Malaysian Qualification Framework Research Articles

Kerangka E-pembelajaran TVET Kursus Kemahiran Praktikal

Online teaching and learning (TnL) is one of the transformation of education towards digital it is a necessity now especially during a pandemic. The TnL in Technical and Vocational Training (TVET) institutions prioritizes on the practical, which is one of the Malaysia Education Development Plan 2015-2025 (Higher Education). The implementation of TnL is less effective if the practical course is conducted online without a guide specially designed for the practical subject. Thus, this study will develop an TVET e-learning framework for practical courses offered in TVET institution. The objective of this study is to identify components in the TVET e-learning framework of practical skills courses and test the acceptance of the framework through application prototypes. Respondents for this study are specialist lecturers from Nilai Polytechnic Retail Management Diploma who implement TVET teaching and learning. This study is divided into two phases which is identify elements from the previous study and the second phase is the assessment of the acceptance of the framework by ten experts in the field which aims to see the suitability and acceptance of the framework to be used as a guide by TVET teaching staff. The results of the study were analyzed to meet the objectives of the study. This research framework is based on the Community of Inquiry model and the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF) also use of augmented reality. The results of the analysis show that experts agree on the elements used for the learning framework. From analysis,this framework can be implemented in the online TnL process and is capable of helping TVET instructors to implement practical skills teaching in addition it functions as a guide for lecturer to increase creativity, engagement and communication of students with lecturer.

Outcome-Based Education in Open Distance Learning: A Study on Its Implementation Amidst the Pandemic

The noble Malaysian Qualification Framework (MQF) has been established by the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA) to emphasise the obligation to apply Outcome-Based Education (OBE) for higher education in Malaysia, with the revised version of MQF introduced in the year 2019 to assure the quality of higher education continues to be on par with the current global demand. A year after the launching of the revised edition, the momentum of OBE implementation was interrupted by the unforeseen pandemic crisis, resulting in major disruptions for all higher education institutions. This study intended to explore how OBE has been implemented in a Higher Education Provider (HEP) that offers Open Distance Learning (ODL), as well as its challenges and quality improvement approaches when the implementation was impacted by the unprecedented event. The study applied a qualitative research design and adopted a purposive sampling method to select four participants to join a one-to-one semi-structured interview. Data collected were transcribed and analysed via ATLAS.ti software by using a thematic approach. The finding revealed that the ODL-HEP well-applied the updated version of the framework to achieve the ultimate goal of OBE. However, there were both positive and negative perspectives about OBE in higher education. In addition, four themes namely psychomotor domain, alternative assessment, learning outcomes achievement, and dropout of students were discovered in the OBE implementation challenges amidst the pandemic. The results for the continual quality improvement aspect also revealed five important themes to illustrate how the HEP responded to the challenges and change.

Analysing the Malaysian Higher Education Training Offer for Furniture Design and Woodworking Industry 4.0 as an Input Towards Joint Curriculum Validation Protocol

An education programme at the master’s level normally aims to facilitate graduates’ acquisition, mastery and application of advanced knowledge in specialised areas of education. However, there is no learning pathway that aims to improve the level of specific and transversal competencies and skills, with particular regard to those relevant for the labour market in the furniture sector, such as management, entrepreneurship, language competences and leadership toward wood and furniture industry 4.0. The methodology for this research inquiry was based upon a survey questionnaire of 54 respondents during the MAKING4.0 Seminar at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. The results were analysed from the Work Package 1 (WP1) “Analysis and comparison of the current Higher Education training offer and furniture and woodworking industry”, before the learning outcomes were defined for each of the identified topics. The definition of learning outcomes was made considering the Recommendations of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), and subsequently harmonised with the Programme Learning Outcomes defined in the Malaysian Qualification Framework 2nd edition (MQF2.0) for a Master´s Degree Level 7. The identified learning outcomes have been grouped into four modules: (1) Processes and Production of Furniture, (2) Intelligent and Sustainable Design, (3) Wood and New Materials, and (4) Innovation Management. Results of the study indicated that MAKING4.0 is in line with the actions highlighted in the Malaysian Education Blueprint (2015–2025) and the objectives of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in developing the National Industry 4.0 policy framework. MAKING4.0 aims to ensure an adequate supply of human capital and skills, as well as develop an innovative master’s degree to modernise the current training offer in wood and furniture technology processes and design around Industry 4.0 in Malaysia.

