Ke Arah Kebolehpasaran Graduan: Pertalian Antara Pendekatan Pembelajaran dengan Kemahiran Insaniah dalam Kalangan Pelajar IPT Berteraskan Islam (Towards Graduate Employability: Relations between Learning Approaches and Soft Skills Among Students from Islamic-based HEIs)

Abstract

Kajian yang dijalankan ini bermatlamat untuk menilai sejauh mana kemahiran insaniah dalam kalangan pelajar di dua buah IPT berteraskan Islam di Malaysia selain melihat sejauh manakah pendekatan pelajaran pelajar menyumbang kepada kemahiran insaniah setelah dikawal faktor gender. Mengambil pendekatan kuantitatif dan kaedah tinjauan, kajian telah mengadaptasi instrumen Revised Approaches to Studying Inventory (RASI) (Duff, 1997) untuk mengukur jenis-jenis pendekatan pembelajaran yang diguna oleh pelajar. Kajian juga mengadaptasi instrumen Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) (Wilson & Lizzion, 1997) untuk mengukur kemahiran insaniah selain item soalan yang dibina sendiri oleh pengkaji. Seramai 233 orang pelajar jurusan Pengajian Islam pelbagai cabang telah mengambil bahagian di dalam kajian ini. Menggunapakai persampelan bertujuan, responden terdiri daripada pelajar tahun akhir sahaja. Berdasarkan analisis model persamaan berstruktur, data kajian menunjukkan wujudnya hubungan yang positif antara pendekatan pembelajaran berstrategi dengan kemahiran insaniah. Walau bagaimanapun, terdapat hubungan yang signifikan negatif antara pendekatan luaran dengan kemahiran insaniah. Hasil kajian juga menunjukkan terdapatnya perbezaan pendekatan pembelajaran dan kemahiran insaniah berdasarkan gender. Kemahiran insaniah pelajar lelaki lebih tinggi berbanding pelajar perempuan. Dapatan kajian menyokong model 3Ps Biggs yang menunjukkan kepentingan proses (pendekatan pembelajaran) ke atas hasil pembelajaran (kemahiran insaniah). Beberapa implikasi kajian juga dibincangkan khususnya dalam konteks kemahiran insaniah agar kebolehpasaran pelajar disiplin Pengajian Islam dapat ditingkatkan.

Kata kunci: Pendekatan pembelajaran; kemahiran insaniah; kebolehpasaran graduan; IPT berteraskan Islam

The present study is aimed at assessing the levels of soft skills amongst students from Islamic-based higher learning institutions (HEIs) besides examining how learning approaches are related to their soft skills after controlling for gender effect. Adopting a quantitative approach and utilizing survey method, the study made use of the Revised Approaches to Studying Inventory (RASI) (Duff, 1997) to assess the types of learning approaches embraced by the students. The study also adapted the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) (Wilson & Lizzion, 1997) to measure students’ soft skills and added self-made items to the instrument. A total of 233 respondents participated in the study. They comprised students from two Islamic-based institutions of higher learning in Peninsular Malaysia. Purposive sampling was utilized in which only final year students were randomly selected. Using structural equation modeling, the results revealed a positive significant relation between strategic approach and soft skills. However, surface approach is negatively related to soft skills. There exist differences in learning approaches and soft skills by gender. Boys outperformed girls in terms of the level of soft skills. The findings are in support of Bigg’s 3Ps model on the significance of process (learning approaches) on learning outcome (students’ soft skills). A number of implications of the study are being discussed in relation to softskills so as to escalade students’ employability, particularly those from Islamic studies disciplines.

Keywords: Soft skills, learning approaches, Islamic-based higher learning institutions, graduate employability