Challenges to parental involvement in children’s education at a primary school: a rasch analysis

Literature has evidenced the positive significant role of parental involvement in children’s personality development and education. However, research on parental involvement in children’s education is sparse in rural areas, especially among ethnic minorities in China. Hence, a research project was conducted to examine the level of parental involvement and its role in influencing children’s academic achievement in these areas; and to identify the challenges to parental involvement. This paper aimed to identify the challenges to parental involvement using the cross-sectional survey design. The parents’ of Grades Three and Four school children were selected to answer a questionnaire on parental involvement. The items on challenges to parental involvement were analyzed using the Rasch Measurement Model (Winsteps software program, version 4.1.0). The Rasch analyses revealed that the research instrument met the measurement requirements. Parents’ low proficiency in the Chinese language and the complexity of the school subjects were the biggest challenges to parental involvement. This research has provided useful information to parents, teachers, school administration and policy makers. Further research could be conducted using more items and larger samples from other school grades. Qualitative research is recommended to obtain more in-depth information on parental involvement in general, and the challenges in particular

Mapping students’ performance in English reading literacy using the Rasch Measurement Model

Monitoring learners’ performance in learning areas over time and across grade levels is essential to ensure that they are improving and achieving expected levels. In the Malaysian context, the monitoring and evaluation of students’ learning and achievement are conducted primarily through national standardized examinations such as the PMR (Penilaian Menengah Rendah/Lower Secondary Examination) and SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia/Malaysian Certificate of Examination).Though information gained from these examinations is useful, it is limited to students’ learning at particular levels of schooling. These examinations are also norm-referenced, making it impossible to determine the skills and knowledge that have been and have not been acquired. This paper highlights the utility of the Rasch Measurement Model (RMM) in the monitoring students’ performance across grade levels in the context of English reading literacy, and mapping students’ learning progress. A sample of 944 Form 1, 2, and 3 students was selected from eleven national-type secondary schools in two states in Malaysia. A test of English reading ability, comprising of 60 items, was used. RMM was used to produce person-maps and item-skill maps to clearly indicate what students have achieved and what has yet to be achieved. The results indicated that students differed in their performance across grade levels with lower levels showing higher achievement. The findings indicate the need for monitoring students’ progress over time and the use of a robust measurement model

Malnutrition and its association with functional, cognitive and psychological status among Palestinian older adults in long-term care houses

Older adults often suffer from psychological, functional and health-related diseases. Literature has documented the relationship between, malnutrition with adverse health outcomes. This study aims to examine the relationship between malnutrition with the cognitive, functional and psychological status of older adults living in long-term care houses. The study employed a cross-sectional approach in which 99 participants were included from seven nursing homes in six different cities across the West Bank, Palestine. The nutritional status of older adults was assessed using anthropometric measurements and meal patterns. Malnutrition risk was assessed using Mini Nutritional Assessment; the cognitive function using Mini Mental Status Examination; the functional status using the Activity of Daily Living. Results: A total of 99 participants (45.5%) men and (54.5%) women were included in the final data analysis. The results revealed 47% of the participants were at risk of malnutrition, while 23% were malnourished. Variables that were significantly associated with malnutrition; male gender, higher score of depressive symptoms, and impaired cognitive function, p < .05 using chi square test. However, number of meals and hours of overnight fasting were not associated with being malnourished. Greater dependency level was associated with high risk of malnutrition, p < .05 using One Way ANOVA test. Conclusion: Risk of malnutrition was common among the study sample, and it was associated with impaired cognitive, psychological and functional status. Hence, there is a need to provide older adults living in long-term care houses with health programs to enhance their overall health and decrease the level of dependency. These findings are important to design educational programs targeting the stakeholders in the long-term care facilities to improve the residents' nutritional and functional status

English for University Sharia Students: Theory and Practices

English is the global language of today. It is expansively used as a means of communication for academic and non-academic purposes. Sharia students, with their broad knowledge of religion, can use the English language for the sake of Islam like in Da’wah, via all available media or face-to-face encounters. They would be able to do so effectively provided they are highly proficient in English. Therefore, a project is being conducted to construct a course framework in English for University Sharia students. This paper is allocated to present the theoretical foundations for these courses based on the Islamic perspective, status of the English language, and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) approach. The analytical content analysis was utilized to achieve the study objectives. The analysis showed that Islam urges Muslims to learn foreign languages in addition to the Arabic language for various reasons including Da’wah. There is a need for Sharia graduates who have deep knowledge in religion to elevate their English proficiency to a high level. Thus, designing specific English language courses, which are related to the students’ interests, specialization, and future professions, may facilitate their learning the English Language. It could also be a source of their motivation and encouragement to improve their English proficiency. Further quantitative and qualitative researches are recommended to framework English courses for University Sharia students. This research may contribute to the development of Islamic English curriculum for Muslim students at other education levels

Second language speaking anxiety among Malaysian postgraduate students at a Faculty of education

