Paper Presentations - Higher Education for Sustainable Development / Social Responsibility in Education

This case study investigates the outcomes of purpose-driven service-based learning for students pursuing a Diploma in Communication. The pilot study focuses on understanding how integrating purpose-driven elements into service-based learning enhances the educational experience and prepares students for the dynamic field of communication. Drawing on a quantitative and qualitative research design, the investigation employs a survey method with close and open-ended questions to gather data from students, who have undergone service-based learning as part of their diploma programme at a private college in Malaysia. The purpose-driven service-based learning model incorporates community-oriented projects aligned with communication industry needs, aiming to foster a sense of purpose and social responsibility among students. The study examines the effects of this approach on students' skill development and perceptions of their role in society. Preliminary findings suggest that purpose-driven service-based learning positively influences students' motivation, collaborative skills, and real-world application of communication skills. Moreover, the integration of community projects cultivates a heightened awareness of societal issues and a sense of self-accountability and life-long learning among students. The research contributes to the broader discourse on innovative teaching pedagogies in communication education and offers practical implications for educators and institutions aiming to align curriculum with societal needs. This case study highlights the potential of purpose-driven service-based learning to prepare communication students for meaningful and socially impactful careers. Keywords: service-based learning, purpose-driven, communication education, life-long learning

During the COVID 19 pandemic, global communities were devastated by the death of many lives, which heightened the sense of health consciousness. There has also been increased attention to the adverse public health and animal welfare impacts of industrial food animal production. Taken together, many communities, including the students from biosciences school and business school, were inspired to innovate the foods to be healthier, fulfilling SDG3; addressing food insecurity, fulfilling SDG2 as well as producing sustainable products, fulfilling SDG12. This research examines the influence of the transdisciplinary learning approach on students’ knowledge and awareness on SDG, as well as the relationship between students' knowledge and development of meta competencies; and the effect of students’ knowledge on their confidence to solve real world problems. The investigation employs a pre and post survey to assess the impact of transdisciplinary learning including the use of experiential learning such as field trips and metaverse on students' meta competence development. Through the integration of social sciences and sciences perspectives, students engage in collaborative projects that address challenges related to food sustainability with product prototypes developed by biosciences students and comprehensive business plans crafted by business students. The findings indicate that the students’ discipline specific knowledge and transdisciplinary knowledge increases after the sustainable food innovation project. Students’ awareness on SDG (i.e., SDG2 and SDG3) increases after the sustainable food innovation project. Students’ discipline specific knowledge and transdisciplinary knowledge has a positive influence on their meta competencies. Students’ transdisciplinary knowledge has a positive influence on their confidence to solve real world problems. The findings contribute to the discourse on innovative pedagogical practices, providing insights into how educational institutions can foster transdisciplinary learning.

To foster virtue through education is claimed to be the fundamental task of higher education in China. Teachers have been actively involved in integrating moral education into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching, aiming to promote a more well-rounded development of students. EFL teachers should understand the role moral education plays in the classroom and employ teaching practices that accommodate the changes brought about by a morally-driven educational context. However, while the importance of moral education practices in EFL lessons is well-recognized, there is less understanding of how EFL teachers perceive these practices in EFL teaching. The aim of the study is to support a more informed discussion about teachers’ beliefs regarding moral education practices in EFL classrooms in higher education in China. In this study, Q methodology was employed to investigate the subjective viewpoints of the EFL teachers. A sample of 49 EFL teachers in three universities completed Q-sort and text-based interviews. Applying inverted factor analysis and abductive interpretation, three sets of teachers’ beliefs emerged, representing the teachers’ complex views on moral education practices in the classroom. The findings indicate that Chinese thought quotation sharing, cross-cultural comparison practice, and telling China’s story in English are endorsed by teachers as effective moral education activities in EFL teaching. This study contributes to the limited research on language teachers’ perspectives regarding the integration of moral education into classroom, aiming to provide insights for morally-driven teaching and pedagogical development.

Making chemistry relevant to students’ lives by introducing controversial socio-scientific issues in classrooms motivates students to participate in the discussion of scientific principles that are governing the changes around them. This study aims to explore the influence of integrating two sustainability-oriented socio-scientific issues—alternative energies (the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #7) and nanotechnology—into the General Chemistry curriculum on students’ career aspirations and perceptions of science relevancy. The learning activities incorporated discussion on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, environmental and health hazards of technological advances, and the positive grassroots changes that alternative energy, for instance, can initiate. Following each exploration, the students were asked to consider real-world scenarios and come up with solutions to increase the availability of renewable energies through reduced inequalities and the promotion of sustainable communities. With the planned analysis, the team aims to determine if there is any statistically significant increase in the mean scores for the surveys, Changes in Attitude Towards the Relevancy of Science (CARS) and Career Aspirations (CA). Additionally, the data will be examined to reveal any potential correlation between students’ demographics and the determined results. The discussion will also involve suggestions on designing such activities that aim to equip students to become global and scientifically literate citizens. Keywords: career aspiration; higher education; science education; socio-scientific issues; sustainability

With an emphasis on the effectiveness of cascade training models in language education, this paper explores the crucial topic of dissemination strategies in the process of curriculum reform. The research highlights the importance of careful planning and organization when implementing new curricula, acknowledging the critical role that appropriate strategies play in guaranteeing the success of educational innovations. This investigation centres on the cascade training model, an established approach for educating a sizable number of in-service teachers.The article highlights potential limitations and criticisms of the cascade model despite its broad application, particularly regarding misinterpretation and a lack of responsiveness to grassroots demands. These include decentralisation of responsibilities within the cascade structure, emphasis on experiential and reflective training, openness to reinterpretation, widespread diffusion of expertise, and involvement of diverse stakeholders in material preparation. By including their needs, beliefs, and responses in the training process, the proposed framework seeks to empower language educators and stakeholders and ensure a more successful distribution of curriculum improvements in language education. The study adds to the current discussion about teacher cognition and offers useful information for developing more effective, locally tailored language teacher training programmes.

The aim of this study is primarily to gauge the overall learning experiences of the students in implementing an on-site project-based learning for a quantitative technique module. This study investigates four factors that influence students learning experiences namely preliminary perception of the project, motivational context of the project, insights from the project and evaluation of the project. To achieve the research purpose, eight students aged between 17-18 years old, from a foundation-level programme were invited for an interview. The focus group comprised of 6 male students and 2 female students were conducted in an hour meeting. The interview was recorded and transcribed. The narratives from the transcription were then analysed using thematic and content analysis to explore the trends in their learning experiences. On preliminary perception about the project, anxiety, and lack of confidence in meeting and talking to people were of main concern. The level of motivation in starting to work on the project was credibly high due to the euphoria of new experience. Insights from the experiences working on the project was notably on the task itself, where each group member was required to work as a team and to carry out the task collectively. Finally, in terms of evaluation of the project, students commended the realism of the subject matter, a practice to how real world would be like. This study offers important insights with regards to the need of implementing project-based learning. Implications for improving the design of the project and reflections about the project were proposed.