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An evaluation of technical oral presentation components in engineering / Abdullah Adnan Mohamed
No full textThis case study evaluates implementation of Technical Oral Presentations (TOP) components in English for Specific Academic Purposes (ESAP) language course for engineering undergraduates at a technical university. The respondents were 310 engineering undergraduates who registered for English Technical Communication (ETC) course and 12 instructors from Universiti Malaysia Pahang. The case study employs Convergent Parallel design to collect data in all four evaluation components of Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP) Evaluation Model. Two questionnaires were administered in this study. The Questionnaire Set A were distributed to English language instructors teaching English for Technical Communication course while the Questionnaire Set B were distributed among engineering undergraduates who enrolled during September to Dec 2016. Other instruments were semi-structured interviews with six instructors and eight engineering industry stakeholders as well as nine focus group interviews with engineering undergraduates. Eight video clips of engineering undergraduates’ delivering product description presentations were also used as instrument in interview with engineering stakeholders. Findings show that elements of context evaluation such as the ‘relevance’ of ETC course, engineering undergraduates’ level of interest towards TOP and asset and facilities are deemed relevant and conducive. Various difficulties and challenges faced by engineering undergraduates’ in their TOP skills learning were identified and input from instructors teaching the course were also discussed. At least 1/3 of the respondents stated that high anxiety and lack of self-confidence affect their Technical oral Presentation (TOP) performance. Elements of input evaluation such as suitability of content and material for TOP are seen by instructors and engineering undergraduates to be suitable and appropriate for students’ TOP learning. Profiles of instructors teaching TOP showed that they are highly experienced personnel with service duration between five to 21 years. The process evaluation findings illustrate various TOP learning activities occur in classroom and more marks are allocated for content rather than language and delivery skills. However, engineering undergraduates perceive that their instructors give equally high level of emphasis in content, language and delivery skills. Similarly, instructors also viewed that they give highly equal emphasis on these components while teaching TOP. Instructors also adopt various strategies in giving feedback towards engineering undergraduates’ TOP learning. Engineering undergraduates’ perception of instructors’ practices of giving feedback were highly positive. Engineering undergraduates made several suggestions on ways to improve their TOP skills. Product evaluation findings revealed that engineering stakeholders viewed engineering undergraduates’ TOP performance in the video clips as poor, acceptable and good. It is suggested that more training is needed in order to achieve higher competency level. The findings from the Self Perceive Communicative Competent (SPCC) questionnaire revealed that the majority of engineering undergraduates involved in the study perceived their TOP competency to be at moderate level (72.6%) and 22.6% perceived themselves to be in low self-perceived communication competence. Findings also showed that there is no significant difference of self-perceived communication competence among respondents across faculties and between genders. This study proposed a framework known as “PRO-ESATOP” for English specific Academic Purpose (ESAP) and Model of TOP Professionalism for training of Technical Oral Presentation (TOP) skills for engineering undergraduates
Primary school pupils’ perceptions on narrative model essays in an ESL classroom / Jamuna Kanniappan
No full textWriting problems faced by Malaysian primary school pupils have led the teachers to find a way to help them in their writing ability. One of the strategies teachers have had is to use model essays in the writing classroom. This study examines the use of narrative model essays in a writing classroom in a school in Selangor. This study aims to identify the aspects of language which second language learners notice in reference to narrative model essays and gather insights regarding pupils’ perceptions on the use of narrative model essays in their narrative essay writing. The theoretical framework that underlines this study is ‘Output Hypothesis’. A case study was adopted to investigate how model essays have been used by primary school pupils in a writing classroom. A class of 22 pupils were selected and given a narrative writing task. Their first and second essays as well as annotated model essays were collected and analysed to identify the language aspects they noticed. In view of this, 6 pupils were randomly selected among the 22 pupils to be interviewed on their perspectives of using model essays in the writing classroom. Based on the pupils’ written essays and annotated model essays, it was found that the pupils noticed vocabulary the most followed by the other language aspects. In addition, pupils liked using model essays to guide them in their writing. The implications of the findings suggest that teachers can provide model essays prior to their written task and can have discussions in pairs or small groups to give pupils some guidance in their writing. Thus, model essays which serve as a feedback in the writing classroom can help the pupils to enhance their writing skills
