Narrative writing is a skill given emphasis by the Ministry of Education (MoE) through the specific Content Standards (CS) and Learning Standards (LS) stipulated in the Curriculum Standard and Assessment Document (DSKP) and aligned to the Common European Framework of References (CEFR) scales. However, lower primary pupils; particularly in urban areas still struggle to produce narrative writings that show quality. This paper presents and discusses an Exploratory Case Study on the use of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) questions to improve pupils’ narrative writing skills. The study involved 6 purposively chosen lower primary pupils in a vernacular school in Sarawak. Data were collected through classroom interactions, WhatsApp interviews and document analysis. This was to ensure the validity and reliability of the data. Findings of the students’ interview responses indicated that they felt the HOTS questions helped improve their narrative writing as evident in the analysis of their writing tests. Discussions on the findings imply pedagogical, theoretical and policy implications relevant to the Malaysian education and students aspirations outlined in the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025. Meanwhile, areas for further research can focus on the effectiveness of HOTS on improving other language skills and competency.
Language learning strategies are procedures or plans used by the language learners to learn the language easier, more enjoyable and effective. The strategies can be categorised in terms of direct strategies which consist of memory strategies, cognitive strategies and compensation strategies and indirect strategies which consist of metacognitive strategies, affective strategies and affective strategies. Past studies have proven that a good language learner tends to use various strategies in learning the language. Specifically in speaking skills, there are also strategies used by a good speaker of English to learn speaking skills. However, little has been related to the specific Language Learning Strategies (LLS) used by the good speaker of English. Hence, in this study, a survey was carried out to identify the most used Language Learning Strategies by good speakers of English as well as the least strategies used by them. The Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) Version 7.0 by Oxford (1990) was utilized in exploring the LLS used by the Year 5 students of a primary school in Bintulu, Sarawak in learning speaking skills. A survey consisting of 30 questions with a Likert scale of 1 to 5 was administered to 30 pupils who are good speakers of English which were selected through purposive sampling. The data was collected and SPSS Version 25 was used to analyse the mean of each strategy. The results showed that cognitive strategy is the most used LLS while affective strategy is the least used LLS by the Year 5 pupils of a primary school in Bintulu, Sarawak in learning speaking skills. Findings of this study would contribute in terms of the improvements of LLS used by the students and pedagogical practices implemented by the teachers in the learning of speaking skills.
The current CEFR-aligned Year 1 English syllabus is taught in the British context as the main material in use is the Superminds Student's Book and Workbook printed by Cambridge University Press. As such, many of the terminology employed in the book are taught in a setting where students do not experience them and are unable to recognise and associate word meanings along with contextual learning purposes. This study is significant as it provides educators facing the same issue with a possible solution in overcoming the issue, which is crucial in learning a second language, especially as English is seen as an international language. The action research model was used in this study as it allowed the researchers to identify the issue, plan an action, implement the action, and review the effectiveness, followed by making adjustments and carrying out a second round of intervention if necessary. The data was collected from twenty five (25) Year 1 students as respondents. This action research used pre-test and post-test as well as observations as instruments to collect data. Findings from this study found that ISG was effective for a large number of participants in the study. Future research can focus on the implementation of the same method on weak learners at a higher level to explore if the method is truly able to help them improve their vocabulary retention. Furthermore, future research can also target a larger number of participants and implement and experimental research design to increase the reliability and validity of the data obtained.
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