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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of incorporating higher order thinking skills (HOTS) in a school-based assessment (SBA) on mathematics achievement among students. A mixed-method case study design was used to assess a sample size of 158 students and three mathematics teachers. The students' proficiency in mathematics was determined by using the standard based curriculum for secondary schools ("kurikulum standard sekolah menengah/KSSM"). Mathematics assessment paper that was assiduously organized by incorporating HOTS questions. The students' thoughts on the incorporation of HOTS in the SBA were obtained through one-to-one face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The quantitative findings, which were analyzed using descriptive and regression tests, showed that 11.9% of the achieved mathematics score was contributed by incorporating HOTS in SBA, while 7.7% was contributed by SBA mastery level in mathematics. Students' maturity and misconceptions about math are among the challenges in implementing HOTS in SBA. The challenges in applying HOTS in SBA had a positive effect on teachers' pedagogical approach in a sense that they could devise a new strategy for meeting the needs of students and teach topics in alternative ways.

The visualization concept and multimedia is commonly used in designing various learning methods in education. However, less study was conducted for Fundamental of Computer Science (FCS) subjects especially in STEM education approach. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the content of design learning module for the subject of secondary two-topic Algorithms. The study uses a qualitative approach by interviewing five experts with related educational background to validate the content of the module. The findings show positive responses from those experts regarding applied visualization and multimedia suggesting some modifications be done for teaching and learning environment in the future. In conclusion, this study conclusively improvises design learning module for FCS subject by enhancing STEM education aligned with the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025.

Conventional learning is based on low levels of students' participation where students are rarely expected to ask questions or to challenge the theories of the academic. A paradigm shift in curriculum has resulted in implementing student-centred learning (SCL) approach, putting students as the centre of the learning process. This mode of presentation has been implemented in the Malaysian classroom context. However, the shift in focus on learning from the conventional to the SCL has presented Malaysian educators with some challenges especially to move away from the "chalk and talk" method of teaching used for decades in most classrooms in secondary schools. This study explores teachers' views of SCL approach through individual in-depth interviews. Various themes emerged from the interviews. The findings provides evidence that teachers who exposed students to some elements of SCL, saw students actively engaged in the learning process, aware of their own responsibilities, sense of autonomy inlearning and learned from their experiences. However, there were some challenges and constraints faced by teachers in implementing SCL approach.

Research has shown that the strategy of matching learning style with certain technology enhances students' learning experience. This study seeks to identify the learning styles among students in a rural secondary school, based on the Felder Silverman Model (1988) which comprises four dimensions (visual/verbal, active/reflective, sequential/global, sensing/intuitive). A PTechLS module developed by Norlidah Alias (2010) will be implemented in secondary school. The main objective of this study is to analyze the needs for a pedagogical module based on technology and learning style (PTechLS) for the Form 4 Physics curriculum before the implementation. Data were collected through surveys among 47 students in a rural secondary school in the Jempol district in Negeri Sembilan. Two instruments were used: learning style instrument and computer skills and usage questionnaire. From the learning style instrument, most of the students were identified as active (89.3%), reflective (10.7%), sensing (78.7%), intuitive (21.3%), visual (95.7%), verbal (4.3%), sequential (70.2%) and global (29.8%) learners. The computer skills and usage questionnaire shows that students in the selected rural school have access to technology and are already using it for learning. Therefore, the researchers suggest the implementation of PTechLS modules among rural Malaysian secondary schools.

This article reviews Education for Sustainability (EfS) in the secondary sector across a range of countries. Drawing on journal articles, book chapters and official reports, it identifies some of the more successful approaches to implementing EfS within the secondary sector. The authors first discuss the importance of educating for sustainability at the secondary level and then explore barriers to effective EfS in secondary schools. They go on to share their insights into contextual factors that influence EfS practices which are reported in the case studies. In particular, they discuss the influence of (a) politics and curriculum renewal, (b) alignment of curriculum, resources and teaching, (c) the perceived state of EfS and (d) teachers' professional development as determinants of EfS implementation and success.

