Tertiary Institutions In Malaysia Research Articles

English

The ability in making meaning of learning through opportunities is seen as a pathway to autonomous learning behaviour. This study is undertaken to explore the behaviours of a group of nine learners at a tertiary institution in Malaysia to see how they utilise both receptive as well as productive vocabulary learning opportunities meaningfully beyond their English language course. The theory of constructivism appertains, as the learning activity is active, constructive, cumulative and goal-directed. The participants’ journal entries of one month were perused to enquire the various aspects of their learning experiences and what they did before, during and after English language class. Weekly retrospective in depth interviews were conducted with the participants, as well as their class lecturer. The study found that these learners lacked proactive attitude in seizing learning opportunities and were poor readers of English language materials. The study also found that the extent learners take learning opportunities is not solely dependent on their language proficiency, but more than that on learner confidence and their preferred learning style of non-verbal learning, hence dispelling the widely accepted belief that high proficiency learners are more proactive in their learning pursuits. In seizing learning opportunities at opportune moments, the major stumbling blocks are lack of transfer in learning as well as limited and untapped communication opportunities with the lecturer beyond class hours. This study shows that average and low ability learners can also embrace learning opportunities meaningfully with other moderating variables, such as a confident personality and adequate risk taking initiatives.

Do MFL Learners in Malaysia Need ‘Mandarin for Travelling’?

Tourism is an important part of foreign language learning as visiting the target-language country will provide the best environment for learners to use the language. ‘Mandarin for travelling’ which focuses on the travelling purposes in China, is one of the popular themes of Mandarin learning for specific purposes for adult MFL (Mandarin as a foreign language) learners from different countries of the world. However, ‘Mandarin for travelling’ has not been offered as an individual subject for MFL learning in any of the tertiary institutions in Malaysia. Hence, this paper aims to investigate whether there is a need to include ‘Mandarin for travelling’ in the MFL curriculum in Malaysia. A large number of samples totalling 2,534 student-respondents from five public universities in Malaysia, namely UiTM, UPM, USM, UKM and UM, were invited to fill out the questionnaires. The results of the investigation indicate that half of the MFL learners in Malaysia showed no interest in visiting China. The majority of the other half wished to visit China for travelling purposes, and joining a tour was their preference. With all arrangements done by a tour guide, ‘Mandarin for travelling’ may not be useful to learners, and indirectly the learning of vocabulary for travelling purposes is not very important to MFL learners in Malaysia. Since the findings imply that majority of the MFL learners in Malaysia did not intend to use Mandarin in China, ‘Mandarin for travelling’ will not be important for MFL learners in Malaysia either in the short or long term.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) Survey of Osteoporosis among Students of a Tertiary Institution in Malaysia

Purpose: To evaluate knowledge and perceptions of osteoporosis among university students in Malaysia belonging to different age groups, gender and ethnicity. Methods: Using convenience sampling method, current study was conducted among students of University Sains Malaysia (USM), Pulau Penang, Malaysia. A pre-validated self- administered questionnaire was used to carry out the study. Results: The mean age of the participants was 24.61 ± 5.51 years. A majority, 401 (87 %), identified osteoporosis correctly as a disease that makes bones weak and fragile. Lack of milk and dairy products were identified by majority of participants (74 %) as a risk factor for osteoporosis while being petite (24 %) and family history (34.5 %) were the least identified risk factors. Female showed statistically higher knowledge score than males (243.89 versus 216.12, p = 0.02). Ethnicity (Malay: 228.32, Chinese: 264.46, Indian: 194.04, Others: 236.94, p = 0.00) and type of education (Hybrid: 225.99, Arts: 182.21, Science: 286.23, p = 0.00) were factors that correlated significantly with knowledge and perceptions of osteoporosis. Conclusion: This study demonstrates an urgent need for the implementation of educational and awareness programs for university students belonging to various age groups. Such programs should be designed on the basis of the parameters of health belief model.

