Abstract This article analyses the relationship between educational development and the socio-political and economic context

of Malaysia. Under the rubric of Vision 2020, there is a liberalisation of educational policies leading to the democratisation, privatisation and decentralisation of the Malaysian educational system. In conjunction with mass education, both the primary and secondary school curricula were revised with great emphasis on the development of an allround individual, the acquisition of basic skills, the inculcation of moral values, and the abolishment of early specialisation. The educational administrative system has been decentralised to promote school-based management and teacher empowerment. Furthermore, the private sector has been encouraged to play an active role in providing higher education. School Effectiveness and School Improvement Volume 10, Issue 1, 1999 Education in Malaysia: Towards Vision 2020 Molly N.N. Lee pages 86-98

This paper demonstrates the use of a project-based learning (PBL) model for the study of blood flow in the human blood circulatory system. The PBL model for the study consists of three phases: learning basic concepts and mathematical models of blood flow, working in a team on the assigned project, and presenting and participating in seminars. A hypermedia instruction package was developed using Dreamweaver and Flash to introduce the basic concepts of blood flow in the human blood circulatory system to the students. The instructor presents recent progress on mathematical modeling in the field and introduces several projects with project aims to students. Students are then divided into groups of three to five students with each group choosing one project to be completed in four weeks. Members in each project group are expected to discuss the elements of their project together, and break down the project into separate elements assigned to individual team members. After all elements of the project have been completed, the project team members discuss the final results and write up a project report. Finally, each group presents a seminar and defends the report. Keywords: Project Based Learning, Mathematics Education, Blood Flow Project-based Learning Model for the Study of Blood Flow in the Human Blood Circulatory System By Phattharawadee Hadkaew, Benchawan Wiwatanapataphee and Yong Hong Wu. Published by The International Journal of Learning

The International Journal of Learning, Volume 15, Issue 3, pp.195-202. Article: Print (Spiral Bound).
Abstract Students' beliefs about knowledge and learning in a domain may have a significant effect on how they approach the material and on what they learn. This article describes a study of such epistemological beliefs in the context of an introductory physics course. I interviewed 6 students, meeting several times with each over one semester. The interviews involved a variety of conversations and tasks closely tied to the course. Through the development and use of an analytic framework, it was possible to characterize subjects' beliefs. The framework consisted of three dimensions: 1. Beliefs about the structure of physics knowledge as (a) a collection of isolated pieces of (b) a single coherent system. 2. Beliefs about the content of physics knowledge as (a) formulas or (b) concepts that underlie the formulas. 3. Beliefs about learning physics, whether it means (a) receiving information or (b) involves an active process of reconstructing one's understanding. The characterizations satisfied criteria of evident involvement in the subjects' work in the course and of consistency, across interviewing tasks as well as across physics content. That it was possible to construct such characterizations in individual case studies supports the validity of epistemological beliefs as a theoretical perspective by which to understand student reasoning.

Epistemological Beliefs in Introductory Physics David Hammer Cognition and Instruction Vol. 12, No. 2 (1994), pp. 151-183

Project Based Learning (PBL) ataupun pembelajaran berasaskan projek merupakan satu kaedah pembelajaran yang efektif, dimana pelajar dapat belajar pelbagai kemahiran, pengalaman dan meningkatkan cetusan idea melalui tugasan yang diberi dalam tempoh tertentu. Sebagai contoh , jika anda diberi kumpulan terdiri daripada beberapa orang ahli dan diarahkan untuk melakukan sesuatu tugasan mahupun projek. Secara tidak langsung, apa yang kita perolehi antaranya adalah, meningkatkan keyakinan. Bukan untuk berdebat siapa yang bijak ataupun tidak, namun pelajar dapat belajar untuk berbincang, berkongsi idea dan juga berkeyakinan untuk bercakap di khalayak ramai. Begitu juga jika PBL yang dijalankan melibatkan kerja individu iaitu bukan berkumpulan. Seseorang pelajar dapat meningkatkan kemahiran individu dalam plebagai aspek.

Berikut merupakan aspek-aspek penting yang dapat diambil kira dalam PBL :

1. Publicly Presented Product Produk yang Dihasilkan Secara Umum : Idea yang diperoleh daripada sesuatu tajuk tugasan yang diberi dapat dipersempahkan melalui produk secara publik. Ini bermakna, melalui PBL, akan berlaku percampbahan idea, dan melaui idea tersebut, dapat menghasilkan sesuatu produk untuk umum. Jika tiada PBL yang efektif, tiada percambahan idea, maka tiada hasil untuk dipersembahkan. 2. Driving Questions or Challenge Percambahan Persoalan dan Cabaran : Melalaui PBL, segala masalah dapat dibincang dengan teliti dan pelbagai percambahan persoalan berlaku. Secara tidak langsung dapat meningkatkan cabaran untuk lebih pandang ke hadapan dan berdaya saing.

3. Need to Know Perlu Tahu : Setiap perkara perlu diambil tahu berdasarkan sesebuah PBL yang dilakukan. Sebagai contoh jika PBL anda berasaskan tajuk, 'Tenaga Nuklear'. Perkara yang perlu tahu adalah pendedahan apa itu tenaga nuklear, elemen-elemen asas, kepentingan tenaga, pro dan kontra, kesan, kegunaan dan sebagainya. 4. Inquiry & Innovation Inkuiri & Inovasi : Memanipulasikan persoalan atau pertanyaan hasil daripada perbincangan sesebuah tajuk PBL akan mendorong kepada inovasi iaitu dapat meningkatkan perubahan atau pengubahsuaian daripada idea-idea yang kreatif. 5. 21st Century Skills Kemahiran abad ke-21 : Antara kemahiran abad ke-21 adalah : - Kemahiran Maklumat dan Berkomunikasi - Kemahiran Maklumat dan Celik Media - Kemahiran Berkomunikasi - Kemahiran Berfikir dan Menyelesaian Masalah - Pemikiran Kritikal dan Sistem - Mengenalpasti, Formulasi dan Menyelesai Masalah - Kreativiti dan Keintelektualan - Kemahiran Sesama Sendiri dan Perwatakan Sendiri - Kemahiran Kolaboratif dan Sesama Sendiri - Perwatakan - Pertanggungjawaban dan Daya Penyesuaian Diri - Tanggungjawab Sosial 6. Student Voice & Choice Hak Bersuara & Pilihan Pelajar : Pelajar diberi peluang untuk menyuarakan pendapat dan membuat pilihan sendiri berdasarkan kemahuan dan potensi. 7. Feedback & Revisions Gerakbalas & Ulangkaji : Menganalisis kembali apa yang diperolehi dan kesan serta melakukan ulangkaji berdasarkan tugasan yang diberi.

p/s : penulis berkongsi idea dan pendapat. Jika ada percanggahan atau penambahan idea, sila komen ^^