Conceptualizing the complexity of reflective practice in education.

In higher education, reflective practice has become a dynamic, participatory, and cyclical process that contributes to educators' professional development and personal growth. While it is now a prominent part of educators, many still find it challenging to apply the concept for it carries diverse meaning for different people in different contexts. This article attempts to (re)conceptualize the complexity of reflective practice in an educational context. Scholars in this field have taken different approaches to reflective practice, but all these approaches consist of four main components in common: (i) reflecting; (ii) planning for future action; (iii) acting; and (iv) evaluating the outcomes. We extend the existing literature by proposing a model which integrates these four components with three key aspects of reflection: problem-solving, action orientation, and criticality. The novelty of this model lies within its alignment of the three key aspects with different levels of criticality in a comprehensive framework with detailed descriptors provided. The model and its descriptors are useful in guiding individuals who directly or indirectly involve in critical reflection, especially educators, in appraising their levels of criticality and consequently engage in a meaningful reflection.

The Semantics of the Preposition " ala" in the Quran: A Conceptual Metaphor Perspective.

Traditional syntactic approaches do not offer a plausible explanation regarding the use of the Arabic preposition " ala" with abstract nouns or states. This article adopts a corpus-based approach to investigate the semantic classification of the preposition " ala" in the Quran from a cognitive linguistic perspective. Conceptual metaphor theory (hereafter CMT) was employed to find out conceptual metaphors (hereafter CM) in the data retrieved from the Quran with the help of search Quran software. CMT holds that human sensorimotor neural structures help store spatial relationships, which are then used to map the abstract concepts in language and thought, and that prepositions are the products of human sensorimotor neural structures. This paper found nine key CM themes behind the usage of prepositions in the data. Contact and support schemas were at the heart of the literal and metaphorical use of the spatial preposition " ala" in the Quran. However, it was also found that language generation and comprehension involve the role of multimodal perceptual schemas and linguistic knowledge rather than the unilinear process of one CM. This paper suggests further research into spatial relations across languages to explore the cross-cultural implications of image schemas.

Appropriating Shakespearean graphic novels for Malaysian classrooms to create correct gender representations.

Public awareness on gender education may not be easily translated in living classrooms, which prompts new alternatives. In this study, we explored Shakespearean graphic novels in exposing Malaysian school students to gender-related issues. The two-fold research entails tracing the female presence in eight selected images from digital graphic novels that define the gender and place social expectations across the globe; and secondly, gathering teachers' perception of these selected graphic novels. The chosen images were divided into two categories-those published as the cover pages of graphic novels and those that were contested for the Graphic Shakespeare Competition established in 2016. These stereotypical images of women are inconsistent with the objective of achieving inclusivity and correct gender representations. The data analysed based on a semi-structured interview on six ESL teachers suggest that as much as the graphic novels are seen as valuable in pedagogical contexts and in exposing the students to learning English and gender representations through literature, the material selection, and pedagogical approaches, including determining the classroom activities must be cautiously considered in terms of their cultural appropriateness to ensure students' readiness and effective outcomes. Discussing these pertinent issues, especially in addressing gender (mis)representations relevant to education, helps pave a new route within the UN SDG Goal 5 where gender nuances and phrases ought to be carefully constructed in a new narrative that shapes global perception towards women.

A phenomenological study of online assessment during a pandemic crisis: Insights from Malaysia, Lithuania, and Spain.

Many countries, namely, Malaysia, Lithuania, and Spain, shifted to online assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative case study, which involved 18 undergraduate students from the three countries, was conducted to probe insights into their online assessment experience. Data were interpreted from the perspective of the expectancy-value theory of motivation, which focuses on intrinsic attainment, utility, and cost values. The findings revealed that students were motivated to complete their assessment since they experienced flexibility besides having effective assessment guidelines. The positive experiences were related to intrinsic and attainment values; however, the students were also demotivated when stressed, indicating the high-cost value. Utility value was found to overlap with cost value in this study because students were dissatisfied with the online assessment and expressed less preference for this approach in future. This contributes to our understanding that educators must consider utility values when preparing online assessments. The pedagogical implications of this study revolve around the importance of a checklist, mock exams, alternative assessment (Plan B), and video demos for an effective assessment.

On the Psychology of Argument: A Structural Analysis of Former Muslims' Postings Within Malaysian Social Media.

This research attempts to provide insights into the argumentation structures in the discussion of Islam on social media involving 14 Malaysian former Muslims. The social media accounts of the participants were observed for 12 months, from January to December 2019. A total of 368 postings put forth arguments related to Islamic authoritative discourse, the Quran and "Sunnah" of the Prophet Muhammad, to justify their renunciation of the Muslim religion. The analysis revealed that the Level 2 argument, which includes the claim, data to support the claim, and the warrant, was identified as the most common argument structure. Level 5, which has more than one rebuttal, was the least common argument structure. The analysis shows that most argument structures were at the lower levels (1-3) in that they offered no strong, clearly identifiable rebuttals. This study concludes that the arguments put forth by former Muslims, in the main, are loosely constructed rather than attempts to build a strong cumulative argumentation to support their reasons for abandoning the Muslim faith.