Search

The global talent gap is a consequence of skills mismatch among job seekers. Although micro-credentials appeared to be a potential solution to narrow the talent gap, it is unclear how they can be effectively implemented in a structured academic pathway. The purpose of this study is to explore the potential of a proposed micro-credential model for formal education via the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning Micro-credentials (APEL.M), to support the talent gap challenges faced by companies in Malaysia. The study used a qualitative case study method with data collected mainly from a focus group discussion among relevant faculty heads, administrators, and senior management team members. The findings indicated that despite potential challenges and issues towards implementing the new micro-credential model, the proposed model is significant for policymakers, higher education providers, and industry stakeholders interested in addressing the talent gap and creating alternative pathways to formal academic qualifications.

Media and Information Literacy (MIL) education can combat online misinformation by enhancing users' fact-checking skills. This action research study designed and implemented a problem-based learning MIL project for journalism undergraduates. The objectives are (a) to design a MIL project by using a problem-based learning methodology; (b) to implement the MIL project and to assess its effectiveness in improving students' fact-checking skills; and (c) to identify the challenges and limitations of implementing the project. Analysis shows that the MIL project successfully improved students' MIL skills, including critical analysis, media production, and personal growth. Despite facing challenges like time constraint and limited generalizability, the study suggests that the MIL project could be replicated in other journalism programs to enhance MIL skills and cultivate critical thinking to fight misinformation.

This study compared parenting across four non-Western cultures to test cross-cultural commonality and specificity principles in three aspects: measurement properties, parenting normativeness, and their associations with child outcomes. Both mothers and fathers (N = 1509 dyads) with preschool-aged children (M = 5.00 years; 48% girls) from urban areas of four countries (Malaysia, N = 372; China, N = 441; Turkey, N = 402; and Japan, N = 294) reported on four parenting constructs (authoritative, authoritarian, group harmony socialization, and intrusive control) and their sub-dimensions using modified culturally relevant measures. Teachers reported on children's internalizing, externalizing, and prosocial behaviors. The commonality principle was supported by two sets of findings: (1) full measurement invariance was established for most parenting constructs and sub-dimensions, except that intrusive control only reached partial scalar invariance, and (2) no variations were found in associations between parenting and any child outcomes across cultures or parent gender at the construct level for all four parenting constructs and at the sub-dimensional level for authoritarian and intrusive control sub-dimensions. The specificity principle was supported by the other two sets of findings: (1) cross-cultural differences in parenting normativeness did not follow the pattern of economic development but yielded culture-specific patterns, and (2) at the sub-dimensional level, the authoritative parenting and group harmony socialization sub-dimensions were differently associated with child outcomes across cultures and/or parent gender. The findings suggested that examining specific dimensions rather than broad parenting constructs is necessary to reflect cultural specificities and nuances. Our study provided a culturally-invariant instrument and a three-step guide for future parenting research to examine cross-cultural commonalities/specificities.

COVID-19 pandemic has brought drastic and unprecedented challenges to the medical education and medical students, affecting them physically, mentally and emotionally. While progressing through the post-pandemic recovery phase, it is crucial to comprehensively evaluate the pandemic's consequences and tackle the underlying problems. To investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on medical students' mental health, social well-being, and academic progression. A cross-sectional study was carried out with voluntary sampling of students from both government and private medical schools in Malaysia. A self-administered online survey form containing three validated psychological tools was distributed (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale HADS, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, NIH Toolbox Social Relationship Scales). There were also questions regarding the challenges faced by medical students and their academic performance during COVID-19 pandemic. Scores of each questionnaire were tabulated, analyzed and interpreted according to their specific cut-points. Two hundred and thirteen responses were received. 89.2% (n = 190) were domestic students while 10.8% (n = 23) were international students. Out of 32 medical universities in Malaysia, the participants were from 19 of them (9 public and 10 private universities). About half of the participants had contracted COVID-19 infection during the study period (n = 124, 58.2%). Majority had chosen "Lack of on-campus learning and training session causing incompetency" as the most relevant impact of COVID-19 on their academic progression (n = 85, 39.9%). Above 90% of participants passed their Final Academic Assessment in 2020 (91.5%) and 2021 (93.9%). About half of them (n = 86, 40.4%) were having symptoms considerable of anxiety while only 19.2% (n = 41) were having symptoms considerable of depression. Majority had normal self-esteem (n = 177, 83.1%). For social relationship, around two-third of them had great social support and companionship. However, more than half had social distress. The median for the period of time having absolute online classes, absolute physical classes and hybrid classes were 18, 4, and 9 months, respectively. Having absolute online classes of >18 months was associated significantly with higher perceived hostility (16.49 vs. 14.47, p = 0.012). In addition, being infected with COVID-19 was associated significantly with higher self-esteem (26.88 vs. 25.85, p = 0.009). Large proportion of students were affected by COVID-19 pandemic. Absolute online classes has huge impact on emotions of medical students especially from the aspect of perceived hostility. Hence, implementation of online medical education during COVID-19 era requires modifications and improvements.

Online learning is on the rise, and it is becoming an important mode of learning in higher education. However, there are limited models that explain the link between learners' characteristics, learning processes, and outcomes in an online learning environment. This study aims to examine the influence of online self-regulation on the experiences and engagement of students during online learning processes and their outcomes in terms of satisfaction and academic performance. A quantitative correlational design was used to achieve the objective of this study. Data collection was carried out using an online survey. A total of 609 undergraduates from four public and private universities in Malaysia were sampled. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was run to analyze the obtained data. The results showed that online self-regulation is a presage factor affecting online learning processes. It significantly and positively affects students' experiences and engagement in an online environment. These three factors explained more than two thirds of the variance in satisfaction, a key learning outcome of online learning. However, its predictive value for academic performance was weaker. The developed model can be used as a framework to promote positive online learning outcomes among undergraduate students. The implications of the study and recommendations for future research are discussed in this paper.

