This study aims to identify the relationship between personality traits and job performance among educator leaders in High Performance Schools (HPS). Two sets of questionnaires were used in this study, namely questionnaire Five-Factor Model of Personality (NEO PI-R) for measuring personality and instrument of job performance for measuring the performance of individual work. These questionnaires were distributed to 306 head teachers (89%) in 15 HPS in Malaysia. Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between personality traits such as Conscientiousness (r = .740, p
A survey to characterize seismic and ultrasonic properties of a granite weathering profile have been carried out at a roadcut slope exposure along Kuala Lumpur-Karak highway at kilometres 39.9. The terraced cut slope shows a complete weathering profile beginning from fresh grade I rock to grade VI residual soil. Together with in situ seismic measurement, rock samples have been collected for ultrasonic tests in laboratory. The range of velocities representing grades and indices of weathered rocks and soils are determined from the in situ seismic surveys. The range of ultrasonic velocities and elastic moduli are obtained from the laboratory measurements.
Satu survei untuk mencirikan sifat seismos dan ultrasonik profil luluhawa granit telah dilakukan di singkapan potongan jalan, cerun utara lebuhraya Kuala Lumpur-Karak pada lokaliti 39.9 km. Potongan berteres ini mempamirkan satu profil luluhawa lengkap iaitu mulai batuan gred 1 yang segar hingga ke tanah baki bergred VI. Di samping pengukuran seismos secara in situ, sampel batuan juga diambil untuk dibuat pengukuran halaju ultrasonik di makmal. Julat halaju yang mewakili gred dan indeks luluhawa bagi tanah dan batuan diperolehi daripada survei seismos in situ. Julat halaju trasonik dan modulus kenyal diperolehi hasil pengukuran di makmal.
An integrated geophysical study was conducted to investigate the subsurface regional structure and the presence of a Quaternary sedimentary basin in the Olak Lempit - Banting area of Selangor, Malaysia. A regional gravity survey and the high resolution reflection seismic were employed to determine the thickness and areal distribution of the alluvial sedimentary basin as well as to investigate the depth and topography of the bedrock in the study area. The sedimentary basin hosts one of the most important coastal alluvial aquifer which was used to cater the shortage of domestic water supply during the worst water crisis that hit the state of Selangor in 1998. The surface geological map shows that in general 70% of the study area is covered by Quaternary deposits of Beruas, Gula and Simpang Formations which overlie the sedimentary bedrock of Kenny Hill Formation. The Beruas Formation consists of mainly clay, sandy clay and peat of Holocene fluviatile-estuarine deposits, whereas the Gula Formation represents Holocene marine to estuarine sediments which mostly consists of clay and minor sand. The Simpang Formation (Pleistocene) is a continental deposit comprising of gravel, sand, clay and silt. The underlying Kenny Hill Formation consists of a monotonous sequence of interbedded shales, mudstones and sandstones. The rock is Carbonaceous in age and it forms an undulating surface topography in the eastern part of the study area. A total of 121 gravity stations were established using a La Coste & Romberg gravity meter and the elevations of most of the stations were determined barometrically using Tiernan-Wallace altimeters. The high resolution seismic reflection using the common mid point (CMP) or roll along technique was carried out using a 24 channel signal enhancement seismograph and high frequency geophones. A total length of about 1.7 km stacked seismic section has been acquired in this survey and a nearby borehole data was used for interpretation. A relative Bouguer anomaly map shows an elongated zone of low gravity anomaly trending approximately NW-SE which is interpreted to be the deposition center of the Quaternary basin. The interpreted gravity profiles running across the central area of the study area show that the basin has thickness varies from tenth to several hundred meters with maximum depth to bedrock of about 275m. A gravity profile which passes through the eastern edge of the basin was modeled with depth to bedrock of about 178m below ground which agrees very well with those obtained from the interpreted seicmic section and borehole data. The stacked seismic section shows several high amplitude parallel to sub-parallel reflection overlying discontinuos and low reflection pattern. Reflections on the eastern part of the section is much shallower than the one observed on the western part which clearly indicates the presence of basinal structure with a total interpreted depth to bedrock of about 200 meters.
