Pendekatan dan Perkaedahan Pengajaran Kesusasteraan KBSM: Cabaran-cabaran Kepada Guru Kesusasteraan

Reformasi di dalam pendidikan yang telah berlaku di dekad mutakhir telah mengubah tentang falsafah, pendekatan dan kaedah mengajar. Penegasan dalam Falsafah Pendidikan Negara (FPN) yang berhasrat mahu "mewujudkan insan yang seimbang dan harmonis daripada intelek, rohani, emosi dan jasmani, berdasarkan kepercayaan dan kepatuhan kepada Tuhan", di samping penggubalan Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah (KBSM) dengan matlamat-matlamat yang amat jitu dan ideal, menuntut pendekatan mengajar dalam mata pelajaran dengan mengutamakan "strategi-strategi pengajaran yang berunsur penyelesaian rnasalah atau inkuiri untuk membina kemampuan berfikir, menimbang dan membuat keputusan yang saksama"

Hubungan di Antara Kualiti Kehidupan Kerja dan Kesetiaan Kepada Organisasi di Kalangan Kakitangan Sokongan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Kajian-kajian di Barat menunjukkan bahawa kualiti kehidupan kerja (KKK) mempengaruhi kesetiaan kepada organisasi (KKO). Di Malaysia, kajian-kajian khusus seumpama ini belum pernah dibuat Kajian perintis ini cuba meneroka hubungan di antara KKK dan KKO di Malaysia dengan Universiti Kebangsan Malaysia (UKM) sebagai kes. Adakah KKK yang diterima oleh kakitangan sokongan UKM berhubungan dengan kesetiaan mereka kepada organisasi? Kajian ini memberi tumpuan kepada hubungan di antara KKK dan KKO di kalangan kakitangan sokongan UKM. Ia juga mengkaji persepsi mereka tentang KKK dan KKO dan perbezaan KKO mengikut jantina, umur, pendapatan, lama berkhidmat, kmnpulan perkhidmatan dan tahap pendidikan. Satu set soalselidik digunakan untuk mengumpul data bagi 387 orang kakitangan sokongan UKM yang terbahagi kepada dua alat ukuran. KKK diukur menggtmakan kriteria Walton (1973) sementara ukuran KKO berdasarkan ubabsuai daripada skala Organizational Commitment Questionnaire oteh Mowday et. al. (1979) dan daripada skala oleh Cook dan Wall (1980). Data kajian dianalisis melalui ujian-t, ANOVA dan analisis korelasi Pearson dengan menggunakan pakej SPSSX. Hasil analisis korelasi menunjukkan bahawa KKK mempunyai hubungan signifikan positif yang kuat dengan KKO (r=0.51) di kalangan kakitangan sokongan UKM. Kriteria perkembangan keupayaan manusia mempunyai hubungan signifikan positif yang paling tinggi dengan KKO (r=0.44) sementara kriteria persekitaran tempat kerja yang selamat dan sihat mempunyai hubungan signifikan positif yang paling rendah dengan KKO (r=0.21). Kajian juga mendapati kakitangan sokongan UKM mempunyai persepsi yang tinggi terbadap KKK dan setia kepada organiYsinya. Ujian-t dan ANOVA menunjukkan terdapat perbezaan signifikan tentang KKO mengikut umur, pendapatan dan lama berkhidmat, tetapi tidak terdapat perbezaan signifikan mengikut jantina, kumpulan perkhidmatan dan tahap pendidikan. Kakitangan yang berusia lebih tua, berpendapatan lebih tinggi dan yang telah lama berkhidmat adalah lebih setia kepada UKM berbanding dengan mereka yang lebih muda, berpendapatan lebih rendah dan yang baru berkhidmat

Improving utility accrual scheduling algorithm for adaptive real-time system

In this paper, we proposed a preemptive utility accrual scheduling (or PUAS) algorithm to further extend the functionalities of General Utility Scheduling (or GUS) algorithm proposed by Peng Li [1]. Both of these algorithms are developed for adaptive real-time system environment where untoward effects such as deadline misses and overloads are tolerable. The proposed algorithm focused on an independent task model, which works on deadline constraints that are specified by using step time/utility functions (or TUFs). The proposed algorithm improves the GUS algorithm by preempting the tasks that GUS abort due to its lower PUD, lowering abortion ratio which in turn increase accrued utility. This met the scheduling objective of maximizing utility, which are achieved thru completion of all tasks. Results from our simulations showed that the proposed algorithm PUAS achieved higher utility and lower abortion ration compared to GUS algorithm. This in effect, produced a much lower average response time, making PUAS more efficient in time-critical application domain

