The Role of Motivation in Incidental Vocabulary Learning through Academic Videos

Recent studies suggest incidental vocabulary learning (IVL) through audio-visual input to be effective for ESL vocabulary development. However, no research has been conducted on IVL gains from academic videos, an accessible, cost- and time-efficient educational tool. Furthermore, as studies suggest that students tend to have high motivation when videos are used during teaching, it is suggested that IVL gains could vary according to student motivation levels. Therefore, this research intends to address the gap of potential IVL gains for ESL learners through academic videos and its possible relationship with motivation. A total of 56 ESL pre-university students in an English-medium university in Malaysia participated in this study. IVL gains were measured through a modified Vocabulary Size Test including a target words test before and after watching the 10-minute academic video. Students’ motivation level was measured using a video motivation questionnaire. The results indicated a significant IVL gain with 0.78 (3.9%) of the target words learned on an average. However, no correlation was found between student motivation level and IVL gains. Therefore, results from this study may give an insight on how TESOL educators can integrate academic videos into innovative, formal and informal teaching practices to develop the vocabulary of ESL students through IVL.

Measuring Digital Competence: An Exploratory Study Mapping Digital Competence Profiles of Sri Lankan English Language Teachers

The overall vision for 21st century learning has incorporated digitalisation as a key focus in teaching and learning practices. In Sri Lanka, however, despite major initiatives taken to improve digital competency of teachers, only minor improvement was noted. Using the DigCompEdu assessment tool, this study investigates to what extent Sri Lankan English language teachers are digitally competent. The results aim to inform national initiatives to facilitate the shift towards a bottom-up process, informed by actual realities based on skills and competences. The DigCompEdu 22-item quantitative survey was used to sample 40 English language teachers working within the public education system. Overall, the study finds that not even 50% of the sample is at one competency band. It is recommended that for substantial changes to occur, a more varied and individualised teacher-training is recommended, using the DigCompEdu as a diagnostic guide.

Hubungan konflik keluarga dengan perlakuan buli dalam kalangan murid sekolah yang mempunyai kecenderungan membuli (The relationship between family conflict and bullying among school students who have a tendency to bully)

This study aimed to identify the relationship between family conflict and the level of bullying behaviour among male students in secondary school since bullying has become a very critical issue in schools. A survey was conducted in Malaysia that involved 480 male students, who were purposely selected through the Level Bullying Behaviour (TTLB) questionnaire instrument. The Family Conflict Frequency Questionnaire (KKK) was used to measure the level of student’s family conflict. KKK used the Likert scale which applied a scale of 1-5 to identify the level of family conflict for students. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics i.e., Pearson correlation coefficient test is used to analyse the data that indicated ‘low moderate’ level of bullying behaviour among male students. The study also found that there was a significant relationship between family conflict variables with levels of bullying behaviour among the sample. One of the significant implications of this study is that family conflict factors should be given serious attention and considered in planning intervention programs to curb and prevent the bullying phenomena from escalating into other serious problems in schools. IT is suggested that this study should be expanded to other states in a nationwide study and should include both female and male students in order to understand and grasp the seriousness and extent of bullying problems among secondary school students.

Malay-English Translation Competencies Among Future Global Da’ies

Demands for a greater number of preachers or Da’ies who are capable in delivering the Islamic teachings clearly and confidently are anticipated to increase. Besides knowledge on Islam and its teachings that they possess, these Da’ies are expected to have a good command of English language to convey the Islamic teachings to a wider global audience. Malaysia has many capable Da’ies who can disseminate Islam in the Malay language but many lack the ability to communicate well in English. Ignoring this problem will produce incompetent Da’ies who may miss critical issues, resulting in lost knowledge, and inadept understanding of Islam. Thus, it is vital for these Da’ies to have the ability to translate Islamic terms, concepts and worldview correctly, to ensure better coverage of da’wah. The objective of this paper is to investigate students’ English proficiency by looking at their ability to translate. This paper examines the translation competence of 71 students from various faculties from a Malaysian Islamic-based public university. A test was used as the research instrument which was later examined via document analysis approach. Students were asked to translate basic Islamic religious terms and the translated work were marked based on a set of acceptable answers determined by the researchers. Findings indicate that their translation competencies are influenced by three elements: language, textual/subject and cultural competences. However, the participants have poor translation qualities indicating lack of translation abilities. Future recommendations regarding translation competencies, and Islamic religious terms translation issues are discussed.

