Past, Present and Future of Chinese Education in Malaysia: A Literature Review

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This literature review examines the historical evolution, contemporary structures, and future directions of Chinese education in Malaysia within the broader Southeast Asian context. Historically, Malaysian Chinese education developed under colonial governance and transnational networks connecting Southeast Asian diaspora communities with China, creating a unique educational trajectory distinct from neighboring countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand. Following independence, nation-building policies, including the Razak Report (1956) and subsequent education ordinances, enabled Chinese primary schools to integrate into the national education system, while Chinese secondary education largely persisted as privately funded independent schools supported by community contributions. In the contemporary period, Chinese education faces multiple challenges, including teacher shortages, funding inequities, curriculum adaptation to multilingual classrooms, and the integration of digital technologies. Significant research gaps remain in teacher-centered studies, technological innovation, and strategies to balance cultural preservation with intercultural cohesion. Future directions highlight the need for evidence-based policymaking, formal recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), and human-centered approaches to ensure institutional sustainability, educational quality, and social inclusivity across Malaysia’s pluralistic society.

Exploring Connections in Co-curricular Activities and Students’ Holistic Development: A Case Study of a High School in Ghana

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Co-curricular programs are increasingly recognized as essential for educating the “whole child,” yet empirical research on how they promote holistic development in Ghanaian schools remains limited. This study investigates the impact of co-curricular activities on students’ cognitive, psychomotor, and affective development at a high school in Ghana. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Systems Theory, qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted in focus groups and individually, classroom and club observations were conducted, and audio transcripts, field notes, and photographs were created. The data were analyzed thematically. Findings reveal a vibrant ecosystem of 21 co-curricular clubs and activities officially integrated into the school timetable and curriculum. Students expressed high interest and engagement, often joining multiple clubs, leading to immersive Head, Hand, and Heart learning experiences. Participants reported that involvement in co-curricular activities enhanced students’ critical thinking, practical skills, leadership qualities, and personal values. The school’s ecosystem of supportive relationships and activities at micro- and mesosystem levels created proximal processes that fostered holistic growth. Practical implications include scheduling dedicated time for co-curricular activities, providing resources such as materials, funding, and transportation for clubs, and training educators to facilitate experiential learning.

Intellectual Capital and Corporate Governance Mechanisms Impact on Firm Value: Evidence from Listed Non-Financial Firms in Nigeria

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This study examines the effect of intellectual capital and corporate governance on the firm value of listed non-financial companies in Nigeria over the period 2014–2023. Anchored on the Knowledge-Based View and Agency Theory, the study employs panel data from 56 firms listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group and applies fixed effects regression techniques to control for unobservable firm-specific heterogeneity. Intellectual capital is measured using the Value Added Intellectual Coefficient (VAIC) framework, decomposed into human capital efficiency, structural capital efficiency, and relational capital efficiency, while firm value is proxied by Tobin’s Q. Corporate governance mechanisms include board size, board independence, board meetings, board financial expertise, gender diversity, and ownership concentration. The results reveal that intellectual capital, particularly human capital efficiency, exerts a positive and statistically significant effect on firm value, underscoring the strategic importance of knowledge-based resources in emerging economies. Relational capital exhibits a weak positive effect, while structural capital is insignificant. Among governance mechanisms, board gender diversity is the only attribute with a positive and significant influence on firm value. The findings suggest that intellectual capital and inclusive governance structures play complementary roles in enhancing firm valuation. The study contributes to the limited Nigerian literature by providing long-term empirical evidence on the joint impact of intellectual capital and corporate governance on firm value and offers policy-relevant insights for regulators, managers, and investors.

From Existential Descent to Spiritual Renewal: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Near-Death Survivors and Their Caregivers

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This qualitative study utilized Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the lived experiences and meaning-making processes of 10 COVID-19 survivors and 6 caregivers in the Philippines. In-depth interviews focused on their multidimensional experiences during acute illness, including hospitalization, intubation, and hemoperfusion, and their subsequent journey of coping and post-crisis growth. The findings reveal that participants achieved resilience through a multifaceted process of recovery spanning physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual dimensions. In this context, resilience is defined as the robust capacity to not only recover from the physiological impact of the virus but also to adapt to the extended social and emotional consequences, such as isolation, profound loss, and stigma. Critically, the study identifies that this resilience is fundamentally anchored in spiritual connections, successful meaning-making, and the ability to emerge with a “Life of Significance”. The research concludes that fostering resilience is a holistic endeavor, demanding adequate social support and resources for both survivors and caregivers. This study contributes to the field of palliative care by emphasizing the need to address holistic spiritual, psychosocial, and physical needs throughout the illness and recovery trajectory.

