Gading Journal for the Social Sciences (e-ISSN 2600-7568)

Exploring the Benefits of Fieldwork Courses in the Plantation Management Programme:

Nurul Hidayah Mohd Khairlani — 2026-01-31

FFieldwork is an active learning approach that plays a vital role in numerous academic programmes. It provides practical, hands-on experiences that prepare students for real-world professional environments. This research aimed to investigate the benefits of fieldwork courses and their impact on the learning experiences and academic performance of undergraduate students enrolled in the Plantation Management Programme at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). This study employed quantitative research utilising a survey method. A series of questionnaires was randomly distributed via Google Forms, with responses received from 105 students. Statistical analyses, including descriptive, reliability, and regression analyses, were conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 28 to interpret the gathered data. The study findings reveal that respondents strongly agreed on the benefits of fieldwork, particularly in experiential learning (µ = 4.448), skill development (µ = 4.391), and teamwork and collaboration skills (µ = 4.438). Regression analysis indicated a significant impact on the development of teamwork and collaboration skills (p < 0.001). The study confirms that the benefits gained from fieldwork courses include experiential learning exposure, enhanced skill development, and improved teamwork and collaboration skills.

Practising Transition Signals through LINK-IT:

Che Nooryohana Zulkifli — 2026-01-31

This mixed-methods classroom study evaluates LINK-IT, a tabletop board game for practising English transition signals, focusing on learner engagement, design usability, and refinement priorities. Forty students played the game in small groups during regular class time and subsequently completed a brief post-use questionnaire containing Likert-scale items and two open-ended prompts. Quantitative responses indicated strong motivation, enjoyment, and sustained attention during play, while perceptions of rule clarity and overall usability were positive. Qualitative or thematic analysis of students’ written comments reinforced these results, highlighting novelty, social interaction, and suspense as key drivers of engagement. Students also identified areas for enhancing learning value, including clearer onboarding, more transparent mechanics, and a more deliberate progression of challenge. The discussion integrates both data strands to propose a practical refinement plan that introduces a short demo round and quick-start card to reduce cognitive load, a staged bank of items to align difficulty with learner readiness, light decision-making elements to reward knowledge over chance, and brief “apply and justify” prompts to encourage transfer from recognition to production. Although limited to a single cohort and focused on post-use perceptions rather than performance outcomes, the findings suggest that LINK-IT provides a low-tech, high-interaction complement to writing instruction on cohesion, with clear opportunities for iterative improvement.

Civil Society Organisations’ HIV/AIDS Advocacy in Southern Africa:

Clemenciana Mukenge — 2026-01-31

This study evaluates the advocacy efforts of civil society organisations (CSOs) in combating HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa, a region disproportionately affected by the global HIV pandemic. A qualitative systematic review was undertaken to synthesise empirical evidence on CSOs’ contributions, drawing on 25 studies published between 2002 and 2022. The studies were identified through a comprehensive and systematic search of scholarly electronic databases, including Scopus, JSTOR, and Google Scholar, guided by predefined inclusion criteria focusing on CSO-led HIV/AIDS advocacy in Southern Africa. Following the retrieval of 207 records, titles and abstracts were screened, full texts were assessed for eligibility, and relevant data were systematically extracted from the final set of studies. The extracted qualitative data were subjected to an inductive thematic synthesis process, involving coding, categorisation, and manual interpretive analysis, which resulted in the development of five broad themes: community-based initiatives, advocacy and policy influence, partnerships and collaborations, innovative approaches to HIV/AIDS programmeming, and challenges and resilience. The findings establish the pivotal role of CSOs in shaping HIV/AIDS responses across Southern Africa, particularly through grassroots interventions, advocacy, strategic alliances, and innovation. Notably, CSOs have complemented incapacitated health systems and promoted rights-based approaches. However, reduced community-based programmeming and innovation, owing to shifting donor priorities, poses a threat to the progress made in localised HIV/AIDS programmes. To foster sustainable HIV/AIDS responses in Southern Africa, there is need to revitalise community-based programmeming, strengthen advocacy capacity, promote innovation, support CSOs’ partnerships and networks, and address structural challenges. Future studies should include mixed-methods designs to analyse CSOs' HIV/AIDS advocacy efforts in Southern Africa from diverse perspectives, thereby expanding understanding of the complex dynamics of CSOs' advocacy in the region.

