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Elearning provides enormous opportunities for working nurses to further their studies and to enhance their professional development. The purpose of this study was to identify the elearning success factors in elearning nursing undergraduate programs in Malaysia. The conceptual framework for this study is based on DeLone and McLean's Information Systems Success Model. This is a cross-sectional quantitative correlational study using a predictive design and multivariate analysis method. Stratified random sampling technique was applied to recruit 241 nursing students through an online survey. Self-administered questionnaires were adapted to measure the independent and dependent variables of the study. The variance-based Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method was employed to analyze the possible effects on the relationships among the variables studied. The findings revealed statistically significant relationships among the factors of self-directed learning (SDL) abilities, elearning quality, student satisfaction, and elearning benefits. The study found a mediating effect of student satisfaction on elearning benefits through SDL abilities and elearning quality. The findings highlight the crucial role of learning environmental needs among online learners. A collaborative effort between universities, educators, and support personnel is essential to ensure successful elearning education for student nurses.

The demand for online education is rising for working nurses because of its flexibility and accessibility, which allows them to further their studies and enhance their professional development. Self-directed learning is imperative for nurses to continue their education using the elearning approach. This study investigates gender differences in overall self-directed learning among working nurses in elearning nursing programs in Malaysia. The conceptual framework for the study is based on the concepts of the self-directed learning model. This is a cross-sectional quantitative correlational study using a multivariate analysis method. Stratified random sampling technique was employed to query 241 nursing students through an online survey. The Self-directed Learning Instrument (SDLI) was adopted to measure the dependent variables of the study. The findings of the study revealed statistically significant differences between gender and the dependent variables (p < 0.05) of learning motivation, planning and implementation, interpersonal communication, and self-monitoring. Male nurses reported higher levels of self-directed learning than females. This study highlights the important concepts of self-directed learning among online learners. The role of educators is essential to support students for self-direction in elearning education. Future studies to explore other possible determinants in elearning context are recommended

Almost every course in higher education involved some form of multicultural group work activities and these have resulted in numerous problems for undergraduates due to the attitudinal and cultural differences. This study aims to find out the undergraduates' attitudes as well as the effect of cross-cultural differences towards multicultural group work. The mixed method design was used in this study. Questionnaire and interview questions adapted from both Wegelius (2013) and Iskandarova (2016) were used to collect the data. Google form was used for collecting quantitative data. There were 140 respondents comprising both Malaysian respondents and respondents from other nationalities studying in UCSI University. Out of these 140 respondents, eight respondents were selected for in-depth interviews. In general, the findings of this study showed that the local and foreign undergraduates' attitudes and language proficiency play major roles towards working effectively in group work. Besides, the data obtained indicated that there are both positive and negative effects of cross-cultural differences towards multicultural group work. A majority of the international undergraduates have a positive outlook when engaging with undergraduates from other countries. However, at times they isolate themselves due to differences in culture, language barriers, cross-cultural communication and attitudes. At the individual level, the findings can be used by students and educators as reference for combating problems encountered during multicultural group work while at the organisation level, the Human Resource Department can plan team building activities to bring the undergraduates together.

Disruptions have direct implications on the curriculum of higher education. Some disruptions are more subtle yet chronic such as longer-term impact from ideological changes to the national agenda and societal values relating to the purpose of higher education. There are also disruptive events such as the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The combined challenges due to these disruptors have impacted the curriculum and adaptations in Malaysian higher learning institutions (HLIs). This paper aims to analyse the impact of chronic and acute disruptors on the university curriculum in Malaysian higher education. Our findings from semi-structured interviews with academics and focus group discussions with students suggest that while HLIs demonstrated rapid reactions to acute needs in the case of COVID-19 restrictions, the existing structural frameworks for curriculum design and implementation provide limited flexibility in longer-term adaptation to both acute and chronic disruptions. A series of questions are posed for various stakeholders to consider in navigating these disruptions in higher education.

Elearning has become an important and ubiquitous instructional tool across a broad range of programs in institutions of higher education. This is evident today in nursing education where elearning in a blended approach provides both enormous and flexible opportunities for working nurses to further their education and to engage in continuous professional development for life-long learning. We conducted a pilot study to test the feasibility of participant recruitment, data collection, and online survey in an elearning education program in Malaysia. The conceptual framework developed for the study was based on DeLone and McLean (2003) Information Systems Success Model to examine any mediation effect of student satisfaction on elearning quality and learning outcome among nursing undergraduates in a local elearning program. We used the Partial Least Squares approach to analyze the possible effects on the relationships among the variables studied. The exploration process to determine the feasibility of the preliminary online survey helping to contribute to the main study to be conducted in an elearning nursing context. The findings revealed that there were significant relationships between the dimensions of system quality and service quality with student satisfaction and learning outcome. The results showed that there was a mediating effect of student satisfaction on the relationship between elearning quality and learning outcome. The study emphasizes the importance of an initial understanding of the learning environmental needs of learners to provide a credible and meaningful learning experience for working nurses in elearning nursing programs.

