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The world around us is constantly changing, evolving, and most belief that it is changing in an unprecedented speed caused by globalization. As part of this ever changing society, we must also be able to adapt and learn new skills to keep up with these changes. Therefore, modern universities can no longer be contented in imparting well established and current knowledge and skills to their students, but must be able to equip students with the generic skills and ability to guide their own learning as throughout their lives and in the wide variety of situations they will encounter after leaving formal education. This paper described effective life-long learners as having the ability to 1) set goals, 2) apply appropriate knowledge and skills, 3) engage in self-direction, 4) locate required information, and 5) adapt their learning strategies to different conditions. However, measuring life-long learning is as difficult as defining life-long learning. There are not many instrument able to measure life-long learning in the construct mentioned earlier, although there are instruments measuring parts of the constructs, for example self-directed learning and need for cognition. This paper aims to explore the validity and reliability of this questionnaire in the Malaysian context.

Teaching using media is one of the most important components in the teaching and learning process. This research was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of various constructive teaching media in the science teaching and learning process to improve the student's science process skills (SPS) and science achievement in the Siak Sri Inderapura Secondary School, Riau Indonesia. Four modules were developed and eight multimedia teaching were carried out. This research employed quasiexperiment method with “non equivalent control group” design. Two treatment groups and one control group were involved in this research. The first treatment group used ICT module while the second treatment group used environmental module. The control group on the other hand used conventional teaching approaches. The study was conducted on 96 students in Siak Sri Inderapura Secondary School in Riau, Indonesia. The instruments used were Science Process Skills Test and Science Achievement Test. Data were analyzed descriptively, which later followed by subsequent inferential analysis using ANOVA and MANOVA test. The findings revealed that there were significant differences on the knowledge of SPS and Science achievement between students who underwent the ICT and environmental modules with the students who underwent conventional teaching strategies. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the teaching and learning process using various constructive teaching media has significantly improved the SPS and Science achievement among students. © 2011Published by Elsevier Ltd.

This study is aimed to systematically design an environment constructivism module based on constructivism approach and to measure its effectiveness in instilling positive attitudes towards enviroment. This study involves secondary students, from two different schools in Pekanbaru, Riau Indonesia. This quasi-experimental study employs pre and post control group design involving 152 Level Seven students segregated into two; experimental and control groups. Each group is also stratified in terms of students’ cognitive ability (high and low). Throughout intervention process, students in the experimental groups are exposed to environmental constructivism experience using the designed module, while their counterparts in the control groups undergo constructivist and conventional routines. Findings generated from this study proved that there is no relationship between the students’ groups and constructivism approach with attitudes towards environmental management. However, it has shown that constructivism approach can increase positive attitude towards environmental management.

Curriculum and Extra-Curriculum activities are one of the basic elements in school education. These activities are designed to mold students to become a rationale, pragmatic and knowledgeable citizens in an increasingly diverse and changing world. Unfortunately, in Saudi, studies which measure the extent of curriculum and Extra-Curriculum activities’ in developing environmental skills and values among Saudi's secondary students was rare. Therefore the present study was planned to investigate the effectiveness of the curriculum and Extra-Curriculum activities in developing environmental skills and values among the Saudis’ secondary students. This study aimed at examining the effectiveness of the module, based on the curriculum and Extra-Curriculum activities focusing in developing environmental skills and values among the Saudis’ secondary Biology students. A Random sampling of the study consisted of (100) students of each gender “males and females” at Al-Jouf Educational District in Saudi Arabia. Analyses of the findings reveal that students who were exposed to the curriculum and Extra-Curriculum environmental intervention module significantly improved their environmental skills compared to their counterparts in the control group. In addition, when gender effect was measured, it was found that significant improvement occurred within both female and male groups. The findings will then lead to several suggestions on how to improve the existing teaching of environmental issues within the context of Saudi's Biology classes.

Inculcating collaborative problem solving (hereinafter CPS) skills to help develop students' knowledge, especially for problem solving (PS) involved in the subject of physics is of utmost importance in the 21st century. It was on such grounds that in the present study, physics PS learning was innovated by engaging students’ generated animation within the recent CPS learning framework process. Next, the effectiveness of the steps in this innovative approach, which was developed as Lensmation CPS Module, in inculcating CPS skills was determined. Seventy respondents were involved in this quasi-experimental study, in which one treatment group was exposed to the module whereas the control group practised the conventional PS learning. In the course of completing their PS tasks, the students who were involved in this study had their CPS skills assessed using the CPS Proficiency Rubrics. MANOVA analysis revealed significant effects on CPS skills between the two groups. It is concluded that the innovative PS learning approach which tapped into students’ ICT literacy in physics CPS learning was effective in inculcating CPS skills among the students.

The main purposes of this study are to determine the inventive thinking skills of students in Brunei and to compare the inventive thinking skills with regards to gender and school location. This study, which employed cross sectional surveys method involved some 500 Primary school students from Brunei. Analysis of the finding revealed that primary students in Brunei demonstrated low mean scores on creativity, higher order thinking and sound reasoning. It is also shown that there exist statistically significant differences in inventive thinking skills among students with regard to gender and school location.

