Reconceptualisation of self-directed learning in a Malaysian context

The concept of self-directed learning (SDL) has been extensively studied; however, the majority of studies have explored learners’ perspectives on SDL, with less attention paid to investigating SDL from educators’ perspectives. Surprisingly, while assessment and feedback have long been recognized as powerful elements which influence how learners approach their learning, and key research studies have examined how both assessment and feedback can encourage and enhance the development of SDL, this nevertheless remains an area that would benefit from increased attention. Moreover, although there is a growing body of literature investigating the cultural dimension of SDL, most of these studies are limited to examining the formation of SDL among individuals influenced by Western or Confucian cultures, ignoring the existence of other cultural groups. This study, which investigates Malaysian teacher educators’ conceptualisations of SDL, begins to address these gaps. The key research questions which guided the study are: 1) How do teacher educators in Malaysia conceptualise learning? 2) How do teacher educators in Malaysia conceptualise SDL? 3) To what extent do teacher educators in Malaysia perceive themselves as self-directed learners? 4) What kind of learning opportunities do teacher educators in Malaysia create for their learners to foster the development of SDL, and what is the particular role of assessment and feedback in SDL? Twenty Malaysian teacher educators were interviewed to obtain their views on SDL and to identify their pedagogical practices which may foster or hinder the development of SDL approaches among their learners. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to inform the methodological framework of this study, whilst a hybrid inductive and deductive analysis approach was used to analyse the interview data. The findings of the current study suggest that most assessment and feedback practices are heavily focused on assessments designed by educators and on educator-generated feedback, in which learners are passive recipients. It is argued that these practices have significantly contradicted the primary principle of SDL, which characterises the learner as the key agent of his or her own learning. The findings of this study suggest that a more comprehensive conceptualisation of SDL is required that recognises the fundamental role of both the self and of educators in SDL, and acknowledges the impact of the socio-cultural context on SDL. Informed by the existing SDL literature, and derived from fine-grained analysis of the interview data, the proposed definition of SDL and reconceptualised SDL framework foreground SDL as socially constructed learning where the learner takes control of his or her own learning processes within complex socio cultural contexts. The thesis concludes by recommending that future research (i) explores the central role of assessment and feedback in the context of SDL and (ii) investigates the impact of various cultures on learning, in order to develop a broader and more nuanced understanding of SDL

Designing a Production-oriented Approach-Based Mobile-Assisted Interpreting Learning Module Using Fuzzy Delphi Method

This research addresses a significant gap in the field of interpreting education. While interpreting is widely acknowledged as a complex language skill, it has received minimal attention in educational research. Despite the advancements in language education, mobile-assisted learning has gained popularity as an effective teaching method. However, it remains largely unexplored in interpreting education. This study stands out by introducing a novel mobile-assisted interpreting learning (MAIL) module based on the productionoriented approach, which combines mobile technology with language learning. To ensure the credibility of the module, a fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) involving fifteen experts was employed. This method resulted in a strong consensus on the elements, objectives, content, procedure, and design of the mobile device. Notably, 37 out of the 39 elements received unanimous approval from the experts. The final output is a practical and implementable module called production-oriented approach-based mobile-assisted interpreting learning (POMAIL). It includes a clear flowchart designed for educators and researchers. This research makes a significant contribution to the field of education by providing valuable guidance in mobile-assisted learning and language education. It has the potential to reshape the field

The challenges of implementing cultural-based teaching in remedial education: analyses and recommendations

In remedial education, teachers play a crucial role in ensuring students from diverse backgrounds master language literacy skills. The current implementation of cultural-based teaching is perceived as an effort to assist remedial students from diverse backgrounds and cultures to learn effectively. The study aims to analyze teachers’ perceptions of challenges in implementing cultural-based teaching in remedial education for language literacy. The study employed a quantitative approach by distributing questionnaires to 252 remedial teachers recruited randomly from primary schools in the Malaysian middle-state zone. The collected data were evaluated descriptively, and the results revealed that these teachers experienced challenges in four areas, namely teaching resources, remedial curricula, teacher knowledge, and time allocation. Moreover, the findings demonstrated that demographic factors, such as gender, school location, and years of teaching experience, did not produce significant impacts on the aforementioned challenges. Simultaneously, this study explored teachers’ perceptions of recommending culturally responsive teaching approaches in remedial education as an alternative to the current cultural-based teaching methodology

