Malaysian Classroom Research Articles

Exploring lower secondary Malaysian teachers’ perceptions of using the listening materials in the ‘Pulse 2’ textbook

As Malaysia’s education is going through major reforms, an impact from the recent global development worldwide, various efforts have been put forward to ensure the Malaysian education system is globally competitive. One of the crucial steps taken was to align its English language education system to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). In implementing the CEFR-aligned curriculum in the Malaysian classrooms, the Pulse 2 Textbook was introduced as the key resource. Although the initiative to bring in Pulse 2 textbook was a welcomed approach, just like any policy implementation, the textbook brought various challenges. This hindered both teachers’ and students’ capability to fully participate in the curriculum and accomplish the required language proficiency outcomes. The study reported in this paper is one part of a larger study on CEFR-aligned curriculum in the Malaysian classrooms. Since this study was one of very scarce studies that explored the practicality of the foreign, CEFR-aligned English textbook to teach listening skills, the focus was to explore teachers’ perceptions. Specifically, the study investigated teachers’ level of satisfaction, pedagogical approaches, and challenges in using Pulse 2 for teaching listening skills to lower secondary students. A phenomenological qualitative research design using open-ended interviews was applied to gain a detailed understanding of teachers’ perceptions of using the listening materials in the Pulse 2 textbook. The sample consisted of five teachers currently employed as lower secondary English language teachers in a government school in Semenyih. Data was analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s Six-phase Thematic Analytic Process. Coding was done using the In-Vivo coding method to develop themes for discussion. The study found that overall, teachers were satisfied with the materials in the textbook to be used in teaching listening skills. Although teachers still faced issues of cultural content and lexical suitability, activities from the textbook were easily modified and adapted for students of various proficiencies to achieve curriculum objectives. However, much still needs to be done in terms of improving school infrastructure, supplying quality equipment and providing professional development support to teachers to ensure that they can accurately and confidently carry out the listening activities outlined in the Pulse 2 Textbook. This study has crucial implications that suggest a need for a more inclusive and supportive approach to managing both the pedagogical requirements and professional development of teachers involved in teaching listening skills to lower secondary students using the Pulse 2, CEFR-aligned textbook.

Benefits and Challenges of Differentiated Learning in Malaysian Classrooms: Literature Review

Benefits and Challenges of Differentiated Learning in Malaysian Classrooms: Literature Review

Malaysian Science Teachers’ Tech-infused Instruction and Assessment Strategies

Science education consistently displays unique traits shaped by evolving educational landscapes, as well as global trends and developments. Despite global enthusiasm for technology in education, there is a notable dearth of studies on Malaysian science teachers' skills in integrating instructional technology. Studies in this region seldom delve deeply into the use of specific Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools and web platforms in teaching and assessment, indicating a significant gap in the literature on technology integration in Malaysian science classrooms. This paper presents a study carried out involving a survey of 36 science teachers across 16 secondary schools in a district in Kelantan, one of the eastern states in Malaysia. It aimed to achieve the following research objectives: 1) To examine science teachers’ use of digital tools and technology in lesson planning and the development of educational materials; 2) To investigate science teachers’ incorporation of technology into their science instruction; and 3) To determine how technology is integrated into the science assessment and reporting process. The findings reveal a high level of digital resourcefulness among teachers, contrasting with prior studies that indicated minimal technological integration in Malaysian classrooms. Teachers predominantly relied on web resources like YouTube and online textbooks for lesson planning, while Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides were frequently used in instruction. Google Classroom and Quizizz were identified as the most common platforms in science assessments. The findings highlight a significant shift in technology usage, advocating for continued professional development, collaborative networks, and policy reforms to further integrate technology into science education. It also suggests that future studies should focus on more specific aspects of technology use, aiming to enhance its impact on teaching methodologies and curriculum alignment, thus making a significant contribution to the discourse on instructional technology in Malaysian science education.

