Showing papers in "Asian Social Science in 2011"

Factors Affecting Business Success of Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand

Abstract: This study attempted to identify factors that are affecting business success of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand The intention of this study is to provide the understanding on how people should start their business by looking at all the factors affecting business success hence help to reduce the risk of failure and increase chances of success The study examined eight factors that influence the SMEs business success These factors are: SMEs characteristic, management and know-how, products and services, Customer and Market, the way of doing business and cooperation, resources and finance, Strategy, and external environment The theoretical framework has been drawn out and questionnaire was designed based on the factors chosen Eight hypotheses were developed to find out factors that are affecting Business Success of SMEs in Thailand The entire hypotheses were successfully tested with SPSS and five hypotheses were accepted The regression analysis result shown that the most significant factors affecting business success of SMEs in Thailand were SMEs characteristics, customer and market, the way of doing business, resources and finance, and external environment

The Role of Market Orientation and Learning Orientation in Improving Innovativeness and Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises

Abstract: The purpose of study is to describe contradiction relationship between market orientation toward organizational performance and to provide a quantitative analysis, in which learning orientation, market orientation, entrepreneurial orientation, and innovativeness function as the key success factors in technology-intensive firms. The authors formulate a structural equation model to examine the relationship among these constructs. A structural equation model was designed to examine the relationship. To test the model, the authors conducted covariance structural analyses of data collected from 150 small medium enterprises in Banyumas Regency. The central finding is that learning orientation plays a mediating role in the relationship between market orientation and innovativeness. The results indicate that innovativeness has effect on business performance. Market orientation can strengthen learning orientation and innovativeness. In the small medium enterprises, the market information obtained from customers and competitors helps firms to keep an eye on the market. For better competitive advantages and business performance, firms must have learning capabilities and employees’ identity with organizational mission. The findings indicate that firms should strengthen their learning orientation and innovativeness to improve business performance.

Promoting Student Engagement by Integrating New Technology into Tertiary Education: The Role of the iPad

Abstract: Teachers in tertiary education need new strategies to communicate with students of the net generation and to shape enticing educational experiences for them. The use of new approaches such as video-recorded lectures to communicate directly and individually with all students has been the preserve of technology-savvy educators. However, a recent technological advance – the Apple iPad – has the potential to change this situation, offering access to effective and efficient pedagogy in an easy and intuitive way. This paper is a report on the use of the iPad in teaching activities over the past 15 months, showing how it can be used to enhance engagement with learning for tertiary students, both those studying live on campus and those studying at a distance.

School Facilities and Academic Achievement of Secondary School Agricultural Science in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract: The study looked at the provision of facilities as it relates to academic performance of students in agricultural science in Ekiti state of Nigeria between 1990 and 1997. The study population was results of the West African School Certificate Examinations (WASCE) conducted between 1990 and 1997 in 50 secondary schools in both rural and urban areas of the state. One validated instrument (S TQF ) was used for data collection. One hypothesis was formulated and answered. Data were analysed using mean and t – test. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the performance of students between rural and urban secondary schools in term of availability of library facilities (t = 1.79, p<0.05), availability of textbooks (t= 1.20; p <0.05) and availability of laboratory facilities (t= 1.83, p<0.05). It has been established that facilities are potent to high academic achievement of students; therefore, Ekiti State Government should provide adequate material resources to rural/urban locations to enhance teaching and learning processes. The Parent Teacher Association (PTA), philanthropist and other charitable organizations are also implored to compliment the effort of the government to boost the performance of students in SSCE.

