Integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into university teaching and learning: a case study / Chan Yuen Fook and Gurnam Kaur Sidhu

Over the past decade the push for academics to develop competencies in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in teaching and learning has increased. Within the Malaysian context unfortunately, until now there has not been a holistic and conclusive study on the integration of ICT in higher education. This exploratory study examined the integration of ICT among academics for the enhancement of university teaching and learning. A descriptivecorrelational research methodology that employed a survey questionnaire was used in this case study. The data was analyzed using means, standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, and correlation. The findings indicated that the ICT facilities in the higher instituion left much to be desired and the usage of ICT in teaching among the academics was not at a satisfactory level. Even though a majority of the acdemics are aware of the many benefits of ICT there still exists academics who hold firm to the importance of face-to-face interaction and the didactic role of the instructors. The findings also revealed that the integration of ICT into the classroom focuses mainly on teaching and learning rather than the technical knowhow about computers themselves and how this technology helps support users to participate in the integration of ICT into teaching and learning. However, most of the respondents have shown a keen willingness to adopt ICT in their future teaching and learning processes once proper training and relevant technical support are provided. The findings, in general, can help lecturers, IT staff and university management to manage the integration of ICT in university teaching and learning in a more organized manner. The findings also would enable the faculty to be more responsive to the needs of staff and students to effectively address the critical problems related to the integration of technology into university teaching and learning in ways that are both contextualized and authentic

Effectiveness of School Leadership and Management Course For Headmasters

The prime purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the School Leadership and Management Course (KPKS) through three levels namely participants satisfaction, learning enhancement and organizational effectiveness. This study also attempted to investigate the relationships among these three variables. The research methodology employed here was of correlational and descriptive. The survey questionnaires and KPKS tests were used in the collection of data. Purposive sampling of clusters was preferred as this technique seem to be more suitable in studying course participants according to cohorts in a certain year. All the 221 headmaster participants (six groups) attended the KPKS course in the year 2002 were selected as clusters for the study. Besides that, multistage stage cluster sampling was also used. All 221 headmaster participants plus their 221 senior assistants and their 2210 teachers (10 teachers per school) participated in this study. The data was analyzed using means, standard deviation, t-test and One Way ANOVA. The findings of the study indicate that participant satisfaction, generally was satisfactory. The participant satisfaction towards KPKS arranged in ascending order was physical facilities, followed by course content, lecturers’ presentation and course benefits. The levels of knowledge, skills and confidence of the participants were different and significant after attending the course as compared to before. Knowledge enhancement was most evident in the aspect of curriculum and cocurriculum management whereas, enhancement in skills and confidence was in the aspect of office and financial management. The findings of this study also indicated that there was no difference in the perception of headmasters, senior assistants and the teachers with regards to organizational effectiveness. The headmaster participants were found to be least interested in implementing innovation projects and they were mostly indulged in dayto- day management and administration. A significant and positive but weak relationship was identified between participant satisfaction and learning enhancement. Besides that, a similar weak relationship was also identified between participant satisfaction and organizational effectiveness. However, a weak to moderate relationship was identified between learning enhancement and organizational effectiveness. In whole, majority of the participants welcome the KPKS course and felt satisfied with three main variables namely participant satisfaction, learning enhancement and organizational effectiveness. The implications of these findings suggest that the KPKS course should be continued and retained compulsory for every headmaster who is newly appointed. However, attempts to update the course contents and to cultivate transformational leadership among KPKS participants should be enhanced in order to fulfill the basic needs of Malaysian headmasters

The influence of mobile phone use on students’ academic behavior in higher education

Smartphones have become an inextricable element of life in the twenty-first century. Since there is little research on the relationship between mobile phone use and academic behavior among students in local universities, hence, the current study sought to study the relationship between these two variables in the context of Malaysian higher education. The data from 435 students who answered an online Google Form of survey sent through a WhatsApp link was collected and analyzed using a descriptive correlational research approach. The results indicated that male students displayed a higher level of mobile phone use than female students in higher education. The study also found that negative phone use had a negative relationship with academic behavior, and positive phone use contributed to positive academic behavior. Regression analysis confirmed that excessive mobile phone use and mobile addiction had a higher impact on academic behavior, however, proper mobile use has a positive impact on academic behavior among the students in higher education. The study implies that all the universities need to have better guidelines to regulate the use of mobile phone in the classroom. Overall, the findings are useful in facilitating the monitoring of the proper use of mobile phone for enhancement of learning in tertiary institutions

