Journal articles on the topic 'Adjustment (Psychology) Malaysia'

Background Universities around the world, including Malaysia, have attracted many international students from different countries. Research has reported that acculturative stress resulting from international students’ attempts to adjust to the cultures of host countries is one of the most challenging issues that affects their lives in general and academic lives in particular. Objective This study aims to examine the effectiveness of an educational intervention on acculturative stress among new postgraduate international students joining Malaysian public universities. Methods A cluster randomized controlled trial design with Malaysian public universities as the unit of randomization will be used in this study. Public universities will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to be either in the intervention (educational program) or control group (waiting list). Participants in the intervention group will receive 7 sessions in 9 hours delivered by an expert in psychology and the researcher. The control group will receive the intervention once the 3-month follow-up evaluation is completed. Results The data will be analyzed using the generalized estimation equation with a confidence interval value of 95%; significant differences between and within groups are determined as P<.05. The results of the study underlie the effectiveness of educational program in decreasing acculturative stress of new international students and enabling them to cope with a new environment. The results of this study will contribute to previous knowledge of acculturative stress, acculturation, and adjustment of international students. Furthermore, such results are expected to play a role in raising university policy makers’ awareness of their postgraduate international students’ acculturative stress issues and how they can help them avoid such stress and perform well in their academic life. Conclusions We expect that the intervention group will score significantly lower than the wait-list group on the immediate and 3-month postintervention evaluation of acculturative stress and achieve a higher level of adjustment. Results will have implications for international students, policy makers at universities, the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education, and future research. Trial Registration Clinical Trials Registry India CTRI/2018/01/011223; http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/showallp.php?mid1= 21978&amp;EncHid=&amp;userName=Muhamad%20Hanafiah%20Juni International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/12950

Abstract Institute of International Education (Open doors report on international educational exchange: International student enrollment trends, 1948/49–2017/18) data indicated that during the 2017–2018 academic year, 1,094,792 international students were studying at a college or university in the United States, of which 62% came from Asian countries such as China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Recognizing the importance of a diverse student body, universities have developed programs to assist international students in adapting to the U.S. culture and education system. Music therapy programs, particularly at the graduate level, continue to attract students from Asian countries, although the exact number of students is unknown. Furthermore, little is known about the extent to which music therapy programs provide support for Asian international students, or how Asian international students themselves adjust to, and experience, the first few years of their academic training. Within this context, the purpose of this study was to interview Asian international students studying in graduate music therapy programs in order to understand their experiences during their first 3 years in the United States, particularly the cultural and educational challenges they encountered. Six students and five new professionals were interviewed, with interview transcripts analyzed using methods consistent with qualitative content analysis. Results indicated that almost all the Asian international students interviewed experienced challenges associated with cultural and academic adjustment. Recommendations for students and educators suggest ways to support Asian students as they adapt and integrate into U.S. cultural and academic environments.

Abstract. Smartphones and the internet have indeed revolutionized our lives in innumerable ways, among them the emergence of a social phenomenon called ‘phubbing.’ Phubbing is a portmanteau combining the words “phone” and “snubbing”. A person engaging in “phubbing” interacts obsessively with his/her phone rather than communicating with nearby people. Partner phubbing (Pphubbing) is defined as phubbing behaviour when in the presence of one’s spouse or significant other. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between Pphubbing and marital quality, and to investigate the moderating role of gender and age in this relationship. The participants in the survey were 390 married adults living in Kuala Lumpur. The respondents were selected randomly and volunteered to answer a series of questionnaires made up of the Partner Phubbing Scale, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and a section on demographic data. Results showed that Pphubbing behaviour has a significant negative relationship with marital quality. Moreover, gender and age were found to have significant moderating effects on the relationship between Pphubbing and marital quality. The reported impact of Pphubbing on marital quality was stronger among females than males, and the effects were also stronger among younger adults. These findings may have implications for family and couple counselling and for the coaching profession. Future research should be done to address this phenomenon more thoroughly. Keywords: interpersonal communication; marital quality; partner phubbing; phubbing; relationship