Relationship between Parenting Style and Children's Behavior Problems

Abstract: In the family, parenting style directly impacts children’s behavior and symptoms of behavior. There is ample evidence to support the correlation between parenting style and children’s behavioral problems. However, parenting style and children’s behavioral problems have received little attention and research interest in Iran. Therefore, the current research is deemed necessary and timely. Thus, the major purpose of this current study is to investigate the relationship between parenting style and children’s behavioral problems. Parenting styles (Authoritative, Permissive, and Authoritarian) were assessed by Parent Authority Questioner (PAQ) and children’s behavioral problems (internalizing and externalizing symptoms) were assessed with the Children’s Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Respondents comprised 681 mothers of children in primary school (347girls and 334 boys) who were identified through their children selected by cluster sampling in the Iranian capital of Tehran. The results of the present study indicate that there is a significant correlation between Authoritative and internalizing (r= - .32, p<.001) externalizing (r= - .28, p<.001), Permissive and internalizing (r= .12, p<.001), externalizing (r= .12, p<.001), Authoritarian and internalizing (r= .25, p<.001), externalizing (r= .26, p<.001). In conclusion Authoritative parenting style with high responsiveness and high demanding in parenting behavior has shown to be directly related to less children’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms.

Developing First Year Students' Critical Thinking Skills

Abstract: Critical thinking is a crucial skill that students need to develop while at university. It is important for a well-educated person to be able to make well-informed judgements, be able to explain their reasoning and be able to solve unknown problems. This paper proposes that critical thinking can and should be developed from the first year of university in order for students to cope with their future studies and to be of most use to future employers. The paper then describes four exercises that can be used to develop critical thinking in first year students.

A Study on Student Satisfaction in Pakistani Universities: The Case of Bahauddin Zakariya University, Pakistan

Abstract: This study measures the level of student satisfaction with current services offered by Pakistani universities. The exploration and comparison of possible differences in terms of level of satisfaction across gender and various programs/disciplines formulate key objectives. General survey guided by well structured questionnaire through connivance sampling has been administered across a valuable sample of 401 students. Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) has been selected as sample case and data was collected from eighteen different disciplines and/or programs. Ten major constructs i.e. teaching, administrative/management support, transportation, library, computer labs & general labs, accommodation, medical; sports, prayer/religious facilities, and class room facilities were used. Mean analysis reflect student dissatisfied with many core services & facilities like teaching, administrative support, library, labs, accommodation, medical, and sports, while satisfaction has been reported only in three augmented areas like transportation, class room and prayer facilities. Quite interestingly, no significant differences of opinion have been recorded among male or female respondents. Overall, satisfaction level is alarming low and results indicate dissatisfaction of university students on educational services offered by Pakistani universities.

Job Stress and Burnout among Lecturers: Personality and Social Support as Moderators

Abstract: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of job stress, personality and social support to burnout among college of education lecturers. The second purpose was to examine the extent to which personality and social support can buffer the negative effects of stress on burnout. Survey methodology was used for this study. Job stress, personality and social support were used to predict emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment. Findings showed that job stress, personality dimensions and social support jointly and separately predicted dimensions of burnout. Personality and social support interacted with job stress to predict personal accomplishment. Results support the view that, environmental (job stress and social support) and personal factors (personality traits) have influence on burnout. The papers findings imply that interventions designed to improve lecturers’ classroom management skills, social network and assessment of their personality traits may have positive impact in combating burnout.

Co-creating value in higher education: The role of interactive classroom response technologies

Abstract: As competition intensifies, it is essential that higher education providers endeavour to develop and offer high quality, satisfaction-creating service experiences. This requires a comprehensive understanding of the factors that lead to positive perceptions of the institutions services. Current perspectives suggest that the student should be engaged as an active co-producer of the university experience. Interactive classroom technologies may enhance the student experience by encouraging participation. This study examines whether student perceived value, namely social or functional value, satisfaction, and loyalty differs for students participating in a personal response technology enabled classroom experience, versus a more traditional classroom experience. A partial least squares approach was adopted using a sample of 184 students. The use of personal response technology was not found to be positively related to the student experience. In the current context, it appeared to break classroom social patterns resulting in an individualistic, disengaging educational experience. Interestingly, in the traditional, non-technology condition social interaction was enhanced and social value strongly determined students’ perceptions of loyalty. These results suggest that it is the pedagogy, and not the technology that matters in higher education provision. Conclusions, implications and opportunities for future research are presented.

