From Reading to Story-Making: A Year-Long Reading Project with Refugee, Stateless and Undocumented Learners in an Alternative Learning Centre in Malaysia

Fluent reading ability is very important in education and is the most crucial basic skill for students. Even at the primary education level, students acquire basic abilities and develop the reading skills necessary for social life. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the share reading method on the fluent reading ability of students at the Kepong Learning Centre in Malaysia. This study is quantitative research. The research was conducted in Grade 1 with 15 students as subjects. This study was conducted in one class as an experimental class. The data collection technique in this study was observation, and the design of this study was a one-group pretest-posttest. The average pretest score was 39, which is in the not yet fluent category. After being given treatment using the shared reading method, a post-test was administered, with an average score of 71, which is in the fluent category. The t-test yielded a significance value of 0.000 < 0.05. Based on the results of the study, there is an effect of the shared reading method on the fluent reading ability of students at the Kepong Learning Centre in Malaysia.

Refugee children are one of the most vulnerable demographics in society today, and their numbers are growing exponentially. In the region of Southeast Asia, Malaysia accounts for the majority of refugees and asylum seekers. Little is known, however, regarding the resilience or wellbeing of refugee children, particularly young refugee children’s perceptions of their resilience. As a result, this study aims to add to the literature on resilience by going beyond secondary informants to investigate the variables that affect their resilience. Specifically, the study aims to evaluate the perceived risk and protective factors in three domains—family, school, and community—adapted from Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. This qualitative case study provides a unique glimpse into the lives of six children aged 7 years old to 11 years old attending community-based learning centres in Malaysia. Following purposive sampling to select the participants, drawing activities to facilitate conversation were first conducted, followed by semi-structured interviews. Content analysis of the interview transcripts revealed some negative experiences such as bullying and lack of security that could impinge on their resilience. Nonetheless, this was counteracted by perceived protective factors including supportive parents and peers, helpful teachers, and caring neighbours. The findings highlight the importance of family, learning centres, and neighbours in fostering a positive transition for refugee children and helping maintain their resilience. Additionally, they provide significant implications for policymakers and mental health professionals with regard to welfare services, the maintenance of safe living spaces, and education.

Shared reading with young children is promoted as good practice in national and international policy. Existing literature explores cognitive and developmental benefits of family shared reading for young, typically developing children, but much less is known about benefits for young people with learning disabilities. Additionally, the analysis of ‘benefit’ is often cast in economic terms to society rather than through the sociological lens of everyday ‘family practice’. This paper explores the significance of shared reading for two young people with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD), a group traditionally characterised as having a developmental age of 24 months or less and who may therefore continue to enjoy shared reading far beyond early childhood. Drawing on iterative qualitative data analysis of semi-structured interviews with two mothers, findings suggest that shared reading is a valued everyday practice fulfilling a range of functions such as emotional regulation, marking time and routine, and inclusion with siblings. The paper considers ways to support shared reading within PMLD families in research, policy and practice.

The government plans to establish a National Innovation Centre (NIC) and a network of Centers of Innovation Excellence while Malaysia march to the next phase of economic development, transforming from resource-based to innovation-based economy. Innovation Centers (ICs) have a crucial role to play in the successful commercialization of inventions and technology arising from research, business and development (RB&D) in order to establish NIC in the innovation led economy. In Malaysia, there are number of existing ICs operated by higher institution of learning and research centers such as SIRIM and FRIM. This study investigates the operation of innovation center in Malaysia and interpreted them in a model. The model will describe the components of the enterprise development in innovation centers operation in Malaysia's environment.

