Journal of Creative Practices in Language Learning and Teaching

ESL Pre-University Students’ Perceptions of the Generic Rubric Used to Assess Problem-Solution Essay – A Preliminary Study

Nur Hani Laily Ramli — 2024-10-25

In writing, assessment is conducted to enable language educators to provide feedback regarding students’ development in their learning. Hence, a scoring rubric is one of the teaching and learning tools that can assist language educators in helping students to develop their writing skills. This preliminary study sought the ESL pre-university students’ perceptions towards generic scoring rubric used to assess their problem solution essays. A total of 23 ESL pre-university students at one of the centers of foundation studies in Selangor, Malaysia were involved in this preliminary study through a given adapted questionnaire used by Guiterrez (2017) to determine the effectiveness of the generic scoring rubric. Data gathered were analyzed using SPSS software version 29 to determine the mean, frequency, and percentage through descriptive statistics analysis. The findings depicted that the majority of the respondents believed that the generic scoring rubric is useful in terms of guiding them to write essays in general. However, the findings also revealed that the rubric is somehow unable to improve their skills in writing problem-solution essays since the descriptions of the rubric’s elements are too general. Thus, the findings suggested that improvement towards the generic scoring rubric is vital to help the ESL pre-university learners’ development in writing problem solution essays as well as for students to understand how their writing is being assessed.

TESL Trainee Teachers’ Workplace Competencies (English Language Skills) and the Workplace Expectations

Nurdiyana Mohamad Yusof — 2024-10-25

In the pursuit of Vision 2020 and National Transformation 2050 (TN50), Malaysia recognizes the pivotal role of the English language as a global communication tool, especially in economic and technological advancements. This initiative aims to enhance global competitiveness, attract international investments, and generate well-paying jobs. Despite this, declining English proficiency among students and graduates poses challenges. Notably, recent government directives highlighted the importance of English competency assessments for civil servants. However, the gap between industry expectations and graduates' skills remains, particularly for non-English program graduates. This study addresses the gap by investigating TESL trainee instructors' language proficiency, Interviews were conducted on the English teachers and practicum observations were used to evaluate TESL trainees' proficiency according to CEFR standards. Findings show English teachers rate most trainees as proficient in the English language and they show confidence in their classroom abilities and readiness to serve. This aligns with the government's efforts to enhance English language proficiency among teachers. Findings from this study suggest that there is need to refine approaches in teaching TESL students and ultimately improving language instruction in Malaysian schools.

Learning through Laughter: Humor and its Effects on Student Enjoyment & Engagement in Research Classroom

Nurul Hidayana Mohd Noor — 2024-10-25

This study aims to see the role of humor and the students' views on the lecturer's humor and its effect on engagement. Engagement is the drive from within the individual to get involved, and enthusiasm in every activity is proven by action. Several emotional variables influence engagement in students. This study aims to identify the effect of humor on student engagement in the classroom and the mediating effect of student enjoyment towards the proposed relationship. This study was conducted on 217 undergraduate students in the Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). The samples are selected using systematic sampling. This study was conducted using descriptive questionnaires. The data analysis in this research uses Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) through the Analysis of Moment Structure tools (AMOS). The findings show that students are optimistic about the applicability and appropriateness of humor in teaching and learning. The findings found that student enjoyment mediates the relationship between humor and student engagement. This means emotions have an evaluation relationship with learning and performance. The implications and recommendations are also highlighted.

Using Cooperative Learning Method for Literature Education in a Malaysian Secondary School

Nurul Najwa binti Che Ab Aziz — 2024-10-25

This research investigated the effectiveness of the cooperative learning method in supporting students' comprehension, appreciation, and interpretation of literature with a specific focus on poetry. Cooperative learning is a pedagogical practice that promotes socialization and learning among students of different second language abilities and backgrounds. The study was conducted at a public secondary school in Sabah and involved 36 Form Two students. Data was gathered through pretests, posttests, and a questionnaire. The collected data were then analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 12.0. The results demonstrated that the cooperative learning method significantly aids and enhances students' understanding, appreciation, and grasp of poetry. This is evident from the considerable increase in the mean score from 24.47 during the pretest to 45.42 during the posttest. The findings of this study contribute to the existing literature on cooperative learning and literature teaching, as well as provide practical implications for teachers, curriculum developers, and policy makers. The study may also suggest directions for future research on the integration of cooperative learning and poetry in the Malaysian secondary school context.

Improving The Academic Sel-efficacy Among Student Using Akademi Youtuber Application

Hamidah Mat — 2024-10-25

To succeed in the twenty-first century, today's generations must be exceedingly competitive and knowledgeable in many areas. The Education 4.0 effort is focused on the diffusion of technology. Therefore, today’s students need to embrace digital learning rather than just being taught via memorization exercises and rote learning. The purpose of this research is to investigate the ways in which the Akademi Youtuber application (AYU application) assists students in developing their self-directed learning abilities and serves as a reference for both educators and parents. A group of twenty-five information technology specialists and content experts evaluates the content and usability of the AYU applications. It was determined, on the basis of the degree of agreement among the experts (91.2 percent agreement), it was determined that AYU applications are appropriate for developing self-learning abilities and can be readily accessible by students, parents, and instructors.