Job Satisfaction of Secondary School Teachers: A Comparative Analysis of Gender, Urban and Rural Schools

Abstract: Job satisfaction is a set of favorable or unfavorable feelings and emotions with which employees view their works. It refers to a collection of attitudes that workers have about their job. The present study was conducted to investigate the difference between gender (male and female teachers) and types of school (urban and rural) about job satisfaction. Study was descriptive in nature and Minnesota satisfaction questionnaire was used to collect data. The data were collected from 785 teachers selected from all Public High schools (192) in one district .The findings were drawn after the descriptive and inferential analysis, Means, Standard Deviation and ‘t’ test, was run to test the hypotheses. Generally teachers were less satisfied with advancement, compensation, supervision human-relation, and working conditions. Female teachers were more satisfied than their male counterparts. There was no significant difference between urban and rural teachers’ job satisfaction.

School Location and Academic Achievement of Secondary School in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract: The study looked at the location of schools as it relates to academic performance of students in Ekiti state of Nigeria between 1990 and 1997. The study population was results of the West African School Certificate Examinations (WASCE) conducted between 1990 and 1997 in 50 secondary schools in both rural and urban areas of the state. One validated instrument “S tud en t Location Questionnaire (SLQ)” was used for data collection. One hypothesis was formulated and answered. Data were analysed using mean and t – test. The results showed that there was a significant differences between students’ academic achievement of rural and urban secondary schools in senior school certificate examinations (t=2.73, p<0.05). The study has proven that students in urban areas had better academic achievement than their rural counterpart. It is recommended that Government should bridge the gap between the rural and urban locations by providing the rural dwellers the social amenities which will enhance better academic performance of students in their final examinations like the SSCE. The community should assist the government by providing taxis and buses to facilitate movement of teachers and students to their school. Adequate incentives should be provided to rural area teachers to encourage them to put in their best to remain in their duty stations.

Effect of student's team achievement division (STAD) on academic achievement of students

Abstract: Due to the increasing diverse nature of the world’s education system, it is important that learning strategies are beneficial in educating a wide variety of students. For the retention and comprehension of the subject matter taught in the classrooms, teachers must engage students and provide them with the proper social skills needed to succeed beyond the classroom environment. The focus of the present study investigated the effect of a form of cooperative learning instruction that is students’ team achievement division (STAD) with that of traditional lectures method. The population of the study was all the students studying chemistry at higher secondary level in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (Pakistan). 30 students of chemistry grade 12 in government higher secondary school Jamrud were selected as a convenient sample of the study. The students were divided into two groups one was called control group and the other was experimental group based on stratified random sampling techniques. The true experimental design of the posttest only control group design was applied in this study. The control group was taught with the traditional lecture method while the experimental group with the cooperative learning instruction STAD. Students academic achievements were find out by teacher made test composed of multiple choice questions, short questions and long questions. The credit of the test was of 50 marks, the posttest consist of multiple choice questions of 16 marks, short questions of 24 marks and one long question of two subsections having 10 marks. Student ttest of non-dependent sample was used to analyze the data. The result showed that the students’ achievements of both the groups were not significant. The implications were discussed.

