National Primary Schools Research Articles

Geometric Morphometric and Pattern Discrimination of Handwritten Numeral Characters Based on Local Ethnicities and Native Linguistic Disparities in Malaysia for Forensic Applications

Handwriting can be influenced by factors like culture and native language disparities; however, the specific research to discriminate handwritten numeral characters for forensic questioned document investigation involving the diverse ethnicities (Malay, Chinese and Indian) in Malaysian population remains unreported. Despite its application in forensic anthropology, utilization of the landmark based analysis using the Geometric Morphometric (GMM) technique for examining handwritten numeral character specimens appears sparse. Therefore, this present research that attempted to discriminate ethnicities background of 390 consenting adult participants in Malaysia based on the handwritten numeral characters (0-9) using GMM technique, merits forensic and scientific considerations. Results revealed that while there were universal ones, ethnic-specific handwritten numeral characters that may possibly be influenced by culture and native language (Malay, Chinese and Tamil languages) also prevailed. Significant differences (p < 0.0001) in ethnic-specific characters for the Malay, Chinese and Indian participants who attended the different national primary school settings in Malaysia were also observed. In conclusion, the discrimination of handwritten numeral characters for forensic examination of questioned documents among Malay, Chinese and Indian authors for the development of forensic intelligence is empirically supported.

To what extent do primary school children understand photosynthesis?: a study of children’s drawings with follow-up interviews

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate primary school children’s understanding of photosynthesis. We employed children’s drawings as an instrument and conducted one-to-one follow-up interviews with 48 children of primary school age (7–13 years old) in a national primary school, in a suburban area of Melaka, Malaysia. The findings of the study indicate that as children progressed through primary school, their understanding of the concept of photosynthesis improved. The study sheds light on the varying levels of conceptual understanding of photosynthesis among primary school children and how this can inform the teaching strategies of science teachers to facilitate children’s understanding of this concept. In addition, this study makes a valuable contribution to research on biology education by demonstrating that using drawings as a research instrument alone is insufficient to fully capture young children’s conceptual understanding.

Type of Primary School Attended Influences Bribe-Giving Intentions

This study provides specific insights into bribe-giving intentions in developing societies with diverse populations, using Malaysia as a case study. We investigated whether there are significant variations in young adults’ intentions to offer bribes, depending on the type of primary and secondary schools they attended. We surveyed 345 young adults and tested for significant differences using Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. We find that those who attended Chinese vernacular primary schools, as opposed to national primary schools, have a higher intention of giving bribes. We found no significant differences for the type of secondary school attended and bribe-giving intention. The results suggest the need for early anti-corruption education in primary schools in curbing corruption. These insights can aid policymakers and anti-corruption agencies in devising targeted interventions and strategies to diminish bribery. Additionally, they can inform future research concentrating on the socialization environment and the act of giving bribes.

Transnational knowledge circulation and the Commission on Manual and Practical Instruction in Ireland, 1896–98

ABSTRACT Over the past 20 years, “transnational knowledge circulation” has become a powerful theoretical construct for use by historians of education seeking to identify, characterise, and account for the nature of ideas and practices operating in one constituency that had their origins elsewhere. Research of this nature is very limited in relation to Ireland, both prior to and following political independence in the 1920s. This paper reports on an effort to commence addressing this deficit in the pre-independence era. The main focus is the work of “The Commission on Manual and Practical Instruction” (CMPI) conducted between 1896 and 1898, with the intention of proposing reforming practices for Irish national (primary) schools. A particular emphasis is placed on the efforts of the CPMI to explore and synthesise transnational education policies and practices, and to reflect these in its final report. The impact and legacy of this work in terms of the development and enactment of the subsequent curriculum for schools (1900–1922) are also analysed.