Exploring Organisational Power Dynamics as a Moderator between Adaptive Leadership and Employee Empowerment in Bureaucracies

Diana Toh Kah Yien — 2026-01-31

This study examines how adaptive leadership fosters employee empowerment in the Sarawak Civil Service (SCS), with a focus on the moderating influence of organisational power dynamics. Guided by Adaptive Leadership Theory, Spreitzer’s Psychological Empowerment Model, and the construct of Perceived Supervisor Social Power (PSSP), the research examines leadership effectiveness in hierarchical yet decentralised public organisations. A positivist approach shaped the design, drawing on survey data from 199 mid-level managers, preceded by a pre-test with 30 respondents. Validated instruments, including the Adaptive Leadership Behaviour Scale, Psychological Empowerment Scale, and PSSP Scale, ensured measurement reliability. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 29.0 for descriptive statistics and SmartPLS 4.0 for structural modelling. Results demonstrate that adaptive leadership significantly enhances empowerment, strengthening effects when supervisors are perceived as holding substantial informal power. Organisational power dynamics thus play a pivotal role in shaping how leadership behaviour translates into psychological empowerment. The study contributes to public sector leadership scholarship by situating empowerment within Malaysia’s bureaucratic and cultural landscape, while offering practical implications for leadership development initiatives in the SCS, particularly in advancing managerial autonomy and distributed decision-making.

Servant Leadership and Innovative Work Behaviour:

Mohamad Nasaruddin Mahdzir — 2026-01-31

Innovative work behaviour (IWB) is crucial for organisational adaptation; nevertheless, current research is conceptually disjointed, especially concerning the dimensionality of IWB and the methods by which leadership fosters innovation. The principal objective of this study is to establish a cohesive, theory-based framework that elucidates how servant leadership promotes enduring innovative work behaviour through processes of resource production, incentive, and resource transfer. Utilising Servant Leadership Theory and Conservation of Resources Theory, the study defines servant leaders as essential facilitators of innovation by creating pathways for resources that safeguard, activate, and restore psychological, social, and structural assets. To improve explanatory capacity, the framework is supplemented by Social Exchange Theory, the Job Demands–Resources model, and Self-Determination Theory, which together clarify the mechanisms by which leadership-generated resources are reciprocated, internalised, and transformed into sustained innovative behaviour. The paper employs a narrative critical review methodology to synthesise current literature, elucidate definitional difficulties related to IWB, reconcile conflicts between resource conservation and investment, and define processes of empathy-driven resource crossing. The analysis additionally reveals contextual factors, such as organisational culture and environmental volatility that influence the efficacy of leadership-driven innovation. This study enhances theoretical clarity by refining classifications of innovation-related resources and elucidating resource flows facilitated by leaders, providing practical guidance for institutionalising servant leadership practices that foster resilient, resource-abundant environments conducive to sustaining innovation and long-term competitive advantage.

A Scientometric Study:

Musramaini Mustapha — 2026-01-31

This article analyses legal officers' responsibilities and duties in the context of protecting citizens' rights, notably in cases of public abuse and misuse of power. Legal officers, who are entrusted with upholding the rule of law, play an important role in protecting citizens' rights. However, frequent examples of misconduct and abuse of power on the part of these officers raise serious concerns about the impartiality of the legal process and the sufficiency of protection conferred by law to the citizens. Thus, this study highlights some trends related to the issues based on this empirical finding. This article surveys the trends of academic articles on this topic, focusing on the year of publication, country of prolific publishing, productive department affiliations, productive publishers, and productive research areas using Excell for descriptive analysis and Citespace for Scientometric analysis. UiTM's Faculty of Law and Uppsala University's Disciplinary Domain of Constitutional law and business economics are among the research areas that have contributed immensely to this discourse. In addition, the protection of the fundamental rights of citizens is also featured as a significant issue. This study also reflects on various academic outputs captured in the Web of Science (WOS) database. This study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive Scientometric analysis of research trends on legal officer misconduct, abuse of power, and citizens' rights. The bibliometric techniques identify key research clusters and offer valuable insights to scholars and policymakers by identifying and discussing gaps from the academic framework.

Analysing Socioeconomic Patterns through Income Disparities among B40 Households

Fatin Athirah Mohd Fazi — 2026-01-31

TThis study analyses socioeconomic patterns through income disparities, offering a comprehensive overview of three critical factors: household income, size and composition, and consumption and expenditures. Apparently, the decline in average consumer spending due to job losses and reduced income levels is further exacerbated by the increased cost of living which has intensified financial pressures causing people to struggle financially. Considering the persistent income gap, B40 households are vulnerable to financial instability arising from low incomes, economic uncertainty, and a lack of resources that significantly limit their ability to afford basic needs and save for emergencies. Subsequently, the provision of essentials for household dependents is largely determined by household income. Nevertheless, household size and composition with the presence of multiple dependents substantially influence resource allocation and expenditure priorities. Following a comprehensive database search, this study employs Scopus AI to perform an extensive analysis of the academic publications, applying methods such as descriptions and concept maps. The findings shed light on the disparities between higher-income and lower-income households. Addressing income inequality and allocating household resources efficiently could enhance the financial resilience of B40 households, promoting stronger economic stability and progress towards sustainable development goals.