A comprehensive survey and descriptions on the petiole anatomy was undertaken on 16 species belonging to four selected genera (Anisoptera, Cotylelobium, Vatica and Upuna) in the tribe Dipterocarpeae to investigate variations in vascular bundle structure. Methods used in this study were petiole sectioning using a sliding microtome, staining, mounting and observation under light microscope. Findings had shown that all species studied have complex vascular bundle structures, consisting of outer and medullary vascular bundles. Four different types of vascular bundle arrangements were found and described as Types 1, 2, 3 and 4. The vascular bundle types were determined based on the arrangement and system of vascular bundle strands present in the petiole transverse sections. These vascular bundle types were determined and suggested for easy reference. The results showed that vascular bundles can be used for identification of certain species and can definitely be used for classification of different genera. The presence of sclerenchyma cells is useful in differentiating genera. As a conclusion, the petiole vascular bundle anatomical characteristics have taxonomic value, especially in the identification of some species and possibly applicable in the classification of the tribe Dipterocarpeae.
The effectiveness of training is an important aspect in the development of training. After investing a lot of money to organize a training program, the organization often wants to know about the effectiveness of training given to trainee as well as how it can gives impact to the organization. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of training tested through learning performance among trainees that undergo a transition in the Perbadanan Hal Ehwal Bekas Angkatan Tentera (PERHEBAT). In this study, personal characteristics and training program characteristics acted as the independent variables in predicting learning performance. The instrument used in this study was adapted from Trainee Characteristic Scale, Training Program Characteristic Scale and Training Effectiveness Scale by Siti Fardaniah (2013) for personal characteristics, training program characteristics and learning performance. Questionnaires to measure the dimension of training transfer for the training characteristics was adapted from the Learning Transfer System Inventory (LTSI) by Holton et al. (2000). Data obtained were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. The multiple linear regression analysis indicated that extrinsic orientation, self-efficacy and organizational commitment have significant influence on learning performance. Relevance of training content and learning transfer design also affecedt learning performance. Findings in this study can be used as a reference to improve training effectiveness by focusing on personal characteristics and training characteristics conducted in PERHEBAT.
The quality of life is an indicator of well-being that is seen as important in the establishment of policies to improve the welfare of senior citizens. The establishment of the Elderly Activity Center (PAWE) in urban and rural areas throughout Malaysia is one of the government's initiatives in preparation to be an old country by 2030. Nevertheless, since the establishment of PAWE in 2001, there has been scarce research about services provided to senior citizens at PAWE. Therefore, this study is conducted to identify level of quality of life among senior citizens at PAWE in urban and rural areas. The survey was conducted on 156 respondents in four PAWE locations namely PAWE Sungai Buloh, PAWE Cheras, PAWE Jenjarom and PAWE Sabak Bernam. The data were collected by using Older People Quality of Life (OPQOL-35) questionnaire. The data were then analyzed using Statistical Package Social Science (SPSS) by using descriptive analysis to identify the quality of life according to the respondents' demographic information. The results showed that the quality of life among urban respondents were higher than rural respondents, quality of life of male respondents were higher than female respondents while the quality of life among Chinese respondents was higher than Malay and Indian respondents. For the quality of life according to age, respondents aged 71 to 80 years were higher in qulity of life level than respondents aged 60 to 70 years and 81 to 90 years. This study is expected to give impact on the awareness to concerned parties about the advantages of community-based activity center which can increase the qualilty of life among elderly.
