Kuching Sarawak Research Articles

Challenges of Implementing Packaging Design in Rural Food Entrepreneurship Owned by Underprivileged Women – A Case Study

This project was implemented to help low-income and underprivileged women grow their small businesses. This project aims to identify and analyse the problems faced by underprivileged women, focusing on food packaging. The participants were from Kampung Pinggan Jaya, Kuching Sarawak in Malaysia, who run small and medium food businesses. The food categories were based on dry and frozen foods, which were mainly homemade. The participants were housewives aged between 30 and 45 years with low monthly household incomes ranging from US $45 (MYR 200) to US $168 (MYR 750). Thus, the project's main objective is to improve product packaging to establish itself in the local market. Empathy mapping was the technique of choice as it demonstrates collaborative visualisation. Consequently, an entrepreneurship workshop was organised to identify potential products and participants interested in the project. Some problems and constraints during project implementation were due to financial concerns, attitudes, and illiteracy.

The Efficiency of Final Semester Examination Simulation Method in Achieving At Least 20 Marks: A Case Study on Engineering Mathematics 2 Students at Politeknik Kuching Sarawak

The aim of this research is to identify the effectiveness of using the Final Semester Examination Simulation Method in achieving at least 20 marks in the final semester examination. The study focuses on quantitative measurements and employs numerical data. The comparison shows that out of the 10 programs involved, only 1 program shows a decrease in the achievement of the mark, which is the Diploma In Mechanical Engineering (Air Conditioning And Refrigeration) (DPU) programme. This suggests that the method has been effective in helping students achieve at least 20% in the Final Examination. To maintain and enhance the success of the method, it's important to continue monitoring and evaluating its impact on student performance.

Web-based development of HEPAS

The HEPAS (HEP Application Letter Approval System) system was developed to facilitate HEP (Student Affairs) to generate approval letters efficiently and systematically. This system was developed because there are often dropouts in processing confirmation letters submitted by Polytechnic Kuching Sarawak students. The HEPAS system is a web-based system and has been developed using PHP, HTML, CSS and JavaScript programming languages. The development of this system also involves XAMPP as a server and PHPMyAdmin as a database used to store all the data sent through the HEPAS system. Application for a confirmation letter by students through the HEPAS system will be sent to the system administrator which is HEP for the process of generating the confirmation letter. Based on the results of the tests carried out, overall the HEPAS system is 100% working well. With this system in place, it can help the HEP to manage confirmation letter applications more effectively and efficiently, thereby increasing HEP’s productivity in managing students.

Enhancing course management and student monitoring through the myStudentStatus application: A user perception study

myStudentStatus is a student course status tracking system that has been developed to address the challenges academic advisors face in managing and monitoring student course status. This system provides academic advisors with comprehensive information about students’ final exam results and their performance in each course they have taken in quickly and accurately monitoring students’ academic progress. This system has also been able to assist academic advisors in identifying students who may be at risk of falling behind or dropping out of a course. This includes the student’s course status, including grades, completion of prerequisites and overall academic performance. This quantitative study involved 57 respondents consisting of lecturers and students of Polytechnic Kuching Sarawak. Overall, 100% of respondents acknowledged the effectiveness of the myStudentStatus application where the response for each evaluation item received the approval of respondents above 80%. This user-friendly myStudentStatus application is instrumental in increasing the productivity of academic advisors, reducing errors and indirectly improving student support services. By leveraging technology to streamline administrative processes, myStudentStatus contributes to a more efficient and effective education system that benefits both academic advisors and students.

Establishment of control points using GNSS- RTK technique

Nowadays, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) methods are broadly utilized to determine positions of points. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the positioning of control points at Politeknik Kuching Sarawak Campus using GNSS-RTK Technique. For this purpose, twenty-four control points were established with an average baseline length between Base station and Rover less than 1 km were occupied with Topcon HiPer VR receivers for different time periods. In this study there are situation of positioning under satellite obstruction such as the control points situated in the near buildings. Multipath is a common challenge in GNSS-RTK especially in complex environments. The final result from the Horizontal and Height differences were determined and compared with those measured by both static and RTK surveys. The result of the study shows that GNSS-RTK positioning method ensure high accuracy GNSS position solution within few centimetres.

