Journal of Nusantara Studies (JONUS) (Journal of UniSZA - Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin)
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Listening to the “bard”: Enhancing comprehension of Shakespearean plays among dyslexic college learners through audio dramas
Full text linkBackground and Purpose: This study explores audio drama's effectiveness in supporting understanding of Shakespearean text among dyslexic college students, aiming to challenge existing pedagogical paradigms and develop more inclusive literary education strategies.
Methodology: The research utilized mixed methods for data analysis: descriptive statistics, paired and independent t-tests for quantitative data, and thematic analysis for qualitative insights from focus group interviews. A crossover design ensured all participants experienced both audio drama and traditional text-based interventions, with data collected over five consecutive weeks using structured lesson plans that included pre-activity, while-activity, and post-activity components.
Findings: The results suggest that audio dramas can be a powerful tool for inclusive literature education, particularly for learners with dyslexia, and recommend integrating audio formats into traditional curricula to support diverse learning needs.
Contributions: The study proposes an approach that prioritizes accessibility and meaningful interaction with complex literary works. Ultimately, it calls for reevaluating teaching practices, suggesting that embracing audio-based methods could revolutionize literary education and provide marginalized learners with pathways to understanding and appreciating challenging texts.
Keywords: Audio drama, comprehension, dyslexia, inclusive education, Shakespeare
Determinants of plagiarism in plagiarism behavior and their effects on total quality management in a multicultural study
Full text linkBackground and Purpose: Plagiarism is considered an epidemic and a complex problem faced by many students, lecturers and researchers at higher institutions across the globe. This study investigates the causal relationships between the predictors of Plagiarism on the one hand and the intention to plagiarize on the other. It also aims to study the roles of intention to plagiarize in plagiarism behavior and, consequently, the effects of plagiarism behavior on total quality management.
Methodology: Seven hundred sixty-eight postgraduate students from Malaysian, Nigerian and Omani higher institutions voluntarily participated in this study following the quota sampling technique. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data gathered.
Findings: The results suggested that the predictors of Plagiarism were positively and statistically correlated to the intention to plagiarize, while the intention to plagiarize was statistically correlated with plagiarism behavior. The analysis also indicated that plagiarism behavior was statistically and negatively correlated with total quality factors, namely continuous improvement, academic performance and work ability.
Contributions: Overall, this study showed that plagiarism negatively affects the total quality management in higher institutions, thus requiring an urgent response from the institution's authority. Plagiarism has a variety of fatal consequences for the student as an individual and the institution at large.
Keywords: Plagiarism behavior, Total Quality Management (TQM), multicultural context
Investigating the relationship between past flood experience and flood preparedness intention: The mediating roles of perceived severity and susceptibility
Full text linkBackground and Purpose: In 2021, the state of Pahang had the highest number of flood victims, with 94,865 people affected and 21 fatalities, surpassing all other Malaysian states. Floods exacerbate income disparities, disproportionately impacting the poor rather than the wealthy. The affordability and convenience of flood-prone areas can increase the vulnerability of low-income individuals to flood-related impacts. Therefore, emphasizing the importance of flood preparedness measures becomes crucial, as they can play a role in maintaining the socioeconomic well-being of the nation. This study seeks to investigate how perceived severity and susceptibility mediate the connection between past flood experiences and residents of Pahang's intentions to prepare for floods.
Methodology: This study employed purposive sampling, exclusively targeting Pahang residents as eligible respondents. An online questionnaire via Google Forms was utilized, with participants informed of the study's purpose and guaranteed anonymity. A total of 216 questionnaires were received; after weeding out duplicates and other non-responses, 200 were considered useable, for a 93% effective rate. The study's hypotheses were tested using SPSS 27 and SmartPLS 4.0 software.
Findings: This study revealed that Pahang residents who had experienced previous floods tended to perceive flood events as more severe and were more likely to believe they were susceptible to future floods. Furthermore, individuals who considered themselves vulnerable to future floods and assessed flood severity as high were more inclined to prepare for such events. It is interesting to note that both perceived severity and perceived susceptibility serve as mediating effects between past flood experiences and the intention to prepare for future floods. This suggests that past flood experiences indirectly influence people's preparedness intentions for future floods by shaping their perceptions of severity and susceptibility.
Contributions: This study contributes theoretically to the body of knowledge by utilizing the SOR model. The results of the present study align with the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model, as they demonstrate how exposure to flooding among people in Pahang has influenced their internal cognitive processes (perceived severity and susceptibility). These, in turn, have shaped their intentions to take preventive measures in the event of future flooding. The results of this study also carry notable practical implications. They suggest that intervention and education programs aimed at increasing flood preparedness should consider individuals' past experiences with floods. Programmes designed to reduce the risk of flooding should also work to increase people's awareness of the dangers they face and the steps they can take to protect themselves from flooding. To better plan for and respond to future flood calamities, the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), local authorities, and the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia can all gain a more thorough understanding of these causal relationships. This research can serve as a valuable resource for enhancing their disaster prevention and response programs.
Keywords: Flood preparedness intention, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, socio-economic disparities, SOR model
The road to MUET speaking mastery: Addressing common student fears and challenges
Full text linkBackground and Purpose: The MUET speaking test is essential for assessing oral English proficiency, crucial for university admission in Malaysia. While language education includes listening, speaking, writing, and reading, speaking presents unique challenges and is a key proficiency indicator. Despite its importance, research on factors affecting speaking performance is limited. This study aims to identify the specific linguistic challenges and psychological factors that students encounter in MUET speaking tasks. Moreover, it examines the correlation between task complexity and speaking performance to better understand its impact on students' oral proficiency.
Methodology: This study involved 320 MUET-preparing students. Questionnaires collected data on demographic and academic factors, as well as seven components of speaking skills. Responses were analysed using SPSS, employing statistical techniques for comprehensive examination.
Findings: Key findings include grammar and vocabulary as the most challenging aspects; high scores for lack of motivation and anxiety significantly impact performance; strong correlations between linguistic skills and psychological factors, with better vocabulary and grammar linked to reduced anxiety and shyness; and significant interconnections among anxiety, shyness, and lack of confidence.
Contributions: This study highlights the factors influencing MUET speaking test performance, offering crucial insights for educational strategies and interventions. By identifying specific challenges and proficiency gaps, it underscores the need for tailored educational approaches to meet diverse student needs.
Keywords: MUET speaking test, task complexity, language proficiency, speaking abilities
Emotions experienced and strategies used in Chinese-English interpreting: A journal study of two MA students
Full text linkBackground and Purpose: As two key variables in interpreting, emotions and strategies have been much researched, but the research is far from adequate. Furthermore, they have often been studied separately. This journal study thus simultaneously examined the emotions experienced and strategies employed by two Chinese MA students when interpreting between Chinese and English.
Methodology: The two participants kept writing journals for 17 weeks of an 18-week term, which resulted in a total of 36 journals.
Findings: The study revealed two major findings: 1) The participants experienced anxiety and joy when interpreting between Chinese and English due to learner-related, task-related and environment-related factors. They also reported feeling happy, sad or regretful, depending on whether they were prepared, followed the speaker and/or performed well when interpreting from one language to the other; and 2) the participants used different strategies when interpreting between Chinese and English, and utilized more and similar strategies when interpreting from English to Chinese.
Contributions: This study was one of the few that explored different emotions experienced and strategies employed by student interpreters simultaneously when interpreting between Chinese and English. The findings not only enrich the current literature but also shed light on the teaching and learning of interpreting.
Keywords: Emotion, strategy, Chinese-English interpreting
Exploring financial well-being among emerging adults in the Malaysian workforce: A family resource management perspective
Full text linkBackground and Purpose: This study explores the determinants of the financial well-being (FWB) of emerging adults in the Malaysian workforce, as derived from the Family Resource Management Model framework. Financial well-being is a multidimensional concept encompassing financial behaviour, knowledge, and socialisation influences. Drawing on the literature review, the study identifies global trends and local challenges impacting financial health, emphasising the critical role of financial knowledge and responsible financial behaviour. Key factors such as self-control, parental influence, and financial knowledge are examined to understand their implications on the financial well-being of young adults aged 19-29 in the Malaysian workforce.
Methodology: This research employed a purposeful, cross-sectional survey aimed at emerging adults aged 19 to 29 from specific states across five regions of Malaysia. Respondents were screened based on specific criteria and completed an online questionnaire. The validation instruments measured financial well-being, self-control, financial knowledge, and parental financial socialisation. The data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), enabling the researchers to assess measurement reliability, validity, and the strength of hypothesised relationships.
Findings: Specifically, self-control and financial knowledge are significantly correlated with FWB. Financial behaviour is shown to mediate the relationships between financial knowledge, family financial socialisation, and FWB. Self-control, however, exerts a direct but insignificant influence on FWB when tested indirectly through financial behaviour.
Contributions: The study contributes by proposing interventions to improve financial education and support systems, offering policymakers a framework to enhance financial behavior and ultimately improve financial well-being in the targeted demographic.
Keywords: Financial well-being, family resource management model, emerging adults workers, financial behaviour, Malaysia
Sentiment and emotion in Malay news: A comprehensive analysis using sentiment analysis
Full text linkBackground and Purpose: Emotional framing of news can shape public perception and behaviour. This study examines sentiment in Malay-language headlines from Berita Harian (April 2021–April 2023) to reveal underlying emotions, recurring themes, and societal implications.
Methodology: This research collected headlines from the Berita Harian archive, then applied tokenization, stop-word removal, and normalization. A pre-trained Malay sentiment transformer assigned initial labels (positive, negative, neutral), and a manually verified subset was used to train a Support Vector Machine (SVM). Model performance was measured on a test set via accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. Word clouds and count plots highlighted frequent sentiment features.
Findings: The SVM achieved high precision and recall for positive sentiment (0.87/0.85) but lower recall for neutral (0.62), indicating challenges in neutral detection. Dominant topics included COVID‑19, PRU15, and mangsa.
