ISI-CITED JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS
Field of Research: Applied Linguistics
ISI-CITED JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS
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Field of Research
Applied Linguistics
David Yoong, Tan Hooi Koon, and Ng Choung Min. (2013). ‘This is not gambling but gaming’: Methods of promoting a
lottery gaming company in a Malaysian daily, Discourse & Society. March, 24: 229-247, doi:10.1177/0957926512469433.
Because of its gambling nature, lottery gaming has been associated with bankruptcy, the destruction of families, crime and
gambling addiction. Despite these stigmas, a Malaysian lottery company has managed to brand itself, especially its gambling
activities, in a positive way. Using Fairclough’s framework of analysis, the methods used to present this lottery company and its
activities in a positive light are deconstructed by examining its contents in an influential daily newspaper. The false positive
associations of the lottery company revealed in the analysis suggest that the lottery company is likely using the newspaper as a
subliminal messaging media to promote its activities, thus indicating a possible compromise in journalistic and editorial integrity.
http://das.sagepub.com/content/24/2/229.abstract
Applied Linguistics
Dumanig, F.P., David, M.K & Thilagavati, S. (2013). Language Choice and Language Policies in Filipino-Malaysian
Families
in
Multilingual
Malaysia.
Journal
of
Multilingual
and
Multicultural
Development,
doi:10.1080/01434632.2013.784323
Personal, social, cultural, economic, and political factors influence the language/s used by family members in the home domain.
This study examines how family language policies are planned and developed in Filipino-Malaysian families in Malaysia. The
language used at home in such mixed or exogamous marriages is also influenced by the ethnicity of the Malaysian spouse.
Exposure outside the home domain where people speak at least two languages also affects language choice and use. An
ethnographic method which includes multiple interviews, participants' narratives and observations were used in gathering the
data. Thirty Filipino-Malaysian families were the subjects of this study. Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) is used
as the theoretical framework to explain the occurrence of language choice in the home domain and the creation of family
language policy. CAT shows how families accommodate each other's language as they seek a lingua franca that binds the family
together. The findings of the study would explain the complex phenomenon involved in language choice and the creation of
family language policy of Filipino-Malaysian families.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01434632.2013.784323#.Ubgt_Ocwde0
Applied Linguistics
Gut, U., Pillai, S. & Zuraidah M.D. (2013). Prosodic marking of information status in Malaysian English. World
Englishes, 32(2), 185-197. doi: 10.1111/weng.12018
This paper investigates the prosodic strategies used by Malaysian speakers of English to mark the information status of new and
given discourse elements. Thirty speakers of Malaysian English were recorded both when playing a game designed by Swerts,
Krahmer, and Avesani (2002) to elicit semi-spontaneous speech and when reading out a 179-word story. Pitch accent placement
in the semi-spontaneous speech was analysed auditorily, while six given and new word pairs in each reading passage were
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analysed acoustically in terms of the phonetic realisation of the pitch accent (following Atterer and Ladd 2004). In addition, 11
speakers of Malaysian English participated in a perception experiment testing their identification of new and given discourse
elements in these recordings. Results show that Malaysian speakers of English do not mark given and new information with
distinct pitch accent placement and that it is not possible to categorise these utterance elements unambiguously according to their
information status. The acoustic analysis showed that given information is marked by a later pitch trough and a smaller rise than
new information. No difference between the two, however, was found in terms of pitch peak alignment.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/weng.12018/abstract
Applied Linguistics
Mukundan, J., Mahvelati, E.H., Mohd Amin Din, & Nimehchisalem, V. (2013). Malaysian secondary school students’ ESL
writing performance in an intensive English program. World Applied Sciences Journal 22(12), 1677-1684. doi:
10.5829/idosi.wasj.2013.22.12.730
The available literature regarding the effect of intensive programs on students’ English as a Second Language (ESL) writing
indicates inconsistencies that necessitate further research in the area. This paper presents the results of one of the phases of an ongoing school adoption project that aims at developing low-scoring learners’ general English proficiency. The present study
focused on the learners’ English writing performance before and after an intensive intervention program. A quantitative method
with a single group quasi-experimental design was followed to meet this objective. The findings indicated that the participants’
writing skills improved in reference to five different domains of writing that included content, language use, organization,
vocabulary and mechanics. The results of paired samples t-tests also showed that the mean differences between the pre- and posttest scores assigned for the participants’ written samples were statistically significant (p<.05) for all the five domains. The
findings and their pedagogical implications have been discussed.
http://idosi.org/wasj/wasj22(12)13/1.pdf
Applied linguistics
Mumtaz, B.M., Zuraidah M.D., Roziati, Zainuddin, Knowles, G. & Ainon, R.N. (2013). Developing HMM-based speech
synthesis system for Malay: a comparison of uniform segmentation and cross-lingual approach. IEICE Transaction on
Information and System.
