DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF PHYSICAL CLASSROOM LEARNING ENVIRONMENT INSTRUMENT (PCLEI) FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL IN MALAYSIA

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a new learning environment instrument used to measure the physical learning environment in secondary school’s classroom in Malaysia. The Physical Classroom Learning Environment Instrument (PCLEI) was developed by using a three stages approach, field-tested with 900 students and then validated. The PLCEI has 66 items allocated to six constructs: (1) furniture; (2) facilities; (3) space; (4) lighting; (5) air quality; (6) color. Each construct has a factor loading at least 0.40 and alpha reliability coefficient for constructs ranged from 0.83 to 0.98. The instrument will inform us on existing physical learning environment in secondary school’s classroom. Further effective way can be planned to overcome the existing gaps

Interaksi guru dan sikap pelajar Malaysia terhadap biologi: satu kajian perbandingan etnik

Pembangunan sumber manusia dalam Abad Duapuluh-satu tentunya berpasak kepada pendidikan sains yang berkualiti. Bagi sebuah negara yang ingin menjadi negara maju seperti Malaysia keperluan ini adalah mutlak dipenuhi. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk pandangan pelajar pelbagai etnik terhadap interaksi guru dan sikap mereka terhadap Biologi serta menentukan hubungan antara kedua-dua pemboleh ubah ini. Reka bentuk kajian menggunakan tinjauan dengan menggunakan borang soal selidik. Prosedur persampelan kelompok dua tingkat dilakukan untuk memilih seramai 300 orang pelajar Biologi Tingkatan Empat dari tiga buah sekolah menengah kebangsaan di daerah Bintulu sebagai sampel kajian. Pelajar-pelajar ini dibezakan kepada empat kumpulan etnik iaitu Melayu, Cina, Iban dan Bumiputera. Data-data dianalisis dengan menggunakan statistik deskriptif, ujian korelasi Spearman’s rho dan ujian Kruskal-Wallis. Dapatan kajian melaporkan persepsi pelajar terhadap interaksi guru adalah bertahap sederhana, begitu juga dengan sikap pelajar terhadap Biologi. Ujian korelasi Spearman’s rho menunjukkan terdapat hubungan linear positif yang lemah antara interaksi guru dengan sikap pelajar terhadap Biologi. Dapatan kajian ini boleh dijadikan sebagai satu rujukan kepada para pendidik untuk menilai apa yang berlaku dalam kelas mereka dan menolong mereka membuat refleksi ke atas proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran yang dikendalikan kemudiannya menambah baik profesion perguruan mereka

Predictive Relationship between Technology Acceptance Readiness and the Intention to Use Malaysian EduwebTV among Library and Media Teachers

AbstractLibrary and Media Teacher (LMT) serves as a catalyst for the implementation of the technology programs conducted in schools. The challenge to the LMT is to be more open and innovative to the innovations introduced in schools from time to time. Their level of readiness to accept new technology in teaching and learning earlier than their colleagues in schools could expedite the diffusion process into the school education system. Therefore, this study was conducted to measure the level of readiness acceptance among LMT in terms of Personal Innovativeness (PI), Personal Innovativeness Information Technology (PIIT) and Computer Self-Efficacy (CSE), and the contribution to the acceptance of Edu web TV in teaching and learning. The study involved 546 respondents consisting of LMT of primary and secondary schools in Malaysia. The findings show that the readiness acceptance level among LMT in terms of PI, PIIT and CSE are moderate. Significant relationships were found between CSE, PI, PIIT and behavioural intentions to use the Edu web TV. The obtained results also show that PIIT and CSE significantly contributed to the intention to use Edu web TV. Therefore, those individuals with higher levels of PIIT and CSE are more open, willing to try and confident in the adoption of new technology in teaching and learning than those with lower levels of PIIT and CSE. These results provide valuable feedback to institutions and educators in enhancing the effectiveness of LMT

