Archives for November 2017

Salam everyone. Here are the 8 Research Groups (RG) available in the Faculty of Education, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)

Research Group 1 : Science and Mathematics Education (SME)

Science and Mathematics Education (SME) Research Group has a long history within the Faculty of Education as an active and influential research group. It brings together a strong team of notable academics, experienced teaching practitioners and graduate students who share common passion to promote and improve the quality of science and mathematics education in schools both nationally and internationally. The group seeks to build new professional knowledge by undertaking high quality science and mathematics education research which informs, challenges and transforms the learning and teaching of science across learning communities. Areas of research interest and expertise include; encouraging and exploring understanding of scientific literacy, teaching to promote student conceptual understanding, investigating the Nature of Science and Mathematics (NoSM), the role of values in science and mathematics education, teaching emerging in virtual classrooms and the design of innovative pedagogy to improve the quality of science and mathematics education and student engagement. The group shares strong research links with several highly regarded international science and mathematics education groups and regularly undertakes collaborative research projects, science and mathematics teachers’ professional learning programs and publications.

Areas of Expertise and Strength:
• Philosophy in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education
• Curriculum in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education
• Teaching and Learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education
• Assessment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education
• Problem solving in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education
• Thinking skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education
• Technology in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education
• Current issues in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education
• Creativity and Innovation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education
• Reflective Teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education

Research Group 2 : Creative & Innovative Technology in Education (CITE)

Creative and Innovative Technology in Education (CITE) Research Group emerges from a wide array of new media research activities taking place across the university. The core emphasis of this group is on redefining and developing concepts related to digital and electronic technologies, creative applications and solutions that will enhance our human interaction and cultural engagement. Ranging from interactive media and performance to virtual environments and artificial life experiments, this research group locates itself at the forefront of its specific fields. Current research activities of CITE Research Group are in the areas of Personalize Learning, Human Computer Interaction, Meaningful Interactive Learning, ICT Based Instruction Design, E-learning, Web Technology, Online Education Testing, Learning Analytic and also learning through Social Networking.

Areas of Expertise and Strength:

• Social Learning Environment
• Teaching and Learning Strategy through Technology
• Learning Trends through Technology
• Digital Learning Resources
• Technology Impact in Life

 

Research Group 3 : Counselling and Psychological Wellness (CPW)

Counselling and Psychology is the field that is relevant in many areas such as management, education, social and health. Self- development, human character and personality can be highlighted as subjects of research for this research group. Development includes the stages of testing, measurement, evaluation and assessment for individuals or groups and it can embrace domains of cognitive, affective and psychomotor. This research group will ultimately aim for self-esteem development, mental health and wellbeing in producing holistic and balanced human beings. Research members are experts in counselling and guidance, Counselling Psychology, Counselling and supervision, Positive Psychology, Social Psychology, Individual and group psychotherapy, Psychological testing and assessment, Stress management, Career Coaching and Mentoring, Holistic Assessment, Instrumentation and Psychometrics, educational supervision, educational Philosophy.

Areas of Expertise and Strength:

• Mental health and psychological wellbeing
• Developing psychological instrument using valid psychometrical analysis
• Individual and Group counselling therapy in human development

Research Group 4 : Educational Growth and Human Development (EGHD)

Lifelong learning

The purpose of this area is to investigate the mechanisms of lifetime human development and formation through lifestyle, culture, work (technology), and sports, primarily within the school, but also within family, community, and workplace. Furthermore, this area studies the ways in which corresponding educational systems can become more systematic, approaching the matter with historical and empirical analyses of the cultural and societal factors inherent in education and human development. It examines the societal and national organizational functions and structures of education both in and out of schools from the standpoint of securing lifelong educational opportunity for individuals, and it aims in particular to produce professionals with outstanding ability, who are able to inquire theoretically into the mechanisms of lifelong human development.

Sports Science for Lifelong learning

This research area is concerned with the multitude of issues related to physical and sports activities engaged in over the course of a lifetime. While including perspectives from related areas such as sports participation, physical sciences and exercise therapy, various topics related to human physical activities and sports activities are explored within the framework of lifelong development and physical education.

Areas of Expertise and Strength:

• Human development and growth (lifestyle, culture, work, sports etc) through education
• Sports talent identification and mass sports
• Healthy lifestyle sustainability

Research Group 5 : Higher Education Research Group (Higher Ed)

Higher Education Research Group (Higher Ed), is a cross-disciplinary community of researchers, supports research and understanding about students and geography of higher education. This inclusive and facilitative group of researchers promote communities of pedagogic research to inform practice and promote high quality university learning through active and practical approaches to teaching and learning.

