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This study aims to investigate the value preferences of in-school adolescents. The study employed a survey design. The population was 2803 in-school adolescents in the senior secondary II in the urban and rural in the Ankpa education zone of Kogi State, Nigeria. Then, 280 senior secondary II was used as a sample through multistage sampling techniques. The value preferences of in-school adolescents questionnaire (VPOAQ) instrument developed was used to collect the data. Mean scores and standard deviations were used to answer the research questions while one-way ANOVA was used to test the null hypotheses. The study found that both male and female in-school adolescents have preferences for the same values like fulfillment, family life, competitiveness, creativity, religion, and hard work except friendliness and leadership irrespective of their locations. Despite the multicultural nature of our society, there is a core value that is undisputable anywhere in the world but is rapidly being eroded, hence, constant enlightenment campaigns on core values should be carried out in our towns, villages, and cities to help educate and guide the adolescents on value-related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to identify factors associated with tertiary students' intention to pursue agriculture-related careers. The moderating effect of gender and geographic location on the predictive relationships was also examined. Quantitative data were collected from 488 students studying in five agricultural-based institutions of higher learning in Malaysia. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data. Attitudes towards agriculture, perceived behavioral control, agricultural knowledge, and perception of sustainable agriculture methods predicted students' intention to join agricultural-related occupations. The results differed according to gender and place of residence for all predictors except conditions of resource facilitation. The findings offer insight into the factors agricultural students consider when deciding whether to pursue careers in agriculture. This can help educational decision-makers respond to the motivational needs of students in recruiting and retention. By introducing three new constructs, the study extends application of the theory of planned behavior for predicting intention and behavior in the field of agriculture. The study addresses an important gap on key factors predicting tertiary students' pursuit of careers in agriculture. A better understanding of factors that shape students' decision-making about future careers in agriculture can raise critical awareness of where programing efforts are likely to be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to inspect the factors that impact the adoption of e-government services (e-Gov) in telecenters in Malaysia and the mediating role of trust in this regard. A survey was conducted with the use of a questionnaire. The collected sample involved people who lived in rural areas and telecenters (N= 388). The results demonstrate that performance expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions are all directly and positively correlated with telecenter users' intention to use e-Gov, which is directly related to the official usage of e-Gov in telecenters. The results showed that trust partially mediated between users' intention and the actual usage of these services. This study has revealed that telecenters in Malaysia have opened up a unique window of opportunity for people who live in rural areas. This would help the Malaysian government and policymakers investigate the reasons for the current low penetration rate of e-Gov, and formulate methods to inspire the official use of e-Gov by those living in rural areas, where such facilities are still seen as an innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The psychological impact on marriage and family counsellors during the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic is an important deliberation. This study aimed to examine the relationships between burnout, resilience, and self-care among marriage and family counsellors in Malaysia. A total of 96 marriage and family counsellors in Malaysia were selected by using simple random sampling technique to participate in the present study. Data were collected by using three self-report instruments to measure the burnout, resilience and self-care. The findings demonstrated significant relationships between the constructs in which burnout and resilience as well as burnout and self-care were negatively correlated. Self-care and resilience were positively correlated. Multiple regression analysis revealed that burnout could not be significantly predicted by self-care and resilience. Findings of the study implied that emphasis must be given to burnout, resilience, and self-care and among marriage and family counsellors to enhance their personal and professional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing system thinking skills among secondary school students has been set as an educational goal for years. The emerging properties of a system have recently been influenced by the characteristics of each student. Thus, this study examines the Big Five personality traits as predictors of Malaysian school students' systems thinking. Quantitative data was obtained using a standardized questionnaire with established scales (the Goldberg' International Personality Item Pool and the Systems Thinking Scale) from 196 upper secondary school students. The results indicate that personality traits affect secondary students' system thinking, and almost thirty percent of the variation in the Malaysian system thinking skill can be elucidated by its sub-domains. Although agreeableness has superior impacts on systems thinking, extraversion seems to have less importance on their systems thinking. The results also reveal the negative association between extraversion and neuroticism and systems thinking. We conclude that certain personality traits can improve systems thinking and promote students' ability to solve complex problems. The implications of these findings for the enhancement of systems thinking among school students are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Malaysia, the ongoing reform at the local government level continues to shape the role of local leaders in rural development. This study aims to identify several challenges faced by rural community leaders and to suggest some ways in which rural leaders can weather and benefit from them. This qualitative study, which used content analysis, employed purposive sampling to firstly select the interviewee, and then was sustained throughout until data saturation. The respondents were from a 60-member cohort from