It has been argued that effective pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) could develop students’ conceptual understanding. However, there is lack of empirical evidence supporting the relationship between PCK and students’ understanding. This qualitative study was conducted to explore the components of teachers’ PCK and other related factors that promote students’ conceptual understanding in the topic of “Respiration” from the perspectives of teachers and students. The findings showed that components of teachers PCK; component of content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, knowledge about students and knowledge of the context contributed to students’ conceptual understanding of “Respiration”. The study also found teachers’ attitudes and teachers’ emotions contributed to students’ understanding. This study showed that with the appropriate teachers’ attitudes and emotions coupled with effective PCK will ensure learning takes place. When learning process occurs, then only conceptual understanding of content can be achieved.

This paper reports a survey which was conducted in order to determine teachers’ and students’ perception of science laboratory learning environment schools in Malaysia and to compare their perceptions regarding the physical and psychosocial aspects. Teachers’ and students’ perception on psychosocial aspects were measured by using Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI) while perception on physical aspects was measured using Physical Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (PSLEI). Analysis of findings found that teachers and students demonstrate positive attitudes in all SLEI scales, with an exception in open ended scale, hi terms of physical aspects, teachers provide a high level of fitness for lighting and technology while moderate for furniture and equipment, space, air quality and safety aspects scales. Meanwhile students rate the lightning and space as having high level of fitness while furniture and equipment, technology, air quality and safety aspects scales as moderate. Subsequent analysis also reveals that there exist significant differences between teachers’ and students’ perception of physical and psychosocial laboratory learning environment. © 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The aim of this study is to determine the relationship of 21st century skills on students’ attitudes and perceptions towards Physics. The samples in this study consisted of 760 form four secondary students in Selangor. The instruments used were adapted from 21st century skills that have been defined by enGauge 21st Century Skills. The results showed that students’ attitude towards Physics is at high level but students’ perceptions on teaching and learning of Physics is at the moderate level. Pearson coefficient correlation analysis showed that there was a significant positive and strong relationship of 21st century skills on students’ attitude towards Physics.

This study is designed specifically to measure the effectiveness of contextual teaching and learning of Biology on the students’ problem solving skills, and scientific attitude among secondary school students in Pekanbaru, Riau Indonesia. This quasi experiment involved some 215 form VII students from three government schools, segregated based on their existing cognitive abilities; viz. high, moderate and low. Data garnered from the experimental study were described by means of descriptive analysis, followed by subsequent inferential analysis involving a series of t-tests, ANOVA and MANOVA analyses. In this study, contextual learning module was developed by applying RANGKA strategy which mainly involved Rumuskan (conclude), Amati (observe), Nyatakan (state), Gabungkan (Combine), Komunikasi (communicate) and Amalkan (implement) covering the topic on Organism Diversity. The effects on students’ problem solving skills and scientific attitude were measured by means of tests and observation. Overall, the findings revealed that there are significant differences across the experimental groups and students’ ability in terms of their problem solving skills. However, there is no significant difference in terms of their scientific skills. Such pattern of findings provides empirical evidence which signifies the usefulness of contextual approach in the teaching and learning of Biology.

It is argued that science curriculum in their current situation in Saudi Arabia do not achieve the objective of teaching basic concepts related to enhanced concept of environment or understanding relationships of interaction between man and environment. The curriculum also failed to develop students’ critical mind as well as problem solving skills, skills that are deemed to be extremely necessary in recognizing and solving environmental problems. This situation is exacerbated in Saudi Arabia as a result of science and technology advancement due to the Oil Age era. Consequently, the new generation begin to lose their adherence to tradition and custom which emphasized on love for the environment and nature and the importance of sustaining them. This study will present findings from a pre-test and post-test quasi experimental study specifically designed to determine the effect of classroom and non-classroom environmental module in improving Saudi Arabian students’ environmental values. Additionally, the effect of gender on the module's effectiveness was also identified. The classroom and non-classroom environmental module was developed by the researchers and is embedded within the current Saudi Arabia's Biology curriculum. Students in the control groups underwent normal Biology teaching and learning activities. Analyses of findings reveal that students who were exposed to the classroom and non-classroom environmental intervention module significantly improved their environmental values as compared to their counterparts in the control group. When gender effect was measured, it was found that significant improvement occurred within both the female and male groups. The findings will lead to several suggestions on how to improve the existing teaching of environmental issues within the context of Saudi's Biology classes. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

