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The current study examined the effect of the style of transformational leadership on innovative work behavior as well as the internal locus of control’s moderating role and psychological empowerment between the relationships of them. We collected data from 422 respondents who are related to family business in Malaysia. Path coefficient analysis was employed to test the hypotheses and SPSS software was used for analyzing descriptive data. The results showed that transformational leadership style, psychological empowerment and internal locus of control have affirmative relationship and significant impact on innovative work behavior. Finally, psychological empowerment and internal locus of control were not found to have moderating effect between innovative work behavior and the style of transformational leadership.

Mathematics is one of the most emphasized subjects and has grown immensely to provide a strong base for programs in science, engineering and technology. Training students in this field will give them the opportunity to improve their high order thinking skills (HOTS). But the students' HOTS level is at low stage due to the learning approaches employed in classrooms. As a result, the study aimed at looking into the effect of inquiry-based learning (IBL) in improving polytechnic students' level of HOTS. Quasi-experimental design was used in this study involving two sampled National Diploma II classes. There were 73 students participated in this study (36 students for experimental group and 37 students for control group). HOTS questions and worksheets based on IBL are the instruments used for this study. At the [alpha]=0.05 (p=0.000) level of significance, the results of the independent-sample t-test revealed a significant difference between the mean post-test scores of the experimental group and the control group. Moreover, the students' overall HOTS level was discovered to be (applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating) improving through this approach. In conclusion, IBL can have a positive effect on the HOTS of polytechnic students in mathematics classroom.

Metacognition is the ability to think about thinking. One of the learning models in geometry is the van Hiele model, which consists of learning phases and geometry thinking level. However, geometry learning strategy in Indonesia does not stress metacognition and geometry thinking level. Hence, this study aims to examine the effectiveness of geometry learning strategy based on the infusion of metacognition in van Hiele model compared to van Hiele learning phases in helping secondary school students to improve their geometry thinking level. The quasi-experimental study was conducted six-week with 90 students. The students selected purposively divided into two groups, with 30 students in both treatment groups, respectively. The instrument employed van Hiele Geometry Test (vHGT) before and after the treatment to measure the student's geometry thinking level. Data were in ordinal form analyzed descriptively and inferentially using Mann-Whitney U. The result revealed the significant difference between the final geometry thinking level in both groups. Thus, it can be concluded that the geometry learning strategy based on the infusion of metacognition in van Hiele model is more effective in improving the student's geometry thinking level than the geometry learning strategy based on van Hiele model.

Metacognition, or the ability to think about thinking, is essential in the development of geometric thinking. However, studies on the Van Hiele model and the application of metacognition on geometric thinking are still under-researched. This study aimed to provide a review of the Van Hiele model and the application of metacognition on geometric thinking. A total of 844 articles were retrieved through internet search engines from 1995 to 2020 and manually selected and reviewed systematically. The keywords used related to the Van Hiele model, metacognition, and geometric thinking. The findings that emerged from the review were categorized into two main themes which were the effectiveness of the Van Hiele model towards geometric thinking and the effectiveness of the application of metacognition on geometric thinking. Most articles revealed the positive indication of the geometric thinking development through the Van Hiele model intervention. It also seems that the potential of the application of metacognition in the Van Hiele model can strengthen geometric thinking development. Researchers and educators may find this knowledge useful in conducting empirical studies and developing learning instructions based on the application of metacognition in the development of geometric thinking.

This study reports on the professional development and school leadership programmes requested by principals in Malaysian schools. A total of 557 principals provided feedback on their preferred school leadership and professional development programmes which they believed as essential to be effective school leaders. Based on their feedback, mentoring was named the most needed leadership development programme as it allowed access to the guidance, knowledge and skills of senior principals. As for school leadership courses mentioned by school principals, financial management was considered as most useful. The study concludes by recommending suggestions to improve principals' professional development programmes in Malaysia.

This descriptive study aims to explore the efficiency of English language teacher preparation programs in Saudi Arabia according to TESOL standards. The study uses a 28 item (across five domains) questionnaire to collect data from one hundred and forty-one male and female EFL teachers in Saudi Arabia. Results show that the TESOL standards are included to a fair degree in the current preparation programs for EFL teachers in Saudi Arabia. The TESOL standards range from 75.8% to 83.5%, meaning that the failure of the preparation programs for TESOL standards ranged from 16.5% to 24.2%. The results also indicate statistically significant differences between the programs for preparing EFL teachers, attributable to the universities and colleges from which they graduate. Finally, the study makes some recommendations based on its results to raise English language teachers' preparation programs in Saudi Arabia.

