SoSTeM Model Development for Application of Soft Skills to Engineering Students at Malaysian Polytechnics

Ahmad Esa,Suhaili Padil,Mohammad Talha Mohamed Idris,Asri Selamat

doi:10.5539/ies.v8n11p204

Abstract

<p class="apa">Soft skills are some of the skills needed to ensure that graduates fulfill the needs of the job market. Until 2010, almost 30% of unemployed graduates in Malaysia are technical graduates and one third comes are graduates from polytechnic. Most engineering graduates are proficient in technical skills but lack in soft skills. The lack of relevant knowledge among lecturers in order to identify appropriate ways and methods in the process of teaching and learning is one of the causes of lack in soft skills application. This study aims to identify the suitable teaching methods for the application of soft skills in the engineering programs for engineering students in Malaysian polytechnics. 488 students and 332 lecturers in engineering courses at the polytechnic had been questioned using questionnaires and interviews. The results showed that there is a relationship between the level of application of soft skills element with the teaching &amp; learning methods used by lecturers. Based on these relationships, researchers had produced <em>SoSTeM </em>model as the model of application of soft skills for engineering students. Researchers also discovered that the use of teaching &amp; learning methods for applying soft skills in engineering programs vary according to the elements of soft skills.</p>

Highlights

Soft skills are issues that are often debated in reducing the problem of unemployment and to producing knowledgeable workforce as well as highly skilled workers, especially in developing countries (Mclntosh, 2008; Hamzah, Bakar, & Kazilan, 2006)
There is null hypothesis, H: There is no relationship between the level of application of soft skills among students and teaching & learning methods used in the polytechnics
The null hypothesis is rejected, there is a relationship between the level of application of soft skills among students and teaching & learning methods used in polytechnics

Summary

Introduction

Soft skills are issues that are often debated in reducing the problem of unemployment and to producing knowledgeable workforce as well as highly skilled workers, especially in developing countries (Mclntosh, 2008; Hamzah, Bakar, & Kazilan, 2006). In fulfilling its goal to produce students who are knowledgeable and skilled, engineering programs for the university curriculum should be designed with the goal of helping lecturers in providing guidance to the students to prepare the aspects of intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical. Soft skills involving critical thinking and creative skills, effective communication skills, making choices and decision-making, leadership and management skills need to be taken into account when designing the content of curriculum in engineering programs and strategies of teaching & learning (Mohd-Amin & Mohd-Nor, 2010). Emphasis and effort in applying soft skills in teaching & learning should be stressed out by educational institutions to produce graduates who are successful in academics, and able to master other skills required as well. According to Pineteh (2012), lecturers shall act creatively integrating traditional methods of teaching and learning with technology advances so that the process of teaching and learning will not be bored help in improving students’ communication skills

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Conclusion