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Malaysian Online Journal of Instructional Technology (MOJIT) Vol. 3, No.2, pp 43-49 August 2006ISSN 1823:1144
 
 Applying Mastery Learning Model In Developing
E-Tuition Science 
For Primary School Students
Norjihan Abdul Ghani, Norhana Hamim, Noor Irmayanti Ishak 
Information Science DepartmentUniversity of Malaya50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysianorjihan@um.edu.my 
 Abstract
Learning is one of the most important necessities of the life. In the traditional classroom, every individual, being a part of a group where the teachers will conduct the class session. The emerging of the world wide web, people are taking advantaged of using it as a medium of teaching and learning.In Malaysia, science is one of the core subjects for upper level in primary school. It has been taughtand will be tested during the national Primary School Evaluation Examination (UPSR). There is nosuch easy way how to deliver the knowledge to students so they can understand the lesson taught. This paper describes a development of e-Tuition Science for UPSR students by applying the mastery learning model. It has been developed in order to help teacher and students in the teaching andlearning process. The main aim is to make sure that students get the knowledge transferred by theteachers.
INTRODUCTION
 The traditional teaching and learning model of science curriculum are emphasised the transmissionof factual data and skills from a teacher to a students. It is based on the concept of scientificknowledge as a stockable and transferable entity. It is also based on the construct of knowledge asbeing “certain” (Drane 2000). This is refers to traditional classroom. Traditional classroom is definedby face-to-face or traditional classroom describes the most common classroom-type environment. These terms describe students who regularly attend classes in the traditional classroom environment.Students may or may not also participate in other types of educational delivery. This environmentcan include lectures, discussions, laboratories and others. The emerging of the new technology called electronic learning, the traditional classroom wereestablished with online classroom. Online classroom is an online learning that occurs through Web-based delivery. Online courses provide interaction between the student and the content, the studentand other students, and the student and the instructor using various forms of computer mediatedcommunication (CMC). Online classroom has been introduced in primary and secondary level of education system in Malaysia. Malaysian’s educators are taking advantage of World Wide Web todeliver the information to their students. Today, most online learning courses are no more thansophisticated correspondence courses, in which lone students in front of computers take in a certainamount of information transmitted via the internet (Hamada & Scott, 2001). This paper will discussin applying the mastery learning model in developing e-Tuition Science for UPSR students.
 
MOJIT Applying Mastery Learning Model In Developing 
E-Tuition Science 
For Primary School Students
 
44
SCIENCE FOR PRIMARY STUDENT
Science plays an important role in our life. Science is a core subject in the curriculum for students inprimary and secondary school. In Malaysia’s school, it comprises science for primary, science forsecondary, biology, physics, and chemistry. Science is a compulsory subject for all primary andsecondary students.In primary school, Science has been taught to all students from standard four to six and it will betested during Primary School Evaluation Test (UPSR). The main aim of science for the primary students it to introduce the foundation for building a society that is culturally scientific andtechnological, caring, dynamic and progressive. The content of Science for primary school is focuson basic areas of Science itself. The basic knowledge of the primary school science subject (standardfour to six) is organized around five areas of study, as shown in Table 1. Emphasis is given on themastery of scientific skills needed to study and understand the world. Scientific skills refer to processskills and manipulative skills (Syarifah, 2003). Previously, the medium of instruction for Science inMalaysia was Bahasa Malaysia. After recent years, it was changed to English starting from June 2002.Currently, a lot of students feel that Science is one of the most difficult subjects to learn andunderstand. Students hate learning Science. One of the major factors why students don’t like Scienceis some of the teachers use a learning method which is out to date. Teachers are used a traditionalmethod of teaching, giving an information and students received an information. It’s one way communication. Besides that, using English as a medium of instruction make students feel moredifficult to understand the lesson. They need to know English first before understand the lessons.Because of this reason, Datuk Ir Lee Yee Cheong, Chairman of International ConferenceCommittee suggests that:
•
 
teacher need to introduce a new techniques in order to attract students to love learning Science
•
 
teaching method should be parallel with the emerging of science and technology. Teachershould use a teaching aid which is easy to understand.From Table 1, we can conclude that the process of learning for each topic is continued fromstandard four to five and from standard five to six. Because of the reason, there’s a need to choose asuitable method of delivery the knowledge from teacher to students. The selected medium of knowledge transformation should be suitable to apply in the subject.
 Table 1:
Content of the Primary Science Curriculum (Syarifah, 2003)
Investigating.. The living world The physical world The material worldEarth and theuniverse The world of technology
 Year 4 Variety of life innatureFeatures andcharacteristics of animals andplants The basic needsof animals andplantsLife processes inUnderstanding lengthUnderstanding areaUnderstanding  volumeHow time ismeasuredObjects have weightNatural andsyntheticmaterials Variety of materials innaturePhysicalproperties of materials andits uses The earth-itsshape, size andgravitationalpull The earth’ssurface The sun-itsshape and sizeHeat and lightfrom the sunKnowing technology Development intransportation,communication,agriculture andbuildingsInventors andtheir contributors
 
MOJIT Applying Mastery Learning Model In Developing 
E-Tuition Science 
For Primary School Students
 
45
animals andplantsProperties of magnets The moon-itsshape, size andsurface The earth-moon distance Year 5 How animalsand plantssurvive The food chain The food webElectric currentin a completecircuitSources of electrical energy Electrical energy transformationsHeat energy andits effectsUnderstanding temperatureProperties of lightsLight can travelthrough somematerialsSoundSolid, liquid,and gasHow materialsbehave whenheated andcooledClouds andrainChemicalproperties of materialsRustPreventing rust The needto preventrustNaturalphenomenonon EarthNight and day Moon phases The beauty of the nightStrength andstability of structuresDesigning astructure Year 6 Competition-aform of interactionbetween living thingsMan’s roletowards living thingsHow mandiffers fromother life forms The effects of forcesMoving objectsPreserving food Wastedisposal andits effects ontheenvironmentRecycling  wastematerials Why recycle?Solar and Lunareclipse The SolarSystemConstellations The grandnessof the universeSimple machinesand theirfunctionsDesigning toolsand devices Appreciating technology 
MASTERY LEARNING
 The mastery learning model states that most children can achieve a high degree of learning if twoconditions are met (Dale, et. al, 1982). First, each learner must be given sufficient time to masterevery learning steps in instructional sequence. Second, children must be given remedial help whenever a step is not mastered. The mastery learning model, it is aimed at providing appropriatelearning environments by considering the individual differences of the students so that they do nothinder the target learning activity. During the 1960's Bloom's (1968), learning for mastery focusednew attention on the philosophy of mastery learning. Bloom (1968) is now generally recognized asthe classic theoretical formulation on the mastery model. According to Bloom, the mastery learning theory is based on the idea that Cognitive Introduction Behaviors (i.e. pre-learning which is assumedto be necessary for learning a unit) which are the students’ characteristics, Emotional IntroductionFeatures (the level of motivation to learn the unit) and the quality of teaching activity are the basicindicators of learning output. The variables “clue, reinforcement, student’s participation, feedback and correction”, which Bloom described as the quality of teaching activity, explain the activities which are prepared by the teacher to enable mastery learning. The variables of mastery learning areshown in Figure 1.
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