In Malaysia, recycling program has been widely initiated since 1993. However, to date the recycling rate in Malaysia is only five percent, hi this study, the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was used to investigate the antecedents of recycling intention behaviour among secondary school students. TPB hypothesizes that the immediate determinant is the individual's intention to perform or not to perform that behaviour. Hypothetically, there are three factors that influenced the intention behaviour namely specific attitude, subjective norms and perceived behaviour control. The sample consists of 400 randomly selected Form Four students. A two-step modeling approach including confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were performed to assess measurement model fit and causal relationship between factors. The structural model was tested using AMOS. The proposed model was evaluated but demonstrated poor model fit which lead to subsequent modification of the model. The result shows that perceived behaviour control was the strongest predictor of intention behaviour (P = 0.687). Subjective norms, to a lesser degree, was also an important predictor of intention behaviour (P = 0.593). Meanwhile, the analysis also shows that specific attitudes were indirect predictor of intention behaviour, via the mediation of subjective norms and perceived behaviour control. © 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The tremendous changes in the 21st century is the emerging nature of a new set of economic and social indicators which eventually capture the changes in structural transformation, technological advance, and competition in the job market. Such evolutions have driven changes in skills required to compete effectively in today's global economy. This paper aims to discuss the development and validation process of the Malaysian 21st century skills instrument (M-21CSI) to be used within the teaching and learning of science processes. The Malaysian 21st Century Skills Instrument (M-21CSI) consists of five distinctive elements which are: i) Digital Age Literacy; ii) Inventive Thinking; iii) Effective Communication; iv) High Productivity; and iv) Spiritual Value. Through extensive review of the literature and group discussion, constructs that represent the Malaysian 21st Century Skills were identified and further refined by Two Round Delphi Studies. Subsequent to that, items representing each construct were then drawn up. In order to justify the validity of this instrument, four experts were invited to review the instrument. This then was followed by factor a analysis. The reliability of each construct was justified in terms of its internal consistency by means of Cronbach Alpha. Findings of this study confirmed the validity and reliability of the M-21CSI and thus show that it is a useful instrument to evaluate the mastery of Malaysian students towards 21st century skills.

This paper reports on the level of scientific culture among Malaysian and Japanese students. Japanese students were used as comparison because Malaysia looks at to Japan as a model for science and technology development. The findings suggest that the level of scientific culture of Malaysian students is significantly higher than that of Japanese students. One possible explanation for this is that Japan which adopted S&T by primarily focusing on its practical use they have failed to acquire the scientific spirit.

Education and awareness are the Green Strategies outlined in Malaysia's National Policy on environment. Non-formal education aims to complement primary and secondary education and provide acquisition of new-updated knowledge and skills. It has certain advantages over formal education because its flexible programme offers environmental knowledge to various target groups at convenient places through different types of activities. At present, adult environmental education activity in Sabah is increasingly being developed and promoted by various sectors. This paper presents the scenario of non-formal environmental education among adults in Sabah, Malaysia. The data were gathered from review of literatures on non-formal environmental education conducted by the Environment Protection Department, Sabah. The findings of compilation of case studies conducted by the Science and Technology Unit were also used. The results showed that many environmental education activities were campaigns on awareness and participated by non-government organizations (NGOs). Other activities involved include environmental talks, exhibitions, seminars, workshops, conventions, and outdoor activities. All activities implemented were found to have increased public awareness on environmental protection.

Virtual Field Trip is a computer aided module of science developed to study the Colonisation and Succession in Mangrove Swamps, as an alternative to the real field trip in Form for Biology. This study is to identify the effectiveness of the Virtual Field Trip (VFT) module towards the level of achievement in the formative test for this topic. This study was conducted to 60 students employing a quasi-experimental design involving a treatment group taught using the VFT module and a control group who were taught using conventional methods. Analysis into the effectiveness of the virtual module was done descriptively, followed by inferential analysis involving the two-way ANOVA. The results showed significant differences in the mean scores of pre and post achievement between students taught using VFT and students who were taught using conventional methods for objective, structure and essay type questions. The study concluded that teaching and learning by using the VFT module, integrated with ICT, has a positive impact on student achievement whencompared to conventional methods. This study focuses on the use of the VFT recognizing that teachers are often unable to conduct a real field trip on location.

An interdisciplinary approach for Biology, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (BTEM) is suggested to develop 21st century skills in the Malaysian context. BTEM allows students to master biological knowledge and at the same time to be adroit in other sub discipline skills. Students master factual knowledge of biology and skills of the 21st century simultaneously. The two main teaching and learning strategies applied in BTEM are problem-based learning and inquiry-based learning. Students are exposed to real world problems that require them to undergo inquiry processes to discover the inventive solutions. The content knowledge of biology adheres to the Malaysian Integrated Curriculum for Secondary Schools. The essence of engineering is inventive problem solving. Incorporation of information communication technologies in teaching and learning will be able to fulfil the needs of the current Net Generation. Mathematics plays an important role as computational tools, especially in analysing data. The highlighted 21st century skills in BTEM include digital literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication, high productivity, and spiritual and noble values.

Biotechnology has been widely applied in various products throughout the 21st century. Malaysia selected the biotechnology sector as one of the key strategic technologies that would enable Malaysia to transform into a fully developed nation by the year 2020. However, to date, there has been very little research on the level of biotechnology literacy amongst school students in Malaysia and the aim of this study is to determine the presence of biotechnology literacy, based on knowledge, perception, and attitude. Besides, this study also determines the factors affecting the students’ attitude towards biotechnology. This study is a quantitative study involving 292 secondary school students from science and non-science classes. The findings showed that overall students have what we describe as a medium level of knowledge, perception, and attitude towards biotechnology. It is anticipated that this pattern of findings can help teachers, the Ministry of Education and the media to strategically plan ahead so that improvements in the national curriculum can be proposed and implemented.

