What is good mathematics teaching? The answer depends on whom you are asking. Teachers, researche... more What is good mathematics teaching? The answer depends on whom you are asking. Teachers, researchers, policymakers, administrators, and parents usually provide their own view on what they consider is good mathematics teaching and what is not. The purpose of this study was to determine how beginning teachers define good mathematics teaching and what they report as being the most important attributes at the secondary level. This research explored whether there was a relationship between the demographics of the participants and the attributes of good teaching. In addition, factors that influence the understanding of good mathematics teaching were explored. A mixed methodology was used to gather information from the research participants regarding their beliefs and classroom practices of good mathematics teaching. The two research instruments used in this study were the survey questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Thirty-three respondents who had one to two years of classroom experience comprised the study sample. They had graduated from a school of education in an eastern state and had obtained their teacher certification upon completing their studies. The beginning mathematics teachers selected these four definitions of good teaching as their top choices: 1) have High Expectations that all students are capable of learning; 2) have strong content knowledge (Subject Matter Knowledge); 3) create a Learning Environment that fosters the development of mathematical power; and 4) bring Enthusiasm and excitement to classroom. The three most important attributes in good teaching were: Classroom Management, Motivation, and Strong in Content Knowledge. One interesting finding was the discovery of four groups of beginning teachers and how they were associated with specific attributes of good mathematics teaching according to their demographics. Beginning teachers selected Immediate Classroom Situation, Mathematical Beliefs, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, and Colleagues as the top four factors from the survey analysis that influenced their understanding of good mathematics teaching. The study's results have implications on investigating specific mathematical content knowledge that is important for classroom instruction at the secondary level. Teacher education programs should provide more opportunities for their students to investigate and practice classroom management skills in the real classroom settings.
Motivation plays an important role in students' learning and academic performance. It is beli... more Motivation plays an important role in students' learning and academic performance. It is believed that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation contributes in the learning process in different ways. This study examined the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on student science achievement using the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 data. Furthermore, the study explored how intrinsic and extrinsic types of motivation function across different cultures. The sample consisted of eighth grade students from the United States, England, Malaysia, and Singapore. Students from the Western culture value extrinsic motivation higher than intrinsic motivation in science learning. The findings also showed that students with high intrinsic motivation perform better than students with low intrinsic motivation across the four countries. Positive relationship between motivation and science achievement supported motivation theory in which higher motivation led to higher achie...
International Journal of Research in Education and Science, 2018
This study aimed at exploring causal relationships between two affective factors, self-confidence... more This study aimed at exploring causal relationships between two affective factors, self-confidence and positive emotion, and two metacognitive factors, self-reflection and insight components on high school students’ mathematics achievement that assessed by formative and summative assessments. The study applied partial least squares based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach to test the path relationships for 86 eleventh-grade students. Results revealed that formative performance was the strongest predictor of summative performance followed by self-confidence. Positive emotion revealed as having a positive indirect effect on summative performance through insight component. Considering for formative performance, self-confidence revealed as the strongest predictor followed by insight component. Self-confidence accounted as the only affective factor that directed to self-reflection components, need for and engagement in self-reflection. On the contrary, positive emotion accoun...
This chapter describes the changes in the school curriculum of Malaysia from the period before it... more This chapter describes the changes in the school curriculum of Malaysia from the period before its Independence until the present period. After describing the meaning and the definition of curriculum to frame the narrative in this chapter, the chapter then goes on to describe the curriculum changes that took place in the Malaysian education system over the period of three different eras. The first era was from the pre-independence years up to 1979, as Malaysia endeavoured to define its nationhood. The next era was from 1980 to 1999, underscored by a major curricular overhaul with the introduction of the KBSR in 1983 and the KBSM in 1988 that put an emphasis on integration of knowledge, skills and values towards producing holistic students. The third era was from 2000 until the present period which saw changes in the medium of instruction twice and the introduction of the KSSR in 2011 followed by KSSM in 2017. The chapter also discusses the catalysts and contexts that bring into effe...
Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology, 2013
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of using the Geometer’s Sketchpad software... more The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of using the Geometer’s Sketchpad software in the teaching and learning of graph functions among Form Six (Grade 12) students in a Malaysian secondary school. This study utilized a quasi-experimental design using intact group of students from two classes in an urban secondary school. Two instruments were used to gather information on the students’ mathematics achievement and attitudes towards learning graph functions. A survey questionnaire was used to gauge students’ perception on the usage of Geometer’s Sketchpad in the learning of graph functions. In the study, the experimental groups used Geometer’s Sketchpad-based worksheets and each student has an access to one computer equipped with the Sketchpad software. The control group used only the textbooks. Both groups took the same pre-test. This study indicated that the results ofthe experimental group had a significant mean difference compared to the control group. The use of G...
To cite this document: Lau, P. L., Baranovich, D. L., Leong, K. E. (2018). Enhancing work readine... more To cite this document: Lau, P. L., Baranovich, D. L., Leong, K. E. (2018). Enhancing work readiness: A review on career development of adolescents in Malaysia. International Journal of Education, Psychology and Counselling, 3(8), 13-20. ___________________________________________________________________________ Abstract: Work is an important aspect in life. Each individual wants to have a suitable job according to interest for life satisfaction. The work readiness is a new concept introduced. Work readiness is the key to linking individuals and success to transform the entry level workplace through a focus on value-creating relationship. However, this essential concept has not been given much attention in Malaysia. Therefore, this paper reviews the concepts of work readiness, career and career development, especially their relevance to adolescents in Malaysia. Also, this paper highlights the significance of future research on work readiness and career development among adolescents i...
Skills required by pupils for the 21st century differ from what was required twenty years back. T... more Skills required by pupils for the 21st century differ from what was required twenty years back. The results of the 21st century concentrates on the abilities and knowledge pupils must learn to be successful in college, life and work. In order to do this, pupils should be taught to master critical thinking skills. The effective way is by including modelling in their syllabus. In mathematics learning, mathematical modelling deals with modelling and application in mathematics teaching, characterising pupils’ modelling abilities and application of modelling activities toward building their competencies. In this study, seventy fifth grade pupils from a school in Selangor, Malaysia, were chosen as the participants. Quantitative approach was used in this study. These pupils were selected using convenience sampling procedure. Open ended tasks based on some real-world problems were given to the pupils. Their answers were assessed using a rubric score table. The scores ranged from 1 to 3 and ...
Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology, 2013
The use of technology in the pedagogical process is growing at a phenomenal rate due to the vast ... more The use of technology in the pedagogical process is growing at a phenomenal rate due to the vast availability of gadgets. As a result, educationists see the urgent need for integrating technology in students’ mathematical activities. Therefore, the purpose of this quasi experimental study was to investigate students’ understanding in learning circles using GeoGebra. Fifty-three Year 9 (Form 3) students from two intact classes participated in this study with one class assigned as the experimental group and the other as the control. Findings of this study showed a significant difference existed in the mean scores between these two groups. The result indicated that students in the experimental group outperformed those in the control group. In addition, a survey instrument was used to elicit students' perception on the use of GeoGebra. Analysis of the questionnaire responses indicated a positive overall perception of using GeoGebra in learning about circles.
Mathematical modelling is a very important component in the teaching and learning of mathematics.... more Mathematical modelling is a very important component in the teaching and learning of mathematics. In Malaysia, educators require more exposure to mathematical modelling it is still a new pedagogical method in classrooms. Modelling tasks that require students to construct a mathematical model would be a good start in developing modelling competencies. In this study, the authors investigate three mathematical modelling competencies of secondary students in the state of Selangor through a qualitative analysis of 20 students (divided into four groups) responses based on one modelling task developed by the researchers. The three modelling competencies we focus in this study are (1) making assumption; (2) computing and interpreting solution; and (3) mathematical reasoning. Our findings indicate that most students were basic users while a small percentage reached the proficient users level. With more engagement with the modelling tasks, students would able to acquire the modelling competencies and also develop their modelling skills. This would contribute to the meaningful learning of mathematics.
