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The study's goals were to find out how much culturally responsive leadership headmasters are employed and how many professional learning community (PLC) are set up in small schools. It also looked into the relationship between these two variables by using a questionnaire in a quantitative survey design, which was administered to 546 respondents out of 754 that had been distributed. Descriptive statistics were used to study the level of perception of all variables, and inferential statistics used Pearson's correlation coefficient to study the relationship between the variables. The findings of the study showed that school headmasters practiced a culturally responsive leadership style, and teachers also participated a lot in PLC. Teacher participation in PLC had a significant relationship with culturally responsive leadership at the 0.05 significance level. The results of the study also showed that culturally responsive leadership accounts for 48.7% of the variance in teacher participation in PLC. This finding greatly suggests that culturally responsive leadership practices are important in contributing to teachers' practices in PLC, which in turn will improve student learning.

This study aims to examine the approach in teaching practice to "muallaf" (Muslim indigenous people: "orang asli") and the factors of attraction toward the acceptance of Islamic understanding among them. The study was conducted at the village of "muallaf orang asli" at Paya Sendayan, Temerloh Pahang, Malaysia. Design of this study are using the qualitative methods. Data were collected by observation and selected informant interviews based on purposive sampling methods. Data were analysed using the thematic methods. The results of the study found that the approach in teaching practice to "muallaf orang asli" is "syarah" (explanation) and discussion presented through storytelling, stimulation method and "talaqqi musyafahah" (face to face). Meanwhile, the results of the attraction factors toward the acceptance of teaching and learning among "muallaf orang asli" are aspect of reward, facilities, understanding and skills of teachers or educators for the socio-culture and role model shown by teachers or educators as well as the Muslim community nearby the living community. The findings of this study show that the teaching and learning of "muallaf orang asli" should be organized systematically in line with the factors of attraction in order to increase interest and earnestly.

Purpose: Self-assessment is regarded as a complex metacognitive process by scholars. Nevertheless, in the context of English as a Second Language (ESL) speaking, self-assessment practices often rely on assessment criteria and teacher commentaries. However, speaking involves spontaneous expression with limited access to external standards. Therefore, this case study aims to explore the metacognitive strategies that proficient ESL students use during self-assessment in spontaneous speech production contexts. Methodology: Three participants, purposefully selected, participated in two spontaneous group discussions recorded on video. Instances of participants' dysfluency served as prompts in stimulated recall interviews, complemented by video recordings to validate participants' responses. The thematic analysis of interview data utilised a conceptual framework integrating O'Malley and Chamot's (1990) metacognitive strategies and Kormos' (2006) speech production model. Findings: The analysis revealed that participants employed three key metacognitive strategies -- organisational planning, selective attention, and self-monitoring to self-assess their spontaneous speech. Feedback sources, such as their proficiency in the second language (L2) and contextual factors, influenced the application and effectiveness of these strategies during self-assessment (SA). Significance: This study offers insights into how proficient ESL students self-assess their spontaneous speech production, leveraging their available resources. In addition, this study identifies speech challenges the participants encountered and how they applied metacognitive strategies to address them.

Purpose: This study aims to find out ESL teachers' perceptions of imported CEFR textbooks currently in use in the classroom. Additionally, it seeks to determine how teachers have adapted and localized the contents of these books. Methodology: A total of 331 lower secondary school teachers participated in the survey and six were selected for face-to-face interviews. A questionnaire, utilizing a semantic differential scale ranging from one to six, was administered to collect quantitative data, while qualitative data was gathered through a semi-structured interview protocol. Findings: The results indicate that the majority of the teachers were fully aware of the CEFR imported textbooks currently being used in schools. Interestingly, more than half of the surveyed teachers (53.8%) agreed that these books were suitable and matched CEFR levels B1 and B2 set for the secondary school level. Significance: Findings from the interviews highlighted the necessity for teachers to adapt materials, although it also meant extra workload for them. As expected, the teachers added, modified, and simplified the contents of the textbooks. In short, materials adaptation is inevitable as long as the imported CEFR textbooks remain the main teaching materials.

Purpose: The language load within mathematics test items can lead to inaccuracy in assessing "Orang Asli" pupils' mathematical ability due to their struggle in comprehending the academic language. This study aims to determine the validity of using test accommodations in the form of oral academic language and oral native language when administering mathematics computation and word problem test items among the "Orang Asli" pupils. Methodology: By employing a quantitative approach, this study utilised random equivalent group design to examine the validity of using oral test accommodations among 334 Grade Four "Orang Asli" pupils. Three testlets were constructed and used in this study: written test in the academic language (WAL), oral test in the academic language (OAL), and oral test in the native language (ONL). The three testlets comprised Paper 1 and Paper 2, each consisting of 20 mathematics computation and 20-word problem test items, respectively. One-way ANOVA was used to analyse and examine if there were differences in the mathematics performance between the three groups of tests administered to the "Orang Asli" pupils. Findings: The results indicated that the test scores of the pupils on the oral tests were higher compared to the written test administered to the pupils for both mathematics computation and word problem items. For computation items, the pupils performed better in the OAL testlet, followed by the ONL testlet. On the other hand, the pupils obtained the highest test scores in the ONL testlet compared to the OAL testlet for word problem items. Furthermore, the results illustrate that there is a difference in the mathematics performance of the "Orang Asli" pupils between the oral tests in both languages and written tests in the academic language. Significant: This study clearly shows that language plays a prominent role in affecting the "Orang Asli" pupils' mathematics performance. By utilising the oral test as a promising test accommodation, this measure could help address the language barrier faced by the "Orang Asli" pupils in mathematics testing.

The motivation for conducting this study is to investigate the potential of Cloud e-learning to address the high-cost and high-complexity challenges of conventional learning methods for the upgraded learning processes in higher education. The overall direction of this research is driven towards how the actual usage of Cloud e-learning module affects students' perceptions and academic performance. A Cloud e-learning module is designed and developed to promote optimised resource utilisation in the e-learning processes in higher education. A pretest-posttest method was adopted to study the impact of Cloud e-learning usage among students and whether the diffusion of Cloud e-learning has caused a change in students' perceptions. The pretest-posttest results and students' academic performance were then analysed to examine the impact from the actual usage of Cloud e-learning module. The findings reveal that the change of students' perceptions is time variant, indicating students' mixed perceptions on the usage of Cloud e-learning module. Analysis evidently reveals that the use of Cloud e-learning improved students' learning performance in theoretical subjects. This research is useful to educators and ICT practitioners in making informed decisions in adopting the right ICT infrastructures to support e-learning in higher education.

