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Purpose Cloud computing technology is advancing and expanding at an explosive rate. These advancements have further extended the capabilities of the virtual learning environment (VLE) to provide accessibility anywhere, anytime where educational resources can be saved, modified, retrieved and shared on the cloud. The purpose of this paper is to examine the predictors of instructional effectiveness of cloud computing VLE by extending the Self Determination and Channel Expansion Theory with external constructs of VLE interactivity, content design, school support, trust in website, knowledge sharing attitude and demographic variables.Design/methodology/approach Random sampling data were collected in two waves of nation-wide survey and analyzed with artificial neural network approach.Findings SDT, CET, content design, interactivity, trust in website, school support and demographics significantly predict instructional effectiveness.Research limitations/implications The study has provided a new paradigm shift from investigating the behavioral intention and continuance intention to the effectiveness of an information system. It advocates that quality of research may be improved by adhering to the basic research methodology starting from rigorous instrument development and validation to future research direction.Practical implications The research provides implications to Ministry of Education, the VLE content and service providers, scholars and practitioners.Social implications The findings of the study may further improve the quality of living of the society when the instructional effectiveness of the cloud-based VLE is further enhanced.Originality/value Existing grid computing VLE studies have focussed on the acceptance of students and teachers and not its instructional effectiveness. Unlike existing studies that examined extrinsic motivational factors (e.g. TAM, UTAUT), this study uses intrinsic motivational factors (e.g. relatedness, competence and autonomy) as well as perceived media richness. Malaysia is the first nation to implement the VLE at a national scale and the findings from this study will provide a new insight on the determinants of instructional effectiveness of the VLE system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has always been a serious concern about students' academic performance in schools and institutions of higher learning. Mostly, it has been seen in terms of lack of motivation. However, little attention has been given to the reasons for poor motivation. The Self- Determination Theory (SDT) of motivation provides a new perspective on motivation. This paper investigates students' motivation and study engagement using the SDT framework. It examines the role of learning climate, intrinsic motivation resulting from basic needs satisfaction, self-perception of choice and self-awareness on students' study engagement. This study attempts to validate SDT propositions on students' motivation and study engagement in the Asian context and within an Islamic institution of higher education. Data were collected from 432 undergraduate students (Females = 62.2%) representing several study disciplines. Standardised instruments were employed to measure the constructs of learning climate, basic needs, perceived self-determination and study engagement. Results provided strong support for the SDT propositions suggesting that an autonomy supportive learning climate significantly contributed to intrinsic need satisfaction of autonomy, competence and relatedness. It was also found that the autonomy supportive learning climate and satisfaction of competency need contributed to greater study engagement. This study provides good empirical support to the SDT propositions from a non-Western cultural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The right to refuse treatment is generally accepted in the legal and bioethics discourses; however, the use of advance directives remains contentious. Some jurisdictions have introduced statutory frameworks to govern the creation and implementation of advance directives, underpinned primarily by the recognition of respect for personal autonomy. Although there are no legislation and judicial decisions on advance decision-making in Malaysia, the considered view is that healthcare practitioners perceived its utility in managing patient care. This paper examines the potential and challenges of applying a statutory framework in Malaysia, drawing from relevant regulatory examples. It argues for greater public awareness within the healthcare discourse and knowledge dissemination regarding the availability, usage and clinical guidance on advance decision-making. The main conclusion drawn from this exploratory analysis is that further understanding of and education about advance decision-making within the population and healthcare practitioners should precede the implementation of a statutory regime in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ‘millet’ and ‘personal law’ systems, found in countries such as India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, and Israel, are long-standing models of state accommodation of religious norms in family law. This article, a work of applied normative legal theory, uses the Indian system of personal laws as a test case to consider the extent to which these modes of accommodation undermine personal autonomy. In particular, it studies the claim, made both in the context of the Indian personal law system and in debates in other jurisdictions on the use of religious norms in family law, that if people had a choice between religious law and generally applicable secular law, this would remove any objection to such systems on the grounds of personal autonomy. It also studies the further claim that such a power to choose would actually make the personal law system better for personal autonomy than a system of general secular laws. This article concludes that these claims do not stand. Liberal states, including the UK and Canada, increasingly facing calls from religious groups to reform family law in order to accommodate religious norms. The conclusions of this paper contribute to the broader question of whether these states should do so, as well as the question of what form any accommodation should take. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Malaysia's multi-ethnic society has inherited colonial categorizations of race in which Malay, Chinese and Indian communities have been construed as homogeneous blocs. This paper traces the shifting identities of Indian Muslims in Malaysia in an attempt to de-construct these racial categories. It argues that Indian Muslims in the country have always moved between resistance and adaptation to these policies, particularly so after the Malaysian state introduced its Malay-centered Bumiputera policies. As race and religion denote racial identity, Indian Muslims have been pressed to side with either Muslim Malays or Hindu Indians for political representation and resource allocation—nevertheless, they have managed to retain certain levels of autonomy. Some of them have explored possibilities of economic autonomy or have joined the emerging networks of Islam and civil society. However, despite Malaysia's efforts to create a ‘Malaysian race’ (bangsa Malaysia), the case of the Indian Muslims demonstrates the long and difficult path ahead towards racial consolidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on a larger ethnographic study of Bidayuh women who are a group of minority indigenous women in the Malaysian stat of Sarawak. The paper discusses women's entry into paid work and life-course squeezes. As the women earned a mere 39 per cent of their husbands' monthly wages even though they had the same years of schooling if not more than their husbands, the women's views on work and marriage are examined. The paper also explores the feminist question as to whether women's employment increases their personal autonomy and independence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring gender equality and empowering women is crucial, as they play a significant role in driving economic and societal development. This study examines women's empowerment levels in Malaysia and Indonesia, two neighbouring countries with a predominantly Muslim population. Data were obtained from the Fifth Malaysian Population and Family Survey 2014 and the Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey 2017. A total of 5,175 Malaysian and 34,467 Indonesian married women aged 15--49 were selected for this study. The variables used include women's autonomy in household decision-making (a proxy for women's empowerment), educational level, work status, place of residence, number of children, and women's age. Findings reveal that Malaysia has a higher proportion of women with tertiary education than Indonesia (25.2% versus 14.7%). However, the proportion of women who were employed was lower in Malaysia than in Indonesia (45.4% versus 57.0%). Concerning household decision-making participation, approximately 46% of Malaysian women participated in all household decisions, as compared to 73% among Indonesian women. Binary logistic regression analysis indicates that all selected independent variables, except the place of residence, were significantly associated with women's autonomy in household decision-making in both countries at the multivariate level. Women's socio-economic characteristics greatly influence their status in the household and decisionmaking autonomy. Enhancing women's education and employability can empower them and strengthen their decision-making autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is recognized that diversity can be defined from multiple points including diversity in perceived abilities and disabilities or rather exceptionalities. Exceptional individuals or those with special needs generally refers to individuals who differ from the societal or community standard of normalcy. As defined in the literature, they fall in the categories of individuals who have shown marked difference from the average or normal individual, in some identified aspects such as intellectual differences, communication differences, sensory differences, behavioural differences, physical differences, and multiple and severe handicapping conditions. There is an increasing awareness and the broadening of perspective that mainstreaming is not just about including individuals with differing background and with exceptionalities. It emphasizes on having self-empowerment, self-determination and equality. In relation to this, a case study was carried out in Malaysia examining how a variety of individuals construct their definitions of exceptionality. Data were gathered via in-depth interviews conducted on individuals with and without special needs, aged 17 to 20 years. The analysis of data identified the following themes; the interpretation of exceptionality; being exceptional or being a person with special needs is not about possessing a label, and the realities of mainstreaming. Supportive and suppressive factors were highlighted to further understand such conceptualization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existence of cloud computing has led to the emergence of cloud-based virtual learning environments (VLEs). Unlike existing grid-based VLE studies which engaged extrinsic motivational drivers, e.g. TAM, UTAUT, etc., this study examined the effects of intrinsic motivational factors namely the Self-Determination Theory. The existing studies also