Between Discourse and Practice: Regenerative Pedagogy in Future-Oriented Social Science Education

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This study examined how regenerative pedagogy is enacted in social science general education and explored the tensions between future-oriented teaching discourse and actual classroom practices. Anchored in global calls for transformative and sustainability-oriented education, the study focused on how instructors interpret and implement regenerative pedagogical principles in everyday teaching. Using a qualitative design, the study drew on semi-structured interviews with social science instructors from a public higher education institution. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis across five domains of regenerative pedagogy: course design, classroom practices, sustainability integration, creative strategies, and reflective teaching practices. The findings reveal that while instructors express strong support for future-oriented, participatory, and sustainability-focused education, their classroom practices remain largely content-driven, assessment-oriented, and compliance-based. Regenerative elements are present but uneven, often emerging as optional creative tasks, localized dialogic moments, or informal reflective adjustments rather than as integral components of course design and assessment. Institutional constraints, heavy content requirements, administrative workload, and student readiness challenges further limit the consistent application of regenerative pedagogy. The study identifies a persistent discourse–practice gap in future-oriented social science education and argues that regenerative pedagogy operates along a spectrum of enactment rather than as a fixed condition. The findings highlight the need for greater alignment between pedagogical ideals, assessment systems, and institutional structures to support the systemic development of regenerative and future-oriented teaching practices.

Implementation of 4FTERMATH: Four Fundamental Training, Engagement, and Remediation in Mathematics: Input on Localized Teaching Materials in Mathematics

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Teaching the four fundamental operations—addition, subtraction, multiplication, and divisions are essential in building a strong mathematical foundation for elementary learners. These operations serve as the cornerstone for understanding more complex mathematical concepts and real-life problem-solving situations. By mastering these skills, students enhance their logical thinking, numerical fluency, and ability to make connections across various subjects. Incorporating interactive, inquiry-based, and reflective learning approaches ensures engagement and fosters deep understanding. Ultimately, equipping students with these fundamental skills empowers them to approach everyday challenges with confidence and precision. The study was conducted to intervene the learners with poor academic performance in Mathematics. It was conducted within the bounds of Southville VI Elementary School for the school year 2023-2024. The main objective of the project is to increase academic performance from satisfactory to at least satisfactory mastery level in Math, decrease drop-out rate, increase percentage of attendance, enhance learners’ motivation and focus on learning amidst pandemic, develop intervention materials, share best teaching practices in intermediate level, and rebuild and sustain partnership between the school and community. The respondents were grade four pupils, and they were identified based on the first and second quarterly performance. It was found out that the respondents have at risk learners in Mathematics. Researchers conducted further investigations on the performance of the grade level in Mathematics for the first and second quarters of the school year. Thus, questionnaires were utilized. It was validated by the experts in the field to assure the quality, accuracy, and relevant to the level of the respondents. Furthermore, Project 4FTERMATH has had significant effect for the last six months as seen in the 66 percent as MPS on the post-test result with an increase of 0.48 percent compared to the pre-test results. The significant increase has contributed to the total performance of the grade level performance in Mathematics. The study implies that conducting this kind of intervention in addressing the learners’ gap in mathematics has made an impact in the performance level in grade level and in school.