Developing Phoneme-Grapheme Recognition for English as a Foreign Language: A Longitudinal Study at Japanese Primary School

Foreign language was recently added to Japan's national primary school curriculum. Phoneme-Grapheme Recognition (PGR) skills are a critical step in both L1 and L2 development. Due to its simplistic approach and the lack of new investment in teacher training, research regarding the impact on PGR skills are important. This study tested the relative differences and growth of primary school students' (grades 3, 4, 5, 6) PGR skills across two semesters. Semester-1 (July) and Semester-3 (March) students (n = 256, female n = 130) completed the same PGR test during regular class time. ANOVA and follow-up pairwise tests assessed achievement differences between grades and across the two-semester gap. Difference testing between grades indicated substantial (R2 = .32 & .19) and statistically significant (p < .001) differences at both time points. Pairwise follow-up tests pointed to two steps in statistically different ability (grades 3-4/5-6). Longitudinal tests suggested that the current Japanese national elementary school curriculum supports phoneme-grapheme skill development; However, the two-step ability grouping indicated that the current national curriculum is not sufficiently detailed and/or rigorous to ensure annual student improvement in PGR skills.

Satisfaction with School Life: Capturing Malaysian Pupils’ Voice from a Multiethnic Perspective

This qualitative study aimed at gaining an in-depth understanding of the aspects that shaped pupils’ satisfaction with school life in a multiethnic Malaysian context. The multiple case study design was employed to understand and elicit pupils’ experiences, feelings, beliefs, thoughts and perceptions of their satisfaction with school life in three different types of Malaysian primary schools, namely national primary school (Malay-dominated), national type Chinese primary school (Chinese-dominated) and national type Tamil primary school (Indian-dominated). A total of 18 pupils with six members from each type of Malaysian primary school participated in three focus group discussions. Four themes emerged from the thematic analysis of the interview data: (1) emotional contentment; (2) curricular achievement and co-curricular achievements; (3) safe, conducive and comfortable learning environment; and (4) development of 21st-century skills. These emerging four themes from the participants’ views and experiences provided a holistic perspective on satisfaction with school life in Malaysian primary schools. Practical implications that could be beneficial in leveraging life satisfying experiences of the pupils in the school were discussed. This study has contributed to the body of knowledge with regard to satisfaction with school life from a multiethnic perspective.

Zonation system in admission of new student at state secondary school in Indonesia: how predictable to learning success

Introduction. A new student acceptance model with the zoning system raises various problems, including the unequal number of public schools in an area causing students to experience barriers to obtaining a proper education. The decrease in motivation and achievement of students is because the selection is only based on zoning, and the achievements of prospective students at the previous education level are not considered. Students fail to enter superior schools because they are outside the zone. The distribution of quality public schools are not evenly distributed, causing limited choices and causing the implementation of the principle of justice in access to education services – lack of readiness of local governments in setting zones.Aim. From the problems above, this study aims to find differences in learning achievement in terms of admission, predict learning achievement from elementary school to junior high school, and determine graduation document predictions with a zoning system on student achievement.Research methodology and methods. The research used a quantitative approach from October 2021 to March 2022. The research sample was 356 students who entered the 2018 state junior high school and graduated from the 2020 school year junior high school. The sampling technique for this study used proportional random sampling. Determining the size of the research sample was done by considering the pathways for accepting new students: the zoning path, the achievement path, the affirmation path, and the parent transfer path. Data analysis used ANOVA and multiple regression analysis at a significance level of 5%.Results and scientific novelty. The results showed no difference in the average report cards of junior high school students when viewed from the path when they entered the junior high school through the zoning system. The results of one-way ANOVA obtained F = 1.298 with a significance level of 0.275. The differences in the entry paths of students to junior high school, namely from the zoning pathway, academic and non-academic achievement pathways, affirmation pathways, and parental transfer paths, are proven not to affect their learning achievement in junior high schools. There is a linear regression from students’ learning achievement in elementary school to students’ learning achievement in junior high school. The partial and simultaneous tests show that it is not proven that learning achievement in elementary school affects learning achievement in junior high school. When they graduate from elementary school, students’ learning achievement has a weak predictive power on students’ learning achievement in junior high school. The national primary school-based school examination average, elementary school report card average, and elementary school examination average, used as entry requirements to junior high school in the zoning system, only have a predictive power of 1.4–2,7%.Practical significance. Parents can use this research to make decisions on their child’s education. Parents do not need to worry about the zoning system implemented by the government in accepting new students because the zoning system does not affect children’s achievements at the level of education they take. The school must also implement education systems and policies properly so that the quality of education in each institution is maintained so that parents do not worry about choosing a place for their child’s education.

