ABSTRACT
Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Malaysian government has announced Movement Control Order (MCO) for the safety of the nation. Based on the latest data from UNESCO (2020), this measure has impacted over 7.9 million of learners in Malaysia. Subsequently, teachers in Malaysia are facing challenges to continue providing quality education to students due to the pandemic. Google Classroom was introduced after the termination of Frog VLE in Malaysia. However, the researcher found that implementing Google Classroom via online teaching and learning is ineffective compared to the face-to-face method. Hence, this study aimed to explore why Malaysian teachers face challenges in teaching and learning. The study employed a qualitative study using a semi-structured interview. The participants of this study were five teachers from different secondary schools in Selangor, Malaysia. Purposive sampling was adopted in this study with two criteria. The first criterion is that participants need to have experience in using Google Classroom in teaching and learning regardless of any subjects' while the second is that participants need at least five years of teaching experience in secondary school. As a result, a total of four themes were categorised. This research finding would offer insights to educational stakeholders and school administrators to improve the integration of Google Classroom in teaching and learning. Recommendations were generalisability and suggestions to the future researcher to explore ways to overcome the challenges faced by secondary school teachers. © ICCE 2022.All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, together with globalization and advanced technologies, has drastically changed the business environment and forced companies to become more innovative and agile in the way they run their business and respond to the needs and wants of customers. Survival highly depends on the adaptability of SMEs to this ever-changing complex dynamic environment by taking steps in implementing Big Data Analytics as the next frontier for innovation, competition, productivity, and value creation. Based on the grounded theory, this study employed a qualitative method via focus group discussion. Focus groups were conducted with 14 government agencies, SMEs associations, business owners, Chief Operating Officers (CEOs), academic and industrial experts and directors of SMEs in Malaysia. The study revealed the challenges of Malaysian SMEs in adopting Big Data Analytics Capability, presents the criticality of Big Data Analytics Capability to overcome the identified challenges, and develops a BDA Capability Ecosystem Model that integrates the internal enablers, external barriers and support to explain the adoption of BDA Capability for value creation and support the decision-making process. This paper is followed by some policy suggestions for companies' owners, policymakers, government agencies, universities, and SMEs. This study directly impacts Malaysia's economy as a whole by addressing Malaysia's Shared Prosperity Vision 2030. This research contributes to industries that are still in the low value added category with low adoption of technology. Furthermore, it will ultimately lead to the realization of SMEs as ‘game changers' to transition the economy to a high-income nation. This study proposes a model that could help SMEs improve their value creation performance, directly influencing the country's GDP and employability. © 2022 by the authors.