WHETHER SHORT-TERM EXPERIENCE CAN ENHANCE PERCEPTUAL-MOTOR LEARNING IN A MOVING (VEHICULAR) GAP INTERCEPTION TASK

Background: Accurate perceptual judgment and skilful movement coordination are required to perform sports specific or everyday perceptual-motor tasks. In ball catching, for example, a catcher must judge the spatial and temporal aspects of the flying ball and adjust his locomotion according to the changing situation. Likewise, an everyday perceptual-motor task that requires perceptual accuracy and skilful movement coordination is to intercept a gap between moving vehicles as a pedestrian (i.e., road-crossing). Purpose: Experience (both short-term and long-term) is important in learning to perform such everyday perceptual-motor skills. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of short-term experience on pedestrians’ perceptual decisions and movement coordination in an experimental road-crossing task. Methods: Twenty-two young adults of Kunsan National University participated voluntarily in the experiment and performed a moving gap interception task (road-crossing) in the virtual environment. Results: Participants’ perceptual decisions improved and movement coordination during gap interception enhanced with short-term experience. Conclusion: this study concluded that perception and movement coordination can be calibrated with experience even in short-time scale. Also, perceptual accuracy and enhanced motor-ability is important to increase pedestrians’ safety in road-crossing and in other similar everyday perceptual-motor tasks

FURTHER EVALUATION OF OJT TRAINING QUALITY FACTORS ON TVET STUDENTS’ SATISFACTION IN OMAN

The current demand in Oman’s labour market is to have a young skill full Omani who is capable to cope with the technical challenges in the industry, as work competence is found to be deficient. The quality of the work depends on the provision of On the Job Training (OJT) programme which is overseen by MoMP. As a result, there is a need for further investigation to determine the OJT quality factors that are associated with Trainer Quality, Effective Assessment, Clear Expectation, Learning Stimulation, Competence Development, Training Relevance, Training Resources, Effective support and Active Learning on students’ satisfaction. The study has embraced the quantitative and positivists method of research, using a stratified random sample to gauge 8 TVET institutes with a total sample of 317 participants. Additionally, the reliability of the test depends on Alpha Cronbach’s scale, and it scored acceptable levels i.e., 0.772 to 0.809. The survey instrument of Coates (2009) was adopted and the literature review was done to support the research conceptual frame. The support theories were based on SERVQUAL, TQM and Kirkpatrick four level of training evaluation model. The study survey used five Likert scales to analyze the data. The evaluation of OJT quality factors on TVET students’ satisfaction was measured, P value <0.01 and found statistically significant. The sample adequacy was measured by using KMO and Bartlett’s test and scored 0.833 within the threshold. Also, the research used three measurements of Goodness of fit and met the required threshold. Nonetheless, the hypothesis results showed an overall of 70% of hypotheses have a significant effect on TVET students’ satisfaction. Finally, the research contributes to developing work skills to meet students’ satisfaction.  Article visualizations

ASSESSING THE EFFECT OF OJT TRAINING QUALITY FACTORS ON TVET STUDENTS’ SATISFACTION IN PREPARING FOR EMPLOYMENT IN OMAN

The Job Training has been utilised to provide work skills to TVET students in order to meet the labour market in Oman. It is important to determine whether the quality of the training is meeting to what TVET students’ needs. Therefore, this study examines the effect of the On-the Job-Training (OJT) quality factors on TVET students’ satisfaction. The internship is financed by Ministry of Manpower for TVET candidates in Oman and is meant to obtain employability skills. The study looked at the OJT training quality factors in relation to Trainer Quality, Effective assessment, Clear expectation, Learning Stimulation, Training Relevancy, Competence Development, Training Resources, Effective Support and Active Learning as found to have a direct link to students’ satisfaction. The pilot study of 30 samples was carried out and a random sampling method was used. Nevertheless, this study used a quantitative method of research. In addition, a descriptive method was used to analyse the data and the study results are provided in the form of explanatory notes. However, the reliability test was done i.e. Alpha Cronbach’s shows the range between 0.80 to 0.9 and this confirms the study results. The instrument of the survey of this study used the Coates (2009) AQTF quality indicator; using a five-point Likert scale. The literature review focused on Total Quality Management (TQM model) associated with 5-C TQM Model of Academic Excellence and Service Quality (SERVQUAL Model). Finally, the OJT training quality was measured against students’ satisfaction and the P-value was found to be statistically highly significant.  Article visualizations

AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION AND ATTITUDES TOWARD LEARNING JAPANESE LANGUAGE AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SRI LANKA

The purpose of this study is to investigate the motivation and attitudes of students in secondary schools (G.C.E. Advanced Level classes) towards learning Japanese as a foreign language (JFL) in Sri Lanka. Further, it examines whether JFL students are instrumentally or integratively motivated to study Japanese. This study adapted a quantitative research paradigm and used a questionnaire for collection of data. The study focuses on investigating the two important social psychological variables introduced in Gardner’s socio educational model, which are the instrumental motivation and integrative motivation. The international version (2004) of Gardner's Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) was used to examine the students’ attitudes and motivation levels. A systematic sampling was used under the complex probability sampling method. The results discovered that the integrative motivation of the students was slightly greater than the instrumental motivation. Further, it was found that the students had positive attitudes towards learning situation which are language course and the language teacher. The findings shows that JFL learners in G.C.E. Advanced level classes were less likely to hold utilitarian and academic reasons for learning Japanese. However, the results proved that their attitudes towards the Japanese language community and its members were highly positive. Finally, the study introduces some pedagogical implications that would help to enhance the students’ motivation and attitudes.  Article visualizations

HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: A STUDY IN AVIATION SECTOR

In this research, it has been investigated to evaluate the operation of human capital management on the employees’ viewpoint in the aviation sector of UAE. The subsequent developments in the international financial framework offer prompted increment the competition among organizations, the survival and success has turned into a major goal of these organizations. In the present study, it has been intended to quantify the degree of applying the HCM practices on employees in a standout amongst the most advancing and developing sectors in the UAE. In UAE, the civil aviation sector is on the top. Following to reviewing the literatures, three variables have been separated which are leadership practices, employee engagement and talent management. The effect of these variables on human capital management has been checked by the researcher in the area of expertise. Therefore, the effect of leadership practices, talent management, and employee engagement on human capital management has been explored in this research. Eventually, through a comprehensive analysis, it has been found that leadership practices and talent management are not significant to HCM, and employee engagement alone has a remarkable effect on the human capital management.  Article visualizations

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT IN THE AVIATION SECTOR: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY IN UAE

On the employees’ perspective in the UAE aviation sector, this research has been conducted to evaluate the execution of human capital management. The subsequent growths in the global financial framework have driven the rise of competitions among organizations, and survival of success has turned into a vital goal of these organizations. This study intends to measure the degree of applying the HCM practices on employees in a standout amongst the most advanced and developed sectors in the UAE - the civil aviation sector. Following the literatures, three variables have been parted which were leadership practices, employee engagement and talent management. Researcher has checked the effect of these variables on human capital management in her area of expertise. Henceforth, this research explores the effect of leadership practices, talent management, and employee engagement on human capital management. Lastly, after carefully analyzing the results, it has been found that leadership practices and talent management are insignificant to HCM and only employee engagement has noteworthy effect on human capital management. JEL: J24; L91; L93  Article visualizations

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES AVIATION SECTOR

This research has been conducted to assess the implementation of human capital management on the employees’ perspective in the UAE aviation sector. The resulting developments in the worldwide financial framework have prompted increment the competition among organizations, the survival and success has turned into a vital target of these organizations. The present study intended to quantify the degree of applying the HCM practices on employees in a standout amongst the most progressive and development sectors in the UAE, which is the civil aviation sector. Subsequent to studying the few papers three variables were separated which were leadership practices, employee engagement and talent management. Researcher checked the effect of these variables on human capital management in her area of expertise. Hence, this research explored the effect of leadership practices, talent management, and employee engagement on human capital management. Finally, after careful analyses the outcomes found that leadership practices, talent management, employee engagement, have noteworthy effect on human capital management.  Article visualizations

Consumers’ Factors on eWOM Diffusion in Social Networking Services (SNS)

This present study seeks to uncover personal factors of social networking services (SNS) users’ on eWOM diffusion in SNS through review of previous studies. This paper also aims to build a conceptual theory based on these findings and create a path for further studies and empirical research in the future.  Literature from technology acceptance fields and social sciences were examined on eWOM diffusion via four levels of self-factors in individuals.  The issues of level of trust, personal eWom experience, and self-efficacy are discussed in the prediction of eWOM, while different personalities are predicted to have different outcomes in eWOM diffusion.  The insights of personal factors influence in eWOM would enhance consumers’ ability to understand further how to navigate positive and negative perspectives of personal factors and act to use this discovery to assist own decision making. Keywords: eWOM, SNS, self-efficacy, eWOM experience trust, personality

PREFERENCES FOR MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGIES: A COMPARISON OF STUDENT AND TEACHER PERSPECTIVE IN JAPANESE AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (JFL) CLASSROOM IN SRI LANKA

This study was aimed to investigate the teachers’ and students’ preference of motivational strategies employed in motivating students to learn Japanese language in General Certificate of Education (G.C.E) Advanced Level classes in Sri Lanka. The sample consisted of 27 Japanese as a Foreign Language (JFL) teachers and 275 students. An adapted questionnaire with 28 items was used to measure the perception of students and teachers towards using motivational strategies in JFL classroom. Fourteen items in the questionnaire targeted at measuring traditional strategies while the rest of the items measured innovative strategies. Descriptive statistics was used to find out the mean values of both the teachers’ and students’ preference of strategies and to prepare two lists of motivational strategies according to the priority order of rankings rated by teachers and students. The independent samples T-test was applied to determine the significant level of difference between the two groups. The results indicated that both students and teachers agree on the use of motivational strategies to motivate students. Nevertheless, it is statistically evident that students prefer innovative strategies than traditional strategies while teachers prefer both types of strategies equally. The findings revealed that there is a significant difference between these two motivational strategies as perceived by teachers and students.  Article visualizations

WHAT FACTORS AFFECT SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN SCIENCE IN THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES? A CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR AN EXPLORATION

This paper develops a conceptual framework to explore the factors affecting secondary school students’ performance in science in the developing countries. While the various factors are related to the increased academic performance, the specific mechanisms through which those factors exert their influence on a child's academic performance are not yet fully understood. Based on both sociological and psychological theories and empirical studies, socioeconomic status, parental involvement, school resources and teacher quality as independent variables and motivation towards learning science as a mediating variable were incorporated into the proposed framework. Appropriate instruments for the exploration are suggested. While the conceptual framework developed in the present study lessening the knowledge gap pertaining to the factors affecting students’ performance in science, especially in the developing countries, it paves a path to explore the effect of those factors on students’ performance.  Article visualizations