Steven Eric Krau
Biographic Data
| ID | 319890 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Steven Eric Krau |
| GIVEN NAMES | Steven Eric |
| FAMILY NAME | Krau |
| SIGNATURE | KRAU S E |
| AFFILIATIONS | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4168-6224 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 49 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 189 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 49 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 8 |
Outcome domains and assessment measures in school-based youth mentoring programs
Introduction Mentoring programs for youth are widely recognized as effective means of promoting positive developmental outcomes. Despite numerous studies measuring the effectiveness of school-based mentoring (SBM) programs, no existing studies have surveyed this literature to determine evaluative priorities regarding outcome domains and the measures employed. The present study also aimed to respond to a gap in the literature on SBM, in which limi…
The factorial validity and measurement invariance of the 7Cs of positive youth development among emerging adults in Southeast Asia
Positive youth development (PYD) has gained considerable traction among developmental scientists, but past studies were generally conducted among youth samples from Minority World countries. This study investigated the factorial validity of the newly developed 7Cs model of PYD (competence, confidence, connection, character, caring, contribution, and creativity). Specifically, we compared four measurement models (one-factor, seven-factor, higher o…
Afterlife beliefs and obligation to obey the law in high adherence contexts
Previous studies have linked religiosity to a variety of positive outcomes for young people. However, further investigation into the underlying mechanisms that drive this connection is necessary to facilitate these positive outcomes. Some studies have suggested that afterlife reward and punishment beliefs play a role in this connection, as they promote future-oriented thinking. Drawing on Deterrence Theory, this study proposes that afterlife rewa…
Muslim Afterlife Reward and Punishment Beliefs and Expectations Profiles
Literature from the cognitive and cultural evolutionary sciences of religion indicates that afterlife reward and punishment beliefs increase prosociality. Although Muslims are among the strongest adherents in afterlife reward and punishment belief, there is evidence that there are low levels of prosociality in these societies. This study explores this paradox. Because previous studies have mostly relied on variable-centered approaches to analysis…
Global Profiles of Positive Youth Development
Malaysian Muslim Youths’ Beliefs and Expectations of Reward and Punishment in the Afterlife
Positive Youth Development Mediates the Relations Between Religiousness, Altruism, and Empathy Among Southeast Asian Emerging Adults
Religiousness has been proposed to promote prosociality among young people. Few investigations, however, have examined the underlying processes that facilitate these links, especially in non-Western and collectivistic societies. This study investigated the mediating role of the 5Cs (competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring) of positive youth development on the associations between religiousness, empathy, and altruism, while contr…
Seen and Heard
Qualitative research with gifted youth presents unique challenges because of their tendency to display qualities such as perfectionism, overexcitability, and asynchronous development. Studying gifted youth in cultural contexts marked by high power distance between young people and adults can further compound these challenges by limiting gifted youths' feelings of psychological safety during data collection. As a result, gifted youth often withhol…
Factor Structure Validation and Measurement Invariance Testing of the Five C’s Model of Positive Youth Development among Emerging Adults in Malaysia
While validation of positive youth development (PYD) measures has increased considerably of late, validation of the Five C’s of PYD among emerging adults in non-WEIRD countries remains limited. The main objective of this study was to examine the factor structure, measurement invariance, and criterion-related validity of the Five C’s model of PYD through the use of the Positive Youth Development Inventory (PYDI). Data were collected from 436 unive…
Predicting work engagement among young adult cancer survivors
The findings revealed that workplace spirituality did mediate the influence of employee resilience and workplace social support on work engagement. The findings also indicated that gender and age moderated the association of employee resilience and work engagement via workplace spirituality
The entrepreneurial leadership practices of Malaysian secondary school principals in fundraising
