Confidence level and self-efficacy beliefs of mathematics teachers: evidence from Sarawak / Nor Hazizah Julaihi

The purpose of this paper is to examine the confidence level and selfefficacy beliefs of Mathematics teachers, particularly in Kuching and Samarahan, using the instrument adapted from two reliable questionnaires: Trend in International Mathematics and Sciences Study (TIMSS) and Teachers’ Sense of Teaching Mathematics Efficacy Scale (TSES). The respondents consisted of 49 teachers from both primary and secondary schools. The analysis reported that teachers have shown practically high confidence level in teaching mathematics and they closely agreed on their beliefs about their own teaching mathematics efficacy. Further analysis indicated that the mean scores of confidence level and self-efficacy beliefs for the female teachers were slightly higher than the male teachers. Analysis also reported that there were no significant differences in mean scores between teachers’ confidence level and selfefficacy beliefs across gender, highest education attained and years of mathematics teaching. The correlations analysis saw a significant positive strong relationship between teachers’ confidence level and self-efficacy beliefs. These findings provided some evidences to the existing pool of knowledge about teaching efficacy beliefs as well as some distinct and new insights relating to efficacy issue

Teachers’ efficacy beliefs in mathematics teaching: a study of public primary schools in Sarawak / Julaihi, N. H

The Ministry of Education in Malaysia has voiced concern over the serious problems of underachieving primary school students in Mathematics. While the Ministry is gearing its education direction towards a new generation of STEM experts, the teachers have been assigned to shoulder the movement of the vision. Hence, their views must be understood. A study was conducted among 66 Mathematics teachers from 39 public primary schools in the sub-urban district of Samarahan in Malaysia to understand their mathematics teaching efficacy. The Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI) by Enochs, Smith and Huinker (2000) was adapted and used in the data collection. Quantitative data analysis methods include descriptive statistics and the analysis of variance. The results indicated that the teachers were confident of their efficacy in Mathematics teaching. Specifically, the teachers’ personal efficacy was slightly lower than outcome expectancy. In addition, there was a moderate positive significant relationship between teachers’ personal efficacy and outcome expectancy. Gender, years of Mathematics teaching experience and highest education attained were not significant to teachers’ efficac

e-Integral map as an interactive procedural learning tool / Nor Hazizah Julaihi, Voon Li Li and Tang Howe Eng

In higher learning institutions, students have been learning Calculus conventionally from textbook or reference book which they perceived as abstract, confusing and cannot be imagined. Available books are too complicated for fast revision, too complex for identification of appropriate technique(s) to solve Calculus problems and fail to provide a thorough overview on the content learned. This study proposes e-lntegral Map which provides an alternative way for the learners to learn Calculus interactively. This study attempts to investigate the effectiveness of using e-lntegral Map in Calculus learning among higher learning institutions students. Students' understanding and students' feedback while and after using e-lntegral Map are also investigated in this study, e-lntegral Map provides a rich learning experience to cater the different abilities of students in learning Calculus. This study employs mixed methods research design in which quantitative procedures that involve the uses of questionnaires, pre-test and post-test, is the initial method of collecting data and follow-up by the collection of interview data to provide in-depth information of the quantitative findings. A total of 55 higher learning institution students will be selected by using the stratified random sampling method. The sample will be randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. Six respondents will then be interviewed to tackle the learning process and the experience of the students while using e-lntegral map. The findings will then be analyzed. The expected outcomes from this study comprise an innovative and new teaching and learning method to assist students' in learning Calculus

MDAB programme is a waste of money? / Nor Hazizah Julaihi … [et al.]

The MDAB programme is a remedial course introduced by Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in June 2010. The main objective of the programme is to give an opportunity to Bumiputera students having under qualified entry results and coming from low income families to further their tertiary studies in UiTM. The students entering this programme are fully sponsored and to date about 22000 students have undergone this programme and about RM20 million has been spent just for the students’ allowance. Thus, this research was embarked to investigate the overall performance of the students in this programme in order to justify that the money invested was indeed well spent and also such remedial courses have helped the students. The performance of all MDAB students for the last nine semesters as well as the performance of a particular MDAB programme namely Pre-Science at UiTM Sarawak are reported in this paper. The results showed that 83.43% of the overall MDAB students managed to complete the courses and continued their studies at diploma level. However, only 70.94% of Pre-Science students in UiTM Sarawak managed to complete their courses. In general, the overall performance showed that the programme has indeed succeeded in helping the students to further their studies at a higher level

Attitudes and perceptions of university students towards calculus / Tang Howe Eng, Nor Hazizah Julaihi and Voon Li Li

