The Relationship between Stress Factors and MBA Students’ Academic Performance: Evidence from Private Universities in Malaysia

Mustapha Siti Maziha, Kaur Kamaljeet and Nik Salleh Nik Mohamad Zaki

Full time Master in Business Administration (MBA) students in universities face all kinds of pressures to maintain optimal performance in a challenging academic environment. Stress can have an impact on their ability to complete their Master’s degree and graduate. A significant number of university students fail to get an acceptable level of academic achievement which causes withdrawal or dismissal15 . Different stressors can all pose their own treat to a student’s academic performance. The purpose of this study is to detect if there is a correlation between the stress that MBA students perceive that they are under and their Grade Point Average (GPA). Perceived stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale, developed by Cohen and Mermeistein in 1983 and GPA by the grades obtained in that semester. The students were also asked to rank in order of importance a list of possible stress factors. We hypothesize that there would be a negative correlation between the amount of stress perceived by the students and the students’ GPA. Therefore, a higher score on the Perceived Stress Scale resulting in a higher level of stress, the correlated GPA should be lower during that specific semester. The study showed that some of possible sources of stress contributed more to students’ perceived stress. The implication of the findings is to offer better information to educators and administrators on how stress manifests itself on MBA students and its effect on students’ academic performance. Programs aimed at helping students to reduce their level of stress will help reduce academic failures or withdrawals.

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Failure Factors of Physical Education Students in teaching Graduate Programme at Institute of Teacher Education

Muhammad Akbar Zahidi and Syed Kamaruzaman Syed Ali

This study was about the failure factors of physical education students in teaching graduate programme (TGP) at institute of teacher education (ITE). Thus, this study identified the factors of failure from personal problems, lecturer, facility, syllabus and school factors. Furthermore, this study used a mixed mode method such as semi-structural interview and questionnaires. To answer the interview instrument, a total of 12 TGP students were selected from maximum variation method based on six different zones. Then, to answer the questionnaires, this research involved 40 TGP students at random. Next, descriptive statistics of SPSS 21.0 software was used to analyze the factors in five domains. The findings of the study indicated that the domain of syllabus factors contributed to the cause of the failure at the highest level. However, the finding of the lecturer communication was the highest among the items. Therefore, failure was causing some effects such as feeling sad, frustrated and stressed out to deal with colleagues and family members.

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Pública 14: A Report of a Fieldtrip as an Educational Strategy of Integrating the International Dimension into the Goals of Higher Education

Moura Anabela, Magalhães Carla and Gama Manuel

The importance of cultural activities in general (including creative industries) is increasingly being recognized in Portugal not only for its cultural and human value, but also for the contribution it makes to local, regional and national economies. However, one of the issues facing Portuguese cultural policy makers, educators and researchers, especially at local and regional levels, is the scarcity of information and quality data available that allows them to make decisions that are based on evidence and are relevant to local and regional economic, cultural policy and practice. There is little cultural data on the northern region of Alto Minho, specifically, on Viana do Castelo. Part of the above mentioned legacy will be the provision of further opportunities for specialist training and practice for these cultural sector professionals, as well as contact with current international practice. This presentation evolved from the belief of three members of the staff of a BA Degree Course on Art and Culture Management (ACM), at Escola Superior de Educação, Viana do Castelo Polytechnic (ESEIPVC), Portugal. They believe that using a field trip as an educational strategy could help to encourage the development of an enduring network of professionally minded cultural practitioners in the region of Alto Minho who support each other, their continuing professional development and their region. But they also were aware that the field trip in itself, would not be likely to reach this aim, unless it is part of a programme of discussion on personal experience and on the observed context. This presentation intends to be a contribution of three members of staff of ESEIPVC and reports the main findings of a field trip visit to ‘Pública 14’ in Madrid, during January 2014. It describes how such international event worked for them as a rich laboratory for exploring a variety of cultural management issues and a measure of intellectual dialogue and development not just for this Polytechnic and its Art and Cultural Management BA and MA students but also for wider society.

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A Study on Constructing Indicators of Life Skills for Older Adult in Taiwan from the Perspectives of Lifelong Learning

Lin Li-Hui

The world is experiencing population ageing at a dramatic rate. According to the statistics released by the Ministry of Interior (2014), by the end of January 2014, the population in Taiwan aged 65 and above has attained to 2,704,605 which constitute 11.57% of the national population. Since the percentage of older adult is growing dramatically, how to promote life quality of older adult has become a hot issue all over the world. The notion of life skills relates to the diverse knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that together enable people to achieve their personal goals, function effectively in their social environment and enhance their quality of life. To say it further, the importance of life skills is widely acknowledged as central to the everyday survival, health and well-being of older adult.

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A review of lights and shadows of Polish educational integration

Beata Borowska-Beszta

Integration (inclusion) is the important issue and demand for any education system world wide. It assumes inclusion of children and youth with various disabilities to the education system. Polish system of inclusive education is supported by bright theoretical ideas of inclusive teaching and shadows during implementations within educational settings. This paper is a review of light and shadows of Polish contemporary educational integration (inclusion) system. The contents are arranged chronologically, illustrating the evolution of Polish definitions and concepts of integration in education, since Aleksander Hulek, the creator of Polish concept in 70's.

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