Conceptualization of e-professionalism among physics student teachers

The ever-growing digital world has driven the rise of various social media platforms, creating unique challenges for school teachers. Incidents involving teachers’ unprofessional online behavior may potentially damage careers and the reputation of the teaching profession. Accordingly, this constructivist grounded theory research interviewed 38 physics student teachers (PSTs) to explore how they perceive e-professionalism and its impact on their future teaching careers. Data involving PSTs’ current social media practices, professional identity reflection and awareness of social media content were analyzed manually using hybrid thematic analysis. Findings reveal the use of social media mainly focuses on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram and TikTok where distinction between social online identity and professional identity were commonly blurred. The PSTs’ notions of classroom selfies and political expressions on social media were likely attributed to a lack of related regulations, policies or guidelines. Moreover, a finding of major concern is the PSTs’ hesitancy to act upon inappropriate online behaviors. Their lack of professional awareness and knowledge of e-professionalism can be traced back to their training period where less emphasis was given to developing their competencies in this area. This research has crucial practical implications for designing a relevant teacher education curriculum to effectively address e-professionalism

Tahap keprihatinan guru terhadap penggunaan i-Think merentasi kurikulum dalam proses pembelajaran dan pemudahcaraan

Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti tahap keprihatinan guru dalam pelaksanaan dan amalan i-Think. Concern Based Adaptation Model (CBAM) telah digunakan bagi menentukan tahap keprihatinan guru dan instrumen soal selidik Stage of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ) telah diadaptasikan agar sesuai dengan konteks Malaysia. Seramai 153 orang guru sekolah rendah di Sarawak telah dipilih secara rawak sebagai sampel kajian. Dapatan menunjukkan profil “bukan penggguna” bagi profil umum dan profil demografik kerana guru menunjukkan peratus skor keprihatinan yang tinggi pada Tahap 0 (Kesedaran), Tahap 1 (Maklumat), Tahap 2 (Peribadi) dan Tahap 3 (Pengurusan), manakala peratus skor keprihatinan adalah rendah pada Tahap 4 (Kesan) dan Tahap 5 (Kerjasama). Semua guru kecuali guru lelaki dan guru Bahasa Melayu mempamerkan kenaikan skor pada Tahap 6 (Fokus Semula) yang ditafsirkan sebagai guru yang enggan berubah dan kurang percaya akan keberkesanan i-Think. Meskipun begitu, peratus skor keprihatinan guru bagi Tahap 1 adalah lebih tinggi berbanding dengan Tahap 2 yang menunjukkan guru mempunyai minat dan bersifat terbuka akan pelaksanaan i-Think di dalam kelas, namun mereka memerlukan maklumat dan pendedahan yang lebih lanjut mengenai i-Think. Hasil kajian ini boleh digunakan oleh pakar pendidikan untuk merancang latihan dalam perkhidmatan secara berkala berkaitan i-Think

Implementing Zero Reject Policy: The Study of Adaptive Teaching Skills Among Primary School Teachers In Rural Sarawak

The Zero Rejection Policy (ZRP) is a proactive measure by Malaysia to ensure the rights and equal access of children to education in the country. Thus, the introduction of ZRP introduced in December 2018 brought a paradigm shift to education in Malaysia, especially special education. The admission of Special Needs Pupils (SEN) in schools without any rejection leads to the implementation of inclusive education in mainstream classrooms. Thus, this study aims to examine the level of adaptive teaching skills among primary school teachers in order to implement Zero Reject Policy. This quantitative study had involved 230 primary school teachers for quantitative research and 13 teachers for qualitative research. The findings of the quantitative study show that teachers have a high level of adaptive teaching skills. However, the qualitative study found that the majority of teachers stated their level of adaptive teaching skills among teachers was only in the intermediate level. While almost half of the teachers have not been able to receive MBK in the classroom because they are still not confident to teach inclusive classes. Therefore, it is recommended that courses and training be implemented for teachers to improve the skills and knowledge of teachers to implement ZRP in schools

Modelo de desarrollo curricular para el curso de identidad corporativa transcultural en el programa de diseño gráfico