Areas of Expertise and Strength:
• Student engagement
• Comparative education
• Continuing professional development
• Policy studies in higher education
• Geography of higher education
• Student affairs in higher education
• Academic leadership
• Mental health and well being of higher education

Research Group 6 : Technical and Vocational Education and Teaching (TVET)

Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is a field which has been acknowledged by government, development agencies and academicians for its potential to offer economic, social, technological, and societal sustainability. TVET research also includes studies on everyday reality such as policies. TVET remains a veritable means of reducing poverty, industrialization and economic development of the world. Innovations in TVET research promises to evolve outcomes that will help in re-engineering TVET to improve technical teacher education, up-skilling researchers and develop instructional materials which will be used in technical schools, Vocational Colleges, Community Colleges, polytechnics, and universities.

Areas of Expertise and Strength:

• Assessment
• Cognitive Science
• Curriculum Reform
• Evaluation
• Human Capital Development
• Learning Technologies
• Management
• Pedagogical Methods
• Policies
• Technical and Vocational education Practice

Research Group 7 : Lifelong Education and Assessment (LLEA)

Lifelong education can be defined as a process of both deliberate and unintentional opportunities influencing learning throughout one’s life span. Lifelong education can be provided through informal, formal and non-formal education processes. Dimensions of lifelong education have also been detailed along with its goals. Education is processes, events, activities and conditions which assist and encourage learning. Human beings consciously or unconsciously keep on learning and training themselves throughout their lives. This may be a result of the influence of the surroundings which mould their behaviour, their concept of life and the content of their knowledge. LLEA research group focuses on two main interests in education; educational psychology and assessment. The group aims to strengthen research knowledge and skills by employing varieties of quantitative and qualitative research designs as well as applying statistical methods of data analysis (SEM,AMOS, Factor analysis: EFA&CFA, Rasch, Nvivo etc). In addition, LLEA group works towards training, writing and publishing. Research areas involve psychological testing, assessment and evaluation in education, school-based assessment, special education assessment, educational assessment, educational psychology, motivation, personality, spiritual ability/intelligent, school readiness profile, reading readiness, student readiness, child development and any research related to educational psychology and assessment.

Areas of Expertise and Strength:

• Child Development
• Gifted Education
• Parenting
• Measurement and evaluation in education
• Special Education
• Open online and Distance Education
• Psychological Testing and Instrumentation
• Educational Psychology (motivation, personality, etc)

Research Group 8 : Community Development and Education (CDE)

Community Development and Education (CDE) Research Group is established on the basis of improving the interaction between universities and society. This group focuses on conducting research related to service and provide contribution which can have significant impact on community development. The types of service provided to the community are not subjected to a single field, but can also cover many areas such as community service, service learning, education to the public and others.

Areas of Expertise and Strength:

• Training and Education to community
• Community Service
• Service Learning

 

Tahniah Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) kerana menerima penarafan enam bintang (sangat cemerlang), iaitu pengiktirafan tertinggi dalam Sistem Penarafan Institusi Pendidikan Tinggi (SETARA) 2017. SETARA 2017 telah dikendalikan oleh Agensi Kelayakan Malaysia (MQA). Ia merupakan usaha penambahbaikan secara berterusan (Continous Quality Improvement (CQI))  dari Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi Malaysia (KPT) dalam meningkatkan budaya penambahbaikan kualiti akademik secara berterusan. Perkara ini penting dalam menjamin kualiti akademik, kebertanggungjawaban dan prestasi setiap universiti awam dan universiti swasta di Malaysia dengan memberikan penekanan terhadap pengajaran dan pembelajaran peringkat ijazah pertama. SETARA adalah satu proses penting bagi mengukur kedudukan pencapaian sesebuah universiti. Menurut Menteri KPT Malaysia, Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, SETARA 2017 dilaksanakan melalui penilaian beberapa kriteria  seperti keupayaan pensyarah, kewangan yang kukuh, kualiti pengajaran dan pembelajaran serta hasil penyelidikan dan inovasi.

Buat pertama kalinya dalam hidup, saya menyertai larian jarak jauh di Sundown Marathon Iskandar 2017 yang bertemakan Sleep Can Wait. Tergerak hati saya untuk terus bersetuju atas jemputan seorang rakan untuk menyertai larian tersebut. Saya bersetuju atas beberapa faktor; 1)untuk mencabar diri sendiri dalam melihat sejauh mana saya boleh pergi dalam larian kerana hampir setiap petang, selepas balik bekerja saya akan ke gymnasium apartment untuk melakukan latihan kardio di atas treadmill, 2)untuk mendapatkan pengalaman berlari dalam acara Night Run, kerana selama ini saya hanya buat tak tahu sahaja mengenai acara-acara larian yang menjadi tren dan lifestyle pada masa kini, dan 3)pastinya sebagai senaman untuk mengeluarkan peluh kerana sekarang saya dalam fasa untuk menurunkan berat badan.