Remedial pupils are often more engaged in their learning when the content delivered uses games-ba... more Remedial pupils are often more engaged in their learning when the content delivered uses games-based-activities. This study integrated gamification using technology in learning mathematics which is one of the 21st century learning approaches. In this paper we report the results of a study on lessons using 2 learning games based on GeoGebra with reference to remedial pupils’ motivation in learning primary mathematics. The respondents consisted of 4 remedial pupils from a primary school in Selangor, Malaysia. Data were obtained through observation on lessons and questionnaire on students’ perception in gamification on GeoGebra. Observation by using video recording indicated that the sample showed high motivation in learning mathematics. Questionnaire result also showed students’ positive interest in using gamification on GeoGebra. In conclusion, this study found that using gamification on GeoGebra is highly effective in helping remedial pupils to learn primary mathematics besides incr...
The purpose of this study was to elicit secondary students' perceptions of school assessment ... more The purpose of this study was to elicit secondary students' perceptions of school assessment practices in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related subjects. Examples of STEM related subjects in the secondary school curriculum are Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Science, Health Science, Integrated Living Skills, Mathematics and Additional Mathematics. The researchers employed a cross-sectional survey research design and the sample comprised 221 Form Four students from 3 public secondary schools in the northern zone, 2 public secondary schools in the central zone and 2 public secondary schools in the southern zone of Peninsular Malaysia. Analysis of 170 complete questionnaires from the sample indicated that the students showed positive overall perceptions of school assessment practices in STEM related subjects. The results also indicated that there were no significant differences in overall perceptions of school assessment practices in STEM related subjects in ...
High stakes assessment practices have been the most common summative assessments in schools. To a... more High stakes assessment practices have been the most common summative assessments in schools. To address the shortcomings of the summative assessments, Assessment for Learning (AfL) was introduced to provide learners more active feedback and autonomy in their learning progression. In Malaysia, school-based assessments were introduced to reduce the dependency on summative assessments. This paper examines the espoused and the levels of enacted AfL practices of Malaysian Year 7 teachers. A survey and video research design was employed in this study where data were collected from a sample of teachers who taught Mathematics, Science, English Language, and Malay Language. To elicit teachers’ espoused AfL practices, a questionnaire was used while video recordings were utilized as a form of classroom observation to elicit teachers’ enacted AfL practices. The results indicated that there seemed to be agreement among teachers’ espoused AfL practices with AfL strategies for three dimensions whi...
This study investigated the associations between self-compassion, resilience, and psychological w... more This study investigated the associations between self-compassion, resilience, and psychological well-being among 408 counselors in Malaysia. Data were collected by using a web-based survey. PLS-SEM analyses revealed that self-compassion was positively related to counselors’ resilience and psychological well-being, whereas resilience was positively related to counselors’ psychological well-being. Results also showed that resilience significantly mediated the associations between self-compassion and psychological well-being among counselors. The hypothesized model explained the substantial influences of self-compassion and resilience on counselors’ psychological well-being. This study highlighted the two important human factors, i.e., self-compassion and resilience, with implications for integrating these two influential constructs in the development of counselors’ psychological well-being.
Journal of Research in Science Mathematics and Technology Education
The teaching and learning of statistical reasoning is becoming challenging due to the change in t... more The teaching and learning of statistical reasoning is becoming challenging due to the change in the perspective emphasizing on the deeper understanding rather than basic statistics computations. As suggested by researchers, implementing technologies able to develop student interest in the topics leads to deeper understanding. Hence, this study used dynamic software, Fathom for teaching statistical reasoning. The purpose of this study is to examine the statistical reasoning understanding among upper secondary students after using dynamic software, Fathom. The sample consists of seventy-two students randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. The experimental group underwent an intervention where they learnt statistical reasoning using Fathom while the control group learnt statistical reasoning using traditional learning method not involving Fathom. Statistical Reasoning Assessment (SRA) was used in this study as the instrument for measuring statistical reasoning. The resear...
