Identifying Pertinent Elements of Critical Thinking and Mathematical Thinking Used in Civil Engineering Practice in Relation to Engineering Education

Engaging critical thinking and mathematical thinking in solving engineering problems is a way of approaching the engineering criteria of Engineering Accreditation Council, Board of Engineers Malaysia. Thus, it is timely and crucial to inculcate the critical thinking and mathematical thinking into the current engineering education. Unfortunately, information about these two modes of thinking in real-world engineering practice is found lacking in the literature. Therefore, this paper focuses on explaining an analytic process in identifying pertinent elements of critical thinking and mathematical thinking used in real-world civil engineering practice. The analytic process, namely open coding is a part of coding process in modified grounded theory analysis. Data consist of semi-structured interviews with eight practicing civil engineers from two different consultancy firms. A total of fifty three pertinent elements emerged during the analytic process. The selection of these pertinent elements was based on the predominant pattern and frequency of the informants and open codes. The pertinent elements were eventually integrated to develop a substantive theory. The substantive theory provides useful information for the engineering education

Reasoning skills among students: a meta-analysis

Many countries have undergone a paradigm shift in their approach of teaching, learning and assessment where emphasis is heavily placed on thinking skills. This skill is indeed a vital requirement in developing twenty-first century skills among students as there is a need for high levels of thinking, reasoning and collaborating in today’s era. In the Malaysian context, there is a current need in elevating reasoning skills among high achievers as the Ministry of Education has realized that high achievers have not been performing excellently in global assessments, specifically. Therefore, this conceptual paper aims at identifying the components of reasoning skills that high achievers face difficulties in when learning Mathematics. From the meta-analysis conducted, two major components of reasoning skills were identified; knowledge reasoning and systemic thinking. Based on these findings from literature, these two components can be used as a learning framework to elevate students reasoning skills

Pertinent Elements of Critical Thinking and Mathematical Thinking used by Practicing Civil Engineers

Critical thinking and mathematical thinking are inexorably linked and indispensable in solving engineering problems. Therefore, a study to understand how the pertinent elements of critical thinking and mathematical thinking relate and interact in the real-world engineering practice is timely crucial. Unfortunately, there is not much information available explicating about the link. The first part of this paper reports a review on these matters based on rather limited resources

Promoting higher order thinking skills through outside classroom strategy in learning mathematics

Mathematics is based on observations of assorted patterns with logically thinking that leads to various theories of abstract relations (Vale, 2012). The thinking process involves the skills of mathematical reasoning and creative thinking (Brodie, 2010). In Malaysia, mathematics education was introduced formally to each student since at early age. Mathematics has train them to think logically and systematically in solving problems and decision makings which can make them better in higher order thinking skills (HOTS). However, the process of learning and teaching in Malaysia secondary schools are still conventional (Bakar & Hadi, 2011; Hamdi et al., 2012). Teachers are prefer to choose traditional methods in order to manage the students easily (Rozita Radhiah & Abdul Rasid, 2012). If these situation are still adopted in Malaysia schools, the HOTS will not expanding as our wish as in the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 (Malaysia Education Blueprint, 2013). In addition, most of the students think that mathematics is abstract (Pound, 2008). Therefore, according to research by Gainsburg (2008), they are an urgency of connecting mathematics in schools with real life situations. Outside classroom learning is a real learning where the students can involve and discover with their direct experience (Moffett, 2011). One of real life situations learning strategy is learning at outside classroom setting, which focusing on the use of learning techniques of 'hands-on ' and actively participating in the activity to gain knowledge (Waite, 2010). Students must put into practice ‘in the real world’ what they have theorized about. Beside that the learning can become inherently student-centered when moved from the boundaries of the classroom into the world at large. Therefore in this study, the researcher plan to integrate the strategy of learning outside the classroom in Mathematics learning to give students the chances to relate their theoretical into practical in real life situation

Enhancing higher order thinking skills through mathematical thinking in an outside classroom learning environment: a theoretical framework

Emphasis on enhancing students’ higher order thinking skills (HOTS) has been one of the objectives of Malaysian education system. The success of HOTS depends upon an individual’s ability to create complex ideas, reorganize and embellish knowledge in the context of thinking situation. Generating HOTS in learning Mathematics starts from the process itself involving various processes of mathematical thinking. However, the inculcation of HOTS using mathematical thinking in normal Malaysian classroom setting is rather limited and often inadequate. Furthermore, it is much less practised in an outside classroom environment. Therefore, learning activities which can promote the inculcation of mathematical HOTS should be developed and implemented in the process of teaching and learning of mathematics. This paper reports an attempt to design and develop a framework aimed at promoting mathematical HOTS among Malaysian secondary schools. The framework uses appropriate questions and prompts to support each of the four Mason’s mathematical thinking processes practised in an outside classroom environment

Pembangunan strategi pembelajaran geometri tiga dimensi: pelan dan dongakan melalui SketchUp Make

