Journal of Nusantara Studies (JONUS) (Journal of UniSZA - Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin)
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The taste of home: The construction of social relationships through commensality amongst female Malay students in the United Kingdom
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: Commensality is an act of eating together among migrant communities as a means of passing down the culture and ethnic identity. There is very limited discussion on commensality that pays attention to food sharing and eating that extends beyond the traditional forms of social relationships, identity, and space among the Malay community abroad. Thus, this article aims to explore the connections of social relationships through food, space and identity amongst female Malay students in the United Kingdom.
Methodology: This research is based on one-year ethnographic fieldwork amongst female Malaysian Muslim students in Manchester and Cardiff. Thirty in-depth interviews were conducted with both undergraduate and postgraduate students from sciences and social sciences courses. Besides, in-depth interviews, participant observation, conversation and fieldnotes methods were deployed as supplementary for data collection.
Findings: This paper argues that cooking and eating together in a private space is a way for them to maintain social relationships and overcome stress in their studies, and fulfil their desire to create harmony and trust at home. Besides, places such as the kitchen, play an essential space in building the Malay identity and social relationships between female Malay students’ communities in the host country.
Contributions: This study has contributed to an understanding of the meaning of friendship, identity, space, and the discussion on the anthropology of food from international students’ perspectives and migration studies.
Keywords: Food and identity, commensality, Malay students, friendship, international students
Remembering K.S. Maniam through a collection of selected oeuvres. [Review of the book K.S. Maniam: Selected works, by K.S. Maniam]
Get PDFTo review a book on K.S Maniam’s selected works is to write about the legacy of a Malaysian early prolific writers. This book is indeed a testament to Maniam’s vast oeuvres which include novels, short stories, plays and poetry. On the afternoon of the 9th of March 2019, scholars and fans of Maniam’s works gathered at an event organized by the University of Nottingham Malaysia, to celebrate this much loved and respected Malaysian writer, commemorating him through readings as well as a book launch on this book titled K.S Maniam: Selected Works
Textbook technical presentation vs. Readability: An analysis of KBD form four Arabic textbooks in Malaysia
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: Efforts to improve the teaching of the Arabic language as a subject have the potential to strengthen the Integrated Dini Curriculum (KBD) in Malaysia. Thus, it is appropriate and necessary to examine the relevance of textbook technical presentation in terms of text readability. Therefore, this study aims to identify the relationship between the technical presentation of the Arabic textbook (al-Lughah al-‘Arabiyyah al-Mu’asirah) in the Form Four Integrated Dini Curriculum in Government-Aided Religious Schools (SABK) and the readability of textbooks.
Methodology: This study was designed as survey research. 694 respondents Form Four SABK were recruited in this study, selected using a proportionate stratified random sampling method. The questionnaire items were administrated to the respondents after they were tested for validity and reliability. Data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially. This included frequency, percentages, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson correlation tests.
Findings: Results showed that the technical presentation of KBD Form Four Arabic textbooks is of a high level. However, the readability of the textbook overall was unsatisfactory. It was also shown that there was a weak significant positive relationship between the textbook technical presentation and the readability of Arabic textbooks for SABK students.
Contributions: The findings of this study have implications on textbook writers to improve textbook readability, especially for language learners. The findings also may contribute to the Ministry of education, course designers, as well school administrators to be vigilant before making any decisions on textbooks used for educational purposes.
Keywords: al-Lughah al-‘Arabiyyah al-Mu’asirah, government-aided religious school students, Integrated Dini Curriculum, readability, textbook technical presentation
Through the lens of young Sarawakian English as second language learners: Identifying their language learning strategies
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: Different language learners have varying capacities to acquire L2, where some learners develop their learning strategies faster than others. Hence, it is critical for instructors to examine the degree of understanding and ability obtained by the learners through the investigation of their language learning strategies particularly on the type of schools the learners attend. This study, therefore, reveals frequently employed learning strategies in ESL classrooms based on the type of school the learners attend, notably the distinction between Cluster School of Excellence (CSE) and non-cluster primary school in Malaysia.
Methodology: This quantitative research gathered information through the administration of a survey questionnaire. In total, 112 young ESL Malaysian learners (CSE:56; Non-CSE:56) aged 11 were chosen through stratified random sampling in Samarahan, Sarawak. The close-ended Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) that consist of 50 questions was used to collect information and SSPS Version 25 was used to interpret an independent t-test to determine the significant in strategies employed by the respondents.
Findings: The data revealed that the most prevalent Language Learning Strategy (LLS) used by young Malaysian ESL learners are metacognitive strategies that allow learners to manage their learning. Learners in non-CSE school adopt learning strategies more than learners in CSE school and there is no significant difference in the type of learning strategies employed by both learners.