The Impact of Images in Enhancing the ESL Vocabulary Breadth of Malaysian Year 4 Students

The role of ESL vocabulary plays in language competence and literacy development is increasingly prevalent in language acquisition studies, especially so within the domain of second language acquisition research. In Malaysia, generally, the young learners face difficulties in their learning is due to their scarce vocabulary knowledge. This quasi-experimental study scrutinizes how the employment of images in Malaysian primary school level ESL classrooms via the adapted Picture Word Inductive Model (PWIM) effects on students’ ESL vocabulary breadth development. Both the experimental group (n=35) and control group (n=35) consisted of Malaysian national primary school Year 4 pupils. The vocabulary recall and retention of the two intact groups were collated. The data of the two groups were collected from pre-tests, post-tests, and delayed post-tests. These collected data were statistically analysed and assessed. The analysis shown that the Experimental group demonstrated higher recall and retention implying the efficacy of PWIM in enhancing the ESL vocabulary breadth knowledge recall and retention among Malaysian young learners. This study and its findings are of significance to shed light on the development of the ESL vocabulary research. Besides, there is a dearth of thorough study pertinent to the use of images for language learning, especially for the Malaysian primary level 2.

CEFR-aligned Primary Curriculum Framework:Rural National Primary School English Language Teachers’ Attitudes and Slants

This study attempted to explore attitudes and slants of Rural National Primary School English Language Teachers in Sarawak, Malaysia towards the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages(CEFR)-aligned Primary Curriculum Framework. This study used quantitative analysis to interpret data gathered through the questionnaire. A set of a questionnaire in the form of Google Form was prepared. The link to this questionnaire was shared with English language teachers from rural area national primary schools of 12 divisions in Sarawak, a state in Borneo Malaysia to serve the aim of this study. 749 English language teachers had responded to the questionnaire. Specifically, the analysis and discussion are organised in terms of teachers’ attitudes and slants. Besides, the demographic profiles of English language teachers were taken into account in doing the analysis and discussion. The findings have shown that the teachers’ attitudes and slants towards CEFR-aligned Primary Curriculum Framework for Primary School’s English Language Education are positive. The chief findings of this study can be a source of references to the researchers, policymakers, teachers, academicians, or others who have intention on the similar focus of study to further improve English language education in Malaysia especially in teaching and learning, and assessments.

Peer- and Self-Assessment in Primary School English Language Classrooms

Peer- and self-assessment could benefit the pupils in learning English language as a second language due to the aspects of essential whole group and individual reflections within the practice. This paper intends to investigate the practices of peer- and self-assessment among the national primary school English language teachers in a district in Selangor, Malaysia via a mixed methods approach. A survey was administered on 244 teachers, followed by interview and classroom observation on eight subset participants. From the survey, approximately 93% of the respondents had an emerging practice of peer- and self-assessment in their English language classrooms, which happened 50% of the time. The interview and observation findings show that the teachers needed extra time to train the pupils for the practice of peer- and self-assessment, mostly on written work, but also applicable during reading and speaking lessons. Pupils could apply self-assessment by knowing their levels and what to be done, sometimes based on worksheets and checklists. Sometimes, peer- and self-assessment were difficult and confusing among the pupils with lower English language proficiency levels. In the classroom, the pupils needed more time to receive guidance and training from the teachers in order to practise peer- and self-assessment, despite not fully in English. This implies that the teachers were attempting to enact peer- and self-assessment among the pupils, albeit rather deviating from the target language at times.

