STRATEGIC ANALYSIS USING SWOT/TOWS-AHP: AN APPLICATION ON EDUCATORS JOB PERFORMANCE IN SABAH

Abstract

This study examines educators’ job performance in Sabah, Malaysia, using an integrated SWOT/TOWS-AHP approach to identify strategic priorities for improving educational outcomes. Data were collected through focus group discussions involving educators, administrators, and policymakers to identify the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats affecting teacher performance. The SWOT findings revealed strengths such as strong cultural adaptability, multilingual competency, and community engagement, while weaknesses included inadequate infrastructure, limited professional development opportunities, high teacher-student ratios, and teacher burnout. Opportunities were identified in digital education expansion, government-NGO collaborations, and growing emphasis on STEM education, whereas threats included funding constraints, urban-rural disparities, policy instability, and negative perceptions of the teaching profession. The TOWS matrix was subsequently employed to formulate strategic alternatives, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to prioritize these strategies based on expert evaluations. The results indicated that reducing teacher workload through AI-powered grading and administrative tools emerged as the highest-priority strategy (22.3%), followed by the development of culturally responsive digital teaching modules (16.6%) and policy stability initiatives (14.5%). The study provides a practical and evidence-based framework to support policymakers, school administrators, and educators in enhancing teacher performance and promoting equitable educational development across Sabah.