This study aims to develop a curriculum development model for cross-cultural corporate identity course for Graphic Design programme in higher education institution. The cross-cultural component in this study is based on local cultural contexts from ethnic groups in Peninsular Malaysian, Sabah and Sarawak. At present, the study on curriculum development which includes cross culture in the teaching of graphic design in the local contexts is lacking. Furthermore, there are insufficient studies done to evaluate students’ cross-cultural competence in the context of formal education institution. Unfortunately, even though the practice of cross-cultural design is increasingly recognised, research on the design of the corporate identity curriculum is still lacking. Therefore, the objective of this study is to present a framework for a curriculum development model for cross-cultural corporate identity course for diploma in graphic design programme which include three key components: (1) identify the key components in curriculum model development, (2) outline and develop a curriculum model and (3) evaluate its feasibility based on cross-cultural in the process of learning creative corporate identity for the education of graphic design art. The Design and Developmental Research model is applied to develop such a model. The conceptual model proposed in this study outline three main aspects - namely (1) to put forward and establish the need to create the cross-cultural model of corporate identity of graphic design arts in the local higher learning institutions which is concurrent with the demands of current academic and creative industries, (2) design and development phase and (3) evaluation and usability phase. The development of the cross-cultural curriculum model is a guide for diploma lecturers in the education of graphic design arts to facilitate the implementations of project-based teaching and learning to be more responsive by applying local and cultural elements in the product designs. Knowing local cultures is a great way to encourage future diploma graduate graphic designers to produce more product designs with quality attributes such as being authentic, and highlighting locally-produced graphics which then have the potential to flourish globally.Este estudio tiene como objetivo desarrollar un modelo de desarrollo curricular para un curso de identidad corporativa intercultural para el programa de Diseño Gráfico en una institución de educación superior. El componente intercultural en este estudio se basa en contextos culturales locales de grupos étnicos en Malasia peninsular, Sabah y Sarawak. En la actualidad, falta el estudio sobre el desarrollo curricular que incluye la cultura cruzada en la enseñanza del diseño gráfico en los contextos locales. Además, no hay suficientes estudios realizados para evaluar la competencia intercultural de los estudiantes en el contexto de la institución de educación formal. Desafortunadamente, a pesar de que la práctica del diseño intercultural es cada vez más reconocida, todavía falta investigación sobre el diseño del plan de estudios de identidad corporativa. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de este estudio es presentar un marco para un modelo de desarrollo curricular para un curso de identidad corporativa intercultural para un diploma en programa de diseño gráfico que incluya tres componentes clave: (1) identificar los componentes clave en el desarrollo del modelo curricular, (2 ) esbozan y desarrollan un modelo curricular y (3) evalúan su viabilidad basada en la cultura intercultural en el proceso de aprendizaje de la identidad corporativa creativa para la educación del arte del diseño gráfico. El modelo de Diseño e Investigación del Desarrollo se aplica para desarrollar dicho modelo. El modelo conceptual propuesto en este estudio esboza tres aspectos principales: (1) presentar y establecer la necesidad de crear el modelo intercultural de identidad corporativa de las artes del diseño gráfico en las instituciones locales de educación superior que sea concurrente con las demandas de industrias académicas y creativas actuales, (2) fase de diseño y desarrollo y (3) fase de evaluación y usabilidad. El desarrollo del modelo curricular intercultural es una guía para los profesores con diploma en la educación de las artes del diseño gráfico para facilitar la implementación de la enseñanza y el aprendizaje basados ​​en proyectos para ser más receptivos mediante la aplicación de elementos locales y culturales en los diseños de productos. Conocer las culturas locales es una excelente manera de alentar a los futuros diseñadores gráficos graduados de diplomas a producir más diseños de productos con atributos de calidad como ser auténticos y resaltar gráficos producidos localmente que luego tienen el potencial de prosperar a nivel mundial

Keberkesanan model konstruktivisme Lima Fasa Needham terhadap kemahiran penulisan hujah murid sekolah menengah atas

Kemahiran penulisan hujah dalam esei argumentatif memerlukan proses kognisi murid yang tinggi. Maka, kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti keberkesanan teori konstruktivisme model Lima Fasa Needham terhadap kemahiran penghujahan murid sekolah menengah atas. Reka bentuk kuasi eksperimen digunakan untuk melihat perbandingan kemahiran menulis hujah dalam esei jenis argumentatif antara kumpulan eksperimen dan kumpulan kawalan di sebuah sekolah menengah kebangsaan di Sibu, Sarawak. Kemahiran menulis hujah bagi kedua-dua kumpulan ini diuji berdasarkan ujian pra dan ujian pasca. Sampel kajian ini melibatkan 20 orang murid bagi kumpulan eksperimen dan 20 orang murid bagi kumpulan kawalan. Dapatan kajian dianalisis menggunakan aplikasi Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Versi 20. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan dalam pencapaian murid bagi kumpulan eksperimen setelah pendekatan teori konstruktivisme Model Lima Fasa Needham diperkenalkan dalam penulisan esei argumentatif dengan t(38) = -3.240, p<.05. Min skor pencapaian murid dalam penulisan hujah bagi kumpulan eksperimen telah menunjukkan peningkatan, iaitu min ujian pra ialah 11.35 dan min ujian pasca ialah 14.40. Dapatan kajian membuktikan bahawa pendekatan teori konstruktivisme Model Lima Fasa Needham berkesan dalam meningkatkan pencapaian murid dalam penulisan hujah. Implikasinya, guru Bahasa Melayu digalakkan menggunakan model Lima Fasa Needham dalam pengajaran mereka

