Looking through different point of views: characteristics of a good mathematics teacher

Mathematics is essentially used in many fields. Due to its importance, nurturing mathematical knowledge in students is deemed crucial in education now. Providing a good mathematics teacher is an important factor in developing students' mathematical skills and knowledge. This study aims to explore the characteristics of a good mathematics teacher from the points of view of teachers and students. In order to investigate the characteristics, this study employed a qualitative method using semi-structured interviews and focus group sessions involving twenty-three informants consisting of mathematics teachers and students. The informants were purposively selected from several schools in the southern region of Malaysia. Once the data were collected, they were qualitatively analysed using thematic analysis. Based on the findings, there are two main perspectives on the characteristics of a good mathematics teacher based on the teacher's and student's perspectives. Teachers define the characteristic of a good mathematics teacher from the aspects of the teacher's knowledge and experience. In comparison, students viewed it from the aspects of teachers' personalities, teaching styles, and delivery instructions. So, in conclusion, mathematics teachers and students have different points of view when describing the characteristics of a good mathematics teacher

The pattern of epistemological belief in design among engineering students

This study was geared toward identifying the pattern of epistemological belief in design among engineering students enrolled in one of the research universities in Malaysia. To this end, data collection was carried out by employing an adapted instrument of a Likert-type questionnaire with five scales consisting of 68 items. Then, 120 engineering students from several engineering disciplines, such as electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and civil engineering, were selected from the overall population of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia to determine their epistemological beliefs on design. According to the literature, six dimensions of beliefs were commonly perceived. The students were to describe their beliefs about design knowledge and the nature of knowing and learning design, including the source of knowledge, the certainty of knowledge, structure of knowledge, speed of knowledge acquisition, innate ability of personal and general knowledge, and real-world applicability of knowledge. The study's findings revealed that the epistemological beliefs of engineering students in each dimension yielded a difference across varying engineering majors

Computational thinking in mathematics education: A systematic review

Computational thinking (CT) is a fundamental ability for all students at all levels. CT has been one of the processes to solve problems that are considered a skill that all students need to develop in this new era of education, namely Education 4.0 aligns with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). When talking about problem-solving, it is always related to mathematics. As CT enhances problem-solving skills, it is one of the essential aspects of the mathematics subject. In this sense, this article presents a systematic literature review on determining how CT relates to mathematics education - guided by the PRISMA Statement review method, a systematic review of Scopus directed by four related stages. Most of the studies present the usage of software tools to enhance CT development in mathematics learning and solve a mathematical problem