Teacher readiness is the willingness of a teacher to implement a planned program successfully. Readiness is crucial in ensuring a program can be implemented at the individual or organizational level. The readiness of science teachers to implement Classroom-Based Assessment (CBA) determines the direction and success of primary school assessments in Malaysia. This pilot study aims to create and evaluate the Inventory of Science Teachers' Readiness in Implementing Classroom-based Assessment (ISTRI-CBA). There have been many studies on CBA. However, there are limitations in measuring the readiness of science teachers to implement CBA. The evaluation will be ineffective without a suitable tool to measure teacher readiness in CBA. Therefore, to determine the level of readiness of science teachers, the researcher needs an instrument that is valid, reliable, and appropriate to the context of the Ministry of Education, culture, and the current situation in Malaysia. It is necessary to have a conceptually and psychometrically substantial inventory. This challenge was addressed by developing the ISTRI-CBA, comprising five measurement dimensions: knowledge about CBA, skills of CBA, resource support, attitudes, and professional values. The development of ISTRI-CBA requires validity and reliability for its use. This study aims to (1) test the quality characteristics of the ISTRI-CBA items and (2) determine the reliability of the ISTRI-CBA obtained using the Rasch Model measurement. The research involves the administration of a survey questionnaire to 44 science teachers in a district in Malaysia. The findings show that the ISTRI-CBA, comprising 157 items, has good psychometric characteristics and meets the measurement criteria of the Rasch measurement model. The item quality and reliability also prove the suitability of the whole dimension. The study's findings provide evidence of the empirical implications that consistently support ISTRI-CBA as a valid and reliable instrument to measure teachers' readiness to implement CBA in science subjects. The findings also reveal that the ISTRI-CBA can measure science teachers' readiness to implement CBA.

Learning the periodic table of elements can pose a challenge for students due to the complex organization and relationships between the different elements. Game-based interventions have been shown in past studies to be one of the feasible ways to overcome this challenge. In this research, a tabletop game, called "Little Periodic" was developed to improve students' chemical representation and conceptual understanding. Following the five phases of the ADDIE model - Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation - the study first analyzed students' needs and identified key concepts for mastery. Additionally, an overview of the five phases is discussed in detail within this study, providing insight into the systematic process to develop and evaluate the tabletop game. Three teachers were interviewed to see the appropriate content that will be included in the tabletop game based on the "Dokumen Standard Kurikulum dan Pentaksiran (DSKP)." A tabletop game was designed and developed that could be used in physical learning environments. To evaluate the effectiveness of the developed tabletop game, validation forms and questionnaires were administered to three validator experts. The results indicated that the tabletop game was valid and effective, with high scores for content suitability, potential effectiveness, and overall satisfaction. The feedback received from chemistry teachers indicated a significant level of satisfaction with the tabletop game. The developed tabletop games can be employed in various learning situations, including in-person learning, and the effects of tabletop games need to further be investigated to ensure and enhance students to achieve deeper learning outcomes.

Although Chinese has become one of the most influential second/foreign languages in the world, teaching Chinese as a foreign/second language (CSL/CFL) abroad faces great challenges. M-learning and mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) display great advantages to facilitate second language learning, including CSL/CFL. However, most research was related to English as a second language (ESL) learning. Although mobile-assisted CSL/CFL learning has developed rapidly and steadily, most of these studies were conducted in mainland China and published in Chinese, which was very difficult for non-Chinese speakers to understand. Therefore, researchers should make more efforts to study mobile-assisted CSL/CFL learning abroad. With this in mind, a systematic literature review was conducted to determine the status and trends of this topic. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 28 articles published between 2010 and 2022 were selected from Scopus and WoS databases. Publication information, research methodology, participant characteristics, mobile technologies, and research findings were summarized and reported accordingly. This review also addressed the limitations of previous research, based on which the related researchers and practitioners could make more efforts to focus on the weaknesses of mobile-assisted CSL/CFL learning.

This study investigated the influence of teacher expectations of high- and low-expectancy leaners' learner control performance in the flipped learning online session. Interviews and observations were conducted with 14 elementary learners (age 9) and four teachers from a Malaysian elementary school. Thematic analysis was used to interpret codes, generate categories, and construct themes from the data. The findings revealed that some teacher expectations narrowed the gap between the desired and actual learner control performances of various learners and some teacher expectations unintentionally widen the gap. This study suggests a reassessment of teacher expectations is needed to adjust the postpandemic flipped learning practices.

This article describes the qualitative phase of a larger intervention study, where pupils with learning disabilities (nine dyslexic pupils) were engaged in a pedagogically blended 'Reread-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend' (RAAC) and Theatre Art activities to enhance Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTs) in reading comprehension. Data from pupils' answers in the reading comprehension passages, interviews with the Special Education Needs (SEN) teacher and observations were collected. Qualitative analysis based upon pre-determined categories of learning strategies from literature revealed pupils' application of HOTs in reading comprehension. Drawing from this study, the importance of addressing HOTs in reading comprehension among mainstream and SEN pupils and other implications for inclusive classrooms are discussed.

Today, countries are taking important steps towards providing more effective services to citizens by determining strategies to quickly adapt to artificial intelligence-based digital transformation processes, especially education, health, security, justice and local services. National strategies for artificial intelligence studies are determined in countries in different continents of the world, and priority is given to educational studies in order to create human resources trained in the field of artificial intelligence. In Türkiye, artificial intelligence studies are carried out in line with the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Document (2021-2025) published by the Presidency. Considering the size of the service it provides to millions of citizens, the thousands of schools/institutions and the number of more than one million personnel, the Ministry of National Education is one of the public institutions that has made the best use of information and communication technologies for many years. Since the early 2000s, when internet access was provided to schools and institutions, the Ministry has accelerated e-transformation studies in administrative and educational activities and has carried out permanent works that have been used for many years, mainly e-School, MEBBIS and EBA projects. The leadership of the Ministry of National Education in the use of technology in education increases the expectations in studies in the field of artificial intelligence. In this study, the points reached by the Ministry of National Education in five countries in different geographies (Malaysia, Singapore, China, South Korea, Estonia) and Türkiye, which carry out effective studies in education in line with artificial intelligence strategies, in the use of artificial intelligence were examined and evaluated. The analysis concluded that individualized artificial intelligence applications of countries started to be implemented with different contents, at different learning levels and in different years.