This Special Issue of Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education presents the current research trend of Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in Malaysia. As many may argue, a quality STEM education should be able to provide wider opportunities for students to develop their competencies in not only Science, but also Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and its related areas. A successful STEM education equips students with STEM core competencies in sequences that are built upon one another and can be applied within the context of real world application. The acquisition of STEM core competencies will gradually nourish them to be critical and creative thinkers, uplift their scientific literacy, and more importantly stimulate themselves to be creative innovators. These are among the main reasons why STEM education has been an area of great interest in Malaysia just like in any other countries in this world

Students’ achievement in Biology is often looked up as a benchmark to evaluate the mode of teaching and learning in higher education. Problem-based learning (PBL) is an approach that focuses on students’ solving a problem through collaborative groups. There were eighty samples involved in this study. The samples were divided into three groups: ICT integrated with PBL group: a PBL group, and a lecture group. The PBL with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) group used a PBL module integrated with the following ICT elements: Microsoft Word template; Microsoft PowerPoint; electronic discussion group, and blog. Meanwhile the PBL group used the PBL module alongside log books and posters. The control group utilized the lecture method. All these groups went through four sessions of Biology. Before the beginning of session one and after the fourth session, an achievement test was given to all the students. Based on the analysis for MANOVA with repeated measure 3x2x2, the main effect for type of treatment, exam time and subscale was found significantly different. Additionally, the type of treatment interacts with exam time and subscale in contributing towards the achievement test scores. Overall, the findings suggested that the ICT integrated with PBL group was significant compared to the PBL group and control group. The ICT integrated with PBL group also performed significantly higher for the subjective scale.

This paper discusses the concept of 'action' in action research. Novice teachers and teachers in school and higher education are encouraged to embark on researches related to their teaching in order to improve their teaching as well as students’ learning. The inculcations of action research culture have been fostered at all educational levels (primary, secondary and tertiary) and are propagated as part of their practice to increase their professionalism as curriculum implementers in general. In this paper, a number of documents and papers related to action research at the National University of Malaysia were randomly analyzed by focusing on the 'actions' of the action researches that have been carried out. The paper also discusses the importance of providing training on understanding the purpose of 'action' in action research and the needs to share innovation particularly in teaching and learning with respect to the ‘action’ besides highlighting some of the training components and the 'action' itself.

TIMSS has reported that, Malaysian students' achievement in science has exceeded the international average; however, it was still far behind its neighbouring country Singapore which is on the top three ranking. This paperwork aims to develop and validate instruments to assess the level of empowerment for chemistry-content knowledge. The instruments were adapted from previous researches on Conceptual Alternative in chemistry content knowledge. The test was administered to a group of 134 Form Five students who took chemistry subject in school. Development of a good research tool for Chemistry Content Test (CCT) needs analyses of the 31 items to find the reliability and validity values. This article discussed the steps in the item development process and a summary of how Rasch Modelling were applied to analyze the items. The implication of this research is that teachers can use the CCT as a guideline to develop questions that are needed for teaching and learning.

Statistical analysis is one component that cannot be avoided in a quantitative research. Initial observations noted that students in higher education institution faced difficulty analysing quantitative data which were attributed to the confusions of various variable measurements. This paper aims to compare the outcomes of two approaches applied in enhancing the quality of teaching and learning statistics. 143 communication undergraduate students were involved as participants in this action research. They were divided into two groups, in which one experienced “group quiz” technique and the other went through the newly designed “challenge the challenger” technique. The effects of interventions given were measured from the students’ cognitions of variable measurements before and after such interventions. The action taken is believed to play an important role in the effort to improve teaching and learning of variable measurements in quantitative research.

The amount of research done on educational game integration has lately witnessed a large development. Many scholars believe that games can motivate, engage, and stimulate students’ higher order thinking skills, and studies have shown that the integration of commercial and popular games in the classroom provide positive impact on students’ learning. On the other hand, there are other voices that reveal the multitude of factors hampering the integration of these games into the educational environment. Generally, these factors are derived from the lack of instructional games designed to cater for classroom teaching and learning processes. In this respect, there are efforts made by the educational researchers and game designers to minimize the hampering factors. One alternative some scholars offered to this was for teachers and students to act as game designers, developing games to be used for classroom integration. This chapter explores the possibilities for both trainers and trainees to design games tailored for classroom integration.

The tremendous change in the 21 st century is the emerging nature of a new set of economic and social indicators which eventually capture the changes in structural transformation, technological advance, and competition in the job market. This paper aims to discuss the development and validation process of the Malaysian 21 st century skills instrument (M-21CSI) to be used within the teaching and learning of science processes. The M-21CSI consists of five distinctive elements which are: i) Digital age literacy; ii) Inventive thinking; iii) Effective communication; iv) High productivity; and iv) Spiritual value. Through an extensive review of the literature and group discussion, constructs that represent the Malaysian 21 st Century Skills were identified and further refined by Two Round Delphi Studies. Subsequent to that, items representing each construct were then drawn up. In order to justify the validity of this instrument, the questionnaire built has been tested its validity by face validity, language and content validity. This then was followed by factor analysis. The reliability of each construct was justified in terms of its internal consistency by means of Cronbach Alpha. Findings of this study confirmed the validity and reliability of the M-21CSI and thus indicated that it is a useful instrument to evaluate the mastery of Malaysian students towards 21 st century skills.