PENGGUNAAN ALAT BANTU MENGAJAR (ABM) BAGI KURSUS DUG30023 GREEN TECHNOLOGY COMPLIANCE: KAJIAN DILAKUKAN DI POLITEKNIK KUCHING SARAWAK

The use of a green technology replica model as a teaching aid to help students understand the types of green technology based on renewable resources in the DUG30023 Green Technology Compliance course. The course DUG30023 Green Technology Compliance is a course offered by the Polytechnic. At Polytechnic Kuching Sarawak, this course is taken by Business Management Diploma students and Geomatics Diploma students. Through this course, students are exposed to green practices and the effects that have and will occur in relation to the environment. This green technology replica model is produced using used materials such as boxes, plastic bottles and polystyrene. This mini replica model provides various types of green technology such as Rainwater Harvesting System (SPAH), windmills and photovoltaic systems. In addition, it also provides a QR code that connects to a video about the green technology. This video was produced using PowToon to attract the attention of students to watch it. In addition, there is also a QR code that connects to the questionnaire to study the effectiveness of the mini replica model in teaching and learning.

PENGGUNAAN KONSEP AKRONIM DALAM MENINGKATKAN KEUPAYAAN PELAJAR MENGIRA SISTEM BEKALAN AIR SEJUK: SATU KAJIAN TINDAKAN

The Outcome Based Education (OBE) system is now widely practiced in higher education institutions. It is a method in which teaching is focused on what students can do after they are taught. This includes the delivery of the Plumbing Services course (DCB20053) at Politeknik Kuching Sarawak for the Diploma in Building Services Engineering (DPB) program which requires them to determine the size of pipes they will install on buildings in one of their syllabuses. Students found it difficult to remember the calculation steps and confused to use the calculation tables contained in the syllabus. The development of the acronym concept in the calculation of cold-water supply systems seeks to improve students ' memory and be able to apply the correct calculations and rules while doing so. This concept is designed to improve student achievement in continuous assessment, the final examination will be able to distinguish student achievement before and after the acronym application is done. The samples taken were students who were in semester 2, namely DPB2A class at Politeknik Kuching Sarawak. The study period carried out is throughout 2023 where we see student achievement in two study sessions, Session 1: 2022/2023 and Session 2: 2022/2023. The results of the study found that the increase in students in Test 1 evaluation of more than 50% was 12 people. While the average increase in scores for Test 1 has increased by 2.29. For Session 1: 2022/2023 the highest score obtained in Test 1 is 16/20 while for Session 2: 2022/2023 the highest score obtained is 20/20.

KAJIAN PENCAPAIAN OBJEKTIF PENDIDIKAN PROGRAM (PROGRAMME EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES – PEO) BAGI PROGRAM DIPLOMA KEJURUTERAAN PERKHIDMATAN BANGUNAN

Education at Malaysian institutes of higher education must be accredited by responsible bodies such as Malaysia Qualification Agency (MQA) and Engineering Technology Accreditation Council (ETAC) to ensure graduates' marketability is guaranteed. Therefore, ETAC asked the program to explain the process for periodic review and review of the Program Educational Objectives (PEO) to determine the extent to which industry is involved in the careers of the graduates who are working with them. There are two objectives to be achieved which are to identify the alumni's perception of the achievement of the Program Educational Objectives (PEO) and to determine the level of achievement of each PEO that has been achieved by the alumni. The target for this study is a total of 35 graduates who followed the Building Services Engineering Diploma program at Kuching Sarawak Polytechnic who have graduated for 5 years. The questionnaire is Google Forms and has been emailed to the graduates involved to be completed. The results of the study found that the students' perception of all PEO programs is very good with an achievement score of 90 and above. Where the level of achievement of PEO 2 which is to be a leader or team member to support their role in the industry is the highest among the four PEOs.