This study aims to investigate the effect of using Minecraft on Year 5 pupils' higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) in fractional problems-solving. A quasi-experimental pretest and posttest non-equivalent groups design was used. The study sample involved 65 Year 5 pupils from two intact classes which consists of 31 pupils as the treatment group and the other 34 pupils as the control group. Minecraft was used as the intervention in the teaching and learning of fractions in the treatment group. The research data was collected through the administration of pretest and posttest while the data was analyzed using paired sample t-test and independent sample t-test. The research resulted in several findings. Among them is the significant difference in the ability to solve fractional problems which requires the use of HOTS between pupils who were exposed to the teaching and learning of fractions using Minecraft and pupils who were exposed to the teaching and learning of fractions using conventional methods. This study has proven that the use of Minecraft in the teaching and learning of fractions has the potential to facilitate and enhance pupils' level of HOTS.

Purpose: In recent years, technology diffusion, globalization and the Internet revolution have accelerated the growth of online transactions and altered corporate operations systems. The emergence of computer technology and the Internet have changed the way businesses work. The purpose of this study is to find and identify any common patterns in the logistics and supply chain industries for job requirements using job posting content in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach: This study provides an exploratory assessment of the employability skill set required using online job posting advertisements. Online job posting advertising, also known as e-recruiting, is one field that has been significantly influenced by information technology. In addition, the current Covid-19 outbreak has created a new need for a long-term contactless talent acquisition process in the organization's operating systems. Findings: Based on this study's findings, the top ten skills required by employers for logistics and supply chain positions are (1) supply chain analytics, (2) technological aptitude, (3) teamwork skills, (4) customer focus, (5) leadership skills, (6) interpersonal skills, (7) people skills, (8) creativity and resilience, (9) demand and supply forecasting ability, and (10) project management skills. Overall, the findings provide a road map for practitioners and academics interested in developing supply chain managers' necessary skills and competencies to manage current and future supply networks. It also allows companies to adjust their supply chain management hiring, training and retention methods. Originality/value: Although the study was done in Malaysia, the supply chain skills and competencies stated in this study, as well as their categorization, can be applied in other developing countries.

This study investigates the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on brand reputation, brand trust, and brand loyalty in the context of higher education. The direct effect of CSR on brand loyalty, and indirect effects through brand reputation and brand trust have been investigated. Data for this study were collected from 300 students attending a private university in Malaysia. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was applied to assess the measurement model and test the proposed hypotheses. Study findings support all hypotheses. The results confirm the positive direct effect of CSR on brand reputation and brand loyalty, as well as the indirect effects of CSR on brand loyalty through brand reputation and brand trust. This study makes a unique theoretical contribution to the literature through assessing and comparing the mediating role of brand reputation and brand trust between CSR and brand loyalty using the Hierarchy of Effects Model.

Guided by a participatory culture-specific consultation model, this study contributes to an understanding of the effectiveness of school consultation with teachers of refugee students. The goal of the present study was to determine the impact of an individual consultation intervention with refugee teachers on their self-efficacy and self-care, in addition to their peer consultation skills. The participants were 109 teachers at refugee schools in Malaysia, most of whom were refugees (91% refugees; 73% female). Of the 109 participants, 84 teachers were coconsultants with psychology graduate students; all 109 were individual consultees. The study used a two-timepoint design with the outcomes of self-reported teacher self-care; teacher self-efficacy in the management of refugee student emotion regulation and emotional engagement; and consultation skills. Additionally, consultee-reported goal attainment, consultation effectiveness, and satisfaction were collected. The findings suggested significant latent growth from baseline to post-intervention in refugee teacher self-care and self-efficacy in the management of student emotion regulation and emotional engagement in addition to the growth of their consultation skills. The effect sizes were large for latent growth of teacher self-efficacy in promoting student emotion regulation, behavior, and emotional engagement (d = 1.19, 1.01, 1.02); the effect size for self-care was medium (d = 0.62). Growth was not dependent on dosage, age, gender, or consultee education, with the exception of teacher self-efficacy in management of emotional engagement which was dependent on dosage. After the intervention, the consultees reported that they completed their consultation goals at a higher level than expected, were satisfied with the consultation, and found the consultants to be helpful. The discussion situates the findings in relevant theory, research, and the culture-specific context.

The remarkable advancements in technology have affected the way people engage, work, and learn. Digital literacy, also known as virtual learning, has the potential to improve lifelong learning. Workplace skills evolve at such a rapid pace that no school system can keep up with the continual need to alter how we work and live. Most crucially, our society's profound changes require young people to acquire new abilities. Malaysia has a long-term vision that calls for sustainable and productivity-driven growth that can only be accomplished with digitally literate employees. Although to some extent Malaysia education system has been initiating, there is very limited research that focuses on what drives digital literacy. There is no proper framework or guidelines that can be used as a blueprint to prepare the young graduates in the 21st-century workforce. The purpose of the study is to examine the drivers of digital literacy that can be taught in higher institutions and apply in today's digital workplace. This research focused on young adults as a unit of analysis and a quantitative method was used to collect the data. A total of 300 young individuals responded through self-administered questionnaires. The finding of the research showed that critical skills, operational skills, visual learning style, collaborative learning style and learning system enhance digital literacy. Finding further recommend that digital literacy improve both academic performance and employability. From this research, solutions can be proposed to both academicians and employers in achieving the digital literate graduates for the 21st-century workforce.