The purpose of the present study is to attain a better understanding of Collaborative Learning in Informal Spaces (CLIS) by addressing the nature of learning activities that will trigger socio-cognitive conflicts and the kind of socio-emotional challenges experienced in CLIS. To this end, research was conducted over four weeks where tasks were divided into pre-CLIS, during CLIS session and during CLIS presentation. The data in the form of video-stimulated semi-structured interviews were collected from 20 Year Two Gender Studies students of Monash University Malaysia. Based on the data collected, the students were divided into the Effective Learning Group (ELG) and the Lees Effective Learning Group (LELG). Consequently, the interview data were transcribed and analysed using the framework method as a form of thematic analysis. The results reveal that the LELG students require additional assistance from the lecturers and peers to overcome the pre-CLIS learning activities challenges. Further, ELG students are better at coordinating team members' understandings leading to mutually shared cognition. Worthy of note is that the LELG students need to accept the fact that in collaborative learning, a socio-emotional atmosphere is strongly present and they have to learn to regulate the conflict rather than avoiding it.

This article examines the current narrative of Chineseness in the context of higher education in Southeast Asia. We hypothesise that the concept of Chineseness at the macro-level has shifted beyond historical, ethnic, and cultural to include geopolitical, socio-political and economic considerations. At the meso level, we focus on unpacking Chineseness through the development of higher education institutions studying the case of Chinese established educational institutions in Malaysia, particularly in how these institutions articulate and portray their Chineseness in a multi-cultural higher education context. Having examined both macro and meso levels, the article discusses the importance and complexity of exploring Chineseness at the micro-level while also highlighting areas and gaps that have not allowed a more thorough understanding of Chineseness in the given context. Understanding this phenomenon allows us to explore the hypothesis of a shifting conceptualisation of Chineseness and thereby contribute to a more nuanced understanding of internationalisation and international students in higher education.

The aim of this study was to develop a scale to measure students' blended learning course experience. A total of 792 undergraduate students from Malaysia participated in this study. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was employed to evaluate the factor structure of the scale. As a result of EFA, three factors with 19 items that explained 68.06% of the total variance were obtained. The three factors are: course design, learning experience, and personal factors. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to establish the structural validity of the scale, and item discrimination was conducted to validate the scale. The Cronbach's coefficients (a) for the factors ranged from 0.71 to 0.95. The overall Cronbach's coefficient (a) of the scale was .92, demonstrating a satisfactory level of reliability. The results showed that the developed scale is reliable and valid. Future implications for course designers and instructors are discussed.

In crafting the active learning approach for this study, we leverage on the definition of active learning as a methodology that requires students' active collaborative engagement and involvement in their own learning and they are held accountable for learning with peers. Building from social interaction, we extend the notion of active learning to include socio-cognitive conflicts and socio-emotional conflicts. Subsequently, the aim of this study is to gain insights into science students' experiences and perceptions of active learning in informal learning spaces. The current study used a basic qualitative research method involving 29 genetics students. The data were collected from the 2-hour video recordings and 45-minute semi-structured focus group interviews. The conceptual content analysis approach was used to analyse the data. The results reveal that the higher-performing students are able to regulate the cognitive processes, and to learn effectively in a minimally guided instruction environment outside the classroom by relying on their peers as a reliable source of information. However, the lower-performing students depend on their lecturer to transfer knowledge to them. They do not believe it is possible to learn science from their peers. Probably because they do not know how to learn in a group.

Many of the students of the English Language & Communication (ELC) department at UCSI University are Malaysian Chinese (MC) students and International Chinese (IC) students from China. All the courses in the university are conducted in English. Currently, there is still lack of research done on grammatical errors among these students who possess the same first language but are from different nationalities. This study aims to investigate the grammatical errors in the IELTS essays written by 16 participants and were analysed using Error Analysis. These participants were divided into two groups namely, the IC students and the MC students to identify the types of grammatical errors made by these participants. The researcher then compared and contrasted the types and frequency of these grammatical errors between the two groups based on the Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis, Creative Construction Hypothesis and Interlanguage Theory. The findings showed that the types of grammatical errors made are mainly errors of omission, misformation, misuse, repetition, vocabulary, structure, coherence/cohesion, expression and misordering. Overall, the results indicated that the IC participants made more grammatical errors compared to the MC participants.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the interaction between discipline and personality in a blended classroom using the community of inquiry model. To this end, a factorial ANOVA is used to determine the main effects of the high and low of each personality trait as well as the four different clusters of discipline on the presences. The study used a non-experimental design to gather data. A total of 12 lecturers and 408 students from three institutions were involved. The results indicate that there is a significant difference in teaching presence between the hard-applied and hard-pure as well as the hard-applied and soft-pure disciplines for only for the conscientiousness personality. Accordingly, there is a significant difference in social presence between the hard-applied and soft-pure disciplines across all the five personality traits. However, there is no significant difference in cognitive presence for all the discipline clusters across all the personality traits.

Academic governance and leadership are two inter-related concepts that set the tone and direction for the development of higher education at the system as well as institutional levels. This article examines the academic governance and leadership in Malaysian higher education by focusing on two national higher education strategic initiatives: the National Higher Education Strategic Plan 2007-2020 and Malaysia Education Blueprint (Higher Education) 2015-2025. From analysing the two national strategic initiatives, we discuss the ways in which academic governance and leadership have been articulated at the systemic and institutional levels. We find that, centralisation persists despite corporatisation and granting of autonomy status, and leadership has become subjected to external yardsticks of quality, performance and standardised transformation agenda, driven predominantly by the ideology of neoliberalism and New Public Management (NPM). Unpacking these drivers of policy provides a basis for reflecting on the purpose, philosophy and fundamental idea of universities in Malaysia for nation building and societal development.

