Desafíos de los consejeros escolares de Malasia en la descripción del trabajo, la satisfacción laboral y la competencia

School counselors play an important role in providing professional counseling services. In Malaysia, the role of school counselors correlates in filling the needs of developed countries by 2020 to develop a human capital with a strong identity and are noble, knowledgeable, and highly skilled. To perform these roles, school counselors need to constantly improve their knowledge, skills, and competencies to meet the demands and needs related to the wellbeing of students holistically. These include the students’ emotional, mental, and behavioral health, which in turn contribute to academic excellence. This study aimed to explore the challenges of Malaysian school counselors in their job descriptions, job satisfaction, and competency. This was a qualitative study that used semi-structured interviews conducted with five school counselors. The results provided valuable information about the practice of counseling in a school setting in Malaysia. Results showed that conflict existed within the job scope and role of school counselors, job satisfaction, and competency of school counselors. This study supported the notion that the counseling service in primary schools should be given attention by the responsible authorities in order to enhance the quality of the profession. The implication of the study was to improve the practice of counseling in primary school settings in Malaysia.Los consejeros escolares juegan un papel importante en la prestación de servicios de asesoramiento profesional. En Malasia, el papel de los consejeros escolares se correlaciona para satisfacer las necesidades de los países desarrollados en 2020 para desarrollar un capital humano con una fuerte identidad y que sean nobles, conocedores y altamente calificados. Para desempeñar estos roles, los consejeros escolares deben mejorar constantemente sus conocimientos, habilidades y competencias para satisfacer las demandas y necesidades relacionadas con el bienestar integral de los estudiantes. Estos incluyen la salud emocional, mental y conductual de los estudiantes, que a su vez contribuyen a la excelencia académica. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo explorar los desafíos de los consejeros escolares de Malasia en sus descripciones de trabajo, satisfacción laboral y competencia. Este fue un estudio cualitativo que utilizó entrevistas semiestructuradas realizadas con cinco consejeros escolares. Los resultados proporcionaron información valiosa sobre la práctica del asesoramiento en un entorno escolar en Malasia. Los resultados mostraron que existía un conflicto dentro del alcance del trabajo y el papel de los consejeros escolares, la satisfacción laboral y la competencia de los consejeros escolares. Este estudio apoyó la idea de que las autoridades responsables deberían prestar atención al servicio de asesoramiento en las escuelas primarias para mejorar la calidad de la profesión. La implicación del estudio fue mejorar la práctica del asesoramiento en entornos de escuelas primarias en Malasia

MEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CONTINGENCY MANAGEMENT INTERVENTION ON PATIENTS’ TREATMENT ENGAGEMENT AND INTERNAL MOTIVATION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of the implementation of Contingency Management (CM) intervention in a mandatory treatment center in Malaysia. Treatment engagement within psycho social sessions and treat- ment motivation were monitored in a randomized controlled trial study. Methodology: A total of 44 patients were chosen as participants and randomly assigned into two groups namely the experimental group of treatment as usual + contingency management (TAU+CM) (n=22) and the controlled group of treatment as usual (TAU) (n=22). The TAU+CM group followed a 12-week CM intervention and 4-week maintenance period without CM reinforcement. Meanwhile, the TAU group went through 16 weeks of usual psychosocial session implemented in the center. Measurements: The main outcome of the research was the effect of CM toward treatment engagement within treatment session and a secondary analysis to measure the patients’ treatment motivation using Treatment Motivation Questionnaire (TMQ) during pre, post, maintenance phase and follow up after four months. CM reinforcement using reward stickers with monetary value were contingent with every achieved treatment engagement behavior. No reward was given to the TAU group. Findings: CM found to be effective on treatment engagement of the patient and has a significant effect on motivation especially toward internal motivation. Conclusion: CM proven to be effective in improving patients’ treatment engagement and patients’ motivation internally compared to the usual program

Experiencia de adictos en recuperación que se someten al programa de recuperación en adicciones de 7 pasos (7-SRA) como tratamiento posterior

