2. Let’s Solve This Question
In a swimming camp, the number of male participants was 5 times the number of female participants. After 144 of male participants left the camp, the number of female participants was two times the number of male. What was the total number of participants at the beginning of the camp?

3. Ministry of Education Singapore, 2012
What is Thinking Block?
An innovation in teaching and learning of mathematics developed by Primary School Mathematics Project Team in 1980 led by Dr. Kho Teck Hong
Addressing the issues of students difficulties in solving maths word problems  the early years of primary school
This approach requires students to draw rectangular bars to represent the mathematical quantities and relationship. When students are given a problem, thinking block helps students to describe and solve the problem.
Ministry of Education Singapore, 2012

4. What is Thinking Block?

5. What is Thinking Block?
assist students to describe the situations involved
assist students to understand in detail the operations involved
assist students to see the relationship between the variables involved
Yeap Ban Har, Thinking block able to

6. What is Thinking Block? Male Female
In a swimming camp, the number of male participants was 5 times the number of female participants. After 144 of male participants left the camp, the number of female participants was two times the number of male. What was the total number of participants at the beginning of the camp?

7. What is Thinking Block? Male Female
144
In a swimming camp, the number of male participants was 5 times the number of female participants. After 144 of male participants left the camp, the number of female participants was two times the number of male. What was the total number of participants at the beginning of the camp?

8. What is Thinking Block? Male Female 9 parts = 144 1 part = 144 ÷ 9
9 parts = 144
1 part = 144 ÷ 9
= 16 participants
Number of male participants = 10 x 16 = 160
Number of female participants = 2 x 16 = 32

9. Why it is introduced in Malaysian Education System?
Malaysian students think that Fraction is a difficult topic
The difficulties are due to the teaching method which is abstract in nature and too complex
Students are not able to grasp the concept of fractions, have a vague understanding on the concept of fractions, possess low proficiency level, and fail to apply the concept of fractions in solving fraction-based problems

10. Why it is introduced in Malaysian Education System?
Results of TIMSS apparently affirmed that Malaysian students were very weak in the cognitive domain of application and reasoning which required the students to use higher order thinking skills (HOTS)
In TIMSS, fraction is part of the number domain.

11. Research Objectives
To identify the changes in the students’ applying level in the learning of fractions using Thinking Blocks.
To identify the changes in the students’ analysing level in the learning of fractions using Thinking Blocks.
To identify the changes in the students’ evaluating level in the learning of fractions using Thinking Blocks
To identify the changes in the students’ creating level in the learning of fractions using Thinking Blocks.

12. Research Methodology Aspects Explanation Research Design
A quasi-experimental method
Research Instrument
The items in the pre- and post-test were developed based on Form 1 Integrated Curriculum for Secondary Schools (KBSM) Mathematics and based on top four HOTS levels, the ability to apply, analyse, evaluate and create (Malaysian Examination Syndicates )
Samples
Consisted of 54 students who had similar academic backgrounds. 22 students were in the control group while 32 students in the experimental group
Groups
The samples from the experimental group were given treatment on the teaching and learning process based on Thinking Blocks, while the control group was given the process of learning and teaching using the traditional methods.
Intervention
Learning activities based on Thinking Blocks
Topic
Form 1 Fraction

13. Data Analysis
HOTS Levels
Pre-test
Post-test
Applying Z
-1.440
-3.188
Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed)
.150
.001
Analysing
-1.655
-3.947
.098
.000
Evaluating
-1.138
-5.023
.255
Creating
-1.058
-5.262
.290
Overall
-2.368
-4.575
.018
Mann-Whitney test results indicated that there was significant difference between experimental and control groups in all 4 levels

14. Discussion Levels Definitions Discussion Applying
It is defined as the cognitive abilities to use information in new situation (Malaysian Examination Syndicates, 2013; Anderson & Karathwohl, 2001)
Yeap Ban Har (2010) – Problem solving using thinking block helps students to describe situations involved, and then help students to understand in detail the operations involved
Analysing
The ability to analyse components to understand the organization, structure, and relationship between components (Malaysian Examination Syndicates, 2013; Anderson & Karathwohl, 2001)
Diagram (thinking blocks) drawn by the students can help them to see relationship between the variables involved

15. Discussion Levels Definitions Discussion Evaluating
Making assessment based on specific criteria (Malaysian Examination Syndicates, 2013; Anderson & Karathwohl, 2001)
Drawing helps students to analyse information easily and thus easier for them to solve a problem. The question at this level requires students to create justification for each answer submitted but before that they need to do the calculation (block thinking).
Creating
A combination of elements to form a new idea or structure (Malaysian Examination Syndicates, 2013; Anderson & Karathwohl, 2001)
When students were given mathematics word problems, thinking blocks enhance students’ understanding to create schematic representation (rectangular bars) and then enable them to make the proper selection of mathematical operations and procedures involved (Mahoney, 2012).

16. Conclusion Changes in curriculum Changes in pedagogy
Changes in assessment
Students can :
Make decision
Solve problems
Innovate
Create
National level assessment
UPSR
PT3
SPM
STPM
International level assessment
TIMSS
PISA
The Implementation of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in Malaysian Classrooms (Malaysian Ministry of Education)