Fuziah Shaffie

Bio: Fuziah Shaffie is an academic researcher from Universiti Utara Malaysia. The author has contributed to research in topics: Social work & Social issues. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 17 publications receiving 32 citations. Previous affiliations of Fuziah Shaffie include Florida State University College of Arts and Sciences.

Understandings and Conceptions of Soft Skills for Educators in Public Universities

Abstract: The lack of soft skills competence among new university graduates is an issue and also a reason for unsuccessful job applications. University graduates who excel academically and have appropriate soft skills would stand a better chance of being employed. Students in public universities (PUs) need to be guided to acquire the relevant soft skills and need to have role models to be professionally and socially competent. They can actually learn much from their lecturers or educators as role models. In a recent qualitative exploratory study, 18 educators who were purposively selected from five PUs were individually interviewed to capture their understandings and conceptions of soft skills as part of their professional contribution to support the urge to foster and ensure the acquisition of soft skills among university students in Malaysia. This paper discusses and provides a glimpse into three PUs educators’ understandings and conceptions of soft skills within their current professional context. Their thoughts on soft skills and their propositions of other possible skills that could be included as soft skills as well as soft skills that PUs’ educators ought to possess, could provide early ideas and initiatives towards the construction of a ‘soft skills framework’ for PUs’ educators. This framework could serve as guideline for educators in PUs to develop, facilitate and enhance soft skills among their students. © 2016 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.uk

Strengthening the Organizing of Articles Readings among Graduate Students to Support their Construction of Research Proposals

Abstract: The use of proper and appropriate technology can help graduate students’ in developmental and constructive writing. The editing and refining processes involved in the writing can either be carried out individually or in small groups. These processes are helpful for novice education researchers to work on and build their research proposals. Their ability to organize information based on their reading of articles, as well as organizing the identified information systematically, is essential for writing a research proposal.A study was conducted to look at the thinking of graduate students on the use of a learning template that was developed by the researchers and used in the Research Methodology classes. This template, called the Organizing Article Review Template (OART), contains elements or focus to organize students' thinking and writing when they are reading research articles. A total of 34Master students, four Research Methodology course instructors, and 16 Master students’ Project Paper supervisors from the Faculty of Education of a public university in the North of Peninsular Malaysia were involved in the study entrenched within the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). The data for this qualitative study was obtained from semi-structured interviews with all the research participants and from students’ reflective writing. The findings of the study show the positive acceptance of students towards the use of templates to organize their reading of articles. The template trained them to focus on reading and selecting appropriate and relevant information in the articles. The use of technology tools such as computers, smart and android phones, as well as appropriate computer programs (for example Words, Excel, and Google docs) were very helpful in supporting the use of OART,which had contributed and helped them to further strengthened their process of writing the research proposals. Editing the components of the proposals was made more practical when using the OART to compare and contrast the identified information from the articles. This study contributes to the facilitation of Master’s students towards being more systematically organized in their thinking when quoting important information from the articles. The use of the OART had also aided them be more confident and critical in writing their research proposals.

Towards Soft Skills Framework for Social Work Educators

Abstract: Social workers must be competence with their helping skills and need to be guided to acquire relevant soft skills. Hence, Social Work students need to have significant role models that they can look up to in order to become professionally and socially competent. Within the formal Social Work Education at the higher institutions, they can actually learn much from their lecturers or educators as their role models. This paper discusses conceptualizations of the soft skills which educators, currently as well as in the years to come, would need in order to sustain their competence as educators. In an exploratory study recently carried out, a Social Work expert was asked to describe the experiences of and viewpoints on, soft skills as part of the professional socialization of Social Work educators to become professionally and socially competent. It is important to raise awareness of soft skills competencies among Malaysian Social Work educators to help them in assessing themselves, and identify where and how they could actively improve themselves as educators within the context of their workplace. Embedding the soft skills competencies into their career as social workers is assumed as one of the effective and efficient method of achieving both professional and social competence. The propose soft skills, perhaps, provide early ideas and initiatives towards the construction of a ‘soft skill-framework for Social Work educators’, which can serve as guideline when facilitating and guiding future qualified social workers in Malaysia.

A Case Study of the Management of the Private Shelter for Unmarried Pregnant Adolescents

Abstract: In Malaysia, one of the most worrying issues for the community, especially parents is the case of unmarried pregnant among adolescents. However, few parents and members of the community are truly sensitive to the threat of this social problem. Various efforts are being made by the government and non-government agencies to help these adolescents to reduce the problem. One of them is to create temporary shelters to guide and help the adolescents to move forward with their lives towards a more positive path. Nevertheless, these efforts can either have a positive or negative impact on the adolescents involved if the shelters are not properly managed. This qualitative study was conducted to explore aspects of management in a shelter set up specifically for unmarried pregnant adolescents. The results of the interviews with the shelter operator were transcribed fully before being analyzed thematically. The results of the study found that the nature of wanting to help and high perseverance had prompted the operator to set up a shelter specifically for unmarried pregnant adolescents. The shelter was found to gain strong social support. Among the support provided is from individuals or groups which include free academic teaching, food supply, daily necessities, finance for utilities, in addition to the creation of a comfortable physical environment. The operator also used social networks such as close friends to help manage the residents at the shelter. In addition, social media was also utilized by the operator so that many individuals provide assistance to maintain the management of the shelter. This study contributes to the management of shelter for adolescent girls especially unmarried pregnant adolescents.

Early Child Welfare Policy and Services in Colonial Malaya

Abstract: Social welfare policy and services has not received attention from scholars it deserves. Scholars intent on learning about early child welfare policy in Malaysia would be confronting challenging difficulties to obtain appropriate documented sources, since reference are readily available. This paper discusses the essential welfare services provided by the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) during the period of 1946-1957 under the British Colonial Government. As the major agency authorised to provide child care and protection in Malaya, the DSW had to deal with, among others, post-war social issues that needed immediate attention. It focused on issues during the post-war period that triggered the government’s desire to provide services to ensure the well-being of children. The paper also explains the DSW programmes designed to meet the children’s needs. It highlights the involvement of voluntary associations and other governmental departments towards the well-being of children. Also, this paper highlights other services, namely, blind welfare, delinquent children, and vagrancy. The use of archival sources in a sense had contributed to support and validate the researcher’s secondary data. Keywords: Child Welfare Policy, Colonial Government, Social Welfare, Archival Sources, Voluntary Associations JEL Classification: I31

Learning and Instruction

Abstract: 1. Introduction to Learning and Instruction. SECTION I: LEARNING. 2. Learning to Read Fluently. 3. Learning to Read for Comprehension. 4. Learning to Write. 5. Learning Mathematics. 6. Learning Science. SECTION II: INSTRUCTION. 7. Teaching by Giving Productive Feedback. 8. Teaching by Providing Concreteness, Activity, and Familiarity. 9. Teaching by Explaining Examples. 10. Teaching by Guiding Cognitive Processes during Learning. 11. Teaching by Fostering Learning Strategies. 12. Teaching by Fostering Problem-Solving Strategies. 13. Teaching by Creating Cognitive Apprenticeship in Classrooms. 14. Teaching by Priming Students' Motivation to Learn. References. Author Index. Subject Index.

Social Work Skills: A Practice Handbook

Abstract: (2003) Social Work Skills: A Practice Handbook Journal of Social Work Practice: Vol 17, No 2, pp 193-194

Treating traumatized children: risk, resilience and recovery.

Abstract: (2009). Treating Traumatized Children: Risk, Resilience and Recovery. Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health: Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 81-82.