focused on the perspective of intention to use or continuance intention among undergraduates. However, this study examined the actual use behaviour and instructional effectiveness of a cloud-based VLE among teachers. Channel Expansion Theory, VLE attributes and demographics are also incorporated in predicting use behaviour. The instrument has been rigorously developed and validated and 608 teachers were selected in two waves (T1 and T2) of survey using random sampling from 351 schools nationwide. multi-layer perceptron (MLP) using neural network was used to analyse the data. All predictors were found to be relevant in predicting use behaviour. The study may offer an opportunity for a new paradigm shift from behavioural intention and continuance intention to actual use behaviour. It also provides the theoretical foundation for parametric hypothesis testing in future related studies. Several theoretical and practical implications for scholars, Ministry of Education, VLE providers, school authorities and educationists were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ABSTRACT Background Job satisfaction is an important factor in health care settings. Strong empirical evidence supports a causal relationship between job satisfaction, patient safety and quality of care. However, there have not been any studies exploring the job satisfaction of Malaysian nurses. Aim The main purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the factors related to feelings of job satisfaction as well as job dissatisfaction experienced by registered nurses in Malaysia. Method A convenient sample of 46 Malaysian nurses recruited from a large hospital (number of beds = 895) participated in the study. A total of seven focus group discussions were conducted with nurses from surgical, medical and critical care wards. A semi-structured interview guide was used to facilitate the interviews, which were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and checked. The transcripts were used as data and were analysed using a thematic approach. Finding The study identified three main themes that influenced job satisfaction: (1) nurses' personal values and beliefs; (2) work environment factors and (3) motivation factors. Concerning the nurses' personal values and beliefs, the ability to help people made the nurses felt honoured and happy, which indirectly contributed to job satisfaction. For work environment factors, team cohesion, benefit and reward, working conditions play an important role in the nurses' job satisfaction. Motivation factors, namely, professional development and clinical autonomy contributed to job satisfaction. Conclusion It is important for nurse leaders to provide more rewards, comfortable work environments and to understand issues that affect nurses' job satisfaction. Relevance to clinical practice Our findings highlight the importance of factors that can improve nurses' job satisfaction. The study provides basic information for hospital administrators in planning effective and efficient policies to improve nursing job satisfaction in order to increase the quality of patient care and decrease nursing turnover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia currently has about three million senior citizens. United Nations statistics show that Malaysia is likely to reachaging nationstatus by the year 2035. It is important to address the issues that may have impact on the needs and concerns of this growing population. This study examined the relationships of life satisfaction, learner autonomy, and selected demographic variables of older adults in the state of Kelantan, Malaysia. A convenience sample of 111 adults, age 50 or older, participated in this survey. Statistical analyses assessed relationships of demographic variables to Learner Autonomy Profile and Life Satisfaction Scores. Findings reveal ethnicity, education level and living area correlate significantly with the learner autonomy scores. Only education level was found to significantly correlate with life satisfaction. Results indicate a significant relationship of learner autonomy scores and life satisfaction scores. Implications for practice and recommendations for further study and public policy emphases are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Social support that may contribute to the physical and mental health of older adults is widely studied. However, much of the existing research has focused on the impact of receiving support; the effects of giving support have largely been neglected. Using the biopsychosocial perspective, this study aimed to examine the independent impact of giving support to others on older adults' perceived health status. Methods Data for this study were obtained from a nationwide community-based cross-sectional survey entitled ' Determinants of Wellness among Older Malaysians: A Health Promotion Perspective', which was conducted in 2010. To assess the unique effects of giving support on perceived health status, above and beyond other possible known factors, a four-step hierarchical regression model using SPSS was used to test the hypothesis. Results The findings from the analysis revealed that giving support to others was a significant positive predictor of older adults' perceived health status after receiving support, demographic variables and chronic medical conditions were considered. Further results showed that giving support to others had almost twice the effect on perceived health status (β = 0.11, P < 0.001) as receiving support (β = 0.06, P < 0.05). Conclusion The findings from this study underscore the need to develop programmes that encourage older adults' participation in productive activities such as caring for and helping others and volunteering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]