ASSESSING THE VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF SCIENCE MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST USING RASCH DICHOTOMOUS MEASUREMENT MODEL

Multiple choice tests are widely applied to assess students’ knowledge in science education. This study aimed at assessing the validity and reliability of Science Multiple-choice Test in Malaysia. The items for this test were formulated by the researcher together with a panel of science teachers and the head of the science department with close reference to Secondary School Standard Curriculum (KSSM) syllabus. The test consists of 50 multiple-choice items with four options. Rasch measurement model was adopted to evaluate the quality of the Science Multiple-choice Test in terms of reliability analysis, item polarity analysis (PTMEA-CORR), item fit analysis and Principal Component Analysis of Residuals (PCAR). The reliability analysis was performed using Cronbach’s Alpha, and the results of reliability and separation index respectively indicated good reliability level of the test items. In order to improve the validity of the test, two negatively worded items (Q39 and Q40) were removed. Lastly, the PCAR analysis showed the unexplained variance in the 1st contrast (5.4%) was found to be well controlled and was below the ceiling value of one-third of the variance explained by the item (18.7%). However, the positive value of the disattenuated correlations indicate no evidence of the presence of secondary dimension. Keywords: multiple-choice test, Rasch measurement model, reliability and validity, science subject, secondary school standard curriculum

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.

TEACHING PROCEDURES FOR SUMMARY OF UPPER SECONDARY AMONG UNTRAINED TEACHERS (GSTT) IN MAAHAD KAWALAN, KELANTAN

The Secondary School Standard Kurikulum (KSSM) new syllabus is being developed to look forward to the ability of students to compete at the global level. This syllabus is being used in all secondary schools starting fully at the 2021 school session. Therefore, the aims of this study are to look at the teaching procedures of untrained teachers (GSTT), teaching summary (Section C) according to the format of the Secondary School Standard Curriculum (DSKP-KSSM). In addition, this study will also look at how untrained teachers (GSTT) write their lesson plans in the Teaching Preparation Book (BPM) based on the guidelines set out by Maahad Kawalan to their untrained teacher (GSTT) in Kelantan. Based on a study conducted, the researcher found that there were weaknesses in their process of teaching summary and writing lessons in some items in the Teaching Preparatory Book (BPM). This study used a qualitative methodology in the form of a case study with the instruments of the interview, observation, and document analysis, as well as David Ausubel's Meaningful Learning Theory as the basis of the study. In addition, the study was conducted on 2 teachers who are teaching Bahasa Melayu for form 4 in Maahad Kawalan. The results of the study showed that the untrained teachers GSTT (A) and GSTT (B) did not complete the lesson summary based on two observations conducted using the checklist form. The researcher found that the untrained teachers (GSTT) were weak in the process of teaching summary in accordance with the Syllabus which has been prepared in the DSKP - KSSM Assessment format for summary (Section C). In addition, when the researchers refer to the items in the SKPMg2 form, they noticed that the untrained teachers (GSTT) did not write the lesson according to Bahasa Melayu Yearly Lesson Plan and had unclear writing regarding objectives, activities, and reflection in their Teaching Preparation Book (BPM). The implication of this study is that untrained teachers need to undergo training courses for the Bahasa Melayu curriculum. In addition, writing skills and training course courses for writing lessons should be given in advance to untrained teachers (GSTT), so that they can plan and write their lessons correctly.

Development Of Geobot Games in Teaching and Facilitation of Form Four Geographical Skills Topics

The suitability of Teaching and Facilitation Strategies (PDPc) will be able to create effective and fun learning for students in schools where the ability of teachers to plan and implement various PdPc strategies is able to optimize a learning session. PDPc's student -centered strategy can provide opportunities for students to submit opinions, cultivate the attitude of always seeking knowledge and learning throughout life. Student -centered learning that requires the active involvement of students in finding and investigating problems, constructing hypotheses, designing experiments, collecting data as well as drawing conclusions to solve problems can be implemented through game -based learning. While the teacher only acts as a facilitator. This study is a design and development research using the ADDIE Model. Findings show that the implementation of the ADDIE Model in the development of Geobot Game Module makes the development of modules can be carried out systematically and produce modules relevant to the Secondary School Standard Curriculum for Geography form four set by the Ministry of Education Malaysia.

