A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF STUDIES WITH INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT ASSESSMENT IN MALAYSIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEPC.1164002Keywords:
Cognitive Assessment, Educational Outcomes, Intelligence Quotient, Malaysia, PRISMA, Systematic Literature ReviewAbstract
This systematic literature review examined empirical studies pertaining to intelligence quotient (IQ) assessment within Malaysia’s multicultural, multilingual context, addressing two principal research questions: what socioeconomic, nutritional, and biological factors are associated with IQ performance among Malaysian children and students, and how cognitive assessment tools are implemented across Malaysian educational settings. Despite growing recognition of IQ as a multidimensional construct with significant implications for educational planning and child development policy, existing Malaysian studies remain fragmented and insufficiently integrated into a coherent body of knowledge. A systematic search was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 framework, utilising Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases with the search terms "intelligence quotient," "assessment," and "Malaysia," covering publications from 2010 to 2026. The initial search yielded 270 records (Scopus, n = 172; WoS, n = 98), which were subjected to rigorous multi-stage screening, eligibility assessment, and duplicate removal (n = 24), resulting in a final corpus of five primary studies (n = 5) for qualitative synthesis. Thematic analysis identified two dominant themes: (1) what socioeconomic, nutritional, and biological determinants of intelligence; and (2) how intelligence and cognitive assessment in educational contexts. The findings underscore the multifaceted nature of IQ assessment in Malaysia and highlight the need for contextually sensitive interventions to address cognitive development disparities within the Malaysian education and public health landscape.
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