Pengajaran-Pembelajaran Kimia Di Sekolah Menengah: Ke Manakah Arah Tujunya ?

Sejak mencapai kemerdekaan, kurikulum kimia (sains) di sekolah menengah negara kita telah mengalami pelbagai perubahan. Mekipun melalui transformasi ini pendidikan kimia menjadi semakin kompleks dan sukar, tetapi apa yang penting ianya menjadi semakin menarik. Penekanan proses pengajaran-pembelajaran sains masa kini adalah terhadap belajar melalui pengalaman, dengan penerapan kemahiran saintifik, kemahiran berfikir serta penyelesaian masalah, melalui pendekatan pembelajaran berfikrah. Persoalannya: Sejauh manakah guru-guru kimia di sekolah melaksanakan proses pengajaran-pembelajaran selaras dengan Falsafah Pendidikan Kebangsaan dan Falsafah Pendidikan Kimia, demi melahirkan generasi yang celik dan kompeten dalam kimia ? Dalam usaha untuk mencari jawapan terhadap persoalan penting ini, satu set soal selidik telah diedarkan kepada 47 orang guru kimia di beberapa daerah Negeri Johor Darul Takzim. Hasil kajian menunjukkan guru menerapkan beberapa aspek kemahiran proses sains - memerhati, mengukur, berkomunikasi, mengelas, membuat kesimpulan dan mentafsir data / maklumat - dengan baik dalam proses pengajaran-pembelajaran kimia. Manakala, aspek membuat inferens dan mengawal pemboleh ubah hanya dilaksanakan guru pada tahap yang sederhana sahaja. Guru juga memberi peluang pelajar mentafsir data / maklumat yang yang diperolehi dalam sesuatu eksperimen atau aktiviti penyelidikan yang dilakukan. Walau bagaimanapun, tahap perlaksanaan dalam aspek membuat ramalan serta membuat hipotesis adalah sangat lemah. Meskipun responden menguji pengetahuan sedia ada pelajar, tetapi mereka tidak menggunakan analogi yang sesuai untuk memvisualizekan konsep kimia yang abstrak serta tidak mengaitkannya dengan kehidupan seharian. Hasil kajian juga menunjukkan responden kurang memberi peluang pelajar mengembangkan pemikiran kritis dan kreatif mereka. Di samping itu, responden tidak memberi peluang pelajar terlibat secara aktif dalam proses pengajaran-pembelajaran: Segala-galanya sebagaimana yang termaktub dalam buku teks. Prosedur sesuatu aktiviti eksperimen yang terdapat dalam buku teks diikuti responden secara langsung, tanpa melibatkan aktiviti penyelesaian masalah. Responden cenderung membincangkan teori terlebih dahulu sebelum membenarkan pelajar melakukan eksperimen dengan mengikuti “resepi� di dalam makmal, sebagaimana dalam pendekatan tradisi. Takrifan sesuatu konsep diberikan kepada pelajar sebagaimana yang terdapat dalam buku teks, tanpa memberi penekanan terhadap kata kunci atau dengan membincangkannya mengikut kefahaman guru

Tahap penguasaan kemahiran proses sains dan hubungannya dengan pencapaian kimia di kalangan pelajar tingkatan empat daerah Johor Bahru

Kurikulum sains di sekolah negara kita telah mengalami pelbagai reformasi, demi mencapai matlamat ke arah pembentukan negara industri. Mulai tahun 2002 pelajar tingkatan empat telah mempelajari sains melalui kurikulum KBSM yang baru (yang disemak semula). Kurikulum sains KBSM yang baru memberi penekanan terhadap pemerolehan pengetahuan dan penguasaan proses sains, melalui pendekatan pembelajaran berfikrah. Penguasaan kemahiran proses sains yang baik di kalangan pelajar membolehkan mereka berfikir secara kritis, proaktif untuk menyelesaikan sesuatu masalah dalam kehidupan harian dengan berkesan. Persoalannya: Adakah kurikulum sains di sekolah negara kita dilaksanakan dengan berkesan, demi mencapai matlamatnya? Adakah terdapat bukti yang menunjukkan penguasaan proses sains pelajar mempengaruhi pencapaian mereka dalam mata pelajaran kimia ? Justeru, kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengenalpasti tahap penguasaan beberapa kemahiran proses sains, seterusnya menentukan sama ada terdapat hubungan antara tahap penguasaan kemahiran tersebut dengan tahap pencapaian kimia di kalangan pelajar. Seramai 300 orang pelajar dari 7 buah sekolah di daerah Johor Bahru, dipilih secara rawak berlapis, telah dilibatkan dalam kajian. Segala maklumat dikumpulkan melalui instrumen Ujian Penguasaa Kemahiran Proses Sains (UPKPS) dan Ujian Pencapaian Kimia (UPK). Darjah kebolehpercayaan (alfa croncbach) bagi kedua-dua instrumen UPKPS dan UPK yang digunakan dalam kajian ini adalah masing-masing 0.8989 dan 0.7635. Hasil kajian menunjukkan tahap penguasaan kemahiran proses sains, khususnya kemahiran membuat inferens dan mengenalpasti pemboleh ubah, serta tahap penguasaan kimia di kalangan pelajar adalah sederhana. Walau bagaimanapun, tahap penguasaan pelajar terhadap kemahiran membuat hipotesis, mentafsir maklumat seterusnya membuat ramalan berasaskan maklumnat yang diperolehi adalah baik; manakala, pelajar menghadapi masalah untuk menguasai kemahiran mengeksperimen. Terdapat korelasi positif yang rendah antara kemahiran proses sains pelajar dengan pencapaian mereka dalam kimia