Contributions: School’s environment reflects a significant impact on the academic success of students and the result of the investigation helped throughout the educational process to tailor teaching strategies to help learners achieve common educational goals. Teachers from both schools should use this chance to conceive, construct, or assign tasks that will push students to reach their full potential in language learning.
Keywords: Language learning, language learning strategies, type of school, Malaysian young learner
Attributes and performance of fund management companies: Evidence from the largest Shariah-compliant fund markets
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: The study examines the effect of fund management companies’ (FMCs) attributes on FMC performance in the four countries with the largest number of Islamic funds from 2007 to 2018.
Methodology: The study uses pooled regression analysis on 70 FMCs, comprising Saudi Arabia (25), Malaysia (20), Indonesia (14) and Pakistan (11). The sample is further divided into FMC with Islamic funds focused (IFFMC) and conventional funds focused (CFFMC).
Findings: Only past flows are insignificantly related to performance. Both proxies for size positively relate to returns, but only in the case of Saudi Arabia. In Pakistan, performance improves with assets under management (AUM), while in Malaysia and Indonesia, an increasing number of funds negatively relate to performance. A relatively high number of better performing funds positively affect FMC and vice versa. Additionally, there are significant differences in the factors determining IFFMC and CFFMC performance, with the number of funds and AUM positively affecting the performance of IFFMC but not CFFMC. Poorly performing funds adversely affect CFFMC but not IFFMC.
Contributions: This study provides useful information for investors using a top-down approach to FMC then fund selection, and for managers in evaluating the impact of factors like FMC scale and scope on performance. The impact of these attributes differs between CFFMCs and IFFMCs which lies in the performance differences commonly observed, at the FMC and fund level.
Keywords: Islamic funds management industries, Islamic mutual fund, fund performance, Islamic finance
The right of an accused to defence under the criminal justice system in Malaysia
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: Under the criminal justice system, the burden lies on the prosecution to prove the guilt of the accused. It is worth noting that a criminal trial is not one-sided; it also allows the accused to raise his defence to prove his innocence. The research aims to analyse the right of the accused to raise a defence and when the defence should be raised in a criminal trial process in Malaysia.
Methodology: This research adopts a legal research approach involving a detailed analysis of the relevant legal provisions, case law and scholarly writing related to this area.
Findings: The research found that the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) (Act 593) is silent as to when the defence should be raised. That being said, with reference to the Supreme Court’s case of Lin Lian Chen v. Public Prosecutor [1992] 1 CLJ 285 (Rep), the accused should introduce his defence at the earliest stage as possible. Failing this may give rise to the presumption that the defence raised was a mere invention. Although the principle has been regarded as a law in raising defence, there are still cases where the accused did not present the defence at an earlier stage.
Contributions: This research contributes to the corpus of legal knowledge of criminal defence, particularly on raising criminal defence in a criminal trial with the aim of providing better protection for the accused in the criminal justice system.
Keywords: Criminal justice system, criminally liable, defence, right of the accused, & criminal trial
ESL teachers’ perception and attitudes towards the adoption of emergency remote teaching in time of crisis
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: The operation of educational institutions was suspended for a certain period due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak as social distancing came into effect as one of the World Health Organisation (WHO) strategies to help prevent further spreading of the virus. Subsequently, the education field witnessed a drastic shift in the mode of instruction, from the traditional physical classroom learning to online education and distance learning. Particularly in Malaysia, the suddenness of the implementation of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) as per suggested by the Ministry of Education Malaysia, has opened a new paradigm and brought a new experience in teaching for most teachers. With ERT being activated for the second time, it became a major concern to various parties on the effectiveness of the mode of instruction towards the teaching and learning processes for both teachers and students. Hence, this paper aims to investigate ESL teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards ERT to further develop the quality and effective distance education programs should a crisis like the current situation ever happens again.
Methodology: This study employed a quantitative descriptive research approach as the research method. An online survey of 124 Malaysian English as Second Language (ESL) teachers was conducted for descriptive analysis. The respondents of this study were recruited using the purposive sampling technique. They should have at least one year experience in English language teaching prior to conducting lesson using ERT, and they should be in-service Malaysian ESL primary school teachers.
Findings: The findings revealed that most of the teachers support ERT as the alternative mode of instruction in substituting the physical classroom learning in unprecedented time of crisis. However, certain difficulties remain, most notably issues regarding the digital divide. These implications call for more attention to developing more infrastructure and facilities, providing amenities and equipment as well as providing appropriate training to teachers.
Contributions: The findings provide valuable insights from the teachers’ perspective, also known as the policy implementers, to help develop better e-learning curriculum and develop better contingency plans or strategies for emergencies and time of crisis.
