Category: Random rambling

E-content: Future Ready Educators

One of the things that I notice after I came back from my Latihan Ikhtisas is the implementation of TES and TESDCP.  Well, it is all related to the changes that happened when I was not in UTM last year.   Some of my colleagues are lamenting about it.  Some of them are really looking forward to retire early.   

Me?  I feel that whether I like it or not, it is something that I have to do.  So, I just bear with it the best I could.  That’s what I am doing now.  In searching and researching a sense of purpose, I look back on what I have done so far.  A long chat with my friend enlightens me.  

So, I think for now, I will take one thing at a time.  Small steady step.  No rush.  

When I was assigned to handle a session on Research Methodology for Remote Supervision PhD students, I told my partner that we should use Prezi for our notes.  Due to time constraint, I only managed to prepare mine, and not able to convert her slides into Prezi.  One of my senior colleagues aka The Coordinator asked us to give him the notes because he wants to document it, my partner and I decided to give the Prezi link instead.  😀 

HERE is the link on Introduction to Qualitative Research Design.  

The return of PPSMI

The government has decided to reintroduce the use of English in teaching Science and Mathematics or PPSMI.   I never had any experience being a student who was taught science and mathematics in English, so I can’t offer my view based on my own experience.  But, I think this move should be weighted carefully.  I am not strongly against it nor strongly support this.  Like a double-edged sword, there are lots of things need to  be done accordingly with great deft and care.  

Remote Supervision UTM 2019

Remote Supervision in UTM is not a new thing.  But, I just involve in this programme this semester.  Well, I have to replace someone so, technically I am not the first choice though as facilitator.  😀 

I learn a lot from the students attending this course (especially the session that I shared with Dr Narina).  They are articulated, matured and active.  Well, not all though.  Some came a bit late.  Few did not turn up at all for the afternoon session.  It’s ok.  They might have emergency that they have to attend (perhaps).  

But, nevertheless, we put our slide in Prezi.  This is our first attempt to use Learning Management System.  We have to link this in our E-content (TES) as a part of the required tasks as Future Ready Educators (FREE).  We are struggling, but we are doing our best to be the best FREE (according to our strengths and ability) In sha Allah

What are the characteristics of qualitative researchers?

I constructed this short vignette few years ago and use it as an activity worksheet when I discuss the introduction part of qualitative research.  

A short vignette from a qualitative researcher

As a researcher in education, I am interested to know about teaching and learning practice and the people involve in it (the teaching and learning practice).  The question of how and why a scenario in teaching and learning practice happens in certain way always intrigue me to explore more.  Using qualitative research as a methodology to explore educational issues, one of the ways to collect the data is through listening to my participants’ narrations by meeting them face to face.  I want to know more about my participants’ experiences, thoughts or views from their own narrations.  I want to be where the data is and for this manner, I become the tool to collect the data as compared to using a survey as an instrument where my samples can leave their responses.  However, it is quite a challenge to know someone’s life in details unless I explore it from the narrator’s views.  As an example, I have a student who belongs to a well-known notorious gang when I was exploring gangsterism in Malaysian schools.  From this student’s story, I understand more the intricacies of being a member of a gang from the perspective of a member.  Such data could not be measured and gained through a survey questionnaire.  Even though there are theories which can provide some explanations about gangsterism and being a member of a gang yet, it is hard to be dismissed the fact that the decision to be a member of a gang is not straight forward one.  The decision of one member from the another might be similar, yet different.  Such uniqueness intrigues me to explore it from qualitative perspective.  Like any other participants, I usually meet the student in places where he/she feel comfortable to share his/her experiences, thoughts and feelings.  I was invited to his/her school and home.  In this regards, I also able to gain data from observing him/her in natural setting.  Apart from talking to him/her, I can see how he/she behaves in such settings.  Sometimes, he/she shows some pictures or documents.  By meeting the participant personally, I have the opportunity to ask him/her about the pictures and documents and its significance in his/her lives.   In this regards, I need to be flexible in gathering my data which can be time consuming.  This is because the data can be gathered not only through interview which is most likely to be assumed as the main method to collect data in qualitative research.  With rich data at hand, I often feel overwhelmed in terms of how to start my analysis.  Should I use more than one analysis for the different sets of data or should I stick to one analysis regardless of the data that I have gathered?  As a researcher, while looking at the data, I often reflect on the similarities and differences of my participants’ experiences, thoughts or views from my own.  Even though I have to be reflective, however, I cannot be too overly subjective in interpreting my participants’ experiences, thoughts or views with my own.  After all, I acknowledge the complexity of one’s own experiences, thoughts and views.   In this regards, it is not easy to interpret and later on to present the data accordingly because I need to stay true to myself as a researcher while ensuring my participants’ narrations are as authentic as the way they mean it without disregarding my own personal constructs as a researcher.  I know that even though there is no firm guideline on how I should conduct my research, yet as a researcher, I am subjected upon others’ judgment and review while maintaining the transferability of my study.  Ah, what an enchanted journey as a qualitative researcher!