A Diagnosis of Students’ Misconceptions of Photosynthesis and Plant Respiration

This study aims to identify common misconceptions about photosynthesis and plant respiration among Form Four (Grade 10) students by developing two-tier multiple-choice test questions. This descriptive survey research was carried out using a quantitative approach, with 500 study samples. The items in Photosynthesis and Plant Respiration Diagnostic Test (PRDT) was designed in two parts; Part One tested the students’ knowledge of concepts, and Part Two tested the students’ understanding and reasoning. Rasch analysis was used to obtain the option probability curves for each item. The option probability curves present a visual image of the distribution of correct answers and misconceptions across the spectrum of student knowledge. The findings showed that students had 43 common misconceptions, which can be categorised into the inability to trace matter, energy as well as scale and location. The findings brought significant implications on the progress of the teaching and learning of Biology.

Teacher’s Dialogic Prompts That Scaffold Students’ Participation in Classroom Argumentation: A Case of a Biology Teacher

In this qualitative case study, a male biology teacher teaching Bioethics in Senior High School was purposively selected for the documentation and examination of the types and functions of dialogic prompts he used to scaffold his students’ participation in classroom argumentation. Using various data such as classroom transcripts from audio- and video-records, interviews and field notes, these were subjected to microlevel analyses using the constant comparison method. Using an analysis framework with codes from literature that were subsequently merged with data driven codes, thematic analysis yielded three types of dialogic prompts: conceptual, analytical, and reflective with several functions such as providing background information, giving extended ‘think-time’, guiding students to formulate counterarguments, eliciting examples that either support or refute a claim, and asking issue-based questions which were sometimes backed up by stating personal arguments and reiterating students’ responses. Excerpts from video transcripts revealed that these dialogic prompts elicited students’ ideas which resulted to argumentative and collaborative inquiry. Findings of the study suggest that students’ participation to classroom argumentation should be understood together with teachers’ provision of dialogic scaffolding. More than conceptual and factual knowledge, teachers’ dialogic scaffolding for argumentation is a promising method for the gradual enhancement of students’ communication skills and honing of their reasoning skills. Since the results are only conclusive to the case teacher, the study informs the potentials of dialogic scaffolding to support classroom argumentation. It is therefore recommended that for future professional development efforts, both in-service and pre-service teachers should be influenced towards intentionality of harnessing talk inside the classroom as a tool to enhance the implementation of classroom argumentation.

Secondary School English Teachers’ Knowledge and Practice on CEFR-Aligned English Curriculum

The Ministry of Education aligned the national English curriculum with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) to increase the quality and standard of English Language. The success in implementing this educational reform is highly dependent on teachers. Teachers need to have sufficient knowledge in the incorporation of CEFR in their teaching to develop the ability of students to meet targeted CFER levels of English proficiency. The purpose of this study is to identify the teachers’ level of knowledge and practice on CEFR-aligned English curriculum. A total of 148 teachers who teach Form 1 and Form 2 English from the secondary schools in Pulau Pinang were involved in this study. The instrument of this study was a closed-ended questionnaire adapted from Kır (2011) and Ngo (2017). The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Inferential analysis was conducted using Pearson correlation and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test. The findings showed that the level of knowledge (M = 3.49, SD = 0.58) and practice of teachers (M = 3.50, SD = 0.55) on CEFR-aligned English curriculum were moderate. Also, there was a strong relationship between teachers’ knowledge and practice on CEFR-aligned English curriculum. There was a significant difference existed in the level of knowledge and practice on CEFR-aligned English curriculum based on demographic factor namely the type of training received by teachers on CEFR. The findings of this study implied that the training and workshops ought to be conducted frequently as a support for teachers towards the implementation.

