Factors Influencing the Choices of Concentration Field Among Liberal Studies Students in UKM

FAZILAH IDRIS, WARDAH MUSTAFA DIN

Abstract


Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia is the first public university in Malaysia which takes up the challenge to offer Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies. This degree is the first personalized curriculum degree which entitles students to choose their own curriculum structure, which is called concentration field in this program. The concentration field is created by students to fulfil their future personal goals and career. This paper will highlight the fields chosen for their concentration and factors contributing to their decision. The study will use self -administered survey to registered Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies students. The data collected will be analyzed descriptively. Findings show that there are 52 combinations of concentrations fields which cross-disciplines of science, technology, humanities, and social science. Three main factors which influence decision in choosing the concentration field are interest, future career, and academic ability. Two lowest factors are parents and peers influence. This study suggests a model of success for Liberal Studies students includes three internal factors i.e., interest, ambition and academic ability, and three external support which are parents, peers and the university. This paper will give insights to other higher education institutions that are interested in offering this future-focused curriculum in line with the aspiration of the Malaysian Education Blueprint.   

Keywords: Liberal studies; Concentration, Citra UKM; Malaysian Education Blueprint; Future-focused curriculum.


Full Text:

PDF

References


Ang, M. C., 2015. Graduate Employability Awareness: A Gendered Perspective. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences 211:192-198.

Burns, T.J., Gao, Y., Sherman, C., Vengerov, A. and Klein, S. 2014. Investigating a 21st century paradox: As the demand for technology jobs increases why are fewer students majoring in information systems?. Information Systems Education Journal 12(4): 4.

Chavez, N. H., Dotong, C. I., Camello, N. C., & Laguador,J. M. 2016. Employability of engineering graduates of one Asian university as basis for curriculum review. EPH-International Journal of Science and Engineering 1(6): 18-29.

Dotong, C. I., Chavez, N. H., Pamplona, M. A. I., & Camello, N. C. 2017. Employers’ Feedback on Job Performance of Engineering Graduates in one Private Academic Institution in the Philippines. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Arts and Sciences 4(1): 34-40

Felicen, S. S., & Borbon, J. D. 2017. Employers' feedback on the job performance of HRM graduates. In Trends and Issues in Interdisciplinary Behavior and Social Science, 33-38, London: CRC Press.

Heaven PC., & Ciarrochi J. 2012. When IQ is not everything: Intelligence, personality and academic performance at school. Personality and Individual Differences. 53(4):518–522. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2012.04.024.

Ismail, S.H. 2015. Pembangunan Insan dalam Falsafah Pendidikan Kebangsaan (Human Development in National Education Philosophy). Journal of Human Capital Development 8(2): 83-100.

Kim, K.M. & Kim, N.J., 2017. Tourism college major and the relationships among choosing tourism as a major, major satisfaction and commitment, and career decision self-efficacy. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology 2017: 706-717.

Pesigan, M.F., Gonzales, A.A. and Laguador, J.M., 2019. Behavioral, Environmental and Personal Factors that Influence the Preference of Maritime Students in Choosing College Degree Program. Asia Pacific Journal of Maritime Education 5: 34-40

Pinion Jr, C. and Hisel, J.D. 2019. Mentoring: What Is Your Role?. Journal of Environmental Health 81(7): 32-34.

Piróg, D. 2018. To study or not to study geography? The changing motivations behind choosing geography degree programmes by Polish students in the years 1995–2015. Geoforum 94: 63-71.

Pitt, R., Pirtle, W.N.L. and Metzger, A.N. 2017. Academic specialization, double majoring, and the threat to breadth in academic knowledge. The Journal of General Education 66(3-4): 166-191.

Poropat AE., 2014. Other-rated personality and academic performance: Evidence and implications. Learning and Individual Differences 4:24–32. doi: 10.1016/j.lindif.2014.05.013.

Porter, S.R., & Umbach, P.D. 2006. College Major Choice: An Analysis of Person Environment Fit. Research in Higher Education 47(4): 429-449.

Pushkina, D.B., 2020. Liberal Arts and Science University and the Global Challenges of the 21st Century. Science Journal 25(2): 284-293.

Russell, M. L. and Russell, J. A. 2011. Mentoring Relationships: Cooperating Teachers' Perspectives on Mentoring Student Interns. Professional Educator 35(2): 1-21.

Shin, Y. J., & Lee, J. Y. 2017. Attachment, career-choice pessimism, and intrinsic motivation as predictors of college students’ career adaptability. Journal of Career Development 44(4): 311-326.

Undergraduate Guidebook, Bachelor of Liberal Studies (hons.) (Program Sarjana Muda Sains Citra dengan kepujian) Academic Session 2020-2021, Pusat Citra Universiti, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Contact:

Editor-in-Chief

MALIM Jurnal Pengajian Umum Asia Tenggara

Pusat Pengajian Citra Universiti

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

43600 UK­M Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan

MALAYSIA

E-mail: jmalim@ukm.edu.my

© Copyright Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia