Isyaku Hassan | Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (original) (raw)

Papers by Isyaku Hassan

Theory and Practice in Language Studies, May 1, 2023

In Malaysia, literary texts produced in English remain a challenging terrain, especially among Ma... more In Malaysia, literary texts produced in English remain a challenging terrain, especially among Malay writers who must cautiously negotiate between their Malay identity, religion, and cultural globalization. For instance, Che Husna Azhari's literary works, especially her notable short story Mariah, have received tremendous scholarly attention recently. Mariah has been criticized from several viewpoints, such as the playwright's conscious self that forms identity and gender. Thus, using a context-oriented approach, this analysis aims to explore how the Malaysian author, Che Husna Azhari, depicts polygamous character traits in Mariah from a feminist perspective. The feminist rendering employed in this analysis could interestingly reveal how a female writer portrays the issue of polygamy. The analysis revealed that through major characters, Azhari boldly depicts Muslim masculinity, polygamous tendencies, and lust toward women, particularly in the Imam's character. Yet, the narrative tends to mirror patriarchy in Malay society for crediting the use of religion to suppress women. This analysis could advance our understanding of how female characters are represented by a female writer within the socio-cultural and religious contexts of typical Malay society. There is a need, therefore, for modern writers to reassess the narratives of women and polygamy in literary works. This step can guide the reader's understanding of polygamy as a hotly-debated topic as well as enlighten the public about the widespread misconceptions about women's issues in society.

Revista on line de Política e Gestão Educacional

The significance of football in promoting health and physical wellbeing has been well described. ... more The significance of football in promoting health and physical wellbeing has been well described. However, football-related injuries are viewed as professional hazards. Thus, research has specified the need for valid conclusions to provide useful information for the prevention and management of football-related injuries. Several imperial analyses of football injuries have been conducted with different designs and dimensions, including media-based analysis as a growing approach. Therefore, this paper reviews media-based studies on football-related injury types, locations, and mechanisms. The outcomes of this review showed that lower extremities, such as knee, ankle, and hamstring, are the most common injuries sustained by football players. Additionally, this review demonstrated that strikers are more prone to injuries compared with midfielders, goalkeepers, and defenders. Interestingly, the findings of media-based studies of football-related injuries concur with most experimental anal...

The prevalent image of Islam in the media moved from being presented as quaint to something else.... more The prevalent image of Islam in the media moved from being presented as quaint to something else. Research shows that analysis of visual elements in the media coverage of Islam is under-represented. This study explores and compares visual framing of Islam in selected Nigerian and Malaysian newspapers. Punch and Vanguard were chosen from Nigeria while The Star and New Straits Times were chosen from Malaysia based on their online readership. The study employed content analysis to analyze 425 photos and 23 videos used in the selected newspapers. Sample was collected from November 2015 until September 2016. Only photos and videos used in articles directly related to Islam were collected from the respective websites of the newspapers. It was found that significant differences exist between Nigerian and Malaysian newspapers in visual framing of Islam. Nigerian newspapers used more violent photos in reporting Islam than Malaysian newspapers. Of all the photos used in the selected newspaper...

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 2019

As the hotel industry continues to expand, the leadership of those organizations has concentrated... more As the hotel industry continues to expand, the leadership of those organizations has concentrated attention on ways to incorporate corporate social responsibility activities into their business operations. However, the notion of how such corporate social responsibility strategies might enhance the level of employee job satisfaction has received limited attention in research. The research problem focused on exploring and discovering information on corporate social responsibility activities and how those undertakings might predict employees' level of job satisfaction. The results indicated a statistically significant positive, predictive relationship between the corporate social responsibility of involvement in the community and employees' level of job satisfaction within the U.S. hotel industry. Further testing through moderation analyses did not provide any evidence for a moderating effect of age or gender, indicating that higher involvement in the community predicted higher employees' job satisfaction regardless of the employee's gender or age. Based on the results, leaders within the hotel industry may benefit from the implementation of a cooperative relationship with their stakeholders when promoting corporate social responsibility activities and employee job satisfaction within a hotel organization.