Environmental health in general is referring to the aspect of concern on healthy environment, and the interrelations between environment and human health. Due to the urbanization, urban development is changing the natural environment into a man-made environment. Along with the process, level of environmental quality and human health are decreased. Air quality as reference shows that urban ambient air is more polluted than rural. Due to high density of human population and their activities in urban areas, it produces air pollutants with higher rate as compared to less-developed areas. Air pollutants contribute to various health problems. People suffering from respiratory diseases are the most likely to be affected by air pollution. This paper aimed to examine the rate of respiratory infection among residents in an urban growth corridor (Petaling Jaya-Shah Alam-Klang) and the relationship with the urban land uses, traffic volume and air quality. There were four major types of data used in this study i.e., respiratory infection of the respondents, air quality, land use and traffic volume. A health questionnaire survey was carried out besides the secondary data collection from the various government departments. Relationship analysis was performed between respiratory health and the urban factors (air quality, traffic volume and land uses). The study found out that the relationship between the respiratory health and the urban factors is different in city-wide land use and traffic factors, as compared to the localised air quality and land use factors. To conclude, the urban factors are potentially affecting the respiratory health.
This research is about the Malay adolescent's understanding on the concept of love in Islam and its relationship with rational thinking. Two instruments were developed to measure the level of understanding, attitudes and practices of the adolescents in selected Malaysian universities embracing the concept of love through the psychological and Islamic approaches, and the level of rationality while in love. This quantitative studies involved adolescents in public and private universities with two instruments constructed specifically for this study. Through the 599 respondents this study found a significant relationship between demographic factors, category of university attended, background and status of love with the understanding of the concept of love in Islam and rational thinking. The findings are useful for increasing the understanding and appreciation of love from the Islamic perspective and to address problems arising from moral decadence stem from the misunderstanding of the concept of love.
1Malaysia concept was introduced by Datuk Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak on April 3, 2009 with the theme, "People First, Achievement Is Priority", 1Malaysia seen as an attempt to foster unity among the various races in Malaysia with 8 important values as the catalyst for social transformation that leads to the growth and well-being of people. This descriptive study was conducted to investigate the source and extent of the understanding of 1Malaysia concept among the three groups of primary school (n = 100), secondary school (n = 100) and university students (n = 98). Data were collected through a survey method with the use of a set of questionnaires and were then analysed with SPSS software. The results showed that the main source of this concept for all three groups of students is through television, followed by the newspaper. For the understanding of the concept, it was found that almost 70% of the respondents do understand some basic aspects related to it. However, there are still aspects which respondents still do not know about. Thus there is a need for the educators to play an important role to explain in detail to the students so that the concept can be understood and appreciated, and that it is not misinterpreted to cause negative impact on race relations in Malaysia.
Social emotional intelligence, a combination between emotion and social intelligence, is a very important aspect of one's self. It is divided into five components which is intrapersonal, interpersonal, stress management, adaptation and general mood. Social emotional intelligence directly affects the behavior, emotion and decision making of an individual. Secondary school students are a group of early teenager and still in the process of identity formation. Therefore, it is important to know the social emotional intelligence of adaptability skills especially among school students as it has long-term impact on their performance. The main objective of this study is to examine the social emotional intelligence scores among high school students in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The sample in this study consisted of Form One to Form Six students from various schools around Kota Kinabalu. A set of questionnaire used in this study is The Emotional Quotient Inventory Youth Version (EQ-i: YV) designed by Bar-On and Parker (2000) contains 60 questions with four likert scale. The data obtained were analyzed using the IBM SPSS version 24.0. The results of this study showed that the social emotional intelligence as a whole is at a moderate level. Meanwhile, there are differences in adaptability skills between male and female students, where the mean score for male students is higher than female students. As for the implication, related parties such as ministries of education, parents and the community can obtain relevant information for the purpose of implementation of programs and activities to enhance emotional intelligence and adaptability skills that are appropriate to the current generation Z.