Social Robots for Reducing Mathematics Hiatuses in Primary Education, an Exploratory Field Study

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 schools have gone into lockdown and teachers have had to teach pupils online from home. When pupils go back to school, standard, contemporary learning methods do not seem to be enough to reduce incurred hiatuses. Social robots are slowly becoming an integral component of our society and have great potential as educational technology. This study explores how social robots in classrooms can contribute to reducing mathematics-related hiatuses in Dutch primary education (pupils from four till twelve years old). A social robot as a tutor is evaluated by means of a field study with children (n = 43) to compare a class working with the robot, to a class working without the robot. Multiple factors on learning effect are taken into account by using a survey. Our results demonstrate that a robot can take the role of a tutor and practice with pupils. The results are of interest to researchers in the field of human-robot interaction as well as to educational institutes who wish to understand the implications of adopting robots in education.

Idārah Ta’līm Al-Lughah Al-‘Arabiyyah fi Al-Ma’had Al-Islamiyyah fi Dhou’ Nadzoriyyah Sears (Sears Theory)

Rasyidiyah Khalidiyah Islamic Boarding School is an Islamic boarding school in South Kalimantan. It is famous for Kitab Kuning (The Classical Books) and it focuses on function of language as system, which means that Arabic is an instrument to understand the classical books/kitab kuning. This Islamic boarding school has been synchronized with Public Islamic High School standard today. The purpose of this study is to know the planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and monitoring of learning Arabic language based on Sears’s theory in Rasyidiyah Khalidiyah Islamic High School for women in Amuntai, South Kalimantan, Indonesia. This study is classified as case study which becomes part of qualitative research. The management of Arabic learning in Rasyidiyah Khalidiyah Islamic Boarding School covers: (1)Planning includes; (a) schools use short-term planning (b) lesson plan/RPP and syllabus which refer to School- Based Curriculum (KTSP). (2) Organization includes; (a) preliminary activities, (b) core activities, and (c) final activities. The core activities include; exploration, elaboration and confirmation (b) only some teachers use methods and media in learning. (3) Directing includes; (a) the principal gives directions to the teachers (b) the teachers give directions to the students by motivating them to learn Arabic. (4) Coordinating includes; internal coordination (5) Controling includes evaluation of student learning outcomes and evaluation of Arabic learning process.

EXPLORING STUDENTS’ METACOGNITIVE REGULATION SKILLS AND MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT IN IMPLEMENTATION OF 21ST CENTURY LEARNING IN MALAYSIA

21st-century learning is integral to the transformation of the curriculum in Malaysia with the transition from School Integrated Curriculum (SIC) to School Standard Curriculum (SSC) introduced around 2014. During this time, the implementation of 21st-century learning was acceptable and very rewarding. However, the impact of implementation on students' skills, abilities, potentials and achievements should be looked at to ensure that the new curriculum is stable and practical to continue. There is a need to discuss the level of metacognitive regulation skills and students’ achievement in line with the introduction and implementation of 21st-century learning in the context of the Malaysian curriculum. Therefore, this research was conducted to examine whether the implementation of 21st-century learning has an impact on metacognitive regulation skills and student achievement. This quantitative survey was conducted by 201 Form 2 students from four secondary schools in Pasir Gudang District, Johor, Malaysia. The results show that the level of students' metacognitive regulation skills and the level of achievement in mathematics is moderate. Correlation analysis also showed there was a significant correlation between metacognitive regulation skills and student achievement. The implications from this research suggest that stakeholders including ministries, curriculum developers, education departments and teachers need to take initiatives to strengthen and improve the reputation of curriculum transformation in line with the 21st-century learning era in producing quality education. Keywords: curriculum transformation, mathematics learning, metacognitive regulation skills, students’ achievement, 21st-century learning.

Kepemimpinan Spiritual Kepala Sekolah dalam Menanamkan Budaya Religius di Sekolah Dasar Negeri Jurangsapi 1, Tapen, Bondowoso