A Study of Lower-order and Higher-order Questions at Secondary Level

Abstract: In classrooms, questioning is one of the most regularly employed teaching strategies. Questioning is considered by many to be the most important tool that teachers have for helping students build understanding and to encourage students to think about and act upon the material that have structured. Questions are asked to individual pupils, to the whole class, to small groups to arouse curiosity, focus attention, develop an active approach, stimulate pupils, structure the task, diagnose difficulties, communicate expectation, help children reflect, develop thinking skills, help group reflection, provoke discussion and show interest in pupils’ ideas. Perhaps few studies have been carried out regarding the levels of classroom questions in Pakistan on this vital aspect of teaching learning process. The main objective of the study was to explore the levels of questions teachers asked during teaching at secondary level using bloom’s taxonomy. It was focused to observe the ratio of lower and higher- order questions. It was an observational study of the descriptive method. The target population comprised all the teachers of Working Folks Grammar School & College Peshawar. Twenty teachers of different subjects teaching at secondary level were randomly selected as sample of the study. Teachers were observed using an observational guide and audio recording were conducted. The researcher focused only the asked questions of the teachers. This study is significant because its findings and conclusions may stimulate teachers to improve their questioning behavior in order to develop and promote higher order thinking abilities. The result of the study showed that so much time was spent with teachers questioning the students. Most of the questions were low- level cognitive questions. Higher- order questions were also observed however, the ratio of these questions was very low. Total percentage of questions during 445 minutes was 60 percent. The whole number of questions was good but in most of the classes the number of questions was low. Among 267 questions 67 percent were knowledge based, 23 percent were comprehension based, 7 percent were application based, 2 percent were analysis based and 1 percent was synthesis based. However the ratio of evaluation based questions was zero.

Performance Determinants of Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in Mathematics of Secondary Schools in Nyamaiya Division, Kenya

Abstract: The study found the performance determinants of students’ performance in mathematics Kenya certificate of secondary education (KCSE) in Nyamaiya division of Kenya. The study employed descriptive survey design of the ex-post facto type with a total student population of 151 and 12 teachers. Four validated research instrument developed for the study were Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) (r = 0.67), Students Questionnaire (SQ) (r = 0.75), Teachers Questionnaire (TQ) (r = 0.60 and Head teachers Questionnaire (HQ) (r = 0.70). Three research questions were answered. The data was analyzed using multiple regression analysis. There was a positive correlation among the six independent variables and the dependent measure – mathematics performance(R= 0.238; F(6,151)=1.53843; p<0.05). The six variables accounted for 45.6% of the total variance in the independent measure (R2 = 0.564). Teachers’ experience (B=0.972, t=2.080; p<0.05), teachers’ qualification (B=0.182, t=2.390; p<0.05), teachers/students’ attitude (B=0.215, t= 2.821; p<0.05) and school category (B=0.064, t=0.352; p<0.05) could be used to predict students’ academic performance in mathematics. It is therefore recommended that adequate attention should paid to these variables that can predict students’ performance by the government and other stakeholders of education in Kenya.

Knowledge Management Enablers, Process and Organizational Performance: Evidence from Malaysian Enterprises

Abstract: This research study demonstrates the important of the knowledge creation process. It helps to demonstrate that knowledge management enablers, including learning and T-Shaped skills can promote organizational creativity and thus organizational performance. Therefore it can be argued that the best path for Malaysian SMEs to achieve organizational performance is through organizational creativity achieved through a knowledge creation process that involves knowledge enablers. Further, the imperatives of globalization mean that it is generally accepted that it is imperative for business organizations, particularly SMEs, to improve their performance, through knowledge management, in what has become a global knowledge economy. In fact, this feature provides both the background to and the rationale for this study.

Reading as Critical Thinking

Abstract: Reading involves an interactive process in which the reader actively produces meaning through a set of mental processes. There is obviously an ongoing interaction between the reader and the text. Critical reading is related to thinking and that is why we cannot read without thinking. Critical reading involves the following skills: predicting, acknowledging, comparing, evaluating and decision-making. Schemata can be seen as the organized background knowledge, which leads the reader to expect and predict aspects in their interpretation of discourse.

Professional Learning in the Business Curriculum: Engaging Industry, Academics and Students

Abstract: Professional Learning has become a feature of business curricula in universities around the world. The term “professional learning” (PL) is often used to encapsulate dimensions of educational programs that highlight contemporary industry issues explicitly linked to industry and professional bodies. PL encompasses the skills, qualities and attributes that are required by industry and the processes through which those skills are acquired. It encourages deep learning in relation to the student’s future profession, and includes industry engagement, work-integrated learning and authentic learning environments. This paper describes a typology of approaches to PL derived from a national study of good practices in business faculties in Australian universities. It identifies the enablers and impediments to the successful adoption of PL, and discusses the challenges associated with industry engagement in PL for academics, students and business organisations.