In the past three decades, science education has received increased attention at all level of schooling and continues to be a major concern at the present time. In the past, the new curriculum models for science at the elementary and secondary level proliferated, and although many of the models shared some element in common, they differed by placing an emphasis on either content, process, discovery learning or problem solving as the central focus of the curriculum. As the concern for improved science education was "thrust downwards", science educators were, and are, faced with similar decisions regarding science education in the early years; i.e. primary science. Although the process of scientific inquiry was frequently cited as a goal of science activities by some primary educators, the prime emphasis appeared to be on the acquisition of scientific concepts or content. This situation should be revamped because primary science is not just a matter of knowing about the world, but there is equally emphatic goal of helping children to behave as scientists. Therefore, this paper attempts to establish an overview of why scientific process skills should be emphasized at primary level. In achieving this aim, the value of teaching science and why it should be thought at primary level will be reviewed and the nature of children's idea will be explored.

Electrochemistry is found to be a difficult topic to learn due to its abstract concepts that involve three representation levels. Research showed that animation and simulation using Information and Communication Technology can help students to visualize and thus enhance students’ understanding in learning abstract chemistry topics. As a result, an interactive multimedia module with a pedagogical agent (IMMPA) named EC Lab was developed to assist students in the learning of Electrochemistry. There were 35 students and seven experts involved in this formative evaluation to test the usability and effectiveness of the module developed. Instruments involved were module evaluation questionnaire, module reliability questionnaire, module validity questionnaire, pretest, post-test and motivation questionnaire. Results showed that the students and experts rated the module developed as high (M = 3.94) and very high quality (M = 4.45). Besides, the respondents also see the module as reliable (M = 3.87) and valid (M = 4.51). Students have higher scores on their post-test and have gained higher motivation level after learning with the IMMPA EC Lab. However, some corrections and modifications have been made based on feedback and suggestions from the respondents to improve the quality of IMMPA EC Lab.

This paper proposes the implementation of educational computer games in Malaysian classrooms. Local research has found that Malaysian students are familiar with computer games but the implementation of computer games as teaching and learning aids in the classroom has yet to be carried out. In reviewing this topic, the authors refer to the chemistry classroom as the case in point. The paper examines the issues and challenges faced by education stakeholders in designing and implementing educational computer games for Malaysian classrooms. Three main issues to be discussed here are the issues of: (i) the available educational computer games in the market and whether they are suitable to be used in Malaysian classrooms, (ii) the factors that ought to be considered in adapting and designing an educational computer game to be used in Malaysian classrooms and (iii) the barriers which hinder the implementation of educational computer games in Malaysian classrooms. The authors further propose an educational computer game design model for Malaysian classrooms. The model grasps the important issues and challenges discussed, depicting the factors to be considered during the planning and designing phases of an educational computer game. The paper concludes by encouraging local and international researchers to further explore the diverse scope of the computer game niche especially in the context of the local education system and chemistry education.

Members of the young generation who are literate in science and technology play a vital role in developing countries like Malaysia. The education system in Malaysia therefore puts greater emphasis on science and mathematics. In consonance with the National Education Philosophy, science education in Malaysia nurtures a science and technology culture by focusing on the development of individuals who are competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient and able to master scientific knowledge and demonstrate technological competencies. It is hoped that this young generation can help the country achieve Vision 2020 as an advanced industrial country in the world.

This research looks specifically at the perceived needs of secondary school science teachers in Malaysia so that subsequent effective in-service programmes can be planned and implemented. The prime aim of this cross-sectional survey study is to ascertain the perceived needs of 1,690 practicing secondary school science teachers, characterized by gender, school location, and area of specialization. The main instrument used is a questionnaire. The validity and reliability of the instrument were systematically established through relevant test procedures. The questionnaire seeks feedback on the eight dimensions of science teachers' needs: generic pedagogical knowledge and skills, knowledge and skills in Science subjects, managing and delivering science instruction, diagnosing and evaluating students, planning science instruction, administering science instructional facilities and equipment, integration of multimedia technology and the use of English language in science instruction. Data were descriptively analyzed, followed by a series of chi square analysis. Results of the descriptive analysis demonstrate that the most prevalent needs of the Malaysian secondary school science teachers are the integration of multimedia and the use of English in science instruction. When measures of association were gauged between the science teachers' needs and the independent variables, it was found that significant associations exist. The associations were apparent between most of the dimensions of science teachers' needs and school location.

Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti keperluan guru Sains sekolah rendah dalam aspek pengajaran iaitu dari segi (a) mendiagnosis dan menilai prestasi pelajar, (b) perancangan pengajaran Sains, (c) penyampaian pengajaran Sains, (d) pengurusan dan pentadbiran kemudahan Sains, dan (e) kemajuan kendiri guru Sains. Kajian ini juga bertujuan mengenal pasti masalah pengajaran guru, cara meningkatkan prestasi pengajaran Sains dan kursus dalam perkhidmatan yang diperlukan. Maklumat ini memberi gambaran keperluan guru secara tidak langsung. Kajian menggunakan kaedah tinjauan dengan menggunakan borang soal selidik. Sampel kajian diambil secara rawak berstrata yang terdiri daripada 120 guru-guru Sains daripada 40 buah sekolah rendah di daerah Kota Setar, Kedah Darul Aman. Analisis kekerapan dan peratusan digunakan bagi mengenal pasti keutamaan keperluan guru. Dimensi pengajaran berkaitan kemajuan kendiri guru sains dan mendiagnosis dan menilai prestasi pelajar merupakan aspek yang sangat diperlukan bantuan oleh guru Sains sekolah rendah. Secara khususnya, mereka mengutamakan bantuan dari aspek (a) menjadi kreatif dalam pengajaran Sains, (b) mendapat maklumat mengenai inovasi/pembaharuan dalam pengajaran Sains, (c) mempertingkatkan pengetahuan mengenai kerjaya yang berkaitan dengan Sains, (d) mempertingkatkan pengetahuan mengenai isu kemasyarakatan yang berkaitan dengan Sains, (e) mempertingkatkan pengetahuan mengenai perkembangan kurikulum Sains, (f) membuat alat mudah makmal Sains, dan (g) mempertingkatkan kelayakan akademik. Hasil kajian ini dapat menjadi asas kepada perancangan, mereka bentuk, dan melaksanakan kursus dalam perkhidmatan untuk guru Sains sekolah rendah. Kata kunci: Guru Sains, sekolah rendah, keperluan guru, kursus dalam perkhidmatan dan aspek pengajaran The purpose of this study is to identify the perceived needs of primary science teachers in the teaching of primary science. Components of teaching investigated in this study were (a) diagnosing and evaluating learners for science instruction, (b) planning science instruction, (c) delivering science instruction, (d) managing and administrating science facilities, and (e) science teachers’ self–improvement. This study also aims to identify the problems of teaching science, strategies to improve teaching and the in–service courses needed by science teachers. This information is an indirect measurement of the needs of science teachers. A survey which employs questionnaire was used in this study. Using randomly stratified sampling procedures, 120 primary science teachers were selected from 40 schools in the district of Kota Setar, Kedah Darul Aman. Frequencies and percentage were used to measure the most prevalent needs. The most prevalent needs indicated by science teachers were related to science teachers’ self improvement and diagnosing and evaluating learners for science instruction. More specifically, they indicated great help in the following areas: (a) being creative in science teaching, (b) getting information on innovation in science teaching, (c) improving knowledge of science related career for students, (d) improving knowledge of science related to societal issues, (e) developing knowledge in curriculum development, (f) constructing a simple science equipment, and (g) developing academic qualification. This findings provide base line information in planning, designing, and implementation of an effective in–service programs for primary science teachers. Key words: Science teachers, primary teachers, teachers’ needs, in-service courses and components of teaching

Communication plays an essential role in the Biology education. It focuses on delivery and transmission of knowledge. In problem-based learning (PBL), communication is seen as a fundamental skill that has to be developed and used by the students. During the PBL sessions, students are required to read out the problems, gather feedback from their peers, find a solution and lastly do a group presentation. All this steps require communication skills throughout the PBL process. Quasi experiment with the non-equivalent control group design was used for this study. The research design is non-equivalent control group design with posttest only. There were two experimental groups and one control group involved in the study. The first experimental group was exposed with PBL with ICT treatment whilst the second experimental group was exposed with PBL treatment. Meanwhile the control group was exposed with the conventional teaching method. Eighty samples were involved in the study. Communication skills were measured using a rubric at the end of the treatment. The data was analyzed using quantitative measure which is mainly ANOVA. Findings showed that the PBL with ICT group had the highest score in communication skills. The implications of the study suggested that an integration of ICT in PBL is seen effective in cultivating communication skills for higher education.

Creativity is an important aspect of human development. The trend towards globalization with technological developments requires energy product that is productive and innovative people in all walks of life. Acculturation creativity is needed in the early development of the mind of an individual. Educational institution is the most important place to nourish the creative talents and abilities of students and also as an important medium in the generation of creative minds of the students. Science curriculum is taught in educational institutions is seen as a subject that can help to improve the quality of creative thinking among students. Among the challenges faced in the cultivation of creative thinking skills in learning and teaching is the knowledge of teachers about the teaching of creativity, not to emphasize the application of creativity by teachers, students who are shy and do not want to show their creativity. Therefore, this paper will describe the basic concept of what is meant by creativity, creative teaching, learning strategy fostering creativity in science, and the role of the science curriculum in the formation of creative minds. Furthermore, this paper will clarify some of the proposals that are expected to bring about change towards fostering an atmosphere of creativity in teaching and learning. Among the proposals to be emphasized is the need for science teachers to master in particular ICT technology, conducting Project Based Learning with students, and enhance the science curriculum to stimulate the creativity of students and teachers on teaching creative paradigm.

