National Primary Schools Research Articles

A Study of Cultural Elements in High Level Chinese Language Textbooks for Primary National School

This study examines the cultural elements in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language (TCSL) based on six high-level of National Primary School’s Chinese Language (BCSK) textbooks, which are textbooks of BCSK KBSR (Primary School Integrated Curriculum) Standard four to Standard six and textbooks of BCSK KSSR (Primary School Standard Curriculum) Standard four to Standard six in order to investigate the changes of cultural elements content and describe the features of cultural elements in this two sets of high-level BCSK textbooks. Researcher has used library research methods and information technology methods to collect data and then use quantitative and qualitative analysis methods to calculate cultural elements in high-level BCSK textbooks by referenced to the criteria of classification of cultural elements which designed by researcher based on previous studies as well as the references of TCSL experts. The results showed that (1) high level BCSK KSSR textbooks are found that had more cultural elements for the total number of 622 compared to 522 in high-level BCSK KBSR textbook with the increasing of 19.16% and (2) high-level BCSK KSSR textbooks can be said to be more ideal to fostering communicative competence as the cultural elements in this set of BCSK textbooks are more geared towards communicative cultural elements with a record rate of 46.30% compared to 39.27% only in high-level BCSK KBSR textbooks.

The Level of Student’s Achievement and the Relationship between the PEERS, Nutrition and First Aid Component using MoPPK among National Primary School

This study was conducted to determine the achievement level of component PEERS, Nutrition and First Aid in Health Education subject among Year Four student in primary school and the relationships between the component of Health Education Assessment Module (MoPPK). This module is developed for the teachers to learn and facilitate the teaching of topics on the subjects of Health Education on the Malaysian school syllabus. A total of 33 students from Georgetown Penang Division were selected as participants in this study. Results showed all the students are at the ‘excellent’ and ‘good’ level in all given subtopic of every component; i) PEERS:81.24% ‘excellent’ and mean = 14.84, ii) Nutrition: 79.36 % ‘good’ and mean = 16.82, iii) First Aid: 81.04% ‘excellent’ and mean = 12.41. The overall component mean was at a ‘excellent’ level of 14.69. Meanwhile, for correlation using Pearson Product Moment showed there is a positive and significant relationship between all the component in MoPPK. This means that in the components used in the module is very helpful for students to improve their level of mastery in the subject of Health Education

Development of English Speaking Skills Through Task-Based Learning Among Primary School Students in Malaysia

Effective teaching and learning activities are required to provide language learners with chances to develop communicative competence. In 2000, the Malaysian Ministry of Education introduced a program entitled “Literacy and Numeracy Screening” (LINUS) to enhance learners’ language proficiency. Despite the existence of this program, research shows that students in Malaysia face difficulties in developing English speaking abilities. This study, therefore, focuses on the application of task-based learning, particularly under the LINUS program. Specifically, the study aims to explore primary school pupils’ English speaking achievements and determine the extent of their improvements after learning through the task-based approach. This study employed a quasi-experimental method in which English-speaking tests (pre-test and post-test) were used as data-gathering instruments. The data were collected from a sample of 30 first-year primary school pupils at a national primary school using purposive sampling. The findings showed that as most of the pupils scored higher marks in the post-test compared to the pre-test. Further analysis revealed that task-based learning under the LINUS program enhances pupils’ English speaking achievement significantly. The task-based learning approach provides learners with chances to interact with peers and teachers to develop self-confidence, which in turn, helps them acquire language skills. It was envisaged that this study could provide English instructors, particularly primary school teachers, with valuable insights into the development of a more creative approach to teaching English speaking subjects through task-based learning under the LINUS program.

Teachers' Successful Information and Communication Technology Integration in Primary School

Despite extensive research on ICT integration among teachers, limited knowledge was given to understand the successful integration of ICT among teachers. For those purposes, a single-case study aimed to explain the successful integration of ICT by teachers into teaching in one national primary school in Malaysia. Data were collected using multi-method of data collection including in-depth interviews, non-participants observations, and document analysis. The results discovered three models that lead to teachers' successful ICT integration in teaching, explaining how the interactions between the contradictions, causes of contradictions, and resolutions of contradictions have hindered or influenced the teachers to integrate ICT in their teaching. The findings indicate the activity system of department and school (prior activities) influencing activity system of the classroom (recent activity), led to the successful integration of ICT by teachers in teaching.