Touch-Me-Math Teaching Technique Strategies in Selected Kindergarten Pupils

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Numeracy is one of the fundamental skills that a learner must develop. Being numerate can help every person to be confident and use it in everyday living. Department of Education (DepEd) as well as the school develop project and aims that every learner must be numerates. However, In Kindergarten it should be taught at early age to become confident in solving basic Math problems into complex as they step to another grade level.  The basis of this study is to identify the learners who are struggling in identifying and recognizing numbers from 0-10 and their corresponding value. Related to such, the researchers pursue the causes of the problem through the help of TOUCH-ME- MATH. Therefore, the study focuses on the pupils’ needs to fill in the gap of pupils’ performance, particularly in Math for third and fourth quarter.  The study utilized an experimental quantitative design. Pre- and Post-Assessment were administered to compare the performance of the kindergarten pupils and provided proposed comprehensive interventions cited above. The result shows that the intervention made was effective as seen in the increase of pupil performance from below satisfactory to a satisfactory level. Hence the increase of localized teaching materials contributed to the school Learning Resource and Management Development System (LRMDS). The study emphasizes the unified comprehensive intervention for academically challenged pupils significant to the success of the study.

Teachers’ Intervention Activities: An Input for Project Care (Community Assistance in Reaching Everyone)

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Project CARE (Community Assistance in Reaching Everyone) in the implementation of new normal basic education in the Elementary Schools of Cluster 9, division of Calamba City utilized a narrative qualitative design. The researchers used coding and verbatim to organize and come up with relevant themes from the testimonies of the participants and organized participants’ reflections on the pupils’ performance and the interventions conducted by the selected teachers in the elementary schools of Cluster 9, Division of Calamba City school year 2022-2023. as to determine the theme immerged with such. The results showed that the intervention used by the respondent affects the recipients of the projects or interventions such as a) home visitation, b) localized videos and c) crafted supplemental activities. The effectiveness of the result was determined through a0 quarterly grade, b) distribution and retrieval of the assessment and c) School Programs and Projects (PPAs) involvement.

The study implied that the importance of interventions utilized by the teachers inside the classroom has a positive effect to the pupil’s performance. The said intervention formulates a huge impact on the learning of every learner. The study tackles how localized crafted materials help the learners enhance their knowledge, especially in reading and numeracy skills as one of the fundamental skills that pupils learn and considered considered as life skills.

Intervention Plan to Enhance Learning Outcomes in MAPEH Among Grade 5 Learners

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Intervention plan in e implementation in Grade 5learners among clustr7, division of Calamba City utilized quantitative correlational design to examine the relationship between selected factor in MAPEH performance of grade 5 pupils in the public elementary school. The result showed that the intervention plan used by the selected teachers and learners in Cluster 7 of Calamba City Division  as to determine the theme emerged with such  The results showed that the intervention plan used by the respondent affects the recipients of the study. The development of a contextualized instructional toolkit is not just a response to a teaching challenge—it is a step toward more inclusive and responsive education. By grounding materials in the learners’ own experiences, the toolkit aims to foster deeper understanding, stronger engagement, and improved learning outcomes. This study seeks to create and validate such a toolkit, ensuring that it is practical, adaptable, and truly reflective of the needs of public school learners and teachers

The study implied that the importance of interventions utilized by the teachers inside the classroom has a positive effect to the pupil’s and teacher’s performance. The said intervention formulates a huge impact on the learning of every learner. The study support teachers by providing ready-to-use contextualize materials that align with both the curriculum and the local context that could bridge the gap between prescribed content and actual classroom realities Such a toolkit would offer lesson plans, activities, and guides that reflect the learners’ environment, making instruction more relatable and effective.

AI-Enabled Intelligent Dual-Teacher Model for English Instruction: A Theoretical Framework and Practical Application

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With the continuous advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, a growing number of AI-enabled tools and systems aligned with pedagogical needs have emerged, substantially expanding the scope of AI applications in the educational domain. This development has not only driven the evolution of related technologies and industries but has also created new possibilities for the integration of the intelligent dual-teacher model with deep and high-quality instruction. Against the backdrop of the ongoing transition from the “Internet+” paradigm to the “Artificial Intelligence+” paradigm, technological innovations in AI are exerting a profound and transformative influence on contemporary teaching environments and instructional practices. Looking ahead, education is increasingly required to operate in close synergy with AI technologies and to explore innovative models of intelligent dual-teacher classroom instruction. Focusing on the English subject, this study investigates the construction of an AI-enabled intelligent dual-teacher classroom model, with the aim of fully leveraging the complementary instructional strengths of human teachers and AI systems. It is expected that this model will inject new momentum into educational reform and development, facilitate the implementation of personalized instruction, and ultimately promote students’ holistic development.