This study seeks to examine university students’ attitudes and their perceptions on calculus education. Lecturers’ suggestions to remedy the current situation of calculus learning were also investigated. The instruments of this study consisted of three sets of questionnaires, aimed at collecting data regarding students’ attitudes and perceptions on calculus and lecturers’ suggestions. The respondents consisted of 278 full-time diploma students in a public university in Malaysia. The findings indicate that the students’ attitudes towards the Course of calculus according to gender were insignificant. However, there was a significant difference in the students’ attitudes towards the Field of calculus between female and male students. Students of Pre-Calculus and Calculus I were found to be feeling, thinking, and behaving similarly about calculus. Their attitudes towards the Field of calculus among the four engineering and science programmes were significant. After attempting 39.27% of the given questions, students’ perceptions on the difficulty of the questions remained the same, which was neither easier nor harder than they expected. Nevertheless, students’ perceptions changed positively (questions more difficult than expected) in 19.45% of the questions and negatively (questions easier than expected) in 41.28% of the questions. The implications from these findings provided inputs to improve calculus teaching and learning. Information regarding students’ attitudes toward calculus could help lecturers to design comprehensive calculus lessons that suit all kinds of students. Students also need to change their attitudes towards calculus, for example by having a closer inspection of the exact nature of the calculus questions before attempting them

Misconceptions and errors in learning integral calculus / Voon Li Li, Nor Hazizah Julaihi and Tang Howe Eng

The paper presents the results of a case study examining students’ difficulties in the learning of integral calculus. It sought to address the misconceptions and errors that were encountered in the students’ work solution. In quantitative study, the marks obtained by 147 students of Diploma in Computer Science in advanced calculus examinations were used as a measurement to evaluate the percentages of errors. Further, qualitative study examined the types of errors performed by 70 diploma students of the advanced calculus courses in their on-going assessments. The students encountered more difficulties in solving questions related to improper integrals for standard functions (63.1 percentages of errors). The three techniques of integration, namely by parts, trigonometric substitution and partial fraction with combined percentage errors of 42.8 also contributed to this. The types of conceptual errors discovered are symbolic, standard functions recognition, property of integral and technique determination. The procedural errors are due to the confusion between differentiation and integration process while the technical errors have foreseen the students struggling with poor mathematical skills and carelessness. The results will thus be useful to Mathematics educators who are keen in designing functional teaching and learning instruments to rectify the difficulties and misconceptions problems experienced by calculus students

Self-Efficacy in Learning Mathematics Online

Online learning has been a need for worldwide education systems due to Covid-19. It is essential to study the students' self-efficacy to determine online learning success. Research suggests that self-efficacy can boost student achievement, foster emotional health and well-being, and be a valid predictor of motivation and learning. The purpose of this paper is to examine the students' self-efficacy in Mathematics online learning using a reliable instrument adapted from the "Learning Self-Efficacy Scale (OLSES)" developed by Zimmerman and Kulikowich in 2016. The respondents consisted of 343 undergraduate students in Sarawak, Malaysia. This study's quantitative data analysis methods include descriptive and inferential statistics. The analysis reported that most of the respondents had moderate to high levels of self-efficacy, whereas most of them were comfortable with Mathematics online learning. Specifically, there was a significant relationship between students' self-efficacy and the domains, namely learning in an online environment, time management, and technology use. This study also found no significant difference in the mean scores of students' self-efficacy concerning gender, academic performance, and online learning prior experience. However, there was a significant difference in mean scores for students' self-efficacy across their online learning comfort levels. Further analysis indicated that students who were notably comfortable projected a significantly higher self-efficacy than those with an average or low comfort level. Although the students in this study mostly had moderate to high levels of self-efficacy, there is still room to improve and strengthen their self-efficacy, especially in their abilities and readiness to engage in online learning and thus in achieving good academic performance

e-Integral map as an interactive procedural learning tool / Nor Hazizah Julaihi... [et al]

In higher learning institutions, students have been learning Calculus conventionally from textbook or reference book which they perceived as abstract, confusing and cannot be imagined. Available books are too complicated for fast revision, too complex for identification of appropriate technique(s) to solve Calculus problems and fail to provide a thorough overview on the content learned. This study proposes e-integral Map which provides an alternative way for the learners to learn Calculus interactively. This study attempts to investigate the effectiveness of using e-integral Map in Calculus learning among higher learning institutions students. Students' understanding and students' feedback while and after using e-integral Map are also investigated in this study, e-integral Map provides a rich learning experience to cater the different abilities of students in learning Calculus. This study employs mixed methods research design in which quantitative procedures that involve the uses of questionnaires, pre-test and post-test, is the initial method of collecting data and follow-up by the collection of interview data to provide in-depth information of the quantitative findings. A total of 55 higher learning institution students will be selected by using the stratified random sampling method. The sample will be randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. Six respondents will then be interviewed to tackle the learning process and the experience of the students while using e-integral map. The findings will then be analysed. The expected outcomes from this study comprise an innovative and new teaching and learning method to assist students' in learning Calculus