To Be or Not To Be...

Biofeedback is the process of gaining greater awareness of many physiological functions primarily using instruments that provide information on the activity of those same systems, with a goal of being able to manipulate them at will.  Some of the processes that can be controlled include brainwaves, muscle tone, skin conductance, heart rate and pain perception.

Biofeedback. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 22, 2016, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofeedback

Disciplinary problems among secondary school students are reported getting serious by the year.  Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (KPM), through the implementation of E-Disiplin System is able to recognize the students who have been discovered involved in disciplinary actions such as drugs, absenteeism or vandalism.  Through this biofeedback techniques, intervention programs can be implemented more effectively for students and teachers will be able to function effectively with these students.  The goal is to ensure the students recovery status and ways to help them make the changes.  This Biofeedback Programme is being developed by the Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP).  This programme has been developed from the West, back in 1950’s and UMP has been redeveloped the programme in order to better suit to our culture, language, location and approach. 

So, FELDA, with KPM’s collaboration, has identified and has initiated this Biofeedback Pilot Project in five (5) schools have the highest rating of disciplinary cases in the schemes in Year 2014. This device enable the counselors to detect students’ irregular heart wave which can be a good indicator of their health condition, focus energy, drug substance existence, or their tendency and adaptability to be able to control their aggressive behaviours.  From these results, the counselors would have a clearer picture on how to approach and offer best solution and monitoring method that applies to a specific student.

We are very pleased to find out that some profound results are obtained through the Biofeedback Programme Implementation at these selected schools. Some of them are such :

• Students are able to reduce the misconduct cases in schools (reduced from 50% - 30%);
• Students are able to make behavioral changes from negative to positive (Fewer complaints from teachers about students from 10 complaints - 7 complaints /
teacher misconduct of students involved);
• Students are able to use biofeedback devices to help the recovery process behavior (HRV - heart rate variability
coherent working level of 20% - 60%);
• Students are able to improve academic achievement through several sessions (increase in academic achievement test of 30% - 50%);
• Teachers are able to use biofeedback equipment in counseling and behavioral therapy (80% of teachers involved attempts to create a session and adept at
using tools); and
• Schools biofeedback equipment supplied for use in the process of counseling (100% school can tool).

Because of the results look very promising, FELDA has decided to expand the implementation this year to another
30 selected schools.  This programme has just started in May 2016.

Software kit includes a cd to install the programme and a earphone to be be worn by student to detect the heart wave.

Portable Biofeedback device to measure student's heart wave.

E-Disiplin System Implemented by KPM for database purposes.

   One of the students trying out the program software.

Test results showing students' progress (red=lowest, blue=medium,green=highest)