Lean is a process improvement approach to improve organization's efficiency by identifying and eliminate non-value-added activities, while Six Sigma is a methodology focused on reduction of process variation. The integration of both, namely Lean Six Sigma (LSS) drives organization on waste elimination, variation reduction and value creation, which ultimately enhancing organizational performance. LSS has been viewed by prior scholars as one of effective approach for business improvement regardless of manufacturing or services industry. However, the research of LSS in education sector, particularly for business school is relatively lacking. Hence, this research aimed to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) for LSS within a business school in Malaysia. The research also aimed to explore the relationship between the LSS, CSFs, and organization performance. There were six CSFs identified from literature review, while organization performance is assessed via the concept of system theory. The research was quantitative based with the lecturers in the business school as the targeted population. Questionnaire was distributed based on stratified sampling plan with 69 responded. Descriptive and Pearson correlation analysis result revealed that lecturers within the business school perceived that all the six LSS CSFs as "very important", and strongly correlated with organization performance, except CSF "project selection and prioritization". As implication, finding from this research suggested that the adaption of LSS between manufacturing and education sectors shared the commonality in term of CSF. However, the business school should look into project proposal from the lecturers' perspective as an alternate source of process improvement opportunity.

This current study aimed to investigate whether expectancy-value model of achievement choice mediates the relationship between fear of failure (FOF) and academic procrastination (AP) among undergraduate students of Psychology Department at a private university in Malaysia. Based on the Krejcie-Morgan Table and G*Power, 102 undergraduate students (aged 18- 24) who enrolled in core subjects were recruited to represent the population via snowball sampling method. PROCESS macro for SPSS was utilized to perform the Bootstrap analysis with 5,000 sampling at 95% confidence interval to test the mediation hypothesis. Results showed a significant positive total effect of FOF on AP and significant negative direct effect of expectancy-value model on academic procrastination, supporting the hypothesis for path c and path b. However, no significant direct effect was found between FOF and expectancy-value model (path a). Mediation did not occur, therefore FOF is still considered a robust and significant predictor of AP among the population of psychology students in the aforementioned university. Furthermore, our results suggested that the aforementioned link did not significantly occur among the first-year students.

The classroom is where the student and teacher interact, while traditional education uses a Face-to-Face classroom. The unprecedented COVID-19 forced education to shift into an online classroom. Still, numerous researches demonstrate that the pedagogical quality in online classrooms is thus compromised as the educators tend to convert existing face-to-face curriculum that less prioritize intellectual interaction into online ways. Blended learning is not a new yet effective teaching pedagogy, which seems suitable to overcome the challenges as mentioned above as it is a combination of traditional and online modes. Thus, this article summarizes the current trend of blended learning implementation in the Malaysian setting into valuable insight for the practitioner to redesign their pedagogy to meet new norms. This paper assessed and analyzed a total of 22 recent publications that extracted from the Web of Science Database based on three themes that are participant, instrument, and disciplinary. All researches address higher education context, mainly the students' perspectives and neglecting other stakeholders' perspectives. Blended learning is proven practical in multidisciplinary but independent curriculum, and pedagogy redevelopment is mandated. The quantitative methodology is preferable by the researcher in the identification of critical governing factors. Overall, the context of blended learning development in Malaysia remains progressively developing by time. In conclusion, the practice of blended learning implementation is getting diffused in Malaysia due to its flexibility and versatility. However, such effective pedagogy lay on collaborative efforts between various stakeholders, including educators, students, institutional management, policymakers, and parent.

This study aims to better understand the learning experiences of doctoral examiners in relation to their assessment practices in the PhD viva, which directly impacts the PhD candidates' success in doctoral assessment. A narrative approach was employed to uncover the narratives of learning to examine in the PhD viva from twelve doctoral examiners in Malaysia. Based on the thematic analysis, examiners mainly learned from their own experiences and trial and error. Additionally, they hardly receive any institutional training on how to examine in the PhD viva. This suggests a need to support examiners, especially novice examiners, in their assessment endeavours. The findings contribute to the literature on doctoral examiner experiences by raising several important questions regarding examiner practices in the PhD viva and calling for institutional support. The study provides insights into how academic developers can support doctoral examiners more effectively in the PhD viva to ensure quality in doctoral assessment and a positive examination experience for doctoral examiners and candidates.

The underutilization of e-learning among university lecturers is an important issue that needs to be resolved. This study aimed to formulate an e-learning postadoption model for Malaysian universities. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires involving 36 e-learning experts who from lecturers in public and private universities in Malaysia. The data collected was then analyzed using the extent analysis method proposed by Chang ("European Journal of Operational Research," 95(3), 649-655, 1996) to examine the weights and rankings of the factors and subfactors. This study showed that for e-learning postadoption, the most important factor is institution service quality, followed by system quality, content quality, instructors' characteristics, and learners' characteristics. This study extends the information systems success model into the e-learning postadoption context. In particular, this study offered insights concerning the dependencies among the factors in the model within the Malaysian university context. The findings are useful for the long-range strategic management of university administrators, and the model can be adopted as a reference to form a rating system to analyze e-learning postadoption. University administrators can analyze critical factors that increase e-learning's post adoption and lead to more efficient resource allocation and management of e-learning.

Using an international education database, PISA 2012, this study compares 15-year-old students' mathematics anxiety and its relationships with educational issues among five Asia Pacific economies (Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Shanghai, & Singapore), using descriptive, figural, partial correlative, multiple regressive, and factor analysis methods. The main variable, math anxiety, is made up primarily from six of ten items around student worry, tense, nervousness, or helplessness for mathematics difficulties, homework, tough problems, or poor grades. New findings present a perspective of student math anxiety and its impacts across economies with three different models: math anxiety has strong negative correlations with student standardized test scores, interests, and knowledge of mathematics in all economies; it has reverse relations with student abilities, importance, self-attribution in the high and low achievement economies; and it has weak correlations with teaching methods, parents' influences, or friends' performances. This study also discusses a series of questions for further study in mathematics learning.