The Impact of Electronic Words of Mouth (eWOM) to the Brand Determination of Higher Education in Malaysia: From the Perspective of Middle East’s Student

Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) refers to the knowledge exchange between people in the online sphere. Most studies on eWOM focuses on product and services, subsequently, the exchange of knowledge has a direct relationship on brand determination. Therefore, this affects the overall value of the organization. The purpose of this paper is to examine the brand determination of Higher Education in Malaysia from the perspectives of Middle Eastern students in Malaysia. A semi-structured focus group was conducted among Middle Eastern students studying in various public and private tertiary institutions in Malaysia. The thematic analysis was generated by using qualitative data management in order to enhance the rigorousness of the findings. Consequently, the key indicator for this study is the value of information from eWOM that effects the brand determination. Good brand value is an important tool in enhancing as well as altering or reinforcing stereotypical views. The results of this study have brought out sever

The Role of Code-switching as a Communicative Tool in an ESL Teacher Education Classroom

Abstract This research sought to investigate how code-switching functions as a communicative tool in a English as a second language teacher education class in a tertiary institution in Malaysia. Surveys, observations, and interviews were carried out to elicit relevant data. Qualitative data was collected using an observational framework. The findings revealed that three types of code-switching known as tag switching, inter-sentential switching, and intra-sentential switching were predominant in classroom communication between students and between students and the instructor. The study was also able to ratify several systematic and predictive reasons for code-switching in the classroom. The study also found that English was the dominant language of communication while code switching was used to convey ideas in specific situations and to enhance solidarity in the first language.

Service Learning: Transforming Students, Communities and Universities

Service Learning uses community service as the vehicle for the achievement of specific academic goals and objectives. This paper is the first in a series of papers, dedicated to research and practice of servi ce learning in institutions of higher learning in Malaysia. In this paper, I introduce the concept of Service Learning by looking back at thirty years of research and practice of SL to revisit some of its basic principles. Taking into consideration, the early developments of SL in Malaysia, this paper concludes with views on why tertiary institutions in Malaysia would greatly benefit by incorporating SL into their courses.

Customers? Satisfaction towards Institutional Foodservices: An Insight into Universities in the Klang Valley, Malaysia

As one of Southeast Asia’s centers for educational tourism, many tertiary institutions in Malaysia are tryinghard to offer its captive populace with quality on - site foodservice. Apart from meeting customers’ daily dietary needs, these providers are also obligated to comply with the university’s stipulation in providing acceptable quality of food and service at their on- campus cafeterias and restaurants. To date, there is no published empirical evidence showing the current state of customer satisfaction towards Malaysian institutional foodservice incorporating more than one university. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate determinants influencing customer satisfaction of institutional foodservice at 25 universities in one of Malaysia’s highly developed boroughs: the Klang Valley. This study was carried out from September to December 2011, with its sample frame being students and staff from Klang Valley’s selected tertiary institutions. A SERVQUAL - type questionnaire was developed based on items determined by an initial Profile Accumulation Technique(PAT) survey and previous literature. A total of 2162 usable questionnaires were collected. The data was analyzed using frequency, factor analysis, t - test, gap analysis and multiple regression analysis. This study found that most customers have negative disconfirmations with their foodservice establishments, which point toward on - campus foodservice for not meeting with customers’ expectations. Findings denote customers’ preference of buying food off - campus, despite the fact that majority indicated that they would always purchase from on - campus foodservice facilities. Further evidence had revealed that there is a strong relationship between Customer Perception and Customer Satisfaction, specifying determinants such as ‘Products Quality’, ‘Value to Customer’ and ‘Technological Application’ have significant effect on Customer Satisfaction. This study will contribute to better understanding of determinants which affect customer perception and expectation, and the insights will specifically help Malaysia’s institutional foodservice providers to minimize the occurrence of service failures, improve recovery efforts, increase customer satisfaction, and generate positive repatronage behavior.