Assessment of Soft Skills that Foster Practical Skills in Accounting Course

Accounting subjects in a matriculation college focused on knowledge and practical skills, with less attention to the elements of soft skills. Hence, the purpose of this study was to assess the level of soft skills among accounting students attending Perlis Matriculation College. A total of 250 students in the first semester, comprising 80 male and 170 female students took part in the study, which was based on assessments using individual and group assignments. Students used the Mr. Accounting software for individual assignments and case studies during group assignments. The study was carried out throughout a semester, which was 16 weeks. A soft skills assessment tool was adapted from the Integrated Cumulative Grade Average Grade (iCGPA), which was used by lecturers in the college to assess the competencies of the students. The soft skills were evaluated through observations during the assignments by the lecturers using the soft skills rubrics, which had 38 items that represented six learning outcomes based on the Malaysian Qualifications Framework. The data collected were analysed descriptively. The findings showed that the overall elements of the learning outcomes had a high mean score, which suggested that students practised these sets of soft skills in the learning process. The domain with the highest score was on social responsibilities, while critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Ethics, professionalism and legal education in Malaysian undergraduate dentistry: A reflection on the current requirements

The undergraduate dental degree in Malaysia is regulated by the Malaysian Dental Council (MDC) (Standard of Undergraduate Competencies), Code of Professional Conduct of the Malaysian Dental Council, the Malaysian Qualification Framework 2.0 and the Malaysian Quality Agency (MQA) quality assurance documents. These primary documents emphasize the importance of professional ethics and law in dentistry as will be further detailed and discussed later. This study reflects on the need to integrate ethics, professionalism and law with sufficient coverage in terms of content and emphasis in the dental undergraduate curriculum. Literature and benchmarking practices are reviewed for a deeper reflection of the current needs in a professional dental ethics and law education course. The present study is primarily focused on regulatory requirements, legal cases and comparative literature to serve as a reference on how professional ethics and law courses may be conducted. As an incidental measure, a reflection as to how the course of study of professional ethics is delivered in a local university is considered in a selected local university’s undergraduate dental curriculum. The findings indicate that ethics professionalism and dental law is not given sufficient emphasis as it is included as one of the minor components within another overcrowded subject and the coverage of what is taught is limited in context. This paper is an invitation to all dental schools to review and reflect whether, given the emphasis on professional ethics, legal and regulatory compliance in the regulatory documents, it is adequately reflected in their dental curriculum. In this regard, some benchmarking references are done to suggest what such a course should cover, for consideration of the dental schools.

Students’Perceptions on Program Learning Outcomes: A Secondary Data Analysis of An Exit Survey

Outcome based education (OBE) emphasized on designing, constructing, delivering and documenting the teaching and learning to be in line with the established program learning outcomes (PLO) by the Malaysian Qualification Framework (MQF) to improve the quality of learning. The study focuses on students’ perceptions on the PLO at the School of Quantitative Sciences (SQS), Universiti Utara Malaysia.A secondary data from an exit survey among graduating students of SQS has been analysed for this purpose. Study finding shows that on average, all respondents perceived that they werefairly strongly to strongly for all PLOs. The information obtained from the exit survey data is able to rank the PLO by its corresponding mean value in decreasing order.The purpose of this study is to obtain information on the extent to which the students have mastered the skills (PLO) from their own view.This study has been done by secondary data collection. The secondary data was from a 2017 Exit Survey with 46 respondents among graduating students of SQS, UUM. All of these students were enrolled in Bachelor of Science with Honors (Business Mathematics) program.All respondents perceived that they were at fairly strong to strong level for all PLO. The information obtained from the exit survey data is able to rank the PLO by its corresponding mean value in decreasing order.This study will be beneficial to curriculum providers as a reference for improvement by understanding the needs and current states of the students. Moreover, this research will provide recommendations on how to evaluate program learning outcomes.

New Qualification Level Description in Malaysian Framework for Equivalence Checking via APEL Process

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) is a systematic process involving the identification, documentation and assessment of learning based on previous experience. This study is aimed at determining the descriptions of each qualification level within the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF) that can be proposed for use in the research of equivalence between skill and academic of the APEL process. Through this equity research, it can facilitate individual passage from skills to further higher education in the academic. This study used a qualitative approach which involved exploratory methods through document analysis (Malaysian Qualification Framework, Australia Qualification Framework and Europe Qualification Framework) interviews (semi structure) and descriptive survey (score mean and standard deviation) methods through a questionnaire instrument. Based on the information obtained from UTHM, ADTEC, KKTM and IKBN the total population of this study is 97 persons. However, only 54 respondents gave feedback on distributed surveys. The findings show that all description items of each level of qualification proposed in the MQF are best suited to describe learning outcomes for each level. A description that includes three domains (knowledge, skills and competence) can be suggested to stakeholders. This will help individuals from areas of skills to pursue higher education in the academic field through the APEL process.