The reduction of funding allocation for school operations occurs in the education administration yearly. It is a notable fact that schools around the world are facing challenges in school funding as it affects the school’s operation. As a result, the performance of school for the long term would not be a primary concern in the future. Schools in Malaysia are not exempted from this issue as it is one of the main concerns in the centralized schools…
How Do Self-Esteem, Dispositional Hope, Crisis Self-Efficacy, Mattering, and Gender Differences Affect Teacher Resilience during Covid-19 School Closures
(1) Background: The closure of schools and the transition to online teaching because of the COVID-19 pandemic's restrictions have resulted in significant changes in the workplace. Consequently, several resilience strategies have been implemented, and chief among them focus on the topic of burnout and coping abilities; (2) Purpose: Thus, this study investigates the influence of self-esteem, dispositional hope, and mattering on teacher resilience, …
Positive School Climate and Emotional Engagement
Past research on ethnocultural minority students indicates that persistent inequities require greater attention to the multiple learning supports needed to enhance school success. The present study was designed to extend research in this area by exploring school climate and emotional engagement among minority ethnocultural Chinese students in Malaysian secondary schools. We employed quantitative surveys with 724 students ( M age = 16.1 years; 47.…
Can I Pay at Purgatory? The Negative Impact of the Purgatory Ethic in Islamic Societies
The psychological and social effects of the doctrine of purgatory (temporary afterlife punishment) have not received sufficient attention from sociologists. Temporary afterlife punishment (TAP) is any kind of 'temporary' torment a person believes they will receive after death as a result of one's sins, before admission into heaven/paradise. Investigating the effects of TAP beliefs can help to understand their social impact on contemporary Islamic…
Narrative inquiry in disaster research
Behavioral Correlates of GPS Device Usage Among Small-Scale Fishers in Malaysia
This article aims to examine the relationship between selected behavioral factors and Global Positioning System (GPS) usage among small-scale fishers in Malaysia. An adapted version of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was tested among a sample of 400 small-scale fishers to examine the relationship between technology-related behavioral constructs (compatibility, social influence, effort expectancy, learning culture, a…
Perceived Consequences of Extended Social Isolation on Mental Well-Being
Despite several recent studies reporting on young people's well-being during COVID-19, few large-scale qualitative studies have been carried out that capture the experiences of young people from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) undergoing extended social restrictions. The challenges faced by young people from LMICs during COVID-19 are likely to be amplified by their countries' large populations, resource constraints, lack of access to hea…
Development of a Haddon Matrix Framework for Higher Education Pandemic Preparedness
To Heaven through Hell
The purgatory doctrine, which has played a vital role in Christian culture, states that most believers must experience afterlife punishment in order to be cleansed of their sins before entering Heaven. Traditional Islamic theology rejects the notion of purgatory (Al-Motahher) through the Balance doctrine (Mizan), which states that if the good deeds performed during a Muslim's life outweigh their bad deeds, the person will enter heaven without suf…
Malaysian youth associations as places for empowerment and engagement
To Heaven or to Hell
Islamic theology emphasizes the importance of achieving balance (equilibrium) between afterlife hope and fear for spiritual health. This study is a preliminary step to measure this phenomenon among young Muslims. The aim of this study is to examine afterlife expectations balance by developing new survey measures of afterlife hope expectations (AHE) and afterlife fear expectations (AFE). After validating the content of both measures, data were col…
Transforming Transcripts Into Stories
Stories are essential realities from our past and present. As the primary sources of data in narrative research, interview transcripts play an essential role in giving meaning to the personal stories of research participants. The pragmatic narratives found in transcripts represent human experience as it unfolds. Analyzing the narratives found in interview transcripts thus moves beyond providing descriptions and thematic developments as found in m…
Successful implementation of information and communication technology integration in Malaysian public schools
A narrative systematic review of life skills education
A systematic review was conducted to investigate the literature on effectiveness of life skills programs. The aim of this review was to gain a comprehensive understanding on the effectiveness of life skills education globally, and to identify research gaps and priorities. Findings revealed differences in life skills education within developing countries and developed countries. In general, developed countries conduct more systematic life skills e…