An assessment of the role of teachers in the academic performance of pupils in the national primary school examinations (NPSE) Yoni Mamaila Chiefdom, Tonkolili District

The role of teachers in the academic performance of pupils in schools is key among others in the output of pupils and the appraisal of teachers in Sierra Leone. The general aim of the study was 1) to carry out an assessment of the role of teachers in the performance of pupils in the national primary school examination (N.P.S.E) in the Yoni Mamaila chiefdom; and 2) to determine the extent to which the chiefdom stakeholders have been able to effectively play their role especially the members of the Chiefdom Education Committee (C.E.C). This research uses mixed methods. Descriptive survey research with Cross-sectional designs was use for this study. in this study, interviews, questionnaires, and documentation were used. This research was conducted at 4 selected schools, there were 200 people as the research population. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling, so that 60 respondents were obtained. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive data analysis. From the results of the analysis, it is clear that teachers play an integral role in improving students' academic achievement in the National Elementary School Examination. imitations and obstacles still hinder students from doing well on the NPSE. There are so many factors that influence it, especially in terms of socio-economic. Equally important is the presence of stakeholders who are needed to support students in working on the NPSE.

APLIKASI KONSEP 6C DALAM PENGAJARAN DAN PEMBELAJARAN DALAM KALANGAN GURU-GURU PENDIDIKAN MORAL SJKT DAERAH KUALA MUDA

Acceptance of 21st century learning characteristics among Moral Education teachers in Tamil National Primary Schools (SJKT) in Kuala Muda District was found to be still at a low level, especially the 6C application. Therefore, this study aims to review the application of the concept 6C among Moral Education teachers at SJKT in Kuala Muda District. The design of this study uses a qualitative approach using purposive sampling. Questionnaire data was obtained from a questionnaire that was emailed in Google Forms to 6 selected study participants. Study participants can access the questionnaire through a link provided via Whatsapp. In addition to questionnaires, researchers also used observation methods, document analysis and transcription of conversations through voice chat. Data analysis shows that the application of the 6C concept among the study participants is at a moderate level. Only 3 study participants mastered the 6C competency skills at a good level and the remaining 3 people were still at a low level. Even so, the Ministry of Education still has room to improve the 6C application among Moral Education teachers at SJKT in Kuala Muda District through Professional Development Courses. Researchers have the opportunity to study the impact of training on the application of 6C.

Using Technologised Computational Corpus-Driven Linguistics Study on the Vocabulary Uses Among Advanced Malaysian Upper Primary School English as a Second Language Learners (ESL) in Northern Region

The vocabulary used by advanced Malaysian upper primary school learners is unknown after the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a corpus-driven study. This study primarily uses data from a learner corpus. This main purpose of this paper is to fill in this knowledge gap by examining the vocabulary usage in extended writing by advanced Malaysian upper primary school learners in the Northern Region. The study uses a corpus-driven research strategy and a quantitative methodology. Some 160 advanced upper primary school learners from the Northern Region, Malaysia were included in the study. They attended eight national primary schools with strong English programmes in the Northern Region. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the samples. This study's main corpus-driven toolkit (LancsBox) was used to analyse the data. A total of 46,185 tokens from 160 extended writing tasks were analysed. The word frequencies were counted both raw and normalised. Results showed that 160 advanced Malaysian upper primary school learners in West Malaysia used the frequently and preferably in extended writing followed by the, and vocabulary be is the twentieth salient vocabulary over other vocabulary such as to, and, a, and I. Depending on their perspectives, one may argue that they described their experiences in the first person. These findings imply that advanced Malaysian upper primary school learners use to, and, a, of, in, is, it, that, for, as and within their extended writing. The findings provide important knowledge and information for ESL teachers to improve the writing grammatical proficiency, especially for extended writing of ESL learners.