Psychometric properties of a year-end form four chemistry paper 1 in selected schools in Petaling Utama District / Rose Enne Emellia Mohamed Razali
No full textThe low-performance of science stream students in Chemistry especially in high-stakes testing, has alarmed the stakeholders. This problem has led to the need of analyzing the instruments used to measure the achievement of students. The present study examined the psychometric properties of multiple-choice questions in the Year-end Form Four Chemistry Paper 1 using the Rasch Model in the Klang Valley. A quantitative research design has been used for this study. The sample comprised of 435 Form Four Pure Science students from four randomly selected secondary schools in the Petaling Utama district. The Rasch analysis was conducted in two stages. The first stage was to prove that there was no violation of the unidimensionality assumption and the data fitness to the model. The second stage of the analysis focussed on the validity and reliability test paper. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) result reveals that Chemistry Paper 1 was unidimensional. The raw variance measures observed by the data was almost equivalent to the raw variance of the model indicated the data set fitted the Rasch Model. Moreover, the eigenvalue of the first contrast showed a strength of 2 items which proved no secondary dimension existed in the Chemistry items. In terms of infit and outfit statistics, the results showed that all items are in the acceptable range. These comprehensive analyses demonstrated not only the fitness of the data set for the Rasch model but also supported the concept of unidimensionality. The dimension, however, was held only at a reasonably acceptable level. The unexplained variance in the first contrast of the data set signifies 3% of the noise level compared to the variance. This indicated that there were no residual factors in measuring the ability of the students. The local independence assumption was met and held across the Chemistry Paper 1 as residual correlations for each pair of test items were less than 0.7. This indicated no redundancy of the test items. In the second stage, estimates of reliability were 0.99 for items and 0.87 for persons with the separation index is 8.95 and 2.54 respectively. Thus, means that the ability of the students were efficiently distinguished and the items separation is broad. The person-item map exhibited that most of the test items measured students' abilities only in a specific range of measurement continuums. The Rasch statistical analysis by point measure correlation (PTMEA Corr.) established that all test items were positively correlated with the measured constructs and moved in one direction. Thus, there was no misfitting item. The result of the distractor analysis showed that all distractors of the test items were efficient. The DIF analysis examined the students’ answers based on the gender. It identified six items that were found to be difficult for the male students compared to the female students. In conclusion, the Year-end Form Four Examination of Chemistry Paper 1 instrument has good psychometric properties and is capable of producing valid and reliable scores to measure the achievement of the students. Besides that, the Year-end Form Four Chemistry Paper 1 instrument has the same standard as the actual Chemistry Paper 1 of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM)
Penggunaan boneka dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran kemahiran literasi di tabika / Siti Nazriyah Muhammad Nizam
No full textKajian ini merupakan kajian kes tunggal (single case study) secara kualitatif yang
dijalankan bagi mengenalpasti berkaitan dengan penggunaan boneka dalam
pengajaran dan pembelajaran kemahiran literasi. Kajian ini akan memfokuskan kepada
kemahiran literasi kanak-kanak iaitu mendengar, bertutur dan membaca. Tujuan kajian
adalah bagi melihat kesan pengajaran guru menggunakan boneka sebagai bahan bantu
mengajar dalam kemahiran literasi kanak-kanak. Reka bentuk kajian merupakan
kajian kes satu tempat yang dijalankan di tabika KEMAS Kuala Lumpur. Kajian ini
melibatkan seorang guru dan seorang pembantu pengurusan murid (PPM) yang dipilih
menjadi responden dalam kajian ini. Data kajian diperolehi secara kualitatif dengan
menggunakan kaedah pemerhatian, temu bual dan analisis dokumen. Keseluruhan data
ini dianalisis secara manual dan tema yang dikeluarkan telah disemak serta disahkan
oleh penyelia. Hasil daripada dapatan kajian mendapati pendekatan bermain sambil
belajar menggunakan boneka yang digunakan oleh guru dapat membantu
meningkatkan penguasaan kemahiran literasi kanak-kanak iaitu kanak-kanak boleh
bercerita kepada guru dan rakan-rakan tanpa rasa malu serta yakin apabila
menggunakan boneka, kanak-kanak boleh bersoal jawab dengan guru dan rakan
dengan menggunakan boneka berbanding sebelum mereka menggunakan boneka.
