© 2018 by Minda Masagi Press owned by ASPENSI in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia p-ISSN 1979-7877, e-ISSN 2621-587X, and www.journals.mindamas.com/index.php/educare i EDUCARE: International Journal for Educational Studies, Volume 11(1), August 2018 Volume 11(1), August 2018 p-ISSN 1979-7877, e-ISSN 2621-587X Contents Foreword. [ii] MOHAMMED SABRIN, A Comparative Policy Analysis of Elementary Teacher Education in the Top Performing Asian TIMSS Countries. [1-16] NUR ANISAH JAMIL, Differences in Student Self-Efficacy by Gender. [17-28] LEUDANE L. LONEZ & NICETTE N. GANAL, An Evaluation of Four-Day Compressed Workweek of Ifugao State University System: Basis for Action Plan. [29-48] MOHAMMED ALHAJI YUSUF & NORHASNI ZAINAL ABIDDIN, Relationship between Training and Job Performance to Enhance Human Resource Development. [49-58] JERICK C. FERRER, Financial Capability of Public School Teachers in the Philippines. [59-78] Info-edu-tainment. [79-88] EDUCARE: International Journal for Educational Studies will provides a peer-reviewed forum for the publication of thought-leadership articles, briefings, discussion, applied research, case and comparative studies, and expert comment and analysis on the key issues surrounding the educational studies in general and its various aspects. Analysis will be practical and rigorous in nature. The EDUCARE journal, with print ISSN 1979-7877 (print) and ISSN 2621-587X (online), was firstly published on 17 August 2008, in the context to commemorate the Independence Day in Indonesia. Since issues of February 2009 to February 2016, EDUCARE journal was organized and managed by the Lecturers of FKIP UMP (Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, Muhammadiyah University of Purwokerto) in Central Java; and published by Minda Masagi Press, as an academic publishing owned by ASPENSI (the Association of Indonesian Scholars of History Education) in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The EDUCARE journal is published twice a year, i.e. every August and February. Website: www.journals.mindamas.com/index.php/educare © 2018 by Minda Masagi Press owned by ASPENSI in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia p-ISSN 1979-7877, e-ISSN 2621-587X, and www.journals.mindamas.com/index.php/educare ii EDUCARE: International Journal for Educational Studies, Volume 11(1), August 2018 FOREWORD Education is an integral part of sustainable human development. The inability to use education to achieve desired developmental objectives, especially in many LDCs (Less Developed Countries) is attributed to poor institutional reforms, governance risks, and policy inconsistency. Just as many LDCs are experiencing poor development, due to insufficient linkages between education policy and national development; and sizeable numbers of developed economies are confronted with rising income inequality, which is a product of selective educational opportunities in those climes. The above scenarios are an indication that the current education model is at great variance with the current developmental trend. I clearly and succinctly outlined that over reliance on education as a great enabler for human capital development without quality research to restructure and reposition the sector in line with the present realities would turn the craters into crevices. Despite the huge stock of empirically validated and theoretical postulations on the positive connection between education and individual capabilities in achieving sustainable development path, very few studies have explored the missing role of quality research in promoting effective human capital development. Instructively, in other to achieve robust national competiveness, social cohesion, improved standard of living, and shared prosperity for greater number of the populace, education and research outcomes should be synchronised in the context of sustained human capital development instead of recycling technical jargons in air conditioned offices. I went, further, to highlight that since 2008, the WB (World Bank) report on the pathetic conditions of education and its concomitant effect on poverty in Africa, there has been no concrete and bold actions to the contrary even in 2018. Few cosmetics actions taken have little or no meaningful impact in revising the rising tide of poverty and under development. The result is also the same in South East Asia, Latin American, and Middle East. The case of the gulf nations re-enforces the position of the authors on the need for science and education to be contextualised in line with the prevailing social-cultural norms otherwise the much touted promises of using education and research to improve human capital may continue to be elusive. It is quite disheartening if not inhumane that in multi-billion Dollars economies, rich in hydrocarbons would be lacking sufficient investment in education which is aimed at nurturing citizen human capabilities and resultant improved standard of living. It is also the considered view of the authors, that rethinking the underlying assumptions of science, education, and development would be insufficient to generate the needed human development outcomes without addressing the second leg of poor educational outcomes, which include investment, governance, and policy direction. Research and education, as important developmental objectives, should be vigorously pursued if desired outcomes are to be achieved. Although, substantial investments have been committed with little or no measurable results, I am arguing for new structural reforms towards targeted investments in research and education. Accordingly, the form, structure, and pattern of such investment should be re-examined in view of the present poor outcomes. On the structural side, it was shown that educational outcomes should reflect market demand, so that current skill shortages in critical sectors of the national economies are addressed. It was established that churning out graduates who may not be relevant in the current technological driven economic landscape is counterproductive and ill advised. Governance and policy direction represent another obstacle towards full realisation of positive educational outcomes. Despite a strong theoretical underpinning a positive connection between human capital and range of positive economic outcomes, such as growth and development, governance risks and policy inconsistency have hindered effective human capital stocks which education should be aimed at providing. Government intervention in providing education, as argued by the authors, is based on three key policy and structural failures. Firstly, higher private income has not automatically improved educational outcomes; secondly, government policies have led to inequality in education access and market forces have not equitably distributed educational opportunities; and furthermore, thirdly, resources alone may not be sufficient to generate the desired human development outcomes unless the structural and policy issues are addressed. In the concluding part, I argued that open market and globalisation have worsened the provision of educational outcomes and resultant human capital development in less developed countries and inequality in developed countries. Education and research should be rediscovered in the context of the prevailing social and cultural norms if a lasting and positive impact on sustained economic development, social harmony, and shared prosperity are to be achieved. I submitted that unless universities, government, and relevant stakeholders devote enough time and resources to create open knowledge based education and learning model, desired economic, and developmental outcomes would be elusive. Finally, education, research, and human development should be domesticated to achieve greater goods. Only in that context, it would human capital development occupy its prime position. Do enjoy reading the EDUCARE journal and hopefully you will derive much benefit from it. Serdang, Malaysia: August 31, 2018. Associate Professor Dato Dr. Norhasni Zainal Abiddin A Guest Editor of EDUCARE Journal in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia; and Lecturer at the Faculty of Educational Studies UPM (University of Putra Malaysia) in Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.