Predicting youth participation in urban agriculture in Malaysia
Research Paradigms and Meaning Making
An introduction and explanation of the epistemological differences of quantitative and qualitative research paradigms is first provided, followed by an overview of the realist philosophical paradigm, which attempts to accommodate the two. From this foundational discussion, the paper then introduces the concept of meaning ma king in research methods and looks at how meaning is generated from qualitative data analysis specifically. Finally, some ex…
Conceptualizing and Measuring Youth–Adult Partnership in Community Programs
Youth participation in program and community decision making is framed by scholars as an issue of social justice, a platform for positive youth development and effective citizenry, and a strategy for nation building. Recent literature reviews have consistently identified youth–adult partnership (Y–AP) as an effective type of youth participation across highly diverse contexts. These same reviews, however, note that indicators of Y–AP have not been…
Transforming Transcripts Into Stories
Stories are essential realities from our past and present. As the primary sources of data in narrative research, interview transcripts play an essential role in giving meaning to the personal stories of research participants. The pragmatic narratives found in transcripts represent human experience as it unfolds. Analyzing the narratives found in interview transcripts thus moves beyond providing descriptions and thematic developments as found in m…
Youth–Adult Partnership
Youth-Adult Partnership and Youth Civic Development
Across the world, community-based youth organizations are engaging youth as partners with adults to promote youth civic development. A sample of 528 youth from the United States, Portugal, and Malaysia were surveyed to explore associations between youth-adult partnership (youth voice in decision making; supportive adult relationships) and two key aspects of civic development (youth empowerment; community connections). Multi-level modeling, regres…
Malaysian Validation of a Sociopolitical Control Scale for Youth
Empowerment is a process by which people and groups gain control over their lives and environments. The emotional component of psychological empowerment has been assessed using a measure of sociopolitical control. Prior research has measured sociopolitical control as a construct with two dimensions: (a) leadership competence and (b) policy control. This study tested the factor structure of the Sociopolitical Control Scale for Youth (SPCS‐Y) in a …
Pathways to Youth Empowerment and Community Connectedness
Exploring Professionalism among Youth Work Practitioners in Malaysia
Despite the concerns about professionalism among youth work practitioners in Malaysia, valid and reliable instruments to measure the construct are lacking. This article reviews the psychometric development and initial exploration of a professionalism measure applicable for use with direct-service youth work practitioners. Results were based on a sampling of 813 government and non-government youth work practitioners throughout Malaysia. Explorator…
Predicting youth participation in urban agriculture in Malaysia
Parenting and Community Engagement Factors as Predictors of Religiosity Among Muslim Adolescents From Malaysia
Despite the plethora of research on correlates of adolescent religiosity, few studies have examined the contribution of social context to religiosity among non-Western Muslim samples using multidimensional religiosity measures. To address this gap, the current study investigated the influence of community engagement and parenting factors on religiosity among 596 Malaysian Muslim secondary school students (M age = 16.10, SD = .29). After controlli…
Community predictors of school engagement
Calibrating the Human Instrument
Scientific instruments often undergo calibration to ensure that they will produce results that meet or exceed defined criteria within a specified degree of confidence. Such calibration almost always refers to mechanical instruments, those used primarily in the physical sciences. Rarely is the notion of calibration used in relation to the social and human sciences, especially in the context of qualitative research where the human being is the main…
Preliminary Investigation and Interview Guide Development for Studying how Malaysian Farmers Form their Mental Models of Farming
The development of the interview guide is an integral aspect of the process of conducting qualitative research, yet one that receives little attention in the qualitative research literature. It is often assumed that interview guides are merely a list of questions used to guide a qualitative interview. The background analysis and preparation necessary to prepare an appropriate and effective guide cannot be dismissed, however, as they are integral …