Evaluating the Cost of Quality in the Furniture Factory

The study was carried out in a furniture factory, which specialises in manufacturing of bedroom, and dining set furniture for export market. The purpose of this study was to identify the quality cost and to provide guidance to general management and quality program management to enable them to structure and manage programs to assist in the overall product cost reduction. The cost of quality was divided into four groups, which were prevention cost, appraisal cost, internal failure cost and external failure cost. The prevention cost was 30.2%, appraisal cost was 17.6%, internal failure cost was 43% and external failure cost was 9%. The major contributor internal failure cost was from down grading cost, valued at RM 30,000, The main contribution from prevention cost was quality planning around Rm 30,000. Receiving inspection gave a higher value in appraisal cost , which was RM 13,800 and the external cost just contributed only RM 10,000. Warranty claim was the most highest cost, it came from the department of Replacement Part or RP. From the result it showed that typical ratio for TOC as a percentage of sales was 15%, value added was 37% and direct labor cost was 2.7%. The value of direct labour cost was below 5% (international standard). This showed that this company has an efficient quality program and well trained staff to fulfill the quality requirements

Metal concentrations in Sungai Sedili Kecil, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia

Water and sediment from five sampling stations in Sungai Sedili Kecil were sampled in October 2010 and analyzed for 11 metals including cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), aluminium (Al), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), arsenic (As) and argentum (Ar). Results showed that the mean dissolved metal concentrations (in μg/L) in Sungai Sedili waters based on 5 sampling stations (in descending order) for Fe, Al, Zn, Cu, As, Mn, Ni, Pb, Co, Cd and Ag were 443.7, 52.7, 50.2, 34.2, 25.9, 20.3, 6.8, 1.4, 0.77, 0.67 and 0.10 μg/L, respectively. Mean metal concentrations (in μg/g dry weight) for sediments (in descending order) for Fe, Al, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cu, As, Ni, Co, Cd and Ag were 33389.4, 17118.7, 190.5, 55.1, 29.1, 26.3, 19.3, 10.9, 4.7, 0.18 and 0.12 μg/g, respectively. A comparison with various water and sediment quality standards showed that the mean metal concentrations in surface water and sediment of Sungai Sedili Kecil were low and within the range of natural background except for Cu and Fe in water

Orientation Effect On Mechanical Properties of Kenaf Reinforced Polypropylene Composite

Polymer composite is widely used in many applications such as automotive, aerospace, piping system and medical tools. The advantages of polymer composite include light weight, high performance to weight ratio and minimum environmental impact. Studies on the influence of long fiber orientation on mechanical properties were rarely done. If long fibers are placed in both longitudinal and transverse directions, the mechanical properties are expected to be improved in both directions. To verify this hypothesis, this project was proposed. The objective of this project was to study the effect of kenaf fiber orientation on the tensile strength and flexural properties of the PP/kenaf composites. In this project, polypropylene was used as matrix and kenaf was used as reinforcement. The orientation of the kenaf fiber was varied. The composite was produced from two sheets of polypropylene and kenaf fiber was placed in the middle of the sheets. This processing technique was referred to compression moulding with laminate approach. The fiber in the middle was aligned into 5 orientations and each orientation underwent tensile and flexural tests. The highest tensile strength and flexural properties were obtained in unidirectional fiber orientation. Improvement of 145%, 24% and 65% were achieved in tensile strength, flexural strength and flexural modulus, respectively

Measuring the Role of Auditor Governance and its Impact on the Gap Credibility of Accounting Information

The study aimed at measuring the role of auditor governance and its effect on the gap credibility of accounting information; that was done from the point of view of auditors in licensed offices in Jordan. To achieve this goal, the researcher dealt with two kinds of data; those were the secondary and the primary ones. A questionnaire was distributed to the sample which included 261 auditors working at the offices included in the study. It was found that there was an effect for the governance mechanisms for the auditors (auditors' independency, auditors' commitment to auditing standards, auditors' commitment to the job behavior rules, and auditors' commitment to the quality control standards) on the accounting information credibility gap from the point of the auditors. Keywords: Auditor governance, Corporate Governance, Gap Credibility of Accounting Information.