Role of English Language as a Literacy Tool in Shaping the Perception of Women’s Empowerment

Over the centuries, the notion of women’s empowerment has created an immense effect on both women and men. This research aims to study the influence of the English language in shaping the concept of women’s empowerment amongst undergraduate students in a private university in Malaysia. The objectives of this study are to identify male and female undergraduates’ perception towards women’s empowerment and to investigate the correlation between the role of the English language and the undergraduates’ perceptions towards women’s empowerment. This study is based on a correlational research design that includes 570 undergraduates from 6 distinct faculties. T-test and regression analysis were done to test the correlation between the variables and their significance. The findings of this study established that there is a significant difference between male and female students’ perceptions that indicates that female and male participants have varying perceptions towards women’s empowerment. With the English language playing a significant role in shaping the perception of women’s empowerment, the female participants were self-aware of how engagement in the English language can enhance the extent of their empowerment. Projection of the findings also addressed the growing importance of literacy as a mediator in the relationship between the English language and women’s empowerment

Influence of mental health on the well-being status among Malaysian adults before and during COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the well-being of individuals worldwide. Due to the scarcity of information in the Malaysian context, this study aimed at investigating the changes in well-being before and during the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia and its association with mental health status. This cross-sectional study was part of a Malaysian non-probabilistic online survey on psychosocial well-being in Malaysia, under the Personal and Family Coping with COVID-19 Global South Research Consortium. A total of 543 respondents (≥18 years old) were recruited using snowball sampling. A validated self-administered questionnaire for assessing sociodemographic characteristics, well-being, anxiety, boredom, and loneliness was circulated on social media platforms (such as Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp) and emails. Paired samples t-test, chi-square test, and multinomial logistic regression analyses were applied during data analysis. Results revealed significant changes in the mean scores of well-being, anxiety, boredom, and loneliness before and during MCO (p < 0.05). When comparing with no change in the well-being group, changes in boredom were less likely to be observed in the decreased well-being group (Adj OR = 0.874; p = 0.003) but were more likely to be observed in the group with increased well-being (Adj OR = 1.110; p = 0.002). The findings indicated that the pandemic did not necessarily create adverse effects. Instead, a different perspective is offered, which can be used as a public health strategy to help individuals cope with their mental health needs more positively

Ethical Conduct of E-Learners and E-Teachers in Online Learning Community

Effective teaching-learning participation in an online learning community necessitates both students and instructors to strike a balance of respect and tolerance with one another. In this perspective, participation in an online learning community does not differ much from participation in a conventional face-to-face classroom. In fact, the former requires a broader set of rules and policies to establish proper ethical conduct to avoid, if not resolve, actions that may be deemed inappropriate in an online learning community. In light of this awareness, the paper explores the actions of ethical conduct of e-Learners and eTeachers in WawasanLearn, an online learning community in Wawasan Open University. Discussion is further explored with some thoughts on current and future challenges facing ethical online education