Patterns of discourse in online interaction: seeking evidence of the collaborative learning process

Asynchronous communication by means of discussion forums plays an essential role in supporting collaborative learning. Online forums allow learners to ask questions, express their thoughts, share resources, and justify their opinions beyond the four walls of the classroom. Proponents of collaborative learning claim that this type of learning can lead to enhanced educational outcomes for students. This article examines data from an online discussion forum involving a group of students from Malaysia and the Middle East, who are working toward master's degrees at a tertiary institution in Malaysia. The purpose of the study is to understand how the students interact and collaborate in the process of learning topics that had previously been discussed in a face-to-face mode. The findings identify collaborative learning behavior among the students, including contributing, exploring, providing information, and giving feedback. Additional findings indicate that even with minimal intervention from the lecturer, the students participated actively in the online forum.

Institutional hypertension control in Malaysia: a multicenter study focusing on gender and cardiovascular risk factor profile difference

The prevalence of hypertension in Malaysia is alarmingly high. The National Survey in 2006 showed 43% of people aged ≥30 had hypertension and among treated patients, only 26% reached the target blood pressure (BP) of <140/90 mmHg. We evaluated BP control in tertiary institutions in Malaysia and the difference in hypertension control between genders and within specific cardiovascular risk factor groups. This cross-sectional study aimed at determining BP control among hypertensive patients attending three specialist institutions in Malaysia, located in Kuala Lumpur, Kuantan and Kota Bharu. A total of 950 patients with known hypertension for at least 6 months were recruited between January 2007 and July 2008. There were more males (n=548, 57.7%) with a mean age of 60.3±10.5 (±s.d.) years. The mean systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP were 138.8±20.3 mmHg and 79.6±11.3 mmHg, respectively. In total, 48.5% of all the patients had good BP control (<140/90 mmHg). Males had better SBP control compared with female (SBP: 135.9±18.7 vs. 142.8±21.7 mmHg, P<0.001). Overall, 54.6% of the patients had ischemic heart disease (IHD), 24.2% had undergone coronary revascularization, 50.1% were diabetic, 68.6% hyperlipidemic, 17.3% smokers and 27.5% had renal impairment. Males and small numbers of antihypertensives used were independently associated with better treatment outcome. In summary, our data reveal a poorer BP control, secondary to higher SBP levels in women. Moreover, the gender difference is more pronounced in patients with concomitant diabetes mellitus, renal impairment and IHD.

The Effect of Culture and Religiosity on Business Ethics: A Cross-cultural Comparison

This article examined the effect of culture and religiosity on perceptions of business ethics among students in a tertiary institution in Malaysia. A structured questionnaire was developed with scenarios on various aspects of business ethics, and self-administered to the students in the business studies program. The results from 767 respondents showed that there were significant differences among the Malays, Chinese, and Indian students on seven scenarios namely selling hazardous products, misleading instructions, selling defective products, padding expense account, taking sick to take a day off, keeping quiet on defective products, and respond to supplier’s take good care of clients attitude. There was also an association between culture and religiosity. The MANOVA results also showed that culture and religiosity have an effect on perceptions of business ethics.

English Language Proficiency at the Workplace: Expectations of Bank Officers in Malaysia

It is quite common nowadays to hear employers in Malaysia complaining about the inability of their employees, especially graduates, to communicate effectively in English. In relation to the declining quality of English in the workplace, this research specifically investigates the criteria of good writing among Malaysian bank officers. Several bank officers were asked to evaluate replies to letters of complaint written by undergraduates pursuing an English for Specific Purposes course at a tertiary institution in Malaysia. The research methodology used was verbal protocols (Ericsson & Simon 1984/1993; Green 1998) and guided interviews. This paper highlights how bankers viewed the language errors in the texts they evaluated and also their views about the linguistic reality of English language proficiency of our graduates in the workplace.