The main aim of this study is to observe the application of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in teaching and learning through Communication component and Spiritual, Attitudes and Values component in preschool. This study was conducted using qualitative method and also using Daily Lesson Plan (DLP) of a practicum teacher at the kindergarten that was located in Ipoh, Perak. This study also uses Hermeneutics Method. This method is used to interpret the DLP texts that were written by the practicum teacher. A total of 13 Daily Lesson Plans from the week nine until the fifteenth week were reviewed by focusing on Communication component that was Malay language and English and also Moral Education for the Spiritual, Attitudes and Values component. The researcher analyses the Higher Order Thinking Skills in teaching and learning in preschool through Communication component and Spiritual, Attitudes and Values component. It was found that teachers uses only three levels of Higher Order Thinking Skills, i. e. application, analysis and evaluation in teaching and learning. However, only twice the level of thinking, created was used by teacher. Teaching and learning that was carried out did not include an attractive teaching aids. As a way to overcome the problem of teachers in teaching and learning, practical teacher must have wide knowledge through extensive reading in order to implement the various activities and more interesting.

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The emerging incidence of mental health-related illness such as depression, suicide, and deliberate self-harm has elevated gradually among Malaysian Indian adolescents. This disorder constitutes a significant health risk which leads to further exploration of protective factors. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between religiosity, resilience, and self-efficacy among Malaysian Indian adolescents. Therefore, a sample of 86 respondents (40 males, 46 females) has been selected by a purposive sampling method to complete the questionnaire. This study utilized, Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSRFQ), Brief resilience Scale (BRS), and Self-efficacy for Self-regulated Learning Scale to obtain data and has analyzed using the correlation method. The finding of this study revealed a significant positive relationship between religiosity, resilience, and self-efficacy among Malaysian Indian adolescents. The result showed that religion is an essential phenomenon in adolescents' lives. A few limitations and recommendations for the future study included at the end of this paper.

Since, children are affected by the coronavirus in the same way as adults, examining the children's knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) on COVID-19 would help in building a pandemic-resilient society. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding COVID-19 among primary school students. This online, cross-sectional study was conducted from May 18 to 20, 2021 among students aged 9 to 12 years old and having access to WhatsApp messenger on their smartphones. The study participants were selected from 17 primary schools in Kedah, Malaysia by convenience , and the Google form invitation link was shared by the schools’ guidance and counselling teachers. Analysis revealed higher females (53%) and majority aged 12 years (27.8%) out of 1207. 56% of respondents possessed good knowledge on COVID-19 (M=4.21, SD=1.16) with 73.75% overall correct responses. Children demonstrated positive attitudes (M=3.64, SD=0.67) but had a higher perceived risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 (M=3.60, SD=1.23). For practices, low scores were discovered on avoid visiting crowded places (M=2.51, SD=1.22). Knowledge has a significant effect on children’s attitudes (Beta=0.17, p<0.001) and practices (Beta=0.25, p<0.001). Comparatively, females scored lower COVID-19 knowledge than males (Beta= -0.01, p=0.65). While age was significantly associated with increased knowledge (Beta=0.13, p<0.001), whereof, year 6 students (12 years; M=4.69, SD=1.23) scored the highest. Since knowledge is a critical tool in comprehending any phenomenon, and influencing one’s attitude and practice towards it, much effort is warranted to enhance the effectiveness of government strategies and mitigate the COVID-19 outbreak.

The COVID-19 global health crisis has inflicted a tremendous amount of mental tribulation, especially in developing nations1. Since the COVID-19 outbreak has been declared as a public health crisis, many countries across the South Asian region reported a sharp increase in suicide cases. For instance, suicide cases in Thailand, Singapore, and Nepal have surged tremendously during the outbreak of COVID-19. Thailand health officials revealed that 2,551 suicide cases were reported in the first half of 2020, which is a 22% increment from the same period in 20192. In parallel, Singapore reported 452 suicides in 2020, the nation's highest number of cases since 2012, amid the isolation and psychological distress brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic3. Furthermore, in Nepal, the number of suicide cases increased by almost 25% compared with previous years amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, whereby 559 suicide incidents occurred every month4. In Malaysia, there has been a dramatic upsurge in suicide cases since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in January 2020. According to recent statistics by the Royal Malaysian Police Department, a total of 631 suicide cases were recorded in 2020 and 468 cases were reported between January to May 20215. Compared to the year 2019, suicide cases in Malaysia almost doubled on average in all age categories in the 5 months of 2021 that is 94 cases per month compared to 51 cases per month in 20195. The increased psychological distress and poor mental health status amidst COVID-19 supports the escalating suicide mortality subjectively. Hence, this unexpected pandemic situation demands a comprehensive framework for tackling the massive upsurge of suicide among people from developing countries. In line with that, the aim of this viewpoint is to revisit the efforts implemented by the current Malaysian government and propose several prevention strategies to combat suicide during this global health crisis.

Learning English as a second language is of utmost critical, and the need to guide the educators to contribute to successful teaching seen to be a vast necessity. Therefore, this article discusses the challenges faced by educators to deliver English as a second language in the classroom, exploring possible ways to overcome the challenges, theoretical perspective of students’ difficulties in learning, and proposed future research to explore evidence-based strategies. Hence, this article is known to be impactful for more educators to be aware of the limitation that lies within themselves, the source of motivation, the appropriate skills required, and most importantly the strategies to restructure the teaching process to be proficient in the teaching of English as a second language. In conclusion, the effectiveness of integration between the educators and desired learners leads to the ideal outcome.

The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the lives of people across the world, including adolescents who were required to stay at home during the lockdown period. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of binge-watching behavior among adolescents during the Covid-19 lockdown and to explore its association with perceived stress. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 239 adolescents aged between 15 and 19 years in a selected region using a self-administered online questionnaire. The results revealed that binge-watching behavior was prevalent among adolescents, with nearly 70% of the participants reporting that they had engaged in binge-watching during the lockdown period. The findings also showed a significant positive association between binge-watching behavior and perceived stress among the adolescents. Moreover, the study found that the duration of binge-watching, the frequency of binge-watching, and the types of programs watched during binge-watching were significantly associated with perceived stress. These findings highlight the need for appropriate interventions to address the negative impact of binge-watching on the mental health of adolescents during the Covid-19 lockdown.