Purpose: The study aims to examine the influence of soft skill integration on the interpersonal soft skill levels of diploma business students in the private higher education institutions based in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia. Research Methods: The study was guided by the Soft Skill Development Model (2006) and the Soft Skill Integration method, according to Devadason, Subramaniam and Daniel (2010). This paper applied a descriptive quantitative survey method to assess the levels and relationships between the variables. A set of self-administered questionnaires were adapted based on Devadason, Subramaniam and Daniel's (2010) instruments. The questionnaires were distributed through a proportionate stratified random sampling method to 429 respondents from 12 private higher learning institutions in three northern states of Peninsular Malaysia. Descriptive analysis, correlation, and regression analyses were applied in the findings. Findings: The results revealed a significant influence of the overall soft skill integration towards communication and teamwork levels. The study also advocated the significant impact of soft skill integration in problem-solving and critical thinking on all of the four essential soft skills elements. Implications for Research and Practice: Despite decades of emphasis on soft skill development, soft skill integration in Malaysia is still not at an optimal level. Embedding soft skills would lead to more real-life experiences, and they will horn students' skills, especially their problem-solving ability. The empirical evidence of soft skill integration contributes towards innovative teaching and learning experiences, social innovation, and the impact on school policies to develop what is required in the industry.

To address the harmful pollutants found in heavy metals and agricultural waste, researchers have worked on creating various materials that can capture these pollutants. They have experimented with altering the shape, size, structure, surface properties, and bioactive components of these materials. This study aims to improve the effectiveness of materials used for adsorption, focusing on the combination of cobalt spinal ferrite (CoFe2O4) and nanoporous carbon (NC) obtained from discarded palm kernel shells with the aim of Hg(ii) removal. The composite formed by the hydrothermal method was characterized thoroughly with morphological, structural, functional, pore sizes, thermal analysis, and magnetization analysis. Adsorption experiments were conducted under optimal conditions with a mass of 0.3 g, a concentration of 30 mg·L−1 of Hg(ii), and a pH of 3. The aim was to adsorb Hg(ii) ions from aqueous solutions. The analysis of kinetic studies using the Freundlich model revealed that it provided the most accurate fit for the adsorption isotherm. This model indicated a maximum Hg(ii) adsorption efficiency of 232.56 mg·g−1. Additionally, the thermodynamic measurements indicate that the adsorption is a spontaneous, favorable, and endothermic process. Likewise, we assessed how well the NC@CoFe2O4 nanocomposite could absorb Hg(ii) ions in actual condensate samples from the oil and gas industry. The results demonstrated a 93% recovery rate for Hg(ii) ions in wastewater. According to the findings, the NC@CoFe2O4 nanocomposite synthesized appears to be a strong contender for wastewater treatment and, at the same time, the prepared nanocomposite’s effectiveness, affordability, and non-toxic nature support the potential applications.

The selection of a previous framework or model as a basis for measuring the degree of teachers' knowledge in teaching has been carried out by some studies in different places to improve teacher preparation programs and, thus, to improve educational outcomes. This descriptive study aimed at exploring the degree of EFL teaching knowledge for Saudi teachers in Madinah city, according to the TPACK framework. Hundred and ninety-one male and female EFL schoolteachers participated in the study. A questionnaire was hired to collect the data. The findings of the study showed that the degree of teaching knowledge for Saudi EFL teachers in Madinah city, in general, was high, according to the TPACK framework. The results also indicated a significant difference among EFL teachers in the degree of teaching knowledge attributable to their gender in favor of female teachers, and to their stage in favor of secondary stage. Finally, the study presented many recommendations based on its results to elevate EFL teachers' knowledge in teaching.

