Pandemic Covid-19: Impact to Malay Language Learning among the Students in Public Universities

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social education moved from face to face to online learning to discourage large gatherings and crowds from catching the spread of the virus. This state of urgency involved all the students including university students. This paper aims to study the impacts of Pandemic Covid19 and identified the relationships between online learning, learning at home and self-management towards Malay Language learning among the students in public universities during MCO and 2) to develop a predictive model in the relationships between online learning, learning at home and self-management towards Malay Language learning among the students in public universities during MCO. Four variables which are online learning, learning at home, self-management, and Malay Language learning were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS. About 279 students from public universities were involved as respondents. Descriptive analysis, Correlation Pearson analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to answer the research objectives. An analysis of correlation Pearson showed that there are significant values derived from the relationship between online learning and Malay language learning (r=.578, p=.000). There is also a significant relationship between self-management and Malay language learning (r=.368, p=.000). However, there is no relationship between learning at home and Malay Language learning (r=.026, p=.294).  The predictive model achieved good fit values of RMSEA=.061, IFI=.937, CFI=.936, TLI=.925 and Chisq/df=2.001. The implementation of online learning as a new norm and platform in teaching and learning Malay Language among the students gave a positive impact in terms of technology usage. However, there are needs for improvement to be considered in providing a more useful platform to change from face to face in conventional ways similarly to advanced technology.  Meanwhile, the predictive model can serve as a source of reference in evaluating Malay language learning by using technology and other indicators for the future, for the sake of student’s achievement.