Institutional framework for consumer credit industry in Malaysia: learning from Australia, the United Kingdom and South Africa experiences

Institutional Framework for Consumer Credit Industry in Malaysia: Learning from Australia, the United Kingdom and South Africa Experience

Protecting the pawners: appraising the role of ministry of housing and local government

The role of consumer credit in modern society is vital particularly when poor economic conditions prevail and cost of living soars. It is prevalent that low and middle-income earners pledge their valuable in exchange for cash by resorting to pawnshops which are often labeled as a bank for poor. Being on the disadvantage side of having low bargaining power, the role of a regulator is indispensable. Therefore, this study examines the role of Ministry of Housing and Local Government which has been mandated to safeguard the interest of pawners under conventional pawnbroking transaction in Malaysia. The scope of discussion covers its institutional set-up, organisational structure while regulatory powers concentrate on licensing and enforcement based on the relevant statutory provisions. The discussion identifies several shortcomings in respect of licensing requirements, enforcement powers and human resources. Overall, the study finds that entrusting this ministry with consumer protection function is inappropriate. Recommendations to enhance protection for this class of consumer are proposed

Influencing the mind of the consumers: the role of the law and the regulators in controlling credit advertisement

Advertising boosts market performance by offering useful information to consumers. It enables firms to promote the attributes of their products and services and, thereby, to compete better with each other. On the other hand, advertising may adversely affect market performance when businesses use it to transmit deceptive or fraudulent messages on which reasonable consumers are induced to rely to their detriment. Regulatory intervention is prerequisite to circumvent those promotional efforts by firms that conveyuntruthful and misleading information to consumers. This study examines the principal laws and regulators involved in governing consumer credit advertisement in Malaysia. The scope is limited to four major areas namely banking, hire-purchase, moneylending and pawnbroking. The piecemeal approach in regulating this industry results in different provisions are in place to regulate consumer credit advertisement by different regulators. As a consequence, prospective consumers of various credit products are subject to different levels of protection which may be greater or lower than the other. Thus, some of them may become the victim of unethical and profit-oriented credit providers who unfairly enticing consumers to close the deal relying on misleading advertisement. The study also finds that the present advertisement regime is still incomprehensive to provide adequate protection to consumers. This study proposes some recommendations to enhance the existing state of credit advertisement control. Other than ensuring inclusive and equal protection to wide range of consumers, strengthened consumer protection regime guarantee market confidence and financial stabilit

Pendidik kreatif sebagai teras transformasi literasi kreatif di Malaysia

Kreativiti merupakan mauduk dan agenda penting dalam mana-mana orientasi pendidikan di dunia. Institusi pendidikan merupakan tempat terpenting untuk menyuburkan bakat dan kebolehan kreatif pelajar. Hal ini diakui oleh pakar-pakar sains pemikiran kreatif seperti Amabile (1992), Swartz (1989), Buzan (2002), de Bono (1971), Leong (1998) dan ramai yang lain. Amabile (1992) misalnya menyifatkan institusi sekolah merupakan tempat paling penting untuk memupuk alam kreativiti di kalangan kanak-kanak, khususnya dalam konteks prasekolah. Selanjutnya, Cropley (2001), menegaskan bahawa universiti adalah persekitaran yang amat signifikan bagi merealisasikan bakat dan kemahiran kreativiti mahasiswa. Namun begitu, menurut de Bono (19700, tanpa prime mover (dibaca sebagai pendidik) yang menggerakkan persekitaran yang kondusif untuk berkreativiti maka sukar untuk para pelajar untuk berkreasi dengan selesa dan selamat. Sungguhpun begitu, prime mover yang dimaksudkan oleh de Bono itu ialah pendidik yang dibekali dengan pengetahuan dan kemahiran kreativiti. Pendidik yang tidak memiliki kemahiran dan pengetahuan kreativiti sukar untuk merealisasikan suasana, ruang dan pengalaman kreatif dalam pengajaran dan pembelajarannya. Oleh yang demikian, kertas kerja ini akan menghuraikan konsep asas apa yang dimaksudkan sebagai pendidik kreatif. Selanjutnya, kertas kerja ini akan memperjelaskan bagaimana pendidik kreatif ini mampu membawa perubahan ke arah memupuk satu suasana kreativiti dalam pengajaran dan pembelajarannya. Selain itu, kertas kerja ini turut menghuraikan apa yang dikatakan sebagai konsep literasi kreatif dan bagaimana dinamisme literasi kreatif boleh dicapai di Malaysia. Selain itu, kertas kerja ini akan memberikan justifikasi mengapa perlunya literasi kreatif ini diberi perhatian oleh pelbagai pihak khususnya dalam sistem pendidikan Malaysia dan akhirnya apakah kesan literasi kreatif terhadap pembangunan dan masa depan negara dalam dunia globalisasi ini

