A proposed model of ICT facilities in the central zone vocational colleges, Malaysia

The tide of globalization is moving so fast nowadays. Changes and its development are quite difficult to curb from spreading in our lives. These developments continue to have a positive impact on the community and no less giving various challenges to all of us especially to the world of education. The competency factor of the lecturer should increase in line with the changing environment. The opposite situation occurs in some educational institutions in Malaysia, such as vocational colleges (KV). Thus, the implementation of this study aimed to analyze the internal environment of vocational colleges involving information and communication technology (ICT) facilities as well as the effectiveness of ICT vocational colleges. Inferential analysis was used to identify contribution of exogenous variable to endogenous variable through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM-AMOS). To achieve the objectives of the study, a survey - type quantitative study design was implemented. Questionnaire instruments were distributed to 388 vocational college lecturers in the central zone of Malaysia using stratified random sampling. Furthermore, the questionnaire data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 25. The findings showed that there is a significant relationship between technological facilities (such as computers) with ICT effectiveness when p<0.05. In terms of moderators, the demographics of lecturers, namely gender, age and computer usage practices of KV lecturers affect the effectiveness of ICT KV when the mean score exceed 8.50. Furthermore, the developed model also meets the model fit indices requirements with RMSEA value at 0.060, CFI=0.973, TLI=0.968, Chisq/df=2.380 and GFI=0. 901.The implications of the study indicate that the role of lecturers as educators is important in developing appropriate reforms in supporting the innovations that take place in educational organizations

EFFECTIVE SCHOOL MODEL; MALAYSIAN PERSPECTIVE

The excellence education has become the primary concern for achievement to compete in this global village. Since the technological and vocational higher education became one of the essential elements in the educational road map, students are expected to be more skillful than the one of regular university. This stutfy reviews the development of effective learning systems and examines the relationship between employability and effective learning systems from students' perception. The results found that the model indicates a highly acceptable fit between the model and data. Also, there exists significant direct effect between employability and effective learning systems. Key words: school model, malaysian

Professional Learning Community in Secondary Schools Community in Malaysia

This paper outlines a research towards an initial assessment of the stage of the PLC in secondary schools in Malaysians secondary school with teachers as the main focus. A brief philosophy of the importance of learning organization and its development in various countries was reviewed and incorporated by the current situations, leading to the objectives and methodology for this study. The result showed the teachers can be active in their learning and improving their schools as to enhance the learning performance of the students in the first four characteristic dimensions refer to the practice of shared values, goals, mission and vision among teachers which play an important role in shaping the PLC in secondary school

Interpretive structural modelling: Hierarchical relationship model of appreciating diversity competency for educational leaders

The dynamics of diversity and cultural competency are elements that run parallel with globalization. Appreciating diversity is part of global leadership competency. However, this assumption may not hold in a context in which multiculturalism diversity and competency are not an integral element for leadership competency for public sector educational leaders. Public organization should assimilate and practice appreciating diversity in the organizational leadership competency. Thus, the central aim of this study is to investigate and examine the appreciating diversity competency for educational leaders. The paper analyzed the appreciating competencies by using interpretive structural modelling (ISM) based on experts’ consensus. The cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis ascertained and classified each competency based on their driving and dependent power. The hierarchical model developed through ISM yielded seven appreciating competencies divided into two dimensions for educational leaders. The model proposed could be adopted by stakeholders to upgrade the competency of educational leaders to practice and apply appreciating diversity. The ISM model could be adopted for the training and development of future educational leaders in preparation to administer and lead multicultural and multigenerational organizational communities

Planning in the school context: how it works?

The aim of this paper is to explore how the leaders in the school context plan their work, especially the goal setting process from their perspectives as well as their staff perspectives. Therefore, the focus will be on two schools in the south-east zone in Oman. Data reported in this article were gathered from two schools located in Southeast region in the Sultanate of Oman. Selection of participants is critical in qualitative research; therefore, the researcher used purposeful sampling to identify the two instructional leaders whose total experience was not less than 3 years in the same school that involved in school performance evaluation system. The sample was selected from those schools where a school level doorkeeper accepts to take place in the study. Semi-structure interview approach is used as the prime source of data, direct observations and document analysis. Interviews were recorded and transcribed literally and translated from Arabic to English. Transcripts were iteratively read and coded, then analyzed using the constant-comparative method. Findings were grouped into 3 units: (a) Setting goals through the annual school plan, (b) Overlapping in the process of goal setting and, (c) Measuring the goal achievement through the time frame. Once unitized and coded, explanation were then entered into the database for analysis