This study compares Malaysian and Korean geometry content in mathematics textbooks to help explain the differences that have been found consistently between the achievement levels of Malaysian and South Korean students in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Studies have shown that the use of textbooks can affect students' mathematics achievements, especially in the field of geometry. Furthermore, to date, there has been no comparison of geometry content in Malaysian and Korean textbooks. Two textbooks used in the lower secondary education system in Malaysia and South Korea were referred. The topic of quadrilaterals was chosen for comparison, and the topic's chapter in the South Korean textbook has been translated into English. The findings show four main aspects that distinguish how quadrilaterals are taught between the two countries. These aspects include the composition of quadrilaterals topics, the depth of concept exploration activities, the integration of deductive reasoning in the learning content and the difficulty level of mathematics problems given at the end of the chapter. In this regard, we recommend the Division of Curriculum Development of the Malaysian Ministry of Education reviews the geometry content of mathematics textbook used today to suit the curriculum proven to produce students who excel in international assessments.

This study investigate to test and analyse the influence of organizational stressors include role ambiguity, role conflict, and workload on job performance among academic staff. The data were collected by structured questionnaires through cluster sampling techniques and 209 academic staff from research universities inside Malaysia completed the questionnaires. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), has been employed to perform the analysis. The outcomes of Smart PLS have been assessed through measurement model and structural model. The result identify that role ambiguity is the major predictors of organizational stressors that influenced adversely on academics performance. Also, role conflict is the second predictors that negatively effects on the job performance of academics staff but not workload. This research makes significant theoretical and practical implications to enrich the existing literature on organizational stressors and contribute to academic staff job performance, and help existing policy makers and administrators of universities to reduce adverse impacts of organizational stress factors and manage to enhance academics performance.

Higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) mathematical problem-solving was first introduced in the Form-3 assessment (PT3) in 2014. However, to date, there have been no studies of students' ability to solve the mathematical problems in this assessment. Therefore, this study investigated the emerging patterns and problems of HOTS mathematical problem-solving in the PT3. This investigation was a case study and classified under a qualitative research approach. Oral reporting (i.e. thinking aloud protocol) was used to obtain the data. The participants were 10 Form-3 students who were candidates for PT3 in 2015. They were students in a secondary school in a district in Johor Bahru. The results show that students who successfully solved the HOTS mathematical problems produced the same process starting with understanding, followed by phases of planning, implementation, and ending with the final answer. The students who failed to answer the HOTS mathematics questions produced a solution pattern starting with understanding followed by planning and implementation. Based on the patterns, this study also identified the problems that emerged in every step of the HOTS mathematical problems-solving processes and discusses how they could be overcome and improved.

This study was conducted to determine the relationship and the effect of school leaders' authentic leadership towards teachers' job stress. A cross-sectional quantitative approach using a questionnaire has been used on 330 teachers from 143 excellent performance primary schools in the Eastern part of Peninsular Malaysia. Authentic Leadership Questionnaire instrument (ALQ) was adopted from Walumbwa et al., (2008) and Teachers' Work Stress instrument (TWS) by Collie et al. (2012) and Boyle, Borg, Falzon, & Jr. (1995) was used to obtain the data. Descriptive statistical analysis shows that the level of authentic leadership among the leaders is high and the level of teachers' job stress is. The finding also revealed that there is a moderate negative significant relationship between school leaders' authentic leadership and teachers' job stress. Furthermore, Stepwise's multiple regression analysis shows that authentic leadership also contributed a significant negative impact on teachers' job stress. This study recommends that school leaders adopt authentic leadership in their practices to improve and manage teachers' job stress which in turn will help to improve school excellence, especially across the current era of globalization.

Background: Nowadays, the attention to integrate Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education to the existing curriculum is widely increasing around the world. In the early childhood education settings, many researchers have discussed the importance of early introduction to STEM education for children. However, the initiatives for curriculum development, teacher's preparation and standardisation in the early childhood setting are still limited in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aims to develop mathematics curriculum framework and activities for early childhood education based on STEM specifically for three- to four-year old children. In this study, the mathematics curriculum frameworks and activities based on STEM were developed according to the ADDIE model. A total of eight respondents consisting of experts and teachers participated in this study. The evaluation forms were distributed to the respondents to gather their feedback on the developed mathematics curriculum framework and activities for early childhood education based on STEM Results: From the data obtained, it can be concluded that the respondents give positive feedback on the developed mathematics curriculum framework and activities. However, there are still some rooms for improvement, the comments and recommendations from the respondents that will be used for future improvement of the developed products. Conclusions: Hence, from this study, it is hoped that more efforts and studies could be conducted by many parties to promote STEM in early childhood education.