Online journal of communication and media technologies, Jul 19, 2022

Climate change represents a highly detrimental issue with long-term undesirable consequences on g... more Climate change represents a highly detrimental issue with long-term undesirable consequences on global humanity. Whilst concerted efforts are being made to curtail the effects of climate change, disinformation continues to be a significant obstacle to meaningful actions. Therefore, via content analysis, this study aims to explore the strategies employed by agents to deny the scientific evidence of climate change across media platforms. The data were gathered from a sample of two Malaysian online newspapers: The Star and New Straits Times. A total of 124 articles on climate change disinformation were gathered from the digital archives of the selected newspapers between August 2015 and October 2021 using "disinformation" and "climate change" as keywords. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test. The findings revealed that politicians, organizations, and anonymous agencies use more strategies to deny climate change compared with other agents such as academics, business tycoons, and celebrities. Additionally, social media, broadcast media, and online news represent the most frequently used platforms to deny climate change. These outcomes suggest the critical role of politics in sabotaging the efforts against climate change disinformation. This study could provide governments and activists with useful information to help mitigate disinformation against climate change.

Information Development

Disinformation represents one of the major obstacles to meaningful actions against climate change... more Disinformation represents one of the major obstacles to meaningful actions against climate change skepticism. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate climate change disinformation across types, agents, and media platforms as reported in selected online newspapers. A total of 124 news articles gathered from Malaysia's The Star and New Straits Times were subjected to content analysis. The articles were collected from the newspapers’ digital archives between August 2015 and October 2021 using “climate change” and “disinformation” as keywords. Subsequently, data were analyzed using the Chi-square test and descriptive statistics. The study found that disinformation about climate change is more likely to be spread by politicians, organizations, and anonymous agencies compared with business tycoons, celebrities, and academics. Also, misleading and fabricated contents represent the most common types of disinformation spread by politicians. The findings suggest that politics and soci...

Vol.3, Issue 2, Dec 2022

COVID-19 is one of the most threatening pandemics in recent times. People worldwide became terrif... more COVID-19 is one of the most threatening pandemics in recent times. People worldwide became terrified because of the risk of contagion, the high rate of fatality, particularly among the elderly, and the effects on people's social, economic, political, and cultural lives. Despite the risk associated with the pandemic, the Nigerian populace have different attitudes regarding usefulness to their use of information and trustworthiness, especially on social media. This study examines gender differences in COVID-19 attitudes towards related information on social media among undergraduate students of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. The study employed a qualitative approach, and interviews were used to collect data. Purposive sampling technique was used in selecting respondents. The participants consist of six female students and six male students. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings showed an insignificant gender difference in Covid-19 attitudes and beliefs among...

Theory and Practice in Language Studies

The shift of educational activities to the online environment due to the outbreak of Covid-19 has... more The shift of educational activities to the online environment due to the outbreak of Covid-19 has generated contentions regarding the effectiveness of social media in developing language proficiency. Also, determining appropriate social media platforms becomes essential. This study, therefore, aims to examine the differences in EFL learners’ development of different language skills across various social media platforms. The study adopted an online descriptive survey in which a self-develop questionnaire was used as a data-collection tool. The respondents comprise a randomly selected sample of 80 students from the first and second levels of the English undergraduate program at a Jordanian university. The data were analyzed using a non-parametric method consisting of Chi-square test and frequency statistics. According to the findings, EFL learners tend to develop reading skills, vocabulary, and pronunciation through Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube respectively. Additionally, significan...

Arab World English Journal

Writing represents an essential language skill. However, anxiety is often an obstacle to students... more Writing represents an essential language skill. However, anxiety is often an obstacle to students’ positive writing outcomes. In Libya, students face detrimental challenges in English writing due to factors such as a high level of Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) which affects their written communication performance. This study, therefore, aims to examine gender differences in the level of written communication anxiety amongst Libyan postgraduates studying in Malaysian universities. The study employed a descriptive survey in which a self-administered questionnaire was used as a data-collection tool. The analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, including frequency and the Chi-square test. The findings revealed that most Libyan postgraduates in Malaysia experience a moderate level of writing anxiety, whereas none of them experience a low anxiety level. Additionally, no significant differences exist between male and female students regarding the level of written communication...

Theory and Practice in Language Studies

The status of women in society is often overlooked and defined only through the presence of men. ... more The status of women in society is often overlooked and defined only through the presence of men. This situation tends to exclude women from socio-cultural, economic, and political contributions to society, which can be reproduced in literary texts. In particular, Fanny Fern’s Ruth Hall (1855) reflects the miserable position of women in 19th century America and demonstrates that women must resist manhood’s power to achieve a certain ontological sense in life. Via a context-oriented technique, our analysis aims to explore the practical means through which Ruth, the protagonist of Fern’s Ruth Hall, resists domesticity to achieve self-realization and social freedom from feminist theoretical viewpoints. According to the analysis, Ruth resists domesticity through events, endurance, self-reliance, and in terms of language. Despite social standards, Fern’s representation of Ruth’s financial success highlights how women can surpass gender boundaries. Fern’s depiction of Ruth further demonstr...