This research are discusses the effectiveness of the Psynnova i-Behavior Modification Technique module on the behavioral change of low performing civil servants in Malaysia. The low-performing staffs are those who scored below 60% on Annual Performance Assessment Report (LNPT) in 2015. The Public Service Department (PSD) has created a program called IBMT Psynnova Program for 5 days 4 nights for those who have gone through the selection phases that is having been through counseling sessions and showed no changes, thus sent for this program. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of a module called Psynnova Module on behavioral change through five dimensions among low-performing officers in the civil service. Additionally, the objective of this study is also to identify the five dimensional levels of cognitive and rationality, emotional stability, adaptability and alignment of behavior, social skills development as well as psycho-spiritual level improvement before and after the intervention. In addition, it determines the change of respondents through these 5 dimensions in O1 and O3. Apart from that, the planning of this study is also to look in detail to find out the behavioral change of low performing officers through the 5 dimensions found in the Psynnova Module. The five main dimensions are cognitive and rational improvement, emotional stability, behavioral adaptability and alignment, social skills development and psycho-spiritual level enhancements. It is expected that a total of 100 respondents will participate involving five ministries with the highest number of low-performing officers. This study will be conducted using quasi-experimental method of One Group Pre & Post Test using Basic Data Time Series Design. It will be conducted according to the monitoring period which is after three months interventions are carried out. The questionnaire to be used has undergone content validity sessions by the appointed experts. For all of the content validity, the results show that the value of the evaluated content validity by the appointed experts acquired a high coefficient of 0.745 with a minimum and maximum value of more than 0.75 which satisfies Content Value Ratio stated by Wilson (2012). According to Wilson, Pan, & Schumsky 2012, they use CVR = 0.75 and above, indicating that the validity acceptability is high and it can be used as each item is understood and meaningful to each subscale. Specifically, the alignment and adjustment of behaviour subscale have the highest validity of 0.804, followed by social skills development subscale: 0.796, improvement of psycho-spiritual level subscale: 0.766, cognitive and rational improvement subscale of 0.746 and lastly the emotional stability subscale: 0.742. Therefore, this study has succeeded in obtaining high validity results and can be used in the study of behavioural change of the low performing officers in the civil service. Keywords: Counseling; psychology; behavioral changes; work performance; public services, 5 dimensions, face validity, content validity

Purpose – Academic and psychological adjustment of international students is central to their success while pursuing their degrees abroad. However, acculturation stress is abundant and may pose as a challenge. Thus, in this study we examined whether social support mediates the association between acculturation stress and academic and psychological adjustment. Methodology – A cross sectional research design was employed. A total of 200 postgraduate international students from three Malaysian public universities were recruited to participate in the study. The Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire was employed to measure their academic adjustment and psychological adjustment. The Multidimensional Scale for Perceived Social Support and the Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students were used to collect data on social support and acculturation stress. Path analysis by AMOS 23 was used to test the hypothesized relationship. Findings – Results provided support for the proposed model, revealing that social support was associated with greater academic and psychological adjustment among international students. Significance – The present study has implications for university policies, counsellors, and student affairs departments on the need to take measures to facilitate healthy academic and psychological adjustment among international students.

The aims of this study were to assess the cross-cultural invariance of athletes’ self-reports of mental toughness and to introduce and illustrate the application of approximate measurement invariance using Bayesian estimation for sport and exercise psychology scholars. Athletes from Australia (n = 353, Mage = 19.13, SD = 3.27, men = 161), China (n = 254, Mage = 17.82, SD = 2.28, men = 138), and Malaysia (n = 341, Mage = 19.13, SD = 3.27, men = 200) provided a cross-sectional snapshot of their mental toughness. The cross-cultural invariance of the mental toughness inventory in terms of (a) the factor structure (configural invariance), (b) factor loadings (metric invariance), and (c) item intercepts (scalar invariance) was tested using an approximate measurement framework with Bayesian estimation. Results indicated that approximate metric and scalar invariance was established. From a methodological standpoint, this study demonstrated the usefulness and flexibility of Bayesian estimation for single-sample and multigroup analyses of measurement instruments. Substantively, the current findings suggest that the measurement of mental toughness requires cultural adjustments to better capture the contextually salient (emic) aspects of this concept.