The Effects of WordWall Online Games (WOW) on English Language Vocabulary Learning Among Year 5 Pupils

In the effort to upgrade pupils' vocabulary learning experience, the potential of interactive educational games is increasingly explored as supplementary teaching and learning materials. While the eagerness to integrate mobile technology into English language education is noticeable, there is a lack of evidence on Malaysian English as Second Language (ESL) learners' views of the feasibility of online games in vocabulary learning. This study aims to determine the degree of improvement in pupils' vocabulary performance. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and dependent t-test analysis. The cross-sectional survey was adapted from the ACRS-V model. The questionnaire was distributed to Year 5 pupils from a national primary school in Negeri Sembilan who are using the syllabus of The English Language Curriculum for Primary Schools (KSSR). The findings show a moderate level of Satisfaction, Attention, Relevance, Confidence and Volition. In addition, a paired sample t-test indicates a significant improvement in the pupils’ vocabulary scores after using WordWall (WOW) as a vocabulary learning supplementary material. The effect size demonstrated is also larger regarding its effects in behavioural sciences. This study provides important insights as a guide for primary school English teachers in integrating online games as a learning tool for English language learning, especially in developing pupils’ English vocabulary repertoire.

Characteristics and Association of Gender to Dental and Occlusal Anomalies in Malaysian Primary School Children

Aim: To describe the distribution and association of dental and occlusal anomalies to gender in children of mixed and early permanent dentition. Methods: It is a cross-sectional study with stratified random sampling based on the main ethnic composition involving 413 subjects aged between 9 and 11 years old enrolled in 7 national primary schools in Sungai Buloh, Selangor. A calibrated operator carried out clinical examinations, and study models were fabricated. All dental and occlusal anomalies were recorded accordingly and were analysed using SPSS version 21.0. Pearson chi-square test was used to determine the gender-based differences for various parameters. Results: The reported dental anomalies were supernumeraries and clinically missing teeth (impacted or hypodontia) with a prevalence of 1.5% and 6.3%, respectively. The occlusal abnormalities were: crowding (54.0%), sagittal discrepancies (overjet; increased, reduced, and reversed overjet: 55.5%), vertical discrepancies (overbite; increased, reduced, and open bite: 37.5%) and transverse discrepancies (unilateral and bilateral posterior crossbite: 5.1%). Gender-based differences were not statistically significant to all reported dental and occlusal anomalies (p>0.05). Conclusions: Children in the mixed and early permanent dentition showed various dental and occlusal anomalies with crowding being the highest anomaly. Gender was not associated with any type of dental or occlusal characteristics in the studied population.

The Use of Selective Agar Medium to Increase the Awareness of Handwashing of Students of SD Negeri 57 Banda Aceh, Indonesia

Hand is a part of the body that contains lots of microbes. Handwashingis kind of a clean and healthy lifestyle that is aimed to reduce the number of microbes in the hand. The proper handwashing behavior should be begun to be accustomed since in elementary school, but students’ awareness is relatively low. This is alleged because they assumed that their hands look clean. In this community engagement activity on how to wash hands properly, hundred students in national primary school SD Negeri 57 Banda Aceh, Indonesia were involved from March until June 2019 and then ten students were chosen as ambassador of handwashing(ducuta). Two selective media agars were used to grow microbes from the hands of the students before and after hand washing. Several programs (secuta, mocuta, bacuta, and kacuta)were also conducted to measure the success of this activity. There was an increase in understanding the proper way of handwashing from 78% before socialization to 96% after the socialization. The results based on the handwashing activity book (bacuta) showed that 50% of the ducutahave begun to get used to washing their hands properly before eating, after going to the toilet, and after playing recommended by WHO.