This study examined the level of L2 speaking anxiety among school teachers undertaking a master’s degree at the International Islamic University Malaysia and sought to determine if the anxiety level would differ by gender, school location and teaching subject. A convenience sample of 290 teachers completed a 12-item survey on L2 speaking anxiety adapted from Nazir et al. (2014). The survey data were analyzed using the Rasch measurement modeling for polytomous data, independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA. Overall, the respondents did not show high levels of speaking anxiety, (Mean -.89 logits). Most were largely worried about being able to express themselves effectively in English (-.66 logits), making mistakes in speaking (-.31 logits), and how lecturers would react to their mistakes (-.38 logits). The sample’s speaking anxiety scores were found to differ signifcantly by teaching subject, while no statistically signifcant differences were observed in regard to gender and school location. The results imply that the teachers need to be helped in terms of confronting the factors that cause them to be anxious about speaking in English. In terms of research, in-depth qualitative studies need to be undertaken to further understand the nature of L2 speaking anxiety among schoolteachers, while quantitative studies with larger samples are recommended to uncover underlying factors of speaking anxiet

Are Secondary School Students Motivated to Learn Islamic Education?

The main aim for Islamic Education is to produce a ‘good man’ in all his personality aspects. This study aims to determine the level of secondary school students’ motivation in learning Islamic Education subject, and to examine the factors influencing their motivation using the cross-sectional survey design. The study sample consisted of (170) students selected from an Islamic school in Malaysia using a nonrandom, quota sampling procedure to answer a 32-item questionnaire. The items measured four constructs: Students’ Motivation (SM), Parental Influence (PI), Teaching Pedagogy (TP) and Teachers’ Morality (TM) using a 5-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics (Frequencies, Percentages, Means and Standard Deviations) and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were used to analyze the collected data. The results show that students’ motivation in learning Islamic Education subject is quite high. The Islamic Education subject is important for students as it helps them appreciate and improve their life. Moreover, there were significantly positive relationships between the three factors (i.e. Parental Influence (PI), Teachers’ Morality (TM), Teaching Pedagogy (TP) ) and Students’ Motivation (SM). It is recommended that teachers of Islamic Education should use more interactive teaching methods to further motivate students to learn Islamic Education and be able to apply the contents in their life. There is a need for more quantitative research to be conducted on larger samples and using other statistical techniques. Qualitative research is also needed to get more in-depth information on students’ motivation in learning Islamic Education

Determinants and indicators of successful aging as a multidimensional outcome: a systematic review of longitudinal studies

Background: Successful aging (SA) has been coined as a term to describe the multidimensional aspects associated with achieving optimal combination of physical and mental health along with social well-being health, mental and social well-being at older age. In recent years there has been an increased interest in understanding the role of determinants of SA, such as demographic, biological, behavioral, psychological and social factors. To synthesize the recent evidence, we conducted a systematic review of longitudinal studies on a range of determinants and indicators of SA defined as a multidimensional outcome. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, MEDLINE and Web of Science for finding eligible papers published between August 2016 and June 2023 was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (Registration number: CRD42021250200). The web-based automated screening tool–Rayyan–was used for title and abstract screening. The study quality was assessed using the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool. Results: A total of 3,191 records were initially identified using the predefined search strategy. Out of 289 articles selected for full text screening, 22 were found eligible and included in the review. A variety of factors have been explored in relation to SA, ranging from socio-demographic factors, nutrition, lifestyle, biological pathways, psychological health, and well-being. Overall, the results of recent studies have confirmed the role of metabolic health, adherence to healthy dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, physical activity, non-smoking, and higher socio-economic status as main factors associated with higher odds for SA. Emerging research highlights the role of psycho-social factors and early life health as determinants of SA. Conclusion: In summary, this review highlights the importance of healthy living and monitoring metabolic risk along with sustaining psychological well-being in adult life as major determinants of SA. Further methodological and research work on SA would pave the way toward development of adequate health promotion policies in aging societies

Parental involvement and student academic achievement: A cross-sectional study

Purpose - Parents’ involvement in children’s education and academic achievement is undeniable. Parental involvement does not have one universal definition and it is not only limited to activities conducted at home. It includes home-based activities, school-based activities as well as parents’ aspiration toward their children’s education.In China, research on parental involvement is still at its primary stages, especially in the rural areas where literature on parental involvement is sparse.Further studies are needed to determine the levels of parental involvement and its role in an ethnic minority school children’s achievement.Hence, this study aims to examine the role of parental involvement in children’s academic achievement at an ethnic minority rural area in China. More specifically, this study examines the levels of parental involvement in the aspect of parents’ educational aspiration, home-based and school-based involvements; examines the differences in the levels of parents’ involvement between low achieving students and high achieving students; and investigates the relationship between parental involvement and student academic achievement. Methodology - This quantitative research study utilized the cross-sectional survey design method. A 30-item self-constructed questionnaire on parental involvement was used to collect data from 280 parents of third and fourth grade students selected using the non-probability purposive sampling techniques.. Five experts from a faculty of education examined the content and face validity of the research instrument. The internal reliability analysis of the questionnaire yielded a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.94. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 23 was used to analyze the final collected data. Descriptive analysis, including the mean scores, frequencies and percentages, and standard deviations were used to analyze demographic data and parents’ responses to question number one (i.e. levels of parental involvement). Furthermore, inferential statistics were used to answer question number two to find the differences among the mean scores of parental involvement with students’ academic achievement (high achievement and low achievement).In this aspect, the independent sample t-test was used. Bivariate Pearson correlation was used to answer third question to find the relationships between parental involvement and student academic achievement. Findings - The findings of the study showed that parents of the 3rd and 4th grade students were involved in their children’s education.These parents had a high level of educational aspiration toward their children’s education; the parents were more involved in their children’s education at home than at school. The parents of high achieving students were more involved than those of low achieving students.There was also a statistically significant positive correlation between parental involvement and student academic achievement