This study attempts to determine the choice of the feedback model related to discipline categorised as hard-applied, soft-applied, hard-pure and soft-pure. It also attempts to explore the extent in which the lecturers practise socio-constructivist feedback. It was a non-experimental study conducted in an offshore campus in Malaysia of an established Australian university. The data were collected by six research assistants through semi-structured interviews involving 31 lecturers from all the seven Schools in the university. The data were transcribed and analysed using the framework method as a form of thematic analysis. Since it was a deductive study, academic disciplines were used as pre-selected themes and in each feedback category, there were pre-defined codes. The results reveal that there is no serious evidence to link discipline to the choice of feedback model. In addition, lecturers do practise socio-constructivist feedback as well as other variants of feedback.

This paper discusses the effectiveness of the inverted classroom implemented in a pre-university physics classroom on topics of classical mechanics. Inverted classroom moves from traditional lectures to providing students with pre-recorded lectures and other materials such as videos, online quizzes and online exercises to foster independent learning. In this study, the classroom was divided into two groups: a control group and experimental group intervened with the inverted classroom; in evaluating the efficiency of the intervention, at the end of the module, both groups were tested using tests that are similar. The findings show that there was a significant difference between control group and experimental group on their pre-test and post-test score. It implies the potential use of this approach in other basic topics of pre-university physics classroom.

This study aimed to evaluate the mediation role of resilience on the link between self-efficacy and competitiveness among university students in Malaysia. One hundred and thirty-six participants from several universities in Malaysia were recruited to respond to an online form consisted of the following scales: adapted versions of brief resilience scale from Smith et al, self-efficacy scale from Biemann, Kearney and Marggraf, and Personal Development Competitive Attitude Scale from Ryckman, Hammer, Kaczor and Gold. Data was analyzed by using SPSS with PROCESS Macro and full mediation has been observed. Bias-corrected bootstrap confidence interval test indicated that the indirect effect of self-efficacy on competitiveness was significant and the Sobel test had confirmed the significance of the mediation. Further discussion, limitation and suggestion are discussed in the end of the paper.

Study abroad has a long-standing tradition in higher education. Apart from the pursuit of knowledge that cannot be confined by the boundaries of nation-state, sending local talents to study abroad has also been a strategy to build capacity in a developing/emerging nation like Malaysia. This article focuses on the stories and experiences of Malaysian in adjusting and adapting to the local situation as academic staff when they returned to Malaysian universities after their doctoral study abroad. Through thematic analysis and guided by Structuration Theory, this article illustrates structural constraints in the form of research governance, practices and cultures, as well as agency manifestations of these returnees to overcome and address these constraints and challenges. These stories and experiences are important to understand and to make recommendations to improve the governance, practices and culture of universities especially in developing/emerging systems globally.

This study examines the participation of the Less Effective Learning Group(LELG) students in Collaborative Learning in Informal Space (CLIS) to gain more insights in two of the five principles of the Framework of Participation. Their participation is based on relationships of mutual recognition and acceptance and participation requires learning to be active and collaborative.Of note, the LELG students focus more on individual work and less on group discussion and the informal learning space includes both the physical and virtual spaces without the presence of a lecturer. The study aims to contribute new pedagogical practices to the framework that are suitable for the LELG students. The research involved 90 Information Technology undergraduates. Data gathered through semi-structured focus group interview were analysed deductively with predetermined codes using the conceptual content analysis. The findings emphasise the importance of teaching LELG students' self-regulation and the appreciation of interdependence that implies accepting their peers' views and also defending their contributions. To co-construct knowledge effectively in a collaborative manner they have to regulate their cognitive processes. The pedagogical proposals include promoting group co-regulation and teaching students how to collaborate effectively.

The purpose of the study is to have a relook at the ESL reading comprehension assessment system for Malaysian Year Five students. Traditionally, the ESL teachers have been assessing and reporting on their primary year's students by merely giving a composite grade with some vague remarks. This process has been used and is still being employed in spite of the numerous advances and progress that have been made in the realm of education. To gauge the students' reading ability there is a need to take a serious look into the way teachers assess the students. In this ESL reading comprehension assessment system, a set of standardised generic reading comprehension test, a reading matrix and reading performance descriptors were developed. The findings revealed that Year Five respondents at reading performance Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4 and Band 5 have acquired the literal, reorganization and inferential reading sub-skills to a certain extent. The results obtained were found to be consistent indicating that the ESL reading assessment is reliable and valid to a large extent as revealed by a second administration of the test conducted in a few other selected primary schools. This ESL reading comprehension system can provide information on students' reading ability at both the micro and macro levels. At the micro level, ESL teachers can plan their teaching instructions that tailor to the needs of the students. At the macro level, it can assist the district as well as the state education departments in Malaysia to plan reading programmes for primary school students.

Cambodia and Malaysia are two Southeast Asian countries at dissimilar levels of socio-economic development. Their higher education systems are also on different developmental paths with varying motivations driving their respective development and progress, but the governance of higher education across these two systems has one striking similarity. Both systems see neoliberal principles and ideologies as a means to guide the development and governance of higher education, while the States, to varying degrees, still exert significant control and 'guidance' over the development and institutional governance. This similarity, albeit at varying degrees, can be seen through examining the issues and challenges concerning the governance of higher education in both countries such as reforms in autonomy and accountability as well as the state-university relationship. Beyond recognising this similarity, we argue the need for considering alternative paths of development for higher education in these countries, particularly alternatives that are more suitable and appropriate for the local needs and contexts in each of the two countries.

