Sport participation Constraints of Malaysian University Students

The purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons that keep Malaysian university students from participating in sport activities during their leisure time. The three-dimensional leisure constraints model was used as the theoretical framework for the study. The sample consisted of 303 students from University Putra Malaysia using survey instruments based on Crawford and Godbey’s (1987) Leisure Constraints Model. The instrument is designed to measure three types of constraints to sport participation: (1) structural, (2) interpersonal and (3) intrapersonal. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-tests and ANOVA. The results suggest the subjects were constrained most by structural factors such as lack of information about existing sport activities and facilities, inconvenient facility location and inconvenient facility operating hours. Female students experienced higher levels of structural and intrapersonal constraints than their male counterparts. Implications of the findings for sport administrators were given to overcome some constraints, and increase student’s participation in sport activities

Bilingual Education in Malaysia, Singapore and United States

This paper examines the major challenges encountered in the provision and implementation of bilingual education in Malaysia, Singapore and the United States

Mediating role of academic attitude on sports participation and academic performance

This study examines the mediating effect of academic attitude on the relationship between sport participation and academic achievement of student athletes in Saudi Arabia. A total of 102 subjects comprising of undergraduate student athletes from Saudi Arabia were randomly selected as the sample of this study. Participation in competitive sport is measured as frequency of the students’ participation in sports activities in a week (Wicker, Hallmann, Breuer, 2013) and whether the students are active members of sport university teams (Lindner & Kerr, 2000) or sport clubs (Dollman& Lewis, 2010). Academic achievement is measured by the formal academic report from the student athletes’ respective university. Survey of Study Habits & Attitudes (SSHA) by Brown and Holtzman (1956) was adapted to measure academic attitude. Result indicates a positive significant relationship between participation in competitive sport and academic achievement. Results also showed a partial mediation of academic attitude on the relationship between sport participation and academic achievement. It was concluded that when a student athlete developed a positive attitude towards academic achievements, the level of their participation in the sport competition will positively affect their academic scores

Sport activity and cultural integration of international students in Universiti Putra Malaysia

The aim of the study is to examine sport participation as a vehicle for cultural integration of international students at University Putra Malaysia (UPM). A total of 199 subjects were selected for the study. The Sport and Cultural Identity Scale (SCIS) developed by Allen (2010) was used to collect data. The instruments consist of 20 items measuring cultural maintenance and adaptation of to multicultural environment through sport. Even though the results show that sport participation among international students in UPM does not affect either their cultural maintenance or adaption to a multicultural environment, the mean score for the cultural adaptation is higher than the mean score for cultural maintenance with suggests that the subjects perceived opportunities for adapting a multicultural environment through sport were more important than for the cultural maintenance through sport

Prácticas universitarias estratégicas en el desarrollo de la alfabetización informacional del alumno

This study aimed to examine the role of university practice in student information literacy development. The study employed qualitative research design and involved 31 lecturers, librarians and students in a public research university. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using qualitative data analysis approach. The study found that student information literacy development is a discursive practice of information searching, organizing, analyzing, and synthesizing embedded in learning orientation that focuses on building, validating and disseminating knowledge and its mediating artefacts. The practice is influenced by multiple practices of communities within the institutions, namely the lecturers, librarians, students, and management. The study implicated student information literacy development could be supported by strategic partnerships between lecturers and librarians at the department level with lecturers holding an extra responsibility to stage the practice in the context of knowledge discipline so that students would develop, validate and disseminate knowledge and its mediating artefacts.Este estudio tuvo como objetivo examinar el papel de la práctica universitaria en el desarrollo de la alfabetización informacional de los estudiantes. El estudio empleó un diseño de investigación cualitativa e involucró a 31 profesores, bibliotecarios y estudiantes en una universidad pública de investigación. Los datos se recopilaron mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas y se analizaron mediante el enfoque de análisis de datos cualitativos. El estudio encontró que el desarrollo de la alfabetización informacional de los estudiantes es una práctica discursiva de búsqueda, organización, análisis y síntesis de información incrustada en la orientación del aprendizaje que se enfoca en construir, validar y diseminar conocimiento y sus artefactos mediadores. La práctica está influenciada por múltiples prácticas de comunidades dentro de las instituciones, a saber, los profesores, bibliotecarios, estudiantes y directivos. El estudio implicaba que el desarrollo de la alfabetización informacional de los estudiantes podría estar respaldado por alianzas estratégicas entre profesores y bibliotecarios a nivel de departamento con los profesores que tienen la responsabilidad adicional de organizar la práctica en el contexto de la disciplina del conocimiento para que los estudiantes desarrollen, validen y difundan el conocimiento y sus artefactos mediadores

Self-efficacy in the writing of Malaysian ESL learners

The ability to express one’s thoughts effectively in writing relies on one’s efficacy with regard to this skill-a skill which an individual needs in his/her lifelong learning journey. This study was conducted to examine English language learners’ self-efficacy in writing. Specifically, this study investigated the self-efficacy of Malaysian secondary school students learning English. The study also examined the relationship between the learners’ self-efficacy and their writing performance and competence. Two instruments were used to collect data. First, the participants were given writing assessments and their scores were reflected in their performance measurements. Second, the participants responded to the questionnaires on self-efficacy. The data were analysed using descriptive statistical techniques and a correlation analysis was also performed. Descriptive analysis showed that the respondents exhibited a medium level of self-efficacy in writing. Correlation analysis revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between self-efficacy and writing performance. This study contributes to the understanding of student self-efficacy; this enables teachers to develop useful teaching materials and train students in the use of effective writing strategies. This will help students develop a substantive knowledge of the writing process and increase their sense of self-efficacy surrounding writing, helping them go through a wonderful, though subconscious, lifelong learning experience

Penggunaan Bahasa Arab lisan dan hubungannya dengan strategi pengurusan sumber

Kursus bahasa Arab di Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) merupakan satu subjek elektif kepada pelajar peringkat ijazah sarjana muda. Kajian ini bertujuan mengkaji (1) tahap penggunaan bahasa Arab lisan dalam kalangan pelajar UiTM, (2) hubungan korelasi antara penggunaan bahasa Arab lisan dengan strategi pengurusan sumber yang terdiri daripada empat subkomponen iaitu strategi pengurusan masa dan pembelajaran, strategi pengurusan usaha, strategi belajar bersama-sama rakan serta strategi mencari bantuan, dan (3) perbezaan penggunaan strategi pengurusan sumber dalam kalangan pelajar yang mempunyai tahap penggunaan bahasa yang berbeza. Kajian ini berbentuk kajian campuran antara kuantitatif dan kualitatif yang menggunakan satu instrumen soal selidik pembelajaran kendiri (self-regulated learning) dan temu bual pelajar. Data kuantitatif melibatkan seramai 455 orang sampel yang dipilih berdasarkan teknik persampelan rawak berstrata (stratified random sampling). Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa (1) tahap penggunaan bahasa Arab lisan dalam kalangan pelajar adalah sederhana, malah penggunaan bahasa di luar kelas adalah lebih sederhana berbanding di dalam kelas, (2) terdapat hubungan korelasi yang signifikan antara tahap penggunaan bahasa Arab lisan dengan penggunaan strategi belajar bersama-sama rakan serta strategi pengurusan masa dan pembelajaran, serta (3) terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan dalam penggunaan strategi belajar bersama-sama rakan dalam kalangan pelajar yang berbeza tahap penggunaan bahasa Arab lisan. Kajian ini mencadangkan agar tahap pengunaan strategi belajar bersama-sama rakan serta strategi pengurusan masa dan pembelajaran dapat dipertingkatkan supaya tahap penggunaan bahasa dalam kalangan pelajar juga meningkat. Antara lainnya, ia dapat dilakukan melalui aktiviti berkumpulan secara kolaboratif dan juga penggunaan pembantu pembelajaran dalam kalangan pelaja