Applied linguistics
Syed Abdul Manan and David, M. K. (2013). Mapping ecology of literacies in educational setting: the case of local mother
tongues vis- is Urdu and English languages in Pakistan. Language and Education. Volume 27, Issue 4, pages 1-20.
This study critically examines the literacy levels of undergraduate students in Pakistan to compare and contrast the proficiency
levels, particularly reading and writing of their mother tongues versus Urdu and English, and to study real and perceived vitality
of local/regional mother tongues vis-à-vis Urdu and English. The research investigated 162 undergraduate students using
questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and participant observation. Drawing principally on Continua of Biliteracy, an
ecological framework (“Revisiting the Continua of Biliteracy: International and Critical Perspectives.” Language and Education:
An International Journal 14 (2): 96–122; Continua of Biliteracy: An Ecological Framework for Educational Policy, Research, and
Practice in Multilingual Settings. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters), the data suggest that the respondents’ proficiency levels in
academia-oriented skills like reading and writing are considerably lower in mother tongues than in Urdu and English languages.
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The respondents tend to attach greater value to academic literacy in Urdu and English over their mother tongues for they believe
Urdu and English hold significant pragmatic and economistic value as languages of power and wealth. Local mother tongues are
perceived to be good as identity carriers in a multilingual and multiethnic country, and their use could best be made in intraethnic interaction and family chitchat. As per Continua model, literacy situations across contexts, development and content
indicate an explicit privileging of Urdu and English (traditionally more powerful end) of continuum over local mother tongues
(traditionally less powerful end).
DOI: 10.1080/09500782.2013.800550
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09500782.2013.800550#.UckCbzswde0
Applied linguistics
Bahrani, T., & Tam, S, S. (2012). Audiovisual News, Cartoons, and Films as Authentic Language Input and Language
proficiency Development. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology 11 (4): 56-64.
In today’s audiovisually driven world, various audiovisual programs can be incorporated as authentic sources of potential
language input for second language acquisition. In line with this view, the present research aimed at discovering the effectiveness
of exposure to news, cartoons, and films as three different types of authentic audiovisual programs on improving the language
proficiency of low level language learners. To this end, 60 low level language learners were selected based on a language
proficiency test and were assigned into three groups as group one, two, and three randomly. During the study which lasted for 10
weeks, the first group of the participants had exposure to a sample selected audiovisual materials from news, the second group of
the participants had exposure to a sample selected audiovisual materials from cartoons, and the third group of the participants had
exposure to a sample selected audiovisual material from various films. At the end of the study, another sample language
proficiency test was administered to all the three groups to find out which group could gain significant language proficiency
improvement. The results of the post-test were indicative of the fact that group one (news) failed to improve its language
proficiency. In contrast, groups two (cartoons) and three (films) could improve their language proficiency. More importantly, the
cartoon group participants’ improvement was more significant than that of the film group. The results showed that audiovisual
programs generally are a great source of language input for teaching purposes. However, more caution should be given to the
selection of the type of audiovisual programs for low level proficiency learners. Cartoons and films with good story lines seem to
motivate the learners to absorb the language input better and have a significant effect on the language improvement.
http://www.tojet.net/articles/v11i4/1145.pdf
Applied linguistics
Bahrani, T., & Tam, S, S. (2012). Informal Language Learning Setting: Technology or Social Interaction? The Turkish
Online Journal of Educational Technology 11 (2): 142-149.
