Papers by Nabilah Abdullah
International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE)
Problem-based learning (PBL) is a teaching model that uses real-world problems to lead students t... more Problem-based learning (PBL) is a teaching model that uses real-world problems to lead students toward the learning objective of a course. It has been widely adopted in Malaysian education. However, PBL module for aboriginal people is scarce. This study aimed to provide suitable PBL activities in learning environmental problems by developing a PBL teaching module for the aborigine community and accessing its suitability. In this study, data was collected through an online validation form that was given to four validators, all of them have science or chemistry education backgrounds. The online questionnaires collected were further analyzed to investigate their responses to the module. The result has shown positive feedback (95.83%) as the responses are very encouraging. All respondents give approbation to the objectives of the module which are clearly stated and are parallel with the content. Many of them also strongly agree that the PBL model and the language used are suitable in th...
International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development
Neuroquantology, Jan 31, 2022
International Journal of Modern Education, Jun 15, 2021
5th International Conference on Science and Mathematics Education 2013 Proceedings, Nov 1, 2013
Understanding the periodic table is crucial as it serves as the foundation for sound understandin... more Understanding the periodic table is crucial as it serves as the foundation for sound understanding of chemistry. Since students generally perceive chemistry as a dry and abstract subject, there is a need for teachers to be creative in promoting meaningful and effective classroom learning, which will in turn, enhance students’ engagement in learning. Periodic Table Fun Study Board (PROFSTAR) is a game-based cooperative learning adaptation which is inspired by the concept of the game Monopoly. With PROFSTAR, the students are involved in decision making, such as trading and buying of elements during the game. Gradually, players learn effective strategies whilst testing their ability to answer sets of questions as well as abide to the set of rules to win the game. This study aims to investigate how this game enhances students’ engagement in le arning the periodic table of elements at secondary schools. Data for this study were mainly gathered through interviews with teachers and students as well as via observations in real classroom settings. This study has found that through this game, students’ engagement can be significantly improved as learning of the periodic table is made more dynamic and relevant to students. It also provides students with the opportunity to discuss and learn from each other, culminating in an enjoyable learning experience
Management and Accounting Review (MAR), 2019
This study examines the accounting graduates of a public university in Malaysia. Specifically, th... more This study examines the accounting graduates of a public university in Malaysia. Specifically, this study examines whether the accounting graduates of a public university in Malaysia are in the accounting profession or whether they are in a profession that is not related to accounting. This study also determines whether the accounting graduates’ demographic profile influence their profession. This study utilises online questionnaire on 1003 accounting graduates in the largest public university in Malaysia. The accounting graduates graduated from the period between 2007 and 2017. The results show that most of the accounting graduates are working as accountants or accounting related positions in various industries. Surprisingly, this study shows an alarming sign of accounting graduates not in the accounting profession. This study also shows that the accounting graduates’ demographic profile in terms of gender, age and work sector influence their choice of profession. This study contri...
Asian Journal of University Education, 2022
Science, mathematics, technology, and engineering (STEM) have long been acknowledged as subjects ... more Science, mathematics, technology, and engineering (STEM) have long been acknowledged as subjects that are fundamental for national progress and growth. Efforts to integrate the "arts" component in the teaching and learning of STEM subjects have begun over two decades ago through the introduction of KBSR and KBSM in the Malaysian school curriculum; however, its implementation received mixed reactions. The reason is that although "art" can and does make STEM subjects interesting and engaging, it could also distract and remove the focus away from STEM components. Realizing the importance of Arts in complementing the learning of science-based subjects in terms of creativity and collaborative focus, this study aims to uncover the views schoolteachers encounter as they try to integrate Arts in STEM teaching. Using a qualitative approach, the study involved teachers currently teaching STEM subjects in local public and private schools. Data was collected via a semistructured interview with four experienced Science teachers. Findings revealed all Science teachers unanimously agree the integration of Visual Arts elements in STEM could ease various pedagogical challenges which include students' thinking ability, practical knowledge, and ability in technology; constraints related to teaching aid and ensuring student understanding of "difficult" topics in the lower secondary Science syllabus.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of English language anxiety among universi... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of English language anxiety among university students, the specific English language skills that causes the greater amount of language anxiety for university students, the possible factors that contribute to English language anxiety from the perspective of university students and the coping strategies to cope and alleviate English language anxiety from the perspective of highly anxious university students. This study employed a survey design with a mixed-method approach. A total of 125 Malaysian ESL university students from nonEnglish majors of different semesters participated in this study and completed two survey questionnaires for the data collection. A Demographic Background Questionnaire was used in order to obtain demographic information about the participants’ background. A self-developed questionnaire, the Factors of Language Anxiety Questionnaire (FLAQ) was used in order to assess the participants’ selfperceived anxiety...
Int. J. Interact. Mob. Technol., 2021
Abstract—Increasingly, blended learning courses are being offered in schools throughout China. On... more Abstract—Increasingly, blended learning courses are being offered in schools throughout China. One of the key factors influencing the effectiveness of blended learning is students’ acceptance. The researchers proposed six predictive dimensions that contribute to students’ acceptance for blended learning, namely, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, learning climate, attitudes towards online learning, attitudes towards classroom learning and personal charm of the instructor. One existing questionnaire is adapted, together with the interview data with university undergraduates, generating 63 items for the initial questionnaire. The first draft of the scale was distributed to 180 university students in Hubei Province, China. Data collected were analyzed by SPSS 24.0. Eleven items were deleted based on the Exploratory Factor Analysis results. Then the second pilot was done to purify the scale further. 191 questionnaires were distributed, and the data collected were processed by ...
This study aims to compare the soft skills achievement of engineering, medical and education stud... more This study aims to compare the soft skills achievement of engineering, medical and education students attending Malaysian public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). A total of 38,296 final year students from the engineering, medical and education faculties were involved in this study. Data on seven soft skills elements – communication, critical thinking and problem solving, leadership, teamwork, moral and professional, life-long learning and information management, and entrepreneurship collected using Malaysian Soft Skills Scale (My3S) were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed significant Nabilah Abdullah Universiti Teknologi Mara, Malaysia sidek Mohd Noah Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia Joharry Othman Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia, Malaysia Wan Marzuki Wan Jaafar Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia Lihanna borhan Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia Abdul Malek Abdul Karim Universiti Utara Malaysia Abdul Malek Abdul Rahm...
Advanced Science Letters, 2017
This paper discusses the preliminary process of classroom test items development using six cognit... more This paper discusses the preliminary process of classroom test items development using six cognitive levels of the Bloom’s Taxonomy. The test, consisting of 23 multiple- choice items on the topic of Quadratic Expressions and Equations was distributed to 39 form 4 students from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Mohd Khalid in Johor. The result of the analysis shows only 22% of the items can be kept and used in the future. The remaining 78% needs to be eliminated or revised. In conclusion, the test items analysis is a good method in evaluating the quality of the test items constructed.
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2019
Malaysia was recently ranked among top twelve out of 72 participated countries in the ranking for... more Malaysia was recently ranked among top twelve out of 72 participated countries in the ranking for English language proficiency 3. Despite the good achievement, English language instructors in Malaysian higher learning institutions still have problems with students' proficiency and involvement in English language classrooms. This study intended to investigate the relationships between self-efficacy belief and language learning strategies, with English language proficiency. The study employed a quantitative research design which involved 341 samples from Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah campus. Questionnaires on Self Efficacy Beliefs and Language Learning Strategies were randomly distributed and the result revealed that self-efficacy belief has significant relationship with learners' level of proficiency in English language. However, out of the six language learning strategies, affective strategy was reported not having relationship with students' English language proficiency.
7th International Conference on University Learning and Teaching (InCULT 2014) Proceedings, 2016
Adequate guidance, constructive feedback and professional support during teaching practice can si... more Adequate guidance, constructive feedback and professional support during teaching practice can significantly change a mediocre student teacher to one who teaches more outstandingly. This study investigates the nature of supervisor support during reflective inquiry sessions, and how the support contributes to student teachers’ professional growth as teachers-to-be. In-depth interviews with five student teachers provided data for the study. The findings revealed that the focus of reflections in the discussions between the student teachers and their supervisors revolved around the direction and implementation of the lesson; professional qualities; expressions of personal feelings, opinions and concerns; achievability of the pre-determined learning outcomes, student teachers’ manifested behaviors; and other professional supports. Reflecting on the research participants’ levels of reflectivity, 45 % interview entries were coded at level one -Technical Rationality (TR), 50 % at level two – Practical Action (PA), and 5 % at level three – Critical Reflection (CR). The findings also showed that the development of student teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs in teaching was due to three contributing factors: the employment of reflective techniques by the supervisors, the value of accepting the strengths and weaknesses in teaching experienced by the trainees, and the applications of the outcomes gained during the reflective inquiry sessions on the upcoming lessons. These findings imply that supervisors must take reflective inquiry conferences more seriously and recognize that productive sessions with their trainees are critical in developing future teachers with sound pedagogical know-how.