Keywords: Emergency remote teaching, ESL, e-learning, distance learning, COVID-19
Formal education, work experience and empowerment of the fishing community in Terengganu, Malaysia
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: Efforts in bringing about changes to fishers' lives are often met with obstacles due to their lack of participation in empowerment programmes as well as their excessive reliance on external assistance. However, such situations are said to be the results of their level of education and work experience. This paper also examines the relationship between work experience with empowerment and formal education as a control variable to the relationship. Therefore, this paper aims to observe the reality of empowerment among fishing communities from the lens of participation and self-reliance among fishers in Terengganu, Malaysia. Concurrently, this study also reviews the theme mentioned above from the lens of formal education and work experience and their impacts on the fishing community empowerment.
Methodology: This study used a survey design and involved 220 coastal fishers, who were identified through multi-stage sampling. Data were gathered using a questionnaire, and data analysis was done through descriptive statistics and the Analysis of Variance Test (ANCOVA).
Findings: The empowerment of the fishing community in this study is not influenced by the number of years they have spent as fishers. On the other hand, their level of education plays a pertinent influence on their empowerment. Such a finding clearly shows that experience is not only a major factor in increasing the empowerment of the fishing community.
Contributions: This study contributes to our understanding that it is undeniably true that formal and informal education play an integral role in empowering the fishing community, where through education, fishers are more participative in their community and exhibit autonomy towards their work.
Keywords: Fishers, empowerment, formal education, experience, community developmen
Gender interaction between covariates in managing anxiety via vlogs
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: ESL learners found themselves engulfed with extreme anxiety when it comes to speaking in public. This study investigated the use of vlogs in managing anxiety between male and female undergraduate students and examined whether there is an interaction exists between both genders during the intervention that may influence the outcomes.
Methodology: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a total of N=53 (15 males, 38 females) ESL participants from one public university in Malaysia. Before and after the intervention, a set of 'Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) questionnaires were administered. A 2x2 between subjects factorial ANCOVA (or two-way ANCOVA) was computed by controlling the pre-test scores. After controlling for the pre-test as covariate, the two-way ANCOVA was performed to see if there was an interaction impact between gender (male vs female) and treatments (with and without vlogs) in terms of anxiety level scores.
Findings: In comparison to the control group, the experimental group performed better with F(1, 48)=6.695, p<.05, which showed that undergraduate students in the experimental group displayed less anxiety when using vlogs as compared to the treatment group. However, there was no significant difference of gender influence on the effectiveness of vlogs on learners’ anxiety with F(1, 48)=1.552, p>.05, Eta-squared = .03 when using vlogs. Nonetheless, there was a significant interaction between treatment groups and gender with F(1,48)=5.22, p<.05 which indicated that the relationship between the covariate and the dependent variable is different for each treatment group.
Contributions: This study is hoped not only to encourage ESL educators to make use of vlogs in their teaching and learning, but also to inform researchers with similar interest to consider the existence of covariates of the participants that might have impacted the research outcomes.
Keywords: Speaking, anxiety, covariates interaction, gender differences, vlogs
The application of mnemonic strategies to improve EFL students’ aptitude for vocabulary
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: Using mnemonic strategies is one of the useful ways to help students memorize and retrieve vocabulary effectively in learning English. This paper mainly focuses on promoting mnemonic strategies to EFL students’ vocabulary learning. Though some research in this field has been conducted, there have been hardly any specific studies on using mnemonic strategies to improve vocabulary learning ability for English major pre-intermediate level students at a university of foreign languages in Vietnam. The study aims to investigate the benefit of mnemonic strategies in vocabulary learning for EFL students.
Methodology: This study was designed as quasi-experimental research, employing a mixed-method approach to gather data. 90 respondents from a university in the centre of Vietnam were recruited in the study using a simple random sampling method. A 5-point Likert scale questionnaire of 20 items, a vocabulary test and semi-structured interview questions were the research instruments used in the study. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 was used for analyzing the quantitative data. The responses from semi-structured interviews were analysed in theme.
Findings: The results of the study showed that both teacher-provided mnemonic strategies and student-generated strategies could help students memorize vocabulary effectively. However, students who were creative and methodical in applying their own mnemonic strategies performed better at memorizing vocabulary. Also, those students who applied mnemonic strategies had better results in the vocabulary tests than the others.
Contributions: The study concludes that mnemonic strategies including spatial grouping, keyword method, the use of rhyme, story method, acronym, etc. to memorize and retrieve vocabulary has potential to be applied with EFL adult students as a new vocabulary teaching method. The research is expected to contribute to university administrators, EFL instructors, as well as university students to encourage and apply mnemonic strategies for improving EFL students’ vocabulary learning.
Keywords: Mnemonic strategies, vocabulary learning, pre-intermediate level, student, English