Berikut merupakan pengalaman kali pertama Night Run saya:
Ada sahabat yang nasihatkan sekiranya saya hanya sekadar suka-suka untuk menyertai larian tersebut, jangan ambil jarak yang jauh. Apatah lagi untuk first timer macam saya. Dalam acara larian biasanya terdapat beberapa kategori seperti 5km, 10km, 21.1km dan 42.195km. Buat pengetahuan semua (saya pun baru tahu), istilah marathon hanya digunakan untuk larian yang mempunyai jarak rasmi 42.195 km, dan separuh marathon semestinya separuh daripada jarak tersebut iaitu 21.1km. Kurang daripada jarak itu, terpulanglah kepada penganjur untuk menamakannya. Dalam acara Sundown Marathon Iskandar 2017 yang saya sertai baru-baru ini, untuk larian berjarak 5km, ia dinamakan sebagai Fun Run, dan larian berjarak 10km, ia dinamakan 10km challenge. Disebabkan 5km Fun Run tidak disediakan Finisher Medal, maka saya menyertai 10km challenge.
Semasa saya menyertai larian 10km challenge, peserta lelaki dan wanita dilepaskan serentak. Awal-awal lagi, saya tetapkan hati bahawa saya sertai larian hanya untuk menikmati larian ini. Saya tidak terlalu memikirkan tentang peserta-peserta lain yang sangat hebat sama ada peserta lelaki mahupun peserta wanita. Saya melihat ramai pelari yang hebat yang jauh meninggalkan saya, tetapi saya berfikiran positif. Barangkali mereka telah berpuluh-puluh kali menyertai acara larian, jadi setakat 10km semestinya tidak menjadi halangan kepada mereka. Mereka juga mungkin mempunyai target tertentu untuk larian mereka (biasanya hadiah disediakan untuk Top 3). Target saya, finisher medal sudah memadai. Untuk acara 10km, cut-off time untuk menamatkan larian ialah 2.5 jam. Worse come to worse pun, kalau jalan kaki dengan cepat pun, boleh cover 10km dalam masa yang ditetapkan. He..he..he
Laluan larian 10km mengkehendaki pelari membuat pusingan U selepas berlari sejauh 5km, untuk melengkapkan jarak 10km. Apabila saya melihat ramai sebenarnya pelari berada di belakang, saya semakin bersemangat untuk meneruskan larian. Dalam hati “boleh tahan juga larian aku..hihihi”. Air disediakan di stesen-stesen tertentu pada setiap jarak 2.5km. Jadi saya boleh anggarkan jarak yang telah saya lalui dengan berapa jauh lagi jarak yang bakal saya tempuhi.

Selalunya setiap petang, semasa berlari atas treadmill, saya setkan kadar larian saya ialah 8km/jam. Kebiasaannya saya boleh bertahan selama 40 minit tanpa henti iaitu, dari maksud matematiknya, larian saya hanya boleh mencapai jarak sejauh 5.3 km sahaja. Tetapi keputusan larian yang saya perolehi agak mengejutkan saya.. jeng.. jeng… jeng… Ini bermaksud keupayaan berlari di atas treadmill tidak membayangkan keupayaan sebenar anda berlari di atas jalan raya.
Ini adalah keputusan rasmi yang saya perolehi untuk larian saya.
Saya berjaya menghabiskan larian 10km dalam masa lebih kurang 1 jam 8 minit. Untuk larian, kita akan diberikan keputusan Finish Time dan Net Time. Finish Time ialah masa yang diambil sebaik sahaja wisel ditiupkan untuk larian dilepaskan hingga kita sampai ke garisan penamat. Nett time adalah masa yang diambil oleh pelari dari sebaik sahaja melepasi garisan permulaan (walaupun anda mungkin dalam kelompok belakang ketika larian dilepaskan) sehinggalah kita sampai ke garisan penamat. Barangkali ramai yang nak tahu, bagaimana masa direkodkan. Untuk program larian yang berprestij, teknologi catatan masa digunakan dan pelari berlari dengan menggunakan cip komputer yang melekat pada bib nombor yang dipin di baju anda. Berbalik kepada keputusan rasmi saya (merujuk kepada Net Time saya) iaitu 1 jam 7 minit yang membawa maksud kadar larian saya lebih kurang 9km/jam. Boleh tahan dan jauh berbeza dengan keupayaan saya berlari atas treadmill. Dari segi keputusan, kedudukan saya secara keseluruhan ialah 194 daripada 1222 peserta yang menyertai 10km challenge iaitu Top 14%. Okay lah kan?. Tetapi keputusan keseluruhan tersebut tidak mengambil kira jantina. Jadi kalau mengikut kategori lelaki 10km, kedudukan saya ialah 172 daripada 682 pelari lelaki iaitu, seramai 22 pelari wanita mengatasi saya. Dan dalam kelompok peserta lelaki tersebut, saya berada dalam top 25%. Cuba teka berapa bilangan peserta larian 10km wanita, dan berapa bilangan peserta wanita di belakang saya?Hahaha.. dah macam belajar Statistik.
Sesungguhnya pengalaman ini merupakan langkah pertama saya untuk menyertai larian-larian lain pada masa hadapan, inshaAllah. Betullah kata orang, lebih baik lewat daripada tidak pernah.