To Heaven through Hell
The purgatory doctrine, which has played a vital role in Christian culture, states that most believers must experience afterlife punishment in order to be cleansed of their sins before entering Heaven. Traditional Islamic theology rejects the notion of purgatory (Al-Motahher) through the Balance doctrine (Mizan), which states that if the good deeds performed during a Muslim's life outweigh their bad deeds, the person will enter heaven without suf…
To Heaven or to Hell
Islamic theology emphasizes the importance of achieving balance (equilibrium) between afterlife hope and fear for spiritual health. This study is a preliminary step to measure this phenomenon among young Muslims. The aim of this study is to examine afterlife expectations balance by developing new survey measures of afterlife hope expectations (AHE) and afterlife fear expectations (AFE). After validating the content of both measures, data were col…
Exploring Perceptions of Goodness Among the Malaysian and Chinese University Students
The notion of goodness is implicitly central to the discourse relating to person perception. To date, no empirical research has focused solely upon understanding the notion of goodness and how it’s perceived and discerned in others. Utilizing focus group interviews, this paper explores how people perceive and interpret goodness in collectivist cultures of Malaysia and China. Findings revealed that Malaysian and Chinese participants had somewhat s…
PhD Students' Experiences of Thesis Supervision in Malaysia
Despite the plethora of studies that have been conducted on PhD supervision, little qualitative investigation has been conducted with a diverse, non-Western sample of doctoral students in an attempt to understand how the supervisory relationship is experienced. In response, eighteen students from diverse, non-Western backgrounds studying at one Malaysian research university were interviewed. Results illuminated the theme of "management" of the su…
Religious Socialization among Malaysian Muslim Adolescents
Despite the plethora of research on correlates of adolescent religiosity, few studies have examined the contribution of socialization factors to adolescent religiosity in the context of non-Western Muslim samples from different family contexts. To address this gap, the current study explored the contribution of parenting (direct socialization) and community engagement (indirect socialization) factors on religiosity among 895 Malaysian Muslim high…
Family Processes as Predictors of Antisocial Behaviors among Adolescents from Urban, Single-Mother Malay Families in Malaysia
This study set out to determine the relationship between family processes (i.e. parenting behavior, family values and family competency) and antisocial behavior among adolescents (m = 14.42 years) from urban, single-mother families in Malaysia. The sample comprised 240 Malay single mother-adolescent dyads from four states in Peninsula Malaysia. Findings revealed that parenting behavior (r = -0.29, p < .001) and family competency (r = -0.20, p < .…
Positive School Climate and Emotional Engagement
Past research on ethnocultural minority students indicates that persistent inequities require greater attention to the multiple learning supports needed to enhance school success. The present study was designed to extend research in this area by exploring school climate and emotional engagement among minority ethnocultural Chinese students in Malaysian secondary schools. We employed quantitative surveys with 724 students ( M age = 16.1 years; 47.…
Can I Pay at Purgatory? The Negative Impact of the Purgatory Ethic in Islamic Societies
The psychological and social effects of the doctrine of purgatory (temporary afterlife punishment) have not received sufficient attention from sociologists. Temporary afterlife punishment (TAP) is any kind of 'temporary' torment a person believes they will receive after death as a result of one's sins, before admission into heaven/paradise. Investigating the effects of TAP beliefs can help to understand their social impact on contemporary Islamic…
Malaysian youth associations as places for empowerment and engagement
A Comparison of Component Structures for the Australian Inventory of Family Strengths (Aifs) Between an Australian and Malaysian Sample
Formal research on family strengths in the Southeast Asian region outside of Australia is scant. Specifically, no known family strengths measures have been developed or adapted for the purpose of measuring family strengths in Malaysia. In the present study, exploratory component analysis (Gorsuch, 1997) was used to compare the component structures of the Australian Inventory of Family Strengths (AIFS) scale for a rural population of Malay familie…
Exploring Trait and Task Self-awareness in the Context of Leadership Development among Undergraduate Students from Malaysia