Mobile Phone Addiction: Determinant Factors among Students in a Malaysian Public University

The present study was conducted to examine mobile addiction determinant factors among university students in higher education in Malaysia. A total of 162 students responded to the online survey questionnaire. The study employed a quantitative-based research method to obtain data, and the research instruments consist of a set of combined questionnaires adopted from two Ph.D. studies. The correlation result between mobile addiction and attitude showed a stronger association than with the purpose of use. However, linear regression only indicated a significant contribution of students’ attitude towards mobile addiction variance. Keywords: Attitude; Mobile addiction; Purpose of Use: University students  eISSN: 2398-4287© 2021. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v6iSI4.290

Transition from university to industry: challenges faced by new engineers in the automotive industry / Chan Yuen Fook and Selvam Balaraman.

The Malaysian automotive manufacturing industry is growing exponentially, but it faces shortage of the right skilled automotive manufacturing professionals to propel the industry to an unprecedented height. This research hypothesised that there are several challenges faced by new engineers in executing daily task due to knowledge gap. New engineers are not guided and trained sufficiently to undertake daily task to be more productive. Therefore, this research aims to identify the knowledge gap and challenges faced by new engineers in the automotive company in Malaysia. The scope of this research is confined to the theories of Human Capital, which relate to the capabilities and skills of an employee to improve job performance. A qualitative case study method has been employed for the analysis and comparison of data from public and private universities and automotive manufacturing industry in Malaysia. The identified target groups were human resource manager, manufacturing managers, new engineers and lecturers. This study concludes that training in industry has failed at certain aspects to produce new employees that meet current competency requirements, lead to the deterioration of employee work performance. In conclusion, this research validates the existence of a knowledge gap and acknowledges the need to overcome challenges faced by new engineers during their transition from academia to industry

Stail kepimpinan dan kepuasan kerja guru di kalangan guru sekolah menengah

Dalam era globalisasi dan perkembangan teknologi maklumat yang pesat, pengurus sekolah perlu mengejar kejayaan yang lebih gemilang dan guru pula menghadapi tekanan kerja yang semakin mendesak untuk menghasilkan mutu kerja yang berkualiti. Guru sekolah dikehendaki mengajar dan membimbing murid dengan berkesan, serta menyokong pihak pengurusan dalam pentadbiran sekolah. Tambahan pula, guru sekolah perlu juga menghadapi perubahan polisi dan amalan pengurusan di sekolah. Dalam pada itu, kepimpinan pengetua ataupun guru besar merupakan salah satu faktor yang penting dalam membekalkan visi dan hala tuju untuk mencapai aspirasi di alaf baru. Untuk memahami hubungan di antara stail kepimpinan dengan kepuasan kerja guru dalam dekad yang penuh dengan cabaran ini, kaedah tinjauan telah digunakan dalam kajian ini. Sejumlah 200 guru dari lima buah sekolah menengah di Negeri Sembilan telah dilibatkan dalam kajian ini untuk memahami hubungan di antara stail kepimpinan dengan tekanan kerja dan juga kepuasan kerja di sekolah. Tekanan kerja guru didapati berada pada tahap yang sederhana, dan kepuasan kerja guru adalah melebih tahap sederhana. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa terdapat hubungan yang sederhana dan positif di antara stail kepimpinan transformasional dengan kepuasan kerja. Manakala, hubungan yang sederhana dan positif telah ditemui di antara stail kepimpinan ’transactional’ dengan tekanan kerja. Dalam aspek penyelesaian tekanan kerja, memperoleh sokongan sosial merupakan stail penyelesaian yang paling umum di kalangan guru. Dapatan kajian ini dipercayai boleh dimanfaatkan oleh institut latihan dan universiti yang terlibat dalam latihan kepengetuaan untuk menggubal kurikulum latihan yang lebih relevan