Lecturers’ commitment and students’ academic achievement: Viewed from teaching evaluation result

The purpose of this research is to measure the relevance of the Teaching Evaluation Result (TER) as a tool in evaluating the commitment of the lecturers in delivering the course taught.The TER questionnaires should be evaluated from time to time to ensure the quality, reliability and the applicability of each questions represented the commitment of lecturer.The respondents are foundation students (N=433) together with a total of 4 lecturers teaching the surveyed 7 courses. Students’ academic achievement evaluated from their final exam grades and the students are comprised of 85% Indian, 10% Malay and 5% Chinese.Surprisingly, the finding stated that there are more than 30% of the students who have obtained a grade of A- and better, the TER was < 80%.At the same token10% of the students who have secured a grade of A- and better, the TER was � 80%.This indicates that a high TER score does not guarantee that the students will perform well academically even though their lecturers give a full commitment.The mean scores of at least two groups of courses are significantly different at � = 0.05 level and the mean score of the grades of at least two groups of lecturers are significantly different at � = 0.05 level.Thus, the method of Kolmogorov-Smirnov was used to obtain the existence of normality.The results indicated that all of the variables are generally not normally distributed even at a significant level of � = 0.01.Therefore, it was found that 13 out of 17 of TER questionnaires to be significant at � = 0.01 and 3 out of 17 TER questionnaires to be significant at � = 0.05. However, 1 out of 17 of the questionnaires is not significant.Conclusion, the finding helps the management of the university on the relevance of TER used to measure the lecturer’s commitment.However, due to the limitation and the unavailability of matching each student TER towards each lecturers, therefore, the results presented herein is weakly conclusive.It is recommended that future research to incorporate the matching of students TER be made with the lecturers to obtain reliable and conclusive result

Why Does Women's Underrepresentation Transpire in the Leadership of Indonesian State Islamic Universities?

Underrepresentation of women still occurs in the top-level management of higher education, including in State Islamic Higher Education (SIHE/PTKIN) in Indonesia, a country with the largest Muslim population in the world. This study aims to reveal the portrait of women's underrepresentation in the top-level management of SIHE, the determinant factors that cause the underrepresentation of women in the top-level management of SIHE, and the policies that need to be taken in response to the underrepresentation of women in top-level management of SIHE. A qualitative approach was chosen for this study by collecting data using interviews and document reviews. It objectively shows the inequality between women and men in top-level management. Men still dominate strategic positions such as rector, vice-rector, and dean. This inequity is caused by qualification barriers of female lecturers, patriarchal culture, and gender-biased religious understanding. This inequity has an impact on the slow realization of gender-responsive campuses. Thus, through the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Government must make affirmative policies to accelerate women's representation at the management level of SIHE so that more women occupy the positions of rector, vice-rector, and dean

The Impact of Socio-Emotional Intelligence Training on Teacher's Performance

Researchers and practitioners suggest acquisition of socio-emotional intelligence skills and competencies for the teacher in the age of stresses, individualism, and materialisms; to improve teacher’s effectiveness and performance and to raise a socially and emotionally intelligent child. The study contains an investigation of the impact of socio-emotional intelligence training on teacher performance and productivity. Results indicate that socio-emotional intelligence has a positive correlation with teacher performance. Results show positive impacts of Socio-emotional intelligence training on teachers’ performance and productivity. Data were analyzed for gender and qualification variable using SPSS, Cronbach Alpha was calculated, and descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Researchers and practitioners suggest acquisition of socio-emotional intelligence skills and competencies for the teacher in the age of stresses, individualism, and materialisms; to improve teacher’s effectiveness and performance and to raise a socially and emotionally intelligent child. The study contains an investigation of the impact of socio-emotional intelligence training on teacher performance and productivity. Results indicate that socio-emotional intelligence has a positive correlation with teacher performance. Results show positive impacts of Socio-emotional intelligence training on teachers’ performance and productivity. Data were analyzed for gender and qualification variable using SPSS, Cronbach Alpha was calculated, and descriptive statistics were used for data analysis