This study discusses the Principal's Spiritual Leadership in Instilling Religious Culture in Jurangsapi 1 Elementary School, Tapen District, Bondowoso Regency. The principal is one of the important factors that determines school success because the principal is a vital organ in the school ecosystem, especially in public primary schools that have fewer religious activities than religious or religious schools so it needs to be balanced with the inculcation of religious culture so that religious values ​​remain embedded in students. This study aims to determine: (1) Principal's spiritual leadership in vision aspects in instilling religious culture (2) Principal's spiritual leadership in altruistic love in instilling religious culture (3) Principal's spiritual leadership in hope (aspects hope) in instilling religious culture. Data collection techniques using semi-participant observation, semi-structured interviews and documentation. Analysis of the data used is the qualitative data analysis of Milles and Huberman's interactive models, while the validity of the data used is the triangulation of sources and techniques. The results of this study indicate that: (1) Principal's Spiritual Leadership in the Aspect of Vision in Embedding Religious Culture ie the principal as a spiritual leader in instilling religious culture shows a vision of a strong spiritual leadership by involving all school stakeholders , defines the purpose of the school as the ideals of the principal, as well as encouraging expectations in a superior school standard, namely state primary schools with religious nuances. (2) Principal's Spiritual Leadership in the Altruistic Love Aspect in Instilling Religious Culture, namely the Principal as a spiritual leader promotes altruistic love (3) The Principal's Spiritual Leadership in the Hope Aspect (Instilling) in Instilling Religious Culture. The principal as a spiritual leader in realizing his ideals shows strong expectations. Penelitian ini membahas tentang Kepemimpinan Spiritual Kepala Sekolah dalam Menanamkan Budaya Religius di Sekolah Dasar Negeri Jurangsapi 1 Kecamatan Tapen Kabupaten Bondowoso. Kepala sekolah merupakan salah satu faktor penting yang menentukan keberhasilan sekolah karena kepala sekolah adalah organ vital dalam ekosistem sekolah, terlebih pada sekolah dasar negeri yang memiliki kegiatan agama lebih sedikit dibanding sekolah agama atau keagamaan sehingga perlu diimbangi dengan penanaman budaya religius agar nilai-nilai agama tetap tertanam pada diri peserta didik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui: (1) Kepemimpinan spiritual kepala sekolah aspek visi (vision) dalam menanamkan budaya religius (2) Kepemimpinan spiritual kepala sekolah aspek cinta altruistik (altruistic love) dalam menanamkan budaya religius (3) Kepemimpinan spiritual kepala sekolah aspek harapan (hope) dalam menanamkan budaya religius. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan jenis observasi semi partisipan, wawancara semi terstruktur dan dokumentasi. Analisis data yang digunakan yaitu analisis data kualitatif model interaktif Milles dan Huberman, sedangakan keabsahan data yang digunakan adalah triangulasi sumber dan teknik. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa : (1) Kepemimpinan Spiritual Kepala Sekolah pada Aspek Visi (vision) dalam Menanamkan Budaya Religius yakni kepala sekolah sebagai pemimpin spiritual dalam menanamkan budaya religius menunjukan visi (vision) kepemimpinan spiritual yang kuat dengan mengikut sertakan seluruh stake holder sekolah, mendefinisikan tujuan sekolah sebagai cita-cita kepala sekolah, serta mendorong harapan pada standart sekolah yang unggul yaitu sekolah dasar negeri yang bernuansa religius. (2) Kepemimpinan Spiritual Kepala Sekolah pada Aspek Cinta Altruistik (altruistic love) dalam Menanamkan Budaya Religius yakni Kepala sekolah sebagai pemimpin spiritual mengedepankan cinta altruistik (3) Kepemimpinan Spiritual Kepala Sekolah pada Aspek Harapan (hope) dalam Menanamkan Budaya Religius. Kepala sekolah sebagai pemimpin spiritual dalam mewujudkan cita-citanya menunjukan harapan yang kuat. Kata Kunci: kepemimpinan spiritual kepala sekolah, budaya religious, sekolah dasar

THE CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING STEM TEACHING AND LEARNING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

STEM teaching and learning (T&L) has been introduced through the implementation of the Secondary School Standard Curriculum (KSSM) launched in 2017. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the challenges encounter by 128 science teachers implementing STEM T&L in secondary schools in Kota Kinabalu. The instrument used was Soal Selidik Aspek Pelaksanaan (SSAP) which contains 14 items. The collected data were analyzed by using the SPSS version 24.0 software. Descriptive analysis indicated that 63.8% of respondents agreed that the main challenge of implementing STEM T&L is teachers’ readiness. Further, research findings indicated that the challenge in implementing STEM T&L was at a moderate level (M = 3.43, SD = .395). Therefore, immediate action should be taken to overcome the challenges to ensure the STEM T&L can be implemented effectively.