This paper examines the determinants of spending and the amount of time attending private supplementary tutoring, or commonly known as private tuition, in Malaysia. Based on 343 self-reported questionnaires with upper secondary students across three states in Malaysia and using multiple regression analysis, we identified ethnicity, father's level of education and past academic performance as significant determinants of spending and amount of time attending private tuition. However, interestingly, we found that while geographical location and participation in internal tuition in schools were also determinants of spending, these two were not significant in determining the amount of time attending private supplementary tutoring. The identification of determinants of spending and amount of time, and in addition, the differences between these two illustrates the economic and educational dimensions of shadow education. More importantly, the insight also contributes to the formulation of possible interventions that can improve quality and reduce inequality in the mainstream education system.

This article attempts to explore the extent to which Lecturer e-Training Program (LeP) supports lecturers in their preparation for student-centred teaching. LeP was conducted in a blended mode, that is, it involved an online self-paced learning module followed by an interactive online discussion and ended with a face-to-face action learning. It was compulsory for all lecturers in this university to enrol in LeP. The data collection involved distributing questionnaires to all 36 lecturers. After that, 16 lecturers were selected at random for one-to-one structured interviews. In this study, it was found that LeP contributed significantly to the lecturer preparation for student-centred teaching, in particular, Stage 2 (Online Discussion) and Stage 3 (Face-to-Face Action Learning). Lecturers in this university were mostly homogeneous with regard to culture. It would be interesting to test LeP across cultural diversity as it was believed Asians and Westerners think differently.

Literature suggests that state--market relations in Asian transnational education appear as a hybrid of economic socialism and economic liberalism as well as of supra-territoriality and sovereignty. Such a notion of hybrid focuses on how Asian states manage the struggles over the meaning and value of higher education, thereby addressing various ways in which states participate in neoliberal globalisation. This paper argues that Asian states' higher education policy choices are restricted by local politics and the resulting policy agendas. This argument explains the paradoxical situation that Malaysia continuously encounters when developing its regulatory regime to govern transnational education. The argument also illuminates the recalibrations that appeared in the transnational education policies of Singapore and Hong Kong. The paradox and recalibrations reveal how a political perspective on transnational education is important to understand Asian states' responses to globalisation in higher education regardless of the nature of their regulatory regimes.

Introduction: Early diagnosis of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) increases survival outcomes and quality of life while significantly minimizing healthcare burden and costs. Despite growing evidence supporting the benefits and cost-effectiveness of SCID detection through newborn screening (NBS), it has yet to be implemented in Malaysia. This study aims to explore experts' opinions on the current status, challenges, and crucial strategies needed for the successful implementation of SCID NBS. Methodology: A guided, structured interview was employed to explore opinions on the current status, barriers, and strategies for implementing SCID NBS in Malaysia. All 13 invited experts participated in this study, indicating complete participation from the entire Malaysian immunology fraternity (consisting of eight clinical immunologists and five immunopathologists). Key findings: Several initiatives are ongoing to establish SCID NBS in Malaysia. Hindrances such as low immunologist-to-patient ratio, unequal placements of immunologists throughout Malaysia, society's low disease awareness, national health prioritization, lack of stakeholder engagement, and inadequacy of local study/data were highlighted. Pilot research on SCID NBS, advocacy workshops, and promotion materials are among the ongoing activities outlined in the blueprint, paving the way for this nationwide NBS program to be achievable in the near future. Conclusion: This article provides recommendations to policymakers in mandating SCID NBS. Strategies by key stakeholders are underway, particularly in advocacy programs and efforts to increase awareness among clinicians and the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to compare the nutritional and bone health status between young men with mild-to-moderate intellectual disability and those without intellectual disability and to determine predictors for their bone health status. Method: A total of 95 men (47 men with intellectual disability; 48 men without intellectual disability), aged 20-39 years, participated in this study. Anthropometric profile, dietary intake, physical activity level and calcaneal speed of sound (SOS) were collected. Results: The men with intellectual disability had moderate diet quality whilst the men without intellectual disability had poor diet quality. More participants with intellectual disability (97.9%) were inactive compared with their counterparts (10.4%). The SOS value was similar between groups and was lower than the reference. Increasing age and low physical activity level were negative predictors for bone health status. Conclusion: Both young men with and without intellectual disability have suboptimal nutritional and bone health status. Strategies to improve their nutritional and bone health status are warranted.

The middle-income trap is an economic phenomenon to describe economies that have stagnated at the middle-income level and failed to progress into the high-income level. Inspired by this economic concept, this paper explores a hypothesis: is there a 'mid-rank trap' for universities in the exercise to rank universities globally? Using the rankings between 2004 and 2014 that were jointly and separately developed by Times Higher Education and Quacquarelli Symonds Company, this paper argues that there is indeed a phenomenon, which I term as 'mid-rank trap' whereby universities remain stagnant for a decade in a similar band of the rankings. Having established the hypothesis for universities, the paper examines policies and interventions that have been successfully carried out to elevate economies away from the middle-income trap, and importantly, to draw out the underlying principles of these economic policies and interventions that can be incorporated into policymaking and strategic planning for universities using the Malaysian higher education system as a case study.

