The bilingual pedagogy of the Islamic studies subject is commonly practiced in most private and international schools worldwide. This subject is most often taught and learned in Arabic and one other language. In Islam, Arabic is the language of the normative sources, the Qur'an, and the Sunnah (prophetic tradition), and a large part of the classical tradition of Islamic education. A challenging problem for many students is limited proficiency in Arabic and the other language used to teach the subject. The common other language used is often English. Some international schools advocate the bilingual teaching of Islamic studies using Arabic and English to address this problem. This study investigates the attitudes and beliefs of the stakeholders (the school principal, Islamic studies subject teachers, students of Islamic studies subject, and their parents) towards the bilingual pedagogy of Islamic studies. A case study approach has been adopted whereby a private international Islamic sch.....

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This study investigated the effect of acidified water at different pH values and extraction time on the phenolic profile (anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonols), antioxidant activity and colour characteristics of dried blackcurrant pomaces (DBP) extracts. Extractions were carried out using acetic acid in water (pH 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0) for 2 and 6 h at 30 °C. Phenolics concentration in DBP extracts were influenced by the pH of acidified water (p < 0.05), while extraction pH, extraction time and their combination had significant impact on total phenolics, antioxidant activity and colour of DBP extracts (p < 0.05). Regardless of the extraction time, very low pH (1.5) was positively associated with high amounts of anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonols in DPB extracts. Also, extracts obtained at pH 1.5 had the highest amount of total phenolics and antioxidant activity. Overall, acetic acid in water as extraction medium may influence greatly the phenolic profile an.....

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Background and Purpose: Learning materials are powerful resources in facilitating students’ intercultural communication competence; therefore, this study aims to investigate the cultural contents presented in the textbook for Year 11 students in Indonesian secondary schools.  Methodology: This study employed a content analysis approach based on the framework by Cortazzi and Jin (1999). The texts, dialogues and images in the textbook were analyzed to understand which culture they represent.  Findings: The textbook contains elements of the target culture, native culture and other international cultures in varying degrees. The dominant culture presented in the textbook is the target culture (57.6%). Elements of native culture represent about one-third of the content (30.3%). However, the content related to other international cultures is very limited (12.1%). When there is a lack of exposure to international cultures, students’ cognitive and affective skills may subsequently reduce .....

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Purpose: This study aimed to develop the construct validity for the Malay version of the Paffenbarger physical activity questionnaire (PPAQ) by adapting the original questionnaire to suit the local context. Design/methodology/approach: The PPAQ was adopted and translated into the Malay language and modified to reach good content agreement among a panel of experts. A total of 65 participants aged 22–55 years old, fluent and literate in the Malay language were selected. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to investigate construct validity. Reliability of this adapted instrument was analyzed according to types of variables. Findings: The panel of experts reached a consensus that the final four items chosen in the adapted Malay version of PPAQ were valid and supported by a good content validity index (CVI). In total, two domains consonant with the operational domain definition were identified by PCA. Based on scores from intensity and duration of exercise, the study further divid.....

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The application of High Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in the teaching and learning system of Dini Integrated Curriculum (DIC) and Tahfiz Integrated Curriculum (TIC) is in line with its main goal which is to produce balanced and excellent students based on 'aqli and naqli to prepare future scholars and religious muthaqqaf. This is because the ability to relate 'aqli and naqli requires dynamic reasoning ability. However, DIC and TIC are new curricula that have been appointed as the national curriculum in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aims to explore the issues experienced by teachers in conducting HOTS-based teaching in the DIC and TIC curriculum. This study is a qualitative case study conducted on a group of eight experts who are directly involved in the DIC and TIC system. Data were collected using in-depth interviews and analyzed thematically. The findings of the study showed that there are five main issues faced by teachers; namely related to Arabic language proficiency, understandi.....

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This research aims to study the development process of learning modules in order to increase the interaction between teachers and children based on Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in story-telling activities. The development process involves material preparation, expert review, and module content assessment. This module development process employs four experts from different fields. A few suggestions have been identified and improvements were made based on the suggestions given. The revised module is assessed for content accuracy by four evaluators, where two are early childhood education experts and two are kindergarten teachers. There are three aspects that are evaluated, which are module delivery and presentation, module content, and language presentation. Findings show this module has good verified content and meets the targets of the evaluators who are experts in their field, and module target users. Therefore, this module can be used by parents and educators to build knowledg.....

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The seal is a form of special artistic expression in Chinese painting, and it is an inheritance as a representation of Chinese ancient traditional arts in the modern days. Seal is the final step in completing a Chinese painting. This research aimed to interpret the seal carvings in the ancient Chinese paintings. This research employed a qualitative research design. An interview was conducted to gather qualitative data from four experts, two art teachers and two artists from China. The participants of the study were asked to evaluate and interpret the five paintings of Ni Zan and five paintings of Wang Meng. The findings showed that the seal carvings on ancient Chinese paintings were presented through the art elements such as size, shape, meaning, reading style, and color. The findings differences despite both artists came from the same dynasty. Both seals in Ni Zan and Wang Meng’s paintings were found to have the balance, color and appearance of their paintings. Furthermore, when sea.....

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Surface water is extremely susceptible to pollution stemming from human activities, such as the expansion of urban and suburban areas, industries, cities, and agriculture. In fact, sources of surface water have become the most common discharge sites for wastewater, which may contain microorganisms, pharmaceutical waste, heavy metals, and harmful pollutants. As a reference standard for clean water, the water quality standards and index of Malaysia were used. In comparison with conventional wastewater treatment methods, new nanomaterial-based methods for water filtration and purification are drawing attention as more efficient methods for water pollution detection and treatment. This prompts the use of nanotechnology applications to control surface water pollution and quality, as surface water is the main source of water consumption for humans, animals, and plants. This paper reviewed the application of nanotechnology for the detection and treatment of surface water pollution to ensure t.....

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As the application of colored designs on cloth using wax in certain areas in decorating items of clothing, Batik is made through several steps that come from drawing the pattern on the paper followed by imitating the pattern on fabric, which is called ngeblat. The next phase is followed by drawing the pattern using wax, which is called mencanting. The subsequent step is the process of coloring the pattern of Batik, called pencoletan, and then subsequently followed by color-locking on Batik through covering the Batik with wax, namely basic color dyeing. This process is called menembok. The final step is making the panting process through washing, called nglorod. This process should attempt to maintain Batik with cultural sustainability, as its process contains several values, such as discipline, creativity, independence, patriotism, responsibility, cooperation, and environmental care. Based on this background, this paper attempts to examine the Batik’s cultural design and to explore i.....

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Introduction-COVID-19 has come to us as a danger without a cure. Ayurvedic Medicine is seen to have the potential to be an alternative solution in curing COVID-19. Hence, the research aims to empirically investigate the adoption of Ayurvedic Medicine as an alternative cure for COVID-19 among the users and non-users. Methods-The research employed a quantitative research approach using a survey involving adults aged more than 18 years old. A convenient sampling method was chosen for this research. The collected data was analyzed by employing PLS-SEM and PLS-SEM MGA. Results - The results indicated that there is no significant difference between users and non-users of Ayurvedic medicine. All hypotheses formulated investigating Ayurvedic medicine beliefs, attitude, perception, and satisfaction in considering it as a Potential Alternative for COVID-19 were retained. Conclusion - This study has provided new insights in understanding the possibilities of usi.....

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