Penguasaan kemahiran teknologi komunikasi dan maklumat (ICT) terhadap kecekapan kerja

Kemajuan teknologi semakin meningkat pada era globalisasi pada masa kini sehingga memberi impak yang sangat besar kepada hampir kesemua sistem yang ada di dunia ini terutama yang diperlukan untuk pemprosesan data. Setiap sektor pekerjaan tidak kira awam mahupun swasta mempunyai cabarannya tersendiri. Kemahiran dan kecekapan ICT merupakan perkara yang menjadi keutamaan mengikut peredaran zaman pada masa kini. Terdapat sesetengah pekerja di dalam sektor perkeranian masih berada di tahap pengetahuan ICT yang rendah. Hal ini dapat dilihat melalui penggunaan teknologi yang sangat minimum. Isu penguasaan kecekapan kerja melalui penggunaan lCT harus diberi penekanan bagi memastikan pekerja sentiasa menunjukkan prestasi kerja yang baik, meningkatkan kepuasan kerja mereka serta sekaligus menyumbang kepada prestasi kerja yang bagus. Oleh itu kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti kecekapan dalam penguasaan Kemahiran Teknologi Komunikasi dan Maklumat (ICT) terhadap pekerja perkeranian. Kajan ini telah menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif yang mana soal selidik dipilih sebagai instrumen kajian. Seramai 200 orang responden digunakan untuk mengisi serta menjawab pernyataan dalam borang soal selidik berkenaan. Pengkaji menggunakan kaedah analisis data secara analisis statistik deskriptif. Hasil kajian mendapati bahawa kecekapan dalam menggunakan perkakasan merupakan bidang atau jenis penguasaan kecekapan yang paling dikuasai oleh pekerja kerani. Bidang atau jenis penguasaan kecekapan dalam menggunakan perkakasan ini mencatatkan nilai skor min paling tinggi iaitu sebanyak 4.4. Hal ini kerana penggunaan perkakasan dapat memudahkan pekerja kerani dalam menghantar surat mahupun dokumen yang perlu mendapatkan pengesahan daripada pegawai atasan. Hasil kajian ini diharapkan dapat memberi manfaat kepada mana-mana pihak untuk mengetahui bidang atau jenis penguasaan kecekapan ICT yang mampu meningkatkan tahap kecekapan kerja perkeranian

Introduction of hands-on session using kolb experiential learning theory approach in teaching chemical instrumentation subject

Chromatography is a high-technology instrument that is widely used in the various in the various industry for decades. Hence, Science Bachelor Graduates’ that possesses ability to handle instrumentation are useful for their job nature. Learning approach that depends highly on lecture mode only enhance students’ knowledge on chromatographic techniques, but they might not possess skills on instruments handling. Therefore, the learning approach of Chemical Instrumentation Method (KKKR5833) subject using a Kolb Experiental Learning Theory are running by hybrid mode of lecture and hands-on teaching approach on chromatography. A total of 16 registered students were the respondent of this study. These students had been given lecture on the theoretical part of chromatography and later on, in agreement with the experiential learning theories, student will experience hands-on learning activity in HPLC laboratory session. Finally, a full report after completing the hands-on session for their overall experience in laboratory. Majority of the students that took this elective subject agreed that hands-on experience of using chromatography increases their knowledge on it and mastering the preparation of sample skill is very useful while 50% of the students put more effort in this subject and manage to score excellently. Moreover, majority graduate student express agreement that basic knowledge and skills on chromatographic is important before working and indicated that students with knowledge and skills on chromatographic instrumentation have higher chance of employment. This statement also agreed by respondent from industries. This prove that hands-on teaching and learning approach in laboratory using chromatography instrument able to enhance knowledge and student skills