Reading and understanding a written text is one of the most important skills in English learning.This study attempts to benchmark Year Five students' reading abilities of fifteen rural schools in a district in Malaysia. The objectives of this study are to develop a set of standardised written reading comprehension and a set of indicators to inform ESL teachers about the exact ability of the students. A sample of 788 primary school students from the rural areas was involved in this study. The instrument utilised in this study was a set of standardised written reading comprehension test which was developed in line with Malaysian English Language Syllabus (2003), the revised Barrett's Taxonomy of Reading Comprehension (Day & Park, 2005) and the revised Bloom's Taxonomy (Anderson et al. 2001). The set of standardised written reading comprehension questions consists of 50 multiple-choice questions at elementary, intermediate and advanced levels. The findings show that many Malay respondents were categorised at "below expectations" and female students perform better than male students. Finally, the researcher suggested several recommendations.

In this case study the focus is on lecturers' readiness in the design of PBL problems and to facilitate students' learning. This paper also looks into students' readiness in terms of acquiring metacognitive skills and collaborating in group to solve PBL problems. Problems encountered by both lecturers and students are discussed in the context of the chosen private Malaysian university.

Early diagnosis and effective management of Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs), particularly severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), play a crucial role in minimizing associated morbidities and mortality. Newborn screening (NBS) serves as a valuable tool in facilitating these efforts. Timely detection and diagnosis are essential for swiftly implementing isolation measures and ensuring prompt referral for definitive treatment, such as allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The utilization of comprehensive protocols and screening assays, including T cell receptor excision circles (TREC) and kappa-deleting recombination excision circles (KREC), is essential in facilitating early diagnosis of SCID and other PIDs, but their successful application requires clinical expertise and proper implementation strategy. Unfortunately, a notable challenge arises from insufficient funding for the treatment of PIDs. To address these issues, a collaborative approach is imperative, involving advancements in technology, a well-functioning healthcare system, and active engagement from stakeholders. The integration of these elements is essential for overcoming the existing challenges in NBS for PIDs. By fostering synergy between technology providers, healthcare professionals, and governmental stakeholders, we can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of early diagnosis and intervention, ultimately improving outcomes for individuals with PIDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dengue has been one of the major public health problems in Malaysia for decades. Over 600,000 dengue cases and 1,200 associated fatalities have been reported in Malaysia from 2015 to 2021, which was 100% increase from the cumulative total of dengue cases reported during the preceding 07-year period from 2008 to 2014. However, studies that describe the molecular epidemiology of dengue in Malaysia in recent years are limited. In the present study, we describe the genetic composition and dispersal patterns of Dengue virus (DENV) by using 4,004 complete envelope gene sequences of all four serotypes (DENV-1 = 1,567, DENV-2 = 1,417, DENV-3 = 762 and DENV-4 = 258) collected across Malaysia from 2015 to 2021. The findings revealed that DENV populations in Malaysia were highly diverse, and the overall heterogeneity was maintained through repetitive turnover of genotypes. Phylogeography analyses suggested that DENV dispersal occurred through an extensive network, mainly among countries in South and East Asia and Malaysian states, as well as among different states, especially within Peninsular Malaysia. The results further suggested Selangor and Johor as major hubs of DENV emergence and spread in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although COVID-19 has entered the endemic phase, individuals infected with COVID-19 are required to adhere to home quarantine measures. By exploring the public's knowledge and attitude towards recommended home quarantine measures, their readiness in containing potential COVID-19 outbreak can be determined. This study aimed to assess the public knowledge and attitude towards home quarantine instructions and their association with history of COVID-19 infections. Methods: This was a web-based cross-sectional study conducted among the public in Malaysia between August to October 2022. All Malaysian adults over 18 years of age were included. Knowledge on home quarantine instructions and COVID-19 warning signs were measured using "True," "False," or "I'm not sure", while attitude towards home quarantine instructions was measured using a five-point Likert Scale. The questionnaire was initially constructed in English and then translated into the national language, Bahasa Malaysia. Face and content validation were performed. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was found to be satisfactory. Results: 1,036 respondents were analyzed, comprised mostly of females (743, 71.6%) with a history of COVID-19 (673, 64.9%). In the knowledge domain, more than 80% of the respondents answered 9 out of 11 home quarantine instructions statements correctly. 457 (44.1%) were unaware or unsure about the minimum distance of the infected individual's bed from the rest of the occupants in a shared bedroom. The respondents reported relatively weaker knowledge in identifying uncommon warning signs of COVID-19 deterioration, including anuria (162, 44.5%), ingestion problems (191, 52.5%), and immobility (195, 53.6%). In the attitude domain, more than 90% of respondents answered correctly in 8 out of 9 questions. Respondents with a previous history of COVID-19 infections had better knowledge than COVID-19 infection-naïve individuals towards both home quarantine instructions and COVID-19 warning signs. Conclusion: Most respondents had good knowledge and attitude towards home quarantine instructions, with those previously infected with COVID-19 showing greater awareness of uncommon warning signs. However, there was a notable lack of awareness regarding physical distancing within shared rooms, appropriate disinfectant use and mobility limitation within the household. This study highlights the knowledge gaps to be improved in future educational campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical analysis is one component that cannot be avoided in a quantitative research. Initial observations noted that students in higher education institution faced difficulty analysing quantitative data which were attributed to the confusions of various variable measurements. This paper aims to compare the outcomes of two approaches applied in enhancing the quality of teaching and learning statistics. 143 communication undergraduate students were involved as participants in this action research. They were divided into two groups, in which one experienced "group quiz" technique and the other went through the newly designed "challenge the challenger" technique. The effects of interventions given were measured from the students' cognitions of variable measurements before and after such interventions. The action taken is believed to play an important role in the effort to improve teaching and learning of variable measurements in quantitative research.