Based on the informal language learning theory, language learning can occur outside the classroom setting unconsciously and
incidentally through interaction with the native speakers or exposure to authentic language input through technology. However,
an EFL context lacks the social interaction which naturally occurs in an ESL context. To explore which source of language input
would have a greater impact, this study investigated the effect of exposure on speaking proficiency. Two types of exposure were
provided: audiovisual mass media as a source of language input in an EFL context and social interaction as a source of language
input in an ESL context. A sample speaking test was administered to one hundred language learners in an EFL context (Iran) and
another one hundred language learners in an ESL context (Malaysia). Then, thirty participants from each context who scored one
standard deviation above and below the mean were selected as homogenous language learners. During the experiment, EFL
participants had exposure to audiovisual mass media while the ESL participants were exposed to social interaction as a source of
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language input. At the end, both groups took another sample speaking test. The post-test showed that the EFL group performed
better which was indicative of the fact that exposure to technology promotes speaking proficiency.
http://www.tojet.net/articles/v11i2/11215.pdf
Applied linguistics
Bahrani, T., & Tam, S, S. (2012). The effect of exposure to various audiovisual programs as sources of authentic language
input on second language acquisition. Southern African linguistics and applied linguistics studies 30 (3): 347-359.
Nowadays, various audiovisual technologies are developing by sharing and showing a variety of programs which can offer many
possibilities for teachers to utilise different programs as sources of authentic language input in order to construct activities for
enhancing language learning. Accordingly, the aim of the present article was to provide empirical evidence on the effectiveness
of exposure to various audiovisual programs in informal settings on the language proficiency of language learners with different
levels of language proficiency. To this end, 75 language learners majoring in TESL were assigned to three language proficiency
levels based on their scores on an IELTS pretest: low (n = 25), intermediate (n = 25), and upper-intermediate (n = 25) levels.
During the study all the participants were asked to keep track of the amount and type of exposure to their preferred audiovisual
program(s) in informal settings through the use of a self-report sheet. At the end of the study, a second IELTS test was
administered to all the participants to determine whether such exposure to audiovisual programs could improve the language
proficiency of the language learners, and if so, which proficiency level group benefitted the most. The results of the posttest
indicated that intermediate and upper-intermediate language learners showed greater improvement in their language proficiency.
The data obtained from the self-report sheets also indicated that the intermediate and upper-intermediate participants had more
exposure to news broadcast and movies than other audiovisual programs. The findings of the present research contribute more
insights on the type and amount of exposure to the various audiovisual programs as sources of language input to develop SLA in
both EFL and ESL contexts. Also, the present study reveals that the choice of authentic audiovisual input seems to have a more
significant impact on language development compared to the amount of exposure.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2989/16073614.2012.739329
Applied Linguistics
Yoong, S. C. (2012). The Case of Humour in the Malaysia House of Representatives. Humor, 263-283
Being one of the highest public offices, parliamentary businesses are governed by rules and protocols that severely limit the
behavioral conduct of Members of Parliament (MPs). MPs must modulate their behavior to the expectations of parliamentary
practices. Hence, they cannot behave as they would in informal settings when parliament is in session. Based on his or her
discretion, the Chair may subject MPs who violate these written (and unwritten) rules and protocols to censure and punishments.
Since MPs are expected to behave formally and avoid being emotional in order to create an impression of objectivity and
distinguished professionalism, it is worth asking whether humor is a form of disorderly practice in parliaments. In this paper, I
argue that it is, and that the disorderliness of humor may either be acceptable or unacceptable depending on certain parameters.
Analyzing instances of humor in the Malaysian House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat) during Question Time, this paper sets
out to explain the conditions that make humor acceptable or unacceptable forms of disorderliness.
http://www.degruyter.com/dg/viewarticle/j$002fhumor.2012.25.issue-3$002fhumor-2012-0014$002fhumor-2012-0014.xml
Applied Linguistics
Azirah Hashim and Norizah Hassan. 2011. Language of the Legal Process; An Analysis of Interactions in the Syariah Court,
Multilingua, Vol. 30, 3-4, pp. 333-356.
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This study examines interactions from trials in the Syariah court in Malaysia. It focuses on the types of questioning, the choice of
language and the linguistic resources employed in this particular context. In the discourse of law, questioning has been a
prominent concern particularly in cross-examination and can be considered one of the key communicative practices in legal
encounters. Usually based on expectations and assumptions about what the responses are likely to be, an extended question and
answer dialogue can allocate or remove blame and make a party appear trustworthy or unreliable. Questions which are supportive
of witnesses can simply ask for confirmation, leading witnesses through straightforward narratives and information-seeking
questions. On the other hand, questions during cross-examination create a negative evaluation of witnesses and defendants,
destroying their credibility and casting doubts on defence statements. Data are collected from a Syariah court in the country and
examined for the strategic lexical choices, specific linguistic resources, including code-switching, through which utterances are
constructed as questions and how questions are sequenced in this particular context.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/mult.2011.016
Applied linguistics
Bahrani, T., & Tam, S, S. (2011). Technology and language learning: Exposure to TV and radio news and speaking proficiency.
