Mathematics is required from primary (basic) through junior secondary and senior secondary levels of education in Nigeria. The position of mathematics within the curriculum is reflective of the significance of the subject to the expansion of scientific knowledge and technological capability. However, student performance in mathematics, particularly algebraic aspects, is a challenge for Nigerian secondary school students. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-concept (SC), emotional intelligence (EI), and problem-solving skills (PSS) on students’ attitudes towards solving algebraic problems (ATSAP). The study aimed at developing a model based on students’ SC, EI, PSS, and ATSAP. A total of 377 students were proportionately and randomly selected to collect the quantitative data. Two instruments: (i) a questionnaire measuring SC, EI, and ATSAP, and (ii) a test measuring PSS developed by the researcher, were used in this study. The data was analyzed by using structural equation modelling (SEM) and partial least square (SEM-PLS3). The major findings of the study revealed that secondary school students’ PSS could be improved with due consideration of their SC and EI. However, the three hypotheses tested indicated that there was a significant but negative relationship between SC and the students’ ATSAP (t > ±1.96, α = 0.05) and also there was a significant positive relationship between PSS and their ATSAP; however, the relationship between EI and their ATSAP was not significant (t < ±1.96, α = 0.05). Therefore, a model was developed based on the study’s findings. This model has a practical implication for the federal and state governments, curriculum planners, students, teachers, and parents.

Several studies on metacognition have sought to solve mathematical problems. However, in Malaysia, there has yet to be a study investigating the metacognitive behaviour of students in solving mathematical problems of Form Three Assessment (Pentaksiran Tingkatan Tiga - PT3). This study was conducted to identify the metacognitive behaviour of students while solving mathematical problems in PT3 and examine differences in metacognitive behaviour among successful students (SS), partially successful students (PSS), and unsuccessful students (USS). A total of six (6) Form Three students in a school in Johor Bahru participated in this study. The research instrument used was the actual set of 2014's PT3 questions. Data were analysed using the Thinking Aloud method with reference to ^{Foong's Taxonomy (1993)}, and it was supported by analysis of the students’ written work. Results showed seven types of metacognitive behaviour exhibited by the students, depending on the types of questions given. The analysis also found that each category of students showed different types of metacognitive behaviour while solving their PT3 mathematical problems. The SS group could control their metacognitive behaviour in mathematical problem-solving more regularly and frequently, the PSS students behaved moderately, while the USS group demonstrated limited metacognitive behaviour. As the results indicated differences in metacognitive behaviour among students of different performance levels, teachers should help students with weakness in solving mathematical problems implement metacognitive behaviour to strengthen their mathematical proficiency.

Terdapat bukti empirikal yang menunjukkan bahawa murid di Malaysia mempunyai kesukaran untuk menjawab soalan berbentuk KBAT. Salah satu faktor yang membawa kepada permasalahan tersebut ialah strategi pembelajaran yang tidak sesuai untuk mendorong murid dalam meningkatkan KBAT mereka. Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Menengah (KSSM) amat menggalakkan strategi pembelajaran secara kontekstual, memaksimumkan pengaplikasian elemen KBAT dalam pembelajaran dan penggunaan teknologi dalam kelas matematik. Sehubungan itu, kajian ini bertujuan untuk membangunkan strategi pembelajaran matematik kontekstual dengan mengintegrasikan perisian GeoGebra dalam topik Sukatan dan Geometri yang dinamakan PMK-Geo. Strategi PMK-Geo dibangunkan menggunakan model ADDIE dan model pembinaan modul Sidek yang terdiri daripada Fasa 1 (Analisis keperluan awal), Fasa 2 (Reka bentuk strategi PMK-Geo), Fasa 3 (Pembangunan strategi PMK-Geo), Fasa 4 (Pelaksanaan draf PMK-Geo) dan Fasa 5 (Penilaian draf PMK-Geo). Reka bentuk strategi PMK-Geo yang dibangunkan dalam kajian ini adalah berasaskan kepada model REACT. Ia terdiri daripada lima fasa iaitu menghubungkait (relating), mengalami (experiencing), mengaplikasi (applying), bekerjasama (cooperating) dan memindahkan (transferring). Seramai tiga orang pakar yang terdiri daripada guru cemerlang matematik dan pensyarah universiti. pandangan pakar terhadap kandungan strategi pembelajaran kontekstual yang disusun dalam strategi PMK-Geo dan kandungan KBAT. Berdasarkan maklum balas pakar, strategi REACT yang diterapkan dalam strategi PMK-Geo bersesuaian dalam pembelajaran topik Sukatan dan Geometri. Pakar juga berpendapat bahawa melalui strategi PMK-Geo, murid mempelajari konsep matematik dengan lebih menarik, berpeluang menggunakan aplikasi GeoGebra dan dapat mengukuhkan pemahaman sesuatu konsep matematik. Pakar juga bersetuju bahawa aktiviti penyelesaian masalah dalam PMK-Geo adalah bersesuaian menguji KBAT murid dan masalah matematik yang berbentuk situasi untuk menggalakkan KBAT murid.

Empirical evidence suggests that Malaysian students encounter challenges when tackling Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) questions. The TIMSS and PISA results Empirical evidence suggests that Malaysian students encounter challenges when tackling Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) questions. The TIMSS and PISA results

This study identifies the relationship between the personality traits and achievements in solving the mathematics HOTS questions of 254 Year Six students from three primary schools in Ulu Tiram. The findings from the personality questionnaire and the mathematics HOTS question paper were an-alysed. The findings showed that the main dominant personality traits of the students were the openness followed by extraversion, neuroticism and agreeableness. For the achievement in the HOTS paper, 61 students scored highly, 55 in the very high category, and the rest were in the very low, low and medium categories. The result of regression analysis showed that the predictor of the standardised predictive coefficient of the neurotic characteristic (ᵦ = −.132) was significant, while the correlation value of students’ achievement and neurotic personality trait was 0.132. This showed that the relationship between students’ neuroticism and their achievement in solving the mathe-matics HOTS question was very low. Therefore, only neuroticism out of the five types of personality traits contributed to the achievement of Year Six students in solving the mathematics HOTS ques-tion. Hence, the findings conclude that personality traits are not the main factor affecting the achievement of the Year Six students in solving mathematics HOTS questions.