Innovare Journal of Education

Comparing the Use of Linguistic Hedging Devices (LHDs) in English and Bahasa Indonesia: Gender and Pedagogical Perspectives

Adrefiza Adrefiza — 2024-03-01

The use of Linguistics Hedging Devices (LHDs) serves a notable function in our daily conversations and thus is thought-provoking to analyze. Although its occurrence tends to be more prominent in spoken communications, the use of this linguistic feature is still frequently apparent in written conversations. Although they do not add much to the proportional content of an utterance, their occurrence remains unique in terms of variations, frequency, and functions across languages. This study examines the use of LHDs by native speakers of English and Bahasa Indonesia in short spontaneous expressions. The data were obtained through Oral Discourse Completion Tasks (ODCTs) involving 40 participants from the two language speakers (20 in English and 20 in Bahasa Indonesia). English respondents expressed their responses in English, while the Indonesian speakers used Bahasa Indonesia in their responses. Each respondent was asked to respond to an apologetic expression from a close friend using a mini-digital tape recording. All responses were transcribed and analyzed, focusing on the number and types of LHDs used by the respondents in their expressions. The results revealed that the two language communities used various LHDs in their responses, mostly intended to show indirectness and reduce threats toward the hearers’ negative faces. English respondents were likely to use these linguistic features more frequently and varied in types than their Indonesian counterparts. A remarkable trend in the study is that Indonesian speakers tended to be more direct in their expressions than their English counterparts, challenging previously reversed claims. Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Indonesia is recommended to introduce various types and uses of these markers and emphasize how they can be used appropriately in authentic contexts.

Examining Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions in Iranian and Chinese Context: A Mixed Methods Approach

Elahe Moradi — 2024-03-01

This study investigated key cultural value dimensions in samples of undergraduate business students from Iran (n = 40) and China (n = 40). Hofstede’s national culture framework spans Power Distance, Individualism/Collectivism, Uncertainty Avoidance, and Masculinity/Femininity. A survey measured and compared cultural dimension scores between countries. Classroom observations also qualitatively assessed how societal norms shape teaching and learning. Results showed that Iranians accepted greater power inequality, showed more discomfort with unstructured situations, and were more individualist than the strongly collectivist Chinese sample. Both countries were distinctly masculine. Observation data reflected high Power Distance and Uncertainty Avoidance in Iranian classrooms, with professors tightly controlling discourse and censoring student opinions. Chinese classrooms demonstrated more collaboration and student debate. Findings update Hofstede’s country rankings with generational data. Insights can inform educational reforms catering teaching practices to cultural orientations while developing needed competencies. Limitations include sample size and generalizability.

Further cross-cultural research should track evolving youth attitudes, translate macro-culture into micro-domains like academia, and leverage understanding to optimize learning systems. This mixed methodology comparing Iranian and Chinese university students on cultural dimensions and academic manifestations makes a novel contribution. Practical implications span cross-cultural understanding, organizational leadership, policy, and culture-specific social initiatives.

Rationale for Embedding Soft Skills in Teaching and Assessment in Higher Learning Institutions

PHILIPO SANGA — 2024-03-01

The digital age has witnessed the educational systems preparing students for employability with 21st-century skills, which comprise skills and abilities for success in society and the workplace. To this effect, one of the most significant discussions in higher education in Tanzania and elsewhere is the quality of university graduates. Graduates demonstrate deficiencies in mastery of essential competencies referred to as soft skills. Universities can play a significant role in soft skills development, but implementation in the classroom has faced diverse challenges that have obstructed effective teaching and assessment. One alternative solution is embedding soft skills within the extant program curricula because the academic infrastructure is already in place, so few additional resources may be required. Guided by attribution theory, this paper presents findings from the thematic analysis of semi-structured in-depth interview responses from university teacher educators working with a public university. By and large, the paper unveils that teacher educators recommend that soft skills play a fundamental role in shaping graduates’ personalities and enhancing social competencies. Nevertheless, teacher educators find themselves in dilemmas while pursuing teaching and assessment strategies that improve the furtherance of soft skills.

The Role of STEM Education in Teaching and Learning in South Africa’s Underprivileged Societies

Jock Matthew Agai — 2024-03-01

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education in some quarters of African society is wrongly perceived because the importance of this contemporary educational approach to knowledge is not properly taught, understood, and harnessed among teachers and learners. The fact that STEM education is a recent educational development and a subject of interest, especially within African educational institutions, suggests that its benefits in teaching and learning are not well-maximized and enjoyed by teachers and students. Using particular pieces of literature and the outcomes of a case study of several discussions with some students and teachers in Cosmo City, this researcher highlights that some underprivileged people’s perceptions regarding the current status and the importance of STEM education were misunderstood. The researcher used the concept of “travel” as a topic to explore how STEM education can be taught and understood among students. Other objectives of this research are to encourage government educational agencies and other organizations concerned with educational development to know and assist underprivileged schools in effectively providing STEM education. The study was achieved by expounding on some of the problems underprivileged schools in South Africa face concerning STEM education. The result obtained from this research indicates that the poor or inadequate utilization of STEM education is responsible for its wrong perception in underprivileged communities in most African societies. The researcher concludes that adequate STEM education that includes the provision of necessary study materials and trained teachers will result in the best maximization of this form of knowledge among all sundry, irrespective of an individual’s socio-economic background.

Exploring the Phenomenon of Knowledge Management and Performance of MNOs in Nigeria

Fatima Abdullahi Nda — 2024-03-01

This study explored the phenomenon of knowledge management and performance of MNOs. The study investigated the effect of the knowledge culture of MNOs on customer satisfaction and examined the effect of knowledge creation on the competitiveness of MNOs. In this study, the survey research design was utilized. For this study, the researcher employed the technique of stratified random sampling to select the sample. A sample size of three hundred and sixty-six was chosen. Quantitative data was gathered and analyzed using statistical methods like mean, standard deviation, and regression to establish the effects and relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Findings showed that the knowledge culture of MNOs has a significant positive effect on customer satisfaction and that knowledge creation has a significant positive effect on the competitiveness of MNOs. The study concluded that managing knowledge is crucial for the performance of MNOs. The study recommended that MNOs prioritize and actively cultivate a robust knowledge culture within their organizations and that MNOs should actively foster continuous knowledge creation within their organizations.

Perceived Impact of Personality Traits on the Academic Performance of Students in Biology

Emmanuel E. Achor — 2024-03-01

The study examined the perceived impact of personality traits on the academic performance of biology students in Makurdi, a local government area of Benue State, Nigeria. Three research questions were raised and two hypotheses were also formulated and tested. The research design adopted for this study was a descriptive survey design. The study sample comprises 384 students who were randomly selected from the total population of 9,748 students of the 20 government secondary schools in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. The instruments used for data collection in this study were the Five-Factor Inventory Questionnaire (FFIQ) for personality traits and “The Biology Performance Test (BPT)” for academic performance. The data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while ANOVA statistics and t-tests were used to test the hypotheses at a .05 significance level. The findings revealed that there was no significant mean difference in the five personality traits of students and the personality traits of Biology students had no significant relationship with their performance in the subject. Also, there was no significant difference in the mean performance of students in each of the five personality traits based on gender. The findings further revealed no significant difference in students’ personality traits according to gender and no significant difference in the performance of students who were offered biology according to gender. This study recommends that Special attention be paid to improving the performance of students in Biology in Makurdi to strike an association between the traits. Also, male and female students should be given equal opportunities in biology since there is no gender difference in their personality traits and academic performance.