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In many universities, peer mentoring is a popular practice aiming to ease cultural transition for newcomers. Despite the ubiquity of such practice, the factors involved in short-term mentoring programmes and how they relate to mentoring outcomes remain under-researched in Malaysia. This collective case study aims to address this gap by exploring the factors shaping participants' intercultural mentoring practice in a one-month programme. Interviews were conducted with ten participants comprising equal numbers of Korean mentees and local mentors, backed up by observations. Subsequently, five factors were identified: interest in cultural exchange, building rapport, obstacles to meeting, group conformity, and language accessibility, together highlighting the key role of meaningful intercultural communication in achieving the mentoring objectives. Through the lens of activity theory (Engeström, 2001, 2015), this study helps to shed light on the dynamics of successful mentoring practice shaped by undercurrents from the institution, the local context, cultural variation, and personal characteristics of the participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of social and emotional learning approach on student social-emotional competence. A quasi-experimental pre-test post-test non-equivalent design conducted with 207 Junior Secondary School students enrolled in form 3. The students divided into two groups: an experimental and a control group. The experimental group was taught through social-emotional learning approach, while the control group taught via traditional teaching approach. The development of social-emotional competence measured through a questionnaire at the beginning and the end of the classes. The results obtained from the analysis of covariance revealed that students in social and emotional learning approach classroom had positively demonstrated significant social-emotional competence compared to students in the traditional teaching approach group. Therefore, the utilized (social and emotional learning- RULER) has provided substantial procedures on how students can integrate and apply RULER's strategies in enhancing their social emotional competence. The implication for introducing social and emotional learning approach into teaching and learning was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of social networking sites (SNS) has reshaped how international students establish crucial connections to support their study abroad. While existing studies have theorised the process of adaptation, there exists a notable gap in understanding the role of technology-mediated communication in student sojourners' acculturation, particularly in non-western contexts. This qualitative study thus explores the role of SNS in facilitating international students' friendships and adaptation, using an Online Community of Practice (OCoP) lens. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 18 international students from a Malaysian higher education institution, supplemented by observations and participants' reflective notes. Findings highlight the importance of online communities in shaping socialisation and fostering adaptation among newcomers. This was achieved through creating a co-national supportive community, establishing friendly relationships with locals, overcoming barriers to connecting with international peers, engaging in intercultural communication, and accessing information and support. The study advances understanding of how SNS can be incorporated into the co-creation of a culturally safe learning environment that facilitates friendships and cross-cultural adaptation. The study has theoretical implications, in regard both to the application of OCoP and to previous research on the cross-cultural adaptation of international students; it also has practical implications for the transition of newcomers into a host society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides an insight into using personalized weekly e-Learning Journals to improve self-regulated learning (SRL) of university students. Quasi-experimental method with time series data analysis was used. Pre and post-tests together with time series data over an intervention period on SRL were collected. 54 students in an undergraduate course wrote personalized weekly e-Learning Journals (e-LJs) in the Learning Management System (LMS) over a 10-week period. The e-LJs contained selfreflection prompts designed according to the course curriculum activities and assessments to scaffold students' SRL. It was found that students' SRL improved significantly over the intervention period. The time series data on SRL shows that students' SRL varied according to the timing of assessments. Academic staff can help university students improve their SRL by providing personalized weekly e-LJs that contained self-reflection prompts. These prompts need to be personalized according to the course curriculum activities and assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]