Using a funds of knowledge approach to support refugee children in Malaysia

Having been forcibly uprooted from their home countries, refugees represent one of the most distressed, marginalised, and fragmented people groups in the world today. And among them, children are the most in need of support. This paper reports a qualitative case-study that examined the lived experiences of three refugee children at a Malaysian refugee centre. The study adopts an asset-oriented approach known as Funds of Knowledge (FoK), which refers to the knowledge, skills, practices and experiences that contribute to an individual’s wellbeing and identity formation. Collected over an 11-month period, the data comprised interviews, in-class and out-of-school observations, and participant-produced and researcher-generated artefacts. The data were analysed using open and axial coding methods to probe into the refugees’ knowledge, skills, practices and experiences that could be linked to their FoK. Four main types of FoK centred on their literacy practices, family, religion and aspirations were identified. The paper illustrates these FoK and shows how they forge vital qualities of mind, spirit and character in the young refugees, and how they can support their learning and overall wellbeing. It concludes with a discussion of key considerations in implementing an FoK approach to support refugee children in Malaysia and beyond.Accepted versio

An evaluative study on the mother tongue support programme for mid-primary students

This brief was based on OER 08/20 GHH: An Evaluative Study on the Mother Tongue Support Programme for Mid-Primary Students

Why are some articles highly cited in applied linguistics? A bibliometric stud

The open access publication is available at https://doi.org/10.1017/s0272263124000743This study investigated factors influencing the citations of highly cited applied linguistics research over two decades. With a pool of 302 of the top 1% most cited articles in the field, we identified 11 extrinsic factors that were independent of scientific merit but could significantly predict citation counts, including journal-related, author-related, and article-related features. Specifically, the results of multiple linear regression models showed that the time-normalized article citations were significantly predicted by the number of authors, subfield, methodology, title length, CiteScore, accessibility, and scholar h-index. The remaining factors did not exhibit any statistical significance, including the number of references, funding, internationality, and geographical origin. The combined predictive power of all these factors (R²=.208, p<.05) verifies the role of nonscientific factors contributing to high citations for applied linguistics research. These results encourage applied linguistics researchers and practitioners to recognize the underlying forces affecting research impact and highlight the need for a reward system that exclusively favors sound academic practices

A meta-analysis of the impact of virtual experiments on students’ development

At present, the academic community has yet to reach a consensus on whether virtual experiments can effectively promote student development. To achieve this goal, this study employs a meta-analysis approach to quantitatively examine the impact of virtual experimental teaching on student development. The analysis includes 54 experimental and quasi-experimental studies published in international English-language journals between 2010 and 2023. The research results showed that: 1) Virtual experiments had a medium degree of positive effect on student development, and there was no significant difference in cognitive development, emotional development, and behavioral development. 2) Virtual experiments could better promote student development applied to procedural knowledge teaching. 3) The use of the virtual experiment combined with mixed learning (including observational and operational learning) was more effective in promoting student development. 4) Inquiry-based and task-driven approaches had a greater impact on student development. 5) There was a positive linear relationship between student development supported by virtual experiments and the experiment cycle. 6) Virtual experiments with high embodied learning degrees such as whole-body interaction and body-involved interaction had a more obvious promotion effect on student development. These analyses provided valuable insights and guidance for the design, development, and instructional application of future virtual experiments

Test of the equality of several high-dimensional covariance matrices: A normal-reference approach

The open access publication is available at https://doi.org/10.3390/math13020295As the field of big data continues to evolve, there is an increasing necessity to evaluate the equality of multiple high-dimensional covariance matrices. Many existing methods rely on approximations to the null distribution of the test statistic or its extreme-value distributions under stringent conditions, leading to outcomes that are either overly permissive or excessively cautious. Consequently, these methods often lack robustness when applied to real-world data, as verifying the required assumptions can be arduous. In response to these challenges, we introduce a novel test statistic utilizing the normal-reference approach. We demonstrate that the null distribution of this test statistic shares the same limiting distribution as a chi-square-type mixture under certain regularity conditions, with the latter reliably estimable from data using the three-cumulant matched chi-square-approximation. Additionally, we establish the asymptotic power of our proposed test. Through comprehensive simulation studies and real data analysis, our proposed test demonstrates superior performance in terms of size control compared to several competing methods.RI 4/22 ZT