Quantum Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2021

Recent advances in technology have resulted in over-dependence on social media for communication ... more Recent advances in technology have resulted in over-dependence on social media for communication purposes. With the emergence of various social media platforms, youths have become increasingly active users of social media and are driven to surf online information. As such, youths are susceptible to the influence of social media. Therefore, this research aims to determine the relationship between Youtube usage and youth netizens’ behaviors in the Malaysian context. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data from a sample of 132 youth netizens in Damansara, Kuala Lumpur. The data were analyzed using Pearson Correlation at an alpha (α) level of ≤ 0.05 via the Statistical Parkage for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The relationship was measured based on Youtube access, purpose, motivations, and interests, lifestyle, self-personality, and communication skills. The findings showed a significant positive relationship between Youtube usage and youth netizens’ behaviors (r = .711, k...

Iranian Journal of Management Studies, 2021

The invention of web 2.0 and the advancement of information and communication technology have pro... more The invention of web 2.0 and the advancement of information and communication technology have provided consumers and businesses with the opportunity to utilise online transactions. The internet is an essential tool for doing online shopping. Despite the importance and popularity of online shopping, most Nigerian consumers largely depend on conventional shopping rather than online shopping due to their resistance to online shopping habits. In Nigeria, few studies have examined advertising, social media and online risk on online shopping habit. Thus, the study aims to investigate the mediating role of advertising on the relationship between social media and online risk on online shopping habits in Nigeria. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 375 respondents using a purposive sampling technique. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse and evaluate the hypotheses. The results show that online risk had an insignificant direct effect on online shoppin...

Revista on line de Política e Gestão Educacional

Malay language literature is an essential component in language teaching and learning, and thus, ... more Malay language literature is an essential component in language teaching and learning, and thus, the literature component is increasingly emphasized as an important subject in Malaysian secondary schools. Therefore, research indicates the need to determine students’ strategies for learning the Malay literature. This research aims to examine the strategies preferred by secondary school students in learning the Malay literature from environmental, psychological, sociological, and practical perspectives. The study employed a survey method in which a self-developed questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 160 fourth-year students in the literature from selected secondary schools in Terengganu, Malaysia. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics comprising the mean and standard deviation via the SPSS software Version 21. The findings revealed that the students prefer to learn the Malay literature while sitting on a chair or table and require a quiet, well-lighted...

Education Research International, 2022

Regarding the importance of using MALL in learning English, this study aimed to investigate the e... more Regarding the importance of using MALL in learning English, this study aimed to investigate the effects of Duolingo and WhatsApp applications on developing the speaking accuracy and fluency of Iranian EFL learners. To fulfill this objective, three groups of Iranian intermediate EFL learners were selected as the participants of this research. After that, all groups took the speaking pretest and then received the treatment. One group was taught ten conversations from Family and Friends Book 5 using the Duolingo application, and the other group was taught the same conversations using the WhatsApp application. The third group, considered the control group (CG), was instructed on the conversations in a traditional classroom. After teaching the conversations, a speaking posttest was administered to all groups to compare their performances after the treatment. The collected data were analyzed using the one-way ANOVA test. The results revealed that two experimental groups (EGs) had better p...

Frontiers in Public Health

The non-complexity of tennis, coupled with its health benefits, renders it appealing and encourag... more The non-complexity of tennis, coupled with its health benefits, renders it appealing and encourages varying competitions at different levels of age, gender, and expertise. However, the rapid increase in the participation rates witnesses a surge in injury occurrences, prompting the need for in-depth analysis to facilitate immediate intervention. We employed a media content analysis technique in which tennis-associated articles published in the last 5 years were examined. A total of 207 news reports were gathered and screened for analysis. Subsequently, 71 articles were excluded from the study due to content duplications or summary updates of existing news articles, while 23 news articles were also excluded from the study due to inappropriateness. Finally, 113 news reports directly related to injury in tennis were coded and analyzed. We examined various types of injuries reported from the screened articles with respect to their status (fresh, recurrent, and recovery) across expertise ...