PENILAIAN FAKTOR CAHAYA SIANG DI BILIK KULIAH POLITEKNIK KUCHING SARAWAK

The simplest form of description for the distribution, penetration and intensity of daylight is called the Daylight Factor (DF) which results from natural light (sunlight), the DF value is written as a percentage. This value is the ratio of the internal brightness at a point in a room to the natural external brightness on a horizontal surface. As a guide, the brightness inside the building and the associated distribution can be classified according to the natural daylight factor. The necessary natural daylight factors are lighting, glare and thermal comfort. Aspects of classroom lighting and decoration that can promote discomfort and affect task performance due to glare, and flicker (illumination waves above 100 Hz) that cannot be seen from fluorescent lighting. The focus of the study is to measure the level of natural daylight in the classroom. The main purpose of the study was due to students' complaints about the glare and discomfort of the lecture room. The equipment used is lux meter, anemometer and measuring meter. The results of the study show that the lecture room has a level of illumination that meets the standards, glare that cannot be seen and is acceptable for thermal comfort. The sky condition during the study was 100% cloudy with cloud cover. The average illuminance in the lecture room is 276.5lux in a cloudy sky situation (standard 5000-20000 lux) and the daylight factor (DF) of the day is 1.2 in the range of 1.00 to 3.5. The conclusion for this study shows that the daylight factor from natural light in the lecture room at the academic building of Politeknik Kuching Sarawak achieves acceptable standards for lighting, glare and thermal comfort, referring to the MS1525 and CIBSE A standards.

PENILAIAN JEJAK KARBON DAN KESELESAAN TERMAL DI BENGKEL WELDING DAN KONKRIT

Abstract: Global warming is the phenomenon of global temperature increase from year to year due to the greenhouse effect. Currently, carbon dioxide concentrations are estimated to be most dominant in the atmosphere. Therefore, this carbon footprint study will be conducted in the institutional area to determine the actual amount of CO2 present in Politeknik Kuching Sarawak institution. Research on ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions will also be conducted indirectly. The objective of the study was to analyze carbon dioxide footprints in skill institutions that emit large amounts of gas emissions. Adaptive thermal comfort model is methods can be identified from previous readings to record or analyze data by using Air Quality Detector, Lux Meter and Anemometer. While to refer and compare the data obtained, we refer to the existing standards that are ASHRAE 55 standards and CIBSE Guide A. The result found is carbon footprint in concrete and welding laboratory in Politeknik Kuching Sarawak institution is still in the safe range but measures or proposals to reduce carbon emissions need to be initiated to maintain safety in terms of ventilation and environment in the institution.

Service Quality as Predictors to Customer Satisfaction at Korean Restaurants in Kuching Sarawak

Today, there a bundle of new types of ethnic restaurant in Malaysia such a Korean restaurant. The purpose of this study to examine the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction at Korean restaurant. This study focuses on five dimensions of service quality to measure the customer satisfaction. The researchers have conducted this study by using online survey methods due to the Movement Control Order (MCO). The sample population was selected from Kuching, Sarawak and 384 respondents were passed and successfully collected. The data in this study has been analyzed by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The findings revealed that all service quality factors suggested have significant relationships with customer satisfaction in Korean restaurants at Kuching Sarawak.

PENGETAHUAN BERKAITAN HAID DAN ISTIHADHAH DI KALANGAN GURU ISLAM DI SEKOLAH KEBANGSAAN AGAMA TERPILIH DI SARAWAK

Studies related to menstrual blood and istihadhah are the most difficult and often questioned debates by women. To date, many are confused in understanding it. Although this issue is often presented in various symposia, workshops and talks, there are still many Muslim women who do not understand the methods and ways to identify differences in terms of features, colors, time periods and various issues related to it. If this problem is not resolved then it leads to prolonged confusion. This study was conducted among Islamic Teachers (GI) in SK (A) Datuk Hj Abdul Kadir Hassan, Kuching Sarawak. Instructors were selected as respondents. The objective of the study is to i) identify in detail the level of knowledge in menstruation and istihadhah education according to Mazhab Syafie, ii) study the differences between menstruation and istihadhah through the nature, color and duration of menstruation, the period between two menstruations. And the sacred period. iii) identify confidence in the worship of Islamic teachers in schools. This study was conducted using a quantitative method design. The tool used to obtain the data was a questionnaire. For the data collection method, the authors used Turath books which are authoritative and reinforced with previous research journals and studies. For the purpose of data analysis, the authors used SPSS application. Has been outlined in the study. Summary of the study of the level of menstruation and istihadhah education according to Mazhab Syafie for Islamic teachers in schools to achieve an excellent level.They can recognize the difference between menstruation and istihadhah through nature, color. And the menstrual period, the period between two menstrual periods and the sacred time and the perception to the teacher of ‘aqidah ibadah is very high. Suggestions for improvement have been stated in this study to help Muslim Teachers improve their understanding in this topic. Studies show that menstrual education and istihadhah especially to Islamic education teachers of the course and Islamic teachers in general are very important because they are agents in providing understanding to students and society.