Alhamdulillah. Kertas persidangan saya diterima untuk dibentangkan di The 8th ICMI-East Asia Regional Conference on Mathematics Education (earcome2018) yang bakal diadakan di Taiwan pada Mei 2018. Menariknya tentang persidangan ini ialah:

1. Ia merupakan persidangan antarabangsa yang memfokuskan kepada bidang Pendidikan Matematik sahaja, yang bermaksud setiap sesi selari yang diadakan cukup relevan dengan bidang saya. Jarang saya jumpa persidangan sebegini diadakan di Malaysia kerana kebiasaannya persidangan yang diadakan bertemakan pendidikan secara umum. Barangkali adalah satu atau dua sesi selari yang berkaitan dengan Pendidikan Matematik.

2. Persidangan ini hanya diadakan sekali dalam setiap tiga tahun. Ia seperti “Sukan Asia” dalam bidang pendidikan Matematik yang akan mengumpulkan ahli-ahli akademik dan penyelidik dalam bidang tersebut dari seluruh dunia.

3. Conference ini tidak menyediakan penerbitan berindeks Scopus mahupun ISI, sebaliknya hanya prosiding biasa yang diberikan. Malah saya jangkakan tiada sijil akan diberikan. Ini kerana matlamat utama persidangan ini adalah untuk memberi peluang kepada penyelidik berkongsi hasil penyelidikan masing-masing dengan penyelidik lain. Sememangnya saya tak sabar untuk berkongsi hasil kajian di samping memungut seberapa banyak ilmu untuk dikongsikan bersama pelajar-pelajar saya, inshaAllah.

4. Disebabkan tiada penerbitan berindeks scopus mahupun ISI disediakan, maka saya tidak dibenarkan untuk menggunakan geran penyelidikan untuk membiayai penyertaan saya di persidangan tersebut. Tapi saya sudah mula menabung sedikit setiap bulan sejak dua bulan yang lalu hanya untuk menyertai persidangan ini

Faculty of Education, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) prioritizes the use of learning spaces to enhance students’ learning. Thus, one of the initiatives is the establishment of Student-Centred Learning Room which is expected to fulfil all types of teaching and learning experiences and the room also is conducive towards the implementation of New Academia Learning Innovation (NALI) since it creates flexible learning environment. Faculty of Education has two Student-Centred Learning (SCL) rooms. The motivation to implement active learning spaces in the faculty is derived from New Academia Learning Innovation (NALI) initiative which emphasises blended learning approach.The project has received positive feedback from the users who got to experience the transition of teaching and learning from conventional way to student-centred approach. The learning spaces in Faculty of Education benefit students, academician as well as the administration. The teaching and learning approach in the Pedagogy component is intended to be fostered in the learning spaces.

It is based on NALI framework- which is to accomodate all teaching and learning styles needed (flexible style according to the users). As a result, various teaching and learning approaches have been conducted such as active learning, scenario-based learning, collaborative learning etc. General observation showed that the users were able to adjust their learning needs based on their preferred learning/teaching styles.Then, the aspect of Design which is in the space component relates to matters regarding environment, furniture and technology which can assit the fostering of diffent learning styles. Thus, furniture such as movable chairs, round table, whiteboards attached around the room, and projector/TV at each side of the wall play important role in making the space multi-purpose. The equipment built in the learning space contributes towards complete and meaningful learning process. The facilities provide unexpected learning outcomes especially among conventional-style instructors. Therefore, as the preparation of the learning spaces needed careful planning and budgeting, a special task-force was formed consisted of members from all departments in the faculty. Consequently, the existing facilities able to cater to different types of teaching and learning process. However, issues on room safety and the use of equipment can be solved over the time. Students’ level of understanding of course content and class participation have increased when their classes were conducted in the student-centred space.
The last component which is Technology concerns with how technology can be used to maximize the benefits of learning spaces. Technological devices built in the spaces are wifi-connectivity, projector, and LCD television. These devices foster active participation among learners and they can assist towards achieving maximum potential of the space . Lecturers mentioned that students were seen to be more focused.
So, what are you waiting for? Do come and join us at the Faculty of Education, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)