Operational Excellence through an Evaluation of a Complaint Management System:

Hayati Abd Rahman — 2026-01-31

Effective complaint management systems are increasingly recognised as critical enablers of operational excellence in higher education institutions. However, empirical evaluations of such systems within university settings remain limited. This study evaluates the performance and governance effectiveness of UiTM’s e-Aduan system as the university’s centralised digital platform for recording, monitoring, and resolving complaints. The study aims to assess how the system contributes to service responsiveness, resolution efficiency, and institutional accountability. Using a three-year dataset (2023–2025), the analysis examines complaint volumes, closure rates, and response timeliness, supplemented by workflow documentation, dashboard analytics, governance records of 242 moderators across 87 departments, and both internal and external audit reports. The findings indicate a steady improvement in service performance, with complaint resolution rates rising from 81% in 2023 to over 90% in 2025, alongside consistent outcomes across departments. These results suggest that a well-structured and systematically governed complaint management system strengthens transparency, enhances organisational performance, and supports the pursuit of operational excellence in university administration. This study contributes to the limited literature on digital complaint management in higher education and offers practical insights for institutions seeking to improve service quality and stakeholder trust through data-driven governance mechanisms.

A Contextual Framework for Soft Skills Development among Novice Teachers in the Maldives

Hidaya Mohamed Zahir — 2026-01-31

The professional growth of teachers serves as a key mechanism to drive curriculum transformation and pedagogical methods which develop student abilities in soft skills such as communication, teamwork, adaptability, and critical thinking. The research presented here is an evidence-based framework to enhance novice secondary school teachers' delivery of such soft skills education. As a small island developing state (SIDS), the Maldives, experiences significant teacher attrition rates in secondary education due to teacher dissatisfaction and burn out, which could be alleviated through gaining the relevant soft skills.

The proposed framework combines international teaching methods from Finland, Singapore, and Australia with local solutions to manage the challenges of insufficient mentorship and restricted professional development opportunities. The novelty of the proposed framework lies in combining interactive strategies, reflective practices, and structured mentorship into an integrated model tailored to under-resourced contexts. The framework will be implemented through four sequential phases: (1) qualitative needs assessment, (2) framework co-design and development, (3) pilot testing and empirical validation, and (4) iterative refinement, using Design Based Research (DBR) principles, and a pragmatic paradigm. It is expected to increase novice teachers' confidence in integrating collaboration, communication, and emotional intelligence in their teaching methods, while also enhancing student participation through project-based and interactive learning methods.

Analysis of Infectious Diseases Cases Escalation among Tertiary Students:

Sharifah Norhuda Syed Wahid — 2026-02-02

TInfectious disease pandemics, such as influenza and COVID-19, have raised significant global concern and anxiety. The transmission of infectious diseases among students and staff in higher education institutions has also shown a concerning trend. Consequently, the primary objective of this study is to identify the factors contributing to the occurrence of infectious disease cases among students using a logistic regression analysis. A total of 62 students from a selected higher learning institution who tested positive for the COVID-19 infectious disease were selected as respondents. The findings revealed that most students adhered to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with a high compliance rate, ranging from 61% to 95%. However, the lifestyle practices of students while residing in college and attending classes were found to be unhealthy, with the majority exhibiting poor habits ranging from 58% to 97%. Besides, the factors influencing the rise in infectious disease cases include the time taken by students to report symptoms to the health unit, the number of self-tests conducted, and the frequency of student participation in college activities. Additionally, the present study found that the surge in cases was most pronounced during the study week and examination period, with many of the cases being attributed to sporadic transmission. Considering these findings, it is imperative that the monitoring of SOP compliance among students is enhanced, particularly during periods when an increase in cases is anticipated. Furthermore, it is recommended that specific guidelines on SOP adherence and the procedures that students must follow be established to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases.

The Students’ Perspectives on Ethical Concerns in Metaverse:

Aidrina Mohamed Sofiadin — 2026-02-02

With the rapid expansion of the Metaverse, e-commerce has undergone transformative changes, offering immersive shopping experiences. This technological evolution, however, brings forth a range of ethical concerns. This study examines the perspectives of students on these ethical issues within metaverse e-commerce, utilising focus group discussions as the primary research method. 38 participants from the e-commerce course engaged in discussions that revealed several key concerns. Among these are issues related to privacy and data security, with students expressing fears about personal information misuse and inadequately protected digital identities. Additionally, the focus group identified the need for greater transparency and accountability from e-commerce platforms operating in the Metaverse. Participants suggested developing ethical guidelines and regulatory measures to protect consumers from ethical infringements, emphasising the role of education in equipping users with the skills to navigate these virtual spaces responsibly. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on the ethical dimensions of emerging digital environments. Highlighting the students’ concerns and recommendations underscores the need for guidelines to ensure that metaverse e-commerce develops in an ethically responsible manner.