Opening Up Alternatives to Dominant Ideological Constructions of English Language Teaching in Malaysia

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates the impact of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) on the way English language teaching (ELT) is currently understood and practised in Malaysia. It presents a critical discourse analysis of newspaper texts in order to show how CEFR represents a form of Western-imposed globalisation that conflicts with local cultures and values. We argue that the newspapers construct a dominant discourse that promotes a vision of society that accords with CEFR–ELT implementation. Our aim is to contribute to the development of a counter-discourse that challenges the broader world-view underpinning ELT.     

Voting for Change: an International Study of Students’ Willingness to Support Measures to Ameliorate Climate Change

Research in Science Education - Voting for various pro-environmental governmental policies is an indirect, but potentially effective, action that citizens can take to reduce global warming (GW) and...     

English Language Teaching in Brunei Darussalam: Continuity and Change

In this paper, the authors trace the development of education and the issue of language in education in Brunei Darussalam from 1906 to the present. They look at some of the planned and unplanned language programmes and initiatives, and discuss the problems encountered in implementing some of these initiatives.     

Early career researchers and their publishing and authorship practices

This study presents findings from the first year of the Harbingers research project, a 3‐year longitudinal study of early career researchers (ECRs), which sought to ascertain current and changing habits in scholarly communication. The study recruited 116 science and social science ECRs from seven countries who were subject to in‐depth interviews, and this paper reports on findings regarding publishing and authorship practices and attitudes. A major objective was to determine whether ECRs are taking the myriad opportunities proffered by new digital innovations, developing within the context of open science, open access, and social media, to publish their research. The main finding is that these opportunities are generally not taken because ECRs are constrained by convention and the precarious employment environment they inhabit and know what is best for them, which is to publish (in high impact factor journals) or perish.     

Endophytes from medicinal plants and their potential for producing indole acetic acid,improving seed germination and mitigating oxidative stress

Medicinal plants have been used by marginal communities to treat various ailments. However, the potential of endophytes within these bio-prospective medicinal plants remains unknown. The present study elucidates the endophytic diversity of medicinal plants (Caralluma acutangula, Rhazya stricta, and Moringa peregrina) and the endophyte role in seed growth and oxidative stress. Various organs of medicinal plants yielded ten endophytes, which were identified as Phoma sp. (6 isolates), Alternaria sp. (2), Bipolaris sp. (1), and Cladosporium sp. (1) based on 18S rDNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The culture filtrates (CFs; 25%, 50%, and 100% concentrations) from these endophytes were tested against the growth of normal and dwarf mutant rice lines. Endophytic CF exhibited dose-dependent growth stimulation and suppression effects. CF (100%) of Phoma sp. significantly increased rice seed germination and growth compared to controls and other endophytes. This growth-promoting effect was due to the presence of indole acetic acid in endophytic CF. The gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis showed the highest indole acetic acid content ((54.31±0.21) μmol/L) in Bipolaris sp. In addition, the isolate of Bipolaris sp. exhibited significantly higher radical scavenging and anti-lipid peroxidation activity than the other isolates. Bipolaris sp. and Phoma sp. also exhibited significantly higher flavonoid and phenolic contents. The medicinal plants exhibited the presence of bio-prospective endophytic strains, which could be used for the improvement of crop growth and the mitigation of oxidative stresses.     

Measuring the outcomes of information literacy: Perception vs evidence-based data

This paper emphasizes the significance of using evidence-based data (EBD) in measuring the outcomes of Information Literacy programs. The paper highlights the differences between data collected from evidence which is based on the actual performance of individuals who have gone through IL programs, as opposed to just perception-based data (PBD) which is predicated primarily on opinions (whether laymen or experts). The author contends that the outcomes of IL programs can be better measured based on the tangible performance of individuals who have completed an IL program, rather than by the perceptions of students or librarians. Evidence-based data are particularly useful for managers because they provide concrete evidences about specific areas of strengths and weaknesses that need improvement, and/or are otherwise valuable in planning and implementing IL programs in general.     

A framework for portal implementation: A case for Saudi organizations

Portals provide an aggregated and personalized view of information through a large application integrating information, people, and processes across organizational boundaries. As such, portals can significantly impact organizations, completely changing how they work and operate. In addition, many critical success factors can affect portals at any stage of implementation. Many organizations lack suitable frameworks for implementing portals to ensure success in the organization, customer satisfaction, and employee morale. To address this gap, we proposed a comprehensive framework to develop and operate portal projects by considering specific critical success factors. We have evaluated and compared this work with previous work in the same field, more accurate and significant results.     

Social anxiety in E-Learning: Scale validation and socio-demographic correlation study

Education and Information Technologies - During the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, over 1.5 billion students worldwide have been deprived of access to traditional learning....