“You Gotta Accentuate the Positive”: Japanese American Affirmation and Resilience in <i>The Camp Dance: The Music and the Memories</i>

Introduction: To describe the sociodemographic profile, contraceptive practice, and awareness of HIV infection among unmarried post partum women in the biggest government hospital in Pahang. Methods: A cross sectional questionnaire-proforma-based study was conducted for one year duration from August 2010 until July 2011 by identifying and recruiting all the unmarried women upon admission for delivery. Basic information were obtained from the use of patients’ case notes, and further related and necessary information were obtained from a direct face-to-face interview based on a proforma. Results: A total of 121 unmarried women were identified and recruited. The age ranged from 13 to 36 years with a mean age of 21.6 years. 31.4% were teenagers. Only 16% of patients have tertiary education, and 2.5% never had any formal education. About one third of the women were smokers or ex-smokers, 7.5% had consumed alcohol, but none denied ever use of any recreational drugs. Almost 9% has prior history of being sexually assaulted. About three quarter of the women never used any contraceptive method. Majority of the patients (85.1%) were aware of HIV transmission risk; 75% never had any antenatal checkup or booked at late gestation (&gt; 20 weeks); and 45.8% were not aware of any support groups for single mothers. Conclusion: Single unmarried women are associated with disadvantaged sociodemographic profile. Contraceptive practice was also very low despite significant awareness towards risk of HIV infection. Further follow up, support and care should be offered to these women.

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; The influx of Rohingya refugees in Malaysia is increasing from year to year; it is estimated that they have lived in the country for more than two decades since the 1980s. Among the factors that attract them to seek refuge in Malaysia are political stability, peace, religious sentiments, and economic growth. However, without valid documents, they have no guarantee to enjoy their due rights including access to formal education in Malaysia. Although they cannot get a formal education, they can get alternative education provided by certain parties. Thus, this paper aims to identify the background of alternative education in Malaysia specifically for Rohingya refugees, as well as to identify the role of alternative education and its problems as a platform for learning Islam in order to form a Muslim identity among Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. This qualitative study uses historical analysis and content analysis approaches from previous studies. The results of this study show that the Islamic approach is the main basis for the establishment of an alternative education centre in Malaysia. Most alternative education centres managed by local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) combine elements of Islamic education such as fiqh, akhlaq, sirah, the Qu’ran and tajwid with academic and skills education.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Antibody in Polytransfused β-Thalassemia Major Patients

Understanding the nature of parent-child shared reading (SR) practices is important to reach children's developmental potential and subsequent achievement. We evaluated the parental attitudes and practices, associated variables and barriers related to SR. This prospective study enrolled 624 parents of children aged 1-72 months who presented to a tertiary hospital for well-child care or acute minor illness. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a questionnaire. The median age for starting SR was 12 (0-72) months. Daily SR activities were provided by 29.5% of the parents. Owning >10 children's books, higher socioeconomic status, attending pre-school/kindergarten and being a single child were associated with daily reading (P< 0.001). In total, 36.5% of the parents reported that they had not yet started SR and planned to start SR when their children reached a median age of 20.5 (2-72) months. The most commonly reported barriers were time constraints and the perception that their child was too young. Almost 10% of the parents had received an SR recommendation. Parents who had received a recommendation and those who had a habit of self-reading multiple times a week were more likely to begin SR at younger child age and to read daily (P< 0.001). This study demonstrated low rates of parent-child SR activities in early childhood, particularly in the first years of life, in Turkey. Our findings emphasise the need for a national strategy integrated into the healthcare system to promote SR.

Many refugee children have not only suffered from their negative past experiences but also faced challenges to cope with their current difficulties and to improve themselves for a better future. Education is a strategy to assist these refugee children in tackling these difficulties, and a key factor in ensuring the success of education is the quality of teachers. This study uses the job demands and job resource model as a framework to understand the job demands of teachers at refugee community learning centres in Malaysia and their available resources, and the resources that the teachers need to meet their job demands. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 52 refugee teachers, and focus group discussion was used to collect data. Thematic analysis was then used to analyze the data. The results showed that the main difficult job demands are handling the classroom due to the lack of facilities, space and professional training. The diversities in students’ language levels and cultural backgrounds and the psychological problems of students increase the difficulties in classroom management. Support from different parties to provide relevant resources is needed for refugee teachers to tackle their job demands so that a better-quality education can be provided to refugee children.

Education is an effort to improve the quality of human resources and encourage more productive individual development. This enables individuals to bring about change in their own lives and acquire the ability to contribute to society. High-quality human resources are very important for a country. Science in primary school is very important. Science has the potential to develop students’ thinking abilities, problemsolving skills, and hidden potential. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the problem-based learning model on science process skills in science lessons in Grade IV at the Kepong Learning Centre in Malaysia. The results of the study showed a sig value of 0.000, with Ha accepted and H0 rejected. Thus, it can be concluded that there is an effect of using the problem-based learning model on science process skills in science lessons in Grade IV at the Kepong Learning Centre in Malaysia.

