Collaborative interactions among preschool children in a computer environment

This paper reports on a study which investigated the collaborative interaction patterns exhibited by five-year-old pre-primary children in an educational computer environment. A case study method was used in one pre-primary centre in a metropolitan city, to examine the patterns of collaborative interaction among young children whilst engaged, in dyads, with the computer within a naturalistic classroom environment. A total of 243 interactions were identified and classified into 16 interaction patterns. Factors facilitating and inhibiting collaborative interaction were identified as: developmental appropriateness of the software; preexisting computer competency and attitude towards computer; mutual friendship between collaborators; children's social goals; appropriate structure of enjoyable learning environment; mutual understanding of the turn-taking system; and non-isolated physical settings. In effect, this study shows that early childhood educators will be in a better position to integrate the computer into their classroom and to promote positive prosocial interaction among children whilst engaged at the computer, if it were to be afforded the same status as other traditional early childhood learning materials and activities

Social capital and its relationship with Universiti Putra Malaysia undergraduates' Facebook usages

This study envisaged in determining the relationship between the intensity of Facebook usage and social capital among undergraduates at Universiti Putra Malaysia. A number of factors (respondent’s personal and family background, the intensity of Facebook usage and social capital) have been studied with regards to their relationships with each other. Respondents involved 120 male and female undergraduates studying at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), who were selected through a convenience sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was used as a tool for data collection. Majority of the respondents were between 21 and 23 years of age, obtained an average of CGPA of 3.05 and came from educated parents (diploma and above), and moderately high household incomes. Pearson correlation was used to test the correlation between the respondent’s personal and family backgrounds with Facebook intensity. Meanwhile, linear regression was used to analyze the strength of the relationship between Facebook intensity and social capital and revealed that all have significant relationships with the intensity of Facebook usage. The linear regression analysis also affirmed that the intensity of the Facebook use (β = 0.274**) has a positive but miniscule effect on the increment of social capital. Relevant factors attributed to findings are also discussed

Implicit social cognition mediator for the development of Malaysian Career Factor Inventory (MYCFI)

Current and existing Career Factor Inventory (CFI) lacks the depth in sociocultural parameters and social psychological ‘imaginations’. Implicit social cognition may offer some pertinent viable understandings in career indecision, which has been one of the central research issues of counselling and psychology, especially in young adults who are in the midst of making critical life decisions. According to Schneider (1991; Bazerman & Tenbrussel, 1998), social cognition has become the dominant perspective in psychology. However, it is important to understand that the ‘dark matter; of the mind involves the implicit processes (Schacter, 1987; Amodio & Ratner, 2011). Malaysia’s economy had been growing enormously by investing heavily in education and technology. The Malaysia success has had a tremendous sociological impact that is rarely mentioned but highly meaningful to all Malaysians. This is indeed the driving force behind the career-mindedness of most young Malaysians whose career choice-making is often fraught with numerous challenges. Therefore, this study is premised in an effort to discover the career indecision’s phenomena among the potential graduates and students from the Institution of Higher Learning in Malaysia through the development of Malaysian Career Factor Inventory (My-CFI) with denomination of social psychological’ lenses as eigenvector mediators. It is argued that behaviour or at least some of the mediators can be influenced by implicit social cognition. Theory of Planned Behaviour is used as the underpinning theory, which is hypothesised to be understood and it should be viewed together with the Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. It is meant to give the fundamental understandings that acknowledge both social cognition and planned behaviour approaches. The predictability of the precision measurement of extrapolating intention before one commits to any behaviour is also discussed. Preliminary results are presented and analysed

Background differences of parental attributes: a case study of a preschool road safety education programme in Perak

This study was carried out to envisage and examine the plausible relationships of parental road safety knowledge, attitude and practice in relation to preschool children’s involvements in a road safety education programme in Perak, Malaysia. Three local preschools were selected for this purpose, in which the children underwent and an educational road safety programme. The respondents consisted of 100 parents of the pre-schoolers (note that two private and one government preschools were chosen through a purposive sampling method). Ethnicity was found to be significantly different compared to knowledge (χ2 = 16.272, p ≤ 0.05) and practice (χ2 = 10.635, p ≤ 0.05) scores. Chi-square analyses indicated that there is an association between parental road safety attitude and practice scores (χ2 = 21.444, p ≤ 0.05). In addition, the study also revealed that the attitude score varied significantly between the parents, while no significant difference was found between gender in knowledge and practice scores. However, this study also postulated that parental attitude and practice on road safety are moderately related to each other. Furthermore, the findings of the analyses also revealed certain gender inequalities, as the study indicated that female parents might have poorer knowledge and attitude scores. However, they appeared to be capable of showing more care and concern over road safety in relation to their preschool children’s safety and well being. Thus, it is hypothesized that road safety education ought to be inculcated among parents, together with their children, vis’ a vis’ to the current campaign on road safety education among young children

Fenomena pengulangan penagihan dadah dalam kalangan banduan belia di Penjara Pulau Pinang

Kajian berfokus kepada permasalahan, faktor penyumbang serta atribusi sosial berkaitan pengulangan penagihan dadah dalam kalangan banduan belia Melayu di Penjara Pulau Pinang. Responden kajian merupakan banduan belia berbangsa Melayu yang sedang menjalani hukuman penjara di Penjara Pulau Pinang dan pernah mengalami pengulangan penagihan dadah. Kajian yang dilaksanakan ini akan cuba mengenal pasti faktor-faktor yang menyebabkan responden kembali mengambil dadah semula setelah mengikuti program pemulihan di Penjara Pulau Pinang. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif. Seramai 10 orang belia yang merupakan banduan di Penjara Pulau Pinang dan berumur antara 21 tahun sehingga 40 tahun telah terlibat dalam kajian ini. Penemuan kajian ini mendapati antara faktor-faktor penyebab responden kembali mengambil dadah adalah ingatan responden pada dadah masih lagi kuat, hati tidak kuat untuk melawan keinginan terhadap dadah, belum wujud keinginan untuk berhenti dari mengambil dadah, sikap dan stigma masyarakat yang memandang negatif, ketiadaan pekerjaan dan wang untuk menampung kehidupan dan kembali bergaul dengan rakan-rakan yang masih lagi mengambil dadah. Cadangan program dan cadangan kajian akan datang dikemukakan berdasarkan kepada hasil penemuan dan analisis transkrip temu bual dengan responden belia penagih berulang

An assessment of trade integration focusing on export-led growth strategy for Sarawak: An economic geography perspective

In an attempt to mitigate domestic supply and increasing local needs and wants for goods and services, international trade is the solution. This paper aims to investigate the development of trade integration focusing on Sarawak as a state in the Federation of Malaysia. The paper employed the gravity model in the context of international trade for Sarawak. Data from selected countries were used covering a period of 10 years. The paper contributes to the gravity model focusing on international trade and economic growth in a state in Malaysia. The findings revealed that Sarawak geographic remoteness contributed to better performance in terms of adding value to its current exports. In the desire to make Sarawak an export-led growth economy , the government has established a Ministry responsible for coordinating and supporting both industrial development and international trade

Government debt: an empirical analysis with structural break for the economy of Malaysia

Malaysia recorded a fiscal policy with a deficit budget since the economic crisis in 1997. During the tough economic crisis to maintain economic growth, the government committed to stimulus fiscal budget controlling. According to the Keynesian theory, a fiscal policy may induce economic growth at moderate levels of public debt. Although debt and economic growth are not recent issues faced by the Malaysia government, the impact government debt on economic growth has been debated, especially in terms of imbalances development. This work aims to investigate the relationship between economic growth and government debt in Malaysia, with the application of structural break analysis. We utilized econometric techniques such as unit root tests and Granger. Regarding the unit root test, we used structural break combinations with pure and partial structural change models. The analysis is based on data across the period of 1970 to 2018. We find more evidence against the unit root test with structural breaks in Malaysia, with causality between debt and economic growth

Malaysian children's interactions on the prevalence of road safety : a case study in primary schools in Kelantan.

This paper reported the study on verbal interactions of Malaysian children in relation to the prevalence of their major road safety psychological domain attributes. The respondents consist of primary school children with the age-range of 7 to 9 years old in Kelantan. In this study, Road Safety Educational Kit (RSEK) was distributed and implemented into the teachings of 25 primary schools in Pasir Mas and Tanah Merah, Kelantan Darul Naim. Pre-experimental-post-test design was utilised to measure the participants’ major domain of psychological attributes on road safety. This study indicates gender difference may have an impact on the level of road safety knowledge. Appropriate approach towards different levels of knowledge, attitude and practice on the exposure road safety learning were also found to be prevalent among children

SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES Social Capital and Its Relationship with Universiti Putra Malaysia Undergraduates' Facebook Usages

ABSTRACT This study envisaged in determining the relationship between the intensity of Facebook usage and social capital among undergraduates at Universiti Putra Malaysia. A number of factors (respondent's personal and family background, the intensity of Facebook usage and social capital) have been studied with regards to their relationships with each other. Respondents involved 120 male and female undergraduates studying at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), who were selected through a convenience sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was used as a tool for data collection. Majority of the respondents were between 21 and 23 years of age, obtained an average of CGPA of 3.05 and came from educated parents (diploma and above), and moderately high household incomes. Pearson correlation was used to test the correlation between the respondent's personal and family backgrounds with Facebook intensity. Meanwhile, linear regression was used to analyze the strength of the relationship between Facebook intensity and social capital and revealed that all have significant relationships with the intensity of Facebook usage. The linear regression analysis also affirmed that the intensity of the Facebook use (β = 0.274**) has a positive but miniscule effect on the increment of social capital. Relevant factors attributed to findings are also discussed