Implementation Of ChatGPT In Moulding University Students' Writing

Sheela Faizura Binti Nik Fauzi — 2024-10-25

The study explores the potential of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) language model, in moulding university students’ writing as a part of the Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) experience. The authors discuss the impacts of ChatGPT on students’ writing based on their experience using ChatGPT and the ways it is used in assisting their university writing tasks. This study also reveals the students’ usage patterns and overall perceptions towards AI-assisted writing. Fifty-six students of Universiti Teknologi MARA who are avid users of ChatGPT were involved in this study. The data obtained were analysed using statistical techniques to determine the students’ perceptions and patterns in using ChatGPT in their writing. The study revealed that the usage of ChatGPT has significantly impacted the ability to write among the respondents positively. However, it also highlights some concerns in terms of their reliance towards the use of AI in their writing. Even though ChatGPT does improve students’ writing abilities and productivity, there are issues in terms of academic integrity and overreliance towards AI-generated writing by students that must be addressed.

ChatGPT: Examining Language Lecturers' Perspectives On Its Integration In Teaching And Learning

Nik Mastura Nik Ismail Azlan — 2024-10-25

In higher education, ChatGPT has proven useful for several reasons: 1) it provides access to a wealth of information for practicing language skills in a natural and interactive way, 2) it provides personalised learning and guidance for learners and 3) it provides the ability to translate from one language to another, offering a new and innovative way to learn a new language. This paper aims to examine language lecturers' perceptions of ChatGPT and its integration into teaching and learning in Malaysia through a series of interview questions using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), specifically Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Ease of Use (PEU). The current study conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 university language lecturers from a public university in Selangor, Malaysia. Participants were chosen based on their familiarity with ChatGPT for teaching and learning purposes. Findings reveal that language lecturers would readily embrace ChatGPT, but are concerned about the excessive reliance on ChatGPT, which could lead to students’ deterioration in their critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities. The results highlight the importance of recognizing the potential advantages of employing ChatGPT technology within higher education environments.

Development of a Research Design Module for Industry Professionals: A Pilot Study

Nadia Anuar — 2024-10-25

This study presents a research design module that was developed for and piloted with industry professionals who are new to research to enhance their understanding of social science research methods applicable to organizational contexts. The module consisted of three topics, two alignment templates, and two live quizzes designed to clarify and align their research components. At the beginning of the training, an open-ended question was posed to identify the challenges they faced in their research endeavors. Another question was asked at the end of the module to determine the impact of the intervention. The feedback obtained showed that the participants valued the innovative alignment templates used and found the training to be invaluable in enhancing their knowledge of research design. The interactive nature of the module also facilitated them in acquiring a deeper understanding of how to practically apply research concepts in their organization. The results of the pilot study proves the value of the module for industry professionals who are new to research. Based on the feedback received, several changes to the module can also be made to enhance its effectiveness in the future, including incorporating more case studies and examples relevant to diverse research contexts.

Postgraduate Students’ Perceptions Towards Using Subtitled Movies in Improving English Language

Raihannah Khairyn Kamaruddin — 2024-10-25

Educators are always searching for interesting and innovative ways to help language learners—especially adults—to learn language effectively, as language acquisition is often challenging for them. Nowadays, one of the most effective ways to learn languages is by using movies with subtitles. This is because subtitled movies provide entertainment and contribute to many language inputs, as the combination of audiovisual elements and text in them can create an authentic learning experience. Therefore, this study explores the effect of subtitled movies on English language acquisition among postgraduate students. The research employed a qualitative method where semi-structured interviews were conducted by interviewing 12 postgraduate students from a local university in Malaysia. The findings revealed that subtitled movies are effective in language learning to improve language skills. Hence, this study demonstrates the potential of subtitled movies as valuable learning material in language learning, suggesting their integration into the education curriculum, and may contribute to the growing research on the use of subtitled movies in language learning, providing insightful understanding for educators and policymakers in the field of language education.

Students’ Participation in Learning Economic Subject: Interactive Learning using Game-Based Learning

Nik Suriati Nik Hassan* — 2024-10-25

The pandemic has led to a shift from traditional classrooms to online learning environments, causing students to face challenges such as lack of motivation, limited interaction, and feelings of isolation. This becomes more difficult for economics classes because of the subject's complicated nature, which includes graphs, mathematical computations, and extensive reading theories, which students frequently find difficult and disinterested. However, some of these problems were mitigated using interactive tools, including interactive quizzes that used game-based learning chat rooms and synchronous online classes. The study aims to examine the implementation of interactive learning strategies in the instruction of economics and to enhance student engagement during class using educational games specifically Quizizz and QuizWhizzer. This study used a total of 40 respondents who took economic subjects. The study found that the implementation of Quizizz and QuizWhizzer increased the number of students actively participating in class and enhanced their learning by increasing students' interest and preventing them from being bored in class. The inclusion of learning objectives and the degree of integration into the curriculum show the effectiveness of game-based learning and are suitable to use in conjunction with other teaching strategies to provide an extensive educational experience.

INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT SKILLS AS LISTENING STRATEGIES

Fatimah Azzahra binti Md Raus — 2024-10-25

Listening has played an important role in the learning process, especially in the ESL setting as it can help the learners to understand comprehensively and to respond accordingly. However, there are some strategies can be used to overcome the obstacles. This study aimed to explore ESL learners’ perceptions on direct skill and indirect skill used as listening strategies. This study also sought to investigate the relationship between direct skill and indirect skill used as listening strategies. The data was collected through the administration of a 5 Likert-scale quantitative survey rooted from Tunyen et al. 's (2020). 122 post-secondary ESL learners from a public university responded to this survey. Findings revealed that for direct skills, majority of participants are willing to inform the speakers when having difficulties in understanding the discussed topic, pay attention to speaker’s voice and try their best to identify speaker’s main points. Meanwhile, for indirect skills, a majority of participants agree that they would guess speakers’ intention, pay attention on speaker’s intonation and look for the meaning of difficult words as they listen. It is also revealed a strong positive relationship between direct and indirect skills. Therefore, educators should expose their learners to different listening strategies to facilitate any listening exercises.