This study examines Malay language teachers' perceptions of using Google tools in their online teaching in primary schools. It uses a basic interpretative research methodology to investigate the perspectives of six primary school Malay language teachers from Terengganu, Malaysia. Interviews with semi-structured questions were used to collect data and analyzed thematically. All the themes and sub-themes were organized using NVivo 12 software. The data show that the predominant topic in teachers' thoughts on the importance of Google tools was the reasons for their absence of use. There were two essential sub-themes: a lack of skills and proficiency and a need for more awareness of how to use Google tools. Furthermore, this study highlighted personal support of module development as a secondary theme which included two sub-themes: agreement with the need for modules and the importance of providing them. This study also underlined the importance of module preparation which was reinforced by two sub-themes: facilitating teachers' implementation of online teaching and serving as a significant reference for teachers. This study shows that effective online education requires competency, skills and knowledge of Google Tools. It suggests creating a Google Tools module to guide and serve as a resource for Malay language teachers.

Elearning in a blended learning approach provides enormous opportunities for working nurses to further their studies and enhance their professional development and life-long learning. To date, the impact of self-directed learning (SDL) abilities among working nurses in elearning education in Malaysia remains uncertain. This study aims to investigate the relationship between SDL abilities and elearning outcomes, as well as the mediating effect of student satisfaction between the variables. This is a cross-sectional quantitative correlational study using a predictive design and multivariate analysis method. A stratified random sampling technique was applied to recruit 241 nursing students through an online survey. The Self-Directed Learning Instrument (SDLI) and an elearning course evaluation survey were used to measure the independent and dependent variables of the study. The variance-based Partial Least Squares Structural Modeling (PLS-SEM) method was employed to analyse the possible effects on the relationships among the variables studied. The findings revealed statistically significant relationships among SDL abilities, student satisfaction, and elearning outcome. A total effect of 62.4% is predicted for SDL abilities on elearning outcomes through student satisfaction. This study highlights the vital role of SDL abilities for online learners' success. A collaborative effort between universities and faculty and support personnel is essential to ensure successful, continuous elearning education for student nurses. We recommend that future studies explore other possible factors in the model that could help to enhance successful elearning in nursing education.

This study aims to identify the need to develop an integrated model of the readiness of mathematics teachers as agents of change. Teachers' readiness is crucial for the effectiveness of the teaching process and the enhancement of pedagogical innovation. This study employs a qualitative methodology. A semi-structured interview was conducted with 14 study participants to ensure that the proposed model fits the demands of users. This includes education and teaching experts from Malaysia's southern and central regions. The interview data were transcribed and analyzed thematically using ATLAS.ti24 software. Results indicate a need to develop an integrated model of mathematics teachers' readiness as agents of change. All study participants emphasized the significance of addressing mathematics teacher readiness. Three main themes have been identified: (1) pedagogical needs, (2) strengthening mathematics teacher competence and (3) the configuration model as a guideline and checklist. The findings emphasize the importance of addressing mathematics teachers' readiness. An integrated model based on professional knowledge and pedagogical skills was proposed to support teachers in acting as agents of change. This study provides valuable insights for mathematics teachers and stakeholders. The findings indicate directions for future research particularly in the systematic development and design of the proposed integrated model which aims to enhance teacher readiness and pedagogical innovation.

It can be difficult to align with the present theoretical change in education from teacher-centered to student-centered learning especially in high-power distance cultures like Malaysia that are communal. This study aims to investigate the perceptions of students and lecturers regarding the psychosocial barriers to promoting self-directed and autonomous learning in the Malaysian context. The qualitative research method was chosen based on the research questions. Qualitative research allows the researcher to understand people's beliefs, attitudes, perceptions and behaviors. This study used purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen students and four lecturers at a Malaysian public university. The study found two types of challenges: personal (within the student) and environmental (surrounding the student). Personal obstacles include ideas about the value of education such as an emphasis on grades and diplomas as well as attitudes towards life, such as a propensity for hedonism and a need for spoon-feeding. Environmental barriers include a lack of encouragement for critical thinking, the development of student dependency, issues with university regulations, family and lecturers' attitudes and teaching methods. These challenges were explained using Hofstede's, self-determination and ARCS theories. The study highlights how important it is for teachers to modify their pedagogical approaches and attitudes in order to encourage student-centered learning as well as how important it is for students to get more assistance and support.

Background: Safety practices play a vital role in childcare business, as childcare entails managing children's daily life routines and preventing them from any harm. Aim: This study aims to explore the perspectives and awareness of childcare centres regarding the importance of childcare safety practices, babysitters' traits and safety performance in Malaysian childcare business settings. In addition, this study seeks to appraise the initiatives and actions employed among childcare centres in improving the safety levels of their establishments and management. Setting: This study focuses on safety performance, and it's practices, including the management, and babysitting among Malaysian childcare providers. Methods: A convenience sample of 11 participants, comprising childcare owners, management, supervisors and senior babysitters, from a wide variety of Malaysian childcare centres participated in a semi-structured interview. Results: Nine themes encompassing the actions and initiatives required by childcare practitioners in sustaining and empowering the safety of childcare centres were synthesised from the thematic analysis, which was grouped into two main categories: (1) Management practices; monitoring systems, training, rules and procedures and maintenance and (2) Babysitting practices; personality, mental health, religion and belief, responsibility and cooperation and knowledge and skills. Conclusion: These findings provide valuable insights to childcare practitioners, including the childcare owners, management and staff, in enhancing the safety levels of childcare premises and the benefits for the children they serve. Contribution: This study contributes to the childcare safety framework to be employed as a reference in monitoring and regulating the safety performance of childcare centres in Malaysia.

Background: In Malaysia, the mortality from melioidosis infection was reported to be higher than in other infectious diseases. The research on melioidosis is still limited in Malaysia but slightly increasing. Objectives: The objective of the study was to give an overview of the study designs, statistical methods, and comparison of research in identifying the predictors of melioidosis mortality in Malaysia between January 2010 to December 2021. Data sources: Pubmed/Medline. Study eligibility criteria: Original English-language articles were abstracted. The articles that identified the predictors of melioidosis from mortality in Malaysia only included. Letters to the editor, editorials, reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analysis, case reports, and any other ineligible articles were excluded. Results: A total of eight studies were identified related to predictors of melioidosis mortality in Malaysia. From the selected articles, 87.5% were retrospectively collected. Five out of eight articles (62.5%) used the logistic regression in identifying the predictors of melioidosis mortality. Only one (12.5%) used advanced survival analysis methods of Cox regression analysis. Another 25.0% used Chi-square test. Conclusions: Logistic regression methods remain the most common methods of analysis in publications on predictors of melioidosis mortality in Malaysia while retrospective research designs are preferred. There is a limitation of research in predictors of melioidosis mortality and the use of advanced statistical techniques reported using the melioidosis data in Malaysia. More published research on melioidosis will provide input to the clinicians on a more detailed understanding of how to improve the diagnosis of melioidosis and the prognosis factors of this disease.

