Evaluation of OUM module content : a pilot study

The module (print or digital) is the main resource used by OUM learners to guide their learning. Therefore, the quality of learning depends greatly on the quality of the module contents. This paper reports on a pilot project that was carried out to evaluate OUM modules for the purpose of improvements. A survey was conducted to gather feedbacks from the users of OUM’s modules which include both learners and tutors. The survey questionnaire seeks to obtain information on the perceptions of the users on the quality of the modules from a number of perspectives. The open-ended questions of the questionnaire also seek to gather information on the different types of errors in the various modules that need to be corrected. Research findings indicate that OUM’s modules are generally well accepted by the users. There are however several errors found in a number of modules. The study helps to identify modules that need to be enhanced. The study also reveals that there are differences in perceptions between the tutors and the learners in certain aspects Some pertinent differences are about the difficulty level of the modules, language used and learning outcomes. (Abstract by author

Student-Teachers’ Perception of the Preparedness to Engage in Online Teaching, and Challenges They Face When Teaching Online: A Corpus Analysis of Their Reflexive Journal Entries

The Covid19 pandemic changed the way almost everything is done, including teaching. Online teaching rose to become the quintessential way mode of teaching in weeks after being in relative obscurity the two decades of its existence. Online teaching is now prominent, but research shows that we are still lacking knowledge in almost every human aspect involved in online teaching. This study focusses on student-teachers’ perceptions of their own preparedness to teach online and the challenges they face when teaching online. This is done by looking into the primary keywords or concepts the student-teachers use in their own writing. Language is our ubiquitous tool by which we look into the minds of fellow human beings. Accordingly, this study looks at a body of language (corpus) compiled from the reflective journals produced by 23 student-teachers as part of their final assessment portfolio (+700 pages, +800,000 words). These journals embody their thoughts during their practical teaching experience. The analysis is carried out using a concordancer program. By analysing this corpus, we will, (1) identify the most prominently occurring content words, and (2) the most prominently occurring words relative to the prominent keywords. The resulting semantic web will display the concepts the preoccupy the concerns of these respondents thus giving us an insight into possible areas that we need to focus on in our efforts to remedy and enhance our online teaching capabilities. Initial findings show that the most prominent word in their writing ‘students’ with technical and technology concerns falling far behind

Analysing the styles of thinking among primary school teachers

One of the focuses of Malaysian National Philosophy is the holistic development of individuals, which includes the ability to think in higher order. Teachers are the most important agents in the teaching process, so it's critical to pay attention to their capacity to teach students the skills. As a result, the purpose of this research is to examine teachers' thinking abilities and determine if there are any differences between genders. The Teaching Skills Inventory was completed by 266 primary school teachers in the Selangor area, and the results revealed that teachers use executive thinking skills. Despite the fact that both genders preferred executive thinking skills, a t-test indicates that male teachers scored significantly higher in all of Sternberg's suggested thinking styles. At the conclusion of the study, some recommendations for future research were included (Abstract by authors

A Case Study: Issues, Challenges and Coping Strategies of Student-Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study explores the issues, challenges and student-teachers’ coping strategies of teaching in a classroom setting during this challenging time of the Covid-19 pandemic in a new instructional setting of online classes that replace the face-to-face classroom interaction. Purposeful sampling was employed in studying 24 student-teachers’ reflective journals through content analysis. The findings showed that most student-teachers were positive and able to cope with the issues if enough time were given to them. Based on the themes emerging from the text analysis, class management and class organisation were not the main issue. However, other main issues such as Internet accessibility and full cooperation from the students were more challenging and the actual learning engagement for the receiving end appears to be compromised due to some teachers who were inadequately trained for online instruction. (Abstract by authors

Teachers’ model for teaching critical thinking in primary school

The general purpose of this study is to investigate the applicability of the teachers’ model for critical thinking in primary school to several selected schools. The model suggested several steps need to be fulfilled to promote critical thinking in the classroom. Thus, the study employed 25 primary school teachers to investigate their understanding of critical thinking skills and their techniques for teaching the skills. A training was given to teachers to help them improve their teaching techniques. Findings revealed that teachers understood the concept and were able to infuse the techniques in their teaching. They believed that the techniques were not new, but after the training, they are able to teach the skills more systematically. This shows that the model can be used in exploring the promotion of critical thinking and primary school classroom

The styles of thinking among primary school teachers

According to Malaysian National Philosophy, one of the main goals of education is to help students become well-rounded persons who can think critically. Being aware of how well teachers can impart knowledge and skills is vital because they are the most influential players in the educational process. In other words, the aim of this study is to see if there are any disparities in thinking abilities between male and female professors. 266 primary school teachers in Selangor completed the Teaching Skills Inventory, and the results showed that teachers use executive thinking skills. In spite of the fact that men teachers outperformed female teachers in all of Sternberg's proposed thinking types, a t-test shows that male teachers preferred executive thinking skills. The study's findings were followed up with several recommendations for further investigation

Analysing the styles of thinking among primary school teachers

One of the focuses of Malaysian National Philosophy is the holistic development of individuals, which includes the ability to think in higher order. Teachers are the most important agents in the teaching process, so it's critical to pay attention to their capacity to teach students the skills. As a result, the purpose of this research is to examine teachers' thinking abilities and determine if there are any differences between genders. The Teaching Skills Inventory was completed by 266 primary school teachers in the Selangor area, and the results revealed that teachers use executive thinking skills. Despite the fact that both genders preferred executive thinking skills, a t-test indicates that male teachers scored significantly higher in all of Sternberg's suggested thinking styles. At the conclusion of the study, some recommendations for future research were included

Academic performance of APEL students in Open and Distance Learning

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) has paved greater access to lifelong learning opportunities. The systematic process of assessing prior learning for gaining access to higher education and accreditations for courses is a game-changing movement in Malaysian Education. Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) introduced the Open Entry Admission System in 2006 and gave the mandate to the Open University Malaysia to be the pioneer for operationalising it nationwide. The main objective of introducing APEL in Malaysia is to democratise education and develop human capital. The enrolment of students entering open and distance learning (ODL) institutions through the APEL system has increased over the years. More universities have been appointed to be the assessment centres. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the performance of students who have undergone the APEL system for admission. Thus, this study aims to examine the academic performance of APEL students and how their demographic factors influence academic performance. A quantitative research approach will be employed to collect data on students’ academic performance based on the CGPA and demographic information. The population of this study was all learners under the Faculty of Business and Management (FBM). The results showed demographic factors such as age, marital status and type of programme does influence the APEL entrants’ academic performance (CGPA) This is significant findings as ODL institutions will be able to take necessary proactive measures to establish appropriate action for curbing dropout rates. (Abstract by authors

Panduan pencegahan & pengendalian kes berisiko malnutrisi dalam kalangan kanak-kanak bawah 5 tahun

Garispanduan ini dibangunkan bagi menyeragamkan amalan dan prosedur pengendalian kes kanak-kanak berisiko berlebihan atau kekurangan berat badan di fasiliti kesihatan serta memberi panduan kepada anggota kesihatan dalam memberi khidmat nasihat yang bersesuaian kepada kanak-kanak bawah 5 tahun. Khidmat nasihat di dalam panduan ini meliputi keseluruhan gaya hidup kanak-kanak iaitu daripada aspek pemakanan, aktiviti fizikal, kawalan ‘screen time’ serta penjagaan tidur yang sihat