Contested childhoods across borders and boundaries: Insights from curriculum provisions in Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in the 1920s

Conceptualisations and constructs of children and childhood are temporally and contextually grounded. Historical documents are rich sources of insight and understanding regarding how children were understood, valued and treated at various times by particular societies. This article explores the conceptualisation of children and childhood in the 26‐county Irish Free State (South) and the 6‐county Northern Ireland (North) in the 1920s following the partition of Ireland, through the lens of educational documentation, primarily national primary school curricula. The focus on both jurisdictions is interesting in the context of partition, exploring the sometimes divergent and often convergent ways in which children were conceptualised across borders and boundaries. This article reveals, using Sorin and Galloway’s framework as a conceptual and analytical tool, that conceptualisations of children were broadly similar in the North and South but differed in their focus and enactment in both fledgling states. These disparities are largely attributable to the very different political, social and religious orientations of both jurisdictions and the use of education as a vehicle for nation‐building, as well as identity and gender formation. The article also explores alternative conceptualisations of children in education policy in the North and South by presenting case study ‘outliers’ of educational provision. A century since partition, conclusions and implications are noted that resonate with contemporary elements of convergence and divergence on educational policy and the conceptualisation of children across the island of Ireland.

The effects of drama-based activities as a language learning tool on learners’ motivation in Non-Malay-medium national schools in Malaysia

Transitioning from Non-Malay-medium national primary schools to Malay-medium or English-medium secondary schools proved to be a struggle for many students due to the lack of emphasis on audio-lingual skills of the second language (L2) throughout their six-years of primary education. This study aims to explore the effects of drama-based activities as a language learning strategy on L2 learning motivation among students aged between 12 to 13 years old from Non-Malay-Medium National Schools. Six students were recruited through purposive sampling to participate in this qualitative experimental research. Over a period of 14 weeks, pre-intervention interviews (on the first week), intervention (over the span of 2 hours per week for 12 weeks), and post-intervention interviews (on the fourteenth week) were carried out. The content of the intervention was adapted from the Trinity College London’s Grade 4 Communication Skills syllabus. The instruments used for data collection include:(1) pre-determined pre-and post-intervention interview protocols and (2) classroom observation rubric. Two themes emerged in the analysis of this study: (a) language learning motivation and (b) affective filter. Findings revealed that participants were motivated and possessed self-confidence in the language learning process. The current study provides instructional implications for instructors and learners besides contributing to the novelty in the area of the research setting and sampling for future studies.

Collecting the Folklore of Ireland: The Schoolchildren’s Contribution

Two years after its establishment in 1935 with the remit to ‘collect, preserve and publish’ the folklore of Ireland, the Irish Folklore Commission (Coimisiun Bealoideasa Eireann) (1935–70) organized a major collecting scheme involving the senior pupils and their teachers in the national (primary) schools in Ireland. The project, conducted during the years 1937–38, was very ambitious in both scope and objectives, and was also immensely productive. This article examines its genesis, operation, and results, set against political and cultural exigencies of the time. The article also assesses subsequent collecting initiatives focused on schools, such as that organized by the Committee on Ulster Folklife and Traditions for schools throughout Northern Ireland in 1955–57, and, later, sponsored folklore competitions for schools, some held on an all-Ireland basis, to commemorate the fortieth and fiftieth anniversaries, respectively, of the ground-breaking 1937–38 scheme.