The Importance of Guanxi to Multinational Companies in China

Abstract: Guanxi is an important part of Chinese business culture, and there are a large number of business people from all over the world coming to China since its opening up and reform policies. The purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of Guanxi to multinational companies in China, and discuss if its importance has declined since China’s opening up and reform policies have reached an advanced stage or not. In China, Guanxi can not only assist transnational companies to obtain sources of information and resources, including business opportunities, government policies, and scarce necessities and professionals, but also be of great value to them in terms of building up corporate reputation, enlarging market share and even motivating employees, although associated with bribery and corruption. Thus, Guanxi is definitely important for international enterprises in China, and it remains significant despite of advanced opening-up and reform policies.

Relationship between parenting style and academic achievement among Iranian adolescents in Sirjan

Abstract: The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between parenting styles and academic achievement among adolescents in Iran. The respondents were 382 high school adolescents (251 female and 131 male) in the age range of 15 to 18 years old from selected high schools in Iran. The instrument used to measure parenting style was the parenting style scale by Baumrind (1991). The result of the study indicated that authoritative parenting style has positive significant correlation with academic achievement, while permissive parenting style has negative correlation with academic achievement. The result of the study also showed that there is no significant relationship between authoritarian parenting style and academic achievement. The results of the present study implied that academic achievement among adolescents can be enhanced through positive parenting style. Thus, it is recommended that parents be equipped with knowledge and skills appropriate to the needs and development of their adolescents children.

Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity as Factors in Work Stress among Managers: A Case Study of Manufacturing Sector in Pakistan

Abstract: The editorial board announced this article has been retracted on December 3, 2015.If you have any further question, please contact us at: ass@ccsenet.org

The Effect of Job Satisfaction and Family Satisfaction on Work- Family Conflict (W-FC) and Family-Work Conflict (F-WC) among Married Female Nurses in Shiraz-Iran

Abstract: The present study highlights the significance of job satisfaction as one of the most important work factors on W-FC and F-WC. This paper also examines the effects of one of the essential family factor which is family satisfaction on W-FC and F-WC. The respondents for this study consist of 198 married female nurses working in public hospitals in Shiraz-Iran. The findings revealed that married female nurses with high level of job satisfaction tend to report low level of W-FC. Unlike previous studies, the finding also indicates that there is no significant relationship between the respondents’ job satisfaction and F-WC, which may be explained by the specific cultural context in Iran. This study also established that high level of family satisfaction is associated with low level of W-FC and F-WC. Implications are discussed and recommendations are made regarding future researches in this area.

Attributes, Environment Factors and Women Entrepreneurial Activity: A Literature Review

Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of individual attributes and business environment factors on the entrepreneurial activity of women entrepreneurs. Individual attributes such as education, working experience, attitude towards risk-taking, affect women entrepreneurial activity. Economic constraints such as lack of credit due to lack of asset collaterals and socio-cultural barriers, lack of savings due to low household income, and lack of labour skills due to low educational level also affect women entrepreneurial activity. The effect of these factors on entrepreneurial activity is worth studying because entrepreneurship development is considered a vital link to an overall economic growth of a nation through its positive impact on economic development especially at the grassroots. However, limited studies have reviewed literatures on individual attributes and business environment factors on the entrepreneurial activity of women entrepreneurs. This is the focus of this study. Methodology: The paper is a descriptive study that reviews literature on individual attributes and environment factors on women entrepreneurial activity. Conclusion: The paper concludes that environment factors exert much more influence on women entrepreneurial activity than individual attributes. Research limitation: The paper is limited to a literature review that may need further research by using a framework to investigate the factors on entrepreneurial activity. Practical implication: It shows the need for the government to support entrepreneurs through adequate provision of micro-finance.