Communication skills is one of the elements of generic skills that are essential among university students. Through their years in the university, students would have been exposed to situations, in and outside of the lecture halls, where they have to use their communication skills, for example group assignments and class presentations. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to investigate the level of communication skills among university students. Communication skills were measured via a self-administered questionnaire and it assessed ten elements in communication skills, including oral, written and social behavior. The reliability of the questionnaire was good, with r > 0.08 in each sub construct. The results of this study found that university students have achieved good communication skills.

To overcome the challenges of the twenty first century in science and technology sector, students need to be equipped with the 21 st century skills to ensure their competitiveness in the globalization era. They are expected to master the 21 st century skills apart of just being excelled in their academic performance. Therefore, it is crucial to incorporate 21 st century skills in science education. 21 st century skills comprised of four main domains namely digital age literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication and high productivity. Scientific literacy is one of the skills required in digital age literacy. It means knowledge and understanding of the scientific concepts and processes required for personal decision-making, participation in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity. Scientific literacy is important in our modern society since they are many issues related to science and technology. Basic science process skills include observing, classifying, measuring and using numbers, making inferences, predicting, communicating and using the relations of space and time. While the integrated science process skills consist of interpreting data, operational definition, control variables, make hypotheses and experimenting. Science students have been cultivated by scientific literacy and science process skills through science classes. With these two skills, it is hoped that the science students have developed some skills needed in 21 st century skills. This paper will further explain about the 21 st century skills, scientific literacy and science process skills. It also explains about the intersection of science process skills and 21 st century skills in science education.

The learning environment needs to be adjusted in line with the learning outcomes and teaching strategies, while at the same time, fulfills the teachers’ and students’ needs. Thus, it is argued that evaluation of learning environment is important because by doing so, it provides not only information for measuring the learners’ performance, but also information on teachers’ competency in planning positive learning outcomes. This paper reports a survey which was conducted to determine teachers’ perception of and the relationship between physical and psychosocial aspects of science laboratory learning environment in schools in the state of Selangor. Teachers’ perception of psychosocial science laboratory learning environment was measured using Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI), while the physical environment was measured using Physical Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (PSLEI). Analysis of findings revealed that overall, teachers demonstrated positive attitudes towards the psychosocial environment and moderate level of suitability towards the physical environment. Subsequent analysis also revealed that there existed significant contributions of physical aspects on psychosocial aspects of the science laboratory learning environment.

This paper introduces the pedagogical agents and describes its characteristics and roles in multimedia modules. It will also include examples of the use of pedagogical agents in previous studies and effective use of pedagogical agents on learning. Next, pedagogical agent variability in terms of physical (ethnicity, gender, image, voice) and internal features (roles, communication and competency) will be discussed in the context of its impact on learners’ diversity. This is then followed by a discussion and suggestions for further research regarding the effective use of pedagogical agent in multimedia modules. © 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The 21st century marks the transformation of the global economy to what has been referred to, somewhat interchangeably, as the knowledge society, information age and new economy. Among the significant changes is the emerging nature of a new set of economic and social indicators which eventually capture the changes in structural transformation, technological advance, and competition in the job market. Undoubtedly, such changes in the have driven changes in skills required to compete effectively in today's global economy. It could therefore argued that, given the rapid rate of change, the vast amount of information that need to be managed, and the influence of technology on life in general, students in the 21st century need to apply current skill sets, as well as developed new skills to cope and thrive in this changing society. In fulfilling all these aspirations, it is suggested that thinking skills that should be cultivated in the students are no longer confined to the traditional definition of critical and creative thinking. Obviously, the dimension of thinking should also encompass adaptability and managing complexity, self direction, curiosity, risk taking, higher order thinking and sound reasoning. Those skills are identified and emphasised based upon the premise that to grant success in the 21st century, students need to build upon themselves those thinking skills and arguably, their academic as well as workplace performance can be predicted by those skills. This paper will seminally discuss the conceptual definitions of 21st century thinking skills and suggests mechanisms of how those skills could be embedded into the existing science curriculum in Malaysia through standard setting approach so that what is envisaged in the curriculum is being implemented in the actual science teaching and learning processes.

The result of the International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) (2007) revealed that 20% of Malaysian students failed to achieve minimum standard in Science and Mathematics, compared to 5% in Science and 7% in Mathematics four years ago. This study intends to investigate the acheivement of the Malaysian 21st Century Chemistry Skills Test and to compare it to students’ level of sosio economic status. Comprising 37 multiple choice items, the Malaysian 21 st Century Chemistry Skills Test includes representatives from five domains which are; i) Digital Age Literacy, ii) Inventive Thinking, iii) Effective Communication, iv) High Productivity, and v) Religion, Health and Civic. The respondents comprised of 317 form four students who took chemistry subject in school. The reliability of the instrument was measured using Kuder-Richardson (KR-20) for dichotomous data and the result showed value of .50. The study revealed that students from high sosioeconomic status scored higher compared to their counterparts from low socioeconomic status. This paper concludes with some practical suggestions of how to improve students’ 21st century skills, particularly within the context of chemistry teaching and learning.

