Academic Publication (SHBIE)

This action research examined the effectiveness of the Zollman’s Four Corners and a Diamond graphic organizer as a strategy to improve Year 10 students’ performance in mathematics word problems. Quantitative data from twenty-four students from a secondary school in Brunei Darussalam was collected through the use of a pre-test and post-test. Results from the pre-test and post-test were analyzed and it was found that there was a significant difference in students’ performance before and after introducing the Zollman’s Four Corners and a Diamond graphic organizer. A paired sample t-test on the pre-test and post-test showed a significant improvement in students’ mean marks, t(23) = -3.415, p = .002. Additionally, it was found that the Zollman’s Four Corners and a Diamond graphic organizer is capable of helping students of all abilities and particularly the lower ability students. Hence for this study, the Zollman’s Four Corners and a Diamond graphic organizer successfully enhanced the Year 10 students’ performance in solving mathematics word problems.

As part of promoting and improving pattern discovery skills among school children, a Sudoku puzzle can be used as example of a problem solving task. A simplified version of the puzzle will be used first to explain the aim and reinforce the rules of solving the puzzle. Three strategies—Strategy of ‘Obvious Missing Number’, Strategy of ‘Elimination’, and Strategy of ‘Either This or That’—will then be introduced and applied in solving a simplified Sudoku puzzle that is appropriate for children in grades 4 to 6.

This article examines the requirements for quality learning in Islam from the perspective of al-Zarnūjī and according to his book, Ta‘līm al-Muta‘allim. This book has been a source of reference for both students and teachers in many educational institutions in Muslim countries, particularly, the Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia. The article attempts to understand the students’ learning requirements proposed by al-Zarnūjī in the above treatise. It is, therefore, a library-based research. The research tackles many issues. It addresses the need for a broad-based learning process and analyzes the requirements in the light of the modern day learning circumstances. It was found that al-Zarnūjī’s theory of quality learning is conditional on six main principles which are, indeed, determinants of quality student outcomes. These are intelligence or high learning ability; high motivation for learning; patience, emotional stability, and commitment to the learning process; availability of financial support; inspiration of the teachers; and disposition to time management in the learning process. The notion of quality education is fundamental to the classical perspective of learning in Islam.

This study examined the use of flipped classroom in geography lessons in one of the pre-university colleges in Brunei Darussalam. The benefits and challenges of using the flipped classroom as a pedagogical tool in geography were also investigated. Data were collected through action research adopting the use of a flipped classroom approach. This meant that learning geography as subject content was done outside the classroom. The findings of this study revealed that it was not necessary to apply flipped classroom for every lessons. Yet, this study found that flipped classroom was most beneficial when students worked on the application of geographical concepts where they learned to analyse and evaluate given scenarios. A significant improvement in the students’ academic achievement was also observed where through the interactive classroom activities, students developed a deeper understanding of the subject concepts. On the other hand, there were challenges in conducting a flipped classroom, for instance, some students had problems in accessing the lessons outside the classroom. This was one of the crucial elements conveyed in order to successfully implement a flipped classroom and to create an active learning environment during the class time. Without learning the concepts before the class time, the students reported the feeling of being lost, and thus could not fully participate in the classroom activities. Furthermore, a significant amount of time was wasted during the class time in teaching the students the concepts since they were supposed to have learned them prior to the lesson itself. Finally, the flipped classroom was also found to be a challenge to implement in a classroom known to have a passive learning environment.

This action research studied on how the use of manipulative in the teaching and learning of integers could affect students’ performances in adding and subtracting integers, involving Year 9 students from two mixed ability classes of the same government secondary school in Brunei. The intervention lessons used different colored counters to represent different signs of integers, followed by the adding and removal actions of these counters to mirror the addition and subtraction operations, with the added concept of zero-pair. Any improvement or beneficial outcome of the prior lesson was used to adapt the initially prepared following lesson as part of the Design Research process. The data collection consisted of pretest and post-test. With the use of descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon Signed Ranked Test, this study concluded that there was the significant improvement on students’ performances in the post-test and the effect size showed that the intervention gave big impact towards students’ learning. Item analysis indicated that the intervention improved correct attempts in questions involving both addition and subtraction, with the more significant increase in the latter. The overall mean scores of correct attempts in the post-tests also showed that students scored higher on the addition of integers (89.7%) compared to subtraction of integers (81.0%).