The high number of drug addiction and relapse rate cases among Muslim clients in Malaysia has been always imposing apprehension upon Malaysians. This underpins the fact that there are rooms for more treatment options from different dimensions to be developed as the complementary action to the existing ones. Recognizing the etiological factor of addiction is also epitomized from individual spirituality, the 7-Steps Recovery in Addiction (7-SRA) was initiated based on Islamic teaching to further addressing this issue through the self-purification and repentance (tazkiyyat al-nafs). An in depth qualitative case study research was conducted to discover the experiences of 8 recovering clients as the participants in an aftercare center to discover their experience undergone the 7 Step in Recovery in Addiction Module. The data was triangulated by using in-depth interviews, observation notes and document analyses. The findings revealed that there were two emerging themes from informants’ shared experiences (pre and post intervention) which were spiritual and behavioral dimensions. 7-SRA was reported to be helpful approach for the participants in recovery process; thus 7-SRA is relevant to be employed as an evident-based practice (EBP) in drug addiction problem in particular as an aftercare treatment.El alto número de casos de drogadicción y tasa de recaída entre clientes musulmanes en Malasia siempre ha estado imponiendo aprensión a los malayos. Esto apuntala el hecho de que hay espacios para que se desarrollen más opciones de tratamiento de diferentes dimensiones como la acción complementaria a las existentes. Reconociendo que el factor etiológico de la adicción también se resume en la espiritualidad individual, la recuperación de los 7 pasos en la adicción (7-SRA) se inició con base en la enseñanza islámica para abordar este problema a través de la autopurificación y el arrepentimiento (tazkiyyat al-nafs). Se realizó una investigación de estudio de caso cualitativa en profundidad para descubrir las experiencias de 8 adictos en recuperación como participantes en un centro de atención posterior para descubrir su experiencia en el Módulo de 7 pasos en la recuperación en la adicción. Los datos se triangularon mediante entrevistas en profundidad, notas de observación y análisis de documentos. Los hallazgos revelaron que había dos temas emergentes de las experiencias compartidas de los informantes (antes y después de la intervención) que eran dimensiones espirituales y de comportamiento. Se informó que 7-SRA era un enfoque útil para los participantes en el proceso de recuperación; por lo tanto, 7-SRA es relevante para ser empleado como una práctica basada en la evidencia (EBP) en el problema de la drogadicción, en particular como un tratamiento posterior

Systematic Review of Stress and Coping Strategies during Pandemic COVID-19 Among Students in Higher Learning Institutions

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that strike Malaysia and the rest of the world has given a huge variety of implications especially in the aspect of mental health. Students are no exception in dealing with it. It requires every student to adapt to the new norms that exist in teaching and learning (T&L) system. Thus, this study aims to examine the coping strategies and stress management that can be applied by students in dealing with stress during the pandemic. To achieve this goal a systematic search was conducted, and a simple thematic analysis approach was used to identify the coping strategies among students at higher learning institutions as discussed by previous researchers on similar topics from three search engines on (1) Scopus, (2) Social Science Citation Index (SSCI), and (3) Science Direct from 2015 to 2021 to determine the latest evidence and observations. A literature review of 10 relevant studies was rigorously analysed to get understanding of coping strategies and stress management amongst students at higher learning institutions. The findings show that there are four critical factors in stress management including (1) time management, (2) internet access issues, (2) academic workload and (4) adaptation to new norms. In addition, there are three types of coping strategies that students can do in coping with stress. Research pertaining to these issues are still lacking. This study is seen to be a new platform and guidelines especially for educational institutions to ensure that every student is equipped with stress management skills that can lead to personal well -being

Exploration of Challenges Among Gifted and Talented Children

Most gifted students love to study, work hard to complete cognitive tasks, and wanted to have more difficult subjects for enhancing their intellectual capability. However, they are unable to do so in their regular classes even in their special gifted group. Some of the challenges faced by gifted and talented students are teachers’ stigma, negative peer attitudes, difficulty understanding others, problems related to perfectionism, as well as impatience and intolerance. Thus, there is a dire need to cater the social and emotional issues of these students. Counselors may be unaware and unable to respond to these concerns because they are not well-trained to counsel this unique population. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the characteristics of gifted and talented students, challenges that they face and the need for counseling approaches to address all these issues to unleash the learning and development of gifted students