International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of graphing calculator on students' proble... more The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of graphing calculator on students' problem solving success in solving linear equation problems and their attitude toward problem solving in mathematics. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control and treatment group using the pretest post-test design was employed in this study to test the hypotheses. The sample of the study involved two Form Four classes from one public secondary school in Sarawak, Malaysia. Students in the experimental group received problem solving based instruction using graphing calculator while the control group students underwent the traditional chalk and talk method without the graphing technology. Two instruments were used in this study, namely the Linear Equation Problem Solving Test and the Mathematical Problem Solving Questionnaire. Findings of this study show existence of a significant difference in the mean scores between the two groups; students who used graphing calculator performed better in problem solving tasks compared to students without access to graphing calculator. Furthermore, a questionnaire was used to obtain students' attitude toward problem solving in mathematics. Results from the survey revealed that students who use graphing calculator have a better attitude toward problem solving in mathematics. This study is pertinent as it investigates a different approach in teaching linear equation through problem solving while integrating the latest graphing calculator technology in the lessons.
International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education
In recent years, mathematical thinking and reasoning have been widely discussed to promote studen... more In recent years, mathematical thinking and reasoning have been widely discussed to promote students’ abilities to apply mathematical knowledge and ideas in their daily living. However, few studies have investigated the role of self-regulation in relation to reasoning. This study examined the effects of self-regulation processes on student mathematical reasoning and academic achievement. Using a quantitative research design and the PLS-SEM technique, data were collected from 248 private school students in Malaysia. The PLS-SEM results showed that behavioral regulations, including processes of self-observation, self-judgment, and self-reaction, are decisive factors in influencing student academic achievement and student mathematical reasoning ability. The dimensions of motivational regulation, including processes of self-efficacy, task value, and mastery goal orientation, are dominant factors influencing student reasoning ability, followed by cognition regulation, which includes use of elaboration strategy and critical thinking skills. The study also found that cognition regulation is a significant mediator of the relationship between motivational regulation and reasoning ability. Behavioral and cognition regulation processes, as well as students’ reasoning ability, are the mediators of motivational regulation on academic achievement. The results of this study suggest that teachers should foster the adoption of self-regulation processes in mathematics learning.
Journal of Research in Science Mathematics and Technology Education
The purpose of this study was to examine whether practicing self-regulation strategies involved s... more The purpose of this study was to examine whether practicing self-regulation strategies involved setting goals, self-evaluation and self-correction on formative tests improved students’ positive attitudes toward learning mathematics. The students’ attitudes toward mathematics were measured of the factors in their perceived confidence, motivation, usefulness of the subject, and perception about teacher’s attitude toward their learning. The study also aimed at exploring self-regulation characteristics of different performing groups of mathematics achievement so that appropriate instructional design can be introduced and imposed within the mathematics classroom. The study utilized a one-group pretest-posttest design for exploratory purposes. The self-regulation strategies were introduced to 46 tenth-grade secondary students. Their perceived motivation, confidence, anxiety, usefulness of the subject, and perception about teacher’s attitude were measured as the pretest measures before the...
This study aims at investigating the direct effects of three motivation factors, self-efficacy, t... more This study aims at investigating the direct effects of three motivation factors, self-efficacy, task value, and mastery goal orientation, and a deep cognitive strategy, critical thinking skills on students’ mathematical reasoning ability. Besides, the study focuses on the examination of the mediating effects of critical thinking skills on the motivation factors for students’ reasoning abilities. Data were collected from 212 eleventh-grade high school students. The study used the partial least squares-based structural equation modeling to test the path relationships. Results revealed that task value and critical thinking skills were the two dominant predictors of students’ performance in mathematical reasoning. Besides, critical thinking skills was fully mediated with the relationship of mastery goal orientation on the students’ abilities to solve the reasoning tasks. A small effect of complementary partial mediation was found for task value on reasoning abilities through use of the critical thinking skills. Self-efficacy was revealed as having no direct effect on the application of critical thinking skills nor performance in mathematical reasoning. Policymakers or educators should take these results into consideration to seize opportunity for students to make sense and think critically in mathematics studies.