The global talent gap is a consequence of skills mismatch among job seekers. Although micro-credentials appeared to be a potential solution to narrow the talent gap, it is unclear how they can be effectively implemented in a structured academic pathway. The purpose of this study is to explore the potential of a proposed micro-credential model for formal education via the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning Micro-credentials (APEL.M), to support the talent gap challenges faced by companies in Malaysia. The study used a qualitative case study method with data collected mainly from a focus group discussion among relevant faculty heads, administrators, and senior management team members. The findings indicated that despite potential challenges and issues towards implementing the new micro-credential model, the proposed model is significant for policymakers, higher education providers, and industry stakeholders interested in addressing the talent gap and creating alternative pathways to formal academic qualifications.

It is a necessity for a researcher to ensure that the validity and reliability of the study is met to prove a discovery. However, there are still qualitative researchers who are still reckless and do not emphasize the concept of validity and reliability when designing, collecting, and analysing the research findings. The quality of a qualitative study depends on the honesty, compliance, and thoroughness of the researcher in carrying out the study in a systematic and structured manner. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the qualitative validity and reliability strategy according to scholars' views as well as describing the validity and reliability strategy carried out in the pilot study. Through document analysis, the concept of validity and qualitative reliability can be explained through four concepts namely credibility, dependability, reliability, and confirmability. Among the strategies that can be used in pilot study to increase its validity and reliability is by peer review that takes place during the construction, review, and verification of the interview protocol. Reflective journal writing can also help increasing the reliability of the pilot study. It is hoped that this article can expand the reader's knowledge related to validity and reliability, especially in conducting pilot studies and at the same time, help qualitative researchers in carrying out their procedures properly to guarantee the quality of the research.

Despite the growing adoption of the Flipped Classroom (FC) model in higher education, there is limited exploration of its impact on secondary education and students' attitudes toward science. Thus, this study aimed to examine the correlation between secondary school students' perceptions of the Flipped Classroom experience in learning science and their attitudes towards the subject. The research focused on five perception constructs: Collaborative Environment, Self-Directed Learning, Learning Impact, Motivation and Enjoyment, and Technology Integration. Students' attitudes towards science were measured across five constructs: Importance of Science, Practical Work in Science, Learning Science in School, Science Outside School, and Future Participation in Science. The study utilized a quantitative survey methodology, collecting data from a sample of 100 Form Four students at School A, Sabah, Malaysia as of the year 2024. Through the analysis of the survey, the study found a significant positive correlation between students' positive perceptions of the FC experience and their attitudes towards science. Notably, high ratings for 'Motivation and Enjoyment' indicated enhanced student engagement, while lower ratings for 'Technology Integration' highlighted areas needing improvement. The findings underscore the potential of the FC to positively influence students' attitudes towards science. This research implies that educators should seek ways to enhance student engagement and foster a positive attitude towards science through innovative teaching methods such as Flipped Classroom.

Classroom assessment is essential for tracking students' progress and improving teaching and learning in the classroom. However, the lack of clear documentation to guide teachers in assessing student mastery often hinders effective communication between teachers and stakeholders about the students' progress. This study aimed to develop and test the digital classroom assessment document (CA-Do) for form one mathematics to improve classroom assessment practices. Design research and development method, based on ADDIE model, was used to create the digital CA-Do, and 55 mathematics teachers from 55 schools were sampled using stratified sampling. The data collected was then analyzed using SPSS version 27. The digital CA-Do received a satisfactory expert validity score of content validity index (1.00), and found all four tested sub-constructs (i.e., usefulness, ease of use, ease of learning, and satisfaction of use) to be of high level. There were significant differences in teachers' knowledge post-familiarization with the digital CA-Do. The study concludes that the digital CA-Do can aid teachers in recording the intervention and impact of teaching and learning information and consistently assessing pupils' mastery level. This research provides guidance to educators on how to modify their classroom assessment strategies to enhance teaching outcomes and classroom assessment methods, particularly formative assessment.

The study evaluates the Mythematix prototype, an innovative adaptive e-learning system designed specifically to enhance secondary school students' understanding and proficiency in mathematics. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, it combines qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to thoroughly assess students' perceptions and experiences with the Mythematix prototype. The study involved a group of 30 students participating in a comprehensive usability survey, which included a range of Likert scale questions alongside an open-ended response. This survey was designed to evaluate the usability of the prototype, pinpointing its strengths and weaknesses from the students' perspectives. The analysis of the survey results provided detailed insights into the most and least effective aspects of the prototype. Overall, the study contributes valuable insights into the effectiveness of adaptive e-learning platforms in enhancing and enriching students' learning experiences in mathematics, and it lays the groundwork for future research in this evolving educational field.

Technical and vocational education training (TVET) is an education and training process with a strong emphasis on industry practices that aims to generate competent workers in particular fields. Collaboration with industry in TVET has the potential to improve the quality and relevance of TVET programmes and equip students with the practical skills and knowledge demanded by employers. Thus, there is a need for a complete bibliometric study of research linked to collaboration between TVET and industry, despite the fact that the number of studies in this field continues to increase. The bibliometric analysis in this research which was extracted from Web of Science database is analyze using VOSviewer. The research conducted a descriptive analysis of the publication number trends, the top authors and leading journals in this field. Next, the researcher also analyzed the co authorship based on authors and countries, research trends, citation and keywords analysis as well as co citation analysis. The article found that most of the articles in this field are published by authors from developed countries where the majority is from the United States. Other than that, the recent research hotspot were also identified indicating the future direction of the research in this field.