Pengukuhan orientasi seksual terhadap sesama jenis (Gay) dalam kalangan remaja lelaki: Implikasi terhadap keluarga dan rakan sebaya

Masalah homoseksual di seluruh dunia kian membimbangkan dan Malaysia turut tidak terlepas dari terkena tempias amalan songsang ini. Tambah merunsingkan adalah apabila perangkaan statistik menunjukkan peningkatan trend individu yang mengamalkan homoseksual (gay) ini. Sesungguhnya orientasi seksual terhadap sesama jenis ini mempunyai pelbagai implikasi negatif kepada pengamalnya dan individu di sekeliling mereka seperti ibu bapa dan rakan sebaya. Justeru, kajian ini dijalankan adalah untuk mengenal pasti faktor pengukuhan orientasi seksual terhadap sesama jenis (gay) dalam kalangan remaja lelaki serta implikasinya terhadap keluarga dan rakan sebaya. Maklumat yang diketengahkan adalah berdasarkan kajian kualitatif melalui reka bentuk kajian skop. Sebanyak 36 artikel telah dijumpai dan dipilih dari EBSCO-Host, pangkalan data universiti bermula dari tahun 2015 hingga Januari 2021. Melalui teori pengukuhan atau pembentukan identiti gay yang dikemukakan oleh Cass (1996), pemahaman terhadap pengukuhan orientasi seksual terhadap sesama jenis dalam kalangan remaja dapat dihuraikan secara terperinci. Kajian mendapati bahawa terdapat pelbagai faktor yang membawa kepada pengukuhan orientasi seksual terhadap gay termasuklah faktor genetik, gaya asuhan ibu bapa, naluri dan faktor persekitaran. Orientasi seksual terhadap sesama jenis ini juga telah memberikan pelbagai implikasi negatif kepada perhubungan antara ibu bapa dan rakan sebaya. Konklusinya, kajian ini amatlah relevan dan signifikan dalam membincangkan isu homoseksual kerana ia dapat membantu badan-badan terlibat termasuklah keluarga dan rakan sebaya dalam mengatur strategi-strategi terpilih bagi berhadapan dengan implikasi buruk dari amalan homoseksual ini

Desafíos de los consejeros escolares de Malasia en la descripción del trabajo, la satisfacción laboral y la competencia

School counselors play an important role in providing professional counseling services. In Malaysia, the role of school counselors correlates in filling the needs of developed countries by 2020 to develop a human capital with a strong identity and are noble, knowledgeable, and highly skilled. To perform these roles, school counselors need to constantly improve their knowledge, skills, and competencies to meet the demands and needs related to the wellbeing of students holistically. These include the students’ emotional, mental, and behavioral health, which in turn contribute to academic excellence. This study aimed to explore the challenges of Malaysian school counselors in their job descriptions, job satisfaction, and competency. This was a qualitative study that used semi-structured interviews conducted with five school counselors. The results provided valuable information about the practice of counseling in a school setting in Malaysia. Results showed that conflict existed within the job scope and role of school counselors, job satisfaction, and competency of school counselors. This study supported the notion that the counseling service in primary schools should be given attention by the responsible authorities in order to enhance the quality of the profession. The implication of the study was to improve the practice of counseling in primary school settings in Malaysia.Los consejeros escolares juegan un papel importante en la prestación de servicios de asesoramiento profesional. En Malasia, el papel de los consejeros escolares se correlaciona para satisfacer las necesidades de los países desarrollados en 2020 para desarrollar un capital humano con una fuerte identidad y que sean nobles, conocedores y altamente calificados. Para desempeñar estos roles, los consejeros escolares deben mejorar constantemente sus conocimientos, habilidades y competencias para satisfacer las demandas y necesidades relacionadas con el bienestar integral de los estudiantes. Estos incluyen la salud emocional, mental y conductual de los estudiantes, que a su vez contribuyen a la excelencia académica. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo explorar los desafíos de los consejeros escolares de Malasia en sus descripciones de trabajo, satisfacción laboral y competencia. Este fue un estudio cualitativo que utilizó entrevistas semiestructuradas realizadas con cinco consejeros escolares. Los resultados proporcionaron información valiosa sobre la práctica del asesoramiento en un entorno escolar en Malasia. Los resultados mostraron que existía un conflicto dentro del alcance del trabajo y el papel de los consejeros escolares, la satisfacción laboral y la competencia de los consejeros escolares. Este estudio apoyó la idea de que las autoridades responsables deberían prestar atención al servicio de asesoramiento en las escuelas primarias para mejorar la calidad de la profesión. La implicación del estudio fue mejorar la práctica del asesoramiento en entornos de escuelas primarias en Malasia