Kritika Kultura (17): 144-160.
Today, technology has dominated the world by extensive improvements in audio/visual mass media such as TV and radio. TV
and radio are not just entertainment tools anymore. It can be used as pedagogically valuable technology that can provide authentic
language input for language learning. In the same line, this study examined the effect of exposure to TV and radio news on
improving EFL learners’ speaking proficiency. To achieve this purpose, a speaking proficiency test was administered to two
hundred language learners and ultimately sixty intermediate language learners were selected and randomly divided into group one
and group two. During the experiment, group one participants had exposure to TV and radio news to work on in-and out-side the
classroom while the participants in group two had only exposure to a sample selected utterances extracted from different kinds of
TV and radio programs other than news. At the end of the experiment, both groups took another sample speaking proficiency test
to see whether or not any significant improvements happened in their speaking proficiency. The results obtained from the posttest indicated that group one participants performed better than group two participants. This was indicative of the fact that
exposure to TV and radio news promotes EFL learners’ speaking proficiency.
http://kritikakultura.ateneo.net/issue/no-17/new-scholars-forum/technology-and-language-learning-exposure-to-tv-and-radionews-and-speaking-proficiency
Applied Linguistics
Rani Rubdy, T. Ruanni F. Tupas, Corazon D. Villareal, Maya Khemlani David, Dumanig, Francisco. 2011. Review of doctoral
research in English language education in the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia (2007-2010). Language Teaching, 44(04).
pp.64-84.
This review highlights recent doctoral research in English language education and related areas completed between 2007 and
2010 in three countries in Southeast Asia: Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. Out of sixty dissertations initially chosen
from major universities in these countries, five from the Philippines, four from Malaysia and three from Singapore were selected
for review, the selection being based mainly on their quality of work and representation of key areas of intellectual work in the
field in these countries. This review shows how the shared postcolonial identities of these countries and their unique
sociohistorical locations help explain the coalescing and diverging agendas and trajectories in English language education
doctoral research in the region. Much of the work affirms the dominant intellectual position of the West as the producer of
knowledge, so there is a need to reposition the intellectual stance of research in English language education in the region within
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and emerging from its multilingual but unequally globalizing landscapes. Thus, there is an urgent need for more nuanced
attention to socio-cultural factors that impact on English language education in the three countries under review, which, in turn,
can help scholars produce new knowledge that can contribute to academic conversations in the field.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ956202&ERI
CExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ956202
Applied linguistics
Richard Powell and Azirah Hashim, 2011, Language Disadvantage in Malaysian Litigation and Arbitration, World Englishes,
30(1), pp. 92-105.
Based on extensive observations of courtroom proceedings and more limited observations of arbitration practice, this study
compares how each system approaches language disadvantage. In Malaysian common law the usual constraints on courtroom
discourse, institutionalised by de jure rules of speaking and reinforced by professional practice, are supplemented by a language
policy, enshrined in the constitution, statutes and judicial directives, which requires the use of Malay while also allowing English
where deemed in the interests of justice. The result is a bilingual system, with all other languages admissible only through
interpretation. In the fast-growing alternative dispute sector, however, there are few hard and fast rules governing either code
choice or discourse. With most Malaysian arbitrations involving commercial disputes, English is the dominant medium, but as in
the courts, English-Malay code-switching is common. Ways of speaking are generally more relaxed than in the courts, but with a
majority of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) advocates coming from common law, many discursive practices are carried over.
While the more relaxed atmosphere of ADR seems to encourage freer discourse than in the courts, there are some indications that
current practice may be underestimating the needs of participants who are less proficient in English. The stricter rules imposed on
courtroom discourse may inhibit free discussion but they do reveal a high awareness of the problems of language disadvantage.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-971X.2010.01689.x/abstract
Applied Linguistics
Azirah Hashim. (2010). Print advertisements in Malaysia. World Englishes, 29(3), 378-393.
This paper examines print advertisements in Malaysia to determine how advertisers seek to achieve their primary goal of
persuading or influencing an audience by the use of both language and visuals. It describes the main component moves and
rhetorical strategies used by writers to articulate the communicative purpose of the genre and the language in the advertisements.
