Search

Code-switching is a natural phenomenon that allows educators and learners alike to communicate in a classroom setting, which is multilingual in nature with diverse linguistic backgrounds. Hence, this study has aimed to explore whether higher education academics in English language teaching classrooms incorporate code-switching or not and what are the reasons for their incorporation. To achieve the aims of this study, two research tools were used for data collection namely checklist and observation. The checklist consisted of eleven reasons that are introduced by Gulzar (2010) for code-switching that showed where higher education academics code-switch in their classrooms and in which contexts. On the other hand, lesson observations were made during the participant's classroom teaching and notes were taken. It is envisaged that the aim of code-switching is mainly to transfer the understanding of materials being used in ELT classrooms in the most effective manner. More imperatively, a mixed method research design was used to achieve the results output of the present study. The study has found that code-switching is indeed a spontaneous occurrence that happens naturally, and higher education academic professionals use it as a linguistic tool to assist learners in comprehending difficult nuances. Code-switching worked as a bridge between higher education academics and learners alike.

This study examines tertiary students' behavioural intention to resume face-to-face mode of study, post-COVID-19. A modified UTAUT2 model of nine factors and a moderator is used to investigate the impact of these factors on developing country's tertiary students' behavioural intention. The influence of these students' behavioural intention on se behaviour is also examined. Using a quantitative research approach, data were gathered from 419 students at a regional university using convenience sampling technique. Data were analysed to test and validate the proposed model using covariance-based structural equation modelling. The study's findings reveal significant positive relationships between social influence, hedonic motivation, facilitating conditions, commitment, behavioural intention and use behaviour. However, it did not find performance expectancy, effort expectancy, price value, trust and comfortability, reporting any significant positive influence on behavioural intentions. Additionally, the moderating analysis shows that COVID-19 fear did not moderate or strengthen the association between behavioural intentions and use behaviour, given the insignificant interaction effect of COVID-19 fear. This study provides novelty in the contextual application of the modified UTAUT2 model, post-COVID-19. The addition of three additional constructs (trust, commitment and comfortability) has further improved the predictive power of the model. Lastly, the new construct that emerged in recent literature, COVID-19 fear, has been tested for the first time within the UTAUT2 model as a moderator between behavioural intentions and use behaviour. In terms of practical implications, this study first adds to the current literature on higher education, after the COVID-19 situation, being useful to education scholars. Second, it also offers specific suggestions to educational institutions and policymakers who fund universities. Such suggestions include: involving students' families in orientation and open day events, featuring family and friend support in promotional activities, upgrading facilities, including more teaching and learning sessions with team-based assessments, encouraging comfortable interactions and continuously practising COVID-19 safety protocols.

Individual access to mobile devices in higher education has increased tremendously in recent years as tablet computers (hereinafter mentioned as tablets) are now widely available giving students greater access to these technologies than ever before. The increasingly widespread diffusion of tablets at The University of the South Pacific (USP) brings to the forefront questions about its usage and perceptions among undergraduate students. Against this backdrop, using a mixed-method approach, this study sought to evaluate the usage of tablets by undergraduate students at the university. Three hundred and fifty-two participants were administered a questionnaire that contained Likert scale items and open-ended questions to elicit information pertaining to their use and perception of tablets, while in-depth interviews were conducted with five undergraduate students. The findings of the study indicate that students are favourably disposed towards the use of tablets in their studies as it helps them engage with their learning activities, mainly in accessing academic resources, communication and collaboration with their lecturers and peers. However, several technical issues with the tablets were identified by the students that the university needs to address to improve the adoption, implementation and diffusion of this device in students' learning.

As with other Pacific Island nations, the scientific efforts of the Kingdom of Tonga have been hampered through a lack of local scientists and science graduates. As observed globally, the region appears to face a steady decline in student interest and achievement in science, resulting in reduced uptake of science subjects in schools and universities. This study aims to provide insight into the attitudes of Tongan senior secondary students toward science, using the validated Test of Scientific Related Attitudes (TOSRA) instrument. The sample population comprised 2636 students of approximately 15-18 years of age, from 26 schools across Tonga. Overall, the mean attitudes of Tongan senior secondary students toward science were lower than that previously observed for Australian secondary students (Grades 7-10) and Fijian senior secondary students. A significant reduction in attitude was found between forms 5 and 6 for female students from rural areas, but not those from urban areas. No significant changes across different form levels were found for male students. The greatest difference between students' perspectives was found for the normality of scientists, which may be indicative of cultural views toward this topic. Combined with the similar results of previous research in Fijian students, this may point toward broader differences in the attitudes toward science between students in Pacific Island countries more generally.

This study models (consumer price) inflation for an open small island state of Fiji. We introduce, within a hybrid open-economy version of the New Keynesian Phillips Curve (NKPC) model, the effects of development in the stock market, and frequent sources of economic and political uncertainty on inflation. Using monthly data over the period for the period February 1996 to December 2020, we show that a model with expectations of forward- and backward-looking economic agents alone can explain 85% inflation. Other NKPC variables have explanatory power of 10% boost this to 27% relationships in the hybrid NKPC model. Overall, the study implies that inflation expectations of economic agents, if managed effectively, can avoid persistently high inflation rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Directional wave measurements were carried out at two different near-shore locations in the Fiji islands with the help of an underwater pressure transducer — a Directional Wave Recorder. The primary site which is located in the west of the main island in Fiji has a moderate energy potential of 9.81 kW/m at a depth of 15 m. The second site which was the focus of past wave energy measurements was also studied and the new data along with previous measurements show high energy potential at this location. This site near Kadavu Island has a near-shore energy flux of around 28.78 kW/m at a depth of 18 m. The directional spread of the waves and the nature of their occurrence are presented. Additionally, the sea states during a category 2 tropical cyclone passing about 200 km from the measurement location are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central aim of this paper is to investigate whether the military coups instigated by Major General Sitiveni Rabuka in 1987 had a permanent effect or a transitory effect on tourist expenditures in Fiji. To accomplish this aim we use the Vogelsang (Econ. Theory 13 (1997) 818) test for one break in linear trending data. The Vogelsang test reveals 1988 as the year of the break and based on a suite of test statistics recommended by Vogelsang we reject the unit root null leading to the conclusion that Rabuka's coups had a transitory effect on tourist expenditure in Fiji. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to estimate the demand for Fiji's tourism from its three main source markets -- Australia, New Zealand, and the US -- using the bounds testing approach to cointegration. Our main finding was that visitor arrivals to Fiji and its key determinants are cointegrated over the 1970-2000 period. We then used the autoregressive distributed lag model to estimate short-run and long-run elasticities and found that income in origin countries, transport costs, and prices were significant determinants of Fiji's tourism demand. We also found that coups negatively impact visitor arrivals from all markets. In testing for parameter stability, we established that the series were integrated of order one in the presence of a structural break. We then used the Hansen test for parameter stability and found that the parameters of our long-run model are stable over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural disasters are common in the Pacific Island countries. Fiji has been affected by many of these disasters. The most recent cyclone exerted substantial damage to infrastructure, agricultural and industrial activity in Fiji. The aim of this article is to incorporate these damages into Fiji's computable general equilibrium model and examine the short-run macroeconomic impact. Among the key results, it is found that cyclones negatively impact private income, consumption, savings, real GDP and real national welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]