The effectiveness of PRO-STEM module on students’ higher order thinking skills (HOTS)

The development of higher order thinking skills (HOTS) requires a teaching approach that encourages students’ inquiry skills as being emphasized in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. This study aims to develop and examine the effectiveness of the PRO-STEM Module on students’ HOTS. The module employed project-based learning (PjBL) approach with the integration of the STEM concept in Biodiversity and Ecosystem topics. This study involved quasi-experimental design to study the effectiveness of the module. A total of 63 secondary school students were involved in this study. They were divided into control group (30 students) and treatment group (33 students). The findings showed that the intervention using PRO-STEM module has significantly increased their HOTS mean score (t(61)=- 2.61, p=.01). This implicates that PjBL with the integration of the STEM concept in the PRO-STEM Module is an innovation in the teaching and learning of science that further enhances students' HOTS and understanding in Biodiversity and Ecosystem topics

Establishment of Green Chemistry Awareness Instrument for secondary school students

The purpose of the study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument that can assess green chemistry awareness among secondary schools. This study applied a quantitative approach with a survey design to obtain information related to items and constructs to build an instrument to access student awareness of green chemistry. The study population involved all form four students who are taking a chemistry subject in 85 secondary schools in the State of Melaka, Malaysia. This study involved two phases and all the respondents were selected using a random sampling method. The first phase involved 700 respondents and the second phase involved 500 respondents. The pilot study involved 100 students who were also randomly selected from the same population but not involved in phase I and phase II study. The data obtained were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. As a result, the Green Chemistry Awareness Instrument (GCAI) was developed. GCAI contains six constructs with a total of 29 items; knowledge (eight items), attitudes (six items), value (eight items), and awareness lighting (seven items). GCAI was found to have good content and construct validity as well as high reliability. Hence, it can assess green chemistry awareness among secondary school students. GCAI also has the advantage of being easily administered

MOTHER TONGUE-BASED BILINGUAL EDUCATION PRACTICE FOR TEACHING PRIMARY MATHEMATICS IN RURAL SCHOOL

In an ethnically diverse country like Malaysia, educators often argue about the best medium of instruction to be used in teaching mathematics especially in primary school. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of teaching mathematics employing the pupils’ mother tongue as the medium of instruction in a rural primary school. Specifically, this quasi-experimental study was conducted to compare the effect of two treatments: using Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction and using the pupils’ mother tongue as the medium of instruction in teaching a mathematics lesson on the topic of ‘Money up to RM1000’. The samples of this study consisted of two classes of Year 3 pupils from two rural schools in Kapit, Sarawak. Each class consisted of 16 pupils whose mother tongue was Bahasa Iban . Iban is one of the major ethnic groups in Sarawak. The class from the first school employed Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction while the class from the second school employed Bahasa Iban as the medium of instruction. A pre-test and a post-test were administered to both classes before and after the study. The main finding from this study suggested a higher positive impact in learning mathematics for pupils using their own mother tongue as the medium of instruction. Thus, the incorporation of mother tongue in the primary mathematics classroom provides a better solution to aid rural pupils’ understanding and development of basic mathematical concepts. Moreover, this could be considered as a crucial platform in knowledge acquisition in a country with diverse ethnic groups

Development and Usability of STEAM Textbook Integrated Character Education with Local Wisdom Themes for Primary School Students

This study aims to develop a valid, usable, and creative for project-based learning STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) textbook integrating character education with local wisdom themes for primary school students. Design and Development Research (DDR) based on the ADDIE model was used as the research design. Three experts were used to validate the STEAM textbook and 58 mathematics teachers and 60 students of Year 4 from the Perak Tengah district participated in the usability survey. The data were analyzed descriptively (percentage, mean and standard deviation) and Pearson correlation. The results show the STEAM textbook has excellent validity with 90% agreement from the experts. The usability of the STEAM textbook was rated well by teachers with a mean of 4.21 (SD = 0.45) and by students with a mean of 3.69 (SD = 0.17). This indicated that the textbook is usable for teachers and students. Pearson correlation also revealed a strong relationship between the variables with r = 0.967. Overall, the STEAM textbook has high validity and usability among teachers and students