Terdapat cukup bukti yang menunjukkan bahawa kemahiran visual spatial dan tahap pemikiran geometri pelajar tidak diberi penekanan yang mencukupi dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran geometri. Permasalahan ini telah menyebabkan kesukaran pembelajaran geometri di kalangan pelajar. Justeru itu, satu strategi pembelajaran yang dinamakan Strategi Pembelajaran Pelan 3 Dimensi melalui SketchUp Make (SPPD-SUM) telah direka dan dibangunkan dengan harapan dapat membantu pelajar untuk meningkatkan kemahiran visual spatial dan pemikiran geometri dalam pembelajaran 3 dimensi geometri bagi tajuk Pelan dan Dongakan. Domain kemahiran visual spatial telah diterapkan ke dalam tahap pemikiran geometri dengan teliti melalui aktiviti pembelajaran yang dibina dan disusun secara spesifik. Susunan ini adalah penting untuk memastikan pelajar dapat mencapai perubahan kognitif yang lebih baik dalam kemahiran spatial visual dengan berkomunikasi dan berinteraksi secara fizikal dan sosial mengikut model hierarki pemikiran geometri van Hiele. Aktiviti pembelajaran telah direka dengan teliti agar selaras dengan setiap tahap pemikiran geometri dan fasa pembelajaran tertentu sebagaimana yang telah ditetapkan oleh van Hiele. SPPD-SUM dibina berdasarkan ciri istimewa perisian dinamik SketchUp Make bagi memudahkan peningkatan kemahiran visual spatial dan pemikiran geometri semasa proses pembelajaran. Keseluruhan proses pembangunan SPPD-SUM berlandaskan lima peringkat kitaran model reka bentuk pengajaran ADDIE. Kertas kerja ini hanya melaporkan dua peringkat iaitu reka bentuk dan pembangunan SPPDSUM

Meningkatkan kemahiran penaakulan matematik berfokuskan metakognitif dalam kalangan pelajar

Kemahiran penaakulan matematik adalah Merupakan salah satu elernen utama dalam kemahiran berfikir aras tinggi yang diberi penekanan utama dalam pembelajaran matematik di Malaysia. Terdapat banyak bukti berasaskan kajian yang rnendapati bahawa pelajar Malaysia cekap dalam mengaplikasi prosedur matematik standard (misalnya aritmetik) tetapi lemah dalam membuat penaakulan matematik. Beberapa kajian lain pula mendapati kelemahan penaakulan matematik adalah salah satu punca utama yang menyebabkan pelajar mengalami kesukaran dalam mempelajari matematik bersifat analitik (misalnya Matematik Tambahan). Beberapa teori kognitifpembelajaran matematik mencadangkan bahawa terdapat perkaitan tertentu antara kemahiran penaakulan matematik ini berbanding kemahiran metakognitif individu semasa mempelajari atau membina sesesuatu konsep matematik. Artikel ini membincangkan kepentingan penguasaan kemahiran penaakulan matematik di kalangan pelajar dalam pernbelajaran matematik bersifat analitik pelajar serta kon sep strategi pembelajaran berfokuskan kemahiran metakognitif dalam membantu pelajar mempertingkatkan kemahiran penaakulan

Learning the strategy of reasoning through Marzano dimensional mastery learning model among form four students for the topic of differentiation

Reasoning skills are very important in encouraging students to think more critically and logically, as depicted in the Malaysian Education Development Plan (2013-2025). Therefore, this study looked into improving the Differentiation Reasoning Level (DRL) of reasoning skills among students for a topic in the Additional Mathematics subject, known as Differentiation, through reasoning learning strategy. The study participants consisted of a total of 31 students from a secondary boarding school in Johor, selected through a purposive sampling method. A pre-test was carried out for the participants, from the advanced level, followed by a number of repetition tests, before the post-test assessment was conducted. The data collection for this study employed a set of Reasoning Test on Differentiation (RTD) and 10 sets of learning activities on Differentiation based on modified Marzano Rubric for Specific Task of Situations (1992). This dimension involved four types of reasoning skills, namely, comparison, classification, inductive, and deductive. The survey data, through paired samples t-test, revealed a significant difference between the mean scores in pre-test and post-test (p <0.05). In addition, the paired sample t-test showed a significant difference on the level of reasoning among students from each construct in the reasoning skills before and after using this module. In conclusion, the Marzano Model of Dimensional Learning (1992) is a thinking skill model that can help improve students' reasoning skills. The model covers analysis aspects of what has been learned by implementing the process of identifying reasons, which will help students to add and expand their knowledge. The findings also implied that, the processes of teaching and learning play an important role in ensuring students’ capability to emphasize on the implementation process of reasoning skills

Math-related critical thinking theory in civil engineering design

Design is the fundamental soul to all branches of engineering. It is a prime context for understanding how civil engineers use critical thinking and mathematical thinking in engineering problem-solving. However, information about the interrelation between these two types of thinking in real-world engineering practice is found lacking in the literature. This paper presents the first-hand experience of developing a substantive theory which relates both critical thinking and mathematical thinking used by practicing engineers in the civil engineering design process. The qualitative research using modified grounded theory method was employed in this study. Data were generated from semi-structured interviews with practicing engineers from two engineering consultancy firms. Six essential processes of justifying decisions reasonably in engineering design process were identified, namely complying requirements, forming conjectures, drawing reasonable conclusions, defending claims with good reasons, giving alternative ways and selecting and pursuing the right approach. Findings of this study may advise prospective civil engineers of the applicability and indispensability of critical thinking and mathematical thinking in making and justifying decisions during the engineering design process. The study also contributes useful information to engineering education on fulfilling the expectations of engineering program outcomes set by the Engineering Accreditation Council

Pertinent elements of critical thinking and mathematical thinking used by civil engineers

Critical thinking and mathematical thinking are inexorably linked and indispensable in solving engineering problems. Therefore, a study to understand how the pertinent elements of critical thinking and mathematical thinking relate and interact in the real-world engineering practice is timely crucial. Unfortunately, there is not much information available explicating about the link. The first part of this paper reports a review on these matters based on rather limited resources. The second part describes a research design to conduct the study in order to understand the interrelation and interaction among the pertinent elements of critical thinking and mathematical thinking. It is followed by a discussion on findings of a pilot study. Insights from the review and the pilot study provide useful information for conducting the main study