Use of project-based learning in increasing students' vocabulary knowledge & communicative ability

The paper reports on a study that examined the use of Project-Based Learning (PBL) increasing students’ vocabulary knowledge. The study was conducted in some private institutes for some Iranian junior high school students.After applying the approach and conducting post-test, significant differences were observed. This approach can be used as a training tool to help acquire vocabulary. The Project-Based Learning (PBL) approach in education often generates justifiable enthusiasm among those who have become frustrated with the limitations of traditional lecture-based education. In recent years, it has been widely acknowledged that classes designed by utilizing Project-Based Learning (PBL) are effective in enhancing the problem-solving ability of students.In PBL-based classes, students worked in groups and tried to apply their knowledge to solve the problems by themselves; therefore, such classes were effective in improving students’ vocabulary knowledge and communication abilities

Creating meaningful work for employees: The role of inclusive leadership

Meaningfulness is a fundamental psychological need and can result in numerous positive outcomes for employees and organizations. However, little is known about how inclusive leadership can promote employees\u27 sense of meaningful work. Drawing upon self-determination theory, we posit that inclusive leadership enhances meaningful work through creating psychological safety and fostering learning from errors. Inclusive leadership improves work meaningfulness as it contributes to better job attributes. Study hypotheses were tested using a multiple-study research design, including a two-wave field study of 317 full-time employees (Study 1) and a randomized experimental vignette methodology with 440 participants (Study 2). Findings from both studies support the hypothesized mediation model and suggest that inclusive leaders enhance employees\u27 meaningful work mediated through psychological safety and learning from errors

Green human resource management and employee innovative behaviour: Does inclusive leadership play a role?

Purpose: This study examines the relationship between green human resource management (green HRM) and employee innovative behaviour. It also investigates the mediating role of job satisfaction to explore the mechanism through which green HRM is related to employee innovative behaviour. Additionally, it examines the moderating role of inclusive leadership to determine the boundary condition of the relationship between green HRM and employee innovative behaviour. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a quantitative research approach using survey and collected 508 responses from full-time employees in Australia. Findings: The authors have found support for all the hypothesised relationships in the study. Specifically, green HRM is positively related to employee innovative behaviour. This relationship is mediated by job satisfaction and accentuated by inclusive leadership. Originality/value: Green HRM promotes a green atmosphere in which employees can contribute to a safer and healthier environment. Despite the increasing attention to green HRM in the management literature, little is known about the mechanisms and boundary conditions explaining employees\u27 responses to green HRM

The role of inclusive leadership in fostering organisational learning behaviour

Purpose: Organisational learning is fundamental in establishing a fearless organisation, creating a competitive advantage and maintaining a sustained growth. While research suggests that leaders can influence organisational learning, there is currently no empirical evidence on how inclusive leadership fosters organisational learning behaviour. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between inclusive leadership and organisational learning behaviour. It also seeks to explore the mediating role of psychological safety and climate for initiatives in the mentioned relationship. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a two-wave quantitative examination with 317 respondents. Online survey was used to collect data from randomly selected full-time Australian employees in two times. The data were then analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling to provide insights. Findings: The study found empirical evidence on the positive association of inclusive leadership and organisational learning behaviour. Moreover, the two mediation paths of psychological safety and climate for initiative were supported for the relationship between inclusive leadership and organisational learning behaviour. Research limitations/implications: The current study contributes to theory by examining the role of inclusive leadership on organisational learning behaviour through two relatively unexplored mediating paths. It suggests how inclusive leadership can create a fearless organisation through fostering learning behaviour within the organisation which empowers organisations to sustain growth. Despite controlling for and assessing endogeneity, due to the cross-sectional design of the study, it is limited in demonstrating causal links. Originality/value: The current study provides empirical evidence on the role of inclusive leadership in fostering organisational learning behaviour through two mediating paths of psychological safety and climate for initiatives. The proposed model sets the ground for future research to further develop insights on positive impacts of inclusive leadership within organisations

Does project-based learning enhance Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary recall and retention?

Vocabulary knowledge is an integral part of second/foreign language learning. Thus, using teaching methods that can help learners retain and expand their vocabulary knowledge is necessary to facilitate the language learning process. The current research investigated the effectiveness of an interactive classroom method, known as Project-Based Learning (PBL), in helping Iranian EFL learners not just learn but retain new vocabulary knowledge. To this end, an experimental approach using two groups of participants (i.e. experimental and control) was employed. The experimental group was taught using the PBL method while the control group was taught using the conventional method. The findings of the study indicated that learners who were taught using the PBL approach (i.e. the experimental group) had a significant improvement in their vocabulary recall and retention rate. Besides, they even showed better retention of new vocabulary with higher level of difficulty. This supports previous findings on the effectiveness of PBL as a vocabulary teaching method in the EFL context which could contribute to the betterment of the existing teaching methods

Importance-performance matrix analysis of the factors influencing international students’ psychological and sociocultural adaptations using SmartPLS

