The economic burden is a major concern for parents/caregivers of children with cerebral palsy (CP). This study used the sequential explanatory mixed-method approach to explorethe economic burden on parents/caregivers with a CP child in Malaysia and the factors associated with the economic burden. The study period spanned April 2020 and December 2020. A total of 106 questionnaire respondents were selected for the quantitative part, and 15 were interviewed to obtain qualitative input. A retrospective costing analysis was conducted based on the cost data obtained from the questionnaire. The majority of the children were GrossMotor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Level 5 (71%), quadriplegic (63%), and aged >4 years (90%). The estimated annual median total economic burden on the parents/caregivers per child in 2020 was RM52,540.00 (~USD12,515.03), with indirect cost being the greatest cost (RM28,800.00, ~USD6860.16), followed by developmental cost (RM16,200.00, ~USD3858.84), direct healthcare cost (RM4540.00, ~USD1081.43) and direct non-healthcare cost (RM3000.00, ~USD714.60). The annual household income was identified as a significant determinant factor (p=0.019, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.40) of the economic burden. The participants’ responses during the in-depth interview in the qualitative part of the study supported the premise that socioeconomic factors play a substantial role in determining the total economic burden. Our findings may aid local policymakers when planning the greater provision of support to the affected families in the future, especially for the parents/caregivers of children with CP, who are facing socioeconomic challenges.

Individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) frequently present with multiple feeding problems, which may require food texture modification to ensure safe feeding. This review aims to explore the challenges individuals with CP and their caregiver’s face and recommend modified food textures to ensure safety and improve the quality of life and nutritional status. A systematic search was carried out through four databases (i.e., EBSCO (Medline), PubMed, Science Direct, and Web of Science) between January 2011 and May 2022. Out of 86 articles retrieved, seven were selected based on keywords and seven other studies through manual search-five cross-sectional studies, two qualitative studies, one correlational study, one mixed method study, one case-control study, two sections of books, and two educational materials. The findings suggest that preparation and intake of food with modified texture play a necessary role in the safety of swallowing in addition to physical, social, and environmental aspects. Safety was found to be the crucial part of the food texture modification provision besides considering the stress of the caregivers and the nutritional status of individuals with CP. Currently, there are no standard guidelines available pertaining to food texture modification. This led to uncertainties in the dietary provision among caregivers, which may lead to undernourishment. Hence, standard guidelines relating to food texture modification that focuses on food preparation and menus with calorie and nutrient information are timely to be developed.

This study investigates cognitive and metacognitive strategies in learning oral Arabic among students at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia. The concept of these strategies was derived from the self-regulated learning framework, which consists of five components, namely rehearsal, elaboration, organization, critical thinking, and metacognitive strategies. The purposes of this study are to investigate the level of cognitive and metacognitive strategies used (1) among UiTM students; (2) between students with different prior experiences, namely, some of them had an experience of 5 years in learning Arabic in secondary school (abbreviated by SWE) and some of them did not have any experience at all (abbreviated by SNE); (3) between students of different gender; and (4) between students with the interaction of different gender and prior experience. The sample of this study consists of 183 students and employs a questionnaire adapted from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). The study revealed that (1) all UiTM students used cognitive and metacognitive strategies at a moderate level; (2) SWE scored significantly higher than SNE in all five components of cognitive and metacognitive strategies; (3) females scored significantly higher than males in rehearsal, organization, and metacognitive strategies; and (4) there were no statistically significant differences noted in all components between students with the interaction of prior experience and gender. This study had some classroom implications. It suggested that some improvement and changes in learning oral Arabic should be made in terms of selecting learning materials, implementing oral Arabic activities, and learning tasks, which will stimulate the use of all strategies, as well as conducting proficiency tests instead of achievement tests. Students should also be exposed to the learning techniques which used all these strategies extensively and collaborative activities may be carried out among students with mixed prior experience and gender.

This study investigates the value level in learning oral Arabic among students at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Malaysia and its correlation with the use of resource management strategies. The concept of value and resource management strategies is derived from the self-regulated learning framework. Value consists of three main components, namely intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation and task value. Meanwhile, resource management strategies consist of four components, namely time and study management, effort regulation, peer learning and help seeking. The purposes of this study are to investigate (1) the value level among overall students, (2) the correlation between students’ value and their use of resource management strategies, and (3) the differences in the use of resource management strategies between students with different level of value. The sample of this study comprised of 455 students and the data were collected through a questionnaire adapted from The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). The study reveals that (1) the value level of students is high; (2) there are significant correlations between value and the use of resource management strategies among students; and (3) the high value group of student uses significantly higher in all components of resource management strategies than the moderate group. This study has some classroom implications. It suggests that value components should be nurtured among students by selecting appropriate learning activities. Collaborative learning activities should also involve students of mixed value level which can be assessed through their prior learning experience and gender

This systematic literature review examines the role and efficacy of digital storytelling (DST), the robot-DST strategy, and the normalization of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) in language education. The review is based on a range of studies published between 2019 and 2023 and follows the PRISMA approach for systematic reviews and meta-analysis. The analysis includes the evaluation of training, validation, and testing stages, with the search employing the keywords "educational technologies" to identify relevant articles. The review's findings highlight the potential of digital storytelling as a multimodal approach to language education. However, the limitations of traditional DST methods are also scrutinized. To address these limitations, the study proposes a robot-based DST approach, robot-DST, to enhance student engagement and promote interaction. The effectiveness of this approach is evaluated through a quasi-experimental study conducted in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) course, comparing it with the conventional animation-based DST approach. Furthermore, the review explores the normalization of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and the evolving communicative competencies needed for the digital generation. It also delves into the role of digital technology in reshaping academic journals and emphasizes the importance of integrating digital tools in reading instruction within university curricula. While acknowledging the existing inadequacies in current methodologies, the study serves as an inspiration for future researchers. It provides a solid foundation for developing and implementing innovative solutions in language education. In conclusion, this systematic literature review sheds light on the transformative role of digital technologies in language education. It highlights the potential of digital storytelling, introduces the robot-DST strategy as an alternative approach, and explores the normalization of CALL. The review emphasizes the need for integrating digital tools and fostering evolving communicative competencies to meet the demands of the digital generation. It also underscores the importance of further research and innovation in developing effective solutions for language education.