A descriptive framework for multi-modal texts is adopted for analysing the visuals. How the advertisements encode national
identity and cultural values, and illustrate innovative language use is shown. The findings illustrate the multilayered and
competing values from various sources in the Malaysian society and reinforce the traditional as well as the new values based on
national, global or commercial priorities.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-971X.2010.01661.x/abstract
Applied linguistics
Kais, A. K. (2010). Translating English BBC News into Arabic: Morphosyntactic Analysis. Poznan Studies in Contemporary
Linguistics, 46(2), 221-235.
This paper focuses on the morphological changes that occur when translating English political news into Arabic. It attempts to
find the answer to the research question, "What is the nature of the morphological changes that occur in the Arabic translation?"
Towards this end, it examines the morphological changes that are attributable to various reasons in Vinay and Darbenet (1995)
procedures, among them transposition or shift. Thus, each data item is examined on the basis of the ideas of Vinay and Darbenet
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(1995) as well as Culicover (1997) using both X'-Theory representation either as phrase markers (tree diagrams) or in linear
structures using label bracketing and narrative descriptions.
DOI: 10.2478/v10010-010-0011-9
http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/psicl.2010.46.issue-2/v10010-010-0011-9/v10010-010-0011-9.xml
Applied linguistics:
Tam, S. S., Kan, N. H., & Ng, L. L. (2010). Low proficiency learners in synchronous computer- assisted and face-to-face
interactions. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 9(3), 61-75.
This experimental study offers empirical evidence of the effect of the computer-mediated environment on the linguistic output of
low proficiency learners. The subjects were 32 female undergraduates with high and low proficiency in ESL. A within-subject
repeated measures concurrent nested QUAN-qual (Creswell, 2003) mixed methods approach was used. Interactions between the
subjects in mixed ability dyads in face-to-face (F2F) and synchronous computer-assisted (SCA) environments provide the data.
The unit of analysis was negotiation of meaning (Varonis & Gass, 1985) which is the key construct that is claimed to promote
second language acquisition (SLA). The evidence indicates that opportunities for SLA for low proficiency learners are enhanced
with the occurrences of negotiation of meaning in both SCA and F2F environments. In particular, the SCA allowed for varied
syntactic and semantic modifications which provided ample opportunities for low proficiency learners to negotiate for
comprehensible input and to notice form.
http://www.tojet.net/articles/v9i3/936.pdf
Applied linguistics
Tong-Fredericks, C. (1984). Types of oral communication activities and the language they generate: A comparison, System,
12(2), 133-146. DOI: 10.1016/0346-251X(84)90023-X
The study aims to compare the language generated by different kinds of oral communication activities. In the experiment reported
on, three different kinds of oral communication activities were performed by each of the six pairs of students working
simultaneously; the language produced by them was tape-recorded and transcribed. The language generated was first compared in
terms of speed of speaking, frequency of turns taken and frequency of self-correction. Looking more closely, it appears that when
engaged in the first kind of activity, i.e. a goal-directed, problem-solving oral communication activity, students generated
language markedly wider in terms of communicative function but narrower in range of form and lexis. When doing the other two
kinds of activity, i.e. role-play and ‘authentic’/‘natural’ interaction on the other hand, students seem to pay more attention to
accuracy and range of form and lexis. The relative degree to which a student draws on his communicative and linguistic resources
seems to be related to the communication needs of the particular kind of activity engaged in.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0346-251X(84)90023-X
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0346251X8490023X
ISI-CITED JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS
Field of Research: Applied Linguistics – Language and Education
ISI-CITED JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS
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Field of Research
Education
Chua, Y. P. and Don, Z. (2013). The effects of computer-based educational achievement test on test performance and test
takers’ motivation. Computers in Human Behaviour, 1889–1895.
There has been an increasing interest in recent years in developing and using computer-based tests in educational assessment. To
replace paper-based tests with computer-based ones, the standards for developing computerized-assessment (International Test
Commission., 2004) requires equivalent test scores to be established for the new computer-based test and the conventional paperbased test. However, in most test mode comparability studies, the actual test items used have been identical, and yet significant
differences have been found in test scores in paper-based and computer-based modes. This has been reported for several subjects,
including science, languages and mathematics. The validity of using computer-based tests in educational assessment must
therefore be questioned. This study involves a biology test and a biology motivation questionnaire using a Solomon four-group
experimental design to examine the validity of the computer-based test and its effects on test performance and the motivation of
test-takers. The findings provide supportive evidence for the validity of computer-based test in educational assessment.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563213000976
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.03.008
Education
Chua, Y.P, Tie, F. H. and Don, Z. M. (2013) Creating an Education Research Acculturation Theory for Research
Implementation in School. Education and Urban Society. 45 (4) pp. 506 - 526.
