Master of Arts

In recent years, more students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) have been enrolled in universities. These students may have a dilemma of whether to disclose their diagnosis to their peers. Current literature tends to focus on understanding these students’ experiences of disclosing to their peers or educational institutions in a qualitative manner. However, there has been limited quantitative research on understanding the factors influencing the students’ decision to disclose to their peers. Using a mixed-method design, this study aimed to explore the relationship between the seven independent factors (i.e., four demographic factors – age, gender, type of invisible SEN, and years since receiving the formal diagnosis, and three psychological factors – stigma, social desirability, and culture), and the quantity (i.e., number of peers they disclose their diagnosis to) and quality (i.e., how much detail is shared during their disclosure) of the disclosure of their SEN diagnosis to their peers.

Before conducting the main study, we conducted a pilot study with 30 students with SEN (mean age = 24.17 years, SD = 2.74) to seek feedback on the suitability and readability of specifically this newly developed scale: SEN Self-Disclosure Scale (SENDS). The newly developed SENDS was then edited and used for the main study. The main study was administered as an online survey where participants completed questionnaires related to the quality of disclosure, stigma, social desirability, and culture. Participants were also asked to provide their qualitative responses related to reasons for disclosure and non-disclosure. Sample consisted of 102 students (mean age = 23.02 years, SD = 2.58) who were formally diagnosed with Specific Learning Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Autism Spectrum Disorder and were enrolled in local autonomous universities in Singapore.

Based on the quantitative responses, the seven predictors were not statistically significant in predicting the number of peers (quantity) to whom the participants disclosed their diagnosis. However, both the demographic predictors, and the psychological predictors (after accounting for the demographic predictors) were statistically significant in predicting the amount of details (quality) that the participants disclosed to their peers. We also found that the type of SEN that the participant was diagnosed with was also an individual predictor that could predict the quality of disclosure.

Based on qualitative responses, we found that themes related to reasons for disclosure of diagnosis included (1) When they trust their peer, (2) For practical reasons, and (3) Part of their identity. Another three themes related to reasons for non-disclosure were (1) Prejudice and Stigma, (2) Don’t see the need to disclose, and (3) Don’t trust their peers. These qualitative responses complemented our quantitative data by providing additional factors or further evidence to the factors we had previously identified.

From the results, several practical implications have been proposed to increase the students’ awareness of the positive outcomes of diagnosis disclosure in higher education setting. By promoting a more inclusive learning environment, students with SEN may feel more comfortable and trusting in their peers, and in turn, may disclose their diagnosis and share their experiences. Possible limitations and future directions for the study were further discussed in this dissertation.

The rise of technologies such as social media websites and Web 2.0 tools has popularized Social Media-assisted Language Learning (SMLL) within the field of Computer-assisted Language Learning (CALL).

SMLL connects interactive social media platforms or applications to language learning, featuring personalization, interactivity, and co-constructed content. It provides students with access to L2 information or content of their interest, facilitating interactive Chinese language learning among students, teachers, native speakers, and peers, thus promoting a communicative approach of "learning through use and using through learning."

This paper conducts a critical analysis by statistically summarizing 31 Chinese language teaching studies under the framework of social media-assisted communicative language teaching. It reviews literature through case studies and research to derive pedagogical recommendations.

The paper comprises six chapters: Chapter 1 introduces the background, significance, research objectives, questions and methods. Chapter 2 outlines definitions and characteristics of communicative language teaching, analyzing the theoretical basis for social media-assisted communicative Chinese language teaching. Chapter 3 details database selection, keyword retrieval strategies, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and literature retrieval methods using CNKI, VIP, and Scopus databases. Chapter 4 involves numbering and statistical analysis of the literature, as well as the creation of summary tables to analyze the proposed research questions. Chapter 5 discusses the research results, identifies the short comings of using social media to support communicative Chinese teaching, and analyzes and summarizes the research questions and development trends. Chapter 6 concludes the study, acknowledging its limitations and suggesting directions for future research.

This research investigated Singapore Primary School Chinese teachers’ differing perceptions towards blended learning and its implication on teachers’ professional development for blended learning. The research employed a phenomenographic research methodology, incorporating a research subject selection questionnaire and semistructured interview to gather data from a diverse sample of teachers teaching in four different Singapore Primary Schools. Data were then sorted according to the factors outlined in the TPAM model.

TPAM is a model that engaged Davis’ (1989) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a foundation to inspect teachers’ perceptions towards blended learning. Within TAM, the factors identified were external variables, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitudes towards using, behavioural intention of use and actual use of the system. The TPAM adapted all these variables and added internal variables as an additional variable. This is because teaching practice often consists of teachers’ subjective reality. Also, TPAM extracted external variables and internal variables to become overarching variables as teaching practice revolved various key stakeholders and is not limited to teachers’ individual selves and teachers’ internal thought processes.