Kajian kepimpinan pengajaran dalam organisasi pembelajaran

Kepimpinan sering disifatkan sebagai cara pengetua ataupun guru besar menggunakan peranan diri untuk mencipta iklim sekolah yang dicirikan oleh produktiviti pelajar, produktiviti guru serta pemikiran kreatif di sekolah. Manakala, pengurusan pula sering disifatkan sebagai applikasi kemahiran yang sistematik untuk menghasilkan satu persekitaran sekolah yang sistematik, cekap dan berkesan. Kepimpinan pengajaran pula sering dianggap sebagai enjin kepada pembentukan organisasi pembelajaran. Berdasarkan rasional tersebut, kertas kerja ini berusaha untuk mengkaji kepimpinan pengajaran di organisasi pembelajaran dalam konteks pendidikan di Malaysia. Sebuah sekolah yang cemerlang dari segi pencapaian akademik dan pengurusan sekolah di Negeri Sembilan telah dipilih secara purposif sebagai sekolah kajian. Kaedah penyelidikan deskriptif yang berbentuk kajian kes dijalankan di sekolah kajian. Teknik pemerhatian dan temubual secara tidak berstruktur digunakan untuk mengutip data yang berkaitan. Data yang diperoleh dianalisis secara kualitatif untuk mengenalpasti tema yang tertimbul. Keputusan kajian mengesahkan bahawa kepimpinan pengajaran memainkan peranan yang penting dalam pembentukan organisasi pembelajaran yang membawa kepada mercu kejayaan akademik di sekolah kajian. Namun, guru-guru bersetuju bahawa teknik dan cara pendidikan yang digunakan di situ boleh diaplikasikan dalam asuhan anak-anak mereka sendiri di rumah. Murid-murid juga bersetuju bahawa mereka telah belajar cara yang sesuai untuk belajar. Bukan itu sahaja, idea-idea baru sentiasa dijana hasil daripada kepimpinan pengajaran yang dipraktikkan oleh pihak pengurusan di sekolah tersebut. Hasil kajian mencadangkan kepimpinan pengajaran di sekolah kajian sesuai dipraktikkan di sekolah-sekolah lain di Malaysia

Unemployed Graduates’ Perceptions on their General Communication Skills at Job Interviews

AbstractThis study is an attempt to assess the general communication skills of unemployed graduates at job interviews. The sample population comprised unemployed graduates who took part in the 1 Malaysia Training Scheme (SL1M program) set up by the Malaysian government to address the issue of unemployment amongst the Malaysian graduates. The mixed method research was employed using research instruments comprising survey questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. Questionnaires using a five point Likert scale were administered to 506 respondents where 337 were finally regarded as useable. Meanwhile face-to-face interviews were conducted with thirteen unemployed graduates from the same group of respondents in the SL1M program. Descriptive analysis indicated that more than half of the respondents were in the range of moderate to low level in their general communication skills. Independent t-tests carried out indicated that there were significant differences for gender and types of higher education institutions (HEIs) in relation to general communication skills. Male unemployed graduates seemed to have higher general communication skills compared to their female counterparts, while unemployed graduates from the private HEIs (IPTS) have better general communication skills than those from the public HEIs (IPTAs). The ANOVA tests carried out with MUET band scores and general communication skills showed an upward trend where the higher the MUET band score, the higher the mean of general communication skills. Findings were further enhanced by the qualitative data that conformed to the data obtained from the quantitative analysis. Another equally important finding of the study is the association between general communication skills and communication apprehension. This finding opens up the prospect for further research, that general communication skills need to be assessed in relation to communication apprehension among unemployed graduates in Malaysia