Using Peer Evaluation as a Tool in English Language Learning in Malaysian Classroom

Using Peer Evaluation as a Tool in English Language Learning in Malaysian Classroom

Exploring the Relationship between Learning Strategies Used in Language Learning

Learning a language has never been an easy task for most learners and students performance greater differ in a single classroom despite being taught by the same teacher and expose to the same materials. Therefore, the main issue for this could possibly be due to the students’ own learning strategies that is causing them to excel or underperform in language learning. In the context of a Malaysian classroom, this needs to be understood as academicians are dealing with a multi-cultural group of students from various economical background that would definitely have an impact on how the learn a language. Therefore, this study aims to learn and answer the general question of how students’ learning strategies affect the process of how they learn languages. More specifically, this quantitative study is done to explore motivation factors for learning among undergraduates students from Universities in Malaysia. A purposive sample of 129 participants responded to the survey which was distributed via Google form. The results indicate that metacognitive self-regulation can positively impact learning by helping individuals monitor and adjust their learning strategies, identify areas where they need to improve their understanding, and set goals to guide their study activities. This finding is important as it can assist academicians to understand why some students are not performing in language learning and design a more systematic checklist for the students to monitor their own learning process.

‘People are already doing it’: Malaysian English language teachers’ perceptions on translanguaging

ABSTRACT This study argues for adoption of a translanguaging lens in Malaysian English language classrooms because translanguaging practices are considered scaffolding tools in teaching and learning of the language. This argument was derived from a case study which used interviews with seven Malaysian secondary school English language teachers. The objectives of this study were to examine the teachers’ views on translanguaging using learners’ home languages and their report practices. Four themes emerged from this study: ‘Tapestry of language profile in the Malaysian classroom’, ‘Judicious use of other languages in the classroom’, ‘Limited features of spontaneous translanguaging’ and ‘Challenges integrating translanguaging in Malaysian English language classrooms’. The proposal of adopting a translanguaging lens was based on the reported translanguaging practices which were rooted in the Malaysian multilingual classrooms among the sample. Despite the silence on plurilingualism and translanguaging in the Malaysian English language policy and curriculum, teachers have been practising it surreptitiously.

The Attitudes of Secondary School Teachers toward the Utilization of Microcontroller in The Classroom

The goal of this study was to determine the level of smart electronic device microcontroller development boards were used as teaching tools (BBM) in Penang secondary schools for the teaching and learning of the subject of design and technology (RBT). The effectiveness of using microcontroller development boards as instructional aids and tools (BBM) based on digital technology might enhance the quality of instruction and learning in electronic design provided by RBT teachers. As a result, this article describes the conclusions of the attitudes of RBT teachers towards fuel usage that were based on a microcontroller development board. To conduct the study, 128 RBT teachers who teach electronic design to Form 2 and Form 3 students in secondary schools were given questionnaires. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 26 software was used to perform a descriptive analysis of the data to determine the frequency distribution, percentage, and mean comparison. T-tests were also run to determine whether there was a gender difference. With an average score of 3.93, the results demonstrate that Form 2 and Form 3 RBT teachers had a moderate attitude regarding the employment of microcontroller boards. The t-test results, however, revealed no gender differences between the RBT teachers' use of the microcontroller board. The same research topics were recommended to be broadened to include students in the future and explore the relationship between teachers' attitudes and the use of microcontrollers from a behavioral perspective in Malaysian classrooms.

Appropriating Shakespearean graphic novels for Malaysian classrooms to create correct gender representations.

Public awareness on gender education may not be easily translated in living classrooms, which prompts new alternatives. In this study, we explored Shakespearean graphic novels in exposing Malaysian school students to gender-related issues. The two-fold research entails tracing the female presence in eight selected images from digital graphic novels that define the gender and place social expectations across the globe; and secondly, gathering teachers' perception of these selected graphic novels. The chosen images were divided into two categories-those published as the cover pages of graphic novels and those that were contested for the Graphic Shakespeare Competition established in 2016. These stereotypical images of women are inconsistent with the objective of achieving inclusivity and correct gender representations. The data analysed based on a semi-structured interview on six ESL teachers suggest that as much as the graphic novels are seen as valuable in pedagogical contexts and in exposing the students to learning English and gender representations through literature, the material selection, and pedagogical approaches, including determining the classroom activities must be cautiously considered in terms of their cultural appropriateness to ensure students' readiness and effective outcomes. Discussing these pertinent issues, especially in addressing gender (mis)representations relevant to education, helps pave a new route within the UN SDG Goal 5 where gender nuances and phrases ought to be carefully constructed in a new narrative that shapes global perception towards women.

