hazleena baharun

The Quran, the holy scripture of Islam, is the most comprehensive source of reference for humankind to understand the teachings of Islam. Undeniably, understanding the Quran is a principal and an important aspect in the life of an individual Muslim regardless of their differences. In reality, understanding the teaching of the Quran and applying it in life can make a servant of Allah s.w.t succeed in all aspects of his life. In order to ensure accurate and correct application of the teachings of the Quran among Muslims, it is important that their level of understanding is investigated first. This will ensure guidance can be provided accordingly and appropriately. This conceptual paper compiles four levels of understanding the Quran among diverse groups of people, which are Naïve, Novice, Intermediate, and Expert. Abstrak: Al-Quran, kitab suci Islam, merupakan kitab yang komprehensif sebagai rujukan umat manusia dalam memahami Islam. Sesungguhnya, memahami Al-Quran merupakan keutamaan dan perkara terpenting dalam aspek kehidupan individu Muslim. Dalam memastikan ketepatan dan kesahan aplikasi pengajaran Al-Quran, adalah sangat penting tahap kefahaman individu diselidiki. Ini akan memastikan bimbingan yang tepat dapat diberikan kepada umat Islam. Kertas konsep ini membicarakan empat tahap kefahaman al-Quran dalam kalangan kumpulan manusia, iaitu naif, novis, sederhana dan pakar.

Within the context of reading in English, fluency plays an important role with regards to readers " reading comprehension performance. Deficit in reading fluency may affect the efficiency of phonological processing, which in turn affects reading comprehension performance. Within the realm of English as foreign language (EFL) reading, the role of reading fluency is of similar importance. Considering the significance of reading fluency within the context of EFL reading comprehension performance, the current pilot study attempted to analyze reading fluency performance in a non-rich target language environment for the purpose of informing EFL reading comprehension instruction with regards to reading fluency. The participant was a middle school aged, EFL reader who received EFL reading comprehension instruction for the period of seven years at the time the study was conducted but had never received phonics instruction. The data in this study were acquired within the period of two months. The data collection was spread within the period of two months in order to acquire standardized performance and to avoid contamination. Two reading fluency diagnosis instruments were used to evaluate the participant " s fluency: Fluency rate per minute for grade-level and non-grade level texts and miscue analysis. The texts used in this study were the ones provided in Leslie and Caldwell " s Qualitative Reading Inventory IV. The findings show that although the participant in this study had never received any phonics instruction, he was not able to read at the grade-level and above grade-level fluency rates. The findings from the miscue analysis show that the participant was not able to meet the required grade-level accuracy. The findings are discussed within the realm of reading instruction in the foreign language reading context and with regards to their implications in EFL reading comprehension instruction.

Projects are defined as complex tasks, based on challenging questions or problems, that involve learners in design, problem-solving, decision making, or investigative activities; give learners the opportunity to work relatively autonomously over extended periods of time; and culminate in realistic products or presentations. Within a project-based approach,
learners are usually provided with specifications for a desired end product, and the learning process is more oriented to following correct procedures. Teachers act as instructors or coaches, providing expert guidance, feedback and suggestions for better ways to achieve the final product. Past studies have shown the benefits of PBL which include intrinsically motivating learners to learn, fostering problem-solving, and developing independent and
cooperative working skills. It is also believed that project based instruction allows learners to develop critical thinking and decision making skills and engage in in-depth learning of
subject matter. This paper discusses the importance of Grant’s structures in a project as an Invention Project was assigned to each group of learners. The results, based on the Grant
structure, have indicated that learners showed a significant improvement in the areas highlighted in the project-based activity. It is thus, a worthy action to be implemented in teaching and learning processes.

This study looks at the students’ perceptions on the effectiveness of the invention project showcased at USIM Young Inventors Fair in promoting critical and creative thinking among the First Year Bachelor students of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM). 350 students were involved in this quantitative study which aimed to assess the students’ perceptions on the effectiveness of using an invention project in promoting their thinking skills. An invention project was assigned whereby students were to reflect on the critical and creative thinking skills they have acquired while completing the project. Results revealed that the students perceived that the invention project has indeed contributed in promoting their critical and creative thinking skills. Most of them reported that they had benefited through their involvement in the invention project. All 18 assessed statements have mean scores below 2 and the standard deviations are less than 1. Thus, using the invention project is indeed an effective way to promote critical and creative thinking skills of the students.

Let’s imagine a group of learners setting up a permanent business after going through an entrepreneurial project assigned to them, or another group of learners putting up a stage performance based on their combined history of lives. These instances portray how teachers and learners are exploring new ways of collaborating through a model of teaching-learning labeled as project-based learning.