EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA LEARNING IN PROMOTING HIGHER-ORDER THINKING SKILLS PRACTICES AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS
Abstract
The digital transformation of education has intensified the need to integrate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into teaching and learning to enhance students' Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). But the teaching methods of history in primary schools are still limited by using traditional teaching methods, low technology facilities, and less use of interactive learning materials, which are still not adequate to facilitate the development of students' HOTS. This study was designed to find out the effectiveness of interactive multimedia learning to improve the HOTS practices of primary school students in History. The study used quasi-experimental research design with 30 primary school students in Tambunan district, Sabah who were divided into treatment group and control group. The data gathered was done by using a HOTS practices questionnaire given in pre-test and post-test and analysed by descriptive statistics and inferential statistics through independent samples t-test using SPSS version 23. The results suggested that there was a significant difference between the HOTS practices of the treatment group (interactive multimedia learning) and the control group (conventional) after the intervention, with the interactive multimedia treatment group having significantly higher HOTS practices than the conventional control group. On the other hand, there was no significant difference between genders, which means interactive multimedia learning is equally effective for male and female students. The findings indicate that interactive multimedia learning is a valid pedagogical approach in enhancing the practices of HOTS which can provide more active, interactive and student-centered learning experiences. This study helps to enhance technology-enhanced teaching in History and empowers the implementation of the Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB) 2026–2035 to support the process of digital transformation and the progression of HOTS Skills in primary education.