Pilot Study on Investigation of Thermal Sensation Votes (TSV) and Students' Performance in Naturally Ventilated Classroom

Thermal comfort is essential for students' wellbeing, health, and performance. A conducive classroom must consider the acceptable range of heat and its impact on student performance. The study aims to conduct a pilot test for the determination of thermal acceptability and student performance in existing Malaysian classrooms using physical and subjective assessments. The methodology requires physical measurement using KIMO AMI 310 instrument, as well as subjective assessment via satisfaction survey adapted from ASHRAE 55 and performance assessment adapted from WHO Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery (WHO NCTB). Physical measurement parameters, such as indoor temperature, air velocity, relative humidity, and prevailing mean outdoor temperature, were measured in parallel with subjective assessment of thermal acceptability and performance assessment. Three days of data collection were conducted in the secondary school located in Endau, Johor. There are three classes involved with a total of 46 students. Each class was equipped with two ceiling fans and both ceiling fans were regulated to the speed of four. The overall physical and subjective assessment procedure took approximately 60 minutes per classroom. The findings showed that all the investigated classes were in the range of acceptable operative temperature and complied with ASHRAE Standard 55 for both 80% and 90% acceptability limits. Pearson correlation analysis showed a small positive relationship between thermal sensation vote (TSV) and learning performance was obtained. The results also showed a higher performance score at the TSV value of -1 suggesting the students tend to have higher performance scores when they voted feeling slightly cool. Thus, the results of the pilot test gave new insight into the effective method to improve the methodology for the actual data collection.

A Case Study of Malaysian Teachers’ Practice of Play-based Learning in Preschool

Malaysian early education authorities have advocated for play-based learning in Malaysian classrooms in recent years. However, there is minimal recorded evidence of the state of play-based learning implementation in preschools. This study seeks to investigate the practice of play-based learning by three Chinese-ethnic teachers in a preschool. The choice of a case study is to enable a detailed examination of the intertwining relationship between knowledge, attitude and practice of play-based learning among the case study teachers. The findings obtained from three sets of self-report rating and observation point to a stronger influence of knowledge than attitude on the teachers’ practice of play-based learning. Improved knowledge about play-based learning is critical for the Malaysian preschool teachers to apply play-based learning in their teaching practice. Without adequate knowledge in play-based learning, there is the risk that teachers will continue to perceive “play” and “learning” as two separate entities, and correspondingly believe that play has an adverse effect on learning.

Examining the Effects of Behavioral Skills Training on Social Praise Delivery in Malaysian Classrooms

Abstract Malaysia launched the Inclusive Education Program (IEP) in 1997 to integrate students with special needs into mainstream classrooms and local researchers have recently asserted that more training is necessary for Malaysian teachers to effectively work with IEP students. The purposes of this research, therefore, were to (1) introduce the use of social praise via behavioral skills training (BST) to teachers of students in IEP, (2) increase the use of social praise by teachers of students in IEP via written feedback provided by the experimenter following each post-BST classroom session; and (3) increase the likelihood of individually selected target behavior in students who attend IEP. A multiple-baseline across four teacher-student dyads was conducted. Results indicated that BST and written feedback were effective in increasing the frequency (converted to responses per minute) of social praise issued by all four teachers and that collateral effects were seen by an increase in target behaviors for two out of four student participants. A posttreatment social validity survey completed by teacher participants indicated that the BST goals, procedures, and outcomes were practical and important.

Second Language Learning Anxiety in Malaysian Classroom

Learning English language is a typical phenomenon that takes place almost over 50 countries all over the world. However, anxiety among young students creates an impenetrable barrier to acquire English as a second language. This study’s main purpose, which used a survey methodology, was to study the second language anxiety experiences of Year 5 pupils and find out if there were any vast differences in anxiety experiences during second language learning based on gender. This study included about 80 Year 5 pupils from a primary school in the Johor Bahru, Malaysia. For this research, a questionnaire known as Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), developed by Horwitz et al. (1986) was implemented. The data reveal that anxiety is induced by experiences such as being frightened to talk in English, worry of not understanding English, being judged by others, making mistakes when speaking the language, and fear of forgetting learning topics. The research also suggests that teachers should recognize pupils’ anxiety in second language learning, provide a stress-free classroom environment and work together with parents to create opportunities for pupils to practice the language. The study's findings should serve as a wake- up call for instructors and parents in terms of assisting young learners in overcoming their fear in English language acquisition, whether in or out of the classroom.