Despite the theoretical justification for the importance of self-awareness as a key input to leadership development, the construct, as understood according to awareness of one’s traits and tasks, has received little attention in the literature related to undergraduate leadership development. This article sets out to address this gap by investigating Trait and Task Self-awareness (SA) among more than 1700 undergraduate students from Malaysian inst…
Family Processes as Predictors of Antisocial Behaviors among Adolescents from Urban, Single-Mother Malay Families in Malaysia
This study set out to determine the relationship between family processes (i.e. parenting behavior, family values and family competency) and antisocial behavior among adolescents (m = 14.42 years) from urban, single-mother families in Malaysia. The sample comprised 240 Malay single mother-adolescent dyads from four states in Peninsula Malaysia. Findings revealed that parenting behavior (r = -0.29, p < .001) and family competency (r = -0.20, p < .…
Exploring Professionalism among Youth Work Practitioners in Malaysia
Despite the concerns about professionalism among youth work practitioners in Malaysia, valid and reliable instruments to measure the construct are lacking. This article reviews the psychometric development and initial exploration of a professionalism measure applicable for use with direct-service youth work practitioners. Results were based on a sampling of 813 government and non-government youth work practitioners throughout Malaysia. Explorator…
Religious Socialization among Malaysian Muslim Adolescents
Despite the plethora of research on correlates of adolescent religiosity, few studies have examined the contribution of socialization factors to adolescent religiosity in the context of non-Western Muslim samples from different family contexts. To address this gap, the current study explored the contribution of parenting (direct socialization) and community engagement (indirect socialization) factors on religiosity among 895 Malaysian Muslim high…
Parenting and Community Engagement Factors as Predictors of Religiosity Among Muslim Adolescents From Malaysia
Despite the plethora of research on correlates of adolescent religiosity, few studies have examined the contribution of social context to religiosity among non-Western Muslim samples using multidimensional religiosity measures. To address this gap, the current study investigated the influence of community engagement and parenting factors on religiosity among 596 Malaysian Muslim secondary school students (M age = 16.10, SD = .29). After controlli…
Youth hedonistic behaviour
This study was carried out on the moderating effect of peer attachment on the relationships between religiosity and worldview, and on how hedonistic behaviour among Malaysian undergraduate students is shaped by such influences. With regard to peer attachment, the study focused on the influences of communication, trust and alienation among youth. Bronfenbrenner's theory of human ecology and Armsden and Greenberg's attachment model were used as the…
Exploring the contribution of mentoring practices to mentee learning in a Malaysian youth development programme
Within the mentoring relationship, it is generally accepted that learning takes place through the sharing and transmitting of knowledge between mentor and mentee, where mentors employ practices such as coaching, facilitation, guidance and reflection on experiences. Despite the number of studies on mentoring in the context of youth development programmes, mentoring relationship processes in youth development contexts is not well understood. Few st…
Ethnic-related diversity engagement differences in intercultural sensitivity among Malaysian undergraduate students
This survey examines the association of ethnic-related diversity engagement with three interrelated dimensions of intercultural sensitivity among students in a public university with a multi-ethnic, multi-religious student population. A total of 447 respondents provided the data for analysis. Using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), the findings suggest that the level of intercultural sensitivity among students is positively associated w…
PhD Students' Experiences of Thesis Supervision in Malaysia
Despite the plethora of studies that have been conducted on PhD supervision, little qualitative investigation has been conducted with a diverse, non-Western sample of doctoral students in an attempt to understand how the supervisory relationship is experienced. In response, eighteen students from diverse, non-Western backgrounds studying at one Malaysian research university were interviewed. Results illuminated the theme of "management" of the su…
Preliminary Investigation and Interview Guide Development for Studying how Malaysian Farmers Form their Mental Models of Farming
The development of the interview guide is an integral aspect of the process of conducting qualitative research, yet one that receives little attention in the qualitative research literature. It is often assumed that interview guides are merely a list of questions used to guide a qualitative interview. The background analysis and preparation necessary to prepare an appropriate and effective guide cannot be dismissed, however, as they are integral …
