IIUM Journal of Educational Studies

The Implementation Structure of Work-Based Learning (WBL) in Malaysia: The Perspective of Industry

Keng Hao Moo — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0800

The industry has been looking for a teaching structure for tertiary education to address the knowledge gap in potential talents. Work-Based Learning (WBL) is a teaching and learning approach in which the industry is directly involved in the knowledge delivery process. Students are put in the industry and receive direct instruction from industry specialists. However, the specific forms and implementation of WBLs in Malaysia's higher education sector remain unclear. As WBL is a new learning culture in Malaysia, challenges such as the industry's low involvement rate, students' adaptation to the learning style, and the status of the higher education institutions are yet to be discovered. This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews with five coaches from ViTrox Technologies and eight students from University Tunku Abdul Rahman, University Technology Malaysia, and Forward School. A total of twelve interviews were conducted, focusing on the common practices of WBL, student experiences, and opinions towards WBL. Thematic analysis was used to systematically identify and interpret recurring themes within the qualitative data. The study found six key areas for enhancing WBL implementation: communication between industry coaches, lecturers, and students; roles of higher education institutions, industry, and students; WBL placement duration; coaching time; self-learning support; and WBL assessment standards. This study recommends a more practical application of WBL in the Malaysian context to promote WBL in Malaysia and strengthen collaboration between industry and academics in WBL.

Differences in Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Between Experienced and Less Experienced Computer Teachers in Ogun State, Nigeria

Abiola Olori, Saka Adewale Owodunni — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This study assessed differences in technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) between experienced and less experienced computer studies teachers in Ogun State, Nigeria. Three research questions were used in the survey research, with a total number of two hundred (200) respondents, using multistage sampling technique. The instrument used was an adapted test scale measuring technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), technological content knowledge (TCK) and technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). It is divided into two sections with a reliability coefficient value of 0.78, 0.72 and 0.71 respectively, while data was analysed with t-test statistical method. The study revealed no significant difference in the technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK) between experienced and less experienced computer teachers (t = 0.346, P > 0.05), significant difference in the technological content knowledge (TCK) between experienced and less experienced computer teachers (t =2.423, P < 0.05) and significant difference in the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) between experienced and less experienced computer teachers (t =1.306, P < 0.05). In the recommendation, professional development in terms of continuous workshop, in-service training and seminar should be constantly organised for both experienced and less experienced secondary school computer teachers in Ogun State for improved TPK. Also, in-service training and seminar should be constantly provided for less experienced computer teachers in Ogun State for improved TCK and TPACK.

The Comparative Effectiveness of Focused and Comprehensive Written Corrective Feedback on Writing Accuracy: A Mixed-Methods Perspective

Arshad Iqbal Khattak, Mohammad Azannee Saad — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0800

While research has extensively looked into the impact of written corrective feedback (WCF) on EFL/SL learners' writing accuracy, research exploring the comparative effectiveness of focused and comprehensive WCF in enhancing learners' writing accuracy is notably scant. Assessing the comparative efficaciousness of feedback focus is highly important for facilitating error correction for teachers and making it more feasible for learners. This mixed-methods study explored the efficacy of those two methods of WCF on Saudi EFL learners' writing accuracy in their essays. Essays were collected from 18 Foundation Year Health Sciences learners at a B1 proficiency level at the English Language Institute of a public university in Saudi Arabia. A pre-test, post-test, and delayed post-test design employing a repeated-measures MANOVA was used to gauge the impact of the two feedback methods of WCF on learners’ writing accuracy. Additionally, the research investigated learners' beliefs about WCF and their priorities regarding the scope of WCF. Results showed that although focused WCF resulted in lower error means across specific categories and total errors, it did not exhibit significantly higher effectiveness compared to comprehensive WCF. Moreover, the learners unequivocally preferred comprehensive WCF over focused WCF. These findings suggest that the two types of feedback need not be seen as mutually exclusive in terms of their effectiveness. Instead, their efficacy may depend on learner proficiency, error type, and the learners' writing draft in question. Considering these contextual factors, educators can adopt an unbiased, ingenious approach to vary their feedback focus and maximize student learning. Moreover, this study contributes uniquely to research methodology within the feedback domain by combining quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the construct.

The Impact of Implementing an Enrichment Program on the Awareness of Post-Basic Education Students in the Sultanate of Oman Regarding Islamic Values

Hamed Salem Saleh Al-Rajhi , Nik Md Saiful Nik Abdullah, Ossman Nordin — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This research aims to enhance the cognitive awareness of Islamic values to students in post basic education in Sultanate of Oman. That is by implementing an enrichment program suggested to Islamic studies curriculums of grade eleven and measuring the impact of the program in developing the cognitive enrichment on them. The researcher used a “quantitative method” process as combined both qualitative curriculum and quantitative curriculum. The study sample consisted of 350 students. Chosen by a “simple random” method, of which are (200 male students) and (150 female students). From 8 schools in Muscat governate (Muscat state and Mutrah state) conformed as (4 male schools) and (4 female schools). As per the research tools they consisted of an analysis form by the title of “grade 11 Islamic study curriculum both semesters analysis forum” and a “values measurement”. Included 40 questions reflects real life scenarios cohere with the nature of Islamic values aimed to be developed, to evaluate their progress across the program. The statistical analysis was performed by (SPSS program). Which from the results showed that the approximate values in all the measured areas of cognitive awareness of Islamic values of grade 11 students post basic in Sultanate of Oman were lower than default significance of 0.05. Thus, it indicates differences of statistical significance between the average marks of the students in the experimental group and the average marks of the students in the control group in all relevant applications of the program. Thus, indicating that the enrichment program suggested to Islamic studies curriculum has a measurable effect on the enhancing the cognitive awareness of Islamic studies in grade 11 post basic students in Sultanate of Oman. The researcher has passed some recommendations one of which developing similar enrichment programs that enhances the current studied curriculum aiming to develop and elevate the cognitive awareness of such values for students in all grades and levels of studies in Sultanate of Oman.