In recent years, there has been considerable interest in simple sequence repeats (SSRs) particularly as molecular markers with applications in many different fields. We have carried out an effort to identify and analyse SSRs in the genome of the Asian seabass, Lates calcarifer by random sequencing. Genomic DNA was isolated from the muscle tissue of L. calcarifer, sheared by nebulisation and ligated into plasmid vector. Recombinant clones were selected randomly from the genomic libraries constructed. Subsequently, plasmid DNA was extracted and subjected to one-pass sequencing. A total of 4175 random sequences, also known as genome survey sequences (GSSs), with a total length of 1.7 Mb was generated. Screening of the whole L. calcarifer GSS data set allowed for the identification of a total of 151 perfect (100% similarity) SSRs. These SSR consensus patterns spread over a wide range of size (1 to 226 bp). The most frequent consensus pattern is dinucleotide, which represents 60% of all SSRs identified. The dinucleotides (AC)n, (AT)n and (AG)n were also found to occur frequently in the L. calcarifer genome. Sequence comparison between L. calcarifer and other fish species showed variation in repeat content, indicating the different ways in which repeats may evolve in the genome of these species. Data generated from this random sequencing of the L. calcarifer genome should serve as a valuable resource for further studies of this organism.
An archeological study, conducted by the Archaeological Global Research Centre, Universiti Sains Malaysia shows the evidence of shock metamorphisms (suevite breccia) and crater morphology at Bukit Bunuh in Lenggong area of north Perak, Malaysia. A regional gravity survey focusing at Bukit Bunuh and its surrounding area was conducted to justify the occurrence and to determine the diameter and subsurface geological structure of the Bukit Bunuh impact crater. The gravity survey, using a Scintrex CG5 gravity meter, comprises 476 gravity stations with a 500 m spacing covering an area of approximately 160 km2. The elevation of the gravity stations were obtained by using a pair of Wellace and Tiernan altimeters. The gravity data were corrected for drift, free air, bouguer, latitude and terrain in order to produce a corrected gravity data of the study area. The data were processed and analysed using Oasis Montaj (Geosoft software) to produce bouguer, residual, Total Horizontal Derivative (THD) residual, regional and Total Horizontal Derivative (THD) regional anomaly maps for qualitative and quantitative interpretations. The bouguer gravity map shows relatively low negative anomaly with nearly circular shaped contour around the Bukit Bunuh area. This anomaly was interpreted as the remnant of meteorite impact structure with rounded shaped crater in the study area. The bouguer anomaly map shows that the Bukit Bunuh impact crater has a diameter of approximately 2.5 km. The impact structure was successfully modeled as a complex impact crater with maximum depth of about 300 m. The bouguer anomaly map also showed the possible occurences of at least two more impact craters located in the northeast and southeast areas of the Bukit Bunuh crater and these structures need further investigation for confirmation.
Recovering drug addict is affected by two main factors, namely internal factors (such as resilience and self-confidence) and external (support from families, employers, friends, and community). One of the internal factors that appear to influence the level of recovery of former drug addict is selfconfidence. Therefore this study aims to measure the level of self-confidence among former drug addicts, also known as Orang Kena Pengawasan (OKP) who underwent rehabilitation in 6-11 months and 12-24 months. The study was conducted using cross-sectional surveys. A total of 386 former drug addicts in Peninsular Malaysia were involved in this study with 198 respondents undergoing 6-11 months rehabilitation programme and 197 were respondents who were released within 12-24 months. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics. This analysis was used to measure the level of self-confidence between respondents who underwent the 6-11 months rehabilitation programme (Group 1) and 12-24 months (Group 2). The study found that the majority of both groups showed no signiticant difference in the level of recovery from the aspect of self-confidence. The study also found the majority of respondents of both groups showed a moderate level of confidence of 58.5 percent. However, Group 1 showed a higher percentage of self-confidence (63.5%) compared to Group 2 of (53.8%). The findings have implications for the development of strategies towards a strong self-confidence among the inmates to reduce recidivism rates in Malaysia.