With the increase in international mobility in higher education especially in Asia, the issue of cross-cultural adaptation becomes paramount since international students try to overcome challenges and flourish psychologically and socioculturally in a new environment. Therefore, this study is conducted to identify the factors influencing international postgraduate students’ psychological and sociocultural adaptations in Malaysian public universities, an emerging education hub in the region. It also further investigates importance-performance matrix analysis (IPMA) of the antecedents for psychological and sociocultural adaptations as the endogenous variables to provide insights and derive recommendations for education policymakers and academic administrators to ensure successful international postgraduate students’ cross-cultural adaptatio

Why do employees respond differently to corporate social responsibility? A study of substantive and symbolic corporate social responsibility

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) plays an increasingly significant role in business and can impact organizational performance and sustainability. However, the degree to which stakeholders see the organization as legitimate may depend on the perceived authenticity of CSR processes and practices. As internal stakeholders, employees have a strong influence on organizational outcomes. CSR, in turn, has been found to positively influence several employee outcomes. To examine the mechanisms of this relationship, this study questioned when and how CSR enhances employees\u27 perceptions and results in affective commitment. Drawing on a time-lagged sample of 317 full-time employees in Australia, we found that substantive CSR is positively associated with affective commitment mediated by meaningfulness through work and strengthened with embeddedness, while symbolic CSR is not. Through assessing and controlling for endogeneity threats in analysis, this study provides more accurate empirical insights into the importance of CSR authenticity, offers theoretical contributions to the field, and presents practical implications for organizations in enhancing their CSR planning and practice

The Effect Of Project-Based Learning (PBL) On Iranian EFL Learners' Vocabulary Recall And Retention

This study explored the effectiveness of the Project-based Learning (PBL) method on vocabulary learning and acquisition of Iranian elementary EFL learners. PBL is an instructional method which involves students learning and facilitating their own projects. Working in collaboration with others, engaging in self-directed learning, applying new knowledge to solve problems, and reflecting on what has been learned are the main features of this method. PBL also incorporates real-life challenges where the focus is on authentic problems or questions and where solutions have the potential to be implemented. The study measured the effectiveness of PBL on EFL learners’ vocabulary recall and retention based on an experimental methodology. For this purpose, a pretest-treatment-posttest approach was employed on two groups of subjects, control and experimental. The former was taught new vocabulary items using the conventional teaching method while the experimental group was taught using PBL. To measure the effectiveness of PBL against the conventional method of learning vocabulary, post-tests and delayed post-tests were administered to both groups. The statistical analysis of the test scores shows that the experimental group scored better for recall and retention of new vocabulary. A survey on the students’ perceptions of PBL supports the findings on the significance of PBL. The survey reveals that students were satisfied with the new method of teaching and enjoyed the teamwork and their engagement with their classmates. The current research findings support the claim that learning and acquiring vocabulary knowledge should be done in context, through collaboration with other learners, and project work

Modelling predictors of blog stickiness and retention by university students

Weblogs represent a popular tool for sharing common knowledge and promoting learning among university students. Yet, little is known about what influences university students to stick to a blog. The current study develops a framework to investigate the role of several key factors on blog stickiness and retention among university students. Data for the study was collected from a sample of university students in Malaysia (n=725) and analysed using structural equation modelling. Results of the study revealed that social influence, content quality and perceived enjoyment were the most important predictors of blog stickiness, resulting in blog retention. More specifically, it was found that the need for cognition, perceived enjoyment and social influence also play a key role in predicting blog stickiness among student. Results of this study help to provide insights to the social, cognitive and physiological components that will encourage student to read and use blogs more frequently. This understanding can assist in designing approaches to increase blog application, stickiness and retention among students and help educate better learners capable of obtaining information from electronic sources of knowledge

Green human resource management: A two-study investigation of antecedents and outcomes

Purpose The study aimed to provide insights on antecedent and outcome of green HRM at the organisational level and the outcome of green HRM at the individual level. It also sought to examine the mechanism through which green HRM would lead to employees’ positive outcome. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative study design using a two-study approach was employed to collect and analyse the data. For study 1, 206 hotels from Malaysia were included in analysis at the organisational level, while in study 2 at the individual level, 508 employees from different sectors provided insights through an online questionnaire. For both studies, partial least squares (PLS–SEM) was used to assess the research model. Findings All the proposed hypotheses were supported. Specifically, at the organisational level, organisational environmental culture is positively related to green HRM, and green HRM management positively associates with organisation\u27s environmental performance. At the individual level, green HRM positively influences employees\u27 job satisfaction, and meaningfulness through work is a strong mediator in this relationship. Originality/value This study is significant as it contributes to both theory and practice by providing fresh insights on green HRM and its antecedent and outcomes at two levels (organisational and individual) and across two economies (emerging and developed). It also sheds some light on the outcome of green HRM at the employee level which is an area that is still under-researched. By focusing on meaningfulness through work as an important factor, the study contributes to better understanding of green HRM and employees’ positive outcomes