Mohd Fadzli Ali

Facebook as a Tool: Exploring the Use of Facebook in Teaching and Learning

In this paper, we explore the use of Facebook as an alternative to learning management system for tertiary teaching and learning purposes in a Malaysian university context. Three embedded approaches for Facebook were implemented, namely for mixing information and learning resources, mixing expertise and mixing context of learning. Each of embedded approaches was analyzed through two ways: within and cross-case analysis. The results from cross-case analysis indicate that Facebook has the potential of mixing affordances of technical, social and pedagogical for teaching and learning, and thus can deliver positive tool for teaching and learning but can also be a negative tool if it is not appropriately utilize.

Primary school leadership in Malaysia: The experience of stress among deputy heads

Unquestionably, studies focusing on school leaders’ stress while managing schools have received extensive attention. However, there is still a lack of research focusing on deputies’ stress, even though deputies play an essential role in a school’s improvement process. Despite deputies’ dual roles, it is an accepted fact that deputies do experience stress while simultaneously dealing with their ‘superiors’, fulfilling their administrative tasks and helping teachers to work at their fullest capacity. Based on these two noteworthy premises, this mixed-methods study was designed to explore and address whether dealing with educational superiors causes stress to primary deputies. Regarding the sample, 120 deputies from across 45 primary public schools in two urban districts were selected as respondents for the study. Regarding the quantitative data, the non-parametric and descriptive statistics were employed in determining deputies’ views of their superiors. Further, eleven deputies were interviewed, and their anonymity was also protected to sustain the ethical considerations of the study. As expected, truculent attitudes and criticisms from school inspectors and parents were highlighted by deputies as contributing to their experiences of stress, with the levels of stress being classified as ‘moderate’ based on their demographic differences. Surprisingly, primary deputies revealed that they do not face much stress when working with their own head teachers; in fact, primary deputies informally revealed that their heads were quite open and understanding of their viewpoints and lenses.

Developing Critical Reflection Skill among Pre-Service Teacher through Collaborative Inquiry Using Social Media

Despite the constructive comments provided by the lecturer and teacher educators, pre-service teachers still failed to reflect critically in their teaching skills. Concerning this matter, David (2008) suggests teachers to meet regularly through collaborative inquiry while Croco and Cramer (2005) suggest the use of technology as added-value in improving their teaching skills. By using technology such social media, pre-service teacher should continuously engage in discussions with their lecturer and teacher educator so that they could constantly reflect critically during their teaching practice. The ability to reflect critically among trainee teachers must start with reflective thinking. Thus, the purpose of this study was to develop critical reflection among the pre-service teachers based on a conceptual framework developed from Schons (1983) reflective practices model and Kilbanes (2007) collaborative inquiry model using social media. The research sample comprised five pre-service teachers from a Malaysian public university which was selected on the basis of their ability in using social media platform. The instruments used in this study were Facebook group and interviews. The transcripts derived from the online discussions among the students, pre-service teachers, lecturer and teacher educators through Facebook group were analysed using coding procedure developed from Henris (1992) cognitive skills model and Kilbanes (2007) collaborative inquiry model. The findings indicated that the pre-service teachers were able to develop critical reflections during their teaching practice and thus, improved their teaching skills.