Background: As technology continues to advance, language acquisition methodologies have increasingly been integrated into computer-assisted language learning (CALL) systems. In the context of Chinese language acquisition, characters are structured in three phases: the overall character, its components, and its strokes. Proficiency in identifying and distinguishing individual characters hinges upon understanding their structural composition. Objective: This study aims to explore the impact of a computer application on Chinese language reading skills and students' perceptions regarding the utilization of computer applications for home-based learning. Method: A total of 60 students engaged in home-based learning using a designated computer application were involved in the study. Employing a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design, the study assessed the effects of the intervention. Results and Conclusion: Following one month of homebased learning through computer applications, participants exhibited higher gain scores in reading skill tests, albeit the differences were not statistically significant. Students expressed a preference for and perceived greater ease in acquiring reading skills through computer applications compared to traditional methods. Furthermore, the integration of computer applications in teaching and learning processes demonstrated the potential to enhance students' motivation, interest, and confidence in language acquisition, albeit without a notable impact on attention levels. The study underscores the pedagogical promise of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and advocates for further research endeavors in this domain.

The purpose of this mixed-method study is to investigate and compare students' problem-solving and higher order thinking skills. This study involves two contexts: a traditional teaching program and a Lesson Study program. In qualitative phase, seven mathematics lecturers, a physics lecturer and the researcher forms the Lesson Study group and they collaboratively design five research lessons on functions topics. Also, the researcher collects all the materials taught by the lecturers individually in their classes on these topics. These topics in the textbook, individual lecturers' lessons and research lessons analyse descriptively using document analysis technique to find some understanding on the emphasis on problem-solving and higher order thinking skills. In quantitative phase, two classes choose randomly as experimental and control groups. The lecturers' developed tests use to compare the ability of students in problem-solving and higher order thinking. Data was analysed using independent samples t-test. The results of this mixed-method study show that, lecturers were teaching exactly contents of the textbook and focusing more on solving of routine exercises. Whereas, in Lesson Study program, collaborative work among lecturers in preparing suitable problem-solving activities not only improved lecturers' knowledge tremendously but also enhanced the ability of students in problem-solving and higher order thinking skills.

Work-integrated learning programs for higher education students that involve an international component require people in the recipient countries (in-country partners) agreeing to host and engage with the students. Yet research on these programs has focused almost exclusively on the participating students. Thus, the aim of this study was to focus on the in-country partners and gain further understanding about who they are, and how they perceive and experience these programs. Interviews with twelve in-country partners from the Indo-Pacific revealed that in-country partners are professionals contributing significant time and resources, their reputation, and cultural knowledge towards these programs. While they value the energy and ideas the students bring, they are concerned about inadequate cultural preparation of students, and the unilateral nature of the arrangements they have with higher education institutions. Future programs would benefit from including more of the in-country partner's 'voice' in program design and development.

Mastering creative thinking skills (CTS) is crucial for enhancing students' science conceptual understanding. However, conventional teaching prioritizes linear thinking over the three sub-CTS essential to science learning: associative, visual, and divergent thinking. Weaknesses in these three sub-CTS cause students to have misconceptions, difficulty in creating mental images, and an inability to generate ideas on abstract scientific concepts. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Digital Storytelling Science Creative (DSSC) module in enhancing these three sub-CTS, based on the topic of acids and bases. The ASSURE instructional design model guided the DSSC module design and development process. This quasi-experimental design study involved 63 eighth-grade students. Analysis of two-way MANCOVA using the data collected through the administered Creative Thinking Skills Test revealed that the DSSC module group performed significantly better than the control group in divergent thinking. However, the DSSC module did not significantly affect students' associative and visual thinking or gender.

Mathematics is a subject that is extensively used in real-life situations, but it has been found to be a difficult subject to master. Accordingly, mathematics anxiety has been found to be highly prevalent in students' lives, whereby learning styles have been underlined as one of the factors that may impact attainment of mathematics skills. This study aims to determine the relationship between learning styles and mathematics anxiety. The correlational study was conducted by using questionnaire adapted from Dunn and Dunn Model and Mathematics Anxiety Scale; involving 389 secondary school students located in the southern region of Malaysia. The study's findings revealed a positive correlation and distinguished between learning styles and mathematics anxiety. It shows that learning styles have an impact on mathematics anxiety. Hence, this study helps the students to embrace and improve their learning styles to minimize the level of anxiety towards mathematics, while the teachers may find it useful in guiding the students to control their mathematics anxiety.

Purpose: This article examines the use of English medium instruction (EMI) for teaching Japanese as a foreign language (JFL) by non-native speakers with a focus on multilingual classrooms. It also explores teachers' positive and negative beliefs about using EMI in classroom settings for JFL instruction. Methods and procedure: 274 non-native Japanese language teachers from around the world (57 countries) voluntarily participated in a survey, answering a questionnaire on Google Forms and Jotform. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. The research instrument was piloted before the main study and was found to be effective and adequate to elicit the desired data. The research questions aimed to identify whether there were any relationships between the use of EMI and the multilingual classroom. Findings: The results showed a clear correlation between the extensive use of EMI and the multilingual character of JFL classrooms. Translanguaging turned out to be a common practice adopted by non-native Japanese teachers regardless of the primary language of instruction. The article concludes that EMI can be a valuable tool for JFL instruction in multilingual classrooms. Based on the investigation of the teachers' beliefs, the results showed a changing positive attitude towards English employed in JFL classrooms. Implications for research and practice: The findings can be used to further investigate EMI in JFL instructional practices in multilingual classrooms, improve the quality of JFL instruction and facilitate the integration of multilingual education into foreign language teaching. Future research can explore the effectiveness of EMI in different JFL contexts and investigate the impact of EMI on students' language learning outcomes.

Plant metabolite compounds have been applied on plant cellular metabolism, produces organic and inorganic compounds, primary and secondary bioactive molecules, such as glucose, amino acids, fat acids, alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenoids. Undergraduate biology students learn about the plant terpenoid assisted by bioinformatics to store, manage, and interpret the molecular information about these compounds. This research aims to observe the students' understanding of terpenoid through implementing bioinformatics approach. Besides, to investigate how practice the bioinformatics technology in learning terpenoid may impact students' comprehension of plant metabolism domain and their acquisition of bioinformatics inquiry skills. Bioinformatics is a computational database that relies on digital repositories of molecular biology informations. Data analysis was in the form of quantitative and qualitative descriptive using module learning resources based on terpenoid research and assisted by bioinformatics. The results indicate that students' comprehension of learning and understanding terpenoid has improved, identification and analysis processes of article reviews showed that students were able to discuss and interpret research finding in silico bioinformatics using molecular docking procedures. Assessment of bioinformatics skills showed that all undergraduate biology students could follow the direct instructions well, answer the questions, practice the dry-lab experimental, and formulate the conclusion correctly.

Simulation-based learning has the potential to foster a transformative learning culture within the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) environment. This report is based on a research project, integrating a simulation into a digital ODL classroom, conducted in Wawasan Open University, an ODL university in Malaysia. The report highlights how a simulation can be valuable to ODL students as an effective learning tool and by creating an immersive learning experience for the students.

