Knowledge Level and Self-Confidence on The Computational Thinking Skills Among Science Teacher Candidates

The trending topic in today's education is computational thinking skills which are used to help to solve complicated problems easier. This study aims to identify the level of knowledge and self-confidence of science teacher candidates (physics and biology) on computational thinking skills. The survey research design was used through a mixed-method approach by combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative study involved 1016 randomly selected groups of science teachers while in the qualitative study, eight science teachers were chosen based on the scores obtained from the quantitative study. The questionnaire was used as a quantitative data collecting technique to analyze descriptive statistics. Then, an interview was used as the qualitative data collecting technique and was analyzed through theme creation. The findings show that science teacher candidates have a high level of knowledge and self-confidence. The implication of this study is very important for teacher candidates because computational thinking can help to facilitate problems solving in everyday life. Teacher candidates need to be given knowledge and understanding of computational thinking skills, to have readiness and self-confidence in facing the challenges of the learning in the 21st-centur

Kesahan dan kebolehpercayaan ujian kemahiran proses sains untuk murid sekolah rendah berdasarkan model pengukuran Rasch

Kemahiran proses sains merangkumi kemahiran-kemahiran yang dilakukan saintis semasa mereka mengkaji dan menyiasat. Dalam tugasan di bilik sains, murid boleh mengaplikasi kemahiran berkenaan untuk menyerupai langkah-langkah prosedur yang sistematik sebagaimana saintis uruskan. Bagi mengkaji tahap kemahiran proses sains, sebuah instrumen berskala Likert lima mata yang mengandungi 68 item dibina. Kajian menggunakan instrumen ini dijalankan secara kuantitatif berdasarkan reka bentuk tinjauan. Tujuan kajian ialah untuk menentukan sejauh mana kesahan dan kebolehpercayaan instrumen ini dapat memenuhi ciri psikometrik sesebuah penyelidikan. Analisis item membolehkan item yang sah, adil dan berkualiti terpilih manakala item sebaliknya ditambah baik atau dibuang. Kesahan item dalam kajian ini dikaji dalam aspek keserasian item, polariti item, kebebasan setempat dan analisis unidimensi menggunakan analisis model pengukuran Rasch. Kebolehpercayaan yang terlibat dalam kajian ini turut dianalisis berdasarkan model pengukuran Rasch daripada aspek indeks pengasingan serta indeks kebolehpercayaan item dan individu. Data dikaji menggunakan perisian Statistik IBM SPSS dan WInSTePS. Pembinaan instrumen ini menyumbang kepada pertambahan kepelbagaian bentuk ujian terutama jenis pentaksiran masa kini yang mula cenderung ke arah bentuk penilaian kendiri. Instrumen-instrumen sebelum ini lebih mengkaji kepada aspek pengetahuan namun instrumen ini menumpukan kepada aspek pengetahuan dan kebolehan. Implikasi dapatan kajian ini memberi kelebihan kepada guru sains menilai tahap kemahiran proses sains murid berkaitan

Pedagogical Agents in Interactive Multimedia Modules: Issues of Variability

AbstractThis paper introduces the pedagogical agents and describes its characteristics and roles in multimedia modules. It will also include examples of the use of pedagogical agents in previous studies and effective use of pedagogical agents on learning. Next, pedagogical agent variability in terms of physical (ethnicity, gender, image, voice) and internal features (roles, communication and competency) will be discussed in the context of its impact on learners’ diversity. This is then followed by a discussion and suggestions for further research regarding the effective use of pedagogical agent in multimedia modules

Teaching and Learning Primary Science for Marginalised Children

In the twenty-first century, the demand for large scale human capital workforce based on scientific knowledge is rising especially in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-related carriers. Innovative societies need people who are equipped with scientific knowledge and competencies. But, science education has tended to be perceived as irrelevant and not interested by marginalised children. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the impact of the learning outside the classroom (LOC) module on academic achievement and intrinsic motivation of marginalised learners in learning science. For that, quasi-experimental design with pre-test post-test, non-equivalent control group research design was implemented. The treatment group (n = 38) used LOC module, while the control group (n = 35) used conventional module in teaching science. Academic achievement evaluates using Science Achievement Test (SAT), whereas intrinsic motivation evaluates using Intrinsic Motivation Questionnaire (IMQ). Data obtained from AT and IMQ were analysed using independent-sample T-test and MANOVA repeated measures. The results showed non-significant increase in SAT mean scores in the treatment group. The findings also indicate that there is no significant main effect and interaction effect between group and time towards intrinsic motivation. As a result, the two teaching methods do not have significant and positive impact on intrinsic motivation among marginalised learners

Assessing Oral Communication Skills In Science: A Rubric Development

This research was conducted to develop an analytical rubric for alternative assessment of scientific oral activities with the inculcation of 21st century skills. The aim of the research is to determine whether the developed analytical rubric is suitable for assessing oral communication skills in science activities by taking into account advice from a panel of 15 experts in science education to validate the rubric in three Delphi rounds and by using 5 experienced teachers as assessors to test the reliability of the rubric using an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). The study found that the analytical rubric has a high relevance percentage of 100% and high consensus of 75.0% as well as a high absolute agreement of 85.0% [ICC = .85 (95% CI, .69 to .94)]. This result shows that the analytical rubric developed is appropriate for assessing oral communication skills in school science activities. This effort is essential in realising the assessment of authentic outcomes, concurrent with 21st century needs. However, further research on the validity and reliability of the rubric is necessary