What is good mathematics teaching? The answer depends on whom you are asking. Teachers, researche... more What is good mathematics teaching? The answer depends on whom you are asking. Teachers, researchers, policymakers, administrators, and parents usually provide their own view on what they consider is good mathematics teaching and what is not. The purpose of this study was to determine how beginning teachers define good mathematics teaching and what they report as being the most important attributes at the secondary level. This research explored whether there was a relationship between the demographics of the participants and the attributes of good teaching. In addition, factors that influence the understanding of good mathematics teaching were explored. A mixed methodology was used to gather information from the research participants regarding their beliefs and classroom practices of good mathematics teaching. The two research instruments used in this study were the survey questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Thirty-three respondents who had one to two years of classroom experience comprised the study sample. They had graduated from a school of education in an eastern state and had obtained their teacher certification upon completing their studies. The beginning mathematics teachers selected these four definitions of good teaching as their top choices: 1) have High Expectations that all students are capable of learning; 2) have strong content knowledge (Subject Matter Knowledge); 3) create a Learning Environment that fosters the development of mathematical power; and 4) bring Enthusiasm and excitement to classroom. The three most important attributes in good teaching were: Classroom Management, Motivation, and Strong in Content Knowledge. One interesting finding was the discovery of four groups of beginning teachers and how they were associated with specific attributes of good mathematics teaching according to their demographics. Beginning teachers selected Immediate Classroom Situation, Mathematical Beliefs, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, and Colleagues as the top four factors from the survey analysis that influenced their understanding of good mathematics teaching. The study's results have implications on investigating specific mathematical content knowledge that is important for classroom instruction at the secondary level. Teacher education programs should provide more opportunities for their students to investigate and practice classroom management skills in the real classroom settings.
Motivation plays an important role in students' learning and academic performance. It is beli... more Motivation plays an important role in students' learning and academic performance. It is believed that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation contributes in the learning process in different ways. This study examined the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on student science achievement using the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 data. Furthermore, the study explored how intrinsic and extrinsic types of motivation function across different cultures. The sample consisted of eighth grade students from the United States, England, Malaysia, and Singapore. Students from the Western culture value extrinsic motivation higher than intrinsic motivation in science learning. The findings also showed that students with high intrinsic motivation perform better than students with low intrinsic motivation across the four countries. Positive relationship between motivation and science achievement supported motivation theory in which higher motivation led to higher achie...
International Journal of Research in Education and Science, 2018
This study aimed at exploring causal relationships between two affective factors, self-confidence... more This study aimed at exploring causal relationships between two affective factors, self-confidence and positive emotion, and two metacognitive factors, self-reflection and insight components on high school students’ mathematics achievement that assessed by formative and summative assessments. The study applied partial least squares based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach to test the path relationships for 86 eleventh-grade students. Results revealed that formative performance was the strongest predictor of summative performance followed by self-confidence. Positive emotion revealed as having a positive indirect effect on summative performance through insight component. Considering for formative performance, self-confidence revealed as the strongest predictor followed by insight component. Self-confidence accounted as the only affective factor that directed to self-reflection components, need for and engagement in self-reflection. On the contrary, positive emotion accoun...
This chapter describes the changes in the school curriculum of Malaysia from the period before it... more This chapter describes the changes in the school curriculum of Malaysia from the period before its Independence until the present period. After describing the meaning and the definition of curriculum to frame the narrative in this chapter, the chapter then goes on to describe the curriculum changes that took place in the Malaysian education system over the period of three different eras. The first era was from the pre-independence years up to 1979, as Malaysia endeavoured to define its nationhood. The next era was from 1980 to 1999, underscored by a major curricular overhaul with the introduction of the KBSR in 1983 and the KBSM in 1988 that put an emphasis on integration of knowledge, skills and values towards producing holistic students. The third era was from 2000 until the present period which saw changes in the medium of instruction twice and the introduction of the KSSR in 2011 followed by KSSM in 2017. The chapter also discusses the catalysts and contexts that bring into effe...
Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology, 2013
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of using the Geometer’s Sketchpad software... more The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of using the Geometer’s Sketchpad software in the teaching and learning of graph functions among Form Six (Grade 12) students in a Malaysian secondary school. This study utilized a quasi-experimental design using intact group of students from two classes in an urban secondary school. Two instruments were used to gather information on the students’ mathematics achievement and attitudes towards learning graph functions. A survey questionnaire was used to gauge students’ perception on the usage of Geometer’s Sketchpad in the learning of graph functions. In the study, the experimental groups used Geometer’s Sketchpad-based worksheets and each student has an access to one computer equipped with the Sketchpad software. The control group used only the textbooks. Both groups took the same pre-test. This study indicated that the results ofthe experimental group had a significant mean difference compared to the control group. The use of G...
To cite this document: Lau, P. L., Baranovich, D. L., Leong, K. E. (2018). Enhancing work readine... more To cite this document: Lau, P. L., Baranovich, D. L., Leong, K. E. (2018). Enhancing work readiness: A review on career development of adolescents in Malaysia. International Journal of Education, Psychology and Counselling, 3(8), 13-20. ___________________________________________________________________________ Abstract: Work is an important aspect in life. Each individual wants to have a suitable job according to interest for life satisfaction. The work readiness is a new concept introduced. Work readiness is the key to linking individuals and success to transform the entry level workplace through a focus on value-creating relationship. However, this essential concept has not been given much attention in Malaysia. Therefore, this paper reviews the concepts of work readiness, career and career development, especially their relevance to adolescents in Malaysia. Also, this paper highlights the significance of future research on work readiness and career development among adolescents i...
Skills required by pupils for the 21st century differ from what was required twenty years back. T... more Skills required by pupils for the 21st century differ from what was required twenty years back. The results of the 21st century concentrates on the abilities and knowledge pupils must learn to be successful in college, life and work. In order to do this, pupils should be taught to master critical thinking skills. The effective way is by including modelling in their syllabus. In mathematics learning, mathematical modelling deals with modelling and application in mathematics teaching, characterising pupils’ modelling abilities and application of modelling activities toward building their competencies. In this study, seventy fifth grade pupils from a school in Selangor, Malaysia, were chosen as the participants. Quantitative approach was used in this study. These pupils were selected using convenience sampling procedure. Open ended tasks based on some real-world problems were given to the pupils. Their answers were assessed using a rubric score table. The scores ranged from 1 to 3 and ...
Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology, 2013
The use of technology in the pedagogical process is growing at a phenomenal rate due to the vast ... more The use of technology in the pedagogical process is growing at a phenomenal rate due to the vast availability of gadgets. As a result, educationists see the urgent need for integrating technology in students’ mathematical activities. Therefore, the purpose of this quasi experimental study was to investigate students’ understanding in learning circles using GeoGebra. Fifty-three Year 9 (Form 3) students from two intact classes participated in this study with one class assigned as the experimental group and the other as the control. Findings of this study showed a significant difference existed in the mean scores between these two groups. The result indicated that students in the experimental group outperformed those in the control group. In addition, a survey instrument was used to elicit students' perception on the use of GeoGebra. Analysis of the questionnaire responses indicated a positive overall perception of using GeoGebra in learning about circles.
Mathematical modelling is a very important component in the teaching and learning of mathematics.... more Mathematical modelling is a very important component in the teaching and learning of mathematics. In Malaysia, educators require more exposure to mathematical modelling it is still a new pedagogical method in classrooms. Modelling tasks that require students to construct a mathematical model would be a good start in developing modelling competencies. In this study, the authors investigate three mathematical modelling competencies of secondary students in the state of Selangor through a qualitative analysis of 20 students (divided into four groups) responses based on one modelling task developed by the researchers. The three modelling competencies we focus in this study are (1) making assumption; (2) computing and interpreting solution; and (3) mathematical reasoning. Our findings indicate that most students were basic users while a small percentage reached the proficient users level. With more engagement with the modelling tasks, students would able to acquire the modelling competencies and also develop their modelling skills. This would contribute to the meaningful learning of mathematics.
