TOWARDS REALIZING MALAYSIA’S SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) INITIATIVES: PROFILING STUDENTS’ CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF “OPERATIONS ON INTEGERS”

Previous studies have shown that students have difficulties and misconceptions in dealing with many areas of mathematics including in various topics of the number system such as integers. Students’ difficulty with the concept of integers causes them to struggle in solving mathematical problems, especially those involving the four basic operations. This study aims to diagnose students’ errors in the operations of integers, subsequent to validating the Errors Identification Integers Test (EIIT) which can identify the types of misconceptions that students possess in dealing with the operations of integers. The EIIT which consists of multiple-choice questions involving different combinations of positive and negative numbers was adapted to suit the Malaysian context. This study also determines whether there is any difference in terms of errors which may have been committed among students from rural and urban schools as well as gender. The population of this study is all Form One students from selected public schools in Peninsular Malaysia. A total of eight schools were involved in the data collection as samples. Cluster sampling was employed in order to ensure that the selected schools represented the population. The Rasch Model was used to improve and validate the instrument used in this study. In addition, teachers’ and students’ interviews were conducted to find and confirm the misconceptions of the operations of integers. Carelessness, poor knowledge, inability to assimilate concepts and surface understanding were identified as the types of misconceptions in this study. Meanwhile, this study found that parenthesis misapprehension, poor mathematical language, calculator hooking, superficial understanding and external limitation were the causes that led to the misconceptions. From the diagnostics test, it was determined that there was a significant difference between students’ performance in different areas (rural and urban) and gender

The deployment of ICT facilities in teaching and learning in Higher Education: a mixed method study of its impact on lecturers and students

This study employed mixed method consisting qualitative and quantitative procedures to examine the impact of ICT in teaching and learning at a University in Nigeria.The survey data were drawn from 593 respondents (students and lecturers) and was analyzed using linear regression.For the qualitative part, one-on-one and focus group interviews were conducted among 7students and 8lecturers to seek their varying opinion on ICT impact on teaching and learning.Lecture-room observations were conducted across 3classes to see how ICT is integrated.These multiple means findings were triangulated, compared and contrasted to validate the study. Predictors of ICT impact were found to be perception, integration, motivation and challenges. The qualitative interview and observation findings generated 4 similar themes as the quantitative result which was conceptualized as a model that serves as a framework for researchers on impact assessment

Pertalian antara pengalaman masteri dengan efikasi kendiri guru: regresi-meta kajian keratan lintang = The relationship between teachers' mastery experience and teacher self-efficacy: A meta-regression of cross-sectional studies

This study is an attempt to gather and investigate in depth information on Malaysian university students’ use of the English language in their daily interactions. Essentially, it is a qualitative phenomenological study that utilizes the interview as a tool to gather information from undergraduates of a Malaysian public university based in the Klang valley. Nine students were enquired upon the extent to which English language is used in their daily interactions and challenges that they faced in using the language. Analysis done led to five main themes that represented the pattern of their English language usage. The themes found were indicative that the uses of English language in interactions were (1) limited to needs and situation, (2) based on location and purpose, (3) affected by low self efficacy and language skills (4) strong affective barriers and (5) unsupportive social environment. It could be said that the findings can act as an eye opener for definitive actions to be taken to improve EL interaction amongst Malaysian undergraduates towards the fulfillment of the Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB-HE) 2015-2025 (Higher Education) aspirations

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHERS’ MASTERY EXPERIENCE AND TEACHER SELF-EFFICACY: A META-REGRESSION OF CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES

Purpose -The objective of the meta-analysis was first to substantiate the magnitude of the effect size (ES) of the relationship between mastery experience and teacher self-efficacy. Second, the meta-analysis was also aimed to search for the research characteristics that moderate the mastery experience-teacher efficacy relationship. Methodology - A total of 26 original studies, involving 10,752 teachers was included in the meta-analysis. To identify the moderators, the study applied meta-regression procedure. Findings - The results supported the expectation that mastery experience positively influences teacher self-efficacy. Collectively sample charactistic, self-efficacy measure and work culture impacted the variability of the effects size

The deployment of ICT facilities in teaching and learning in Higher Education: a mixed method study of its impact on lecturers and students = A implantação de instalações de tic no ensino e aprendizagem no ensino superior: um estudo de método misto de seu impacto sobre professores e alunos