English academic writing is fundamental at tertiary level as it is the main medium of communication in the academe. Over the years, ESL lecturers have not only struggled to search for the most suitable teaching approach(es) to teach academic writing but have encountered several other problems in their teaching, such as class size, students' English proficiency levels, heavy workload, and others. Given these circumstances, a review of the literature has indicated there are scant studies that explore the problems faced by ESL lecturers where comparisons are made between public and private universities. Grounded in multiple case studies, four ESL lecturers from two public and two private Malaysian universities were purposively selected for the study. Data were collected from semi-structured in-depth interviews, lesson observations, and document analysis. A total of 12 interview transcripts were transcribed verbatim by the researchers, and data were analysed thematically using thematic analysis and cross-case analysis, where emerging themes were used to present the findings. Findings reveal that ESL lecturers at higher education institutions encountered problems, such as constraints in time, marking issues, students' lack of interests and motivations, lecturers' lack of interest in writing, lecturers' lack of content and pedagogical content knowledge, and lack of institutional support. Hence, professional support should be given to ESL lecturers to overcome their teaching problems, and future research should explore the strategies employed by ESL lecturers to alleviate their teaching problems.

This case study aims to report on the psychological assessment and intervention for a 4-year-old preschooler with selective mutism. A comprehensive assessment that involves parents and teacher interview, classroom observation, Seguin Form Board Test (SFBT), Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales Third Edition (Vineland-3), Behaviour Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3), Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition Standard Version Rating Booklet (CARS 2-ST), and School Speech Questionnaire were conducted. The psychological assessment revealed that the child fulfils the criteria for selective mutism. Play-based intervention sessions were then conducted, which involved gradual exposure to the child's teacher and peers and facilitation of verbalization related to child's interests and classroom routines. The child demonstrated improvement in her frequency of verbalizing in the classroom following the intervention, as supported by the improved score in the School Speech Questionnaire (SSQ). This case study illustrates the advantages of a collaborative approach that engages parents, teachers, and peers in the management of selective mutism during early childhood.

Potentially serving as the primary national literacy initiative, the Reading Seed Programme (RSP) by PUSTAKA Negeri Sarawak aims to enculturate a reading culture from an early age. For instance, RSP was invented to promote reading culture by having the pregnant mother read to their infant until the child was three years old. The process is vital to helping children learn to read from a young age and eventually empower them to be independent readers for life. Particularly, the objectives of RSP are to promote reading habits by getting parents to read to their children, strengthen a child's vocabulary, and develop their confidence, especially in reading. Thus, this paper is primarily designed to investigate the demographic differences between RSP participation and the programme's objectives, i.e., reading habits, parent's engagement, vocabulary ability, and confidence development. To assess how well the RSP achieved its goal of assisting toddlers in developing their confidence as readers. An online survey yielded 385 completed responses, representing a 92.33% response rate among RSP participants. The key findings indicated that the age of the child, mode of joining the programme, and year received the RSP's kits are the most important indicators of the usefulness of the programme (RSP and RSP's kits) and the programme's objectives attainment, especially in straightening the child's vocabulary and comprehension and developing their confidence, especially in reading and knowledge. Nonetheless, the results of this study highlighted the novelty of the early literacy programme of the RSP in cultivating the reading culture, parent-child engagement in reading, and preparing children to acquire knowledge.

Music substantially impacts early childhood development, especially language development, yet early childhood policies rarely emphasise the role of music in early learning and engagement. Research shows that effective delivery of early childhood music programmes depends on teachers' music knowledge, skills, and music teaching self-efficacy, which may be enhanced through teacher training. However, little is known about the training details and preparation of non-music specialist preschool teachers who use music to teach. The present study sought to determine whether music-based language programme (MBLP©) teacher training could improve the music teaching self-efficacy of non-music specialist preschool teachers and their MBLP© delivery in an inclusive preschool classroom. The 14 training sessions consist of a briefing, a workshop, a practicum, interactive reflections, and observations. Three non-music-specialist preschool teachers were trained to deliver MBLP© lessons to nine preschoolers aged 33 to 47 months. The within-subjects design investigated the teachers' self-efficacy in music teaching, while the single-subject design tracked their MBLP© lesson delivery performance. Data was collected using a self-reported music background survey, pre-, mid-, and post-test music teaching self-efficacy, teachers' feedback, and MBLP© lesson observations. The results showed that the training increased music teaching self-efficacy by 10 to 46% and revealed a positive relationship between practicum with interactive reflections and lesson delivery performance. The findings suggest that providing MBLP© training to non-specialist preschool teachers could help address language developmental issues in inclusive preschool settings.

This study aims to look at research trends on inquiry and socioscientific in the last 2 decades from 2004 to 2023. The PRISMA method is a reference in determining inclusion and exclusion criteria, as many as 449 articles were synthesized using bibliometric analysis. The result synthesis refers to the distribution of articles per year, research themes, affiliations, countries, authors, and productive journals. The inquiry and socioscientific research trends will peak in 2022, affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Southampton. Productive country United states and United Kingdom. Best author Laursen S. and Zeidler D.L. Productive journal CBE Life Science Education from United Kingdom and International Journal of Science Education from United States.

Objectives: The main objective of this study is to understand the factors that encourage the use of mobile ebooks among mathematics postgraduate students. Method: This study employed a qualitative case study approach. Eight mathematics postgraduate students from the algebra research group participated in the study. Data were collected via interview and analyzed by using constant comparative analysis. Results: Utilitarian, cognitive, affective, social norm, and content qualities were the main factors influencing the use of mobile ebooks among the participants. Conclusions: Mobile ebooks are easy to use and provide a meaningful platform to find information. In addition, the mobile ebook provides instant access to new information with a single finger click, thus enabling students to extract the needed information and make constructive comparisons on the subject matter. Theory and/or Practice Implications: Results expand understanding of the factors that motivate the use of mobile ebooks for learning activities among mathematics postgraduate students. In addition, the study also provides support for institutions planning to incorporate mobile ebooks as an important reference material for postgraduate learning and research activities.

