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The aim of this study was to measure the level of challenges faced by novice teachers in South Africa. Findings suggest a need for professional development courses to upskill teachers with effective pedagogies that can incorporate the social and emotional components into teaching and learning.

This study applied a descriptive research methodology by administering a questionnaire to 143 novice teachers. The data analysis technique was the Rasch model.

The findings indicated high item and person reliability, with a good item fit and polarity values that are compatible with the Rasch model. The three major challenges identified are uninvolved parents, discipline problems and a lack of guidance and counselling. These challenges can be related to social and emotional learning (SEL) components.

The study used quantitative methods and discovered the challenges that novice teachers face. If the research uses a combination of qualitative methods, it will be possible to better identify the specific causes of the above three challenges of novice teachers.

Due to the complex nature of South African society, many novice teachers are overwhelmed by the challenges they face when entering the profession. These challenges are often embedded in societal risk factors, which complicate the transition from student teacher to novice teacher. The major challenges identified in this study can be related to SEL components, as the challenges are closely linked to the psychological and social backgrounds of the students. Teachers in this study indicated that they found it difficult to deal with these challenges at the beginning of their careers.

By identifying the challenges facing new teachers in South Africa, they will be better prepared for their work in schools. Therefore, they will improve the above situation to continue developing professionally.

The findings indicated high item and person reliability, with a good item fit and polarity values that are compatible with the Rasch model. Teachers in this study indicated that they found it difficult to deal with these challenges in the beginning of their careers. Professional development courses are suggested to help teachers deal with issues such as discipline, uninvolved parents and guidance and counselling effectively. Higher education programmes should also include these topics in their curricula for student teachers. A greater emphasis on training teachers in their pastoral roles is suggested.

This paper aims to determine the optimum set of temperatures through correlation study to attain the most effective capillary flow of underfill in a multi-stack ball grid array (BGA) chip device.

Finite volume method is implemented in the simulation. A three-layer multi-stack BGA is modeled to simulate the underfill flow. The simulated models were well validated with the previous experimental work on underfill process.

The completion filling time shows high regression R-squared value of up to 0.9918, which indicates a substantial acceleration on the underfill process because of incorporation of thermal delta. An introduction of 11 °C thermal delta to the multi-stacks BGA managed to reduce the filling time by up to 16.4%.

Temperature-induced capillary flow is a relatively new type of driven underfill designed specifically for package on package BGA components. Its simple implementation can further improve the productivity of existing underfill process in the industry that is desirable in reducing the process lead time.

The effect of temperature-induced capillary flow in underfill encapsulation on multi-stacks BGA by means of statistical correlation study is a relatively new topic, which has never been reported in any other research according to the authors’ knowledge.

Systematic reviews have contributed substantially to the development of knowledge in various academic fields and have helped discover new research potentials in a systematic manner. Specifically, this study aims to conduct a systematic bibliometric review to address ethical issues across the halal food supply chain (HFSC), as well as to identify the ethical challenges that food handlers face in ensuring authenticity, compliance with Shariah law and avoidance of contamination with non-halal ingredients in halal food products.

A bibliometric approach was used to analyse 263 publications from the Scopus database. The present research analysed the documents’ bibliographical data based on publication year, source title, country of origin, institution, authorship, keywords and citation count. The VOSviewer software was applied to perform citation and co-word analysis, as well as to construct bibliometric networks centred on the topic of ethical issues in the HFSC. This bibliometric review provides valuable insights for researchers to identify key publications and comprehend the foundational structure of the subject matter. It also helps guide future research into significant trends and new areas of study.

Citation analysis provides valuable insights into influential publications and the interconnectedness of research on HFSC. A co-word analysis revealed that discussions on ethics and integrity in the HFSC primarily revolved around the concept of halal and its implications, particularly in supply chain management. However, the limited frequency and prominence of these keywords suggests a scarcity of academic discourse on ethical matters in this field. Moreover, ethical considerations not only serve as a critical aspect of ensuring halal integrity but also emerge as a strategic imperative in marketing, brand management and the operation of global businesses.

This study addresses the need to examine the knowledge gap in the literature on ethical practices and issues in HFSC. Although there is a significant amount of academic writing in the halal context, there is a scarcity of research that specifically focuses on the ethical aspects of HFSC. This study also offers a framework for investigating the ethical practices and issues in HFSC.

The provision of meals has long been regarded as an essential part of treatment of hospitalized patients complementing medical procedures and nursing management. Today, despite changes in the health-care landscape, which focused on improving the quality and efficiency of hospital care, malnutrition among inpatient was still a common worldwide concern.

This was a multi-centre, randomized study conducted in 21 study sites comprising 21 state and specialist government hospitals under the Ministry of Health, Malaysia. The sample size for this study was calculated with purposive sampling method, followed by proportionate sampling to determine the random sample size of each of the study sites. The total sample size required for this study was 2,759 subjects. A validated data collection form was used in the study.

Only 32.2 % and 37.6 % of subjects achieved adequate energy and protein intake, respectively, during their admission to medical ward. The study result showed that the overall mean energy and protein intake was 794.6 ± 487.8 kcal and 35.2 ± 24.3 g, respectively. The estimated energy (p = 0.001) and protein (p = 0.001) intake of all study sites was significantly lower compared to the adequacy value.

The adequacy intake in this study was only carried out in medical wards, thus reproducible result among other wards in different study sites could not be confirmed. Besides, this study assumed that the portion eaten by subjects during lunch and dinner was the same, and therefore, either one was recorded together with breakfast and either lunch or dinner to represent a subject’s daily intake.

This was the first nationwide study to report the adequacy of energy and protein intake of patients receiving therapeutic diets in the government hospital setting in Malaysia.

This paper aims to formulate a conceptual framework that will facilitate the actualization of maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah in product design and consumption within Islamic financial institutions (IFIs).

This paper relies on the classical and contemporary literature on maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah and Islamic finance and adopts a qualitative content analysis method and an inductive approach to outline the constituent elements that formulate the framework.

This study determines six vital constituents of maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah, namely, parameters of maqāṣid, particular objectives, appropriate means, micro provisions, level of need and legal maxims to develop a conceptual framework of actualizing maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah in Islamic finance. The framework covers the following three stages: identification of maqāṣid, operationalization of maqāṣid in product design and consumption based on maqāṣid.

This paper proposes a conceptual framework without investigating the practice of any particular industry or products. Further research would focus on formulating a practical framework based on a focus group discussion with industry experts, elaborating the parameters of maqāṣid, scrutinizing the maqāṣid available in the literature by the parameters of maqāṣid and assessing the IFIs’ products and services using the proposed framework.

This paper provides insights into the importance of maqāṣid elements and the effects of overlooking them on IFIs and customers’ product consumption. Furthermore, a major implication of the proposed framework is to learn how to use the maqāṣid approach as the baseline for designing new financial products.

The novelty of this paper lies in its pioneering attempt of harmonizing all essential maqāṣid elements and using them as constituents to formulate a comprehensive framework that actualizes maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah in the Islamic finance industry.

This paper aims to investigate the relationships between key mediators, namely, Muslim-friendly context and the intention of tourists to revisit edu-tourism destinations in Terengganu.

The study engages tourists and visitors who have explored seven distinct edu-tourism destinations, with a total sample size of 384 participants. Data analysis is conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and Analysis of Moment Structures for structural equation modeling.

Findings indicate that Muslim-friendly does not mediate the relationship between tourism operators, events and investment concerning tourists revisiting Terengganu. However, it plays a significant mediating role between local communities, educational institutions and tourism organizations.

Despite valuable insights, limitations arose due to a lack of Terengganu-specific literature on Muslim-friendliness in edu-tourism, leading to reliance on studies about Sharia-compliant hotels, the broader tourism industry and Islamic tourism.

The thriving halal tourism industry’s growth has heightened awareness of Muslim-friendly destinations, like Terengganu. The state actively promotes diverse halal services for Muslim travelers, encouraging operators to prioritize Sharia-compliant facilities. Strategic marketing and government support for Sharia-compliant edu-tourism investments aim at fostering economic growth and ensuring sustainability.

Social implications stress the need for inclusivity and cultural sensitivity in Terengganu’s tourism. Prioritizing Muslim-friendly services not only boosts economic growth but also fosters an inclusive and welcoming environment for diverse travelers. Government support for Sharia-compliant edu-tourism investments aligns development with cultural and religious values, promoting a harmonious and inclusive society.

This research explores Terengganu’s innovative edu-tourism approach, prioritizing Muslim-friendly services for diverse travelers. By emphasizing Sharia-compliant facilities and investments, the region aims to foster economic growth and create an inclusive cultural environment.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors that affect sustainability of internet usage by Malay youth in Kota Bharu, a rural town in the north east of peninsular Malaysia.

