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Editorial Board
Azian T.S. Abdullah, PhD
(Advisor)
Devadason Robert Peter
(Chief Editor)
Ng Khar Thoe
Julito C. Aligaen
Kanageswary Suppiah, PhD
Corrienna Hj Abdul Talib
Cheah Ui Hock, PhD
Hazura Ab Bakar, PhD
Sheila Oyao, PhD
Contents
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1
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Developing Fraction Sense using Virtual Manipulatives (pp 1 – 9)
Ronny Kwan Eu Leong
Learning fractions has been one of the challenges
for many students in elementary mathematics. This study was carried out to
see how students’ informal knowledge and prior knowledge influence their
conceptual meaning of fraction when they used virtual fraction manipulative
for learning. Virtual manipulative
tools were used as they are regarded as essential cognitive technological
tools. Clinical interview was employed as a form of assessment of thinking.
It was used in the beginning of the lesson to gauge the student's existing
ideas on fractions. The instructional method involved interactions between
the teacher and the students while solving fractions tasks. Finally, a
closing interview was conducted to evaluate whether the lesson promoted the
student's understanding on fractions. The researcher achieved most of the
goals for this lesson. In addition, the lesson using virtual manipulative
was fairly effective in promoting the conceptual knowledge of fractions.
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2
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An Insight of the Mathematics Education in
India: Observations from Classrooms (pp
10 – 19)
Ronny Kwan Eu Leong & Lay Chin Tan
This paper provides an insight on
mathematics education in India focusing on primary schools, high schools
and colleges. The study also focuses on observation on mathematics
classrooms of schools in the Mumbai region, schools in Jodphur
and a college in Rajasthan. It also provides snapshots of mathematics
classes in the primary and secondary levels that reflect the implementation
of the National Curriculum Framework in India. Teachers’ pedagogical
approach and students learning approach are discussed. One of the
interesting observations was that the classrooms were teacher-centred that
valued drill and practice skills. A brief description of the selection and
objectives of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is also provided.
Teacher-preparation programmes are also discussed. Nevertheless, despite
India having a centralized school system, it still has difficulty serving
the needs of all students especially in the rural areas.
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3
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Students’ Conceptual Understanding of Chemical
Reactions at the Electrodes in the Electrolytic Cell (pp
20 – 29)
Nur Jahan Ahmad
This paper describes students’
conceptual understanding with regards to the chemical reactions that occur in
the electrolytic cell. The chemical reactions at the electrodes in the
electrolytic cell are less emphasized in educational research in comparison
to the voltaic cell. Some empirical evidence on 16-year-old secondary
school students’ conceptual understanding of chemical reaction are presented. This study involved eight science classes
in eight different schools (convenience samples) in Penang. The results
show that most students in this study have difficulties in generating
details on the chemical reactions that take place at the electrodes in the
electrolytic cell. This may be due to students’ inability to make
connections on the relationship between macroscopic, sub-microscopic, and
symbolic entities.
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4
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Exemplary practices in SEARCH for youth science
and mathematics researchers (series 2): ‘MAgnificent
Advancement for Young Scientists’ (MAAYS) supporting ‘Search for SEAMEO
Young Scientists’ (SSYS) (pp 30 – 49)
Ng Khar Thoe,
Kim Phaik Lah, Linda
Toh, Francilyn A. Obrien, Sheila Oyao, Hazura Abu
Bakar & Julito C. Aligaen
The ‘Search for SEAMEO Young
Scientists’ (SSYS) is a biennially organized regional congress since 1997.
It provides a platform or venue for intellectual and social interactions
among student delegates and educators in the SEAMEO countries and beyond.
‘Magnificent Advancement for Young Scientists’ (MAAYS) is the international
education flagship programme founded in 2003 by Vision Academy (M) Sdn. Bhd. Since the end of 2005, MAAYS.net e-research
platform has been supporting the organization of the 5th SSYS (2006) and
subsequent congresses mainly through e-learning networking activities. This
article reports the second series of activities with evidences of exemplary
practices in SEARCH for youth science and mathematics researchers over the
past seven years. These were implemented by the authors as founders,
webmasters, event organizers, advisors, facilitators and bloggers or
e-forum participants. Some main features of MAAYS that promote
student-centred learning supported using ICT [e.g. project-based activities
(PBA)] with threaded discussion topics that are directly and indirectly
related to science and mathematics learning are highlighted. Educational
implications on how Web 2.0 plays the role in
science/mathematics/technology/environmental education to promote awareness
and enhance 21st century skills are deliberated, with future direction
elaborated.
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Learning Science and Mathematics