The implementation of contingency management intervention in an institutionalized drugs treatment facility in Malaysia

Despite Contingency Management Intervention (CM) having been proven to be a highly effective intervention in the context of substance use treatment and rehabilitation worldwide, it is still rarely studied in the context of institutionalized treatment settings. The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of CM intervention conducted in an institutionalized drug treatment setting in Malaysia. The study’s main objective was to examine the effectiveness of CM intervention on clients’ treatment engagement within a usual psychosocial (PS) program. A total of 44 clients from the Narcotic Addiction Rehabilitation Centre or PUSPEN were randomly assigned into two groups, namely the experimental group and the control group. The experimental group followed a 12-week psychosocial intervention (PS) with CM intervention (CM) (PS+CM). Meanwhile, the controlled group inclusively went through 12 weeks of the usual psychosocial intervention program (PS). CM intervention was used to reinforce clients’ engagement within treatment sessions by giving tangible rewards for every treatment engagement behaviour recorded. Rewards collected have an associated monetary value which was used to redeem retail items such as food, toiletries, books and clothing items. Data collection was performed weekly for every psychosocial session conducted by the PUSPEN’s treatment officers. The findings demonstrated that CM intervention effectively improves clients’ treatment engagement and verified that CM interventions can also be conducted in an institutionalized drug treatment setting in Malaysia

Persepsi pekerja terhadap sensitiviti gangguan seksual dan hubungannya dengan tingkah laku devian

Ketika ini, statistik kes gangguan seksual dan keganasan di Malaysia dilihat sedang mengalami peningkatan yang mendadak. Ia bukan sahaja berlaku di tempat awam, malah boleh berlaku di tempat kerja. Gangguan seksual dalam kalangan pekerja bukanlah isu yang boleh di pandang remeh kerana ianya merupakan isu sosial yang boleh memberi implikasi kepada produktiviti, motivasi dan persekitaran kerja yang berkualiti dan selamat. Justeru, kajian ini bertujuan untuk; a)mengenalpasti persepsi pekerja terhadap sensitiviti gangguan seksual dan hubungannya dengan tingkah laku devian. b)mengkaji perbezaan persepsi pekerja mengikut jenis jantina dan bangsa bagi sensitiviti terhadap gangguan seksual. kajian ini berbentuk tinjauan kuantitatif dengan menggunakan persampelan rawak mudah melibatkan 294 responden. Soal selidik yang digunakan adalah soal selidik adaptasi gangguan seksual daripada Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat 2019 dan Skala Delinkuen Junger 1997. Data kajian dianalisis menggunakan Program Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) versi 23 untuk menganalisis data statistik deskriptif dan inferensi. Hasil kajian mendapati bahawa perempuan lebih sensitif berbanding lelaki terhadap bentuk-bentuk gangguan seksual. Selain itu, dapatan menunjukkan semakin tinggi tingkah laku devian individu, maka semakin rendah tahap sensitivitinya terhadap gangguan seksual.Dari aspek bangsa, kajian menunjukkan terdapat perbezaan persepsi gangguan seksual mengikut bangsa yang mungkin dipengaruhi oleh gaya hidup, budaya dan agama. Berdasarkan dapatan kajian, gangguan seksual ini boleh dibendung dengan adanya kesedaran kendiri untuk mengelak kejadian berlaku terhadap diri sendiri. Pihak organisasi juga berperanan dalam mewujudkan faktor pelindung bagi menghalang tingkah laku ini berlaku di tempat kerja dengan menekankan etika kerja profesional dan mewujudkan saluran aduan bagi memelihara kesejahteraan persekitaran tempat kerja serta produktiviti pekerja