The idea of edutainment began to become the interest of early childhood educators to make the learning process more holistic, including knowledge about how the brain works, memory, motivation, self-image, emotions, learning styles, and other learning strategies. This study aims to analyse and compare the effect of edutainment and group learning on the socio-emotional development of early childhood. This research method uses a quasi-experimental design with data collection techniques derived from the results of the pre-test and post-test on 20 children. The results of this study indicate that there are differences in the influence of edutainment learning with the control group on the social-emotional development of early childhood. Although both groups affect the socio-emotional development, edutainment learning has a better effect than the control group. For further research, it is recommended to create various types of edutainments learning to improve various aspects of children development. Keywords: Early Childhood, Edutainment Learning Model, Socio-emotional Development References: Afrianti, N. (2018). Permainan Tradisional, Alternatif Media Pengembangan Kompetensi Sosial-Emosi Anak Usia Dini [Traditional Games, Alternative Media for Early Childhood Social-Emotional Competence Development]. Cakrawala Dini: Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.17509/cd.v5i1.10405 Alwaely, S. A., Yousif, N. B. A., & Mikhaylov, A. (2021). Emotional development in preschoolers and socialization. Early Child Development and Care, 191(16), 2484–2493. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2020.1717480 Andri Oza, & Zaman, B. (2016). Edutainment dalam Mata Pelajaran Pendidikan Agama Islam. Mudarrisa: Jurnal Kajian Pendidikan Islam, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.18326/mdr.v8i1.117-144 Aubert, A., Molina, S., Schubert, T., & Vidu, A. (2017). Learning and inclusivity via Interactive Groups in early childhood education and care in the Hope school, Spain. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 13, 90–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lcsi.2017.03.002 Breaux, R. P., Harvey, E. A., & Lugo-Candelas, C. I. (2016). The Role of Parent Psychopathology in Emotion Socialization. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 44(4), 731–743. PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-015-0062-3 Capurso, M., & Ragni, B. (2016). Bridge Over Troubled Water: Perspective Connections between Coping and Play in Children. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 1953. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01953 Cheng, Y.-J., & Ray, D. C. (2016). Child-Centered Group Play Therapy: Impact on Social-Emotional Assets of Kindergarten Children. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 41(3), 209–237. https://doi.org/10.1080/01933922.2016.1197350 Chilingaryan, K., & Zvereva, E. (2020). Edutainment As a New Tool for Development. JAEDU- International E-Journal of Advances in Education, 16, 9. Chiu, M. M., & Chow, B. W. Y. (2011). Classroom Discipline Across Forty-One Countries: School, Economic, and Cultural Differences. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 42(3), 516–533. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022110381115 Chung, K. K. H., Lam, C. B., & Liew, J. (2020). Studying Children’s Social-Emotional Development in School and at Home through a Cultural Lens. Early Education and Development, 31(6), 927–929. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2020.1782860 Crescenzi-Lanna, L., & Grané-Oró, M. (2016). An Analysis of the Interaction Design of the Best Educational Apps for Children Aged Zero to Eight = Análisis del diseño interactivo de las mejores apps educativas para niños de ceroa ocho años. Creswell, J. W. (2015). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (Fifth edition). Pearson. Dandashi, A., Karkar, A. G., Saad, S., Barhoumi, Z., Al-Jaam, J., & El Saddik, A. (2015). Enhancing the Cognitive and Learning Skills of Children with Intellectual Disability through Physical Activity and Edutainment Games. International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks, 11(6), 165165. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/165165 Denham, S. A. (2006). Social-Emotional Competence as Support for School Readiness: What Is It and How Do We Assess It? Early Education and Development, 17(1), 57–89. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15566935eed1701_4 Eurenius, E., Richter Sundberg, L., Vaezghasemi, M., Silfverdal, S.-A., Ivarsson, A., & Lindkvist, M. (2019). Social-emotional problems among three-year-olds differ based on the child’s gender and custody arrangement. Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway: 1992), 108(6), 1087–1095. PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.14668 Goldschmidt, T., & Pedro, A. (2019). Early childhood socio-emotional development indicators: Pre-school teachers’ perceptions. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 29(5), 474–479. https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2019.1665887 Guran, A.-M., Cojocar, G. S., & Dioşan, L. S. (2020). Developing smart edutainment for preschoolers: A multidisciplinary approach. Proceedings of the 2nd ACM SIGSOFT International Workshop on Education through Advanced Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence, 20–26. https://doi.org/10.1145/3412453.3423197 Halle, T. G., & Darling-Churchill, K. E. (2016). Review of measures of social and emotional development. Measuring Social and Emotional Development in Early Childhood, 45, 8–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2016.02.003 Hamada, M., & Tsubaki, M. (2021). Relationship Analysis between Children Interests and Their Positive Emotions for Mobile Libraries’ Community Development in a Tsunami Area. Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries, 31. Heller, S. S., Rice, J., Boothe, A., Sidell, M., Vaughn, K., Keyes, A., & Nagle, G. (2012). Social-Emotional Development, School Readiness, Teacher–Child Interactions, and Classroom Environment. Early Education & Development, 23(6), 919–944. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2011.626387 Hirsh-Pasek, K., Zosh, J. M., Golinkoff, R. M., Gray, J. H., Robb, M. B., & Kaufman, J. (2015). Putting Education in “Educational” Apps: Lessons from the Science of Learning. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16(1), 3–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100615569721 Hurlock, E. B. (2001). Developmental Psychology. McGraw-Hill Education. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=DiovBU8zMA4C Maitner, A. T., Mackie, D. M., Pauketat, J. V. T., & Smith, E. R. (2017). The Impact of Culture and Identity on Emotional Reactions to Insults. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 48(6), 892–913. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022117701194 Marcelo, A. K., & Yates, T. M. (2014). Prospective relations among pre-schoolers’ play, coping, and adjustment as moderated by stressful events. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 35(3), 223–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2014.01.001 McClelland, M. M., & Cameron, C. E. (2011). Self-regulation and academic achievement in elementary school children. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2011(133), 29–44. https://doi.org/10.1002/cd.302 Mohd Yusof, A., Daniel, E. G. S., Low, W. Y., & Ab. Aziz, K. (2014). Teachers’ perception of mobile edutainment for special needs learners: The Malaysian case. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 18(12), 1237–1246. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2014.885595 Mok, M. M. C. (2019). Social and emotional learning. Educational Psychology, 39(9), 1115–1118. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2019.1654195 Munirah. (2018). Urgensi Pengembangan Sosial dan Emosional Anak Usia Dini. Irfani, 14(1), 19–27. Nasser, I., Miller-Idriss, C., & Alwani, A. (2019). Reconceptualizing Education Transformation in Muslim Societies: The Human Development Approach. The Journal of Education in Muslim Societies, 1(1), 3–25. JSTOR. Nikolayev, M., Reich, S. M., Muskat, T., Tadjbakhsh, N., & Callaghan, M. N. (2021). Review of feedback in edutainment games for preschoolers in the USA. Journal of Children and Media, 15(3), 358–375. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2020.1815227 Nurmalitasari, F. (2015). Perkembangan Sosial Emosi Pada Anak Usia Prasekolah. Psikologi UGM, 23(2). https://doi.org/10.22146/bpsi.10567 Okan, Z. (2003). Edutainment: Is learning at risk? Br. J. Educ. Technol., 34, 255–264. Pojani, D., & Rocco, R. (2020). Edutainment: Role-Playing versus Serious Gaming in Planning Education. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 0739456X2090225. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X20902251 Protassova, E. (2021). Emotional development in the educational preschool programs of Soviet and Post-Soviet Times. Russian Journal of Communication, 13(1), 97–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/19409419.2021.1884338 Purwanto, S. (2019). Unsur Pembelajaran Edutainment dalam Quantum Learning. Al-Fikri: Jurnal Studi Dan Penelitian Pendidikan Islam, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.30659/jspi.v2i2.5149 Ren, L., Knoche, L. L., & Edwards, C. P. (2016). The Relation between Chinese Preschoolers’ Social-Emotional Competence and Preacademic Skills. Early Education and Development, 27(7), 875–895. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2016.1151719 Rose-Krasnor, L. (1997). The Nature of Social Competence: A Theoretical Review. Social Development, 6, 111–135. Rusydi, N. A. (2018). Pengaruh Penerapan Metode Edutainment Dalam Pembelajaran Terhadap Hasil Belajar IPS Murid SD Kartika XX-1. Dikdas Matappa: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan Dasar, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.31100/dikdas.v1i2.281 Shodiqin, R. (2016). Pembelajaran Berbasis Edutainment [Edutainment-Based Learning]. Jurnal Al-Maqayis, 4(1). https://doi.org/doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.18592/jams.v4i1.792 Sprung, M., Münch, H. M., Harris, P. L., Ebesutani, C., & Hofmann, S. G. (2015). Children’s emotion understanding: A meta-analysis of training studies. Developmental Review, 37, 41–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2015.05.001 Sutherland, S., Stuhr, P. T., Ressler, J., Smith, C., & Wiggin, A. (2019). A Model for Group Processing in Cooperative Learning. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 90(3), 22–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2019.1559676 Vygotski, L. S. (2012). Thought and Language. MIT Press. Watanabe, N., Denham, S. A., Jones, N. M., Kobayashi, T., Bassett, H. H., & Ferrier, D. E. (2019). Working Toward Cross-Cultural Adaptation: Preliminary Psychometric Evaluation of the Affect Knowledge Test in Japanese Pre-schoolers. SAGE Open, 9(2), 2158244019846688. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019846688 Young, E. L., Moulton, S. E., & Julian, A. (2021). Integrating social-emotional-behavioural screening with early warning indicators in a high school setting. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 65(3), 255–265. https://doi.org/10.1080/1045988X.2021.1898319