Relative Age Effects on Children's Handwriting: Role of VisualMotor Integration

Background Previous studies have well documented that oldest students in a given school class typically have better academic performance than their younger mates. However, there are many phenomena regarding the effects of relative age on academic performance of school students that must be considered. Because of its importance in academic performance of primary school children, handwriting would be of interest. The purpose of the present study was to explore the effects of relative age on handwriting of second grade students in primary school with considering the role of visual-motor integration as a possible underlying mechanism. Materials and Methods: The present study used a descriptive-correlational approach. Based on the guidelines of Krejcie & Morgan, four hundred boys (100 boys from each year-season) in second grade from four regular national primary schools in Gorgan, Iran, in 2019 were selected by a cluster random sampling method and asked to perform a standard handwriting tool and visual motor integration test. Legibility and speed of handwriting were measured to assess handwriting quality. Results: Means of age of children who were born in fall, winter, spring, and summer were 94.99, 92.12, 89.04, and 85.88 months, respectively. Results demonstrated that older children in comparison to younger children had significantly better handwriting legibility in both copying and dictation, besides, they copied the text faster (p <0.05). Furthermore, older children compared with younger children had significantly higher scores in visual-motor integration (p <0.05). Conclusion Based on these results, it seems that relative age affects handwriting performance of children. Furthermore, visual-motor integration might act as a possible underlying mechanism for the effects of relative age on handwriting performance.

Spelling Mastery via Google Classroom among Year 4 Elementary School ESL Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Spelling mastery is an important prerequisite of proficiency in the English language. The conventional language teaching strategy needs to be revolutionized for the 21st century by utilizing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to enable English as a Second Language (ESL) students to master spelling. As such, online teaching and learning becomes a crucial strategy to impart and receive knowledge. This case study focused on teaching spelling mastery via Google Classroom to elementary school ESL students, coincidently during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic which has resulted in the emergence of a new norm in education. This case study involved thirty mixed-proficiency Year 4 ESL students from a sub-urban national primary school in Selangor. These students were divided into two groups, the experimental and control groups. The experimental group comprised a class of fifteen students who participated in the intervention, whereas the control group consisted of another fifteen students who did not participate in the intervention. The research instruments included pre- and post-test results, field notes and semi-structured interviews. To maintain the integrity of the data, the researchers took the necessary measures to ensure that the instruments were reliable and valid. This included assessing the content and face validity of the research instruments, expert validation for the interview questions and adequate engagement in data collection. The principal findings regarding the use of Google Classroom revealed students’ improvement and increased motivation in mastering spelling.

The Effectiveness Of Lesson Study On Differentiated Instruction Among Mathematics Head Panels In District Of Port Dickson

This study is to examine the effectiveness of lesson study on differentiated instruction among Mathematics headpanels in district of Port Dickson, Malaysia. Teachers who received substantial professional development canboost their students’ achievement. The effectiveness of professional development practice is being measuredby the heads of panel understanding about differentiated instruction and the application of differentiatedinstruction in the classroom. Teachers often struggle to deliver mathematics lesson effectively in classroom dueto different learning styles and students’ mixed abilities in the classroom. Some students learn at a slower paceand some in advance stage. The activities provided by teachers may work best for some students but will notwork for others. During lesson, teachers often assign tasks, which many students end up with disappointmentand confusion. Students become passive learners and teacher felt frustrated. Therefore, differentiatedinstructions make sense because it offers different paths to understand content, process and product. The aimof the present study was to obtain information from the school teachers in the implementation and planning ofdifferentiated instruction in teaching and learning. Moreover, the research team were interested in knowing thestrategy of differentiated instruction used in teaching and learning that support quality teaching. This studyinvolved 33 mathematics head panels from national primary schools in district of Port Dickson who volunteeredto participate in this study. In this programme, heads of panel will be able to share their experiences inconducting and implementing differentiated instructions in classroom among peers in the district. Structuredquestionnaires and interviews were used in this qualitative study to collect data. Results indicated that thelesson study carried out by the Port Dickson District Education Office is effective. Furthermore, the lessonstudy that were carried out by heads of panel in theirs school managed to boost self confidence among theseheads of panel. In fact, they showed willingness to share best practices to all mathematics teachers in the district205