The purpose of this study is to verify the constructs found in the technological problem solving instrument. The instrument used to measure the technological problem solving is the Technology Problem Solving Inventory (PSI-TECH), derived from the original instrument PSI-PSYCH which consists of three constructs. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA); KaiserMeyer-Olkin (KMO) and Barlett's analysis were applied for factor analysis in the validity and reliability of the PSI-TECH instrument. The minimum weighting factor is 0.60, used as the cut off value for factor loading. Meanwhile, the Cronbach alpha value 0.70 and above is considered reliable in this study. A total of 102 primary school students, 12 years old were randomly selected among Miri district primary school students in Sarawak. After the survey was carried out, the results of the analysis confirmed that there were three constructs that had been successfully extracted as described in the original PSI-TECH. However, 4 items were dropped from the list. The results of the analysis can provide guidance to researchers in developing this technological problem solving questionnaire, since demographics and geographies tested were diverse. As a result, the findings provide guidance to local researchers in using these instruments.
Chemical structure of treated and untreated Aciplex membrane has been studied by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Survey spectra showed that both membrane surfaces consist of Fluorine, Carbon, Oxygen, Sulphur and trace of Titanium. Binding energies for the elements are (C1s at 290.6 eV, F1s at 687.5 eV, O1s at 531.3 eV, S2P at 168.1 eV and Ti2P at 454.4 eV). Analysis of narrow scan XPS-spectra of each element demonstrate the presence of (-CF, -CF2, CF3, C-O-C and SO-3) groups, which are in agreement with the structural formula as disclosed by the manufacturer. There is no significant change in chemical states of untreated and treated membrane, which reflect its stability to treatment conditions.
Struktur kimia Aciplex membran yang sudah dibersihkan dan yang belum dibersihkan telah dikaji menggunakan Spektroskopi Fotoelektron Sinaran-X (XPS). Spektra yang telah ditinjau menunjukkan bahawa kedua-dua permukaan membran mengandungi Florin, Karbon, Oksigen, Sulfur dan sedikit Titanium. Tenaga ikatan bagi unsur-unsur tersebut adalah (C1s pada 290.6 eV, F1s pada 687.5 eV. O1s pada 531.3 eV, S2P pada 168.2 eV dan Ti2P pada 454.4 eV). Analisis imbasan kecil spektra-xps bagi setiap unsur menunjukkan kehadiran kilmpulan (-CF, - CF2, CF3, C-O-C dan SO-3) yang bertepatan dengan formula struktur dari pihak pembekal. Tiada terdapat perubahan nyata berhubung dengan keadaan kimia membran yang sudah dibersihkan dan yang belum dibersihkan yang menggambarkan kestabilannya terhadap keadaan pembersihan.
A faunal survey aimed to document small mammals was conducted at Nature Study Centre of Kuala Atok, Taman Negara Pahang from 16th to 23rd May 2008. This survey was part of the Biodiversity Inventory Programme that was organised by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP). On average, ten mist nets, two four-bank harp traps, 100 cage traps and 40 Sherman traps were set for six trapping nights. A total of 79 individuals from three orders, seven families and 23 species were caught in this study. Of the 23 species, three were frugivorous bats, 15 were insectivorous bats, four were rodents and one was treeshrew. Our sampling site was bounded by Pahang River and mainly covered with lowland secondary forest. This is evidence by the highest abundance of Long-tailed Giant Rat (Leopoldamys sabanus) for non-volant small mammals, and Fawn Roundleaf Bat (Hipposideros cervinus) for volant small mammals that are adapted to disturbed habitat. The increasing species cumulative curve for Chiropteran indicates that there may be more species yet to be recorded from this study site compared to rodents and treeshrews. Preliminary analysis on the species similarity between our study site to other survey reports in Peninsular Malaysia, positioned Kuala Atok with Krau Wildlife Reserve and Bukit Fraser Forest Reserve that are located adjacent to our study site. This similarity further indicate the
importance of future survey in Kuala Atok especially for Chiropterans to properly document the species diversity in this site that may be as rich as other well studied area e.g. Krau Wildlife Reserve.