This study employed mixed method consisting qualitative and quantitative procedures to exa- mine the impact of ICT in teaching and learning at a University in Nigeria. The survey data were drawn from 593 respondents (students and lecturers) and was analyzed using linear regression. For the qualitative part, one-on-one and focus group interviews were conducted among 7 students and 8 lecturers to seek their varying opinion on ICT impact on teaching and learning. Lecture-room observations were conducted across 3classes to see how ICT is integrated. These multiple means findings were triangulated, compared and contrasted to validate the study. Predictors of ICT impact were found to be perception, integration, motivation and challenges. The qualitative interview and observation findings generated 4 similar themes as the quantitative result which was conceptualized as a model that serves as a framework for researchers on impact assessment

Malaysian ESL teachers’ practice of written feedback on students’ writing

Feedback to students’ writing plays an important role as a scaffolding technique to help the students to improve their writing skills. With the introduction of school-based assessment and the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) into the new Standards-based English Language Curriculum (SBELC), teachers are expected to adapt the process writing approach in their classroom, where feedback is at the core of the process writing approach. This present study aims to explore Malaysian ESL teachers’ practice of written feedback in their writing classrooms. Two sample essays were used in this study. The sample essays were written by a Form Three student of a secondary school in Kuantan, Pahang, and a Form Five student from a secondary school in Manjung, Perak. The sample essays were sent to all secondary schools in Pahang, and teachers who teach the English Language at the schools were asked to mark the essay as how they would normally mark their students’ essays. The participants of this study were selected using purposive sampling. A total of 89 student sample essays with the teachers’ marking were returned, and the teachers’ feedback were analysed. This study found that most of the participants mark their students’ essays comprehensively and implicitly. However, some of the respondents did not give any feedback at all, and even if they did, the feedback would be retracted from the marking rubric. It has also been found that the respondents of this present study did not utilise comments on goals to work towards or specific activities for improvement. This paper further discusses the findings in view of the assessment of learning (AfL) and gives recommendations for future practice

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHERS’ MASTERY EXPERIENCE AND TEACHER SELF-EFFICACY: A META-REGRESSION OF CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES

Purpose -The objective of the meta-analysis was first to substantiate the magnitude of the effect size (ES) of the relationship between mastery experience and teacher self-efficacy. Second, the meta-analysis was also aimed to search for the research characteristics that moderate the mastery experience-teacher efficacy relationship. Methodology - A total of 26 original studies, involving 10,752 teachers was included in the meta-analysis. To identify the moderators, the study applied meta-regression procedure. Findings - The results supported the expectation that mastery experience positively influences teacher self-efficacy. Collectively sample charactistic, self-efficacy measure and work culture impacted the variability of the effects size

The deployment of ICT facilities in teaching and learning in higher education: a mixed method study of its impact on lecturers and students

This study employed mixed method consisting qualitative and quantitative procedures to examine the impact of ICT in teaching and learning at a University in Nigeria. The survey data were drawn from 593 respondents (students and lecturers) and was analyzed using linear regression. For the qualitative part, one-on-one and focus group interviews were conducted among 7students and 8lecturers to seek their varying opinion on ICT impact on teaching and learning. Lecture-room observations were conducted across 3classes to see how ICT is integrated. These multiple means findings were triangulated, compared and contrasted to validate the study. Predictors of ICT impact were found to be perception, integration, motivation and challenges. The qualitative interview and observation findings generated 4 similar themes as the quantitative result which was conceptualized as a model that serves as a framework for researchers on impact assessment

Pertalian Antara Pengalaman Masteri Dengan Efikasi Kendiri Guru: Regresi-Meta Kajian Keratan Lintang

Tujuan - Analisis-meta ini pertamanya bertujuan menentu sah kekuatan pertalian (ES) antara pengamalan masteri dengan efikasi kendiri guru. Kedua, kajian ini juga meninjau faktor moderator yang mungkin mempengaruhi ES tersebut. Metodologi - Data analisis adalah bersumberkan sejumlah 26 kajian emperis terdahulu yang pada keseluruhannya melibatkan penyertaan 10,752 orang guru dengan berasaskan kriteria pemilihan konvensional. Untuk mengesan variabel moderator, prosedur regresi-meta telah digunakan. Dapatan - Keputusan analisis-meta menyokong jangkaan bahawa pengalaman masteri mempengaruhi efikasi kendiri guru secara positif. Juga, sifat sampel, instrument mengukur efikasi kendiri guru dan budaya lokasi tempat bertugas secara kolektif berperanan sebagai moderator dalam mempengaruhi kekuatan pertalian pengalaman masteri-efikasi kendiri guru. Signifikan - Hasil kajian menyumbangkan kepada pemahaman dan penyelidikan dalam bidang kognitif sosial dan efikasi kendiri. Seterusnya, terdapat implikasi praktikal yang wajar diambil kira oleh pembuat dan pelaksana dasar yang berkaitan dengan pembangunan professional guru