Teaching Mathematics in English: Applying crucial fundamental tools to support primary students

In the current digital era, many international primary schools and also national primary schools have offered bilinguals subjects in students’ studies, especially Maths and Science, so that pre-school teachers should be capable of teaching Maths in English. This article examines the way to use several basic tools in order to increase motivation for Pre-service Primary Teachers – who have been equipped academic knowledge fully, can speak English relatively well, and are confident in self practicing and promoting vocabulary.

Rajang River Run: Improving Vocabulary Acquisition Among Young Learners through Gamified Storytelling

Due to its significance and prominence in Malaysian culture, English is taught and learned as a second language. Along with transforming the Malaysian education system towards the better, innovative teaching approaches are necessary to assist learners in learning English as their second language in schools. In this study, a flash card game was designed and developed to encourage primary school learners to learn vocabulary and improve their reading skills. It is inspired by the culture and lifestyle of the people in Sarawak, and it is named Rajang River Run. The use of flashcard games as a game-based learning and storytelling approach to acquire new vocabulary, construct engaging sentences, and increase students' motivation was examined in this study. This study was conducted at a national government-funded public primary school in Putrajaya, Malaysia, involving 15 Primary one students that were used as the target participants in this research. The game design thinking approach was employed to develop the game, which acts as a guide to scaffold creativity and collaboration. The study implemented an observation checklist derived from the Revised Conceptual Model of Academic Success for data collection. Findings demonstrated that learning through the Rajang River Run could boost pupils' capacity and desire to learn new words. The implication of this study suggested that gamified learning, such as gamified narrative, increased players' motivation to play the game. The participants' memory retention and attentiveness have improved due to the supportive and engaging setting.
 

School Head's Coaching Leadership Practice Against Teacher Efficacy in Teaching and Facilitation

This article discusses the school head's coaching leadership practice on teacher efficacy in teaching and facilitation (PdPc) of national primary schools in Jempol district. In the context of this study, the coaching leadership dimension is supported by three dimensions, which are identify, learn, and improve. While the teacher's efficiency, there are also three elements which are teaching strategies, efficiency in classroom management, and efficiency in student engagement. The practice of coaching leadership by the school head has several constraints such as being busy with outside and inside activities the school, the lack of competence of the head teacher to hold a coaching session. This study aims to determine the relationship between the school head's coaching leadership practice and the level of teacher efficacy in the implementation of PdPc in national primary schools in Jempol district. Previous studies prove that the leadership practice of coaching plays a role in helping to improve the level of efficiency of primary school teachers. Therefore, a correlation study was conducted to identify the relationship between these two variables. Questionnaires were distributed through 'google form' to collect data and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 26 was used to analyze the data. A study conducted on 237 primary school teachers showed that there was a modest positive relationship. This study will encourage the Malaysian Ministry of Education (KPM) to create trainings or courses to increase the knowledge of school heads and principals (PGB) about the leadership practice of coaching in the future. In summary, the practice of high-quality coaching leadership of head teachers will improve the efficiency of teachers in PdPc.

Fantastic GRIT: Celebrating the determination of Tamil National Type Primary School (SJKT) Students in Mathematics Learning

Grit is defined as passion and perseverance for long-term and meaningful goals. In the subject of Mathematics in primary school, there is a need for students to persevere to get answers. Grit encourages students to continue working hard despite difficulties or failures and this trait is very important in the workplace. However, there are not many discussions that debate issues related to grit in Mathematics in the context of Tamil National Primary School (SJKT) students. There are three main issues that cause the grit issues expressed in this concept paper: (i) an attitude of giving up when solving high-level math problems; ii) no clear goals due to a lack of interest in learning Mathematics, and (iii) the ambiguity of grit level measurement in Mathematics in the context of SJKT students. This concept paper is unique because it elaborates on grit issues in Mathematics, especially among Indian students. This study suggests that grit empowerment should be done from primary school at SJKT through an effective student development program. This paper needs to be given attention so that the community is more aware of the development of grit in Mathematics, especially in the Indian student community. The proposed solutions can be developed through the school’s efforts to make students more persistent and not give up when solving difficult Mathematical problems.

