Polytechnic English language lecturers attitudes towards the teaching of communicative English

The aim of this study is to explore the polytechnic English Language lecturers’ attitudes towards the teaching of Communicative English, which has been introduced in 2010 in the current English syllabus. It also sets out to investigate the challenges the lecturers face in teaching Communicative English syllabus. Participants of this study were 15 English language lecturers teaching at Malaysian Polytechnics and the main mode of data collection was informal interview. Interview data were qualitatively analysed with initial descriptive codes being assigned to lecturers’ responses. Results from the study indicate that the English language lecturers felt that the current Communicative English syllabus could help to prepare students for the workplace needs. However, issues related to students, institutional policy, non-academic tasks and professionalism were reported as challenges in teaching Communicative English courses. This study allows relevant authorities to identify the attitudes and challenges faced by English language lecturers and to facilitate these lecturers who are teaching the new Communicative English syllabus at Malaysian polytechnics

Polytechnic english language lecturers research competencies and interests

Malaysian polytechnics are being geared towards rapid transformation to develop a marketable workforce to meet the demand of a developed nation by 2020. In line with the polytechnic transformational plan, three polytechnics were upgraded to the status of premier polytechnics (university level) and several degree programmes are being offered. The transformational plan presents a great challenge to its academic staffas they are expected to enhance their quality of teaching and participate in other scholarly activities such as research and publication. These expectations can only be fulfilled if the lecturers research competencies are at a stage that would enable them to produce research outputs. Thus, this study aims to identify the level of research competencies of English language lecturers in these premier polytechnics and explore their research interests in areas that are generally, covered at international conferences and publications via questionnaire. The results of the study indicate that overall, the lecturers are at the practitioner level of research competency and show a strong interest in almost all the research topics covered in Malaysian international conferences on English language teaching and learning. Hence, these findings will provide a guide to the institutions in order to build appropriate support system to support English language lecturers research efforts

Applying research to classroom practice: perceptions of English language lecturers at Malaysian polytechnics

This study explored the perceptions of English language lecturers in Malaysian polytechnics towards the relationship between English language teaching and learning research and classroom practice. While the research and practice gap is widely covered in various disciplines in the western culture, very little empirical study has been carried out in the non-western countries, specifically in the Malaysian higher learning context. A total of 123 English language lecturers teaching Communicative English at Malaysian polytechnics responded to a survey instrument which elicited both quantitative and qualitative data. Analysis of the data revealed that although the English language lecturers held positive views on research and its usefulness to classroom practice, they lack the experience, knowledge and skills to apply research findings in their teaching practice. The findings further provide insights that can be confronted to enhance English language lecturers' research engagement aimed at influencing classroom practice

Readiness to teach ESP: a case of polytechnic English language lecturers

This descriptive study explores the English language lecturers' readiness and training needs towards the teaching of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses in Malaysian Premier Polytechnics. Data were collected from 62 lecturers through questionnaires which were then analysed to obtain the value of frequency and percentage score. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six lecturers for cross-validation purposes and the data were qualitatively analysed with initial descriptive codes assigned to the lecturers' responses. This study reveals that the lecturers are still unprepared to teach ESP courses and need training to teach these them. It aims to provide English language lecturers with the information they need for self-reflection and to equip themselves with skills required for the teaching of ESP. At the same time, it is hoped that the study would highlight the immediate need for professional development and in-service training needs to the relevant authorities in order to enhance the readiness and skills of these lecturers to teach ESP

E-edunomics –Liberties In Democratizing The Digital Education Revolution

Customers, workers, and employers are all seeing their relationships recast by digital platforms. As a result, adapting to technology rather than simply embracing it has various advantages. Education and competition policies will also have to be changed. Future generations should be provided with the skills they will need to succeed in the developing economy through schools and colleges, while technological democratisation looms, a third wave of democracy is on the horizon. The importance of the Internet in promoting more public activism and government openness has been recognised. We propose the "E-edunomics Triangle" to demonstrate that, while the Internet has democratising impacts, it cannot offer democracy at all levels of society unless technologies are purposefully created for the intricacies of democracy, notably with the involvement of higher educational institutions, governments, and industry in initiating change through technical literacy

Performance and impacts of managed aquifer recharge interventions for agricultural water security: A framework for evaluation

To minimize and counter decline of groundwater levels and improve the availability of water for cropproduction, Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) interventions are widely adopted across India, often ini-tiated or supported by, local communities, state and central governments to improve the availability ofwater for irrigation. While the literature on MAR in India is vast, the science of their construction is lack-ing. Furthermore, there is an absence of a structured approach to evaluate the performance and impactof MAR interventions. Often, performance and impacts of MAR have been commented upon together,without distinguishing the two.In this article, we aim to propose that performance and impact are different from each other, andthat the evaluation of MAR interventions should take into account such differences between them. Aframework for performance and impact analysis, based on three levels, viz. primary, secondary and ter-tiary, is outlined. It is then applied to seven selected MAR interventions in India, Adarsha watershed –Andhra Pradesh, Gokulpura-Goverdhanpura watershed – Rajasthan, Kodangipalayam watershed – TamilNadu, Chikalgaon watershed – Maharashtra, Rajasamadhiyala watershed – Gujarat, Satlasana watershed– Gujarat and Sujalam Sufalam Yojana – Gujarat. Although, the evaluations of these case studies reportedwere not categorized into performance and impact, most of them have addressed both. However, noneof them could explicitly demonstrate that reported impacts were uniquely related to MAR interventions.If impacts are used as a surrogate for performance, it must be shown that impacts are uniquely linked toMAR interventions

Implementation of Socratic Method in online learning to enhance creative thinking: analysis review

Creative thinking is an aspect that should be given priority in the process of preparing a student to master higher-order thinking. It is particularly required, when an individual is in a situation to diversify the solutions of a problem to keep up with the current requirements. The process of acquiring creative thinking requires an environment that responds spontaneously for a solution. By using Socratic questioning, students will be given provocative questions to trigger spontaneous ideas along with the justification logic of each solution. The online learning environment, in which the method is employed, is indeed very conducive and suitable for teaching and learning purposes these days. In short, the role of online technology is to help students give ideas directly and spontaneously. This paper analyzed the extent to which previous studies had proven that, online learning environments which used the Socratic Method of provocation could help improve students' creative thinking

The affiliation between student achievement and elements of gamification in learning science

Gamification is a new form of approach that is being looked into in the world of education. With its game elements that relates to the needs of the current generation of users whose life is entangled in the world of technology. Yet the use of technology is not a one size fits all deal; thus it is important to identify how certain gamification elements influences students. This is vital point that needs to be understood before endeavouring further into the infusion of gamification in education. When achievement in academics is a norm in traditional learning; it thus becomes the benchmark of the students when it comes to assessing the level of their understanding. Therefore it is important in understanding the affiliation between student's achievement and gamification elements. A mixed method research was carried out with a group of 29 students in a secondary school in the southern Malaysian state of Johor. The subject chosen for this research was Science. The findings showed that game elements helped change the perspective of students when it came to learning with the help of technology; especially game elements. Most students related to badges as motivational push to strife harder in learning as it can be used a qualitative form of reward, as opposed to points and leader board. Despite this, there were students whom found that other gamification elements were relevant to their learning process as well. Hence, the importance of each game element is key in making gamification based learning a success