This study focuses on the effectiveness of using multimedia virtual simulation in Islamic Studies in Malaysia. Virtual simulation methods embedded in Microsoft PowerPoint was used in this study to determine the effectiveness of these modes to motivate students on the topic of pilgrimage in the Islamic Studies subject. Pilgrimage topic has been chosen because pilgrimage of hajj is a difficult topic to be learnt as it is not same as performing everyday prayers or fasting during in Ramadhan for Muslims. Virtual simulation allow students to interact with a virtual environment that almost similar to the real environment in Mecca. A study was conducted using a 2x2 factorial experimental and quasi t-test was used as a method of analyzing the data. The finding of this study shows that the use of virtual simulation help students to increase their achievement in a topic of pilgrimage.

This study focuses on the effectiveness of using multimedia virtual simulation in Islamic Studies in Malaysia. Virtual simulation methods embedded in Microsoft PowerPoint was used in this study to determine the effectiveness of these modes to motivate students on the topic of pilgrimage in the Islamic Studies subject. Pilgrimage topic has been chosen because pilgrimage of hajj is a difficult topic to be learnt as it is not same as performing everyday prayers or fasting during in Ramadan for Muslims. Virtual simulation allow students to interact with a virtual environment that almost similar to the real environment in Mecca. A study was conducted using a 2x2 factorial experimental and quasi t-test was used as a method of analyzing the data. The finding of this study shows that the use of virtual simulation help students to increase their achievement in a topic of pilgrimage. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

The purpose of this study was to develop pre-service secondary teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) for teaching mathematics with The Geometer's Sketchpad (GSP) through Lesson Study (LS). Specifically, a single-group pretest-posttest design was employed to examine whether there was a significant difference in the pre-service secondary teachers' TPACK for teaching mathematics with GSP after engaging in LS which was incorporated into the mathematics teaching methods course during the first semester of the 2011/2012 academic session in a Malaysian public university. Forty-six pre-service secondary teachers who enrolled in the course completed both the pretest and posttest questionnaires on teachers' TPACK for teaching mathematics with GSP. The results of the paired-samples t-test indicated that there was a significant difference in the pre-service secondary teachers' TPACK for teaching mathematics with GSP for all the subscales after engaging in LS.

The purpose of this study was to examine the overarching framework of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) reading instructional approach reflected in an EFL secondary school curriculum in Malaysia. Based on such analysis, a comparison was made if Communicative Task-Based Language is the overarching instructional approach for the Malaysian EFL secondary reading curriculum. This study used document reviews as the primary data collection. The coding of data analysis was based on the modifications of the components of Richards and Rodgers' (2001) analysis of language teaching model. The curriculum was examined in terms of theories of SLA, theories of L2 reading as well as learner roles in relation to Communicative Task-Based Language Teaching (CTBLT) characteristics. The findings of the study suggest that the majority of reading tasks in the selected EFL secondary reading curriculum is highly lacking CTBLT characteristics. The results of the study were discussed in relation to the current Malaysian EFL secondary curriculum framework and their implications on the EFL reading at the tertiary level. (Contains 3 tables.)

Based on the discrepancies found in many Malaysian English language textbooks, a detailed analysis on the way modal auxiliary verb forms and their semantic functions were introduced and presented in texts and exercises in five Malaysian textbooks was done. For that to be achieved, a qualitative page-by-page content analysis was applied. From the discussion of the grammatical progression in the textbooks, we can see that the presentation of modal auxiliaries in Malaysian English language textbooks is not fully in accordance with their use in natural English. Besides that, although recycling modal auxiliaries throughout different levels in order for the students to fully grasp their various meanings is advised by many linguists, we could see that Malaysian textbook authors used only a few of the same modals to express repetitive semantic functions. Accordingly, changes are recommended in order to bring the English taught in textbooks into accordance with real-life language use.

This research is attempting to examine the effectiveness in the application of ICT (information and communication technology) and standardize courseware in ETeMS (English for Teaching Mathematics and Science) or PPSMI (Pengajaran and Pembelajaran Sains and Matematic dalam Bahasa Inggeris) in English program in the Malaysian secondary school system. Five dimensions of secondary school (type of school, demographic, leadership quality, teaching and learning culture, and teachers' personal and working experience) were examined to determine the maximizing usage of TEC (technology-enhanced classroom) in the learning program. In general, there is a significant difference among factors stated above with maximizing usage of TEC in teaching and learning of science and mathematics in English program. The learning culture is also closely related. In addition, the school and teaching staff are another two essential factors found to be the strong fundamental of maximizing the usage of technology in TEC teaching and learning with towering quality. This study represents an addition to the extant literature on maximizing the usage of technology-enhanced teaching and learning towards the excellence of education in the secondary school system. The maximizing usage of TEC teaching and learning environment within the secondary school system is pivotal towards achieving high quality human capital and improving the efficiency and integrity of technology-enhanced learning of science and mathematics in English program. This study provides further groundwork to assist existing education managers to improve work quality and deliver the maximizing usage of TEC teaching and learning towards the excellence in secondary education. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)