Challenges of teachers when teaching sentence-based mathematics problem-solving skills.

Sentence-based mathematics problem-solving skills are essential as the skills can improve the ability to deal with various mathematical problems in daily life, increase the imagination, develop creativity, and develop an individual's comprehension skills. However, mastery of these skills among students is still unsatisfactory because students often find it difficult to understand mathematical problems in verse, are weak at planning the correct solution strategy, and often make mistakes in their calculations. This study was conducted to identify the challenges that mathematics teachers face when teaching sentence-based mathematics problem-solving skills and the approaches used to address these challenges. This study was conducted qualitatively in the form of a case study. The data were collected through observations and interviews with two respondents who teach mathematics to year four students in a Chinese national primary school in Kuala Lumpur. This study shows that the teachers have faced three challenges, specifically low mastery skills among the students, insufficient teaching time, and a lack of ICT infrastructure. The teachers addressed these challenges with creativity and enthusiasm to diversify the teaching approaches to face the challenges and develop interest and skills as part of solving sentence-based mathematics problems among year four students. These findings allow mathematics teachers to understand the challenges faced while teaching sentence-based mathematics problem solving in depth as part of delivering quality education for every student. Nevertheless, further studies involving many respondents are needed to understand the problems and challenges of different situations and approaches that can be used when teaching sentence-based mathematics problem-solving skills.

Determining and Developing Teachers' Digital Skills Construct Instruments in the Context of Online Formative Assessment

The usage of digital tools and applications is a crucial component of delivering lesson content and evaluating students' learning, online formative assessments demand that teachers be tech-savvy. In this study, an instrument to measure teachers' digital skills was examined to analyze the implementation of the national primary school online formative assessment in Seremban. A survey method with quantitative approach was imply in this study. Nineteen ICT Skills items from previous studies have been adapted and modified and one question is constructed by the researchers themselves according to the context of the online formative assessment. Twenty of the items were verified by experts and a pilot study was then conducted with 100 teachers selected at random. The result revealed three dimensions i.e., component 1, Use of Digital Applications in Teaching Learning and Assessment, component 2 as Online Teaching and Learning Activities and component 3 as Digital Tool and Application Usage Skills have been formed using Exploration Factor Analysis (EFA), and internal reliability has been achieved for all three dimensions. The results offer a trustworthy source of information to researchers and professional practitioners of educational policies for the next study in the policy implementation of online formative assessment.

Analisis Kebijakan Pendidikan Negara-negara ASEAN dalam Mendukung Suistanable Developments Goal

The purpose of this study was to determine education policies that support quality education SDGs in several ASEAN countries, especially Indonesia. The method used is library research by taking references from books, websites, and international journals. Sustainable Development Goals or commonly abbreviated SDGs are sustainable development goals resulting from the UN Summit in 2012. One of the 17 resulting goals is regarding quality education. Several ASEAN countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Indonesia have demonstrated that education policies have been issued to support quality education SDGs. In Singapore, it is proven by ensuring that all children of Singapore Citizens over the age of six must be enrolled in a national primary school. The six-year primary school education, which is heavily subsidized, aims to provide Singaporean children with a general core of knowledge that serves as a solid foundation for further education and training. While it is proven by the policies and priorities of education in Malaysia which are systematically related to the national development plan. As such, the ministry of education is committed to providing education and training services in line with the main thrust of the National Line Perspective Plan and the 5-Year Development Plan. Then, in Brunei Darussalam, it was proven that Through the '2018-2022 Strategic Plan', the ministry of education has set its mission to provide holistic education to achieve maximum potential for all in line with its vision of 'Quality Education, Dynamic Nation'. Whereas in Indonesia the implementation of quality education policies in support of the SDGs can be seen based on reports of regional action plans, one of which is West Java and East Java, namely: Increasing lifelong learning opportunities for all people free of charge, equal and quality which leads to the achievement of effective and relevant learning. while basic services are of high quality. Namely free quality education and health Tis-Tas (Free and Quality)