The study used survey research for obtaining data. Some 225 respondents were sampled from the young Malay internet users in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. They were interviewed using a standard questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were used to analyse the data. The descriptive statistics included frequency, percentages, means and standard deviation while the inferential statistics included reliability test, computed means and multiple regression.

From the results there is sustainability of internet usage among Malay youth. As far as factors that have positive effects on sustainability of internet usage is concerned, the results of the study showed that interpersonal and social network and perceived and realized benefits have significant positive effects on sustainability of internet usage by Malay youth. The results also showed that issues relating to security concerns and interruptions have significant negative effect on the sustainability of internet usage by Malay youth.

Sustainability of usage has practical implications on the implementation of innovations, especially the internet and ICT related projects.

The paper is the first of its kind on sustainability of internet usage, especially among Malay youth. It contributes to the innovation diffusion process by including sustainability. It determines and measures sustainability.

This paper focuses on the reliability of the solder joint after the self-alignment phenomenon during reflow soldering. The aim of this study is to analyse the joint quality of the self-alignment assemblies of SnAg alloy solder joints with varying silver content.

The shear strength assessment was conducted in accordance with the JIS Z3 198-7 standard. The standard visual inspection of IPC-A-610G was also performed to inspect the self-alignment features of the solder joint samples. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine the probabilistic relationship of shear strength of the misalignment components.

The results from the mechanical reliability study indicate that there were decreasing trends in the shear strength value as misalignment offset increased. For shift mode configuration in the range of 0-300 µm, the resulting chip assembly inspection after the reflow process was in line with the IPC-A-610G standard. The statistical analysis shows that the solder type variation was insignificant to the shear strength of the chip resistor. The study concluded that the fracture occurred partially in the termination metallization at the lower part of the chip resistor. The copper content of the joint on that area shows that the crack occurred in the solder joint, and high silver content on the selected zone indicated that the fracture happened partially in the termination structure, as the termination structure of the lead-free chip resistor consists of an inner layer of silver and an outer layer of tin.

This study’s findings provide valuable guidelines and references to engineers and integrated circuit designers during the reflow soldering process in the microelectronics industry.

Studies on the effect of component misalignment on joint mechanical reliability are still limited, and studies on solder joint reliability involving the effect of differing contents of silver on varying chip component offset are rarely reported. Thus, this study is important to effectively bridge the research gap and yield appropriate guidelines in the potential industry.

Employee engagement has been identified as a prevalent issue affecting higher education institutions, particularly since the emergence of COVID-19. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the factors contributing to employee engagement in Islamic higher education institutions in the context of Malaysia.

A quantitative research design was used for this study, and a survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 340 staff members of Islamic higher education institutions in Malaysia. The proposed hypotheses underwent testing through the statistical technique of structural equation modelling, using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) and analysis of moment structures (AMOS).

The results indicate that training and development, trustworthiness, workplace spirituality, reward and recognition, management support and job autonomy significantly contribute to employee engagement in Islamic higher education institutions in Malaysia.

This study is limited to the staff of Islamic higher education institutions in Malaysia. A comparative cross-cultural research approach may be preferred for a more comprehensive understanding. Therefore, future researchers are encouraged to consider this limitation when investigating the factors contributing to employee engagement in Islamic higher education institutions, particularly to confirm the cogency of our findings.

The findings provide valuable insights into the workforce factors that play key roles in developing a highly engaged workforce in Islamic higher education institutions. This study contributes to the enrichment of the literature in this specific area of study.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the return and dividend characteristics of two different types of Malaysian real estate investment trust (REIT) series, namely, conventional and Islamic, against macroeconomic variables over the period 2011-2017.

The required data are derived from Datastream database. Multiple regression analysis is used to determine the impact of macroeconomic variables on financial performance of 13 Malaysian REIT series.

Results show that the macroeconomic variables are able to predict future returns and dividends of Malaysian REITs. The analysis also suggests that Islamic REITs are seen to be less sensitive to macroeconomic variables and display better portfolio diversification benefits as compared to their conventional counterpart. The ongoing implications for large-cap and small-cap REITs are also highlighted.

The main limitation of the study is the small percentage of Islamic REITs sample due to limited period of observation available. However, the two Islamic REITs included are representative of Islamic REITs in Malaysia as both of them are listed in the Bursa Malaysia with asset size and market capitalization values more than RM1bn.

The results of this study may serve as a useful input for financial market players on making strategic business decisions especially with regards to differences between conventional and Islamic REITs characteristics.

The main contribution of this paper is to explore the relationship between REITs and macroeconomic factors on a unique capital market (Malaysia) that allows comparison between conventional and its Islamic counterpart.