The role of entrepreneurship in job creation and unemployment reduction is well established by prior studies. Hence, one of the ways to address the unemployment issue among young graduates in Malaysia is to explore how entrepreneurial intention could be embraced into the broader context of the country's education system. Empirical research found that prior studies on entrepreneurship education in Malaysia tends to focus on reviewing educational policies, issue and challenges. The concept of the entrepreneurial intention determinants beyond entrepreneurial education remains ambiguous. Hence, this study advances the discussion in entrepreneurship education by reviewing determinants for entrepreneurial intention from holistic perspective by integrating Model of Personality Traits and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Five determinants for entrepreneurial intention are identified from literature review, which are entrepreneurship attitude, subjective norm, behavior control, entrepreneurship education and personality traits. The study is quantitative based, 360 questionnaires were distributed to the undergraduates from three faculties of a public university in Malaysia, with 199 responded. Data was analyzed via Pearson correlation and ANOVA analysis. Finding from the study suggested all the five entrepreneurial determinants are significantly correlated with entrepreneurial intention, and there is no significant difference on entrepreneurial intention based on faculty. However, one of the remarkable finding is Entrepreneurship Education is viewed as determinant with the lowest correlation coefficient with entrepreneurial intention. The implication of this finding is perhaps the content of entrepreneurial education shall emphasize on cultivating students' entrepreneurial attitude, behavioral and personality rather than the theoretical part of entrepreneurial and entrepreneurship.

Embracing gamification in education is, indeed, inevitable, especially with the arrival of the millennials whose lives are greatly influenced by digital technologies and favor learning in a fun, interactive, and engaging environment. Quizizz, a gamified educational tool, has gradually gained the interest of researchers and stakeholders in education as this application has presented positive outcomes towards learning with the integration of unique game elements such as leader boards, memes, and quiz reports, each of which can assist in enhancing engagement and provide a positive learning experience in a non-stressful setting. This research was conducted to explore the influence and effects of Quizizz in enhancing young Malaysian ESL learners learning irregular English verbs. This quasi-experimentally designed research gathered data from a sample of 30 primary pupils using a pre-test/post-test approach. The data attained were analyzed descriptively using sample t-tests to explain the increment of the pupils' performance on the post-test associated with learning via Quizizz. The results are discussed both in terms of overall pupil performance involving the use of Quizizz and in terms of gender comparison to examine any significant difference in performance between male and female users of Quizizz.

Flipped Learning (FL) instruction is flipping teaching where the learners study the contents at home by using technology equipment such as video, pods, e-books, websites, or blogs, and the classroom is used to do the assignment or homework to strengthen students' important knowledge understanding. The current tertiary students are the new generation who are so much interrelated with technology. This study investigated the effect of FL instruction on tertiary English learners' Achievement in writing. Two groups of 40 Diploma in Maintenance Engineering (DME) students (experimental and control) participated in this study. Moreover, the data were collected from the score of essay-writing tests (pre-test and post-test). The experimental group was taught through FL instruction while the control group was taught through the Traditional Method. Furthermore, the data were statistically tabulated by employing ANOVA in the Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS). The result shows that the score mean of the experimental group was significantly higher than the score mean of the control group. Accordingly, there was a significant effect of FL instruction on tertiary English learners' writing achievements. Hence, the implementation of the FL instruction is highly recommended for teaching writing at the tertiary level.

The lifestyle of humans is constantly changing due to globalisation. The demand for suitable and appropriate technological tools applicable in the teaching and learning processes is therefore increasing. The traditional method of chalk and talk in a classroom setting is slowly being replaced with Web 2.0 due to various implications. However, studies on the implications and effectiveness of these tools towards students' assessment of their learning process are lacking, especially in the writing skill. This study aims to provide a report on the use of an online learning platform for assessing students' writing skills. Padlet is used in this study as an online learning platform. The respondents comprise 70 level two teachers from national primary schools in Sarawak. Level two refers to years 4, 5 and 6 in the Malaysian education context. Survey questionnaires, observation checklists and semi-structured interviews were employed and their results were analyzed through frequency and thematic content analysis. The main findings in this research show that the respondents exhibit positive responses towards Padlet. This study also provides some concerns that arise during the implementation of Padlet in the classroom. Limited Internet connection and lack of Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills amongst the students are the two major issues found during the intervention. The implication of this study is relevant to the new pedagogical tool in writing assessment for the current generation of students.

Using Malaysia TIMSS 2015 data, this study examined the association between eighth grade students' science achievement and mathematics score and the determining factors of science achievement. A total of 9,726 students participated in TIMSS 2015 with an average score of 508.60 with standard deviation of 89.86 for science and 501.57 with standard deviation of 86.46 for mathematics. Correlation coefficient between composite science and mathematics score is 0.88. The result of the multiple regression analysis showed that being a male, always speaking the language of test at home, having educated parents, students liking and valuing science and mathematics scores had a significant positive effect on science achievement. In contrast, having access to an internet connection and having confidence in science were found to have a negative influence on science achievement.

The emergence of new technologies has brought massive changes to teaching and learning processes. In recent years, mobile phones have evolved into effective teaching tools; when used practically, they could improve learning outcomes. The potential of mobile phones as a learning platform has led to a proliferation of research into their effectiveness. This paper aims to examine the effectiveness of the Google Translate mobile application (hereinafter "app") in improving indigenous learners' English language vocabulary. Fifteen Iban participants with low English language proficiency from rural schools were chosen through purposive sampling. The data were collected by comparing scores in the pre-test and post-test. In addition, the data were triangulated through structured interviews. Key findings indicated that almost all participants achieved high scores in the post-test. The interviews also revealed that all participants affirmed that Google Translate supports their English language proficiency, and only one participant was unsure of its effectiveness. Thus, the findings of this study imply that Google Translate could be an effective teaching tool to enhance learners' English language vocabulary. Future research could examine the effectiveness of the app in teaching vocabulary in different contexts.