PENGUASAAN KEMAHIRAN KOMUNIKASI PELAJAR MELALUI PEMBELAJARAN BERASASKAN PROJEK BERORIENTASIKAN ANIMASI

Communication skills should be dominated by students as a long-term preparation step in working on competent knowledge and skills to face the global working market. Project-oriented Learning Approach (PBP) Animation is an innovation in today's education that can increase the mastery of student communication skills in learning. This article aims to identify the mastering of student communication skills through animated-oriented project-based learning in Islamic communication and broadcasting courses at Kuching Sarawak Polytechnic. The research methodology implemented was through a quantitative survey study using questionnaire via Google Form software as a research instrument. The sample of this study involved 177 semester five students taking Islamic communications and broadcasting courses at Kuching Sarawak Polytechnic and elected random sampling easily. The study data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software version 26.0. The findings show that the mastery of student communication skills in animated PBP is high. Analysis found that there was no difference in the level of communication skills through animated PBP against gender and field of study. Hence, the lecturer is hoped that lecturers can mold the animation of animated PBP approaches as an alternative method in enhancing the mastery of student communication skills to ensure the continuity of the Islamic education system in polytechnic institutions expanding in tandem with the demands and requirements of the 21st century learning.

TAHAP PENERIMAAN PELAJAR TERHADAP PENGGUNAAN KEMUDAHAN DI ATAS TALIAN UNTUK MENYOKONG AKTIVITI PEMBELAJARAN FLEKSIBEL BERDASARKAN ELEMEN REKABENTUK PENDEKATAN HEUTAGOGI

Heutagogical learning approach is a flexible self-directive learning method aimed at forming highly motivated students thus enabling them to design their own learning approach according to their individual interests, whether in formal or informal situations. The main focus of this study is within the scope of the design elements of the heutagogy approach namely exploration, creation, collaboration, connection, sharing, and reflection. A total of 102 respondents involving a group of junior students (semester one) and senior students (semester five) from the Diploma in Information Technology program of three polytechnics; Politeknik Kuching Sarawak, Politeknik Muadzam Shah, and Politeknik Kuala Terengganu have provided feedback on the study conducted through a questionnaire that includes 24 items based on a five-point Likert scale. Item validation used the Cronbach Alpha method where the value obtained exceeds 0.80 for each heutagogy element (each element consists of four items). The findings of the study found students’ level of acceptance toward the use of online facilities to support their learning activities is good (mean score above 3.80) but there are significant differences between junior and senior student’s acceptance level in several elements of heutagogy, namely are collaboration, connection, and reflection elements. In conclusion, the heutagogical approach needs to be further strengthened to support joint efforts in producing holistic graduates.

STUDENTS READINESS FOR ONLINE LEARNING: CASE STUDY ON COMMERCE DEPARTMENT’S STUDENTS POLITEKNIK KUCHING SARAWAK

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on the country's education system. Regardless of the administrator and the teaching staff, the students are also affected by this situation. The Ministry of Higher Education has decided that the Online Teaching and Learning method (Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Dalam Talian, PdPDT) will be implemented at the Polytechnic level, especially for the June 2020 session. The main purpose of this study is to identify the level of readiness and motivation of students of the Commerce Department Polytechnic Kuching Sarawak on the implementation of PdPDT. The study also examined the relationship between motivation and the level of readiness of students to follow online learning. Quantitative data is collected through a questionnaire distributed online to all active students of the Commerce Department who will attend lectures in the June 2020 session (excluding students who are undergoing Industrial Training and semester 1 students intake June 2020). A pilot study conducted found that the Cronbach’s alpha value was 0.970 and it showed a high level of reliability for the items tested. The scope of this study leads to the level of readiness and level of motivation of students only. The data obtained were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20. Overall, the level of readiness (mean score: 3.40) and level of motivation (mean score: 3.32) of students of the Commerce Department on the implementation of online learning is at a moderate level. Respondents responded positively to PdPDT in assisting the new normal teaching and learning process.