Classroom Assessment Practices in Malaysian Primary Schools: A Meta-Analysis

One of the assessment processes used by teachers to help students improve is classroom assessment. Teachers will determine the extent to which students comprehend the topic of learning through classroom assessment. However, issuing implementation instructions in a short period might lead to a range of problems. As a result, the challenges, methodology, and conclusions of prior research on classroom assessment practise in Malaysian primary schools are examined in this paper. This study uses a meta-analysis design and a secondary study form to identify, explore, and interpret all relevant studies related to a topic domain. The review will only include studies conducted between 2020 and 2021 due to a recent change in assessment practices in Malaysian primary schools. A single database, Google Scholar, was used to find relevant literature and keywords were used to find the article. The three criteria used to select articles for analysis were researched on classroom assessment, data collection, and research completed within the last two years. Finally, 12 articles were chosen for meta-analysis based on a review of the literature. There are five qualitative studies and seven quantitative studies included. The findings revealed inconsistencies in Malaysian primary school teachers' reports about their readiness to understand classroom assessment. Previous research on Malaysian classroom assessment practices, on the other hand, used credible methodologies because each study examined a different aspect of the subject. In the future, researchers should concentrate their efforts on developing an instrument that meets validity and reliability criteria, resulting in more reliable data.

Teaching Struggling Readers of English as a Second Language in the Malaysian Classroom

Teacher plays an important role in students’ reading growth through the implementation of various suitable instructional strategies in the classroom. This study contributes to the existing literature pertaining to the way the teacher worked with the students who were identified as struggling readers of English as a second language (henceforth ESL). This is a qualitative study involving one primary teacher as a research participant. Data was obtained from classroom observations, interviews and documents collection. Inductive analysis was carried out and the process incorporating a co-construction of meaning between the participant responses and the researcher’s own understanding. Two main themes emerged in the study namely “involvement” and “challenges”. In this paper, one of the themes namely “involvement” that incorporates “classroom environment” and “instructional methods” will be discussed. The findings of this study suggest that the Ministry of Education (henceforth MOE) can look into how support can be given to the teachers to assist them to have more effective teaching strategies in the ESL classroom.

ESL Teachers Classroom Practices and Beliefs in Malaysian Classroom Context

This study assessed the ideologies and actual classroom and pedagogical practices of teachers. It explored the classroom talk and ideological stance of Malaysian English teachers. The findings of the study revealed there were discrepancy of ideologies and practices among the teachers. Although the divergence can be associated as a reaction to the natural occurrences of classroom context where teachers need to accommodate to the needs of the classroom, the divergence suggests teacher training should be strengthen and greater awareness should be given to avoid greater divergence between ideologies and its actual implementation. Even though the small sample of teachers involved in this study limits generalization of the findings to similar contexts, it still enables to gain an understanding into the factors that differentiate the teachers' classroom ideologies and practices. The purpose of assessing the classroom ideologies and practices teachers is not to determine the best practice or compare the teachers but to understand to what extend the training and experience of a teacher can influence their pedagogical decision that further impact the teaching and learning process.

Peer-seating groups and social participation by students with learning disabilities in full-inclusion in Malaysian secondary schools

ABSTRACT In Malaysian secondary education, typically only academically able students with learning disabilities and acceptable behaviour join mainstream classrooms for full inclusion. Social participation at school is one key indicator of inclusive education outcomes. Most Malaysian mainstream classrooms group students into small fixed peer-seating groups. This group could represent one support for social participation available to students with learning disabilities (LD) in inclusion classrooms. However, nothing is currently known about the views and experiences of social participation from the perspective of Malaysian students with LD or about the support provided by their peer-seating group in mainstream classrooms. We investigated the social participation of four focal students with LD in two Malaysian inclusive secondary schools, using a qualitative multiple case study design. The peer-seating group played a prominent role in focal students’ social participation. Several themes identified in the analysis revealed the peer-seating group’s facilitation of social participation (i.e. close contact with peer-seating group; working together on tasks; free time together), but other themes identified obstacles (i.e. limited or absent friendship network). This study contributes to a better understanding of the school social participation experiences of Malaysian adolescents with LD.

