A PARADIGM SHIFT IN ONLINE LEARNING PRACTICES AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN MALAYSIA: ADAPTIVE LEARNING SYSTEM FRAMEWORK

The educational system of Malaysia fraught with many challenges. Among them, the most alarming issue is the poor learning outcomes among teachers especially in primary schools. The predominant cause of such a bad situation is the weak traditional learning environment. To cater to such chronic educational issues, the world around us strongly relies on technology because online learning is perceived as a viable solution to deal with weaknesses of traditional learning environments. Adaptive Learning Systems (ALSs) are a unique class of Online learning which aims to deliver individualized learning experience among teachers. The ALSs integrate learners' individual characteristics with the help of user modeling techniques to give instruction to each individual in accordance to his/her learning needs. Numerous ALSs have already been developed in the pursuit of a quality learning experience. These systems consider a single aspect of learning such as learning styles. The success rate of such systems is reasonably low as their effect regarding enhancing learning results is still unclear. The researchers affirmed that considering a single aspect of learning is not enough to positively impact the learning process. It is along these lines that further research is recommended in order to consider other effective parameters along with learning styles. In this thesis, an adaptive learning system framework is being proposed with the combination of multiple sources of personalization including prior knowledge, Working Memory Capacity (WMC) and learning styles. An examination has been directed utilizing a sample size of (253) teachers from different primary schools in Malaysia to assess the effect of the proposed approach in contrast with traditional learning environments. The respondents were involved through the distribution of physical questionnaires and online surveys from which the views and perceptions towards online learning practices among primary school teachers were obtained. The various results from the analysis showed that there was a positive relationship between technology skills, attitude and behavior, flexibility, government policy and accessibility towards virtual learning practices among teachers in primary schools in Malaysia. The results also revealed that there is a lack of exposure regarding virtual learning practices among primary schools teachers in Malaysia.