Workplace learning of new engineers in an automotive industry

Purpose - According to Smith (1996), research has proven that skills which are directly connected to the work and are obtained in the workplace are learned quicker, kept longer, and result in higher productivity than those acquired in the classroom. Hence, the study aimed to identify the key issues of workplace learning of new engineers in automotive industry.This paper explores to what extent the knowledge and skills acquired by the new engineers at the job have equipped them with job competency in the automotive industry.This study adopted a qualitative case study method to compare data from a private engineering college, a public university and an automotive manufacturing industry.The identified target groups include one human resource manager, six new engineering graduates, and 4 university lecturers.The finding shows that the training programs is essential to enhance specific knowledge and skills required by new engineers to perform a task at industry.The training programs are divided into two categories—formal and informal training—and each category consists of technical and non-technical training programs. Most of the training programs for the new engineers are technical and job related trainings conducted inhouse by internal trainers which seldom focus on personal development of soft skills.Overall, the orientation program served to introduce them to the organization’s culture, values and systems.Undeniably, new engineers’ training is essential to improve job performance in current job and to train new skills to improve productivity and to achieve the organization’s current and future goals.All the new engineers involved in this study have pointed out that the amount of new knowledge to be learnt in the industry at the beginning of their employment was overwhelming.Most of the new engineers complained that not all the trainings took place as briefed during the orientation program. There were excellent career development plans shown during orientation program, but the plans have not been not executed as desired.For the OJT to be effective, it should be organized with well-trained and dedicated coach at the workplace. Qualified coach can ensure the new recruits are trained well, and improve job performance in current job and acquire new skills to achieve the organization’s current and future goals. Methodology - Based on the nature of this study, the researcher has used a qualitative case study method to discover, understand, and explain in an in-depth manner the issues of workplace training of new engineers in automotive industry. The interview questions were adapted from Laulata (2007)’s study to suit the purpose of this study. One of the major automotive manufacturing industries located in the state of Selangor has been selected for the study.This Malaysian and Japanese joint venture company which was established in 1970 has been producing non-national cars for the local and foreign market. In order to gauge the information for this study, a total of six new engineers (coded as NE1 to 6), one human resource manager (coded as HRm) and two supervisors (coded as SV1 to 2) were selected for the interviews. Besides that, two lecturers were selected from a private college in Cyberjaya (coded as LEC1 to 2) and the other two were selected from public universities located in Klang Valley (coded as LEC3 to 4).Overall, there were six engineers, one human resource manager and two supervisors involved in this study.Findings - Most of the new engineers appreciate the knowledge and experience gained during the induction program. The induction program served to introduce them to the organization’s culture, values and systems. It was confirmed by Informant HRm that they conduct an induction program for all new recruits to introduce them to the new working environment. During the familiarization stage, they are exposed to the nature of their new work and taught how to execute identified tasks. The new recruits are also briefed about the existing organizational culture, values, vision, working conditions, safe working rules, processes and procedures and the organizations expectations from new engineers. Besides that, organizations also provide On-Job-Training (OJT) to new engineers for a period of 6 months and other formal training programs for self-development. New engineers’ training is essential to improve job performance in current job or to train new skills for a new job to improve productivity and to achieve the organization’s current and future goals.Almost all of the new engineers said that Toyota Business Practice (TBP) was one of the most important training programs that they had attended. “The most appropriate way to develop new engineers is through on-job training, whereby they are attached to their immediate superiors who are generally more experienced at a particular job. Immediate superior will act as a coach or mentor to build relationship, guide in daily task and personal development to enhance job performance and productivity.The mentors’ function is to eventually motivate them to acquire the right knowledge and skills and perform job as per required standard” (SV1, 1.2)

A conceptual framework: the influence of school culture types and personality traits on psychological empowerment amongst secondary school teachers in Malaysia / Leele Susana Jamian, Badjie Xbietaquauallah Ibadallah and Chan Yuen Fook.

Educational reformers have considered teacher empowerment as one of the panaceas for school success. The concept of teacher empowerment has emerged as an important approach in promoting positive work behaviors with many researchers observing the link between the levels of teachers’ psychological empowerment and the extent to which they feel motivated, committed and satisfied with their job. Drawing from an ongoing doctoral research which looked at the relationships of school culture types and personality traits towards psychological empowerment amongst secondary school teachers in Malaysia, this article discusses the formulation of a conceptual framework. Although there have been numerous empirical researches on the structural and psychological constructs of teacher empowerment, previous studies mainly looked at these constructs in isolation. This current paper discusses the concept of empowerment and intends to model teacher empowerment as a holistic framework from multiple perspectives. The framework puts forward in this paper is based on both the literature and a study investigating the relationships of school culture types and personality traits towards psychological empowerment amongst teachers in the context of Malaysian secondary school. In addition, this paper also attempts to discuss the possible research issues that could justify the development of the conceptual framework of the topic