Purpose: The study aims to examine the influence of soft skill integration on the interpersonal soft skill levels of diploma business students in the private higher education institutions based in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia. Research Methods: The study was guided by the Soft Skill Development Model (2006) and the Soft Skill Integration method, according to Devadason, Subramaniam and Daniel (2010). This paper applied a descriptive quantitative survey method to assess the levels and relationships between the variables. A set of self-administered questionnaires were adapted based on Devadason, Subramaniam and Daniel's (2010) instruments. The questionnaires were distributed through a proportionate stratified random sampling method to 429 respondents from 12 private higher learning institutions in three northern states of Peninsular Malaysia. Descriptive analysis, correlation, and regression analyses were applied in the findings. Findings: The results revealed a significant influence of the overall soft skill integration towards communication and teamwork levels. The study also advocated the significant impact of soft skill integration in problem-solving and critical thinking on all of the four essential soft skills elements. Implications for Research and Practice: Despite decades of emphasis on soft skill development, soft skill integration in Malaysia is still not at an optimal level. Embedding soft skills would lead to more real-life experiences, and they will horn students' skills, especially their problem-solving ability. The empirical evidence of soft skill integration contributes towards innovative teaching and learning experiences, social innovation, and the impact on school policies to develop what is required in the industry.

In this globalization-focused era, the demand for globalized engineers in the creation of borderless societies is increasing. Despite the initiatives by the Japanese government to promote internalization through increasing the intake of foreign students, the exposures gained by the Japanese students from these programs are minimal. For years, internship has been used globally as a platform for training and educating future engineers, but only a few studies have examined the proactive transformation from domestic to international internship. International internships overseas offer a completely new dimension of experiences when carried out in multicultural environments. This article reports and offers evidence of a Japanese engineering university's rapid global internship reform strategy toward the expansion of international internships in Malaysia. This paper provides insights into the process, from initial setup to implementation of the internship program covering all the necessary preparation and support. From the establishment of an overseas collaboration base and rapport building with hosting industries, the systematic steps taken are reported. Regarding the internship program, feedback from Japanese engineering students who completed their internships show improved satisfaction due to continuous improvement of the internship program with progressing years. It was also discovered that the low participation rate in overseas internship by Japanese students is not due to their inward-looking temperament, but due to the lack of internship program availability that is administered with sufficient preparation enabling them to challenge themselves in a new environment. The challenges encountered in the program, and the sustainable improvements made in alignment with sustainable development goals toward equitable quality education and promotion of lifelong learning are also stated. In this paper, the future perspectives and outlook of internships are also described considering today's rapid technological advancements and the fast-changing needs of industries, which require future internship programs to have flexible approaches and ideologies.

For many students, mathematics is regarded as a challenging subject to learn and master in class. One of the significant factors contributing to the students' difficulties in learning mathematics is caused by a phenomenon called mathematics anxiety. Mathematics anxiety is a feeling of unease and anxiety toward mathematics and it can be different from person-to-person. Understanding the effects of mathematics anxiety levels on students' mathematics performances in class can be the key to help students' mastery of mathematics. The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between mathematics anxiety levels and students' mathematics performances at the foundation level. A sample of 545 students from a local foundation centre was chosen for this study. Data collection via questionnaire was used where quantitative data were analysed using correlation, t-test, and descriptive analyses. The results showed that there was a weak positive correlation between students' anxiety levels and the students' mathematics performance in their final examination. Recommendations and future potential for this study were further discussed in this paper.

Predicting the necessary skills and competencies required by the students of today, for them to be ready for the future, has always been high on the priority list for students, educators, policy makers and business leaders. We know that change is the only constant, and in order for graduates to be ready for this uncertainty, it is essential for educational institutions to develop students who are adaptable, resilient, and self-driven. This study investigates the impact of discovering "ikigai," which is a key component of a comprehensive year-1 undergraduate students' development programme on self-leadership. To evaluate this impact, the study adopted a mixed-methods approach and featured 510 students and 37 coaches. The results demonstrated benefit in defining "ikigai" since students reported they had learned key skills in self-leadership, even when delivered as emergency remote learning. This favourable outcome was accompanied by a very high satisfaction rate measure by Net Promoter Score of 73.9%. More longitudinal work will need to be carried out to investigate whether feeling prepared for what is yet to come actually predicts how well young people make the most of their university experience to hone their 21st century skills and achieve their goals in the future.

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of the removal of refugee protections on refugee education and mental health, in addition to the protective roles of advocacy, community, and religion. We conducted semi-structured interviews with seven Chin refugees from Myanmar who were refugee school leaders in Malaysia (mean age = 23; 57% female); we also interviewed four Malaysian citizens, with expertise in refugee education (mean age = 35; 100% female). We conducted follow-up interviews with five of the Chin participants. We found that (a) Chin refugees were deeply concerned about how removal of protections impacted refugee education, fears of refoulement, and the well-being of their refugee education community; (b) Logistical, community, and emotional support played a protective role; and (c) An unprecedented multi-step advocacy process by the Chin community contributed to successful reinstatement of their refugee protections, including protections for their refugee schools. Discussion addresses the importance of pre-consultation school research on policy impacts and advocacy with marginalized school communities prior to starting consultation, with a focus on how refugee community protective factors and advocacy can act as forms of resilience in the face of negative policy impacts on education and mental health.

Studies show that social networking sites (SNS) are convenient for older adults to bond with friends and family without traveling and provide new opportunities for communication that can help older adults to avoid loneliness and social isolation. However, the numbers of SNS usage among older adults are fewer in less developed nations, which can be because only a small number of older adults know how to use SNS, and difficulties such as fears and insecurities while trying to use SNS. To increase the number of older adults using SNS in Malaysia, this study explored the experiences that could affect the intention to learn SNS in older adults in using SNS. Phenomenology approaches using semi-structured one-to-one interviews were used to explore the factors that could affect the intention to learn SNS among older Malaysian adults. This study employed a qualitative approach to explore the intention to learn SNS of twelve older adults aged 60 to 73, residing in different regions of Malaysia. Thematic analysis was used to identify the themes and interpret the data after the data saturation was reached. The themes that emerged from the data were the 'perceived usefulness,' 'unrealistic dependency,' and 'ignorant.' The results of this study can be used to come up with policies and strategies to encourage the learning of SNS among older adults. Program developers and trainers can also use the results of this study to develop modules that are more suited for older adults.