Women’s Education in Pakistan: Hidden Fences on Open Frontiers

Abstract: Education has been of central significance to the development of human society. The international community’s commitment to universal education was first set down in the 1984 Universal Declaration of Human rights. In Pakistan, particularly in rural and sub-urban areas, women are situated largely at the bottom end of the educational system in comparison to their male counterparts. Traditionally, it is assumed that women are limited to their homes and men are the breadwinners of the family. In this situation, education can play a vital role in enhancing the status of women and placing them on an equal footing with their male counterparts and it also increases women’s ability to secure employment in the formal sector. The purpose of this study was to understand the importance of education for women in Pakistani society and examine the barriers and obstacles to higher education for women in Pakistan. The sample comprised of ten women from local female university; a vice chancellor, four deans, one head of department each randomly selected from faculties of Natural Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Humanities, Islamic and Oriental Learning and two from Social Sciences (as this faculty comprised 17 departments, much larger than the other three). A case study approach was used and data were collected through semi-structured interview schedule. Participants accepted that there is no doubt that in country like Pakistan women’s have to face socio-cultural hurdles to acquire education. It is war against these hidden fences but Pakistani women’s are struggling hard to get their rights. Participants identified poverty, dowry, social norms and early marriages as barriers. For most of the participants, societal attitudes towards female higher education are mixed; some people are in favour of female education which is depicted in a participant’s personal experience. This study also revealed that education can bring phenomenal change in women’s life by enhancing their confidence, raising their status in the family and society.

Comparative Analysis of Customer Satisfaction on Islamic and Conventional Banks in Malaysia

Abstract: Customer satisfaction is critically important for banks to stay competitive as the customer is the ultimate source of income for any organization. Islamic banking system and conventional banking system are considered as rival systems working in the same banking industry. In order for Islamic banks to compete successfully with conventional banks, Islamic banks must give extremely high consideration to their primary customers. Whenever either Islamic banks or conventional banks offer any product or service, its success depends upon the customer satisfaction towards that product or service. This study examines the level of customer satisfaction on Islamic banks as well as conventional banks in Malaysia. It also investigates the relationship between different demographic variables and the satisfaction of customers. A sample of 1,153 respondents from various cities representing different states in Malaysia was selected. The results in this study suggest that customers are mostly satisfied with the quality of services which include competency, friendliness, and efficiency of the staff of the Islamic and conventional banks.

Class Size and Academic Achievement of Secondary School in EKITI State, Nigeria

Abstract: The study looked at the class size as it relates to academic performance of students in Ekiti state of Nigeria between 1990 and 1997. The study population was the results of the West African School Certificate Examinations (WASCE) conducted between 1990 and 1997 in 50 secondary schools in both rural and urban areas of the state. One validated instrument Students’ Class Size Questionnaire (SCSQ) was used for data collection. One hypothesis was formulated and answered. Data were analysed using mean and t – test. The result showed that there was no significant difference in the academic achievement of students in small and large classes from urban schools (t = 1.49; p < 0.05); there is no significant difference between performance of students from rural large and rural small classes (t = 0.58; p < 0.05). It was recommended that policy makers and government should ensure that more classrooms are built and number of students in a class should not be more than 30. The Parent Teacher Association (PTA), philanthropist and other charitable organizations are also implored to compliment the effort of the government to boost the performance of students in SSCE by building more class rooms and buildings.