Penggunaan Strategi Belajar Bersama Rakan Dalam Kalangan Pelajar Kursus Bahasa Arab Di Universiti Teknologi Mara (Uitm) (The Use Of Peer Learning Strategy Among Arabic Language Course Students At Universiti Teknologi Mara (Uitm))

Kursus bahasa Arab di Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) merupakan satu subjek elektif kepada pelajar peringkat ijazah sarjana muda. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk melihat penggunaan strategi belajar bersama-sama rakan dalam kalangan pelajar dalam konteks kemahiran lisan bahasa Arab di UiTM. Ia berbentuk kajian campuran antara kuantitatif dan kualitatif serta menggunakan instrumen soal selidik pembelajaran kendiri (self-regulated learning) yang diubah suai daripada skala The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) serta temu bual. Seramai 445 orang sampel terlibat dalam soal selidik yang dipilih melalui teknik persampelan rawak berstrata (stratified random sampling). Data kualitatif pula melibatkan 13 siri temu bual bersama pelajar. Kajian ini mendapati bahawa secara keseluruhannya, pelajar menggunakan strategi ini pada tahap yang tinggi. Penelitian terhadap subkomponen strategi ini pula menunjukkan bahawa ia paling banyak digunakan dalam gerak kerja berkumpulan, manakala tahap kesediaan pelajar untuk menerangkan pelajaran kepada rakan serta kesediaan pelajar untuk meluangkan masa untuk berbincang dengan rakan, masih lagi sederhana. Kajian ini mencadangkan beberapa langkah penambahbaikan dalam pembelajaran kemahiran lisan bahasa Arab di UiTM seperti menggunakan pembantu pembelajaran bahasa Arab dalam kalangan pelajar sendiri

Transformational Leadership and Satisfaction in Sports: Examination of the Influence of Leadership Substitute Variables

Using Kerr and Jermier’s (1978) leadership substitutes theory as framework, this study examined the extent to which situational variables moderate the relationship between transformational leadership behaviours and coaches’ job satisfaction at NCAA Division III institutions. Data for this study were collected from a national sample of 308 coaches from NCAA Division III institutions. The Transformational Leadership Behaviour Inventory developed by Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Moorman, and Fetter (1990) was used to measure coaches' perception of the transformational leadership behaviours of their athletic directors. Coaches’ perception regarding the existence of situational variables was measured by using the Substitutes for Leadership Questionnaire developed by Kerr and Jermier (1978). The job satisfaction of coaches was measured by using the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (Weiss, Dawis, England & Lofquist, 1967). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. The results suggest that there is a significant relationship between transformational leadership behaviours of athletic directors and coaches' job satisfaction at NCAA Division III institutions. It was discovered that situational variables such as coaching ability, organisational formalization, and group cohesion were significantly related with coaches’ job satisfaction. Professional orientation was discovered to be a leadership neutralizer, while group cohesion to be a substitute of transformational leadership behaviours. It was concluded that transformational leadership behaviours of athletic directors have a direct relationship with coaches’ job satisfaction in the absence of a strong leadership substitute or neutralizer. However, in the presence of leadership substitute and neutralizer, transformational leadership behaviours influence coaches’ job satisfaction indirectly, through the moderating effects of the substitute and neutralizer

End-Users’ involvement in the development of web-based learning resources for English Literature

Developing teaching and learning materials is one of the ways to improve the pedagogical approaches in today’s diverse classroom. Traditionally, teachers prefer to develop materials using the paper-based concept rather than an ICT-based one. However, with global changes, paper-based materials have gradually lost its charm and the focus is more on the promoting of ICT-based materials. The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate the usability of a web-based learning resource for the English Literature Component for secondary school students. This article reports on end-user’s perceptions of the quality and importance of the interface of a prototype of the English literature website. A Participatory Design approach which involved four experienced teachers and three students was employed to evaluate the website interface. Questionnaire of Usability Evaluation of Website (QUEW) was adapted for this evaluation process. Results of this formative evaluation process show that almost all aspects categorized as the interface easiness and the website interface displays are considered most important by the end-users. The feedback and comments given by the end-users throughout the process of improving this web-based learning resource helped the researchers to make improvements on the development of the prototype