ocial appearance is common among university students in Malaysia. In this study, we examine the reliability and validity of the SAAS in a sample of university students in Malaysia. This study aims to examine internal consistency and to validate the social appearance anxiety scale for Malaysian university students. Using a systematic random sampling, a set of questions was distributed to 400 academic college residents of a public university in Malaysia with a response rate of 86%. The student participants completed the social appearance anxiety scale, the social interaction anxiety scale, the brief fear of negative evaluation scale, and the general health questionnaire. The internal consistency of questions within the social appearance anxiety scale was 0.92. The social appearance anxiety scale had good convergent validity with the social interaction anxiety scale (r=0.55), the brief fear of negative evaluation (r=0.69, p
Expectations and satisfactions are two different yet interrelated area. Hence, the main purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of working parent expectation on parenting satisfaction among working parents in Sabah. In addition, this study also examines the differences of the background of respondents in terms of socio-economic status and the level of education towards parenting satisfaction in Sabah. The study employed purposive sampling survey method with questionnaire. It has been distributed to 210 working parents in various sectors around Kota Kinabalu and Beaufort, Sabah. The set of questionnaire used in this study comprising the Parent Comparison Level Index (PCLI) to measure parental expectation and the Parent Satisfaction Scale (PSS) used to measure parenting satisfaction. The data obtained were analyzed using the IBM SPSS version 23 software through simple regression test and one-way ANOVA test according to the objectives of the study. The results of the analysis showed that parental expectations were significantly and positively influencing parenting satisfaction with a contribution of 34.6 percent variance. Whilst, the difference in education level and socio-economic status of parents shows that there is no difference in parenting satisfaction. In conclusion, higher parenting expectation will lead to higher parenting satisfaction. However, parenting satisfaction is not related to the differences in educational background and socioeconomic status of the parents. The implication of this study is toward parents and the aspect involving parenting satisfaction.
The study of medicine is often regarded by students as a stressful environment particularly during examination period. Studies found a high percentage of medical students experience significant psychological distress during the examination period. This study compared percentage and level of psychological distress between two batches of first year medical students who underwent different selection admission processes during a stressful examination period. A comparative
cross-sectional study was done on two batches of first year medical students; one group selected based on academic merit (2008/2009 batch) and the other selected based on academic merit, psychometric tests and interview (2009/2010 batch). The psychological distress was measured by the 12-item general health questionnaire (GHQ-12). The data were collected right after the final examinations. A total of 99 (46.05%) medical students of the 2008/2009 batch and 196 (100%) medical students of the 2009/2010 batch participated. The percentage of medical students who had psychological distress of the 2008/2009 and the 2009/2010 batches were 58.59% and 42.3%, respectively. The mean GHQ-12 score and percentage of psychological distress were significantly different between the two batches (p< 0.01). The older batch had 2.01 times higher risk for developing psychological distress compared with the newer batch (p< 0.01). The newer batch
of medical students had better psychological health status and was less likely to develop psychological distress during the stressful period compared with older batch.
Conventional forest inventory practice took huge of effort, and is time- and cost- consuming. With the aid of remote sensing technology by light detection and ranging (LiDAR), those unbearable factors could be minimized. LiDAR is able to capture forest characteristic information and is well known for estimating forest structure accurately in many studies. Forest monitoring related to forest resource inventory (FRI) becomes more effective by utilizing LiDAR data and it is tremendously useful, especially to distinguish information on density, growth and distribution of trees in a selected area. In this study, LiDAR data was utilized aimed to delineate crown cover and estimate upper-storey canopy area in Yambaru Forest using object-based segmentation and classification techniques. Agreement between field survey and LiDAR data analysis showed that only 33.7% of upper-storey canopy area was successfully delineated. The low accuracy level of canopy detection in Yambaru Forest area was expected mainly due to tree structure, density and topographic condition.