الترغيب والترهيب في قصة لقمان: دروس تربوية مختارة Targeeb and Tarheeb in Surah Luqman: Selected Educational Implications

يُعد الترغيب والترغيب من الأساليب القرآنية المميزة في مخاطبة النفس الانسانية بطريقة الثواب والعقاب. ويكون الترغيب في جنس الطاعات وأنواعها، والترهيب بذكر الوعيد بالعذاب والعقوبات على جنس المعاصي والذنوب. وهذا يشكل دافعا كبيرا للإقبال على كل ما هو نافع والابتعاد عن كل ما هو ضار، سواء كان هذا النفع أو الضرر حاصلاً للنفس أو المجتمع. ويُعد الترغيب والترهيب من الأساليب التربوية الناجحة في أي عصر بشرط أن يكون المضمون التربوي سويًّا. ولهذه الأساليب ( الترغيب والترهيب) أغراضها وطرقها وأقسامها وصيغها الخاصة والتي تحفل بها العديد من مشاهد القصص القرأنية التي تهدف إلى إحداث نوع من التغيير الفردي والجماعي، وصولاً إلى إحداث تغيير إيجابي شامل على كافة المستويات، منها الاعتفادي والفكري والنفسي والاقتصادي والاجتماعي والسياسي. يهدف هذا البحث إلى تحليل مشاهد قصة لقمان التي استخدمت أسلوب الترغيب والترهيب و استخلاص الدروس التربوية منها باتباع المنهج التحليلي (التفسيري). وتبين أن القصة حملت بين ثنايا كلماتها آداب العلاقة مع الله ثم مع المحيط القريب (الوالدين) إلى آداب العلاقة مع الآخرين، والصفات الحسنة وطيب السجايا، وعمل الخير ونشر الفضيلة وذلك بالترغبيب في الإيمان وطلب الحكمة والشكر لصاحب النعمة و إظهار الخير والتنويه بفاعله و استخدام لغة الوعظ الرفيق اللين واتّباع الاسلوب والخطاب الحسن في الدعوة والعمل بكل أصناف المعروف صَغُرت أم كبرت والاخلاص في القول والعمل واستشعار مراقبة الله سبحانه وتعالى، وعٌزِّزَ هذا بالترهيب من مصير من لايطبق أمر الله سبحانه وتعالى. فقصة لقمان على قلة عدد آياتها، قد جمعت أصول الشريعة وهي: الاعتقاد والاعمال وأدب المعاملة وأدب النفس. لذلك على المربي أن يتحلى بالإيحابية في الحياة والصدق في المعاملات والعلاقات والاعتدال والثبات على المبدأ والسلوك بالقدوة؛ وهي من الامور الاساسية التي لا غنى عنها في حياة كل إنسان

Identification of older adults with Sarcopenia: comparison of two methods

To compare the ability of methods based on skeletal muscle index (SMI) and another one by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) based on both muscle mass and physical function in identifying older adults with sarcopenia. Anthropometric measurements and physical performance (hand grip strength and gait speed) were performed. In order to determine the value of SMI, body impedance analysis was also carried out. A total of 426 older adults, mostly women (60.8%) with mean age of 68.4 ± 6.2 years participated in this study. Methods based on SMI and EWGSOP identified 50.5% and 32.2% older adults as sarcopenic respectively. Method based on SMI showed a significantly higher percentage of men (70.7%) were sarcopenic as compared to women (37.5%) (p < 0.05). No such difference was noted for EWGSOP method, with 28.7% of men were sarcopenic as compared to women (34.4%). Binary logistic regression indicated that aged 75 years and above (adjusted odds ratio: 3.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.9 – 5.6) and having arthritis (adjusted odds ratio: 2.5, confidence interval: 1.3 – 4.7) to be associated with sarcopenia as assessed using method recommended by EWGSOP. The lower prevalence of sarcopenia by EWGSOP as compared to SMI may be due to the more comprehensive method by EWGSOP. Further research regarding validation of these two screening methods against a gold standard of screening for sarcopenia is needed in order to identify the best method.