravindran, L., & Lee, K. F. (2024). Adapting education shifts in Malaysia after COVID-19: A comprehensive review of flexible assessments, lifelong learning initiatives, and diversified learning trajectories. Asian Journal of Assessment in Teaching and Learning, 14(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.37134/ajatel.vol14.1.1.2024
Assem, H. D., Nartey, L., Appiah, E., & Aidoo, J. K. (2023). A review of students’ academic performance in physics: Attitude, instructional methods, misconceptions and teachers qualification. European Journal of Education and Pedagogy, 4(1), 84-92. https://doi.org/10.24018/ejedu.2023.4.1.551
Aydin, H. (2026). Teachers’ perceptions and lived experiences of challenges in culturally diverse classrooms: establishing an equitable school environment. Multicultural Learning and Teaching, 21(1), 35–60. https://doi.org/10.1515/mlt-2023-0028
Azah, F. R., Tambi, A. P., & Angu, N. R. (2025). The Influence of General Pedagogical Knowledge of Experienced and Novice Teachers on Students’ Learning Interest in Secondary Schools in Bamenda Municipality. https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.908000429
Beyene, W. M., Mekonnen, A. T., & Giannoumis, G. A. (2023). Inclusion, access, and accessibility of educational resources in higher education institutions: exploring the Ethiopian context. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 27(1), 18-34. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2020.1817580
Dhungana, P., Dhungana, S., Kc, R., Khadka, S., Rijal, M., & Shrestha, A. (2024). Teacher Educators’ Strategies for Continuous Professional Transformation.
Edu, N. (2025). Enhancing Teachers’ Professional Development for more Productive Society. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14965355
Erni Ratna Dewi, A., Cahyani Kalil, N., Rahayu Juniati, S., Islam Makassar, U., Muhammadiyah Tanjung Redeb Berau Kalimantan Timur, S., Muslim Nusantara Al-Washliyah, U., & Muhammadiyah Sinjai, U. (2024). Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Jurnal of Pedagogi?: Jurnal Pendidikan Exploring the Relationship between Teacher Professional Development and Student Learning Outcomes. Jurnal Pendidikan, 1(5). https://doi.org/10.62872/k3d5gd27
Gavriil, K., & Giannikos, I. (2025). Multi-criteria analysis of optimal educational teacher allocation system. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 33. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.33.8584
Hadisaputra, P., Haryadi, L. F., Zuhri, M., Thohri, M., & Zulkifli, Muh. (2024). The Role of Teachers in Curriculum Management Implementation: A Narrative Literature Review on Challenges, Best Practices, and Professional Development. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 50(5), 18–27. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajess/2024/v50i51338
Hamdan, S., & Coloma, R. S. (2022). Assessing Teachers' Cultural Competency. Educational Foundations, 35(1), 108-128.
Masha, A., Baidoo, J., & Agyeman, N. Y. (2025). The Role of Job Security on Employee Engagement for Teachers in Private Family Business Schools. International Journal of Applied Research in Business and Management, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.51137/wrp.ijarbm.2024.amtt.45653
Merdiaty, N., & Sulistiasih, S. (2024). Empowering Learning: The Mediating Role of Teachers in Enhancing Students' Intrinsic Motivation. Al-Ishlah: Jurnal Pendidikan, 16(4), 5163-5172. https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v16i4.6430
Muhinat, B. B. (2022). Influence of Teachers Years of Teaching Experience on their Teaching Approaches in Secondary School, Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State. Forum Ilmu Sosial, 49(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.15294/fis.v49i1.31791
Nwoko, J.C.; Emeto, T.I.; Malau-Aduli, A.E.O.; Malau-Aduli, B.S. (2023). A Systematic Review of the Factors Influence Teachers’ Occupational Wellbeing. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 6070. https://doi.org/10.3390/ 10.3390/ijerph20126070
Salavera, C., Urbón, E., Usán, P., Franco, V., Paterna, A., & Aguilar, J. M. (2024). Psychological wellbeing in teachers. Study in teachers of early childhood and primary education. In Heliyon (Vol. 10, Issue 7). Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28868
Saleh, H., & Abd Karim, N. A. K. (2026a). Teacher Teaching Skills in Suburban Secondary School at Melaka, Malaysia: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v15-i1/27461
Saleh, H., & Abd Karim, N. A. K. (2026b). Student Engagement, Learning Environment, Motivation and Technology Integration towards Teacher Teaching Skills in Suburban Secondary School at Melaka: Demographic Analysis. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v16-i1/27354
Saleh, H., & Shahidan, N. S. (2023). Work Stress and Its Impact on Employee Performance, Turnover, and Absenteeism: A Comprehensive Study at E & E Manufacturing. International Journal of Magistravitae Management, 1(2), 70-80.
Saleh, H., & Wahab, N. A. A. (2024, December). Employers’ Perspectives on Skills Falling Short, HEIs’ Education System, and Graduates’ Attributes. In 2024 International Conference on TVET Excellence & Development (ICTeD) (pp. 54-58). IEEE.
Saleh, H., & Wahab, N. A. A. (2025). Employers’ Perspectives on Malaysian Graduates’ Skills: A Contemporary Study. Journal of TVET and Technology Review, 3(1), 16-23.
Santelli, F. A., & Grissom, J. A. (2024). A Bad Commute: Travel Time to Work Predicts Teacher Turnover and Other Workplace Outcomes. AERA Open, 10. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584241287792
Yip, S. Y., & Xu, Y. (2025). Increasing the diversity of the teaching workforce: a review of minority teacher candidates’ recruitment, retention, and experiences in initial teacher education. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 33(5), 1687-1704. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2024.2384492
Saleh, H., & Karim, N. A. K. A. (2026). A Descriptive Study of Teachers’ Academic Background, Experience, and Teaching Context in Suburban Secondary Schools Melaka, Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 16(3), 736-747.
Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode