1359 research outputs found
Sort by
An Effectiveness of High Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) Self Instructional Manual for Students’ Assignment Achievement
Get PDFHigh Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) is an important aspect of teaching and learning. An individual’s
thinking can affect learning ability, learning speed and effectiveness of learning. The weakness in implementing
HOTS is one of the reasons for a student not being creative in solving all the problems that arise. The purpose of this
study was to evaluate the effectiveness of HOTS’s Self-Instructional Manual (SIM) in teaching and learning for
assignment achievement among polytechnic students. This study uses a quantitative approach and the Quasi
Experimental design - “Pretest-Posttest Non-equivalent Comparison Group Design” consisting of one Treatment
Group (TG) and one Control Group (CG) involving 78 students at Polytechnic of Sultan Abdul Halim Muad'zam
Shah. The assignment evaluation rubric was modified to assess the level of students’ assignment achievement. The
findings showed that most of the students for TG and CG achieved good result in the individual pre-assignment.
Additionally, there is a significant difference mean scores of individual post assignment between TG and CG.
Students for TG achieved excellent result in the individual post assignments. However, students for CG only
achieved good result in the individual post assignments. This means that HOTS Self-Instructional Manual has a
significant impact on the student assignments achievement. Therefore, we encourage all students of higher education
institutions to use Self-Instructional Manual in teaching and learning in order to score better achievement especially
in the course work
Komunikasi dalam Organisasi dan Keberkesanan Membuat Keputusan di Jabatan Penguatkuasaan Majlis Daerah Sabak Bernam
Get PDFKajian ini adalah bertujuan untuk merungkai tentang kemahiran komunikasi dalam organisasi bagi menentukan keberkesanan membuat keputusan dalam kalangan kakitangan Jabatan Penguatkuasaan Majlis Daerah Sabak Bernam (MDSB). Kajian penyelidikan mengambil kira faktor demografi iaitu jantina, umur, etnik, dan tempoh berkhidmat. Terdapat beberapa faktor yang boleh dikaitkan dalam kajian ini iaitu, faktor keberkesanan komunikasi, faktor emosi dan faktor komunikasi lisan. Sampel kajian ini terdiri daripada 50 orang kakitangan Jabatan Penguatkuasaan Majlis Daerah Sabak Bernam (MDSB). Kajian ini adalah berbentuk kuantitatif yang menggunakan borang soal selidik untuk mengumpul data. Borang soal selidik yang digunakan dibahagikan kepada empat bahagian iaitu Bahagian A mengandungi latar belakang responden, Bahagian B faktor keberkesanan komunikasi, Bahagian C faktor emosi dan Bahagian D faktor komunikasi lisan. Kesemua faktor tersebut diukur berdasarkan kepada Skala Likert. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa majoriti kakitangan Jabatan Penguatkuasaan Majlis Daerah Sabak Bernam (MDSB) sangat bersetuju komunikasi secara lisan sebagai keutamaan dalam proses penyampaian dan penerimaan maklumat dengan mudah, jelas dan tepat. Penyelidik mencadangkan agar pihak pengurusan mengambil langkah lebih proaktif dengan memberikan pendedahan melalui pelbagai kursus dan latihan berkaitan kemahiran komunikasi dan pengurusan emosi bagi melahirkan kakitangan yang produktif dan inovatif. (Abstract by author
Moderating effect of goal orientation on the relationship between academic self-efficacy, learner characteristics and learning achievement in an open distance learning (ODL) based higher education institution
Get PDFThis study focuses on factors influencing learning achievement in an Open-Distance-
Learning environment of a higher education institution. This study explores the
relationship between academic self-efficacy and individual learner characteristics on
learning achievement (learning transfer, generalisation, and maintenance). Moreover,
this study investigates the role of learner goal orientation. The objectives of the study
are, first, to investigate a proposed model to represent theoretical relationship between
academic self-efficacy, learner characteristics and learning achievement. Secondly, to
confirm learner goal orientation moderates the relationship between learner selfefficacy
and training effectiveness. The measures employed in the study are adopted
from past studies; goal orientation, self-efficacy and learning achievement using a fivepoint
Likert scale. The study utilised purposive sampling. Respondents are
postgraduate students from Open University Malaysia (OUM). Analysis was done by
using SmartPLS. Findings indicate that hypothesis were supported
Emotional Distress in Adolescents and Its Association With Emotion Suppression and Cultural Orientation: a Case Study
No full textGlobalization has brought 21 st century education to Malaysia as evidenced by the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025. In order to produce students who are able to compete and achieve globally, students are educated to be analytical, critical, and innovative and to construct their own knowledge. 21 st century education together with technological advancement can prime students to become more individualistic although collectivism with a large power distance still prevails in the general society. The prevailing culture however is an invisible but strong force and the concern is that a mismatch between what is encouraged in the classroom and what is expected outside the classroom will not only prevent successful educational change but will produce a dissonance that can cause distress to students leading to increased mental health risks. Can a mismatch in cultural orientation between the adolescent and society cause an increase in emotional distress among the adolescents? Can emotion suppression which is an emotion regulation strategy that is valued in a collectivistic society be detrimental to our adolescents? This study is quantitative in nature and uses adolescent students as sample to find out whether emotion suppression is linked to an increase in distressing emotions and whether the consequences of emotion suppression is linked to the cultural orientation of the students. Students who mainly use emotion suppression experience significantly more depressive symptoms than students who mainly use cognitive reappraisal and this finding is significant among the collectivistic students. (Abstract by Author
Educating the B40 group of societies towards a sustainable environment: A case study on Rukun Tetangga Jelapang’s achievement
Get PDFThis paper presents the findings made on a research carried out in Jelapang Tambahan,
Ipoh, Perak. There are 220 households, mostly from B40 category families, and was
identified as one of the dengue-prone villages in the Kinta District. A total of 4,812
dengue cases were detected at end of November 2014 with 13 fatalities, of which some
of the fatal cases came from this village. The villagers were ignorant of the importance
of keeping the environment clean. Twelve (12) illegal dumpsites were detected in this
village prior to the start of this research. An action committee was formed which
comprised representatives from Rukun Tetangga Jelapang, the Solid Waste
Management Corporation and Ipoh City Watch, with the role of educating the Jelapang
Tambahan folks through a series of campaigns and recycling projects. Using Ajzen and
Fishbein (1980)’s Theory of Planned Behaviour Model as a guiding factor and Kolb
(1984)’s Experiential Learning Theory, the education project via Trash-to-Cash
sustainable recycling was launched on 4 April 2015. A collection centre within the
community was established where participants were requested to turn in their
recyclables twice a month in exchange for cash. Recyclables collected were segregated,
weighed and recorded every month from April 205 to November 2016. Contributors
were paid cash in exchange for the recyclables brought to the centre. The data collected
were then tabulated and analysed to establish the trend. Results obtained showed that a
total of 8,900 kg of recyclables have been collected giving the participants a
supplementary income of RM3,850. The 12 illegal dumpsites prior to the start of the
project have disappeared, fatal dengue cases had dropped drastically, and the recycling
rate was 13.1% which is higher than the national rate of 10% in 2016. Thus, the
outcome of this study can help create an impact to the society by changing their
behaviour if the right approach is used to educate them. (Abstract by authors
Exposure to Interbank Investment and Financing Risk by Islamic Banks: a Dynamic Panel Analysis of Malaysia
No full textThe government of Malaysia has developed an Islamic Interbank Money Market (IIMM) since January 1994 with the
objective to facilitate funding for the Islamic banking sector in the country. This platform also enables Islamic banks to
obtain Shariah-compliant funds from other Islamic banks. This article examines the effects of interbank investment and
financing risk on the financing decisions of Malaysia’s Islamic bank between 1994-2015. The financing decisions are
used as financing measures to determine the effect of investing in the interbank market and financing risk indicators on
financing. Research methodology are the descriptive, correlation and dynamic panel analysis results are derived with
the help of Limdep 9.0 software. The study found a negative relationship between the interbank investment variable
with the financing decisions of Islamic banks. This reflects that an increase in interbank investment leads Islamic banks
to reduce their level of financing. These findings prove the investment activities between Islamic banks had a
“substitution effect” and decreased their capability of financing because of their tendency to maintain liquidity. Islamic
banks are confident that they will generate higher profits in the coming financial year. The economic conditions of
Malaysia do not influence Islamic banks’ financing decisions, whereas Islamic banks in this study are more dependent
on the balance sheet indicators. (Abstract by authors
Configuring the Performance Measurement Systems of Small Medium Enterprises from the Life Cycle Perspective
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to examine the attributes of Performance Measurement Systems (PMS) of the Malaysian Small
Medium Enterprises (SMEs), from an organizational life-cycle perspective. It was suggested that PMS is less comprehensive
at birth stage, most comprehensive in the growth stage and decrease at the maturity stage of the life-cycle. The more
comprehensive use of PMS is expected to be associated with higher organizational performance. Survey questionnaires
were administered to managers yielding 90 usable responses. Using cluster analysis, SMEs were categorized into birth,
growth and maturity stages. The findings support the hypotheses and thereby provide evidence on the variations of PMS
attributes among SMEs across the life cycle stages. The study contributes to knowledge on internal consistencies between
organizational factors at each organizational life-cycle stages that has implications for management control systems. To
the practice, it provides evidence on organizational adaptations to changes in firm’s strategy and structure. (Abstract by authors
Antecedents and Outcomes of Service Recovery Satisfaction: a Study Among Open University Malaysia Students in Klang Valley, Malaysia
Get PDFResearchers and practitioners often pay less attention to service recovery research
compared to service quality or customer satisfaction particularly in the context of open
and distance learning (ODL) in Malaysia. More importantly, the antecedents and
outcomes of service recovery satisfaction are often given less emphasis by the ODL
institutions in their efforts to gain advantages in the current higher education
environment. Based on past literature, four dimensions of justice were used to develop
a theoretical understanding of the antecedents of service recovery satisfaction and its
outcomes. This study investigated the relationships between justice dimensions
(distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational), university image, service
recovery satisfaction, and customer future outcomes (trust, word of mouth, repurchase
intention and loyalty). Data were collected through a survey of 303 OUM students in
Klang Valley, Malaysia who experienced service failure and service recovery. This
study proposed and tested a framework via Partial Least Square Structural Equation
Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results reveal a significant relationship between justice
dimensions and service recovery satisfaction in terms of procedural and interpersonal
justice. Service recovery satisfaction had a significant effect on all customer outcomes
understudy. The inclusion of the university image as moderators were found out does
not moderate the relationship between justice dimensions and service recovery
satisfaction, implying that the university image does not have a significant interaction
effect on this relationship. Therefore, the result of the study will help the managers and
professionals to better understand how the antecedents and outcomes of service
recovery satisfaction are important for the organisation, and how to deal with the
customers in service failure situations to maximise the organisation profit. These results
have important implications for marketing theory and business practicality. (Abstract by Author
Relationships Between Job Related Competency, Communication Competency, Agreeableness, Job Satisfaction and Intention to Stay in Spa Industry Among Spa Therapists in Malaysia
Get PDFThe emergence of the spa industry had created job and economic opportunities formation,
specifically for the tourism industry to lead as discussed in the 2012 Global Spa and
Wellness Summit in Bali. The spa industry has contributed more than $106 billion in the
wellness tourism globally, and had generated more revenue than any other sector in the
tourism industry. In Malaysia, the spa industry has increased to over 200% since 2002
and has the potential to continously grow. Under the Malaysian Economic
Transformation Program (ETP), the spa industry is earmarked as one of the twelve
initiatives budgeted for tourism development. However, the industry is not without its
problems. Besides competition from other tourism sectors and also from neighbouring
countries, the spa industry in Malaysia needs to address issues which include the shortage
of therapist expertise and providing excellent service. It was reported that the “lack of
talent” in the spa industry is caused by high staff turnover when compared with the other
services in the tourism industry. Only a few studies were conducted on the matter through
its contribution to the industry, while holistically, the human capital development is
equally important in supporting the tourism industry in Malaysia. This study explores
factors that consists of job satisfaction, job related and communication competencies and
agreeableness among spa therapists which may influence their intention to stay. The
research methodology for this study explained the research design that includes sampling,
questionnaire design, data collection procedures, proposed research framework, and
techniques of data analysis. The sample technique chosen for this study is
disproportionate stratified random sampling method. A self-administered methodology
approach were deployed to collect data of the respondents comprised of spa therapists
who work with registered hotels and resort spas in Malaysia. A small scale data collected
during the pilot test of this study has been analysed for the validity and reliability test.
The results of the study revealed that only communication competency has a significant
positive direct relationship with intention to stay. In contrast, job related competency and
agreeableness have insignificant direct relationship. However, job satisfaction mediated
the relationship between job related competency, communication competency and
agreeableness and intention to stay among spa therapists in Malaysia. In future, this study
can be carry out by considering other type of position in spa industry, to strike a balance.
Longitudinal studies also been proposed in order to have a better understanding of
behaviour of spa therapist over a long period of time. Other suggestion, future study can
investigate the possible use of other motivational factors as a moderating variable.
Similarly, this study suggests future study to investigate the possible use of other
personality factors such as conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness to experience, and
extraversion as well with other competencies variables as the independent variables. (Abstract by Author
Capacity building through graphic design software usage in Open University Malaysia
Get PDFIn the rising economy and fast paced technologies, companies are finding ways to build
the capacity of their workforce using cheaper or free technology solutions that can
collaborate, share, develop the relevant knowledge and skills. This process is a priority
in order to obtain, improve, and retain the skill needed to do their jobs competently or
to a greater capacity. Therefore, the widespread use of open educational resources
particularly free software seems to offer promising solution in capability building
efforts of an individual or organisation facing constraints in the workplace. Thus, this
study aims to explore the effectiveness of capacity building initiatives through the use
of graphic design software for the targeted support workforce of Open University
Malaysia. Accordingly, several workshops were conducted using graphic design
software known as Inkscape. Furthermore, a survey was carried out to explore the
awareness, perceived ease of use and intention to use of the Inkscape software. The
results are very positive and encouraging, especially when the participant are able to
create attractive design works and are willing to continue producing them at their
workplace. (Abstract by authors