Although educators in higher education institutions have embraced online teaching, little research has been conducted on their experience transitioning from online to blended classes. This study aimed to conduct a comparative analysis and present feedback from educators in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Brunei and Malaysia who migrated from online to blended teaching. Fifteen educators at HEIs in Brunei and Malaysia undertook in-depth semi-structured interviews that produced four themes: 1) openness to change from traditional teaching methods, 2) institutional assistance for academic resilience, 3) network broadening, and 4) the emergence of the digital divide. The findings assist higher education ministries and HEIs in strategically implementing blended learning in the endemic phase. The proposed recommendations provide insights for authorities to revisit existing education policy frameworks by designing new strategies for adopting technology and adjusting pedagogical approaches in their educational practices. Ultimately, this study contributes to the literature on educators' readiness and resilience in transitioning from online to blended teaching during the post-pandemic period, particularly in Asian countries.

In overcoming the obstacles of online learning with the current COVID-19 pandemic crisis, synchronous and asynchronous learning has been a significant part of teaching strategies applied by educators to construct a collaborative online environment with Malaysian university students. Synchronous learning has always been the most effective strategy for social learning, while asynchronous learning allows students to learn on their own schedule. Moreover, despite having many educational platforms created for higher educational settings, the practicality of selection between two teaching--learning approaches of text-presentation and video is still a debate among teachers/lecturers with students' learning styles. Therefore, this paper explored Malaysian university students' preferences between synchronous and asynchronous learning modes with text-presentation or video. Qualitative and quantitative data from 178 participants from both public and private universities were collected via open and close-ended questions in the designed questionnaire. The findings indicated that 68% of the students preferred synchronous learning mode compared to asynchronous. Meanwhile, 39% of the students favoured both text-presentation and video learning tools to be implemented in synchronous and asynchronous approaches as it provided them better opportunities to grasp the learning content better. Thus, it can be concluded that the synchronous learning mode is preferred if only one method is provided as the students highly value the teacher's presence for ease of communication, but students prefer a range of delivery methods. Moreover, the students also displayed a strong preference for applying both text-presentation and video to achieve their learning outcomes. Thus, it is suggested that the university lecturers need to explore and apply interactive pedagogical methods in online teaching-learning process, while contributing to the development of motivation, participation, and engagement among the university students in acquiring their subjects. As such, the findings of this study have informed the pedagogical implications, and further studies are mandatory.

Despite the importance of the PhD viva in assessing the quality of doctoral research, how examiners approach the PhD viva remains underexplored in the Global South. This study fills this gap by investigating the conceptions of doctoral examiners in Malaysia, shedding light on how they approach the PhD viva and what they believe its key purposes are. Through qualitative thematic analysis of interviews with twelve examiners, this study reveals that examiners place a significant emphasis on the quality of the research thesis, empower candidates to demonstrate mastery of the research subject, initiate dialogue for research engagement, and foster socialisation within the disciplinary community. The study contributes to the conceptualisation of the purposes of the PhD viva, encompassing gatekeeping, empowerment, dialogue, and enculturation, which can provide valuable guidance for examiner practices. The implications of these findings are discussed, highlighting the facilitative role of examiners in the examination process.

This study aims to understand factors that affect the behavioural intention of manufacturing engineers in Malaysia to use e-learning in the workplace. Two hundred usable online questionnaires were collected from respondents who were engineers in Malaysian manufacturing companies. The data were analyzed using SPSS and Smart PLS version 3.2.6. Results supported all direct relationships except for the influence of prior experience in perceived ease of use. Interestingly, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use fully mediated between computer self-efficacy and behavioural intention to adopt. The study provides theoretical implication to the technology acceptance model by confirming the mediating role of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness in the context of a manufacturing setting in an emerging market. In practical terms, the study provides insights to guide organizations in designing e-learning systems that are well-received by employees at the workplace.

This research is about the importance of the expected achievement of preservice Chinese language teachers based on their orientation, attitude, and motivation in teaching education programs. The cluster sampling and random sampling methods were implemented to select the samples from 16 Institute of Teacher Education Malaysia (IPGM). A total of 389 respondents were selected in the study and the data was analysed by using Smart PLS 3.0 software. This study applied a two-stage analysis in a reflective-formative way to analysis the multidimensional constructs on the learning situation. The findings showed a significant positive relationship of teachers' integration orientation, instrumental orientation, and attitudes towards learning situations with their Chinese language achievements. The motivation of intensity acted as a mediator factor and showed a partial positive effect in the relationship between integration orientation, instrumental orientation and attitudes towards learning situation with Chinese language achievement. It is due to relationship between motivation and positive attitude as well as the orientation of integration has shaped the integration motivation in the socio-learning model. Thus, the results of the study can be used as a reference source of multivariate relationship study between the orientation, attitudes, motivation, and achievement of future refractive-formative research.

Purpose: This study examined the types of written corrective feedback provided to ESL students in writing classes in Malaysian secondary schools, and their perceptions towards the provision of written corrective feedback in the Malaysian context. Methodology: A survey questionnaire was administered randomly among 720 Form Four students from 10 secondary schools in Penang. The questionnaire was based on a Likert scale and responses were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings: Results showed that most learners benefited from and preferred direct feedback, and tended to focus on form such as grammar, paragraph organisation, content and clarity of ideas. Students preferred this form of feedback as they were able to understand errors more clearly. It was found that most students were unable to self-regulate their own errors; a majority could not locate their own errors and had become passive learners within the Malaysian schooling system. Significance: The study is significant to Malaysian secondary schools in its effects, depicting the many forms of corrective feedback available in the ESL context that can be employed in school besides the popularized direct feedback used within the syllabus.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between pay and benefits, work environment, top management leadership, workload and job satisfaction among academic staffs in a private academic institution in Malaysia. Motivation-Hygiene Theory, Maslow's Needs Hierarchy theory and Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory were used to establish the theoretical framework of this study. Questionnaire survey method was employed to collect data which yielded 82 responses in this study. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to perform data analysis throughout the study. All study variables were found to have significant positive relationships with job satisfaction among academic staffs in the selected institution. Top management leadership was discovered to have the most significant relationship with job satisfaction. The findings of this research provide a clear message to the top management that leadership plays an important role in enhancing job satisfaction of the academic staffs. Hence, it is suggested that the institution management should adopt appropriate leadership style and establish effective strategies and policies that aim to increase job satisfaction and performance of the academic staffs.

Industry 4.0 is a new breed from the past industry revolution. The revolution implies an inevitable impact on professional sectors, including education field. Higher Learning Institution (HLI) is viewed as the platform for the development of Industry 4.0 competencies. However, research related to Industry 4.0 competencies among educators or academicians is scarce. Hence, this study aims to assess the level of Industry 4.0 competencies among lecturers in one of higher learning institution in Malaysia, as well as to identify Industry 4.0 competencies that required further enhancement. Five Industry 4.0 competencies identified from literature review, which are Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Organizational Learning, Innovative Management, Environment and Continuous Improvement competencies. The importance level and implementation level perceived by the lecturers across the five competencies are assessed via questionnaire which responded by 132 lecturers from a higher learning institution in Malaysia. Data collected is analyzed via descriptive analysis to assess the importance and implementation levels perceived by the respondent. In addition, an improvement opportunity index, namely Focus Index is calculated for each competency. Finding from the study reveals that all the four Industry 4.0 competencies are perceived by respondents as important, however implemented at moderate level. Analysis result of Focus Index also suggests that competencies in term of Organizational Learning and ICT are "over focus", while Environment competency is viewed as "under focus" which required further enhancement.

Election campaigns are constantly regarded as a persuasive campaign to convince the nation to vote for the leader of a country. Being said such, this study investigates the discourse of twitter of two political premiers in Asia: Former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Tun Razak (henceforth, Najib) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi (henceforth, Modi), in the aspects of discursive strategies and speech acts during election campaigns. The discourse of Najib and Modi are selected due to their active participation on Twitter throughout election campaigns. The data were collected over 3 months throughout the national elections of both the countries, which were from February to April 2013 in Malaysia and January to March 2014 in India. This qualitative study employs Wodak's discursive strategies to analyze the lexical choices utilized in the election tweets and Searle's speech act taxonomy to analyze the speech acts used. The presence of two major speech acts was highlighted during the elections: commissives and directives. These two speech acts collaborated under the hood of discursive strategies of predication and perspectivation that empowered Najib and Modi to establish a strong contact with citizens while creating a sense of integrity and oneness. This study is significant as it creates political and language awareness to citizens by denoting how political figures establish power through mutual consent with citizens using Twitter. Furthermore, this study enlightens citizens on how the 140-character tool can influence the political decision-making of a community.

University teachers are the main players when it comes to integrating e-learning systems into higher education institutions. Prior studies have identified four main antecedents that explain teachers' technology acceptance in the educational context: (a) subjective norms (SN), (b) technological complexity (TC), (c) constructivist beliefs (CB), and (d) motivation for instrumental use (MOT). In this study, we proposed and tested the dual roles of MOT, one as a causal variable and the other as a mediating variable, to explain university teachers' acceptance of e-learning systems. To test the research model, we collected data from 174 teachers at a large public university in Malaysia using a self-administered survey. Our study shows that MOT mediates the direct effects of SN, TC, and CB on perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU), and behavioural intention (BI). This study offers important policy insight for university administrators who seek to enhance acceptance of e-learning systems among university teachers.

Purpose: This quantitative study explored willingness to communicate (WTC) across two settings, ESL in Malaysia, and EFL in Indonesia and Thailand. Participants' WTC levels were measured and communicative situations in which participants were almost always willing and almost never willing to communicate in English were identified. Method: Convenience sampling was used to select the three countries, four secondary schools and 42 intact classes from Years 7 to 10. Two schools were in Malaysia, while one school each was in Indonesia and Thailand. A total of 1038 participants, consisting of 291 Malaysians, 325 Indonesians and 422 Thais took part in the study. The instrument used was an adapted questionnaire measuring WTC inside and outside the English classroom. Findings: The major findings were: (1) Situations in which students were almost never willing to communicate in English were mainly found outside the classroom; (2) Students were almost always willing to communicate in English in brief, predictable situations requiring the use of set phrases; (3) ESL students had a higher level of WTC than EFL students; and (4) WTC inside the classroom was significantly higher than WTC outside the classroom. Significance: The findings have implications for ESL/EFL classroom instruction. English teachers remain the main interlocutors in increasing WTC in the classroom. They also need to bridge the gap between the classroom and the outside world by preparing students for real social situations. This is consistent with the situation-specific aspect of WTC in the heuristic model proposed by MacIntyre, Clément, Dörnyei, & Noels (1998).

The COVID-19 pandemic affected many countries across the globe tremendously. One of the consequences of this pandemic was the closure of educational institutions to curb the spread of the virus. In Malaysia, the Ministry of Education (MOE) encouraged teachers to adopt online educational technologies, such as Google Classroom, in executing teaching and learning processes during the pandemic. However, the sudden transition of the nature of education required teachers to prepare themselves to carry out online education in an instant. Past studies revealed that ICT competence, infrastructure and online resources and working environment affect teachers' usage of online educational technologies in their teaching. This study examined the relationship amongst these three factors and teachers' intention to adopt online educational technologies. This study also identified the most significant factor that affects teachers' behavioural intentions. A total of 153 Malaysian ESL teachers participated in this study via a survey questionnaire. Findings revealed that although the working environment was moderately correlated with teachers' behavioural intentions, the other two factors were strongly correlated with teachers' behavioural intentions. This study found accessibility to infrastructure and online resources to be the most significant factors that affected teachers' behavioural intentions.