Remedial pupils are often more engaged in their learning when the content delivered uses games-ba... more Remedial pupils are often more engaged in their learning when the content delivered uses games-based-activities. This study integrated gamification using technology in learning mathematics which is one of the 21st century learning approaches. In this paper we report the results of a study on lessons using 2 learning games based on GeoGebra with reference to remedial pupils’ motivation in learning primary mathematics. The respondents consisted of 4 remedial pupils from a primary school in Selangor, Malaysia. Data were obtained through observation on lessons and questionnaire on students’ perception in gamification on GeoGebra. Observation by using video recording indicated that the sample showed high motivation in learning mathematics. Questionnaire result also showed students’ positive interest in using gamification on GeoGebra. In conclusion, this study found that using gamification on GeoGebra is highly effective in helping remedial pupils to learn primary mathematics besides incr...
The purpose of this study was to elicit secondary students' perceptions of school assessment ... more The purpose of this study was to elicit secondary students' perceptions of school assessment practices in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related subjects. Examples of STEM related subjects in the secondary school curriculum are Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Science, Health Science, Integrated Living Skills, Mathematics and Additional Mathematics. The researchers employed a cross-sectional survey research design and the sample comprised 221 Form Four students from 3 public secondary schools in the northern zone, 2 public secondary schools in the central zone and 2 public secondary schools in the southern zone of Peninsular Malaysia. Analysis of 170 complete questionnaires from the sample indicated that the students showed positive overall perceptions of school assessment practices in STEM related subjects. The results also indicated that there were no significant differences in overall perceptions of school assessment practices in STEM related subjects in ...
High stakes assessment practices have been the most common summative assessments in schools. To a... more High stakes assessment practices have been the most common summative assessments in schools. To address the shortcomings of the summative assessments, Assessment for Learning (AfL) was introduced to provide learners more active feedback and autonomy in their learning progression. In Malaysia, school-based assessments were introduced to reduce the dependency on summative assessments. This paper examines the espoused and the levels of enacted AfL practices of Malaysian Year 7 teachers. A survey and video research design was employed in this study where data were collected from a sample of teachers who taught Mathematics, Science, English Language, and Malay Language. To elicit teachers’ espoused AfL practices, a questionnaire was used while video recordings were utilized as a form of classroom observation to elicit teachers’ enacted AfL practices. The results indicated that there seemed to be agreement among teachers’ espoused AfL practices with AfL strategies for three dimensions whi...
This study investigated the associations between self-compassion, resilience, and psychological w... more This study investigated the associations between self-compassion, resilience, and psychological well-being among 408 counselors in Malaysia. Data were collected by using a web-based survey. PLS-SEM analyses revealed that self-compassion was positively related to counselors’ resilience and psychological well-being, whereas resilience was positively related to counselors’ psychological well-being. Results also showed that resilience significantly mediated the associations between self-compassion and psychological well-being among counselors. The hypothesized model explained the substantial influences of self-compassion and resilience on counselors’ psychological well-being. This study highlighted the two important human factors, i.e., self-compassion and resilience, with implications for integrating these two influential constructs in the development of counselors’ psychological well-being.
Journal of Research in Science Mathematics and Technology Education
The teaching and learning of statistical reasoning is becoming challenging due to the change in t... more The teaching and learning of statistical reasoning is becoming challenging due to the change in the perspective emphasizing on the deeper understanding rather than basic statistics computations. As suggested by researchers, implementing technologies able to develop student interest in the topics leads to deeper understanding. Hence, this study used dynamic software, Fathom for teaching statistical reasoning. The purpose of this study is to examine the statistical reasoning understanding among upper secondary students after using dynamic software, Fathom. The sample consists of seventy-two students randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. The experimental group underwent an intervention where they learnt statistical reasoning using Fathom while the control group learnt statistical reasoning using traditional learning method not involving Fathom. Statistical Reasoning Assessment (SRA) was used in this study as the instrument for measuring statistical reasoning. The resear...