The field of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) has transformed dramatically--from the days of the behaviourist approach that dominated CALL in the 1970s to the dynamism of Interactive approach in the 1990s under the immense influence of information communication technology (ICT). Regardless of these periodic changes and improvements, successful implementation of CALL programs in schools decisively hinges on critical assessment and decisions that are undertaken by schools. As such, the responsibility of the technology adopters in this respect must reflect schools' aspirations and understandably, students' abilities, interests and needs. This paper attempts to clarify these issues through a case study of implementation of CALL in an urban secondary school in Malaysia. The outcome of the case study establishes critical considerations that need to be arbitrated to successfully implement CALL programs for English language teaching (ELT) at the school level. (Contains 1 table and 1 footnote.)

Climate change is one of the most important environmental issues affecting our society today and we need to educate the citizens about the impact on human lives. An attempt was made to integrate experiential-based climate change education into the teaching and learning of secondary school Biology lessons on the topic of "Endangered Ecosystem" to improve students' knowledge on climate change and increase motivation towards caring for the environment. Two classes from a school were randomly assigned to experimental (N = 30) and control groups (N = 32). Following the intervention, a one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with pre-test data as covariate showed statistically significant differences in knowledge and motivation. Experiential-based climate change activities enabled students to construct the knowledge socially and also satisfied the three basic human needs: competence, autonomy and relatedness, which have subsequently promoted motivation. The findings described in this study are similar with other studies which reported that constructivist-based experiential learning has successfully developed awareness and encouraged learning and critical thinking about climate change.

This paper explores how the discourse of history "works" in the context of Malaysian junior-secondary education. Using the tools of systemic functional linguistics, a representative selection of school texts is deconstructed. By focusing on the intimate relationship between ideology, context, and text, characteristic purposes and their generic, discourse and lexico-grammatical realizations are identified, described, and interpreted, and comparisons made with the results of Australian studies. The disciplinary purposes of generalization and interpretation are realized in the Malaysian texts through similar genre selections and patterns to those operating in the Australian context. However, the Malaysian discourse avoids the argumentative exposition and high levels of abstraction needed to support the work of interpretation and argumentation. Such differences are motivated by Malaysian ideological and contextual demands. (Contains 4 figures, 3 tables and 5 notes.)

The musical preference of most Malaysian young people, their knowledge of music in general and popular music in particular are shaped through informal music education. Factors that contribute to this include the wide dissemination of popular music, the status of music in the school curriculum, and the perception of most Malaysians towards music. This article presents an overview of the popular music scene in Malaysia and examines the incorporation of popular music in the Malaysian music education curriculum as well as the curriculum of teacher training programmes. As accessibility to popular music is wider than accessibility to music classes in schools, most young people are growing up with a knowledge of only the types of music they are regularly exposed to.