This study surveys the history of English language and the roles of English language education in Asian context. Through the historical survey on English dispersal in Asian countries, the first section of this study traces the dispersal of English from the 18th century and the development of English in Asian countries. The second section of this study explains the development and characteristics of English language education policies in Asian countries. These countries belong to the expanding circle according to Kachru's model, and in the expanding circle, English plays a very important role as a tool for interaction among nonnative speakers. This section surveys and compares the developmental characteristics of English language education in Asian countries. The third section emphasizes the important role of English education and the future of English language education in Asian countries. Also this section focuses on the characteristics of English as an International language, and emphasizes the role of English as a tool for inter-cultural communication in the world. The purpose of English language education in the Asian context is to cultivate young people who are well equipped with English capabilities and their own professional abilities. (Contains 1 figure and 1 footnote.)

Malaysia aspires for its higher education to be relevant, referred, and respected globally. To achieve that, the Malaysia Education Blueprint (Higher Education) 2015-2025 spelt out the need to search for talent beyond national boundaries, as well as develop the capacity to attract, develop and retain this talent. International academics, who are non-Malaysian citizens, also make up part of this pool of talent. This paper examines issues surrounding the recruitment, integration, and retention of international academics in three public research universities. In addition to understanding the trend for employing international academics, a typology of international academics is proposed to enable a more focused understanding of the challenges and constraints in recruiting, integrating, and retaining international academics in Malaysian public universities.

Access into higher education has traditionally been dominated by males. However, the current situation in Malaysia as well as in many developed and developing nations is that females have outnumbered males in higher education. By comparing gender enrolment, this paper illustrates the extent of gender disparity in Malaysian higher education across different higher education institutions, levels of study and fields of study. The disparity across the three dimensions can be summarised as a trend in which there is over-representation of females in public universities, in all disciplines except engineering, manufacturing and construction, and at all levels except the doctorate. Importantly, although set in Malaysia, this paper has wider implications where the trend of gender disparity underlined two areas of concern, namely an overly emphasised academic admission for transition from schools into higher education and the differentiated willingness of households to spend on higher education for their sons and daughters.

In this research, a survey method utilising questionnaires and focus group interviews was employed to determine correlations between students' learning styles and each of the presences in the CoI Framework across disciplines as well as students' blended learning experience. To this end, the linear regression model was the statistical approach used to explore the correlation between each of the presences and the learning styles after controlling for the disciplines. Consequently, a three-way cross-tab using Chi-square statistics was the statistical method used to discover the variations of the students' experience of blended learning under different disciplines and learning styles. A total of 12 lecturers and 377 students from three private institutions were involved in this study. The results show that among the four discipline categories, only the soft-applied has a significant effect on the linear regression model. In this particular discipline, the Kinesthetic variable alone has a significant effect on all the three presences in the CoI Framework. The R-squared values are rather small. Further investigation should be directed towards an inclusion of a larger number of postgraduate participants, more courses in the soft-pure and hard-pure categories, and the learning styles of lecturers.

Objective - The enlargement of the ageing population in Malaysia at an expeditious speed has sparked great concerns of many parties. It is anticipated that Malaysia will become an 'aged nation' by 2030 as predicted by many statisticians. This study attempted to provide insights into policy design to create a sustainable community for elderly people in Malaysia, which is in line with one of the 17 SDGs, i.e., SDG-11. Methodology - Productive and healthy ageing is the key to form a sustainable community for elderly people. This research offers an in-depth examination of the interconnections among loneliness, intergenerational financial support, and demographic factors as they influence the employment decision-making processes of elderly people in Malaysia. Findings - Through an analysis of the interplay between these elements, our study sheds light on the intricate factors that contribute to the labour force participation of the elderly, enhancing our comprehension of the multifaceted nature of elder employment trends within the nation. To examine and compare the relationship, univariate, bivariate and logistic regression analyses were employed. Novelty - All analyses showed all explanatory variables in this study are significantly related to the labour force participation of elderly men. In the case of elderly women, the loneliness status variable is not significant. There are some limitations acknowledged in this study that limit the study's findings, and few suggestions for the future study were provided at the end of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective - Malaysia's elderly population is expanding at an unprecedented rate, surpassing the pace of ageing in historically established 'aged nations.' Statisticians project that Malaysia will reach 'aged nation' status by 2030, a transition occurring more rapidly than any previously recorded. Methodology - The concept of productive aging is pivotal to national sustainability, implying that the elderly should remain active contributors to society, both socially and economically, to alleviate potential strain on governmental resources. This study probes the labour force participation of Malaysia's elderly by examining the influence of intergenerational cash support, financial status, and feelings of loneliness on their employment decisions. Findings - Employing bivariate and logistic regression analyses, the research conclusively demonstrates that these variables significantly affect labour force engagement among the aged. Specifically, the absence of cash support from employed adult children, lack of savings or investments, and experiences of loneliness increase the probability of the elderly re-entering the workforce. Novelty - The implications of these empirical findings are profound for policymakers, who can utilise this data to craft more nuanced policies aimed at incentivizing labour force re-entry among the elderly. Such policies could not only foster productive ageing but also mitigate the risks of an inactive elderly population during their later years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Are Asian universities different from those in Western countries? Premised on the hypothesis that Asian universities are different because of hybridization between Western academic models and local traditional cultures, this paper investigates the hybrid characteristics in Malaysian universities resulting from interaction between contemporary external influences and local traditional practices. At the system level, the interaction between external ideology of neoliberalism and local ethnic-based politics has resulted in ethnized neoliberalism in the higher education system. Hybrid characteristics at the institutional level have been operationalized into the domains of governance and management, programmes and curriculum, teaching and learning, and research and service. Based on three types of universities in Malaysia--mainstream, Islamic and Chinese community-based--we argue that Malaysian universities are hybrid universities because many of the policies and practices are distinctively different from the Western academic models. Indigenization of the Western models had taken place resulting in unique form of university governance and management, Islamization of curriculum and the Asian cultural ethos of the campus in Malaysian universities.

