FORMAL EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE AND EMPOWERMENT OF THE FISHING COMMUNITY IN TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA

Background and Purpose: Efforts in bringing about changes to fishers' lives are often met with obstacles due to their lack of participation in empowerment programmes as well as their excessive reliance on external assistance. However, such situations are said to be the results of their level of education and work experience. This paper also examines the relationship between work experience with empowerment and formal education as a control variable to the relationship. Therefore, this paper aims to observe the reality of empowerment among fishing communities from the lens of participation and self-reliance among fishers in Terengganu, Malaysia. Concurrently, this study also reviews the theme mentioned above from the lens of formal education and work experience and their impacts on the fishing community empowerment. Methodology: This study used a survey design and involved 220 coastal fishers, who were identified through multi-stage sampling. Data were gathered using a questionnaire, and data analysis was done through descriptive statistics and the Analysis of Variance Test (ANCOVA). Findings: The empowerment of the fishing community in this study is not influenced by the number of years they have spent as fishers. On the other hand, their level of education plays a pertinent influence on their empowerment. Such a finding clearly shows that experience is not only a major factor in increasing the empowerment of the fishing community. Contributions: This study contributes to our understanding that it is undeniably true that formal and informal education play an integral role in empowering the fishing community, where through education, fishers are more participative in their community and exhibit autonomy towards their work. Keywords: Fishers, empowerment, formal education, experience, community development Cite as: Tuan Sembok, T. M. Z., & Wan Ismail, W. A. A. Z. (2022). Formal education, work experience and empowerment of the fishing community in Terengganu, Malaysia. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 7(1), 366-389. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol7iss1pp366-389

Informal Education Pedagogy Transcendence from the ‘Academy’ to Society in the Current and Post COVID Environment

The purpose of this paper is to consider the following two notions; (1) that the use of ‘informal education pedagogies’ within teaching and learning in the ‘academy’ can both support the learning process within the ‘classroom’ but also transcend to society via students; and (2) that synergies exist between informal education and social pedagogical concepts. The discussions are situated from the perspective of an experienced practitioner and academic who is currently teaching youth related degree courses within a Higher Education Institution. This experiential learning has informed knowledge acquisition, understanding and skills application from professional practice to the teaching environment. An experiential learning perspective will be the primary method adopted; the value of this paper lies in its potential to re-affirm that degree courses which embed a ‘practice the practice’ approach in their teaching methodology support the embedding of core values of the said discipline. The paper argues that the ethically value-based principles and practice of informal education pedagogy, and social pedagogy, are relevant for the current and post COVID-19 pandemic environment.

Social Networks and Blogs as Educational Communicative Resources During a Pandemic

This work aims at researching the use of social networks and blogs as resources of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in non-face-to-face educational environments, which, in this case, education centers have had to reshape on a large scale due to the pandemic. With this aim in mind, an analysis is performed about the most important aspects which make social networks and blogs into important educational resources in the classroom, which enable us to propose collective and individual activities based on digital technology. Such activities make it possible for us to undertake experiences referred to formal, non-formal, and even informal education, which have the potential to enrich the current non-face-to-face context thanks to their diversity. The conclusion is that these resources can serve as effective communicative tools to generate true learning communities within an online environment.

Resilience and Sustainability Development

Informed action by the leaders of the future is critical for creating resilient communities. Preparing these future leaders through formal and informal education, research, and environmental/climate change programs that interweave local knowledge with the most current global science positions them to becomes the catalysts that propel community leaders to engage a wider range of possible futures. This chapter integrates findings from a SeaTrust Institute research project with the sustainable development goals in an analysis supporting dynamic and reconfigurable combinations of agents that promote the attributes of elasticity, future orientation, and motivation to address the high stakes choices for resilience to climate and environmental/social change. Author objectives in this chapter are to illustrate the optimum roles of youth in the process and what preparations and conditions are needed to instill and support youth in their ability to flip a process at the point of catastrophe to restore equilibrium and promote resilience.

Leveraging Self-Directed Learning in the Skills-Based Economy

The planning, processing, facilitation, delivery, and evaluation of learning in formal and informal education environments through learner self-direction has become an imperative competency for personal and professional success. The proliferation of virtual learning and working is one variable driving the accelerated focus on self-directed learning (SDL); however, there are many additional economic, social, policy, and structural reasons why SDL is vital in the nascent skills-based economy. To address this need, a digital micro-credential was designed to intentionally and transparently provide all learners, not just those with educational pedigree, social standing, and financial prosperity, with the necessary skills and tools for operationalizing SDL in their lives. The described context, content, development process, validation, and iteration of the proposed SDL digital micro-credential couples a theoretical foundation of SDL with a practical application that has the promise to scale the adoption and promotion of SDL more broadly.

Heritage Education and Global Citizenship

Heritage education has been viewed as an aspect associated to the building of local and national identities, but there has been little exploration of the way it relates to Global Citizenship Education. This chapter explores this relationship in theoretical terms, through documentary review and analysis from a socio-critical perspective. One of the initial conclusions is that heritage education is associated with art history and is the work of formal and informal education institutions. Another more in-depth conclusion is that there are relationships between these two types of education that share the common thread of identity-building and participation, which ties in with recognition of the changes caused to societies through globalisation. The chapter concludes with a series of questions asking whether it is possible to conceive a global heritage or identity.