As a relatively new subject in the physics curriculum of Malaysian secondary schools, quantum physics (QP) raises questions about its relevance to students and the best approach for teaching it. This paper aims to analyze the content of the QP curriculum to provide students with a meaningful learning experience and expose them to the nature of science (NOS). To accomplish this, the Malaysian standard curriculum document known as Dokumen Standard Kurikulum dan Pentaksiran (DSKP) and the textbook were analyzed through integrative review. Frameworks and perspectives identified by Stadermann and co-workers on the common trust of the QP curriculum in 15 different countries were used as a benchmark for this analysis. It is found that the QP curriculum in Malaysia focuses on the fundamental principle of understanding the quantum energy of light and its interaction with matter. However, it is also found that there are specific NOS aspects that can be highlighted to help students develop their scientific literacy. These might include emphasizing the philosophy of complementarity in explaining the wave-particle duality principle, the ultraviolet catastrophe, and the contradiction of classical physics interpretation with QP. It is suggested that the QP curriculum be improved by including these and other relevant examples to be on par with other countries. Overall, this analysis provides insight into the relevance and content of QP in Malaysian secondary schools. The proposed changes may help improve students’ learning experience and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the NOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laboratory practical is an essential component for effective learning of science. To provide laboratory experience can be a challenge to some rural schools with limited laboratory facilities. The situation was exacerbated when schools were close due to the COVID pandemic. This paper reports a laboratory kit designed based on the Standard Curriculum for Secondary Schools in Malaysia (KSSM). The kit was evaluated by students and experienced teachers from town and rural schools. Pre- and post-test was conducted with the students before and after using the kit. A questionnaire was disseminated to appraise the students' perceptions on practical learning. There was a significant improvement (p < 0.05) in the overall score of the post-test comparing to the pre-test. Both rural and town schools demonstrated a marked increase in the overall mean scores in the post-test. There was also improvement in affection for chemistry among students after using the kit. The practical kit can be deployed in schools with laboratory constraints and to be used outside the school settings. It was designed to be affordable, safe and environmental-friendly, providing individualized hands-on exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of mastery of Arabic grammar has long been discussed by researchers as well as academicians. Until now, the problem of students' Arabic grammar mastery in Malaysia has been a grievance of teachers in schools and lecturers in Institutions of Higher Learning. There are two divisions of grammatical aspects that are difficult for students which have been identified, firstly the use of al-kalimat (words) and secondly, the use of at-tarakib (sentence construction). Therefore, this paper aims to discuss the problem of Arabic grammar mastery of students in Malaysia as well as how the role of Monitor Model Theory acts as a solution to address the problem of Arabic grammar mastery based on secondary sources. It also discusses the history of the development of Arabic language, the syllabus of the Arabic language curriculum in religious secondary schools as well as the learning of Arabic grammar in the Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Menengah Syllabus and the Kemahiran Bersepadu Dini Syllabus. This paper will contribute to the knowledge of more effective teaching methods or approaches which in turn have an impact on pedagogy in the teaching of Arabic grammar to improve the students' understanding and reduce their errors in learning Arabic grammar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tahfiz learning is a form of difficult and challenging learning especially in the context of secondary tahfiz education that is offered together with the main stream curriculum, Standard Based Curriculum for Secondary Schools (KSSM). This study was conducted to explore forms of challenges and support needed by tahfiz students at selected government-funded religious schools in Malaysia. A qualitative approach is used to answer the research questions that are based on in-depth exploration on challenges and support needed by tahfiz students. Purposive sampling technique was used to select participants who have attended tahfiz learning at least three years. Individual semi structured in-depth interviews were conducted with participants consisted 11 students. Findings also showed that there are several challenges faced by the students; home environment, difficulty in memorization, gadjets and peer challenges. Further findings showed that support needed by the students are teachers, parents, peers and school's support. This study provides important implications that support is a significant aspect of tahfiz students so that they can handle learning challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burnout has been widely reviewed and studied. However, the relationship between teacher burnout syndrome and curricular reform is rarely studied. Thus, the aim here is to report on the burnout syndrome among teachers during the implementation of the curriculum in Malaysia namely Integrated Secondary School Curriculum (ISSC). Two hundred and sixty four secondary school teachers who were involved in the ISSC program completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Secondary School Curricular Change Questionnaire (SSCCQ). The stepwise regression results showed that the emotional exhaustion (EE) predictor is overall workload and time sufficiency, depersonalization (DP) predictor is complexity of the ISSC, and personal accomplishment (PA) predictor is ISSC practicality. Preventing this phenomenon in the school system can lead to better retention rates among teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines middle leadership of the heads of English, maths and science departments in four international secondary schools in Malaysia. It focuses on their roles, responsibilities, role relationships, instructional engagement and leadership involvement within the theoretical framework of instructional, distributed and teacher leadership. The study is a qualitative multi-method case study, involving observation, documentary analysis, and semi-structured interviews with 12 heads of department, 36 teachers, and four principals. With respect to the middle leaders’ roles and responsibilities, the findings illustrate cross-school and in-school differential developments, with contextual factors contributing to uneasy role relationships. The results also show that, while broad-based leadership opportunities are limited for the middle leaders and teachers, the most powerful and common feature of all these international schools is the centrality of teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]