Relationship of Digital Literacy and Teacher’s Perception of 21st Century Learning: A Study of SMK Bako Kuching, Sarawak

This paper aimed to determine teachers' knowledge level in digital literacy and teacher’s perception of the 21st Century Learning in SMK Bako Kuching Sarawak. Many teachers’ nowadays have difficulty to know their level knowledge in digital literacy, especially in the 21st century learning in school. Besides, some teachers have huge interpretation of job burden in spite of teaching using technology. Since there is no study done on this subject in Sarawak, this is the first research done in study teacher’s level perception in digital literacy in school. The objectives of this study were to determine the level of teacher’s digital literacy in SMK Bako. Second, it was to identify significant relationship between antecedents (information literacy, visual literacy, software literacy, technology literacy and computer literacy) and teacher’s perception for 21st century learning in SMK Bako. Third was to determine the moderating effect of gender relationship between digital literacy and teacher’s perception for 21st century learning in SMK Bako. The data was analysed using Pearson Correlation and Multiple Regression to test the hypotheses. This quantitative study shows that there was a significant relationship with digital literacy and teacher’s perception for 21st century learning in SMK Bako Kuching, Sarawak. It was also found that gender moderated the relationship between digital literacy and teachers’ perception in 21st century learning. This study can be a guideline for other researchers, especially in the education sector to evaluate the teacher’s level in digital literacy perception in the future.

Examining Polytechnic Students’ Metacognitive Reading Strategies using Think-Aloud Protocols Technique

Text comprehension is the essence of reading. It plays a vital role in learning especially in the acquisition, sharing, and construction of knowledge. Many researchers have highlighted that metacognitive strategies are critically important aspects of skilled reading. Metacognition is basically referred to thinking about thinking. In the field of reading, metacognitive reading strategies are those activities that make readers aware of their thinking as they engage in reading tasks. Since reading is a cognitive enterprise, readers must apply metacognitive knowledge and must invoke conscious and deliberate strategies in order to achieve comprehension of text successfully. In this study, we will present the findings of the research which concentrate on metacognitive reading strategies used by students of Politeknik Kuching Sarawak when reading English texts. From the think aloud analysis, it was revealed that comprehension problems are the result of the students’ limited strategy repertoires and poor strategy choice and comprehension monitoring. From the results of the study, we concluded that teaching metacognitive reading strategies should be taken into account in developing students’ reading comprehension.

BURNOUT AMONG EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION TEACHERS: CAUSES AND IMPLICATIONS

Burnout among early childhood education teachers and the factors that cause burnout will affect the value and quality, performance and service of an achievement. This study examines the level of burnout of early childhood education teachers through three main symptoms of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal achievements and further decline to analyze the causes contributing to the symptoms of burnout and burnout implications against the teacher early childhood education. This study uses a mixed-method and was carried out involving 165 and respondents consisting of early childhood education teachers in the Samarahan and Kuching Sarawak. A total of five respondents were interviewed. Questionnaires related to burnout were circulated containing 30 items whereas items for the interview questions contained 20 questions. Data has been analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings show that burnout levels among early childhood education teachers in Kuching and Samarahan are low. While teachers' personal factors, economic factors, and social factors have been identified as the main cause of teachers experiencing burnout. Uncontrolled burnout provides negative impact to teachers that can be viewed through the impact of emotional, physical, health, social and career education of early childhood teachers.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND ORGANISATIONAL COMMITMENT IN POLYTECHNIC KUCHING SARAWAK