Development of Metacognitive Strategies Framework through Education 4.0 for Graduate Employability and Learning Sustainability

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0800

The main goal of entering higher education institutions (HEI) is employability. In response to the 4th Industrial Revolution (IR), Education 4.0 enables new potentials and promises through technology. Despite the benefits of Education 4.0 stated, there are challenges present in the system. The objectives of this study were to identify the metacognitive strategies and how Education 4.0 enhance learning sustainability and graduate employability. The next objective was to examine the effectiveness of the metacognitive strategies framework on sustainable learning and employability through Education 4.0. Mixed methods were used in data collection using exploratory sequential design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from three categories of university alumni, lecturers, and experts from the industries. From the findings of the interviews, an instrument was developed and distributed to experts in higher education and new employee hiring. Two rounds of the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) were conducted to analyse the data from the quantitative method. There are seven metacognitive strategies that enhance graduate employability and learning sustainability which are showcase self, self-improvement, exposure, self-study and study group, career development and training, reflection of learning, and teaching approaches. Three themes were identified in response to how Education 4.0 enhances learners’ learning sustainability and employability which are Purpose, Advantages, and Disadvantages. A framework was then developed, integrating both metacognitive strategies and Education 4.0. This framework could assist graduates in equipping themselves with the skillsets needed to become more visible to employers and increase their employability and learning sustainability in the future.

Using Read-Alouds in Promoting Early Literacy Development: A Case Study of a Class of ESL Preschoolers

Ratnawati Mohd Asraf, Syakirah Abd Halim — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This article presents the results of a study that examined the response of a group of English as a Second Language (ESL) preschoolers towards reading aloud and the experience and perspectives of their teachers regarding this practice. Data were collected through three primary sources: in-depth (participation) observation of the preschoolers; analysis of their drawings and worksheets, and the semi-structured interviews of the teachers. The findings are subsequently discussed with particular emphasis on how reading aloud fosters the preschoolers’ engagement and participation, their comprehension of the story, and their critical thinking ability. The teachers' feedback also provides valuable input towards improving the preschoolers’ participation, comprehension, and confidence in reading aloud; and for the future enhancement of read-aloud programs. The paper concludes with a discussion of some practical strategies for teaching reading aloud and how it can enhance English language teaching to ESL preschoolers.

The Importance of Semantics Equivalence in Translating Islamic Terms into The Malay Language

Muhamadul Bakir Hj. Yaakub — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0800

The research aims to highlight the phenomenon of challenges in translating terms related to religious discourse in the Holy Qur’an into the Malay language, especially with regards to the accuracy and adequacy of linguistic equivalence. This is because it is regarded as one of the most important semantic indicators that can be relied upon in the process of conveying the meaning of the text from the source language to the target language, especially in issues related to the Holy Qur’an. Therefore, Malay translators must specifically pay attention when translating this type of Islamic text because it has a role in shaping religious terminological concepts. By accurately conveying the linguistic comprehension of the Qur'an, individuals can shape their behaviour in accordance with religious principles, leading to a harmonious relationship with oneself, the environment, and society. Focusing on this aspect, it is regarded as an important step to create a healthy religious personality within a religious socio-cultural practice. The research in this sense represents a preliminary attempt to analytically describe some examples of Qur’anic idiomatic terms translated into the Malay language based on the contrastive method from the perspective of linguistic structural equivalence as a step towards answering the question of the relationship between a term and its users, and how that relationship occurs, in addition to the result of its absence. Together with the assumption that linguistic conformity in the translation of an idiomatic term constitutes a system in which effective communication is formed together with a pattern of smooth engagement between linguistic communities. However, a counterexample to this would be if the idiomatic terms in the Qur'an cannot be accurately translated into the Malay language due to cultural and linguistic differences, resulting in a loss of meaning and misinterpretation of the text. In the case of translating idiomatic terms from the Qur'an into Malay, linguistic equivalence may not always be achievable. For example, if a specific idiom in the Qur'an holds cultural or historical significance unique to Arabic-speaking communities, it may be challenging to find an equivalent idiom that carries the same meaning and connotation in Malay. This could lead to a loss of meaning and potentially misinterpretation of the text for Malay-speaking readers.

Al-Zarnuji's Educational Concept and Its Relevance to the Teaching of Islamic Education in Malaysia

Nabihah Husna Razali, Arifin Mamat — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This paper explores the educational concept of the 10th-century Islamic scholar Al-Zarnuji and its relevance to the teaching of Islamic Education in Malaysia. This literature analysis aims to determine the applicability of Al-Zarnuji's educational concept for educational reform in the current Islamic education system in Malaysia by examining previous Islamic educational concepts and how they can enhance the current system. The study employed content analysis from various resources related to the ideas of education from Al-Zarnuji. The study found that Al-Zarnuji highlights the moral, intellectual, spiritual, and social aspects of an individual's development in his book "Ta'lim Al-Muta'allim." His method of teaching encourages critical thinking, moral learning, and active student participation. His emphasis on developing moral character, cultivating virtues, and moral behavior is consistent with the National Educational Philosophy and Islamic education goals, which focus on the development of diverse and balanced individuals.

The Promises of Education: Revisiting the Core Business of Educational Institutions

Ismail Hussein Amzat — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0800