The main aim of the presented research was to examine the interaction between student's gender and achievements in learning concepts of electricity via STEAM integrated approach utilizing Scratch. This research was aimed to determine the gender disparity for lower-secondary school students in learning about the concepts of electricity. Quasi-experimental design involving male and female groups was used in this research. Students were required to utilize Scratch to design games and animated stories on electricity concepts. The Electricity Achievement Test (EAT) was administered for pre- and post-test. The findings proved that the STEAM integrated approach via Scratch could narrow the gap between male and female in learning concepts of electricity. The findings of ANCOVA indicated that the intervention had similar positive effects on male and female students' achievement in learning concepts of electricity. This research also provided a new method and an alternate connective framework for learning concepts of electricity via art and showed that both males and females were able to understand the topic of electricity, which reduced gender biases and disparity in the field of science.

This study aims to study the mediation role of locus of control on the impact of learned helplessness on students' academic procrastination. Studies reported that more than 70% university students procrastinate, and one of the causes is the perception that one is vulnerable or helpless in finishing the procrastinate tasks. It was hypothesized that internal locus of control iLOC can reduce the effect if the learned helplessness (LH) on academic procrastination. Data was collected from 60 university students by utilizing instruments such as Duttweiller's Internal Control Scale, Pure Procrastination Scale (adapted for academic setting) and Learned Helplessness Scale. Multiple regression with Process add-on showed that full mediation occurred; the prediction of LH on procrastination became insignificant when iLOC is controlled. In other words, when students believe that they are in control of their events, the less likely they will procrastinate doing their tasks due to helpless feeling.

Purpose: This study examines the effects of a simulation board game for teaching and learning shipping management in higher education. A framework of comprehensive shipping operations is developed according to the syllabus of the Shipping Management course at Universiti Utara Malaysia. The course core content in the game covers two main services--liner services and tramp services in the shipping industry. Methodology: A quasi-experimental research design was adopted to measure the effectiveness of the board game in giving students some understanding about shipping operations. Data were gathered from a sample of 73 undergraduate students enrolled in a Shipping Management course, using a non-equivalent control group design. The data were analysed using the McNemar Test to determine the level of understanding in shipping operations. Findings: It was found that using the board game in learning activities contributed to the improvement of students' knowledge and skills. A performance comparison indicated that there were differences in students' achievement for the tramp services and liner services contents. Significance: The framework for the shipping management board game aims to provide the best learning experience for students when they immerse themselves in solving problems and making decisions in the game. The framework can be used as a benchmark in the practice of game-based learning, particularly by affording students the opportunity to engage in learning by doing. Furthermore, this framework introduces a tangible problem space through the board game, encouraging students to discover knowledge at their own pace in a non-threatening environment.

This study intends to explore the relationship between goal orientation, information literacy self-efficacy and lifelong learning outcomes of the adult learners. This study focuses on adult learners as they are actively participating in the development of the country socio-economy and recognized as the potential contributors towards the generation of knowledge-based economy. The findings of this study revealed that there was a significant relationship between mastery goal orientation and lifelong learning. However, information literacy self-efficacy was found to be a predictor instead of a moderator in the model. It is suggested that suitable and appropriate learning methods such as problem-based learning, case scenario presentations, portfolios and clinical debates can be designed specifically to facilitate adult learners' mastery goal learning motivation in promoting lifelong learning. In addition, training and retraining to equip adult learners with new information literacy skills so as to keep up their self-efficacy level will definitely enhance lifelong learning. This study provides a database on the impact of goal orientation and information literacy self-efficacy towards lifelong learning in implementing policy formation, educational structure redesign and human capital development. As such, suitable and appropriate learning methods such as problem-based learning, case scenario presentations, portfolios and clinical debates can be designed specifically to facilitate student learning motivation in the classroom.

Geometry is one of the basic skills to be mastered in Malaysian mathematics education. However, there is not much information on geometry attainment of the elementary school students based on van Hiele's levels. The purpose of this study was to determine the van Hiele's levels of geometric thinking among the elementary school learners. Three different instructional strategies based on modules were tested on three groups of students; (i) van Hiele's phases of learning (VH-PL) module that guides students through the van Hiele's learning process, (ii) van Hiele's theory which is integrated with the Google SketchUp software (VH-GSU) module and (iii) use of conventional instruction (NVH-CI) module which refers to teaching strategy without the use of van Hiele's theory of learning or any software in the teaching. This true experimental study involved 96 Year Five students of a Malaysian public school. Data were collected using Wu's Geometry Test (WGT) and sample responses identified by Fuys, Geddes, and Tischler (1988). Results showed that at the onset of the experiment, the students were operating at the lower levels of van Hiele's levels of geometric thinking. After the intervention, results of the WGT showed that most of the students in all three groups achieved a higher level of van Hiele's geometric thinking.

Throughout the last decade in Malaysia, participation of students with disabilities in higher education has seen minimal growth. This paper investigates the policies and practices regulating disability in Malaysia's higher education. Three aspects -- legislation, funding, and governance -- are analysed. To reveal the gaps in policy and practice, comparison is carried out with the cases of England and Australia. The research involved examining government documents such as disability acts, action plans, and research and statistics reports, combined with interviewing university administrators. It was found that Malaysian legislation requires more supporting details and that disability funding for universities should be considered. For governance, systematic legislation review and specific university monitoring are recommended. Establishing an independent national entity to conciliate grievances is proposed to address the inadequate redress mechanism available for students with disabilities. Overall, the government and universities could ensure that disability information is available in the public domain, especially online. Such practice would enhance disability awareness and knowledge for all. Although this paper mainly takes on the perspective of a developing nation, it attains an international orientation as it also depicts the workings of the developed world in governing disability in higher education.