International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of graphing calculator on students' proble... more The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of graphing calculator on students' problem solving success in solving linear equation problems and their attitude toward problem solving in mathematics. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control and treatment group using the pretest post-test design was employed in this study to test the hypotheses. The sample of the study involved two Form Four classes from one public secondary school in Sarawak, Malaysia. Students in the experimental group received problem solving based instruction using graphing calculator while the control group students underwent the traditional chalk and talk method without the graphing technology. Two instruments were used in this study, namely the Linear Equation Problem Solving Test and the Mathematical Problem Solving Questionnaire. Findings of this study show existence of a significant difference in the mean scores between the two groups; students who used graphing calculator performed better in problem solving tasks compared to students without access to graphing calculator. Furthermore, a questionnaire was used to obtain students' attitude toward problem solving in mathematics. Results from the survey revealed that students who use graphing calculator have a better attitude toward problem solving in mathematics. This study is pertinent as it investigates a different approach in teaching linear equation through problem solving while integrating the latest graphing calculator technology in the lessons.
International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education
In recent years, mathematical thinking and reasoning have been widely discussed to promote studen... more In recent years, mathematical thinking and reasoning have been widely discussed to promote students’ abilities to apply mathematical knowledge and ideas in their daily living. However, few studies have investigated the role of self-regulation in relation to reasoning. This study examined the effects of self-regulation processes on student mathematical reasoning and academic achievement. Using a quantitative research design and the PLS-SEM technique, data were collected from 248 private school students in Malaysia. The PLS-SEM results showed that behavioral regulations, including processes of self-observation, self-judgment, and self-reaction, are decisive factors in influencing student academic achievement and student mathematical reasoning ability. The dimensions of motivational regulation, including processes of self-efficacy, task value, and mastery goal orientation, are dominant factors influencing student reasoning ability, followed by cognition regulation, which includes use of elaboration strategy and critical thinking skills. The study also found that cognition regulation is a significant mediator of the relationship between motivational regulation and reasoning ability. Behavioral and cognition regulation processes, as well as students’ reasoning ability, are the mediators of motivational regulation on academic achievement. The results of this study suggest that teachers should foster the adoption of self-regulation processes in mathematics learning.
Journal of Research in Science Mathematics and Technology Education
The purpose of this study was to examine whether practicing self-regulation strategies involved s... more The purpose of this study was to examine whether practicing self-regulation strategies involved setting goals, self-evaluation and self-correction on formative tests improved students’ positive attitudes toward learning mathematics. The students’ attitudes toward mathematics were measured of the factors in their perceived confidence, motivation, usefulness of the subject, and perception about teacher’s attitude toward their learning. The study also aimed at exploring self-regulation characteristics of different performing groups of mathematics achievement so that appropriate instructional design can be introduced and imposed within the mathematics classroom. The study utilized a one-group pretest-posttest design for exploratory purposes. The self-regulation strategies were introduced to 46 tenth-grade secondary students. Their perceived motivation, confidence, anxiety, usefulness of the subject, and perception about teacher’s attitude were measured as the pretest measures before the...
This study aims at investigating the direct effects of three motivation factors, self-efficacy, t... more This study aims at investigating the direct effects of three motivation factors, self-efficacy, task value, and mastery goal orientation, and a deep cognitive strategy, critical thinking skills on students’ mathematical reasoning ability. Besides, the study focuses on the examination of the mediating effects of critical thinking skills on the motivation factors for students’ reasoning abilities. Data were collected from 212 eleventh-grade high school students. The study used the partial least squares-based structural equation modeling to test the path relationships. Results revealed that task value and critical thinking skills were the two dominant predictors of students’ performance in mathematical reasoning. Besides, critical thinking skills was fully mediated with the relationship of mastery goal orientation on the students’ abilities to solve the reasoning tasks. A small effect of complementary partial mediation was found for task value on reasoning abilities through use of the critical thinking skills. Self-efficacy was revealed as having no direct effect on the application of critical thinking skills nor performance in mathematical reasoning. Policymakers or educators should take these results into consideration to seize opportunity for students to make sense and think critically in mathematics studies.
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