Analisis faktor pengesahan bagi instrumen pengetahuan guru matematik sekolah rendah dalam pentaksiran berasaskan sekolah

Kajian ini bertujuan mengesahkan instrumen pengetahuan guru dalam Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah (PBS) yang merangkumi tiga dimensi iaitu Pentaksiran Sekolah, Pentaksiran Formatif dan Tahap Penguasaan menggunakan analisis faktor pengesahan (CFA). Reka bentuk kajian ini merupakan kajian tinjauan silang yang melibatkan seramai 394 guru matematik sekolah rendah yang dipilih melalui pensampelan rawak berstrata dari Semenanjung Malaysia. Instrumen kajian merupakan soal selidik dengan skala Likert lima poin yang diadaptasi daripada beberapa kajian lepas. Model pengukuran yang dihipotesiskan diuji menggunakan perisian IBM SPSS AMOS versi 23.0. Tiga item dengan muatan faktor yang rendah digugurkan. Dapatan menunjukkan bahawa model pengukuran akhir mempunyai kesepadanan dengan data yang diperoleh. Model pengukuran juga melepasi ujian kebolehpercayaan serta kesahan konstruk, kesahan menumpu dan kesahan diskriminan. Kesimpulannya, model pengukuran yang dibangunkan mampu mengukur pengetahuan guru matematik sekolah rendah dalam PBS dan berupaya menyelami kekurangan dan masalah yang dihadapi oleh guru dalam menjalankan pentaksiran formatif dalam proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran. Dapatan kajian ini telah memberi implikasi terhadap kepentingan pengetahuan guru dalam pentaksiran yang mempengaruhi keberkesanan pengajaran guru

EkSTEMiT Learning Module and Inculcation of Inventive Thinking

The young generation of today must be prepared with the knowledge and skills necessary to be able to compete globally thus boosting economic growth and prosperity. Therefore, students should not only be equipped with knowledge but they are in need of the “21st century skills”, which is the top priority and one of the main education agenda goals today. As one of the domains in the 21st century skills, inventive thinking includes elements of flexibility, self-regulation, curiosity, creativity, risk taking, higher order thinking and reasoning. In order to inculcate inventive thinking for students, the EkSTEMiT Learning Module was developed for the topic Electrochemistry; one of the most difficult topics to learn among students. EkSTEMiT Learning Module was developed based on the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) integrated model. Thus, this paper will discuss the conceptual framework underlying the development of EkSTEMiT Learning Module with descriptions of learning activities designed for Electrochemistry

21st Century Skills Mastery Amongst Science Foundation Programme Students

The rapid growing of knowledge economy that relies on the advancement of ICT has changed the trend of employment and social life. Employers in this century are looking for competitive, innovative and global employees. As a consequence, students should be prepared to acquire 21st-century skills so that they can be successful in the employment and social life. Before that, this study has examined the mastery level of the 21st-century skills amongst science foundation programme students. This study has also investigated the relationships between former school location and gender on the mastery levels of the 21st-century skills. A total of 240 students from two foundation colleges participated in this quantitative study. The findings indicated that the mastery level of the 21st-century skills was high. All subdomains of the 21st-century skills were at a high mastery level. However, economy literacy as one of digital era literacy subdomains showed a moderate level. Meanwhile, creativity as one of the inventive thinking subdomains also showed a moderate level, and interactive communication as one of effective communication subdomains also showed a moderate level. Findings also revealed that there were no significant differences between former school location and gender on the mastery levels of the 21st-century skills amongst science foundation programme students

Penerapan nilai murni melalui interaksi T-A-M dan kitaran pengajaran 5E dalam modul Tauhidik STEM Kids

Kajian ini bermatlamat untuk mengenal pasti penerapan nilai murni dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran (PdP) sains menggunakan modul Tauhidik STEM Kids yang disesuaikan dengan model pengajaran 5E beserta interaksi Tuhan (T), Alam (A) dan Manusia (M). Modul ini diuji keberkesanannya terhadap domain nilai murni iaitu bersyukur, bekerjasama, berfikiran rasional, menghargai alam dan sumbangan sains & teknologi dan keadilan. Sejumlah 116 orang murid Tahun Lima dari dua buah sekolah kebangsaan di Negeri Selangor dipilih sebagai responden kajian. Sebuah sekolah dikategori sebagai kumpulan kawalan (n=57) iaitu menggunakan pendekatan pengajaran inkuiri secara konvensional dan sebuah lagi dikategorikan sebagai kumpulan rawatan (n=59) iaitu menggunakan modul Tauhidik STEM Kids. Analisis dapatan soal selidik penerapan nilai menggunakan MANOVA pengukuran berulang menunjukkan tidak terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan nilai murni bagi kesan interaksi antara masa ujian dengan kumpulan. Namun terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan praujian ke pascaujian jika tidak melibatkan kumpulan bagi nilai berfikiran rasional, bekerjasama dan menghargai alam dan sumbangan sains & teknologi. Walaupun tiada kesan nilai murni yang signifikan mengikut kumpulan namun ia membuktikan pendekatan pengintegrasian pendidikan STEM serta penerapan nilai murni yang sistematik boleh dilaksanakan dalam PdP formal sekolah rendah serta dapat dijadikan sebagai sumber pengajaran oleh guru