Islam is often portrayed negatively through manipulation of news content. Thus, a growing number ... more Islam is often portrayed negatively through manipulation of news content. Thus, a growing number of scholars have expressed concern over how Islam-related news is constructed. Therefore, this study aims to address the question of what influences Islam-related news content from the media experts' perspectives. The study employed a qualitative approach in which interviews were used as a data-gathering instrument. The participants consist of experts in the field of media and communication. Altogether, six experts were selected based on their intellectual ability and willingness to respond to the interview questions. The interview data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. The findings revealed that journalists' prejudices, inadequate training, as well as media ownership are critical in the process of Islam-related news formation. These influences represent a serious problem that constitutes an obstacle to a good reporting of religion. It was envisaged that this study would be useful to journalists, media owners, governments, media policymakers, and other responsible bodies particularly in the process of news gathering, production, and dissemination. This study could also advance our understanding of the complex factors shaping Islam-related news content.

The media-generated misconception of Islam is not a new phenomenon. However, a huge amount of med... more The media-generated misconception of Islam is not a new phenomenon. However, a huge amount of media coverage of Islam and Muslims, especially after the 9/11 attacks, resulted in a widespread awareness of the religion and its adherents. Several studies have explored how Islam is reported in western media. Therefore, this study focuses on how non-western media cover Islam-related news. The study aims to identify the most common type of news used in covering Islam and determine the extent of Islam-related news coverage in selected Malaysian online newspapers. The Star and New Straits Times were chosen based on readership and online popularity. News articles related to Islam were gathered from the digital archives of the selected newspapers from November 2015 to September 2016 using "Islam" and "Muslims" as keywords. A total of 352 news articles were gathered and subjected to content analysis. The findings showed that a large majority (90.9%) of the Islam-related articles published in the selected newspapers contained straight news stories while only 9.1% contained feature stories. Additionally, more than half (57.7%) of the Islam-related news articles covered global news, and more than onethird (37.2%) of the articles covered national news, while only 5.1% covered local news. These findings imply that the selected newspapers tend to create the image of Islam globally. Further analysis of the findings revealed that the selected newspapers covered Islam in the context of conflict. It was envisaged that this study would be beneficial, especially to journalists, by providing information that could be used to improve news coverage of Islam.

Education Research International

Regarding the attractiveness of educational games for EFL learners, the present research intended... more Regarding the attractiveness of educational games for EFL learners, the present research intended to investigate the effects of gamification on improving Iranian EFL learners’ idiomatic knowledge. In addition, the current research examined the attitudes of Iranian EFL learners towards using gamification in English learning in the Iranian EFL context. Firstly, to carry out this research, the researchers administered the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) to 84 Iranian EFL learners and selected 50 upper-intermediate participants. Secondly, they divided the selected participants into an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG). Thirdly, the researchers gave an idiom pretest to the participants of both groups to assess their idiomatic knowledge before starting the treatment. Fourthly, the EG was taught the new idioms using game-based instruction, while the CG received traditional idiom instruction. Following the instruction of 70 idioms to both groups, the participants received ...

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of transportation sector in Terengganu, Malaysia. Th... more This study aims to examine the effectiveness of transportation sector in Terengganu, Malaysia. The study employed a qualitative approach in which interviews and document analysis were used. The data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The findings show that the majority of informants are satisfied with the transportation sector around the main focus areas in Kuala Terengganu, but suggest increased public transport in interesting places located far from the city. However, the analysis shows that the main weaknesses that need to be addressed are the telecommunications systems in the tourist attraction areas. The lack of internet access limits alternatives in choosing affordable transportation for tourists. The findings of this study could enrich tourism and transportation literature. It can also have positive implications for tourism operators such as government and private agencies in Terengganu.

Theory and Practice in Language Studies, May 1, 2023

Revista on line de Política e Gestão Educacional

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 2019

Online journal of communication and media technologies, Jul 19, 2022

Information Development

Vol.3, Issue 2, Dec 2022

Theory and Practice in Language Studies

Arab World English Journal

Theory and Practice in Language Studies

Quantum Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2021

Iranian Journal of Management Studies, 2021

Revista on line de Política e Gestão Educacional

Education Research International, 2022

Frontiers in Public Health

Education Research International

11th Conference on Language for Specific Purposes International , 2018

Eliva Press, 2021

Given that instructional practices in many Arabic language classes reflect a primary focus on gra... more Given that instructional practices in many Arabic language classes reflect a primary focus on grammar, strategic instruction is deemed to be quite challenging for most instructors. Additionally, many learners of Arabic as a Foreign Language (AFL) lack the necessary skills and strategies to comprehend Arabic texts. It is important, thus, for AFL learners to know how to read skilfully and to be able to deal with an Arabic text independently. Therefore, this book explores the Malaysian AFL learners’ major problems in reading Arabic texts and determines the appropriate set of design principles for effective strategic reading. The problems of AFL learners in reading were examined from a teaching perspective. A Design and Development Research (DDR) approach was adopted to frame the design and development of strategic reading for AFL learners.