Studying the potential of urban professional communities in the field of engineering-technological education of schoolchildren

Introduction. Achieving the strategic goals of scientific-technological development, corresponding to the modern technological mode, is impossible without increasing the competitiveness of the education system, which is ensured by new continuous professional education models for school teachers of an engineering-technological profile, among which urban educational formats are increasingly used, as well as communities of experts, formed around groups of masters and relying on co-creation, transfer of experience and technology. The research purpose is to assess the potential of urban professional communities and the conditions for the formation of an informal pedagogical education ecosystem in the field of engineering-technological education of schoolchildren. Materials and methods. To study the structure of professional contacts of the urban network of teachers engaged in engineering-technological education of schoolchildren, the sample was constructed using the "snowball" method. The content analysis of a semi-structured interview was used to identify professional roles and professional contacts, to assess the density of networks using the method of network analysis of an educational organization according to K. Ushakov. Results. On the basis of a semi-structured interview with working teachers engaged in engineering-technology education, the links between the accepted roles (teacher, mentor, expert) and the network density were revealed, a great potential for the network development was revealed (84% of new links can still be formed, 53% of participants are ready to master new roles). The leading roles of leaders, “network nodes”, are “an expert” and “a mentor”. The authors highlight the characteristics of urban forms of interaction between teachers that enhance the social capital of a territory: co-existence format, heterogeneity of participants, reliance on experience and taking into account the ambitions to accept roles, distributed leadership, support of professional reflection, joint design of events. Practical significance. The presented method for assessing the social capital of a territory on the example of an informal education network of teachers engaged in engineering-technological education can be used in the management of local educational ecosystems.

Interface between Education and Tourism around Panchmul Area of Aandhikhola Rural Municipality of Syangja District

This study explores the interface between education and tourism constructs through a qualitative approach and multiple case study research methods. The key objectives of the research were to look at the interface between informal education and tourism, to appraise the interface between non-formal education and tourism as well as to explore the interface between formal education and tourism development activities in the study area. In-depth interviews of 6 males and 3 females from the education program and another 6 males and 3 females from the tourism development program were undertaken by applying the purposive sampling principle. Likewise, 3 FGDs and participant observation techniques were also applied for developing multiple forms of genres, which were generated through re/productive socio-cultural and economic structures of Panchmul. The findings reveal that education plays a functional transformative role in tourism development that is supported by the theory of practice, capability approach, and sustainability approach. Based on the findings, this study has also developed a strategic interface model and strategic framework for tourism development that can be applied in the Panchmularea and other similar places. Hence, knowledge generated from this study is equally fruitful to readers, local development stakeholders, and policymakers and planners in central, provincial, and local levels of governments in Nepal.

Self-care knowledge, attitude and associated factors among outpatients with diabetes mellitus in Arsi Zone, Southeast Ethiopia

Introduction Diabetes mellitus is a chronic illness that requires continuing medical care and ongoing patient self-management, education and support to prevent acute complications and to reduce the risk of long-term complications. Therefore, this study aims to assess the self-care knowledge, attitude and associated factors among outpatients with diabetes mellitus in Arsi Zone, Southeast Ethiopia. Materials and methods A cross sectional study was employed in Arsi Zone, Southeast Ethiopia from April to June 2017 among 290 patients with diabetes mellitus. Structured questionnaire was employed through face to face interview. Bivariate and multivariate regression was done and a statistical significance was declared at p value < 0.05. Results Among 290 respondents, 64.8% and 27.6% of them had good knowledge and good attitude towards self-care in this study respectively. Being married (AOR: 3.41, 95% CI: 1.480–8.095), being employed in occupation (AOR: 5.8, 95% CI: 2.26–14.67) and living in higher socioeconomic status (AOR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.096–3.322) are the independent factors associated to good knowledge of respondents towards self-care whereas living in lower socioeconomic status(AOR: 0.478, 95% CI: 0.262–0.874), having informal education (AOR: 4.002, 95% CI: 1.941–8.254), not having family history of diabetes mellitus (AOR: 0.422, 95% CI: 0.222–0.803) and having short duration of diagnosis (AOR: 3.209, 95% CI: 1.537–6.779) were significantly associated factors to have poor attitude towards self-care. Conclusion Majority of the study participants had good knowledge towards diabetes self-care practice while a significant number of the participants had unfavorable attitude towards diabetes self-care. Being married, being employed and living in higher socioeconomic status were the determinant factors of knowledge towards the diabetes self-care practice while having informal education and having short duration of diagnosis were the significant factors associated to the unfavorable attitude towards diabetes self-care practice. Therefore, efforts should be made on enhancing patients’ socioeconomic status and equipping with diabetic self-care centered health information particularly for those patients with short duration of diagnosis.

The Role of the Family in the Restoration and Preservation of Yoruba Cultural Heritage

Yoruba people have a unique cultural heritage which engulfs every aspect of their lives; hence, guides them in their daily activities. It was borne in their heart, incise in their offspring, and pass from one generation to another. Unfortunately, this cultural heritage is almost lost today, as civilization has denigrated almost all these cherished cultural values in Yoruba communities. Undoubtedly, the family where the whole cultural decadence started from has great roles to play in restoring and preserving these cultural values. This is the thrust of this work. The essay is therefore approached from historical and ethical perspectives with phenomenological methodology to examine the cherished Yoruba cultural heritage. The findings of the work show that moral training through informal education; means of identity; communal responsibilities; ascribed roles; etc., are missing among the youths today. The paper adopts Mary Jo Hatch’s theory of cultural dynamics to examine the changes in Yoruba cultural heritage, the causes of decadence of this heritage; and the role of the family in enthroning Yoruba cultural heritage among the youths today. The essay recommends that family needs to rise for the restoration and 70 Awofeko Oyebanjo, and Shogunle preservation of these cultural heritages to combat the socio-cultural threat confronting the society.