Findings revealed three different categories of teachers and these three categories of teachers showed a hierarchical relationship in terms of their experience of blended learning, in relation to the factors outlined in the (TPAM). It is notable that the hierarchical relationship within each factor is defined independently due to the nature of the various factors.

Additionally, this research also found that the factors within the TPAM were not linearly related. Instead, this research proposed a tiered categorisation of factors. Three tiers of factors that impacted teachers’ implementation of blended learning were delineated. Tier-One factors include teachers’ external variables, internal variables and attitudes towards using blended learning. Tier-Two factors include teachers’ perceived usefulness of blended learning and their implementation intent of blended learning. Tier-Three factors include teachers’ perceived ease of using blended learning. Tier-one factors are factors that have a direct impact on the actual implementation of blended learning and an indirect impact through mediation on three or more other factors. Tier-two factors are factors that have a direct impact through mediation on the actual implementation of blended learning and an indirect impact on two or fewer other factors. Tier three factors are factors that only indirectly impact the actual implementation of blended learning. These factors were consistent with TPAM and provided the basis for the identification of threshold concepts.

The differing understanding of Tier One factors experienced by the three categories of teachers provided a basis for the preliminary identification of threshold concepts. However, further inspection and validation are needed to create a tangible professional development package to address identified threshold concepts.

Dalam sekitaran masyarakat di alam Melayu yang dikuasai budaya sarat patriarki, idea agar wanita yang menggalas peranan dalam pembentukan generasi semasa dan masa hadapan supaya bersifat progresif dan sejahtera merupakan sesuatu yang menyegarkan. Salah sebuah syarikat penerbitan yang membantu dalam penyebaran wacana ini ialah Matba'ah Al-Ahmadiah yang dibangunkan pada 1895 di Singapura oleh kerabat diraja Kesultanan Riau-Lingga. Condong ke arah tradisi Islam dan pengamalan ajaran tasawuf, kumpulan kerabat diraja ini juga terkenal sebagai cendekiawan dan negarawan yang giat menulis karya-karya keagamaan dan kesusasteraan untuk syarikat penerbitan tersebut. Antara para penyumbang karya termasuk beberapa pengarang wanita daripada golongan kerabat diraja ini. Mereka terkenal sebagai penulis yang prolifik dan mempunyai tahap literasi dan intelektual yang tinggi. Ringkasnya, golongan bangsawan ini, baik pengarang lelaki dan wanita, sebagai sebahagian daripada pergerakan reformis Islam pada masa itu, memainkan peranan penting dengan mentakrifkan kewanitaan serta kaitan peranan wanita berdasarkan tuntutan keluarga dan negara, melalui persuratan Melayu pada ketika itu. Wacana dominan mereka berpusat pada konsep wanita dan kewanitaan yang agak berbeza dengan wacana umum. Soalan menarik yang menjadi perhatian tesis ini adalah, sedang pemeliharan status quo dalam bidang politik yang dikuasai lelaki merupakan corak pentadbiran istana demi pemeliharaan kuasa politik sedia ada, apakah yang menyebabkan golongan bangsawan ini yang terdiri daripada penulis lelaki dan wanita cenderung untuk mengubah citra sosial masyarakatnya dan menggalakkan pemerkasaan wanita? Sejauh manakah Matba'ah Al-Ahmadiah memainkan peranan dalam hal ini?

Kajian ini meneroka beberapa karya terpilih tulisan kerabat diraja Kesultanan Riau-Lingga yang diterbitkan oleh Matba'ah Al-Ahmadiah, Singapura, yang berfokus pada wanita, peranan dan cabaran mereka. Sedang analisis teks merangkumi sebahagian kajian ini, ulasan tentang konteks sosio-politik dan budaya yang mempengaruhi wacana ini juga membentuk bahagian penting dalam kajian ini. Karya-karya yang dipilih untuk dikaji ialah lbu di dalam Rumahnya oleh Raja Umar bin Raja Hassan (1926), Kitab Adab Al-Fatah yang diterjemah dan diadaptasikan oleh Raja Badariah binte Raja Tahir (1926), Syair Khadamuddin oleh Raja Aisyah binte Raja Sulaiman (1926) dan Syair Suluh Pegawai oleh Raja Ali Haji (1923). Untuk menganalisis karya-karya ini, kaitan antara beberapa teori dan pendekatan seperti sosiologi ilmu (Sociology of Knowledge) tajaan Karl Mannheim dan beberapa aspek pendekatan feminisme seperti kapital sosial, stratifikasi jantina, identiti dan dinamika emosi akan diserlahkan.

Pada dasarnya, kajian ini mengemukakan konsep wanita dinamis sebagai tunjang masyarakat yang ditonjolkan dalam karya-karya Melayu pilihan pada abad ke-19 bagi menyangkal pemaparan kewanitaan yang lazimnya pasif dalam kebanyakan sastera tradisional Melayu.