 

Academic uproar: Integrity at stake? Don’t exaggerate

I know that there would be bad apples in any organisation.  But you cannot generalise that the whole barrel would be damaged too.  It is true that bad apples could give bad names but there are good apples that you can choose and value.  Integrity is at stake?  Well, it will always be no matter what.  There is no guarantee that life will be smooth sailing and perfect.  

I do admit that sometimes some people might overgeneralise the whole thing.   Based on my own experience, there are seniors who uphold their beliefs on integrity and accountability and show good examples to emulate as role models (uhuk uhuk even though they might not be the “popular” ones).  All in all, things are still under control.  

What matters now is we cannot be too complacent when we see something is not right.  This culture needs to be changed.  If not, well, just wait and see the consequences in which if that is the case, things would be difficult to be rectified.  We are not going to put ourselves in a position that would cost us not only time but also resources.   Like a malignant cancer, even though it is small, we need to remove it ASAP.  If not, it would become metastasis and by that time, only death is the solution.   Don’t let academic integrity to die out starting from small ignored incidences of malignant academic malpractice.  

Promotion video: Durham University is the best

When it comes to promoting and branding university, one of the things that would be highlighted is the uniqueness that the university has (and could offer to its students).  I miss Durham off lately.  I find this video (why don’t they make such video when I was in Durham?  Why?  Why? But, I guess none of the actors and actresses in the video are PG students.  Perhaps I was wrong in this though 😀 ) 

I also find video about UTM.  There is nothing wrong the UTM’s video though.  It is just that somehow I feel less nostalgic as compared when I watch Durham University’s video.  

The importance of having self-control

I attended the workshop on improving our solat.  Little that I expect that the ustaz will talk about self-control.  He said that when we find ourselves having difficulty to stay khusyuk in our solat, it means that our heart has lots of layers of hijab.  That’s why we can’t see “nur” from Allah.  We are not living in the time of the Prophet Muhammad SAW and thus, it is easy to stay astray than to remain steadfast in our belief. 

He also advises us to be careful when using the social media and whatsnot.  He exemplifies the way we can multiply sins through our fingertips.   The best way is to delete any information that could case misleading, chaos, fitnah, disharmony and such even though it might be true about a person or others. 

In psychology, researchers have conducted numerous studies about self-control.  One of the famous ones was by Walter Mischel on delay gratification.  Of course, there are some criticisms about his idea and proposition, but it is worth while to reflect how important self-control in our life.  It is not easy to maintain one.  I do admit that.  But, in the end of the day, it is about our efforts to stay in the right path.  There would be four things that could divert our attention to the main goal of this life: 1) worldly matter, 2) people, 3) syaitan and 4) nafs al-ammārah.

إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ

“Indeed the nafs that overwhelmingly commands a person to do sin.” (12:53)

May Allah continuously bestow His guidance upon us and let’s try our very best to be a better Muslim each day.  

I am still grieving

My mom passed away in 2017.  My dad passed away in 2009.  It was (still is) not easy to deal with their loss.  Reciting verses of Al-Quran does help to comfort me.  But pet loss is totally different game for me.  The last cat that I had that died was in 2009 when I was in UK.  I just received the news from afar.  I didn’t feel the sad for long.  Perhaps, I was preoccupied with other things and losing Merah was not as bad as what I am experiencing now. 

It has been more than a month since Batman went missing.  I thought that I am ok within a month.  After all, I still have Robyn (Batman’s sister).  How wrong I was!  I am still pinning for him.  Still hoping that he would come back any time.  Am I grieving properly? He is just a pet.  Not my parents.  But somehow, it is different now.  I don’t know how to describe it.  As I google some articles for the MUET camp, I find this article about pet loss.  

 

How to reduce test anxiety?

There are so many ways to reduce test anxiety.  It might be different from one person to another.  What works best for one might not be the best for others.  Knowing our own strengths in overcoming test anxiety is crucial.  But most of the time, we want to take short cuts rather than exploring our self.  

For me, reading helps to help me regain composure.  What kind of things that I read?  From holy scripture, Al-Quran (with the translation.  So when I read the Arabic verses, I would take a moment to read the translation to understand the verses that I have read) to magazines (and tabloid.  I pick up the habit to read The Guardian UK and Dailymail when I was in UK).  One of my favorites is Psychology Today (online version).  I came across an article about managing test anxiety by Guy Winch.  HERE is the article.