The usage of video conferencing tools in teaching and learning has become a norm in today's higher educational institutions, recognized across various academic settings. The experience gained by most educators in using video conferencing tools for teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic could be leveraged to enhance these tools. The study aims to capture the current practices and explore the issues of using video conferencing for teaching and learning in Malaysian higher educational institutions. It focuses on three target groups with hands-on experience: academicians, students, and e-learning consultants or information technology (IT) support staff. Interview and focus group protocols were developed based on the four elements of the PACT framework: People (P), Activities (A), Contexts (C), and Technologies (T). Data were gathered through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with the target groups. There were 24 participants involved in three focus group discussions and 28 participants in individual in-depth interviews. The PACT framework was employed to analyze the data, aiding in understanding the current situation, identifying areas for improvement, and envisioning future scenarios. Qualitative data were transcribed and categorized based on the four PACT elements. The study identified differences in the People element with four scenarios/practices on physical differences, six on psychological differences, three on mental models, and five on social differences. A total of twenty differences were identified under the Activities element, with six on temporal aspects, four each on cooperation, complexity, and safety-critical aspects, and two on the nature of the content. Under the Context element, one scenario/practice was identified for organizational circumstances, five for social circumstances, and three for physical circumstances. In the Technology element, five scenarios/practices were identified: two related to the input part of technologies and one each for the output, communication, and content parts of technologies. From the scenarios/practices of the responses, a total of fifty-two issues related to using video conferencing for teaching and learning were identified. These findings will serve as the basis for ideation in developing innovative video conferencing toolkits for teaching and learning.

This research explores the development, execution, and student feedback on a multi-themed digital escape room (ER) activity, designed for teaching medicinal chemistry during the COVID-19 pandemic. It aimed to examine students' perceptions of the ER activity, focusing on its effectiveness in enriching students' understanding of medicinal chemistry and increasing their engagement level. Implemented in a synchronous online lecture for third-year pharmacy students, this ER activity was designed with the intention of fostering active learning and teamwork. A total of 184 students participated in various medicinal chemistry-themed challenges, using puzzles on a virtual whiteboard and breakout rooms for team discussions. The findings gathered from the post-implementation survey highlight the impactful learning outcomes associated with a replicable ER activity designed for online medicinal chemistry courses. This innovative teaching strategy not only cultivated a deeper understanding of key medicinal topics among students (mean=4.36) but also enhanced their collaborative skills through increased peer interaction (mean=3.73). They also reported higher level of engagement due to the interesting activities (mean=4.53). The quantitative results were affirmed by the qualitative feedback obtained from the open-ended questions, indicating a consistently positive learning experience and student reception towards the ER implementation. Although they encountered obstacles like stress, internet issues, and unfamiliarity with the ER format, more than 70% of the students agreed that the ER activity was a highly effective learning tool. This digital ER activity also demonstrates promise as an educational tool to encourage active learning and enhance students' motivation in learning medicinal chemistry. The study has showcased the potential benefits of integrating digital ERs into traditional teaching methods, especially for catering to the preferences of Generation Z students in a collaborative learning environment. In addition, the research offers valuable insights into the use of ERs in pharmacy education, contributing to the scarce literature on ER applications in medicinal chemistry and opening avenues for further research on ER-based educational strategies.

Educational robotics (ER) is a constructivist approach to education that promotes experiential learning through actual activities for teaching and learning science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. Empirical findings have indicated that primary school students have limited interest in learning mathematics due to the inability to rationalize real-world applications without practical application. Therefore, this study aims to determine the implications of using ER to evaluate their effect on primary school students' mathematics learning achievement, interest, and attitude. A total of 40 respondents from year five participated in this quasi-experimental study that explored the difference between using ER and PowerPoint hands-on methods as instructional approaches to complement teaching and learning. The findings indicated that ER improved mathematics learning achievement and perceived interest with a high effect size, and students also indicated a positive attitude toward using ER to aid in learning mathematics.

Students showed poor performance in applying higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) in solving Additional Mathematics problems. Therefore, this study examined the effects of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Collaborative Learning (CL) assisted by Geometer's Sketch Pad on the four levels of HOTS of Form Four students, namely Applying, Analysing, Evaluating and Creating. In addition, the effects of PBL-CL on the four collaborative skills (CS) constructs, namely Academic Benefits, Social Benefits, Generic Skills, and Negative Aspects, were also examined. A PBL-CL module was developed as a guide for teachers. A HOTS test and CS questionnaire were developed to assess the level of HOTS and collaborative skills of students, respectively. This study used a quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test control group research design involving 270 Form Four students in Sabah, Malaysia. The assessment of HOTS involved three intervention groups, namely PBL-CL, PBL and Conventional Learning (Conv) group, while the assessment of CS involves two intervention groups, namely PBL-CL and PBL groups. The results showed that the PBL-CL group produced significantly higher post-test mean scores compared to the PBL and Conv groups in all four levels of HOTS and also produced a significantly higher post-test mean score than the PBL group in all four CS constructs. This shows that the PBL-CL method has a positive effect in helping the development of HOTS and CS of Form Four students. Therefore, Additional Mathematics teachers are strongly recommended to integrate PBL-CL in their classroom to increase the level of HOTS and CS among students.

This paper reports the findings of a bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer on 392 Scopus database documents published from 2003 to 2022, aiming to understand the global landscape of the e-learning field and to identify the most prominent authors, institutions, countries and reference publications, as well as the research topics that have recently received the most attention in students' readiness for e-learning in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The findings indicate that there has been an upward trend in e-learning readiness among students in HEIs over time. Among the countries studied, the United States, Taiwan, Australia, and Malaysia were found to have the most effective approaches to addressing students' readiness for e-learning. The most highly cited author in this field is M-L. Hung. Based on the citations, the most recognised journal in this field was "Computers and Education" and the universities that were most persuasive were two Taiwan universities in the first position. The data also revealed relatively low levels of collaboration among authors, institutions and nations regarding students' readiness for e-learning.

This study investigates the relationship between the WhatsApp group, an instant messenger application as a community of practice platform (knowledge management, regular interactions, ease of using technology, and sense of belonging) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) learners' leadership and higher-order thinking (HOT) skills. The current study also examines how participation in the community of practice through the WhatsApp group can enhance leadership and HOT skills for male and female learners. 197 ESP learners participated in the five-point Likert scale questionnaire. The SPSS-AMOS analysis showed that knowledge management, regular interaction, and a sense of belonging significantly enhance learners' leadership and HOT skills. The results also showed that male learners increased their leadership skills while female learners excelled in the HOT skills by the WhatsApp community of practice. This study has significant educational implications, particularly in emphasizing essential measures when developing an ESP curriculum to prepare learners for their future careers.