The impact of task simplification in skill acquisition for young children from a simplexity approach

The open access publication is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.105143Informational constraints play an important role in guiding skill acquisition for learners. From an Ecological Dynamics perspective, skill acquisition is seen as an interplay of the key interactions between learners and environment to support the emergence of different movement possibilities in a skill acquisition context. However, simple information constraints can support the development of complex movements. Simplexity allows for functional complex movements to be produced underpinned by simple control mechanisms. In this study, an investigation was undertaken to examine the impact (pre, post, retention and transfer tests) of task simplification to support the acquisition of a discrete multi-articular movement (badminton serve) with reference to performance outcome and movement behaviours in young children (11 to 12 years old) in the context of Physical Education over a 4-week period. It was found that participants provided with simplified informational constraints (Nonlinear Pedagogy condition) learnt the badminton serving task as well as participants provided with explicit information constraints and with a focus on repeating consistent outcome (Linear Pedagogy condition). In addition, participants from the Nonlinear Pedagogy condition explored and adapted movement behaviours to achieve the same learning outcome as the Linear Pedagogy condition. The use of simplified informational constraints could scaffold the acquisition of a complex movement task, providing support for simplexity in the skill acquisition process

Students’ perceptions of fairness in groupwork assessment: Validity evidence for peer assessment fairness instrument

Groupwork is a crucial aspect of work contexts and a key twenty first century skill. Assessment of groupwork provides a persistent challenge for educators in university contexts with students reporting experiences of unfairness from their peers during groupwork. This study developed a novel Peer Assessment Fairness Instrument to explore factors driving students’ perceptions of fairness during groupwork processes. The results showed that students perceived fairness of groupwork in relation to (1) the grading outcomes they received (i.e. grade congruence), (2) the procedures based on which groups contributed to groupwork (i.e. performative group dynamics), and (3) the relationships based on which group members interacted (i.e. interpersonal treatment). The findings provide student-driven directions to promoting fairer peer assessments within groupwork contexts.Accepted versio

Students’ outside school ICT use and academic performance: Evidence from multiple PISA waves

Using large-scale data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2022, this study explored the relations between outside school ICT use for different purposes and academic performance in reading, mathematics, and science in Hong Kong and Singapore. Three key findings were identified: (1) ICT use for entertainment and academic performance consistently showed inverted U-shaped relations across PISA waves, with the turning point gradually shifting rightward over time; (2) ICT use for learning and academic performance evolved from predominantly linear or near-linear relations in 2012 to inverted U-shaped curves in subsequent waves; (3) Singapore exhibited progressively flatter inverted U-curves in the relations between ICT use for learning and academic performance, while Hong Kong demonstrated slightly steeper curves over time.Accepted versionRS 2/31 NY

The role of local curricula and international frameworks in the practices of geography education

What should be taught to our learners is one of the central questions that drives curriculum development. How this content is selected for curricula can be influenced by national standards, local syllabi, and even international frameworks on geographical education. In truth, practices in geographical education such as classroom instruction, assessment, research, and teacher education will always be affected by the form and substance of school geography curricula. But there are some concerns that are similar across contexts. In this chapter, an argument is made on whether or not there is a single, universally recognized geography. Our children do not grow up isolated from international phenomena, so they need to learn about the world beyond their own backyards. While the nature and scope of geography curricula can vary across contexts, there are common elements of instruction and assessment that make it easily identifiable as a geography lesson. The chapter also examines a few examples of national standards, syllabi, or curriculum roadmaps and compares them to international frameworks for teaching geography. The implications of these worldwide frameworks and academic standards for the practice of geographical education are then discussed. The scope of discussion includes the curriculum, instruction and assessment, the conduct of research, and teacher education. The chapter concludes that international frameworks and academic standards are only as applicable in guiding practices in geographical education as they are relevant to the issues that our children will have to face in a fast-changing world

DSK200 Tamil literature III

Semester 1 Examination 2024-202