7th International Conference on University Learning and Teaching (InCULT 2014) Proceedings, 2016
Numerous studies on science teachers’ professional development status reported that despite havin... more Numerous studies on science teachers’ professional development status reported that despite having attended the required centralized courses and in-house trainings, there are those who still struggle to plan for and implement appropriate, well-structured lessons. This study has been carried out to identify aspects relating to instructional practices that science teachers are still lacking in, to investigate the nature of training that they have attended as well as the ones they would like to go for; and to unearth issues surrounding their training for professional growth. Twenty science teachers with less than 5 years of service were involved in this study. Data were obtained through qualitative means via interviews and document analysis. The findings revealed aspects that the science teachers had trouble in are associated with instructional strategies, content knowledge, understanding of learners, assessment and creativity in class. The teachers also raised concerns about the nature of existing and future trainings for the development of effective science teachers; on which recommendations are put forward and a possible professional development framework could be expounded.
Asian Social Science, 2015
Different age groups experience different levels of stress due to different causes. The main caus... more Different age groups experience different levels of stress due to different causes. The main cause of stress experienced by students is academic tests and examinations (Kai-Wen, 2009). If students are not able to manage examination stress accordingly, it may lead to serious psychological, physical, and mental problems.This study generally attempts to determine the causes of stress among a group of gifted pre-university students in Malaysia.The study also attempts to evaluate the most frequent coping strategies used by ASASIpintar students to manage exam stress and also to identify the predominant type of coping strategies used by ASASIpintar students to cope with exam stress. Questionnaires were distributed randomly to gifted students of Malaysian Pre-university program at the Pusat PERMATApintar™ Negara (National Gifted Centre) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (the National University of Malaysia). All the sixty-eight respondents were from different ethnicity and religion background. The findings show that the highest percentage recorded for cause of stress among the students is the school factor (50%). Regardless, religion was found to be the most frequently used coping strategy by ASASIpintar students (84%). Another major finding was that ASASIpintar students tend to use emotion-focused coping to manage examination stress (32%) more than problem-solving focused coping strategy (26.9%)-adifference of 5.1%. It is of utmost importance for gifted students to have the ability to use appropriate coping strategies so that stress does not reach detrimental levels.
Journal for Interdisciplinary Research in Education (JIRE), 2014
The availability of scientific information nowadays necessitates scientifically literate learners... more The availability of scientific information nowadays necessitates scientifically literate learners and teachers well-versed in both content and nature of science (NOS). Despite a clear description of NOS in the Malaysian Education Blueprint, NOS elements have been sidelined by educational practices in Malaysia. This study illuminates the conceptions of pre-service science teachers in Malaysia about one aspect of NOS— the purpose for scientific experimentation. A phenomenographic approach was used to achieve this aim where 10 pre-service teachers were interviewed. Findings revealed three categories, namely a) Experiments prove, b) Experiments invent, and c) Experiments support ideas. The findings also inferred that there are more ways to conceptualise the purpose of scientific experiments other than what has been previously reported. This paper concludes with suggestions on improving the current practices of experimentation in schools and calls for a rethink on the current teachers’ p...
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2013
Teaching Science is not about preparing students for a world that is static and fixed, but it con... more Teaching Science is not about preparing students for a world that is static and fixed, but it concerns getting students ready to cope with changes and challenges in their lives. Traditional direct instruction in Science generally focuses on mastery of content with less emphasis on the development of scientific skills and attitudes; students are the receivers while the teacher the dispenser. In most classroom contexts, teachers are preoccupied with academic activities in pursuit of the schools' successes; often in the form of their students gaining as many A's as possible. This scenario does not help students learn in a meaningful manner. This study specifically examines how meaningful science learning could be achieved via the introduction of an inquiry-based Science teaching approach. Three trainee teachers who underwent their teaching practice In Semester 2 2011/2012 session participated in the study. The study employed qualitative research design whereby data were mainly obtained through interview and document analysis in the form of lesson plans and reflective journal. Occasional observations on the way the trainee teachers apply the inquiry-based teaching strategies and model exposed to and taught in the Science Teaching Method course they took in the previous semester were also noted. The findings revealed that the inquiry-based teaching strategies employed were able to stimulate excitement among students when learning science. The ZYL teaching model was also proposed at the end of the study. This proposed teaching model summarizes the strategies of inquiry discovery in Science Education that can be adapted in science teaching process
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Papers by Nabilah Abdullah
interpretation of results. The findings provide evidence that three main factors namely self-interest, development of the field and colleagues' support have influenced the research activities in UiTM. On the other hand, the three factors
that have hindered academicians from undertaking research are heavy teaching
load, lack of facilities and difficulty in getting finance. Finally, the implications for research are highlighted and recommendations are made to ensure an increased involvement of the UiTM academicians in the world of research in the future.