Demonstrating higher-order thinking skills is crucial for thriving in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment. In science education, inquiry-based learning has increasingly been recognized as a potent approach to stimulate students' higher-order thinking skills. While prior research has shown evidence of its positive impact on student achievement, no study has critically synthesized its effect on students' higher-order thinking skills in the context of science learning. Thus, this study conducted a meta-analysis following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. The study extracted twenty-six (26) effect sizes from twenty (20) studies, involving 1,349 students exposed to both inquiry-based and conventional approaches. Using the Comprehensive Meta-analysis Software, effect size (Hedges g) was calculated to determine the magnitude of the effectiveness of inquiry-based approaches. The overall weighted effect size of g = 0.893 demonstrates that inquiry-based approaches have a significantly large and positive impact on students' higher-order thinking skills. Moderator analysis suggests that regardless of students' educational level, scientific discipline, or level of inquiry, the use of the inquiry-based approach in teaching scientific concepts maximizes students' higher-order thinking skills. Although various inquiry-based approaches were effective when combined with other instructional strategies for teaching scientific concepts, only a few studies integrated technology into the implementation of inquiry-based approaches in science. Given the positive findings of this meta-analysis, science teachers are further encouraged to adapt inquiry-based approaches to enhance their teaching practices and support students in strengthening their higher-order thinking skills.

This research is a systematic literature review study that aims to explore the evidence in publications that report on the types of misconceptions experienced by students in learning chemistry by providing types of students' chemical misconceptions based on levels and obtaining the correct formulation of misconceptions so that they can be used as a basis for overcoming them. The collected publications came from Scopus-indexed publications in journals, Conference Proceedings, Books, and Book Series from 2006 to 2021. Data analysis used was thematic analysis and data extraction and publication selection procedures using the PRISMA modification method, which consisted of four phases: identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion. The linkages between all the literature with misconceptions were analyzed using VOSviewer software to visualize bibliometrics. There are four chemical materials with the most misconceptions experienced by students: chemical equilibrium with seven studies, covalent bonds with six studies, acid-base theory with five studies, and materials and their classifications with five studies. Countries actively researching misconceptions are the United States, Turkey, Taiwan, South Korea, Ireland, England, Colombia, Macedonia, India, Thailand, Slovakia, Indonesia, Spain, Malaysia, Finland, and Ukraine. The research findings provide an overview of chemical materials that students often experience misconceptions about and the types of misconceptions about these chemical materials. [Note: The publication year (2023) shown in the citation on the PDF is incorrect. The correct publication year is 2024.]

As a response to the status of English as an international language and lingua franca, the integration of local culture now becomes a new trend of teaching English, particularly in outer-circle countries. This review study is intended to give a better understanding of current practices of local culture integration in ELT and its impacts on learners' attitudes and engagement in Southeast Asia. The thematic approach was used to interpret the outcomes of the 25 selected articles. The results are reported in three synthesis statements, defining (1) the geographical spread of local cultural integration in the ELT in Southeast Asia, (2) the impact on learning attitudes and engagement, and (3) the practices of local cultural integration. By interpreting the results of the review, suggestions are made for teachers and researchers to pursue more diverse practices in integrating local culture since it offers a constructive attitude, high motivation, and good engagement in learning English.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of technology and greatly transformed the way humans communicate. Since the start of the pandemic, the delivery of lectures and workshops shifted from face-to-face to online. However, this shift in the mode of teaching may or may not suit learners. This study was conducted to determine the students' perception of the mode of teaching, their learning experience after attending the online classes throughout the semester, and the major challenges they faced during the classes. The participants were Year 1 students from an AutoCAD workshop, Year 3 students from a Traffic Engineering Course, and Year 4 students from a Highway and Pavement Design course. The results show that prerecorded classes with the addition of live-streaming classes were more preferred in computing classes because students can learn at their own pace, especially when learning the new software. For lecture-based courses, physical classes or a mix of physical and online classes were favored by students because physical classes can be more interactive. There were also challenges encountered by the students during online classes such as poor internet connection and distractions at home. Thus, instructors need to personally communicate with the students to understand their learning preference so that the necessary adjustments can be made to the mode of teaching, particularly with the use of hybrid teaching.

Purpose--This study aims to explore the missing learning phenomenon due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic in preschool settings from teachers' perspectives in Selangor, Malaysia. Related studies have shown that missing learning phenomena from different settings leads to delayed literacy development and raises the risk of dropping out among children. There is a lack of in-depth documentation on the missing learning phenomenon among preschoolers exploring the socioecology of preschool settings in a local context. Methodology--This research employed a case study approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with six preschool teachers from Selangor, Malaysia, using an inductive approach for a holistic understanding of the missing learning phenomenon during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were analyzed using Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS), NVivo version 12 software, which mapped the findings to understand further the ecosystem behind the preschoolers' absence of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings--Three major themes were revealed from the data: the missing learning demographic, socioecological factors, and mitigation plans. Several sub-themes (the compensative learning solutions, the demographic of impacted people, the delayed progress, teachers' readiness to facilitate online learning, engagement towards online learning, revised syllabus, personalized learning, and parental involvement) are classified under the respective major themes. Several main categories also emerged from the themes: lack of experiences and technology-pedagogical knowledge, unavailable online modules, low readiness to utilize online learning, unsupportive family climate, and accessibility. Learning intervention and online engagement with pupils during the pandemic are crucial in ensuring a successful continuous education. Significance--There is also a need for comprehensive remote instructional modules that consider socioecological actors -- parents and home climate; in the future and the enhanced instructional technology competency among preschool teachers.

The ultimate aim of this research was to explore the contribution of teacher preparedness or readiness (in terms of their academic background, confidence in teaching science and career satisfaction) towards the achievement in science among Malaysian and Singaporean eighth-graders. The TIMSS 2011 international assessment of student achievement at the eighth grade comprises written tests together with sets of questionnaires that gather information on the educational and social contexts for achievement in science. The TIMSS 2011 science achievement scale was used to gauge Grade 8 students' science achievement. Confidence in Teaching Science Scale and Teacher Career Satisfaction Scale was used to explore science teachers' confidence in teaching science and career satisfaction, respectively. Data were obtained from 5,733 Malaysian students and 5,927 Singaporean students who participated in the TIMSS 2011 study using two-stage random sample design. Higher science achievement among Singaporean eighth grade students was related to teachers having more teaching experience, being confident in science teaching, and being satisfied with careers. However, these findings were not evident in Malaysia. The findings of such a research may help science educators and policy makers to identify and nurture the strong learning prerequisites of early adolescents in different education systems.