Reliability and Factor Structure of the Westside Test Anxiety Scale among University Students

The Westside Test Anxiety Scale (WTAS) is a widely-used screening instrument for assessing test anxiety impairments in educational settings. However, psychometric properties of this measure have not been established adequately. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the factor structure and measurement invariance of the WTAS. Data for the cross-sectional study was collected from a convenience sample of 218 undergraduate students enrolled in a public university in Malaysia. Construct validity was investigated by Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to test two models (original structure and EFA structure). Also, multiplegroup invariance was analyzed in order to determine the extent to which the factor structure was comparable across gender. Results of CFA indicated that both models met all the preestablished fit criteria. There was however, more support for the re-organized two-factor EFA model, with high reliability values. Multi-group CFA demonstrated measurement invariance across gender. Findings from the present study indicate that the WTAS could serve as a screening tool to detect test anxiety among students

Towards Dynamic Policy for Early Childhood Development Enhanced the Growth of Self-Regulations

Dynamic education policy and value system can change only with growth and development. This education plays a key role in enhancing about these changes, and the right time to initiate this process of education is better from early childhood. The study explores the issues and challenges of doing early childhood development (ECD) policy for growth of self-regulations along with Sarawakian Primary Schools in Malaysia. Recently the problems of early childhood providing primary schools at Bau district have been starling due to lack of instruments for pre-school services. These issues are now then become more tangled because of its multiracial education policy integration with students’ self-regulations from cultural diversity conditions belonging to variety beliefs and attitudes. Quantitative and qualitative related data were obtained through field observation, interviews and field surveys while secondary data collected from diverse sources. Nearly 57% of the respondents agreed for improvement of ECD policy with sustainable mechanism of monitoring and implementation at each of developmental stages of child. The research has also shown that there are gaps between the aspired and implemented comprehensive education policies for more quality preschool classes and initiatives. The study suggests future research trajectories of a new collaborative alternative dynamic approach to drive the methodological agenda and recommendations on ways to further incorporate the demanding ECD policy instruments towards growth of self-regulations

Relationship between work-family conflict and work, family and community domains demands and resources : A longitudinal study

Shifting from Western-dominated perspectives, demands and resources from the community domain were investigated, together with work and family domains to predict work-family conflict and family-work conflict. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted on data obtained through two self-report questionnaires completed three months apart by 277 executives and non-executives from three public and private sector organizations in Sarawak, East Malaysia. After controlling for conflict at Time 1, work demands were positively related; while work resources were negatively related to work-family conflict and family work conflict at Time 2. In addition, community demands were related positively to work-family conflict and family work conflict at Time 2. This study underscores the roles of community which has been neglected in Western studies, as important in affecting work-family conflict and family-work conflict in Malaysia. Therefore, to improve our understanding on work-family conflict in a society which is predominantly collectivist, aspects of community should be include

The Relationship Between Innovative Work Behaviors and Subjective Career Success Among Employees in Selected Private Organization in Sarawak

Studies on career success within Malaysia context have been mostly associated on women and academicians. However, there is a paucity of information regarding the relationship between innovative work behaviours and subjective career success despite of the necessity for organisations and HRD practitioners to study the linkages between innovative work behaviours and career success. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between innovative work behaviours; opportunity exploration, idea generation, idea promotion, idea realisation and reflection and subjective career success among employees in selected private organisation at Kuching, Sarawak. A quantitative research design was utilised for this study. The data was obtained through online self-administered questionnaire among 123 construction’s employees whoare currently working at private’s construction company in Kuching, Sarawak. The findings of this study were analysed using Pearson’s correlation analysis and multiple linear regression (Stepwise). The result revealed that innovative work behaviours (IWB) have a positive and moderate effect on subjective career success, which is significantly indicating the important role played by IWB in increasing career success of employees. Another result showed that idea realisation, reflection and opportunity exploration are the significant predictors toward subjective career success. This study suggest for HRD practitioners to provide an environment that support innovation in order to enable employees generating and apply innovative ideas and methods to practice in order to make the greater experience of subjective career success