Contributions: By applying transformer labeling with SVM classification, this work extends sentiment analysis to Malay news media. It informs journalists and policymakers about emotional framing in Malaysian headlines.
Keywords: Sentiment analysis, news headlines, TF-IDF features, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Malay language
Exploring teacher educators’ and pre-service teachers’ belief and practices on written feedback
Full text linkBackground and Purpose: This study investigates the effectiveness of written corrective feedback (WCF) in teacher education, focusing on the gap between pedagogical beliefs and practices. It highlights that pre-service teachers prefer direct feedback due to limited training and high workloads, while teacher-educators encounter challenges such as misalignment between beliefs and actual practices. Contextual factors, like time constraints, further complicate effective feedback. The aim is to address these gaps and enhance feedback practices in teacher education programs.
Methodology: This qualitative case study explored beliefs and self-reported practices regarding WCF among teacher-educators and pre-service teachers in B.Ed. programs in Sindh and Punjab, Pakistan. Through semi-structured interviews with 12 participants (six teacher-educators and six pre-service teachers), researchers examined how feedback practices are influenced by educational contexts and assessed the implementation and effectiveness of WCF.
Findings: The study reveals differing views on written feedback effectiveness. Pre-service teachers value grammar-focused feedback, while teacher-educators prefer a comprehensive approach addressing content and structure. Emotional impacts are significant, with pre-service teachers frustrated by vague or overly critical comments. The findings stress the need for clear, constructive feedback that balances criticism with encouragement to support learning and development.
Significance: This research provides insights into the impact of feedback clarity and emotional tone on pre-service teachers' engagement and learning. It emphasizes the need for supportive and constructive feedback practices and highlights the importance of professional development in aligning feedback practices with educational philosophies. The study aims to contribute to more effective teaching and learning by addressing both cognitive and emotional dimensions of feedback.
Keywords: Students’ beliefs, teachers’ beliefs, self-reported practices, written corrective feedback, teacher-educators, pre-service teachers
Hybridity, identity, and diaspora in Zadie Smith’s White Teeth
Full text linkBackground and Purpose: This study examines how hybridity, identity, and diaspora intersect within immigrant experiences, particularly among South Asian diasporic communities in Britain, as depicted in White Teeth by Zadie Smith. Situated within a sociocultural framework, the research explores how migration and multiculturalism influence individual identity formation. The study highlights how immigrants negotiate belonging in a globalized yet structurally exclusionary society by analysing the psychological, social, and political dimensions of diasporic identity.
Methodology: This study employed close reading as its primary method, analyzing the text through the lens of postcolonial theory. By examining key passages and tracing character arcs, the analysis explored how the novel constructs cultural hybridity, identity tensions, and the evolving concept of home. The study systematically applied theoretical concepts to multiple textual moments, ensuring a comprehensive and theoretically grounded interpretation of postcolonial identity in the novel.
Findings: The analysis reveals that hybridity and diasporic displacement contribute to a fragmented yet evolving sense of identity among immigrant characters. The novel illustrates that cultural integration is neither linear nor fully attainable; instead, it is marked by negotiation, resistance, and redefinition. While some characters embrace hybridity as an empowering construct, others experience cultural dissonance and psychological turmoil, reflecting broader sociological debates on assimilation and cultural retention.
Contributions: This study contributes to social science discourses on migration and identity by demonstrating how literature serves as a critical site for understanding the lived experiences of diasporic individuals. It advances discussions on globalization’s impact on identity politics, highlighting the intersection of historical colonial legacies and contemporary multicultural tensions.
Keywords: Identity, Hybridity, Diaspora, Migration, Multiculturalism, Postcolonial Studies, Social Integratio
Leader-member exchange differentiation, knowledge hiding, and employee voice: Mediation of workplace ostracism
Full text linkBackground and Purpose: The effectiveness of knowledge sharing between leaders and their subordinates in organisational settings is a crucial factor in determining both their performance and the success of the organisation. This study contends that existing literature requires additional exploration of the correlation between leader-member exchange and knowledge hiding. Based on the conservation of resource theory, this study investigates the relationship between leader-member exchange and knowledge hiding, with workplace ostracism mediating the relationship, and employee voice in a public sector organisational context in Pakistan.
Methodology: This study applied a quantitative methodology to examine the hypotheses empirically. A cross-sectional survey method was employed to collect data from 156 employees of Pakistani public sector organisations. The data was then analysed using Preacher and Hayes mediation technique to explore the mediation in the study model.
Findings: The empirical results confirmed the study's theory that workplace ostracism plays a mediating role in the relationship between leader-member exchange and employees' knowledge hiding. The study finds that in the absence of high-quality leader-member exchange, employees tend to exhibit knowledge hiding as they feel ostracised by their supervisors in public sector organizations in Pakistan.
Contributions: This study provides novel insights into the relationship between leader-member exchange, workplace ostracism, and knowledge hiding in a Pakistani public sector working environment.
Keywords: Leader-member exchange, workplace ostracism, conservation of resource, employee voice, knowledge hiding