Business Performance Of Small Medium Enterprise: Strategic Planning And Customer Focus.

Business performance of small medium enterprises has been a vital issue to the management. Moreover in today's economic climate, small medium enterprises competitions are greater than ever may in local or global. This study will focus on the small medium enterprises adoption of strategic planning and customer focus as the total quality management practices toward the small medium enterprises business performance. The results indicate that total quality management implementation has high correlation with business results

Complaint management and redress mechanism: the effect of fragmented institutional approach in regulating consumer credit in Malaysia

Complaint management and redress mechanism constitute cardinal elements of financial consumer protection which should be provided by the financial consumer protection regulator. This study explores the role of the Central Bank of Malaysia, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs as well as the Ministry of Housing and Local Government to ensure proper complaint management and redress mechanism in favour of financial consumers of different segments of consumer credit. Applying doctrinal, qualitative and comparative law research methodology, the study finds that as a result of fragmented approach in regulating consumer credit in Malaysia, these aspects are pursued with different priorities and enthusiasm by respective regulators. Thus, the benefit of protection varies from one class of financial consumers to another. To ensure consistency and efficient protection, the study proposes for the establishment of a single regulator, the approach adopted by Australia, a jurisdiction renowned with an established track record in financial consumer protection regime. It is viewed that by establishing a single regulator, a uniform platform for complaint and redress will be provided thereby ensuring equal protection to wide array of financial consumers

Protecting the pawners: appraising the role of the Ministry of Housing and Local Authorities

The role of consumer credit in modern society is vital particularly when poor economic conditions prevail and cost of living soars. It is prevalent that low and middle-income earners pledge their valuable in exchange for cash by resorting to pawnshops which are often labeled as a bank for poor. Being on the disadvantage side of having low bargaining power, the role of a regulator is indispensable. Therefore, this study examines the role of Ministry of Housing and Local Government which has been mandated to safeguard the interest of pawners under conventional pawnbroking transaction in Malaysia. The scope of discussion covers its institutional set-up, organisational structure while regulatory powers concentrate on licensing and enforcement based on the relevant statutory provisions. The discussion identifies several shortcomings in respect of licensing requirements, enforcement powers and human resources. Overall, the study finds that entrusting this ministry with consumer protection function is inappropriate. Recommendations to enhance protection for this class of consumer are proposed

Influencing the mind of the consumers: the role of the law and regulators in controlling credit advertisement

Advertising boosts market performance by offering useful information to consumers. It enables firms to promote the attributes of their products and services and, thereby, to compete better with each other. On the other hand, advertising may adversely affect market performance when businesses use it to transmit deceptive or fraudulent messages on which reasonable consumers are induced to rely to their detriment. Regulatory intervention is prerequisite to circumvent those promotional efforts by firms that convey untruthful and misleading information to consumers. This study examines the principal laws and regulators involved in governing consumer credit advertisement in Malaysia. The scope is limited to four major areas namely banking, hire-purchase, moneylending and pawnbroking. The piecemeal approach in regulating this industry results in different provisions are in place to regulate consumer credit advertisement by different regulators. As a consequence, prospective consumers of various credit products are subject to different levels of protection which may be greater or lower than the other. Thus, some of them may become the victim of unethical and profit-oriented credit providers who unfairly enticing consumers to close the deal relying on misleading advertisement. The study also finds that the present advertisement regime is still incomprehensive to provide adequate protection to consumers. This study proposes some recommendations to enhance the existing state of credit advertisement control. Other than ensuring inclusive and equal protection to wide range of consumers, strengthened consumer protection regime guarantee market confidence and financial stability