This qualitative study drew on a larger study which was to explore and understand the experiences of non-native speaker postgraduate students in writing dissertations at one university in the United Kingdom. In this qualitative study, we interviewed four international students from different countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Japan. We identified two main themes pertaining to the challenges in writing dissertations. The first included student-related challenges (technical writing matters, thinking in English, identifying research topics, writing literature review, lack of communicative competence and boredom) and the second focused on s-related challenges (meeting supervisor). To cope with those challenges, the participants have applied a multitude of strategies, such as self-management strategies (reading articles/books, translation strategy, key-point drafting and entertainment) and getting-help strategies (asking supervisor[s], hiring proof-readers and online proofreading service). As an implication of this study, we suggest that the postgraduate students could identify their own challenge as non-native English speakers in writing a good quality dissertation in English and find their own effective strategy to overcome it.

This paper describes a holistic process of a pilot test to determine the trustworthiness of semi-structured interview questions to be used in the qualitative investigation of Malaysia primary school active learning needs analysis, by focusing on the learner control peculiarity in the context. The researchers carried out the pilot test based on a sequential cycle of determining, assessment, adjustment, revisiting, and reflection. The researchers generated semi-structured interview questions mainly based on Hutchinson and Waters’s (1987) framework for analysis of learning needs. The researchers tested the semi-structured interview questions on two teacher and two pupil participants mirroring the intended subjects in the field. The pilot test allows the researchers to practice beforehand the semi-structured interview techniques and provides valuable insights for the researchers to modify and improve the interview questions. Finally, this paper reports the modification or refinement made to the interview questions, which proves that the questions are readied to be used in future study. This paper also provides methodological insights for other researchers, who may also undertake qualitative interview methods in active learning studies.