This study investigates the implementation of educational research among urban secondary schools in Malaysia. The respondents
include school teachers and administrators, lecturers in education institutions, and committee members of the state education
departments. Data collected from interviews were coded and analyzed using open, axial and selected coding procedures. Six core
categories emerged from the data namely implementation initiative, implementation obstacles, collaboration, research knowledge,
research needs, and suggestions to overcome the weaknesses. The findings showed that the quality and quantity of education
research in school depend on the existence of a research culture. The findings of this study form an education research
acculturation theory for research implementation in schools.
http://eus.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/07/28/0013124511413124.abstract
Education
Kow, Y. C. and Amir Biglar Beigi. (2012). Education and religion in Iran: The inclusiveness of EFL (English as a Foreign
Language) textbooks. International Journal of Educational Development, 32, 310-315.
The focus of this paper is religion and education with particular reference to EFL (English as a Foreign Language) textbooks. The
writers of this paper aim to raise the awareness of research community, educators, and teachers regarding the interconnectedness
of religion and education. In the first phase of the study, the researchers scanned a series of secondary-level Iranian EFL
textbooks prescribed by the Iranian Ministry of Education to determine religious concepts in the form of linear and/or non linear
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content. The next phase of research was the analysis of the content to determine the level of inclusiveness of the textbooks in
terms of culture and religion. These textbooks were also analyzed to determine whether the propagation of religious content was
overt or covert. Finally the impact of religious content in textbooks was discussed with reference to identity and nation building.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2011.05.006
Education
Pillai, S., Khan M. H., Ibrahim, I. S., & Raphael, S. (2012). Enhancing employability through industrial training in the
Malaysian context. Higher Education, 63(2), 187 204.
This study discusses the industrial training programme at the University of Malaya in Malaysia, specifically the issues that need
to be addressed in order to enhance the employability skills of graduates. Findings from the feedback obtained from trainees and
organizations in the 2008/2009 academic session were examined in terms of the extent to which trainees felt they were prepared
for their training, and the extent to which the tasks given to them during their training were appropriate. Further, trainees’ selfrating of particular skills and industry’s rating of the trainees were also examined. The feedback is discussed in the context of the
need to equip graduates with employability skills, an issue facing Higher Education Providers worldwide. The findings indicate
that most of the students were prepared to face the world of work. However, there were several issues which needed attention.
These included the need to address the possible mismatch between the tasks assigned to trainees and their areas of study, and the
need to enhance English language competency and particular soft skills throughout their degree programme. Continuous input
from industry is also necessary to ensure that the training benefits all parties and contributes to the employability skills of
trainees.
DOI 10.1007/s10734-011-9430-2
http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10734-011-9430-2
Education
Chua, Y.P., Tie, F. H., & Don, Z.M. 2011. Creating an Education Research Acculturation Theory for Research Implementation in
School. Education and Urban Society, pp.1-21.
This study investigates the implementation of educational research among urban secondary schools in Malaysia. The respondents
include school teachers and administrators, lecturers in education institutions, and committee members of the state education
departments. Data collected from interviews were coded and analyzed using open, axial and selected coding procedures. Six core
categories emerged from the data namely implementation initiative, implementation obstacles, collaboration, research knowledge,
research needs, and suggestions to overcome the weaknesses. The findings showed that the quality and quantity of education
research in school depend on the existence of a research culture. The findings of this study form an education research
acculturation theory for research implementation in schools.
doi:10.1177/0013124511413124
http://eus.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/07/28/0013124511413124.full.pdf
Education
Ghajarieh, A. B. B., & Kow, K. Y. C. 2011. Addressing Men and Gender Diversity in Education: A Promising Solution to the
HIV/AIDS Epidemic. Health Care for Women International, 32(4), pp. 314-327.
To date, researchers investigating gender in relation to social issues underscore women and appear to sideline men. Focusing on
women in studies concerning sociogender issues may exclude not only men from mainstream research, but also those who do not
fit into the binary gender system, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people. One area closely related to
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gender issues is the HIV epidemic. Mainstream discussions of men and other versions of masculinity and femininity including
GLBT people in the gender-related studies of the HIV epidemic can decrease the vulnerability of individuals against HIV
infections regardless of their biological sex.
doi: 10.1080/07399332.2010.532577
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07399332.2010.532577