Purpose: The main aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between research self-efficacy and the perception of the research training environment, interest in research, research mentoring experience, and research knowledge within a sample of Ph.D. students (N=120) at a local university in Malaysia. Method: Correlation and regression analysis were employed to investigate the impact of research mentoring, research training environment, interest in research and research knowledge on research self-efficacy. Self-reported questionnaires and a research knowledge test were distributed to the Ph.D. students in the university to collect the data. Findings: An apparent correlation was found between research self-efficacy, research training environment, interest in research and research mentoring while research self-efficacy was not correlated with research knowledge. Research training environment and interest in research contributed to 26 percent of the variance of change in research self-efficacy. Implications for research and practice: Conducive environment in the institution fosters higher levels of research self-efficacy and encourage Ph.D. students' research skills and development. Furthermore, the incorporation of research methodology as a compulsory course in the Ph.D. study serves to improve students' research interest and knowledge. The self-efficacy theory helps to assist decision making in identifying future researchers in the institution.

Our life and religion always need history, but how historical experience leaves messages, understood and written, and obtains the status of historical truth is a fairly long discussion. History/historical writing is the relationship between the author (subject) and object (historical events/facts). This relationship is a dialectical relationship that influences the elements of truth because like it or not, humans are historians and the writing of history is directed by the individual of its recorder. It is often said that history is written by the victorious groups. By using a critical approach, structuralism (Michel Foucault), to look at episteme (suppositions and principles that unconsciously influence history and historical writers, as well as systems of thought that direct how to practice science in an era), through structuration (Antony Gidden), which shows how the structure of society and activities including writing are formed, where these conditions play a role in a discourse and determine how a discourse occurs. constructivism (J. Piaget), which directs the human way of thinking from assimilation, accommodation, and equilibrium, as well as the subjective-objective approach (philosophy), and phenomenology from Heidegger and others, to reveal the structure of know and human knowledge, thus revealing the dialectic of neurotic and its neomatic elements, elements as ‘wesen’, essence, of the true history. In conclusion, even though history is written subjectively (the human element with its history) with a subjective-objective approach, you will get history or historical writing that is quite accountable and valid. Furthermore, the hope is to present objective (Islamic) history (Islam that is generally accepted, not just because of faith, but more in a rational-objective direction) with quite valid historical evidence.

This research was carried out to find out the ability of crushed dry ginger (Zingiber officinale) to recover or prevent the impacts of oxidative stress that is induced by hydrogen peroxide by studying some hematological and productive traits of quail. One hundred fifty sexed male quail (21 days old) were randomly distributed into five groups of 30 birds each (3 replicates). G1: control; G2: H2O2 group; G3: ginger group; G4: H2O2+ginger from the beginning of the experiment; G5: H2O2+ginger after the 2nd week from the beginning of the experiment. Blood samples were collected at the age of 56 days, and the results showed that the addition of H2O2 led to a significantly increased (p≤0.05) feed consumption compared with other groups and enhanced significantly the feed conversion ratio compared with ginger and the control. Also, H2O2 caused a significant increase in blood glucose levels compared to the ginger group and a significant elevation in cholesterol and triglycerides compared with other groups, while PCV%, hemoglobin, and lymphocytes decreased significantly, which led to a significant elevation in the stress index in comparison to the ginger group. As for the impact of ginger, it was opposite to the effect of hydrogen peroxide, as it significantly reduced feed consumption and lowered blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides, which led to an improvement in the blood picture and a decrease in the value of the stress index for the birds that ate ginger alone or the birds in the groups that ate ginger with hydrogen peroxide.

In this paper, bi-level optimization model is proposed for optimal energy trading between microgrids (MGs) and distribution companies (Discos) with consideration of the renewable energies. The first level modelling is maximizing MGs’ profit and the second level is related to maximization of the Discos profit. In proposed system, power trading between MGs and Discos is considered. As well, renewable energies and demand management strategy are modelled in system for optimal energy consumption. The optimization modelling is solved by Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and results of the two case studies show optimal solution of prosed strategy in energy optimization.