AbstractThe purpose of this exploratory study is to understand the nature and multidimensional challenges of cross-cultural adjustment as experienced by female Malaysian self-initiated expatriates (SIE) working as registered nurses (RNs) in Saudi Arabia. In-depth interviews with twenty-two Malaysian SIE RNs provided rich data on their adjustment experiences. The resulting data were subjected to a qualitative content analysis using Black, Mendenhall, and Oddou's (Black et al., 1991) cross-cultural adjustment (CCA) model. The results show that the nurses faced several challenges. Five themes emerged: learning to speak Arabic, adapting to a confrontational communication style, facing new work practices, dealing with homesickness and loneliness, and adjusting to new gender norms at work and in public. This study contributes to our understanding of expatriate adjustment by providing new interpretations of the cultural challenges faced by female SIEs and the nature of their adjustment process. The results also support the literature on expatriation by highlighting the challenges of cultural adjustment and giving specific information on the conditions and constraints facing female RNs in Saudi Arabia, a subject that has received little critical attention so far.

As a measure to curb the deadly Covid-19 virus, the Malaysian government has implemented the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) in early February 2021 to achieve herd immunity by February 2022. However, several factors have influenced the success of the programme, including accessibility, the role of social media, religious concerns and a variety of other reasons. Therefore, this paper determines the factors that influence the perceptions of the youth in East Malaysia (Sabah) towards PICK. This study uses a self-administered questionnaire through social media applications. A total of 814 respondents consisting of youths in Sabah aged between 18-40 years have been sampled. The raw data have been descriptively analysed (K-Means Clustering, Mean & frequency) and inferentially examined (Mann-Whitney U Test). The respondents’ perceptions are grouped into two clusters: Cluster 1 (54.3%) who exhibited vaccine hesitancy, and Cluster 2 (45.7%), who demonstrated positive perceptions towards the programme. Based on the cluster analysis, this study discovered that most of the respondents in Cluster 1 are inclined to not participate in PICK due to several factors, such as Safety (M=3.25, SD=0.578), Communication (M=3.37, SD=0.441), Psychology (M=3.40, SD=0.568) and Milieu (M=3.32, SD=0.545). The cluster analysis is important to determine different patterns of perceptions of youth in Sabah. This paper argues that if vaccine hesitancy, as indicated in the cluster 1 is not properly addressed, the government’s target to achieve herd immunity will not be successful. Apparently, information issues and management through the mainstream media are extremely important, especially in handling critical matters. As a result, there is a need to revisit the mainstream media's role and determine the causes that contribute to the youths’ rejection of government-sponsored initiatives. The findings will be useful for the government so as to implement the necessary policies, adjustments and improvements to future health regulations or campaigns, especially in addressing issues of misinformation related to health management in the digital era.