International university rankings are a widely used measure of higher education excellence. Since publication rates are an important element in most ranking systems, pushing faculty to increase their publication in top-tier international journals is viewed by many government and university officials as an important strategy for improving ratings and thus gaining international recognition. This study examined the manner in which public universities in Malaysia have created and aligned incentives in an effort to encourage faculty members to increase their publication rate in top-tier international journals. The study is grounded in principal-agent theory and utilized data from 47 interviews conducted with faculty members from across four public universities in Malaysia. Findings suggest that while university administrators' aspirations for higher international rankings are high, administrators are limited in the incentives they can utilize in effecting the change they seek. Their levers of influence over faculty work are limited in the Malaysian context.

Tropical tropospheric ozone (TTO) is important for the global radiation budget because the longwave radiative effect of tropospheric ozone is higher in the tropics than mid-latitudes. In recent decades the TTO burden has increased, partly due to the ongoing shift of ozone precursor emissions from mid-latitude regions toward the equator. In this study, we assess the distribution and trends of TTO using ozone profiles measured by high quality in situ instruments from the IAGOS (In-Service Aircraft for a Global Observing System) commercial aircraft, the SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere ADditional OZonesondes) network, and the ATom (Atmospheric Tomographic Mission) aircraft campaign, as well as six satellite records reporting tropical tropospheric column ozone (TTCO): TROPOMI, OMI, OMI/MLS, OMPS/MERRA2, CrIS, and IASI/GOME2. With greater availability of ozone profiles across the tropics we can now demonstrate that tropical India is among the most polluted regions (e.g., Western Africa, tropical South Atlantic, Southeast Asia, Malaysia/Indonesia) with present-day 95th percentile ozone values reaching 80 nmol mol−1 in the lower free troposphere, comparable to mid-latitude regions such as Northeast China/Korea. In situ observations show that TTO increased between 1994 and 2019, with the largest mid- and upper tropospheric increases above India, Southeast Asia and Malaysia/Indonesia (from 3.4 ± 0.8 to 6.8 ± 1.8 nmol mol−1 decade−1), reaching 11 ± 2.4 and 8 ± 0.8 nmol mol−1 decade−1 close to the surface (India and Malaysia/Indonesia, respectively). The longest continuous satellite records only span 2004−2019, but also show increasing ozone across the tropics when their full sampling is considered, with maximum trends over Southeast Asia of 2.31 ± 1.34 nmol mol−1 decade−1 (OMI) and 1.69 ± 0.89 nmol mol−1 decade−1 (OMI/MLS). In general, the sparsely sampled aircraft and ozonesonde records do not detect the 2004−2019 ozone increase, which could be due to the genuine trends on this timescale being masked by the additional uncertainty resulting from sparse sampling. The fact that the sign of the trends detected with satellite records changes above three IAGOS regions, when their sampling frequency is limited to that of the in situ observations, demonstrates the limitations of sparse in situ sampling strategies. This study exposes the need to maintain and develop high frequency continuous observations (in situ and remote sensing) above the tropical Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, Western Africa and South Asia in order to estimate accurate and precise ozone trends for these regions. In contrast, Southeast Asia and Malaysia/Indonesia are regions with such strong increases of ozone that the current in situ sampling frequency is adequate to detect the trends on a relatively short 15-year time scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant water loss caused by pipeline leaks emphasizes the importance of effective pipeline leak detection and localization techniques to minimize water wastage. All of the state-of-the-art approaches use deep learning (DL) for leak detection and cross-correlation for leak localization. The existing methods' complexity is very high, as they detect and localize the leak using two different architectures. This paper aims to present an independent architecture with a single sensor for detecting and localizing leaks with enhanced performance. The proposed approach combines a novel EMD with an optimal mode selector, an MFCC, and a two-dimensional convolutional neural network (2DCNN). The suggested technique uses acousto-optic sensor data from a real-time water pipeline setup in UTAR, Malaysia. The collected data are noisy, redundant, and a one-dimensional time series. So, the data must be denoised and prepared before being fed to the 2DCNN for detection and localization. The proposed novel EMD with an optimal mode selector denoises the one-dimensional time series data and identifies the desired IMF. The desired IMF is passed to the MFCC and then to 2DCNN to detect and localize the leak. The assessment criteria employed in this study are prediction accuracy, precision, recall, F-score, and R-squared. The existing MFCC helps validate the proposed method's leak detection-only credibility. This paper also implements EMD variants to show the novel EMD's importance with the optimal mode selector algorithm. The reliability of the proposed novel EMD with an optimal mode selector, an MFCC, and a 2DCNN is cross-verified with cross-correlation. The findings demonstrate that the novel EMD with an optimal mode selector, an MFCC, and a 2DCNN surpasses the alternative leak detection-only methods and leak detection and localization methods. The proposed leak detection method gives 99.99% accuracy across all the metrics. The proposed leak detection and localization method's prediction accuracy is 99.54%, precision is 98.92%, recall is 98.86%, F-score is 98.89%, and R-square is 99.09%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the utilisation of multicultural music education by Malaysian music teachers, with an emphasis on the relationship between music teachers' attitudes and their subsequent degree of effort in developing and implementing multicultural music education in their music classes. Respondents for the study were 456 music teachers; responses were collected via an adapted version of the original "Music Specialist's Multicultural Music Education Survey" instrument. Results indicate that there is limited implementation of multicultural music education in music classrooms due to inadequate preparation and limited resources and insufficient knowledge of multicultural music. As such, music teacher training programmes are needed in order to address both the theoretical and practical aspects of multicultural music education throughout the curriculum in a comprehensive and long-term manner.