Many young people are turned away from reading novels for pleasure by their experiences of studying the class novel at school. Critical factors include lack of choice and inappropriate texts. Shared small-group reading of the novel that readers have some say in choosing overcomes some of the problems students cite. The teacher-librarian has a major contribution to make in such a program through supporting the teacher in establishing a routine, identifying suitable texts, and participating in group discussions. Reading groups as described in this article can operate as primary and secondary levels, and students'responses have been uniformly positive.

Aim: to study the prevalence, demographics, clinical and histolopathological features of orbital tumors biopsied in Hospital Serdang, a national Oculoplastic referral centre in Malaysia.&#x0D; Methods: A retrospective, observational study on all the consecutive orbital biopsies performed in Hospital Serdang from January 2008 to December 2014. Outcome measurement includes demographic data and histological diagnosis of biopsied orbital lesions. &#x0D; Results: Among a total of 136 cases, there is slight male preponderence (59.6%). Malay is the commonest racial group (58.8%) followed by Chinese (32.4%). Lymphoproliferative lesion is the most common category (34.6%) followed by inflammatory (10.3%) and lacrimal lesion (9.6%). Benign lymphoid hyperplasia (16.9%) and Non Hodgkin lymphoma(BHL) (16.2%) were the most common histology diagnosis. Those with benign lymphoid hyperplasia developed at a younger age (mean 56 years) compared to those with Non Hodgkin Lymphoma (60.6 years old). Benign lymphoid hyperplasia occurred at a same frequency at orbit and lacrimal gland whilst those NHL were mostly located within the orbit. Lymphoproliferative disorders are more common among male and Chinese. Our patients develop cavernous haemangioma, pleomorphic adenoma and solitary fibrous tumor at an earlier age than Western counterparts. Benign orbital lesions whilst being more common, may be associated with significant visual and orbital comorbidities.&#x0D; Conclusions: Lymphoproliferative lesions occur at a higher occurrence among Souteast Asian patients, especially among Chinese and male. Our patients also develop cavernous haemangioma, pleomorphic adenoma and solitary fibrous tumor at an earlier age compared to their Western counterparts. There is ethnic difference among different orbital pathologies. Delayed presentation of benign orbital lesions lead to significant morbidity and sometimes exenteration. Financial restraints may hinder clinicians in developing countries to obtain precise histological diagnosis.

Clinical characteristics of keratoconus patients in Malaysia: a review from a cornea specialist centre

BackgroundResearch on antenatal depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms among women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is lacking in Malaysia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with antenatal depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms among Malaysian women with GDM.MethodsThis was a descriptive, cross-sectional study of 526 women with GDM. Depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms are defined as the final score in mild to extremely severe risk in the severity rating scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS v.21, while multiple logistic regression was used to identify predictors of depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms.ResultsPrevalence of anxiety symptoms was highest (39.9%), followed by depressive symptoms (12.5%) and stress symptoms (10.6%) among women with GDM. According to multiple logistic regression analyses, younger age (OR = 0.955, 95% CI = 0.919–0.993), comorbidity with asthma (OR = 2.436, 95% CI = 1.219–4.870) and a family history of depression and anxiety (OR = 4.782, 95% CI = 1.281–17.853) had significant associations with antenatal anxiety symptoms. Being non-Muslim (OR = 2.937, 95% CI = 1.434–6.018) and having a family history of depression and anxiety (OR = 4.706, 95% CI = 1.362–16.254) had significant associations with antenatal depressive symptoms. Furthermore, being non-Muslim (OR = 2.451, 95% CI = 1.273–4.718) had a significant association with antenatal stress symptoms.ConclusionsWithin a population of women with GDM in Malaysia, those at higher risk of having depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms can be identified from several baseline clinical characteristics. Clinicians should be more alert so that the high-risk patients can be referred earlier for further intervention.