Organismos financieros internacionales y la educación rural en Argentina

En este trabajo nos proponemos analizar el Programa de Expansión y Mejoramiento de la Educación Rural (EMER) en la provincia de Entre Ríos entre 1978 y 1992. Se trata de un Programa que plantea una vinculación entre la educación formal y las competencias laborales en las escuelas primarias rurales a partir de la incorporación de talleres de trabajo manual, artes del hogar y agricultura, viabilizada a través de la nuclearización de escuelas y la regionalización de los contenidos. El mismo ha sido financiado por el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, con una contrapartida equivalente proveniente del Tesoro Nacional y se llevó a cabo en todo el país, con diferentes ritmos y niveles de aplicación. Nos enmarcamos en el debate acerca de las influencias externas de los organismos financieros internacionales en las políticas educativas a nivel nacional y regional. Partimos de la hipótesis de que este programa tuvo en sus orígenes un correlato con las políticas de descentralización que se concretaron durante la última dictadura y que continuaron durante la década del ‘80. Concluimos que el Programa EMER fue un elemento legitimador de la política de transferencia de las escuelas primarias nacionales a las provincias y el principal ámbito de aplicación de las políticas de regionalización de los contenidos. El trabajo se sustenta en el análisis de documentos oficiales -estudios de factibilidad, normativas, convenios, proyectos, informes, evaluaciones, diseños curriculares- obrantes en diferentes archivos de la provincia y en la Biblioteca Nacional del Maestro y en entrevistas a los responsables del Programa en Entre Ríos.

Understanding Teacher's Perspectives in Media Literacy Education as an Empowerment Instrument of Blended Learning in Early Childhood Classroom

Understanding Teacher's Perspectives in Media Literacy Education as an Empowerment Instrument of Blended Learning in Early Childhood Classroom

Can failure be prevented? Using longitudinal data to identify at‐risk students upon entering secondary school

In 2016, Uruguay started gathering longitudinal student data to improve educational trajectories by putting in place an ‘early alert’ system. Underlying the system is the understanding that prior schooling predicts likelihood of grade repetition and grade repetition predicts later school dropout, while close follow‐up can help prevent both repetition and dropout. We used a database of administrative registries from a national public primary school graduating cohort on their last year in primary and first year in secondary education (2015–2016, n = 36,754). We conducted two‐level cross‐classified logistic regression analyses to assess the suitability of using features of Uruguayan students’ primary school trajectories, individual, family and primary school characteristics to predict their success or failure in their first year of secondary school. All considered prior schooling factors (previous repetition experiences, achievement, behaviour and absenteeism), the student’s family socio‐economic status (SES) and primary school’s SES composition, as well as the location of the school in an urban or rural setting, help explain differences in chances of first‐year success or failure (grade repetition) in secondary school. While these results support the ‘early alert’ system’s approach, predictive performance analyses are needed when using explanatory models for planning interventions with scarce resources and making decisions affecting individual students’ trajectories. The importance of testing resulting models’ sensitivity, as well as their false positive rates, is highlighted.

DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILDREN QUESTIONNAIRE FOR MEASURING CHINESE CHARACTER LITERACY LEARNING SATISFACTION

There are limited reports about development of questionnaire to measure learning satisfaction among young children. In this research, guidelines were listed for developing a questionnaire that gauges Chinese Character Literacy Learning Satisfaction (CCLLS) among 8-year-old children. The research was undertaken based on the responses of 232 children from 11 Chinese national type primary schools (SJKC) of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. The CCLLS questionnaire consists of 12 items developed through three dimensions of satisfaction, which are (1) Satisfaction towards Chinese characters writing, (2) Satisfaction towards Chinese characters recognizing, (3) Satisfaction towards the learning in classroom. Rasch analysis was used to examine the item polarity. The result showed point measure correlation was within 0.47 – 0.60. The items were also detected with the outfit mean square in the range of 0.76 – 1.24, indicating CCLLS was fit to measure the children’s learning satisfaction. The raw variance explained by measures (33.3%), the unexplained variance in first contrast (9.1%), with the eigenvalue (1.6%) from the principal component analysis, suggested that CCLLS could be unidimensional. The internal consistency was considered very high with 0.81 in Cronbach’s alpha (KR-20). The result also showed CCLLS has very good item reliability (0.91) with good item separation index (3.23). The person reliability (0.77) was in satisfactory range with moderately good person separation index (1.81). The findings indicated that CCLLS questionnaire could be a valid and reliable tool in measuring Chinese character literacy learning satisfaction among 8-year-old primary school children of SJKC. Keywords: children questionnaire, Chinese Characters Literacy Learning Satisfaction, Rasch analysis, validity and reliability

Headmasters' Instructional Leadership and Its Relationship with Teachers Performance

The Ministry of Education’s continuous effort in ensuring the success of education transformation requires the commitment of headmasters with instructional leadership qualities and high performing teachers. The role of instructional leadership is vital and can be a determinant of excellence and achievement of the desired education. There were three objectives of this study: (1) to identify the level of instructional leadership practice by the headmaster; (2) to identify the level of performance of the teachers; and (3) to identify the relationship between the level of instructional leadership practice and teacher performance. This study is a descriptive research using survey design involving 92 teachers of a National Primary School (Tamil) (SJKT) in Jasin, Melaka, Malaysia. The instrument was a questionnaire on teacher leadership instructional styles and teacher performance. Descriptive statistics (frequency) and inference statistics (Spearman's correlation test) have been used to answer the objectives of this study. The result showed that the level of instructional leadership of the headmasters and the level of performance of the teachers were high and there was a significant relationship between the headmaster instructional leadership practice and the performance of the teachers. Based on the findings of the study, it is proposed that the Ministry of Education Malaysian periodically and continuously conduct leadership training for all headmasters including SRJKT to improve the performance of teachers.

MENINGKATKAN PENGUASAAN SEBUTAN BAHASA CINA DALAM KALANGAN PELAJAR BUKAN PENUTUR JATI DI SEKOLAH KEBANGSAAN [INCREASING NON-NATIVE LEARNERS TOWARDS CHINESE LANGUAGE PRONUNCIATION IN NATIONAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Subject of Bahasa Cina Sekolah Kebangsaan (BCSK) is a first choice for students in the elective language offered in the national school. Dokumen Standard Kurikulum Pentaksiran (DSKP) in Bahasa Cina Sekolah Kebangsaan (BCSK), students are required to master the listening skills, speaking skills and writing skills. This paper is to identify factors that cause pronunciation error in Chinese Language done by non-native language learners in national primary schools. Factors of pronunciation error are divided into interlingual factors, intralingual factors and developmental error. Furthermore, effective teaching and learning (pdp) strategies to correct pronunciation errors are also proposed to increase to mastery the pronunciation among non-native students.

KUALITI BIMBINGAN PENGAJARAN OLEH “PEGAWAI PEMBIMBING PAKAR PEMBANGUNAN SEKOLAH” (SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST COACHES - SICS+) SEBAGAI FAKTOR PERAMAL TERHADAP KUALITI GURU DI SEKOLAH KEBANGSAAN

The teaching profession demands that every teacher be competent and quality in human capital formation, human resource development, community and Nation. In the 21st century, teaching methods are a key factor in determining the quality of student learning. In an effort to ensure the quality of student learning both SISC+ and Teachers mentored (GDB) work collaboratively to improve the quality of teaching. This is in line with the role and function of the SISC+ position under the sub-initiative of the NKRA GTP 1.0 contained in the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025. These SISC+ officers have been tasked with mentoring and coaching teachers in Band 5, 6 and 7 schools. The purpose of this study is to determine the quality of coaching teaching of SISC+ Officers as a predictor factor of teacher teaching quality. Additional relationships between the dimensions of the coaching teaching of SISC+ were also identified. This quantitative study involved 250 repondents around the country from National Primary teachers. This study uses Coaching Teaching instrument adapted from the Instrument Managerial Coaching Skills developed by Sohee.P et. al (2008)31. Coaching Teaching consists of five key dimensions of effective communication, team approach, open values, teacher acceptance and teacher development. Multiple regression analysis showed that the SISC+ quality of the combined model of team approach, teacher acceptance and teacher development contributed 63.5% (R2 = .635) variance in teacher quality [F(3, 246)=142.905, p &lt;0.5]. As a whole, the dimension of coaching teaching influences the quality of teacher quality in National Primary schools.