Interactive Craft Activities – Elevating Special Needs Education Learning Tools with “Craft Interactive Teaching Approach”

Abstract: The aim of this study is to determine the Expert Panels agreement and consensus on the suitable items for the development of the Craft Interactive Teaching Approach (CiTA). A purposive sampling consisting of 12 Expert Teachers with more than ten years of experience in the field of Special Education were used in this research to measure their consensus on the design and development of the CiTA video module. The CiTA video module was developed using the ADDIE Model that is supported by the Delphi Technique. This study utilised the Design Development Research (DDR) approach that consisted of three phases. However, for the purpose of this article, the researchers will only discuss Phase 2: Design and Development in developing the Interactive Teaching Approach Video module. The responding twelve VAE teachers provided positive feedback towards learning and teaching using the tutorial module. With the interquartile range of 0 to 1.00 for all items included in the activities, all Expert Teachers in the field of Special Education approved with the content of the CiTA video module from the two rounds of Delphi surveys performed. The CiTA video module was developed with the inclusion of all items that were highly approved by the participating Expert Teachers in the Special Needs Education. Since the two rounds of item evaluation demonstrated a significant relationship between Round One and Round Two, the development of the video module could improve inclusive learning in the Malaysian classroom.
 
 Keywords: Interactive Visual Arts Education, Special education needs, Special needs children.

ESL Learners’ Challenges in Speaking English in Malaysian Classroom

ESL Learners’ Challenges in Speaking English in Malaysian Classroom

Design Principles of a Responsive Pedagogical Model for Multimodal Skills of Oral Presentation

Within the scope of pedagogy, established methods have been found to be incongruous with the multimodal skills required of oral presentations in the 21st century. Despite pedagogical innovations situated in native-speaking and advanced countries being so productive in experimenting with pedagogical techniques for various types of oral skills, multimodal skills of oral presentations have still been overlooked. The author is a practitioner in Malaysian higher education who struggles with this pedagogical dilemma in her daily professional life. Therefore, to respond to this practical issue and theoretical gap, the author designed a pedagogical model named the Responsive Multimodal Oral Presentation Pedagogy (RMO2P) to respond appropriately and proactively to the gap in oral presentation pedagogy. A practical action research that was based on McNiff & Whitehead’s (2011) action-reflection cycle was implemented in a tertiary Malaysian classroom for 13 weeks contributed to five applicable and theoretically informed design principles of RMO2P which are based on the spirit of responsiveness. It is hoped that the explicit discussion on its design principles could inspire other teachers with no external funding and sophisticated technical expertise to embark on research for pedagogical improvement.

Project Zero: A Framework for Innovative Pedagogy in the Teaching of English in Malaysia?

This paper marks the beginning of a project aimed at trialing a Western learning model in a Malaysian context where it is yet to be tested by previous research. This paper is the first of a series of research papers written to show the process in which a framework used in a bigger study was designed. It gives a sound theoretical background to support the building of Project Zero (PZ) framework and provides a comprehensive argument to realise the needs identified by the government of Malaysia, by explaining why Visible Thinking (VT) might be a useful tool for developing a more constructivist pedagogy. Most of PZ research was conducted in school classrooms in a Western setting. This study prides itself in taking PZ research to a whole new level, that is to a higher learning institution in a Malaysian classroom setting where undergraduate students were studied, this marks the novelty of this research. The PZ framework for observation and analysis was developed by carefully studying the Visible Thinking Project to determine the thinking routines used, this in turn formed the core of the framework. Data from interviews with 3 groups of 59 undergraduate students and their 3 teachers were then analysed qualitatively. It was found that this Western learning model has positive implications for students’ learning.