This study armed to assess the degree of adjustaptability of freshmen to the university environment. Quantitative approach was employed. Data were collected by using survey method from a random sample of 801 first-year students studying at Nong Lam University. The results of this study showed that the first-year students had a moderate level of adjustment despite some difficulties. Keywords First-year student, adjustment, university, school environment References V. Tinto, Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition., Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1987. [2] Christie, N. G. & Dinham, S. M., “Institutional and External Influences on Social Integration in the Freshman Year,” Journal of Higher Education, tập 62, số 4, pp. 412-436, 1991. [3] Credé, M. & Niehorster, S., “Adjustment to College as Measured by the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire: A Quantitative Review of its Structure and Relationships with Correlates and Consequences,” Educational Psychology Review, tập 24, pp. 133-165, 2012. [4] W. Spady, “Dropouts from higher education: An interdisciplinary review and synthesis,” Interchange, tập 1, pp. 64-65, 1970. [5] Bryant, B., & Trower, P. E, “Social difficulty in a student sample,” British Journal of Educational Psychology, tập 44, pp. 13-21, 1974. [6] Martin, W. E., Swartz-Kulstad, J. L. and Madson, M. , “ Psychosocial Factors That Predict the College Adjustment of First-Year Undergraduate Students: Implications for College Counselors,” Journal of College Counseling, tập 2, p. 121–133, 1999. [7] Wintre, M.G., & Yaffe, M, “First-year Students’ Adjustment to University Life as a Function of Relationships with Parents,” Journal of Adolescent Research, tập 15, pp. 9-37, 2000. [8] Baker, R. W., & Siryk B, SACQ: Student adaptation to college questionnaire manual (2nd. ed.), Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services, 1999. [9] Hoàng Trọng - Chu Nguyễn Mộng Ngọc, Phân tích dữ liệu nghiên cứu với SPSS, Tp. Hồ Chí Minh: Nhà xuất bản Thống kê, 2005. [10] Abdullah M. C., Elias H., Uli J., Mahyuddin R., “Relationship between Coping and University Adjustment and Academic Achievement amongst First Year Undergraduates in a Malaysian Public University,” International Journal of Arts and Sciences, tập 3(11), pp. 379 - 392, 2010. [11] Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P, “ Predicting freshman persistence and voluntary dropout decisions from a theoretical model,” Journal of Higher Education, tập 51, số 1, pp. 60-75, 1980. [12] Parker, J. D. A., Summerfeldt, L. J., Hogan, M. J., & Majeski, S., “Emotional intelligence and academic success: Examining the transition from high school to university,” Personality and Individual Differences, tập 36, p. 163–172, 2004. [13] V. Tinto, Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition. (2nd ed.), Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993. [14] A. C. Jones, “ The effects of out-of-class support on student satisfaction and motivation to learn,” Communication Education, tập 57, số 4, pp. 373-388, 2008.

Although medical mistrust (MM) may be an impediment to public health interventions, no MM scale has been validated across countries and the assessment of MM has not been explored using item response theory, which allows generalisation beyond the sampled data. We aimed to determine the dimensionality of a brief MM measure across four countries through Mokken analysis and Graded Response Modelling. Analysis of 1468 participants from UK ( n = 1179), Ireland ( n = 191), India ( n = 49) and Malaysia (n = 49) demonstrated that MM items formed a hierarchical, unidimensional measure, which is very informative about high levels of MM. Possible item reduction and scoring changes were also demonstrated. This study demonstrates that this brief MM measure is suitable for international studies as it is unidimensional across countries, cross cultural, and shows that minor adjustments will not impact on the assessment of MM when using these items.

Writing assessment relies closely on scoring the excellence of a subject’s thoughts. This creates a faceted measurement structure regarding rubrics, tasks, and raters. Nevertheless, most studies did not consider the differences among raters systematically. This study examines the raters’ differences in association with the reliability and validity of writing rubrics using the Many-Facet Rasch measurement model (MFRM) to model these differences. A set of standards for evaluating the quality of rating based on writing assessment was examined. Rating quality was tested within four writing domains from an analytic rubric using a scale of one to three. The writing domains explored were vocabulary, grammar, language, use, and organization; whereas the data were obtained from 15 Arabic essays gathered from religious secondary school students under the supervision of the Malaysia Ministry of Education. Five raters in the field of practice were selected to evaluate all the essays. As a result, (a) raters range considerably on the lenient-severity dimension, so rater variations ought to be modeled; (b) the combination of findings between raters avoids the doubt of scores, thereby reducing the measurement error which could lower the criterion validity with the external variable; and (c) MFRM adjustments effectively increased the correlations of the scores obtained from partial and full data. Predominant findings revealed that rating quality varies across analytic rubric domains. This also depicts that MFRM is an effective way to model rater differences and evaluate the validity and reliability of writing rubrics.