One of the major aims of STEM education is the development of mathematical thinking. The common misconception is that "doing mathematics" is the same as getting involved in "mathematical thinking". Rallying to such argument, many would agree that mathematics should be taught as a thinking activity. Thus, this study endeavours to review the effects of a problemsolving heuristic application technique on learners' mathematical thinking development. This twophase study analysed the data utilising a descriptive design (N=660) and experimental design (N=54). In the first phase, 660 High School Leavers, with 93% obtaining an A grade in the Math National Examination, ages 18-19, registered with a college to undergo a two-year Diploma engineering program were administered a Mathematical Thinking Test. Then, fifty-four of these students participated in a seven-week Pre-Post experimental design to investigate the impact of heuristics application on their development of mathematical thinking. These student's post-test score was also compared with a batch of one hundred and twenty third-year university students (N=120) majoring in STEM related courses where all these students have taken at least five university level related math courses. Firstly, the results indicate that the high school leavers grades obtained in the national Examination was not translated into their Mathematical Thinking prowess. Secondly, the results depicted a significant increase in the mathematical Thinking posttest score among the students who underwent a seven-week pre-post problem solving heuristic treatment. Thirdly, the students involved in the heuristic application treatment performed better than the third-year students in the Mathematical Thinking test. It is vital that the heuristic method of teaching mathematics be employed to enhance student's development of mathematical thinking, especially for STEM students.

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Smartphone users have increased to over two and a half billion people and it is predicted to rise to five billion by the year of 2020. These smartphone users have been spending an increasing amount of time and indicating an obsession with a virtual world. Obviously, smartphone users include students from secondary school to tertiary levels. Their constant engagement with mobile phones has raised questions of whether it has developed into an addiction that may have negative consequences on academic performance. With regards to these issues, the present study aims to examine problematic smartphone use, hours spent, factors and activities involved and possible risk of phone addiction among the university students in the Malaysian context. This study employs a descriptive research design to collect data. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, and frequency and percentage. Fifty-five out eighty students responded to a survey which was applied randomly among students from a public higher learning institution. The findings indicated that most of the students somewhat agreed that they used smartphones without any compelling reasons at very hour and that it induces emotional stability. The findings indicated that most of the students somewhat agreed that they used smartphones without any compelling reasons at very hour and that it induces emotional stability. The findings also imply that students were somewhat addicted to smartphone but at the same time they did use their smartphone for academic purposes. Consequently, it is expected that the findings from this study will help higher learning institutions to better understand the pattern of smartphone usage among university students and to reduce or control academically disruptive smart phone addiction behavior.   Keywords: Addiction, Mobile Addiction, Mobile Phone, Smartphone, University Students

The learning of fractional concepts is one of primary school students’ first experiences with a mathematics concept beyond the fundamental four basic operators. However, research has shown that students faced great difficulty in learning fractions which, to a large extent, inhibits their intuitive knowledge of it. The learning of fractions is foundational to the understanding of many more advanced areas of mathematics and science. Examining why they face problems making sense of fractions and what can be done about it is the main aim of this study. Utilizing a mixed method approach, a total of 173 students aged 13-14 were administered a paper and pencil test and then twelve students were selected for the interviews in probing their thought process in assessing their intuitive knowledge on fraction learning. The outcome of the paper and pencil test depicts a lack of intuitive knowledge in making sense of fractions with a low-level attainment of 38.67%. The findings from the interviews showed a growing concern of an overreliance on calculators, algorithm and procedures that inadvertently undermines the learner’s intuitive knowledge of learning fractions. We are of the view that the preconceived notion of 'practice makes perfect’ practices in current classrooms inhibits students’ development of intuitive knowledge in making sense of fractions learning.