It is believed that without high-performing leaders in an educational organization as well as committed academic staff, student academic achievement would be affected, the management will collapse and the overall quality of education will deteriorate. Hence, this research explores the relationship between transformational leadership styles of Heads of Departments and organizational commitment of academic staff in Polytechnic Kuching Sarawak. A total of 165 academic staff from eight major departments were involved in this quantitative research. The findings showed that the Heads of Departments practiced a high level of transformational leadership styles. Besides that, the level of organizational commitment among the academic staff was proven to be high. The findings also revealed that a significant relationship existed between transformational leadership style of Heads of Departments and organizational commitment of academic staff in Polytechnic Kuching Sarawak. This research contributes to the development of an organization by encouraging other polytechnics to practice transformational leadership style to ensure academic staff commitment leading to a more effective and sustainable organization.

3rd International Conference on Energy Materials and Environment Engineering

PrefaceThe 2017 3rd International Conference on Energy Materials and Environment Engineering (ICEMEE 2017) was successfully held from March 10-12, 2017 in Bangkok, Thailand. The conference addressed recent development in Energy Materials & Environment Engineering and the relevant applications. The technical program consisted of 4 international keynote speakers, 19 invited speakers, 30 oral presentations, and a poster session with more that 70 posters.This volume of IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (EES) is a compilation of the accepted papers in ICEMEE2017 and represents important results that were presented in the conference. The electronic submission and handling of the manuscripts via the conference website, including the selection of reviewers and evaluation of manuscripts, were identical to the procedures applied to manuscripts submitted as regular contributions for publication in peer reviewed journals.The organization of this conference and the preparation of proceedings volume would have been impossible without the tremendous efforts and dedication of many individuals. Prof. Sivakumar Manickam oversaw the organization of the Conference. We would like to acknowledge a large team of reviewers for their timely submission of quality reports. Without this support, the conference could not have been successful. We sincerely hope that ICEMEE2017 will serve as an ideal forum for academia, industrial practitioners and government agents.Prof. Sivakumar ManickamUniversity of Nottingham, MalaysiaGeneral Chairman of ICEMEE2017Organizing CommitteesCo-ChairProf. Avi Friedman, McGill University, CanadaProf. SIVAKUMAR MANICKAM, UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM, MALAYSIAOrganizing CommitteeProf. Dr. Jinlong Zhang, East China University of Science and Technology, ChinaDr. Paolo Beccarelli, The University of Nottingham, UKDr. Azharul karim, Queensland University of Technology, AustraliaA. Prof. Fredy Kurniawan, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, INDONESIAA. Prof. Hakan CALISKAN, Usak University, TURKEYProf. Chris Bowen, University of Bath, UKDr. Masa Noguchi, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, AustraliaLecturer. Alper KEREM, Osmaniye Korkut Ata University, TurkeyDr. Xingxing Zhang, University of Nottingham Ningbo, ChinaEr. Uttam Roy, National Institute of Technology Agartala, IndiaDr. Tze Ching Ong, Politeknik Kuching Sarawak, MalaysiaProf. Dr. Jarot S. Suroso, Bina Nusantara University, IndonesiaDr. George Filis, Bournemouth University, UKProf. Dr. Bingqing Wei, University of Delaware, USADr. Nathan Vinod Kumar, National Institute of Oceanography, IndiaDr. Narottam Das, University of Southern Queensland, AustraliaProf. Marcello De Falco, University “Campus Bio-Medico” of Rome, ItalyDr. Lluc Canals Casals, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, SpainProf. Alan J Simson, Leeds Beckett University, UKProf. Laurent Ruhlmann, University of Strasbourg, FranceMr. Tochukwu A.S. Ugwoke, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, NigeriaDr. Ali Mansour LAGOUN, Scientific and Technical Research Center On Physical And Chemical Analyses, CRAPC, Bousmail, AlgeriaAssistant Prof. Abdul Lateef Olanrewaju, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, MalaysiaDr. Diana Iruretagoyena Ferrer, Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, United KingdomDr. Yanhui Huang, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USAProf. Luigi Fortuna, University of Catania Department of Electrical, ItalyDr. Laura Castro-Santos, Department of Naval and Ocean enxeñaría, SpainDr. Qingbin Song, Macau University of Science and Technology, China