What is Mastery Learning? 

• Mastery Learning is an instructional strategy and educational philosophy firstly proposed by Benjamin Bloom in 1968. Mastery learning enables learners to achieve a level of mastery in prerequisite knowledge before moving forward to learn subsequent information. (Wikipedia)
• If a learner does not master the learning material or skill, they are given additional support in learning and reviewing the learning content and then tested again. The cycle continues until the learner accomplishes to master the attempt and then may move to another stage.
• The rationale for using this approach is to narrow achievement gaps between learners in the same class.
• This aproach is applicable for subjects such as Music, Language (native and second language), Physical Education (Pendidikan Jasmani dan Kesihatan), Mathematics and Information Technology (IT).
• This approach may explain in detail through how Mastery Learning is applied during teaching and learning in a classroom or online by clicking this YOUTUBE link as shown below: Youtube Mastery Learning (example: A video on Mastery Learning in Mr.Vanderberg’s Class for IT subject which can be viewed)

HOW THIS APPROACH HELPS LEARNERS TO SUCCEED IN THE LEARNING CLASSROOM

• Mastery Learning can be associated to Bloom’s Learning for Mastery (1968) and Keller’s Personalized System of Instruction (1968). Through this approach learners may also be able to develop their thinking skills in learning the subject content.
• The teaching instruction is shown as below:

1. Teacher prepares the learning task and learners should work on it during the lesson at their own pace.
2. An additional assessment (formative assessment) may be given to assess learners’ understanding of the content goal with a high degree of accuracy (eg. learners should obtain at least 9 out of 10) before they can move on to the next learning objective.
3. Learners who do not reach the assessment grades requirements will be taught again in the classroom to correct, intervene and reteach.
4. Learners who achieved mastery will continue to work with the subject teacher on enrichment activities.
5. Reflection: This approach may be seen that teachers do not have to hurry finishing up the subject syllabus as required in the DSKP but to enable learners to acquire and master skills as required in the syllabus.
6. Implication: This approach may develop learner’s intrinsic motivation to learn and master the content skills better,  helps learners become aware of their own abilities which may lead learners to becoming stronger and more self-directed learners.

Thus, learners may feel happy learning the subject matter either face to face or online.