Kesimpulannya, dalam pengajaran menggunakan boneka adalah penting guru
mempunyai pengetahuan, kefahaman dan kemahiran dalam mengendalikan boneka
sebagai bahan bantu mengajar supaya dapat mencapai objektif dan matlamat
pengajaran
Relationship between ESL teachers’ reading habits and their English language proficiency / Sharmila Appa Rwoo
No full textThis research is carried out with the purpose of gaining more in-depth information in regards to the reading habits of 210 ESL teachers in the district of Klang, Selangor and how these habits correspond to their English language proficiency. Using the convenience sampling method and quantitative instruments such as survey questionnaire and an English language proficiency test, this research aims to achieve four research objectives. First, it intends to study the types of reading materials read by ESL teachers in Malaysia. Secondly, it aims to calculate the rates of general and extensive reading among these teachers and thirdly, the problems faced by them which prevent them from partaking in leisure reading extensively. Finally, this research hopes to find the relationship between the reading habits of ESL teachers and their English language proficiency. This is done by calculating the Pearson‟s R value using SPSS software. As a result, it is found that ESL teachers in Malaysian read mostly light reading materials and tend to shun heavy materials. The researcher also discovered that the rates of general and extensive reading among Malaysian ESL teachers are high and average respectively. The third finding identifies teachers‟ heavy workload as the most pressing problem which hinders the teachers from reading for leisure. The final finding uncovers a moderate correlation (r = 0.677) between ESL teachers‟ reading habits and their English language proficiency. This researcher hopes that the findings of this research help in upcoming studies or programmes carried out to improve ESL teachers‟ language proficiency in the effort to develop and improve the standards and quality of English language teaching in Malaysia
6th grade science teachers' perception and implementation of the science curriculum at a Saudi School in Kuala Lumpur / Albalawi, Anoud Mohammed H
No full textFor decades, the Saudi Arabia government has been emphasising on education as one of the main factors for the national development. Thus, it annually improves the educational system including curriculum, training programs and school infrastructure. However, the literature argues that teachers were not involved in the decision-making and planning of educational developments which in turn affects their perception and implementation of curriculum and its objectives. This study therefore aims to explore teaching science from the teachers’ points of view of the current science curriculum. It also seeks to analyse the extent to which these teachers implement science curriculum. The study is a qualitative in nature which uses semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. It follows the theoretical frameworks of Vygotsky (1978) and Mezirow (1991) Transformative Learning Theory. The research data are collected from three science teachers who teach the sixth grade at the Saudi Schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The findings of this study suggest that the teachers believe that the content of the current sixth grade science curriculum is informative and prescriptive in nature. It is suitable for the students’ level as well as their culture, society and religion. Moreover, teachers also perceived that the curriculum focuses towards enhancing students’ scientific skills and knowledge and relates to their daily life challenges. It is also found that teachers apply various teaching methods including discussion, lecturing and exploratory. However, teachers’ implementation is found to be partially affected by the lack of certain modern teaching tools and laboratory equipment as well as an appropriate teacher training on these tools and equipment
Heat transfer analysis of a data centre / Kabildev Arumainathan