The concept of professional identity: Kindergarten teachers’ professionalism requirement in Malaysian preschool curriculum

This study aimed to determine the professional identity concept based on professionalism requirement in Malaysia’s new preschool curriculum. Three professional identities identified through works of literature such as professional qualifications, experience and professional development were verified based on the constructed hypothesis to validate the concept of professional identity. The analysis findings showed a significant difference between professional qualifications. The same analysis, however, demonstrated that there was no significant difference on the preschool curriculum knowledge with regards to experience, but there was a significant indication of interaction between professional qualifications and experience on preschool curriculum knowledge. Meanwhile, for the one-way ANOVA test, there was a significant difference in the preschool curriculum knowledge based on professional development. The findings of this study confirmed that professional knowledge and professional development respectively hold a direct impact on the preschool curriculum, while experience acts as a support for professional qualifications

Global citizenship elements in Malaysian Primary School Curriculum towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS)

Global Citizenship (GC) is still a new concept in Malaysian education scenario, and existing research shows that a critical approach to teaching and learning about global issues is largely absent within Malaysian school settings. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore the GC elements, embedded in the Malaysian education curriculum within the UNESCO framework. This paper will discuss the result of document analysis done on Malaysian primary school core subjects, which used critical discourse analysis to analyze the relevant parts of the curriculum within the core subjects. The analysis revealed that GC is taught across the curriculum in Malaysia, which aims to increase students’ knowledge, skills and behavior towards sustainability. GCE was presented in the curriculum as a multidisciplinary topic which follows through the values, aims and tasks of the core subjects. This study provides a clear starting point for future research of GC and its implementation and impacts in Malaysian education system, and hope to open the eyes and minds of the policy makers in Malaysia, the importance of GC which has a crucial role to play in tackling injustices and making the world a more just and sustainable place

Hubungan ramalan persekitaran pembelajaran makmal sains dengan tahap kepuasan pelajar

Untuk membolehkan pengajaran dan pembelajaran berlaku dengan berkesan, persekitaran pembelajaran perlu disesuaikan dengan matlamat dan strategi pengajaran serta memenuhi keperluan guru dan pelajar. Oleh itu, penilaian tentang persekitaran pembelajaran pelajar adalah penting kerana ia bukan sahaja dapat memberikan maklumat untuk mengukur pencapaian pelajar, tetapi juga memberikan maklumat tentang kecekapan guru dalam menyediakan hasil pembelajaran yang positif. Dalam masa yang sama, persepsi pelajar terhadap persekitaran pembelajaran juga dapat memberi maklumat berguna untuk meningkatkan kualiti persekitaran pembelajaran. Kertas kerja ini melaporkan satu tinjauan yang telah dijalankan untuk mengenal pasti apakah pandangan pelajar tentang persekitaran pembelajaran makmal sains di sekolah-sekolah menengah di negeri Selangor dan hubungannya dengan tahap kepuasan pelajar. Persepsi pelajar berhubung persekitaran pembelajaran makmal sains diukur dengan menggunakan adaptasi Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI), manakala kepuasan pelajar diukur menggunakan domain keseronokan belajar yang diambil daripada Test of Related Science Attitudes (TOSRA). Analisis dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa pelajar menunjukkan persepsi yang positif terhadap semua skala dalam SLEI kecuali skala kebebasan menjana idea. Dari segi tahap kepuasan mereka turut menunjukkan persepsi yang baik terhadap pengajaran dan pembelajaran sains di makmal. Analisis susulan mendapati terdapat hubungan ramalan yang signifikan antara aspek-aspek dalam SLEI dengan tahap kepuasan pelajar seperti mana yang diukur dalam kajia