SUGGESTIONS FOR PRACTICAL APPROACHES

TOWARDS ENHANCING MASS STUDENTS¶

ACHIEVEMENT IN SCIENCE

By:
Nor Erawadi Haji Ibrahim
Science, Technology and Environment Partnership (STEP) Centre
Ministry of Education
Brunei Darussalam

m
 Purpose of Paper?
To highlight and suggest practical ³hands-on´ and ³out-of-
classroom´ science activities to enhance mass students¶
achievement in science
To share real-life experience with other schools in the country.

Why is it done?
MOE Strategic Map 2007 ± 2011 (2 goals)
Minister called for relevant departments in MOE to improve learning
and intake of science, maths and english.

How is it done?
Done through a series of experimental activities piloted by STEP
Centre through its PPPS programme.

Ú
 What is PPPS?
Program Peningkatan Pencapaian Sains
Programme for ³Enhancing Achievement in Science´

˜
National Education System in Brunei Darussalam
(before the new SPN-21)

|
 |  |


| ||
 | 
 
  
| | 

  |  
 |
 

 &


   | |  |   | 
 

||  
  || |  

   | | || | | '



    

|  (
  
  |

    )

 |   | |
||

 )


| 

|  

 
 
 |   | 
 

||| | |
| |

   


  



 
| 

|
*|

 
| 
 



+,  !" !" 

  


|#
  

||

|



||| &
  

|
   '



  
| (

)



$


%

Ñ
 FIGURE 1. PPPS PROGRAMME CONCEPT MAP
Goals:
1). = or > 40% enter science stream in Form 4 per school.
2). 5% annual increase in credit passes in science for PMB, PSR, GCE ³O´ and ³A´ Levels per
school.

PROJECTS / PROGRAMMES /
ACTIVITIES

TEACHERS STUDENTS SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR

As facilitator As receptor As an institution

Objectives: Objectives: Objectives:

1). STEP assists teachers
in identifying and fine
tuning programmes.
2). STEP assists teachers
identify new and
innovative science
programmes.
3). STEP assists teachers
in aligning programmes
with science syllabus.
1). PPPS promotes students¶
interest in Science.
2). PPPS promote students¶
awareness of Science in their
daily lives.
3). PPPS helps to widen the
students¶ knowledge in science
content.
4). PPPS helps to expose
/introduce students¶ to new
strategies in learning.
1). STEP assists school in
programme selection and
planning.
2). STEP assists school in
outside communication
pertaining to activities
involved, e.g. other govt.
agencies.
D
 SCHOOL CO-ORDINATORS OF PPPS PROGRAMME
No PPPS programme Date Level School coordinator
/ Lead school
1 Science Quiz 2007 Secondary SMSUA

2 ³Conducting Field trips for science 2007 Secondary SM Masin

teachers´ Workshop

3 Educational study visit to PAP 2007 Primary SR Pehin Dato

Rashidah Nursing College Jamil

4 Science Enrichment programme at 2007 Primary STEP

OGDC Seria

5 Science Camp (Scouts Gadong) 2007 Secondary SM Awg Semaun

6 Science Trail at Hadfa 2008 Primary SR PAP Besar

7 Science Educational Games 2008 Primary SR Junjungan

8 Science Camp (SM Masin school) 2008 Secondary SM Masin

9 Educational visiti to Mengkabau Water 2008 Secondary SM Awg Semaun

Treatment Plant and Tasek
Merimbun

10 Science Fair 2009 Secondary SMSUA

-
 PPPS ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED BETWEEN 2007 - 2009
Educational study visit to PAP Science Quiz
Rashidah Nursing College (21 July & 21 August 2007)
(19 & 22 Nov 2007)

Science Enrichment programme ³Conducting Field trips for

at OGDC Seria science teachers´ Workshop
(30 & 31 Oct 2007) (20, 21 & 22 Nov 2007)

Science Trail at Hadfa Science Camp (Scouts Gadong)

(18 May 2008) (1, 2 & 3 Dec 2007)

Science Educational Games Science Camp (SM Masin school)

(27 Nov 2008) (15,16, 17 & 18 June 2008)

Study visits to Mengkubau Water

Treatment Plantand Tasek
Merimbun Heritage Park
(9 August 2008)

Science Fair
(17 January 2009) Œ
 Discussions / Analysis

1. Analysis of End-Of-Year exam results 2008 compared

to 2007 ± Students achieved lower grades!

2. Informal discussions & feedback forms ± Identify

positive outcomes :
a) Feel good factor for students.
b) Activities easy to implement.
c) Exposure help personal skills and careers.
d) Teacher admit benefit on self.

å
 Science Fair

Synopsis
1. SMSUA Science Fair offers interesting, hands-on science activities which
allow students to win some prizes, and exhibitions from several
government sectors.
2. This is a great opportunity to expose students to a different perspective
of learning science.

Objectives
1. To generate interest and promote science to students.
2. To expose students to the interactive side of learning science.
3. To develop awareness in the role that science plays in parts of our daily
lives.