Get PDFData centres are an integral part of networking as it houses servers that facilitate incoming and outgoing data flow. A resolute cooling approach is needed to overcome the hot air dissipated by these servers. This research focused on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of the heat transfer modelled upon Telekom Malaysia (TM) City’s data centre 3. The simulation was carried out to ascertain the heat distribution across the data centre by using ANSYS Fluent. The results indicated that the server racks’ inlet temperature reaches 29.79 oC, which is close to the maximum permissible limit according to recommendations provided by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). The temperature level was elevated due to exhaust air recirculating from the hot aisles into the cold aisles. This issue was addressed by equipping a cold air containment system (CACS). The findings demonstrated a decline in maximum temperature at the front portion of the server racks to 26.98 oC and the temperature was spread more homogenously. Correspondingly, the hot air recirculation issue was surmounted by the CACS. Overall, the cooling of the servers was substantially improved with the containment system in place
Investigation on the mechanical properties and microstructure analysis of micro-resistance spot welding between stainless steel 316L and Tl-6AL-4V / Muhammad Safwan Mohd Mansor
Get PDFIn this study, ASS 316L and Ti-6Al-4V were welded together by micro-resistance spot welding (μRSW) at different combinations of welding parameters using specifically design electrode geometry in order to acquire the optimal combination of welding parameters. The welded joint were subjected to tensile shear strength test to determine the influence of welding current, welding time, welding force and different design of elctrode tip on the mechanical properties and the strength of the welded joint. The experiment was conducted by using full factorial design of experiment (DoE) with L27 orthogonal array and utilizing the analysis of variance (ANOVA) to obtain the most significant welding parameter which affect the strength of the welded joint. In addition, micro hardness and microstructural examinations of the fracture mode (failure analysis) were carried out. The results revealed that by using combination of 2.0 kA welding current, 100 ms welding time and 241 N welding force yield the highest load value, 378.25 N. Welding current found to be the most significant welding parameter. Vickers microhardness test reveal an average hardness value of 963 HV at the fusion zone (FZ). After the optimal parameters have been obtained, an investigation has been carried out to obtain the suitable design of electrode geometries by implementing three different design of electrode tip, triangle, square and hexagon shape through comparison study. The comparison study involves the joint strength and microhardness evaluation. Based on the SEM observations, dendritic grain structures can be seen at the FZ. In addition, EDS mapping analysis revealed the formation of Ti-Fe and Ti-Fe2 intermetallic compound at the FZ. This is further supported by results obtained by vickers microhardness test as hardness value (HV) at the FZ is significantly higher than the base metals. Lastly, the overall results reveal that pimpled tipped (PT) electrode with triangle shape electrode tip shows superior welded joint strength
Meteorological conditions and transport of air pollutants at Bachok Marine Research Station (BMRS) in Peninsular Malaysia / Noraini Mohyeddin
Get PDFThis study is focused at relatively new regional Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW) station at Peninsular Malaysia – Bachok Marine Research Station (BMRS) using the observational and remote sensing data. The study consists of three main objectives. Firstly, to investigate the meteorological conditions during two major Southeast Asia monsoon – NE and SW monsoon. Secondly, to determine the potential sources of air pollution at BMRS during the monsoon periods. Thirdly, to examine the relations of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and particulate matters (PM10, and PM2.5) with the meteorological conditions during intensive case study periods. The first case study (CS1) was conducted from 25 to 27 January 2016 while the second one (CS2) was conducted from 3 to 5 June 2016.