This paper examines the sources of satisfaction and frustration among Malaysian academics across three types of higher education institutions (HEIs)--public research university, public comprehensive university and private non-profit university. Based on interview with 67 academics across six HEIs, there is a clear pattern and relationship between the sources of satisfaction and frustration and the types of institutions these academics were affiliated. The major sources of satisfaction are related to the nature of academic work, which includes supervising, mentoring, teaching and interacting with students, as well as conducting research and disseminating knowledge through publication. However, the major sources of frustration are predominantly related to the governance of higher education, resulting from unrealistic expectations, lack of transparency of the promotion and reward system, and a strong bureaucratic culture. The understanding of satisfaction and frustration has helped us to understand issues of morale, retention and, possibly, productivity of academics across these HEIs, and in turn, the understanding of these issues about academics has implications in understanding the governing structure of HEIs. Although this study is limited only to HEIs in Malaysia, the findings have wider implications in contributing to the understanding of governance and academic culture in the broader context of higher education.

Background: Evaluation of diabetes knowledge plays a pivotal role in identifying and addressing patients' knowledge gaps. The implementation of a standardized diabetes knowledge assessment tool is important to ensure consistent scoring and facilitating the development of effective and standardized education programs. Aim: To develop and validate a patient diabetes knowledge questionnaire (PDKQ) to assess knowledge of diabetes mellitus patients. Methods: The development of the PDKQ questionnaire involved three phases: item development, content validation, and reliability testing. In the item development phase, the initial draft of the PDKQ, comprising a multiple-choice answer questionnaire was developed. The content validation phase comprised two stages. Firstly, ten experts participated in the expert validation process, followed by face validation involving six patients. In the final phase, test–retest analysis was performed among diabetes mellitus patients to assess reliability. Results: The first draft of PDKQ consisted of 11 patient characteristics items and 37 items of multiple choices questions. During the expert validation, three items were eliminated due to low clarity, and an additional six items were removed as they were deemed irrelevant or unimportant. During the face validation, three patients' characteristic items and eight multiple-choice questions were excluded due to a content validity index of less than 0.83. In the test–retest phase, 36 subjects responded to 8 items pertaining to patients' characteristics and 20 multiple-choice questions. The test–retest analysis yielded an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.88, indicating good reliability. Conclusion: The 20-item PDKQ is a reliable and robust tool in assessing the knowledge of diabetes mellitus patients in Malaysia. Its implementation allows standardized assessment of diabetic patients' knowledge levels, enabling targeted interventions to empower patients and optimize diabetes care practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polypharmacy and the use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) are prevalent among older patients admitted to hospitals, posing a heightened risk of adverse drug events. This trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a pharmacist-led deprescribing intervention in reducing medications, PIM and improving clinical outcomes, using the locally developed Malaysian Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing Screening tool in Older Adults (MALPIP). Methods: This is an 18-month cluster-randomized, open-label, parallel-arm controlled trial conducted at 14 public hospitals in the Perak state of Malaysia. Patients aged 60 and above, who have at least one medication and one comorbidity are eligible. A stratified-cluster randomization design is employed, with 7 hospitals assigned to the control arm and 7 hospitals assigned to the intervention arm. The MALPIP screening tool will be used in the intervention group to review the medications. If PIM is detected, the pharmacists will discuss with doctors and decide whether to stop or reduce the dose. The primary outcomes of this trial are the total number of medications and number of PIM. The secondary outcomes include fall, emergency department visits, readmissions, quality of life and mortality. Outcomes will be measured during enrolment, discharge, 6, 12, and 18 months. Discussion: This REVMED trial aims to test the hypothesis that a pharmacist-led deprescribing intervention initiated in the hospital will reduce the total number of medications and PIM 18 months after hospital discharge, reducing fall, emergency department visits, readmissions, mortality and lead to improvement in quality of life. Trial findings will quantify the clinical outcomes associated with reducing medications and PIM for hospitalized older adults with polypharmacy. Trial registration number: This trial was prospectively registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05875623) on the 25th of May 2023. NCT05875623 Clinicaltrials.gov URL: NCT05875623 registered on 25th July 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]