Implementations
1. Participants (students from all the schools) were required to finish all the
12 activities that had been set up.
2. Approval stamps were given in each activities after successfully
completing the tasks given.
3. Pre-test and Post Test were done to evaluate the students¶ performance.
The questions for the pre-test and the post test were similar.

Î
 ACTIVITY NAMES

Activity 1: Quicksand ³Run¶¶way

Activity 2: Killer Loop
Activity 3: Burst-Me-Not
Activity 4: Smoking Pail
Activity 5: Rocket Splash
Activity 6: Win, Lose or Draw
Activity 7: Surprise Pool
Activity 9: Unit Conversion
Activity 10: BMI
Activity 11: Egg in a bottle
Activity 12: Fantastic Contraption

m
 CHALLENGES (Science Fair)

1. Would like to accommodate more students ± Lack of man power.

2. Quicksand ³Run´way- can only be prepared on that day itself (morning).
Hence, need to choose activity wisely.
3. ³Free and easy´ format so could create traffic in certain stations. Maybe
next time can ³schedule´ them.
4. Time was quite limited for students to fully engage in all activities.
5. Face some challenges- invited guests exhibitors due to postponing of fair
(clash with the SMAS Silver Jubilee). Have to re-send all invitations.

RECOMMENDATIONS (Science Fair)

1. A lot of hands-on activities so that students will enjoy.

2. If time permits will carry out for longer duration instead of one day
provided with more manpower.
3. If enough manpower, students will participate according to the schedules.

mm
 Science Educational Study Visit
to
Mengkubau Water Reservoir and Water Treatment Plant & National
Heritage Tasek Merimbun

Preparation required
Two internal meetings for SMAS teachers to select venues and dates
1. Submitting Proposal to STEP Centre (March)
2. Writing letters to
Pengarah Perkhidmatan Air Tasek, Kementerian
Pembangunan
Pemangku Pengarah, Jabatan-Jabatan Muzium,
Kementerian Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri
3. Pre-visits by SMAS Science Teachers
4. Selecting Students
5. Preparation of Questionnaires during the visits
6. Pre-test and Post-test

mÚ
Œ

 







 




Œ˜ ŒÑD  


  
 

     



 !"  # 

$

å "å  


Î "
#   







%

&

 #   


m    #   

mmD "
#   

&


# 

  #
'


m $
( 
mD
$  
 
    



 !"  $

m˜ (
 m˜

 Challenges (Study Visits)

1. Not able to bring many students for the visits. Percentage

of students involved was less than 14%.

2. Mengkubau Water Reservoir and Water Treatment Plant

only entertained visits onworking / school days. Thus limit
the number of teachers accompanying. Solution:
Teachers with light timetable on that day were selected.

3. Affect students¶ attend Islamic Religious Schools as visit

was whole day.

mÑ
 SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL GAMES

Introduction
Science Educational Games (SEG) consists of interesting student-
centered activities. The fun-filled activities provided are meant to
break the routine of Science classroom lessons and foster the
learning of Science. In SEG, the activities take place outside the
classroom and the students work collaboratively in groups in a non-
threatening situation. Each activity is reinforced by the use of basic
Science process skills such as, observing, measuring, inferring,
classifying, and predicting

Objectives

1. To promote pupils¶ interest in learning Science.

2. To help retain pupils¶ memory of the acquired knowledge and
skills (long term memory).
3. To promote thinking skills and logical reasoning among pupils.
4. To encourage creativity and imagination among teachers and
pupils.
5. To develop pupils¶ social, physical and interpersonal skills by
interacting and working together with each other.
mD
 Games & Related Science Topics
No. Activities in SEG Science topics (Primary)
1 What is wrong? Properties of materials ±
(Jigsaw puzzle) choice of material
2 Relay Living things
3 Instant make over Healthy habits
4 Float your boat Properties of materials ± float or sink
5 Hovercraft launching Air pressure
6 Hop into the Hoops Water
7 Human tree Parts of a plant
8 Strongest shape Properties of materials
9 Sinking and floating soda cans Properties of materials
10 Jet propulsion Air
11 Keep Brunei Clean Health and Environment - Recycling

m-
Challenges (SEG)
1. SEG in Brunei Darussalam is not common.
2. Transforming a topic from a textbook into a game which is creative,
imaginative and fun.
3. Time management.

Recommendations (SEG)
1. All activities must be tried out first.
2. Punctuality is important.
3. Housekeeping before the event
4. Posing the bonus questions
5. Facilitators should remind participants to be ready for their turn and to
be in the hall on time.
6. The judges should include year 4 teachers.
7. The facilitators should be Science teachers
8. Answers for the worksheets should also be available.

mŒ
Human tree
Match letters
for names of
living things

Float your boat

må
 Conclusions

1. Basic finding and experience reinforce schools to

organise similar science enrichment programmes.
2. Activities that stood out : Science trail, science fair,
study visits and science educational games.
3. More scientific analysis required to measure
effectiveness of PPPS towards improving mass
student academic performance in science, thus
improving science stream uptake in Form 4.

mÎ
THANK YOU

Ú