Book Publisher International, 2021

The media attention to Islam has increased over the past few decades, but meeting the quality sta... more The media attention to Islam has increased over the past few decades, but meeting the quality standards in reporting the region is of great concern. This is because the media tend to highlight prejudice in news reporting of Islam. Therefore, this study aims to explore how non-western newspapers frame Islam in news reporting. Using purposive sampling, Punch and Vanguard were chosen from Nigeria while The Star and New Straits Times were chosen from Malaysia based on their popularity and readership. A total of 599 news articles focusing on Islam or Muslims were collected from the selected newspapers using an internet-based search from November 2015 until September 2016. These news articles were subjected to content analysis to explore how Islam is framed in the selected newspapers. The findings showed that more than one-third (41.6%) of the overall Islam- related articles reported Islam using human interest frames and more than one-third (38.1%) of the articles used conflict frames. Further analysis of the findings revealed that Nigerian newspapers used more conflict frames (48.9%) in reporting Islam compared to Malaysian newspapers (30.4%). It was envisaged that the findings of this study would advance our understanding of how non-western media frame Islam in news reporting.

Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2021

The media attention towards Islam has increased recently, but meeting the quality standards in re... more The media attention towards Islam has increased recently, but meeting the quality standards in reporting the religion is often of great concern in this regard. This issue has been debated since the aftermath of violent incidents such as the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the Afghanistan War in 2002, the Iraq War in 2003, the Danish cartoon row in 2005, the London bombings in 2005, the Paris attacks in 2015, and the New Zealand shootings in 2017. In reporting violence, the media tend to construct a negative image of Islam, which is likely to reproduce unfounded hostility toward Islam and Muslims, known as Islamophobia. This book provides a systematic analysis of how non-western online newspapers reproduce Islamophobia in news reporting.

UniSZA Press, 2020

This book discusses nine contemporary issues that not only focus on local or domestic issues of a... more This book discusses nine contemporary issues that not only focus on local or domestic issues of a certain country but also on global issues that might interest readers especially Muslim human righters. The concept of human rights Is characterized as a common standard of achievement for all people and nations, which is a common benchmark on humanitarian achievements that all countries and nations in the world need to achieve. From Islamic perspectives, Islam as a complete way of life has taught people the principles of human rights. This teaching is reflected in the purpose of Shari'ah in Islam, which is to preserve religion, to preserve soul, to preserve intellect, to preserve honor or heredity, and to preserve wealth. Shari'ah aims to define human rights as a set of rights attached to human beings as universal creatures that are universally obliged to be honored, upheld and protected by the state, law, government, and everyone. Hence, Islam and human rights are an inseparable unity with the Quran and the Hadith as sources of Islamic teachings. It is hoped that this book would enlighten those who have the interest to understand the comprehensiveness and uniqueness of Islam in discussing the issues of human rights.

Book, 2020

This book explores how non-western media reproduce Islamophobia from agenda-setting perspectives.... more This book explores how non-western media reproduce Islamophobia from agenda-setting perspectives. It is intended to offer insights into the public attitudes and knowledge on the relationship between media and Islamophobia. The book provides valuable reading material not only in Communication, Journalism, and Language studies but also in Islamic Studies. It is designed to enlighten and educate practicing journalists in carrying out their roles. It can be used for academic purposes, and undoubtedly, serve as reading material or source of knowledge in general. Ultimately, researchers and the public will benefit from a greater understanding of media and Islamophobia. It is also envisaged that by providing valid conclusions and recommendations, this book could influence the decision on how to disseminate accurate information.

UniSZA Press, 2020

This book entitled Analysing Trauma in Poems: A Critical Thinking Perspective has been written to... more This book entitled Analysing Trauma in Poems: A Critical Thinking Perspective has been written to provide readers with valuable, logical, and useful information about the application of trauma theory in poem analysis. It is helpful and easy-to-use reading material for both students and academicians. It focuses on the particular analysis of elements of trauma in poems. The book’s step-by-step description makes it suitable for both individual and classroom usage. Its thorough explanation on how trauma theory is applied in poem analysis makes it especially valuable in the field of literature and English related courses in general. The all-inclusive sections in this book are prudently intended to provide valuable information that helps in understanding the meaning, application, and usefulness of critical thinking in analysing poems as a literary genre. A summary of this book is provided for interested readers, hoping to find it suitable especially for pedagogical purposes.