Explaining Rural-Urban Differences in The Academic Achievement of Secondary Students: An Empirical Study in Magura District of Bangladesh

All the successive governments of Bangladesh – both civil or military – invested a considerable amount of national fortune in ensuring quality education for all, irrespective of caste or creed. Subsequently, Bangladesh has experienced significant growth in schools, colleges and universities in enrolment and completion rate of education with greater gender parity. However, the success stories were overshadowed by the persistent discrepancies, especially for spatial locations and social classes. This study, therefore, aimed at comparing the academic achievement of rural and urban students, and finding out the factors drawing differences in educational performances of the educands. Data were collected from 566 students selected from eight educational institutions following multistage proportionate random sampling administering a self-administered questionnaire. Findings suggest that age, sex, grades and track of education followed by the size of the class and student-teacher ratio played decisive roles for the educational disparities between the urbanites and ruralites. However, the most crucial factors were parental education and income and the family’s overall financial capacity for supplementary education. Based on the results, it is strongly suggested that the government should involve all the stakeholders, including parents, students, and teachers, to formulate future education policies and address the socioeconomic composition of schools. Additionally, the administration also needs to provide adequate resources, including trained teachers and sufficient infrastructural and other academic facilities, to improve overall educational and learning environments to achieve all-inclusive quality education for all.

The Challenges and Initiatives of Teaching Product Design’s Course Online During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Malaysia

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the schools and universities around the globe, including Malaysia, were compelled to cease their operations and migrate to online teaching and learning environment. Along with this ‘forced approach’ to learning, the educators were faced with several barriers and challenges that need to be addressed. This paper intends to determine the challenges of teaching and learning Product Design courses in Malaysian universities using the online environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also highlights some of the strategies and initiatives adopted and adapted by the lecturers of this course in surmounting those challenges. Using a real-time video interview, data were collected from 10 respondents from various faculties of Malaysian higher education institutions offering product design courses. The findings of the study point to a range of difficulties in teaching Product Design courses online, including the need for more delicate interactions to ensure efficiencies in teaching and learning design courses, as well as the evaluation methods to achieve design learning and design outcomes.

Analysing the Malaysian Higher Education Training Offer for Furniture Design and Woodworking Industry 4.0 as an Input Towards Joint Curriculum Validation Protocol

An education programme at the master’s level normally aims to facilitate graduates’ acquisition, mastery and application of advanced knowledge in specialised areas of education. However, there is no learning pathway that aims to improve the level of specific and transversal competencies and skills, with particular regard to those relevant for the labour market in the furniture sector, such as management, entrepreneurship, language competences and leadership toward wood and furniture industry 4.0. The methodology for this research inquiry was based upon a survey questionnaire of 54 respondents during the MAKING4.0 Seminar at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. The results were analysed from the Work Package 1 (WP1) “Analysis and comparison of the current Higher Education training offer and furniture and woodworking industry”, before the learning outcomes were defined for each of the identified topics. The definition of learning outcomes was made considering the Recommendations of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), and subsequently harmonised with the Programme Learning Outcomes defined in the Malaysian Qualification Framework 2nd edition (MQF2.0) for a Master´s Degree Level 7. The identified learning outcomes have been grouped into four modules: (1) Processes and Production of Furniture, (2) Intelligent and Sustainable Design, (3) Wood and New Materials, and (4) Innovation Management. Results of the study indicated that MAKING4.0 is in line with the actions highlighted in the Malaysian Education Blueprint (2015–2025) and the objectives of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in developing the National Industry 4.0 policy framework. MAKING4.0 aims to ensure an adequate supply of human capital and skills, as well as develop an innovative master’s degree to modernise the current training offer in wood and furniture technology processes and design around Industry 4.0 in Malaysia.