Research shows that the number of Malaysian upper secondary school students electing geography as a study choice and their achievement level in the subject has declined. One reason appears to be a lack of motivation to study geography. However, limited research has been conducted to explore the impact of geographic information system (GIS) integrated teaching on underachieving geography students’ intrinsic motivation. The current study applied a mixed-method model to investigate this issue. Quantitative data were gathered through a quasi-experimental design, while qualitative data were collected through interviews with students. The treatment group included 44 students, with a control group of 40 students. A unit on type and distribution of world vegetation with GIS-integrated lesson material was given to the treatment group students. The same material was presented to the control group using conventional teaching methods. The quantitative data analysis revealed that the post-test mean score for intrinsic motivation among the experimental group student participants was significantly higher than that of the control group. The interview analysis results were consistent with the quantitative findings. The triangulation of the quantitative and qualitative data revealed that GIS-integrated teaching had a significantly positive impact compared to conventional teaching methods in enhancing participants’ intrinsic motivation.

The COVID-19 pandemic that hit the world in early 2020 has had major impacts on social and economic life in every country, including Malaysia. Many socio-economic activities have been globally disrupted, leading to the closure of companies and the suspension of work activities, which have drastically increased the unemployment rate and narrowed employment opportunities. This study used a qualitative method to explore the initiatives taken by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education and University Malaysia Sabah to improve the sustainability of graduate employability in the post-COVID-19 era. The study sample comprised ten officers who are experienced and responsible for organising initiatives for university graduate employability programmes and ten students who participated in these programmes. The study showed that the Short-Term Training and Placement Programme (MySTEP), Career Advancement Programme (Penjana CAP), Professional Certification Programme (Penjana PACE), and Career Advancement Programme at State (Penjana KPT-CAP @ State) were the major initiatives taken by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education to improve graduate employability in the post-COVID-19 era. The findings also revealed that the university undertook initiatives regarding upskilling and reskilling, the gig economy, entrepreneurship, finishing school programmes, and online career fairs to improve graduate employability rates in the post-COVID-19 era. Interviews with student respondents showed that these initiatives have given them the opportunity to learn and improve on new skills that are necessary to find new job opportunities in the post-COVID-19 era. The main contribution of this study is that upskilling and reskilling programmes are essential to improving the sustainability of graduate employability in the post-COVID-19 era.

In the 21st century, innovative teaching strategies, which is comic-based learning, have gained prominence for enhancing engagement and conceptual understanding in primary education. A systematic literature review (SLR) has been conducted to examine the design, application, and educational impacts of comic-based learning, focusing on its ability to foster meaningful teaching and learning experiences. The review includes: defining research objectives, conducting a comprehensive search through Web of Science, ProQuest, and ERIC, selecting relevant studies, and synthesizing findings. A total of 20 studies published between 2018 and 2024 were analysed, revealing that comic-based learning is an effective pedagogical tool across various educational contexts, particularly in Science subjects. The findings demonstrate that comics significantly enhance student motivation, engagement, and conceptual understanding while promoting active participation and fostering critical thinking skills. Additionally, the integration of visual and textual elements in comics makes learning more relatable and enjoyable for young learners. The review also highlights the role of comics in differentiated instruction, addressing diverse learning needs and creating inclusive classroom environments. By transforming traditional teaching approaches, comic-based learning contributes to the development of interactive, student-centered learning experiences. This study provides valuable insights for educators, researchers, and policymakers, offering a foundation for future exploration of innovative pedagogical tools.

The Covid-19 pandemic that hit the world in early 2020 has had a major impact on social and economic life in every country, including Malaysia. Many socio-economic activities have been disrupted globally, leading to the closure of companies and the suspension of work activities, which have drastically increased the unemployment rate and narrowed employment opportunities. This study uses a qualitative method to explore the initiatives taken by Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education and university in improving the sustainability graduates’ employability at the post pandemic Covid-19 phase. The total sample of the study involved is ten officers who are experienced and responsible in organizing initiatives for university graduates’ employability programs and ten participant students who attended the programme were purposively selected. The study showed that Short -term training & placement programmes (MyStep), Career Advancement Programmes (Penjana CAP), Professional certification programmes (Penjana PACE), Career Advancement Programmes at State (Penjana KPT CAP@ State) were the major initiatives taken by Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education in improving graduate employability at the post Covid-19 phase. The findings also revealed upskilling and reskilling, gig economy, entrepreneur, finishing school programmes and online career fair were the important initiatives taken by university in improving graduate employability rate at the post Covid-19 phase. Interviews with student respondents showed that the initiative taken by the government and university to increase the marketability of graduates in the post-covid-19 era has given them the opportunity to learn and improve new skills that are very necessary to get new job opportunities in the post-covid 19 eras. The main contribution of this study is that upskilling and reskilling programs are essential to improve the sustainability of graduates’ employability in the post-covid 19 era.

The development of teacher commitment is crucial for improving educational quality and teacher retention. This study aimed to understand the current research on teacher commitment and predict future trends by analyzing literature from the CNKI and Scopus databases. A total of 302 and 647 relevant articles were selected. High-frequency keyword and co-word analysis revealed that "organizational commitment" and "teacher commitment" were the most common keywords in both databases. Other prominent themes included job satisfaction and leadership in Scopus, and career commitment and teacher turnover in CNKI. The findings highlight the importance of workplace factors and regional differences in teacher commitment research, providing insights for future studies.

Private higher education in China has emerged as a significant platform for the growth and advancement of higher education, serving as a primary catalyst for reform over more than four decades of transformation. This study focused on undergraduate students from Qingdao Hengxing College located in the eastern coastline region of China to examine the relationships among teacher-student interactions, peer relationships and classroom participation. The researcher employed a survey method, analyzing 534 valid questionnaire responses adopting a positivist paradigm and a quantitative research design. Descriptive statistics, simple linear regression and multiple regression analyses were used to interpret the data. The sample was fairly balanced in terms of gender and academic year. 48.5% were male and 51.5% were female with 22.4%, first-year, 27.5% second-year, 27.9% third-year and 22% fourth-year students. Results indicated a significant and positive relationship between classroom engagement and both teacher-student interactions (β=0.566 and p<0.001) and peer connections (β=0.550 and p<0.001). These factors explained 40.3% of the variance in classroom engagement. These findings highlight the vital importance of teacher-student interactions and peer relationships in promoting classroom engagement, offering valuable insights for teachers and policymakers in private higher education.