The results of this study are divided into two parts. In the first part, the meteorological conditions, variations and transport of air pollutants during the Northeast (NE) and Southwest (SW) monsoons from 2014 – 2016 were determined. Data analysis shows BMRS is influenced by both synoptic flows and land-sea breeze events during the NE monsoon. However, BMRS dominated by land-sea breeze events during the SW monsoon. BMRS is associated with dominant flows of onshore winds, no diurnal effect and low level of air pollutants during strong synoptic influence in the NE monsoon. This period is also associated with transboundary sources originated from the continental region of China, East China Sea (ECS) and South China Sea (SCS) using Hybrid-Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model and CWT analysis. In the second part, the meteorological conditions, relations and transport of air pollutants during CS1 and CS2 were shown extensively. CS1 and CS2 represent a strong synoptic and local meteorological conditions in the NE and SW monsoon respectively. During CS1, BMRS was influenced by strong easterly winds that penetrated 60 km inland and prevailed within 2500 m height with high relative humidity (>80%). This caused a weakened vertical thermal gradient hence suppressed the typical land-sea breeze event over BMRS. Conditional Probability Function Polar (CPFP) plots and HYSPLIT-CWT analysis incorporated with hotspots data shows there are influence of long-range transport of CO2 and CH4 from the continental region of China and coastal area of Vietnam which are mainly attributed to the industrial emissions and biomass burnings. Contrarily, BMRS was associated with clear vertical thermal gradient within 1000 m, strong diurnal effect and daily occurrence of land sea breeze event during CS2. The sea breeze event able to penetrate within 30 to 90 km inland in the late afternoon and prevails within 1000 m height over BMRS. The variations of air pollutants are strongly influenced by the land sea breeze event i.e. sea breeze reduces while land breeze increases the level of air pollutants significantly. BMRS is mainly influenced by local and regional sources of emissions during this period. Overall, the site at BMRS presents a valuable opportunity to study the influence of regional and local atmospheric flows to the variabilities of air pollutants, thus enabling better understanding and providing a key reference to formulate effective pollution abatement strategies
CSR, corporate reputation and financial performance of Islamic banks in Malaysia: Stakeholders’ perceptions / Fatimah Noor Rashidah Mohd Sofian
Get PDFA review of the extant literature established that the Islamic financial services industry (IFSI) needs to sustain its growth momentum. This is due to the downfall of the world’s largest banks in 2008, which has shaken the global financial industry. Besides, external challenges emerging in the global financial industry have affected the performance of Islamic banks in Malaysia. To overcome such problems, existing reports and several authors have suggested that Islamic banks should get involved in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and disclose such activities in the annual reports. It is argued that corporate social responsibility disclosure (CSRD) can increase the business performance of Islamic banks in terms of corporate reputation and financial performance. However, there is an absence of an Islamic CSR framework for Islamic banks in Malaysia. As a critical response to this, this study aimed to establish a modified integrated Islamic CSRD index (MIICSRDi) for Islamic banks in Malaysia. This study also examined whether stakeholders perceived that the MIICSRDi has an influence on the financial performance of Islamic banks in Malaysia. In addition, this study investigated the mediation role of corporate reputation in the relationship between the MIICSRDi and financial performance as perceived by the stakeholders. Particularly, stakeholder theory explains the establishment of the MIICSRDi as well as the perceived relationship between the MIICSRDi and financial performance. This study integrated the stakeholder theory with the Shariah principles (unity, equilibrium, free will, responsibility, and tazkiyah) and the ‘urf principle (customary practice). Furthermore, signalling theory clarifies the mediation role of corporate reputation in the relationship between the MIICSRDi and financial performance as perceived by the stakeholders. This study utilised a cross-sectional survey design to obtain data from 343 respondents comprising 173 employees and 170 customers of Islamic banks. Before conducting the actual study, the items were validated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Through the EFA, 11 dimensions for the MIICSRDi were identified, as well as one dimension for financial performance and two dimensions for corporate reputation. By using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis, this study discovered that the MIICSRDi is a reflective model that influences the financial performance of Islamic banks. Furthermore, both dimensions of corporate reputation, namely management reputation and social reputation, were perceived as partial mediators in the relationship between the MIICSRDi and financial performance. Management reputation was perceived to have a higher partial mediating effect compared to social reputation. The originality of the study lies in its contribution to the development of the MIICSRDi for Islamic banks in Malaysia as a reflective model based on the integration of the stakeholder theory, Shariah principles, and ‘urf principle. The MIICSRDi can serve as a guideline for the disclosure of CSR activities. The MIICSRDi was regarded as an essential tool for management reputation and in enhancing the financial performance of Islamic banks in Malaysia as perceived by the stakeholders