SERVICE-LEARNING IN MALAYSIA: PRACTICE AND IMPLEMENTATION IN FOUR PUBLIC UNIVERSTIES

The role of the universities in Malaysia is to prepare the youth towards educational transformation through higher learning education system, in parallel with the needs and challenges of the future. Through Malaysia Education Blue Print 2015-2025 (for Higher Education), the universities in Malaysia have been targeting to (i) produce holistic graduates who are entrepreneurial and balanced, (ii) improve students' learning experience, and (iii) expand collaboration between industries, government agencies and communities. Measures have implemented in curriculum and academic programmes by increasing experiential learning and Service-Learning. This article focuses on the practice and implementation of Service-Learning in four public universities in Malaysia. The study included queries on practice, implementation methods, evaluation, documentation, and impact of positive teaching learning by using the latest Service-Learning method. The study was designed to be an exploratory qualitative with the respondents consisting of the lecturers of the four universities. Data were gathered from structural interviews in focus-group discussion and individually. Data were analysed using thematic approach. The findings uncovered that Service-Learning has been implemented in many public universities in Malaysia by means of “bottom-up” and “top-down.” The implementation was made successful through the involvement of volunteers and the application of variety of methods of teaching including problem-based learning, project-based learning, community case study, as well as research or discipline-based project and capstone projects. Also, through sistematic monitoring and evaluation. Four impacts can be observed from the implementation of Service-Learning in Malaysian universities: impact on students, impact on lecturers, impact on university, and impact on community.