The Muslim travel market is regarded as an encouraging market in the tourism industry at the current state. Muslim tourists prefer to select a tourist destination whereby Islamic elements are available, which permits them to enjoy their travels without neglecting the religious obligations. These elements undoubtedly will provide an enriching experience during their travels. Therefore, this paper aims to examine experiences faced by Muslim tourists in terms of their needs and preferences in the provision of food and beverage services during their travels. In order to fulfil the study’s aim, 14 international Muslim participants who have travelled internationally were interviewed during the data collection process. The findings revealed that Muslim tourists seek for the convenience of finding Halal outlets/Halal food, and prefer restaurants or outlets with certified Halal logo. The participants also expressed their concern regarding the different food culture experience. This study has supported previous literatures on enhancing Muslim customers’ experience in terms of food and beverage provision worldwide. Furthermore, the findings help aid in enhancing the experiences of Muslim tourists during travelling hence supporting the growth of Halal tourism. It is seen that tourist destinations and facilities that can provide the needs of faith of the Muslim tourists will exceed in the creation of memorable and meaningful tourist experience.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) largely aim to produce holistic graduates, best in both worlds of academic and non-academic aspects. Although numerous literature has identified and described “holistic education”, it remains an issue if the students actually understand and appreciate the said term. Accordingly, this study seeks to investigate the students’ perception of HEI’s role in producing holistic graduates. Therefore, this paper seeks to answer two research questions, firstly, what are the characteristics of holistic graduates? And secondly, how do students perceive the academic and non-academic programs at the HEIs towards producing holistic graduates? Engaging in mixed approaches of quantitative and qualitative, this study investigates the students’ perception of HEI’s role in producing holistic graduates. An online survey was administered on 357 students of a targeted HEI. The findings reveal that the majority of the students are satisfied with the academic and non-academic programs offered at the HEI, as well as their perceived concept of the “holistic graduate” itself. Hopefully, the paper would shed light on further research in the area of students’ education and higher learning education generally.

The teaching and learning landscape in higher learning institutions are changing from teachercentered to student-centered learning. However, the students' lack of engagement in classrooms is found to become one of the drawbacks in the implementation of studentcentered learning. Aiming to address the problem of students' lack of engagement, this research is carried out to investigate the impact of two teaching strategies i.e. 'think-pairshare' and 'wait time' on the teaching and learning of undergraduates. The methodology employed in the study is qualitative, engaging in action research design and divided into three stages of study, (i) problem identification (ii) action implementation, and (iii) evaluation. Two cycles of investigation were carried out, involving the implementation of "think-pair-share" in the first cycle, and in the second cycle, "think-pair-share" and "wait-time". The data sources for the evaluation were three-folds, (i) lecturer's observation (ii) reflection by the students and lecturer, and (iii) activity sheets by the students. The data are loaded into the computerassisted qualitative data analysis software of ATLAS.ti version 8 for the purpose of analysis and generating the reports of the analysis. The study revealed that both teaching strategies of "think-pair-share" and "wait-time" have tremendously improved the student engagement in the classes. Additionally, the students' learning experience have enhanced with the implementation of these two teaching strategies. And finally, the lecturer's teaching ability also improved. Hopefully, the findings of the study would contribute to the literature on the subject of student engagement and teaching and learning strategies particularly, and other subjects of the higher education level generally.

The important role of food choices in symbolic, economic and social aspects of life leads to the increased attention given to this area. This role became increasingly important and complicated for international students living in a foreign country for the first time, away from their families, as they are now required to make individual decisions on food choice. Therefore, the food choice strategy as practiced by the international students will receive dedicated attention to this study. This study is set within the academic environment at a local university in Northern Malaysia. Several qualitative methods such as in-depth interviews and observation were used to assess the international students’ food choice strategies and how the local food environment influences their food choice decision. Six international students took part in this study. The findings indicated that most international students resorted to preparing and cooking their own food, mainly to satisfy their cravings and as a cure to homesickness. The food choice strategy also depended on their level of knowledge in food preparation, convenience, and resources available to them. These finding advances the food choice decision process and explicates the food acculturation among international students in Malaysia. Moreover, the findings have direct implications for institutions’ management of international students in assisting and improving their overseas experience.

The COVID-19 lockdown in Malaysia resulted in disruptions to everyday life, including changes in grocery shopping, cooking, and eating. Individuals are spending more time at home and consuming food and meals that would have otherwise taken place in different settings. This study aims are twofold; to explore the changes in dietary patterns during COVID 19 lockdown; and to understand the perception of food preparation during COVID 19 lockdown. This study employs qualitative approach using an in-depth interview conducted using a sample of 12 respondents of a typical Malaysian household. The respondents participated in a virtual interview session via Zoom about dietary patterns and food preparation during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study found two main themes emerged from the thematic analysis conducted; (1) increasing patterns of dietary habits implicated by increased in food consumption, increased and more regular mealtimes, and increased snacking habits; (2) perceived positive feelings in food preparation during lockdown, which were implicated by increased food preparation time, positive feelings associated with food preparation, and increased awareness on safety about food preparation during lockdown. Consequently, an increased pattern in dietary habits were inevitable during the lockdown period and food preparation activities were considered as an important leisure activity with the loved ones during the COVID-19 period, especially for people who suddenly faced a lockdown almost no one is accustomed to. As Malaysia begins to transition to a new normal, a return to healthier eating habits should be the focus of public health efforts.