Factors Determining Inpatient Satisfaction with Hospital Care in Bangladesh

Abstract: The objective of this study is to identify factors associated with satisfaction among inpatients receiving medical and surgical care for urinary, cardiovascular, respiratory, and ophthalmology diseases at Dhaka Government Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh. The data of this study is collected from 190 inpatients by using a patient judgments questionnaire covering 10 dimensions of satisfaction (appointment waiting time for doctor after admission, doctor’s treatment and behavior, behavior and services of nurses, boys and ayas (-care givers-), toilet and bath room condition, quality of food, number of days in the hospital, cost for treatment, and gift/tips culture in the hospital). Patient overall level of satisfaction is treated as dependent variable, while dimensions of satisfaction are each treated as independent variables. Additionally, inpatients’ socio-economic characteristics such as education, occupation and monthly family income are used as independent variables. OLS regression models are used to identify key factors connected with inpatients satisfaction. The level of significance for variables retain in the regression models is set at 0.05. The final regression model is significant with F-value of 73.673 (p<0.001) and can explain 80.8% of the variation in the dependent variable as it is indicated by the R-Square. The nested model F-test suggests that inpatients’ monthly family income and levels of education have significant effect on the dependent variable.

The Impacts of Tourism Development on the Archaeological Site of Petra and Local Communities in Surrounding Villages

Abstract: This paper aims at exploring the different impacts of tourism development on the site of Petra in Jordan, also the perceptions of local community in Petra regarding these impacts. Although of the economic benefits gained by tourism, deterioration has been witnessed in this ancient city since damage to features of the archaeological site as well as adapting negative values by the local community took place. This paper sheds the light on these impacts, and presents some suggested implications to achieve a more sustainable tourism development in the site.

Embedding Graduate Skills in Capstone Courses

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to explore the literature on capstone courses generally  and capstones in undergraduate business degrees in particular  to determine the role of these courses in embedding graduate skills, with specific emphasis on a study conducted by the authors and colleagues. The paper concludes by providing five core principles for embedding generic skills as a way of improving the design, teaching and assessment of capstone courses.

Factors Related to Low Research Productivity at Higher Education Level

Abstract: Research is vital and necessary part of modern university education; universities are producers of new knowledge. Role of universities is different from the 19th century; demands of the 21st century are enormously higher. The purpose of study was to find out the causes of low research productivity at university level. Population of the study was faculty members working at University. Sample consisting of 232 male and female faculty members was selected through the stratified sampling technique. Quantitative research methodology was adopted; data were collected through questionnaire. Data collected through the questionnaire was analyzed by using the statistical methods. To describe the data at the initial stage percentages were calculated. At the second stage Mean score, SD and Chi-Square, the test of significance was applied. The level of significance selected for the study was 0.05. On the basis of findings, the conclusions were drawn that extra teaching load, performance of administrative duties along with academic duties, lack of funds, nonexistence of research leave, negative attitude of the faculty towards research, lack of research skills, non availability of latest books, absence of professional journals, less number of university own journals, are the major causes of low productivity and reduced the research productivity of the university faculty members.

"It Makes the Whole Learning Experience Better": Student Feedback on the Use of the Interactive Whiteboard in Learning Chinese at Tertiary Level

Abstract: The widespread use of interactive whiteboards (IWB) in primary and secondary schools has been well documented, yet there is to date only limited attention to use in tertiary institutions. Macquarie University has installed this technology in many of its teaching spaces in the past few years. This paper reports a case study undertaken in the university’s undergraduate Chinese beginner course, which began to use IWB learning activities in 2009. Our study was undertaken to obtain students’ perceptions of the IWB pedagogy in Chinese language acquisition in general and in particular, of the effectiveness of IWB in the retention of Chinese characters. To many students whose first language is non-logographic, the recognition and retention of characters are the most difficult tasks in learning Chinese. Our findings indicate that the IWB’s affordance to create a variety of visual activities has impacted, most saliently, the retention of characters and syntactical elements. Students also report that the IWB has enhanced the learning experience, reflected in increased motivation and engagement through interaction with this technology. The tertiary students reveal particular learning priorities, in appreciating interaction, intellectual demand and participation, as components of effective learning. The feedback process itself proved to be useful in facilitating critical awareness in both teacher and students, of teaching strategies and learning respectively.