Assessment practice in general can answer important questions about the learning of individual students, the effectiveness of a single course or programme, or even the entire institution as a whole. Currently, it is widely discussed with regard to how assessment could be used in attaining unexpected learning outcomes on the part of the students themselves. This paper will seminally discuss the importance of a Programme Assessment Plan and how university engineering lecturers could utilize it as a learning aid, thereby promoting learning throughout life. In ensuring the enculturation of scholarship of assessment among the National University of Malaysia engineering lecturers, it is argued that assessment should be acknowledged as a major influence on student learning in all course design and development. Additionally, assessment should be judged first in terms of its consequences on students’ learning and second in terms of its effectiveness in measuring students’ achievement. This paper ends by proposing steps and measures that should be undertaken in preparing Programme Assessment Plan, which tacitly inform the learning processes that should be undertaken in achieving its underlined outcomes, while at the same time contributing towards continuous quality improvement on part of the programme itself.

An increasing number of graduates, especially from public institutes of higher learning in Malaysia are unemployed. A degree can no longer be regarded as an automatic passport to employment. What are the causes for this state of affairs? Is this because the job market is getting more competitive? Or are the current batch of job seekers and graduates unmarketable? It is not prudent to blame the graduates entirely for their predicament. It is crucial to find out whether the courses offered at the universities, adequately prepare them with the right blend and attitude to compete in the job market. Hence, it is important to study whether UKM graduates are equipped with sufficient communication skills and the basic research knowledge to fulfill the needs of the prospective employers. As a preliminary study, this paper will report on what graduates from The School of Language Studies and Linguistics share about their experiences with employers during their Industrial training and propose strategies to address these issues.

This paper reports a survey which was conducted in order to determine students’ perception of physical and psychosocial science laboratory learning environment in secondary schools in the state of Selangor and it differences based on location and subjects. Students’ perception on science laboratory learning environment was measured by using Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI) and the suitability of physical aspects were measured using Physical Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (PSLEI). Analysis of findings reveals that students demonstrate positive attitudes in all SLEI scales, with an exception in open-ended scale. In terms of physical aspects, students rate the lighting and space as having high level of fitness while furniture and equipment, technology, air quality and safety aspects were rated as moderate. The findings also showed that there was no significant difference in perspective about the suitability of the physical environment and psychosocial environment based on location. However, there are significant differences in the physical and psychosocial environment based on subject among students

Our current 21st century workplace requires workers to master the skills that are essential in a knowledge-based society as well as the new skills necessary to move beyond the information age into the conceptual age. Therefore, in order to succeed in this present economic scenario, students need to be equipped with digital age proficiencies. Analysis of current literature on this issue revealed that elements of the 21st century learning outcomes are the skills, knowledge and expertise students should master to succeed in work and later in life within the compound of the 21st century environment. As a social agent, educational systems of every nation need to transform their objectives, curriculum, pedagogies, and as well as assessments to help the younger generation achieve the outcomes required for a prosperous, attractive lifestyle based on effective contributions in work and citizenship. Essentially, the main purposes of this study are to profile the inventive thinking skills among primary school students in Malaysia and Brunei and to compare the inventive thinking skills among the students with regards to gender. The dimension of inventive thinking skills comprised of adaptability and managing complexity, self direction, curiosity, creativity, risk taking and higher order thinking and sound reasoning. This study, which employed cross sectional survey method, involved 1037 Primary school students from both countries. The results of the findings revealed that there are statistically significant differences in student's inventive thinking skills from both countries in term of gender.

This study aim to systematically design environment learning module based on constructivist learning approach and to measure its effectiveness on attitudes towards environmental management among some secondary students, involving two different schools in Pekanbaru, Riau Indonesia. This quasi-experimental study employ pre and post control group design design involving some 152 Level Seven students segregated into two; experimental and control groups. Each group is also stratified in terms of students’ cognitive ability (high and low). Throughout the intervention process, students in the experimental groups are exposed with environmental learning experience using the designed module, integrated with the constructivist approach. On the other hand, their counterparts in the control groups undergo conventional teaching and learning routines. Essentially, the findings reveal the module has improved the students’ attitude regardless of their cognitive ability Findings generated from this study provide empirical evidence on the effectiveness of constructivist approach in environment teaching particularly in improving students’ attitudes towards their environment.

In achieving national aspiration as boldly documented in the Malaysian VISION 2020, strategic planning in human capital development is undoubtedly essential. VISION 2020 envisages Malaysians as not merely to be innovative and forward looking but also capable of becoming a contributor to scientific and technological advancement. This paper will present findings from a two round Delphi Study, which specifically seek experts’ consensus on what should be the domains of science teaching and learning objectives that are suitable for the 21st century Malaysians. Data garnered was descriptively analyzed and subsequent findings then yielded framework of 21st century Malaysian science curriculum. Each domain is hypothetically defined and suggestions will also be made on how to integrate the new 21st century science learning domains into the existing Malaysian science curriculum.