Arabic Learning Orientation in Ma'had and Islamic Boarding Schools, and its Relevance to the Need for Human Resources with Language Skills in the Globalization Era

The problem and the aim of the study: The demand for human resources with language skills in the globalization era is very high. This is because many companies require active and passive language skills as the main criteria for workforce recruitment. In Indonesia, Arabic teaching institutions are categorized into two forms, namely those that teach with communication skills orientation (ma'had) and those with an orientation to understand the concept as an Islamic knowledge source (Islamic boarding schools). This difference causes varied output skills of each institution. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze which output is more relevant to the skills needed in this globalization era. Methods: This study was designed with a quantitative approach. The data source was ma'had and Islamic boarding school graduates who continued their studies at the Islamic Faculty of West Sumatra, Muhammadiyah University with a total of 43 students. Furthermore, data were obtained through tests that included four language skills, and then analyzed using ME as well as T test. Results: It was found that ma'had and Islamic boarding school graduates have advantage in language skill. This is based on data which showed that they have advantage in speaking, but weak in reading and writing. Meanwhile, the Islamic boarding school graduates have advantage in reading and writing, but the listening skills of graduates from both institutions are balanced. Conclusion: Language skills in listening and communication aspects are essential as interpreters, tour guides, consultants and other opportunities. Meanwhile, human resources with writing skills are needed in the field of manuscript translation and text analysis. Therefore, both graduates have the same opportunity in the globalization era but with different contents.

Application of the Kano Model for a Better Understanding of Customer Requirements in Higher Education—A Pilot Study

Various pieces of information and knowledge turn into “know-how” simply by their application in the market. This applies to all spheres of activities. It is therefore important to know and understand the requirements of customers already in the stage of making a product, and to confront these with the possibilities of a producer. In this article we are exploring the possibilities of a better understanding of the requirements of customers and stakeholders in the process of the creation of products in educational services. In particular, we examined seven general requirements: practice orientation, ethical orientation, research orientation, quality resources, innovation orientation, skills orientation, and quality staff. We use the Kano model on a pilot sample of respondents at an institution of higher education. Our results showed that “practice orientation” and “quality resources” are the most stable requirements, while “quality staff” is the least stable. The most linear requirement (the same effect on satisfaction and dissatisfaction) is “innovation orientation”. “Research orientation” belongs to attractive requirements and we also found that in the case of “ethical orientation” there are weak relations between positive and negative responses in our survey. The “skills orientation” proved to be too general, and our research shows that it could be indifferent. It is therefore advisable to specify the investigated skills when investigating requirements on educational services. The main contribution based on the proposed research procedures is an effective linking of customers and producers already from the beginning of constructing a value chain. Investing in sophisticated management approaches when modelling products and processes can thus become a significant source of the competitive advantage of an educational institution. At the same time, it is a contribution to better placing of its graduates in the labor market.

Topographical orientation as a model of plasticity in children with perinatal stroke

Background: Children with perinatal stroke go on to develop most cognitive skills (e.g. language) due to brain plasticity; however, their performance is usually poor when compared to age-matched controls, indicating a reduced potential compared to uninjured children. To date, how plasticity after early injury affects the development of complex cognitive skills remains uncertain. Here, we use topographical orientation, which relies on integration of several cognitive processes underlain by widespread neural networks, as a model to test plasticity in complex behaviour. Methods: Children with perinatal stroke and age-matched controls were tested with a neuropsychological battery and a novel navigation task. In addition, for each patient, we obtained the most recent MRI scan to assess the effects of lesion characteristics on performance at the navigational task. Results: Children with history of injury performed worse than controls, and their scores were not different based on lesion’s laterality, location or functional region affected. In particular, involvement of regions known to contribute to spatial orientation did not result in significantly decreased performance. Conclusions: As seen in other skills, orientation was preserved, but decreased when compared to age-matched controls. Given its cognitive and neural complexity, topographical orientation may be used as a model for network plasticity after early injury.

Land and Discover! A Case Study Investigating the Cultural Context of Plagiarism

Despite a growing body of evidence, the common causal factors of plagiarism among international students are still widely seen to be poor language skills or a lack of academic integrity on the part of the students. This research uses the experiences of a particular cohort of students to explore these assumptions. It investigates and compares the notion of academic integrity and the understanding of plagiarism of both Indian postgraduate students who are currently studying in Australia and students currently studying at Indian universities. Postgraduate international students from India have studied in English at an undergraduate level in India and have a clear understanding of academic integrity in their own context. However their undergraduate experience occurs in a culturally different context to that of the Australian university system and they face the challenge of learning new academic conventions. This paper argues that students coming from different educational cultures require proper and explicit induction into the principles and philosophy behind many western academic conventions as different conventions of scholarship in the Australian education system can create unique difficulties for them. To accuse international students in general of a lack of integrity because they plagiarise or to blame only their lack of language skills for plagiarising seems to be arguable. Rather, the impact of transition from a different university culture without explicit academic skills orientation and instruction needs to be addressed. The paper also points towards the paradox of punishment in western universities where international students have to prove their integrity and innocence regarding the ethical principles of a new and foreign culture.

A Statewide Survey of the Beliefs and Practices of Chapter 1 Reading Teachers

Based on the assumption that teachers' instructional practices are guided by beliefs that are consistent with identifiable theoretical orientations, this study describes the predominant beliefs and practices of kentucky's k-6 chapter 1 reading teachers (n = 1,279) and the extent to which their beliefs and practices are related. In light of the hawkins-stafford amendments, which have mandated the teaching of advanced skills, it was hypothesized that the teachers would have difficulty implementing this instruction if it were not supported by their underlying beliefs about reading problems. The results indicate that most of the teachers do not engage in practices that match their beliefs, but that those whose beliefs and practices are consistent with an advanced skills orientation to reading problems are generally more professionally involved. Several recommendations for facilitating teachers' professional development are provided.