The Direction of Generic Skills Courses at National University of Malaysia (UKM) towards Fulfilling Malaysian Qualifications Framework

One of the key issues of the country is poor command of certain skills among university graduates from Public Higher Education Institute (PHEI). This matter has increased the rate of unemployment among graduates. This is because the industry as one of the key sectors of the economy generators needs human capital that masters various skills. The industry is facing global competition that requires them to participate and compete. Hence, to ensure that their position remains strong and relevant, human capital that masters skills such as communication skills, decision making, teamwork and others are urgently needed. Hence the emphasis on the aspects of these skills should be incorporated in the national education system. This article discusses the direction of generic skills courses at the National University of Malaysia in fulfilling the needs of Malaysian qualifications framework. This study is performed through analysis methodology on relevant documents in the matter. The study found that the National University of Malaysia has already implemented adoption of generic skills in courses offered, in fulfilling Malaysian qualifications framework. This will produce a student that is equipped with generic skills and further meets the needs of the job market.

Tahap Kemahiran Employability Pelajar Kejuruteraan dari Perspektif Majikan

Majikan kini memerlukan pekerja yang menguasai kemahiran teknikal dan kemahiran employability. Namun kemahiran employability yang dikuasai oleh graduan institusi pendidikan tinggi masih tidak dapat memenuhi kriteria yang diingini oleh majikan terutamanya dalam bidang kejuruteraan. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk meninjau tahap kemahiran employability pelajar kejuruteraan institusi teknikal dari perspektif majikan. Kajian ini menggunakan reka bentuk kajian kuantitatif dan kaedah kajian tinjauan. Seramai 171 responden daripada majikan kejuruteraan yang menyediakan latihan industri kepada pelajar terlibat dalam kajian ini. Instrumen kajian ini diadaptasi daripada instrumen Modul Kemahiran Insaniah Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi Malaysia, Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skill (SCANS) Amerika, Kerangka Kelayakan Malaysia (KKM), MyGSI, IKGPP dan beberapa model daripada kajian terdahulu. Pemboleh ubah yang dikaji ialah kemahiran komunikasi, kemahiran kerohanian, kerja berpasukan, kepimpinan, pembelajaran sepanjang hayat dan pengurusan maklumat, pemikiran kritikal dan penyelesaian masalah, keusahawanan, etika dan moral, menggunakan teknologi dan kemahiran sosial. Data soal selidik dianalisis menggunakan kaedah analisis deskriptif dan inferens. Hasil analisis mendapati tahap kemahiran employability pelajar kejuruteraan daripada perspektif majikan berada pada tahap sederhana tinggi. Hasil kajian juga menunjukkan tidak terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan di antara kemahiran employability pelajar yang dinilai berbanding jenis industri, jawatan dan pengalaman majikan dan lokasi syarikat.

Initial Development of Project Monitoring System for Masters Coursework

The masters program by coursework mode at the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment requires each student to carry out research project in the Research Methodology and the Project course. One of the course learning outcomes is the skill in planning and managing projects. This skill is also one of the learning outcomes that is required by the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF). Previously, the monitoring of research projects has been carried out manually. This makes monitoring difficult to be carried out effectively and efficiently. Thus, a monitoring system of project management needs to be made available. This paper presents the initial development of a coursework project monitoring system for the students of the postgraduate program at the faculty. An online system is built and can be accessed by the postgraduate students, supervisors, examiners and coordinators. The effectiveness of this system will be tested for the students of the next session and improvements will be made from time to time. It is hoped that this system will facilitate project management and monitoring can be carried out more effectively.

The Malaysian qualifications framework. An institutional response to intrinsic weaknesses

The global spread of national qualifications frameworks (NQF) at times has been accompanied by some extravagant claims about what they can deliver. Vague concepts such as ‘enhancing lifelong learni...

An Emic perspective of students’ learning information skills and constructing knowledge in Malaysian higher education

This study examined the phenomenon of students’ learning information skills as perceived by teachers and students in one Malaysian university. Teachers and students perceived the phenomenon as students participating in information practices that require the students to engage with information sources. Following the perception, teachers and students used classroom and peer practices as means to engage in the information practices. Underpinning the perceptions is teachers’ and students’ personal beliefs about way of knowing. The findings are useful to assist Malaysian higher education communities to facilitate the transformation process of university students into knowledge creators as required by the Malaysian Qualification Framework.

Women's Way of Learning Information Skills in Malaysian Higher Education

This study examined students’ learning information skills as perceived by seven female students in one Malaysian university. Students perceived the phenomenon as students participating in information practices that enable them to complete their classroom assignments. Following the perception, the students engaged with their classroom and peers to enable them to participate in the practices. Underpinning the perceptions is students’ personal beliefs about learning; characterized by meaning, practices, community and identity. The findings are useful to assist higher education communities to facilitate the transformation process of female university students into knowledge creators as required by the Malaysian Qualification Framework.