The implementation of Problem Based Learning (PBL) to develop student’s soft-skills

Abstract

Currently, various implementation of higher education curriculum is still oriented at development of hard skills. Meanwhile, global market requires graduates with both hard skills and soft skills. Graduates’ soft skills are mainly affected by teaching strategy and model used by their lecturers. This current research aims at describing the implementation of a teaching model, i.e. Problem-based Learning (PBL) and effects of the teaching model on students’ soft skills. Descriptive qualitative was employed as the research approach. Triangulation of data source and method was implemented to collect the data, and case study was used to analyze the data. This research resulted that the implementation of PBL in Anthropology Course is learning in which problems are presented to reconstruct the culture of rural community. Students worked in a team to solve authentic problems in a community, developed and presented their way of solving the problems, as well as evaluated the process of solving the problems. The effect of the implementation of PBL was the students understood the course material contextually, were skillful in collecting qualitative data, were more knowledgeable in facing the village community, improved their soft skills in terms of written and spoken communication, a way of thinking (critical, creative, and logic), problem solving skills, team working, and interpersonal and work ethics. As an effort of strengthening students’ characters to face revolution industry 4.0, this research showed that graduates should have skills of 4 Cs (Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication, and Collaboration Skills).