A number of researchers have examined variables/factors that affect the choice of language learning strategies. Some of the variables, such as language teaching method, language learning level, field of specialization at Harvard Libraries on July 23, 2015 rel.sagepub.com Downloaded from

Purpose – The main aim of the present investigation was to examine the role of teacher, peer, and parental academic and emotional support in predicting adolescent cognitive engagement, especially within the context of ESL classrooms.   Method – The present study examined the availability of academic and emotional support from teachers, classmates and parents as perceived by adolescents, via instruments which were adapted from a number of established measures. This cross-sectional study utilized the survey method, and a total of 450 adolescents from 11 secondary schools in Malaysia, representing early and middle adolescence, took part in the survey. The study assessed each source of support namely teacher, peers and parents within one model.   Findings – Findings from the structural equation modelling suggest that both teacher and parental support are significantly related to adolescent cognitive engagement through their academic efficacy, thus lending support for a full mediation model while peer support was directly related to cognitive engagement.   Significance – Even though parents and teachers played important roles in influencing adolescent cognitive engagement (as suggested by previous studies), this study suggests that the relationship was through academic efficacy, which had served as a mediating variable. One of the contributions of this study is that its findings supported the inclusion of student motivational beliefs in explaining the relationship between support factors and engagement. This study had also examined the unique contribution of emotional support. Additionally, it was found that research should not disregard the importance of peers in promoting cognitive engagement directly.

Recent development in multimedia technology has seen its relevance to children’s language development. Despite numerous advantages technology has to offer, parents hold mixed opinions in allowing young children to be exposed to multimedia resources. As such, the main objectives of the study are twofold: (1) to identify children’s reflections on utterances via ‘Upin and Ipin” animation film and (2) to analyse the children’s utterances in post viewing sessions based on their reflections of the multimedia animation tool. The study employed Brown and Yule’s Discourse Analysis framework as the underpinning theory. Subjects comprised twenty one nine-year-old children from one suburban area in one state in Malaysia. The methods used were observations and interviews while Upin and Ipin animation was utilised as the study instrument. The interactions among the subjects were recorded and documented in written transcriptions. Subjects were asked to view the animation film after which they were grouped into four focus groups and reflected upon the animation. Despite the children’s limited communicative skills and given the right stimulus, subjects were observed to have adequate self-confidence while producing each of their respective utterances and managed to reduce shyness and low self-esteem in speaking during post viewing sessions. The employment of animation has shown that animation viewing has its place in training children to communicate confidently and systematically. This was evident as the subjects’ utterances contained diversity in meaning, and they were also able to discuss their opinions, present information, retell the story and recall their memories based on what they viewed as well as their life experience. In short, it can be concluded that the children’s utterances follow specific principles in utterances as proposed by Brown and Yule.

Kajian yang dijalankan ini bermatlamat untuk menilai sejauh mana kemahiran insaniah dalam kalangan pelajar di dua buah IPT berteraskan Islam di Malaysia selain melihat sejauh manakah pendekatan pelajaran pelajar menyumbang kepada kemahiran insaniah setelah dikawal faktor gender. Mengambil pendekatan kuantitatif dan kaedah tinjauan, kajian telah mengadaptasi instrumen Revised Approaches to Studying Inventory (RASI) (Duff, 1997) untuk mengukur jenis-jenis pendekatan pembelajaran yang diguna oleh pelajar. Kajian juga mengadaptasi instrumen Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) (Wilson & Lizzion, 1997) untuk mengukur kemahiran insaniah selain item soalan yang dibina sendiri oleh pengkaji. Seramai 233 orang pelajar jurusan Pengajian Islam pelbagai cabang telah mengambil bahagian di dalam kajian ini. Menggunapakai persampelan bertujuan, responden terdiri daripada pelajar tahun akhir sahaja. Berdasarkan analisis model persamaan berstruktur, data kajian menunjukkan wujudnya hubungan yang positif antara pendekatan pembelajaran berstrategi dengan kemahiran insaniah. Walau bagaimanapun, terdapat hubungan yang signifikan negatif antara pendekatan luaran dengan kemahiran insaniah. Hasil kajian juga menunjukkan terdapatnya perbezaan pendekatan pembelajaran dan kemahiran insaniah berdasarkan gender. Kemahiran insaniah pelajar lelaki lebih tinggi berbanding pelajar perempuan. Dapatan kajian menyokong model 3Ps Biggs yang menunjukkan kepentingan proses (pendekatan pembelajaran) ke atas hasil pembelajaran (kemahiran insaniah). Beberapa implikasi kajian juga dibincangkan khususnya dalam konteks kemahiran insaniah agar kebolehpasaran pelajar disiplin Pengajian Islam dapat ditingkatkan.

The present study sought to measure student learning approaches and generic skills and to determine the influence of learning approaches on the undergraduates’ generic skills. By utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM), the study aimed to identify if there are any gender differences in the relations. The study adapted the Revised Approaches to Studying (RASI) (Duff, 1997) in order to measure the learning approaches and the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) (Wilson & Lizzio, 1997) to tap into the students’ generic skills. A total of 233 undergraduates from various religious studies disciplines took part in the survey. The study utilized purposive sampling in the data collection in which only final year students were sampled. Using multi-group analysis via SEM, the data showed that the models for boys and girls differed in which the girls’ surface approach negatively influenced their generic skills. Unlike the girls, the boys’ strategic and surface approaches are related to generic skills, each having a positive and negative relationship respectively. Interestingly, the boys’ model also accounted for a higher explained variance (47%) compared to that of the girls’ (23%). A model of the relationship between the learning approaches and generic skills used was subsequently proposed. The study uncovered how the boys’ and girls’ learning approaches may influence the teaching and learning in the classroom and on students’ generic skills, subsequently graduate employability. A number of suggestions have been forwarded so as to escalate the use of generics skills among the students of various religious studies disciplines and those of girls in particular.