Malaysia's Villages Development and Safety Committee who held the positions of chairpersons and ordinary members. For data collection and analysis, this study used semi-structured interviews and an inductive approach respectively. The data analysis led to the development of eight main themes of "difficulty in decision making", "strengthening external network", "disseminating the precise information", "Comprehensive participation of the community members", "preparing an efficient work plan", "overlapping functions of government agencies", "political control", and "the lack of facilities and infrastructure". Identifying these challenges for rural community leaders will help the local government take proactive action on community leadership in terms of social capital, networking, communication, trust creation, and leadership qualities. Going forward, the government should place serious attention to developing the potential and skills of local leaders as a reward for their profound commitment to developing their community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study's principal objective is to investigate the relationship between student engagement in learning entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention among students in a vocational college. The selected vocational colleges are located in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. A quantitative approach method was employed where questionnaires were distributed among first-year students enrolled in diploma courses offered by 16 vocational colleges. A sample of 244 students was chosen through stratified random sampling to participate in the study. The descriptive analysis results show that the entrepreneurial intention and student engagement in learning entrepreneurial education among vocational college students were both at a moderate level. The correlational analyses show a moderate-level, positive, and significant relationship between engagement in learning entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention. Among the six variables, only engagement in learning, engagement with academic staff, and engagement in communities predict entrepreneurial intention with an explanation of 84.7%. This indicates that engaging students in the learning of entrepreneurial subjects and skills are essential in fostering their internal motivation and help to build confidence toward starting a business venture and becoming their boss rather than hunting for jobs after college. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational games are often used as teaching and learning tools, with studies showing that game-based learning is widely accepted among children and teenagers. The experience of enjoyment typically associated with playing games sparks creativity, provides a deeper learning experience and allows the individual to connect various concepts, skills, and knowledge together. This paper builds upon previous studies on enjoyment in health-based gaming and aims to articulate a definition of enjoyment in gaming. Drawing on Miles’ taxonomy, the review further sets out to identify and bridges gaps in our theoretical understanding of enjoyment. Three theories were found to be particularly relevant for explaining the concept of enjoyment concerning health-based gaming: self-determination theory, flow theory, as well as uses and gratification theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth well-being has become a phenomenon of interest to community youth workers. Despite the potential of youth well-being to promote positive youth outcome and strengthen community settings, the practice remains unfamiliar to many. Thus, this study used multidimensional constructs to measure youth well-being in Malaysia. The aims of this study were to (1) construct and validate a multidimensional measure of the Youth Well-Being Scale (YWS) and (2) scrutinize the psychometric and measurement properties of the YWS in Malaysian youths. A quantitative study was conducted to validate the 97-item YWS with a sample of 500 Malaysian youths. The YWS demonstrated adequate psychometric properties for 10 YWS dimensions in the exploratory factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the multidimensional constructs fit the YWS data. Participants confirmed that the validity and reliability of youth well-being take place at the intersection of personal, relational, and collective strengths. Going forward, the analysis of results offers a big picture of community ideals, needs, strength, as well as potential actions that could enhance personal, relational, and collective wellbeing of youth in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Core competencies in youth work refer to demonstrated capacities of quality performance that allow youth development workers to be resources for the young people, organizations and communities with whom they work. While a number of practice frameworks based on core competencies have been developed, few validated assessment measures exist to help identify professional development needs for youth workers. This article describes the adaptation and psychometric validation of a core competency assessment tool for youth work practitioners in Malaysia. A quantitative study was undertaken to validate an adapted core competency measure with a sample of 300 Malaysian youth workers. Psychometric validation included both internal consistency and construct, convergent and discriminant validity tests. Confirmatory factor analysis yielded 12 core competency sub-scales. Adequate internal consistency was achieved for each subscale along with the full measure. The findings support the validity and reliability of the core competency measure. Recommendations for application and further research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been an increasing number of studies conducted on community preparedness, particularly on changing individual health behaviors in ways that minimizes individual risk to cope with the stress of a natural disaster. A variety of behavioral change theories and models used by disaster academics scrutinize the manner in which individual behavior is sought and transformed into disaster preparedness. This reflects the lack of knowledge about how these models identify certain behaviors regarding natural disaster preparation. This article seeks to address this lack of knowledge. It presents a set of health behavioral change models that can be used by scholars to comprehend variation in the nature and extent of individual disaster preparedness. The purpose of this study is to provide a review of the existing models on the subject, and also to present a comparative analysis of the models that may contribute to ways of understanding the investigation on natural disaster preparedness behaviors.