Conceptualizing and Measuring Youth–Adult Partnership in Community Programs
Youth participation in program and community decision making is framed by scholars as an issue of social justice, a platform for positive youth development and effective citizenry, and a strategy for nation building. Recent literature reviews have consistently identified youth–adult partnership (Y–AP) as an effective type of youth participation across highly diverse contexts. These same reviews, however, note that indicators of Y–AP have not been…
Youth–Adult Partnership
Parenting, Community, and Religious Predictors of Positive and Negative Developmental Outcomes Among Muslim Adolescents
Despite existing research on the contribution of social context and religiosity to adolescent behavioral outcomes, few studies have attempted to explore this topic among Muslim adolescents in non-Western settings, looking at both positive and negative outcomes. In response to this gap, the current study explored the effects of three dimensions of developmental assets (positive parenting, community support, and religiosity) on risk, prosocial, and…
Calibrating the Human Instrument
Scientific instruments often undergo calibration to ensure that they will produce results that meet or exceed defined criteria within a specified degree of confidence. Such calibration almost always refers to mechanical instruments, those used primarily in the physical sciences. Rarely is the notion of calibration used in relation to the social and human sciences, especially in the context of qualitative research where the human being is the main…
Research Paradigms and Meaning Making
An introduction and explanation of the epistemological differences of quantitative and qualitative research paradigms is first provided, followed by an overview of the realist philosophical paradigm, which attempts to accommodate the two. From this foundational discussion, the paper then introduces the concept of meaning ma king in research methods and looks at how meaning is generated from qualitative data analysis specifically. Finally, some ex…
Why Cancer Patients Seek Islamic Healing
Characteristics of Co-Dependence Among Wives of Persons with Substance Use Disorder in Iran
Malaysian Validation of a Sociopolitical Control Scale for Youth
Empowerment is a process by which people and groups gain control over their lives and environments. The emotional component of psychological empowerment has been assessed using a measure of sociopolitical control. Prior research has measured sociopolitical control as a construct with two dimensions: (a) leadership competence and (b) policy control. This study tested the factor structure of the Sociopolitical Control Scale for Youth (SPCS‐Y) in a …
Pathways to Youth Empowerment and Community Connectedness
Adaptation and Psychometric Evaluation of a Core Competencies Measure for Malaysian Youth Workers
Core competencies in youth work refer to demonstrated capacities of quality performance that allow youth development workers to be resources for the young people, organizations and communities with whom they work. While a number of practice frameworks based on core competencies have been developed, few validated assessment measures exist to help identify professional development needs for youth workers. This article describes the adaptation and p…
Exploring Perceptions of Goodness Among the Malaysian and Chinese University Students
The notion of goodness is implicitly central to the discourse relating to person perception. To date, no empirical research has focused solely upon understanding the notion of goodness and how it’s perceived and discerned in others. Utilizing focus group interviews, this paper explores how people perceive and interpret goodness in collectivist cultures of Malaysia and China. Findings revealed that Malaysian and Chinese participants had somewhat s…
Community predictors of school engagement
Youth-Adult Partnership and Youth Civic Development
Across the world, community-based youth organizations are engaging youth as partners with adults to promote youth civic development. A sample of 528 youth from the United States, Portugal, and Malaysia were surveyed to explore associations between youth-adult partnership (youth voice in decision making; supportive adult relationships) and two key aspects of civic development (youth empowerment; community connections). Multi-level modeling, regres…
Successful implementation of information and communication technology integration in Malaysian public schools
Psychology (43 works) · Social Psychology (23 works) · Sociology (20 works) · Political science (19 works) · Developmental psychology (18 works) · Social Psychology (17 works) · Youth Development and Social Support (16 works) · Medicine (13 works) · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology (11 works) · Public relations (9 works)