AMENDED: CHAPTER 1 - 2

CHAPTER 1:      INTRODUCTION

 

1.1 Background of the Study

Malaysia is now said to be at the mid-point in its journey towards Vision 2020 and is transforming to become a developed nation during the second phase of a fifteen year period. Everything in this world today has changed tremendously in terms of technological development, and most work needs to operate globally in order to survive the competition which exists in the world these days. This change has created an impact on the nature of work where a high level use of technology is a necessity to compete in the global arena (Jailani et al, 2006). Hence, a more flexible workforce with advanced technical skills coupled with well-developed generic skills is greatly needed by the employer in industry in order to meet the challenges faced by business.

 Academic excellence or achievement plays an important role in an individual placement, be it in the academic institutions like scholars or colleges, or job placement. Due to this, many people are concerned with the ways they can enhance their academic achievement. The emphasis on academic excellence which is also prevalent worldwide has encouraged many studies about the conditions that promote it. Numerous views have been presented by educators, students, administrators, stakeholders and psychologist about what is academic achievement and why it is important. However, these are not the cause for conflict since the measurements related to it also shifter as one progresses to a higher level of education. The role of academic achievement as one of the predictors of one’s life success and also in the aspects of academic placement in schools to higher educational institutions as well as the level employability in one’s career is inevitable (Higgins et al. 2007). In other words, high academic achievement predicts student’s high level of marketability, enabling them to choose their own placement (Chapman, 2010).

 Faced with stiff global competition, an arising concern is that current graduates do not match the needs of business. Graduates now are lacking in both technical know-how and generic skills. Competence is the fusion of both domains of specific knowledge and generic skills, so efforts to increase graduates’ competence must cover both areas. This has been highlighted in the Ninth Malaysia Plan (Jailani et al, 2006). Educational institutions have come under intense pressure to equip students with more than just the academic achievement. A number of reports issued by employers have urged universities to make more explicit efforts to develop the ‘key’, ‘core’, ‘transferable’, ‘soft’ , ‘employable’ and/or ‘generic skills’ needed in many types of employment.

 The importance of soft skills depends very much on the context and one’s personal perception (Schulz, 2008). As the perception of what is a soft skill differs from context to context, a subject may be considered a soft skill in one particular area may be considered a hard skill in another. On top of it the understanding of what should be recognized as a soft skill varies widely. Baxter and Young (1982) have indicated that employers need entry level workers who are dependable and trustworthy, have basic communication, thinking and problem solving skills, and have the desire to learn and advance the ability to work as part of a team, and possess a proper attitude. These skills have been defined as those needed by today’s students in a report published by the US Department of Labour. The report states that graduates must master employability skills, also called foundation skills, and competencies in order to find meaningful work. Foundation skills are basic skills, thinking skills, and personal qualities, while competencies include resource, interpersonal, information, systems, and technology competencies.

 In the Malaysian context, ‘soft skills’ can be said to incorporate all aspects of generic skills (Maria, 2008). These include the cognitive elements associated with non-academics skills (Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, 2006). Enormous research and expert opinions were sought in the effort to determine the specific soft skills to be implemented and used in the institutions of higher learning Malaysia. Based on the research findings obtained, seven soft skills were identified and chosen. They are: i) Communication skills, ii) Critical thinking and problem solving skills, iii) Team work, iv) Lifelong learning and information management skills, v) Entrepreneurship skills, vi) Ethics and professional moral and vii) Leadership skills (Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, 2006). 

 Even though the cognitive factors have been established by researchers as contributors to academic excellence, there is no denying the developing interest in other factors, like generic skills factors, in determining an individual’s academic success especially in higher level of education. Therefore, this study will focus on the impact of generic skills factors to students’ academic achievement.

  

1.2       Problem Statement

It was reported that, generally, Malaysia has a sufficient supply of graduates with technical skills mainly in information, communication and technology (ICT), business, engineering and many other fields. Unfortunately, the demand for these graduates is still low despite the economic growth in the country. The obvious question that arises is what could be the factors leading to the decrease in demand for these graduates? Does this imply that many of the local institutions of higher learning, both public and private, have failed to offer a sufficiently rigorous education to produce the necessary quality in the workforce which the industry requires, regardless of the fact that academic result among those graduates are impressive?

One Malaysian report (Chang, 2004) claimed that among the reasons is that graduates with a degree no longer automatically qualify for getting their first job. Instead, graduates who possess the greatest knowledge and skills in their study domain get hired first. In addition, the business world is becoming very competitive and computerization makes job performance measurement very transparent. Managers will only want to hire people who can contribute to team success. Proficiency in English, the ability to present ideas, explain issues and problems, to speak up in a constructive manner, to resolve problems, to understand issues and problems faced by companies and to come up with workable solutions to problems are all good communication and interpersonal skills sought after by employers. Therefore employees are expected to contribute from day one of being hired (Chang, 2004).

The concern about graduates’ capability to meet the demand needed by employers in today’s world is associated with the notion that graduates have not adequately acquired with generic skills during their studies at higher institution. Both current and future employees need to have expanded skills if they are to operate in the workplace effectively. Skills and competencies are the two important components that students need to posses so that they can make better transition from classroom environment to working environment, instead of merely focusing on academic performance.

 Various parties are concerned about students’ capability to meet the demands by employers in today’s working world. There is a student only wants to get good grades in the papers and this may affect to their capability to adapt themselves in the challenging world.  In general, the number of students who graduates from college and university every year determines the success of education. This is actually not true since this type of success does not guarantee students to be successful in the work place (Noorlaila et al 2004). According to Dutton (1996), students are only able to enter their chosen career if a curriculum program involves schools to provide all the necessary competencies the employer needs. Worthington and Juntuneen (1997) stated that many graduates find themselves struggling to enter the job market because they were not prepared for skills needed for employment. Besides possessing with good grades, these graduates do not have the knowledge to make the transition from education to career.

This has aroused anxiety among many parties and it is hoped through this research we will be able see the relationship between generic skills and academic achievement among undergraduate students of PTPL College, Ampang, Selangor.

 

 1.3       Objective of the Study

This study intends to examine the relationship between generic skills and academic achievement among undergraduate students of PTPL College, Ampang, Selangor. The following objectives will be discovered by end of this study:

 

1.3.1    To identify the level of academic achievement among undergraduates students of PTPL College, Ampang, Selangor

 1.3.2    To identify the generic skills that acquires by undergraduates students of PTPL College, Ampang, Selangor

 1.3.3    To investigate the relationship between generic skills and students academic achievement

 

1.4  Research Questions

 

1.4.1    What is the level of academic achievement among undergraduate students of PTPL College, Ampang, Selangor?

1.4.2    What are the generic skills acquire by undergraduate students of PTPL College, Ampang, Selangor based on seven generic skills: (1) communications skills; (2) critical thinking and problem solving skills, (3) team work, (4) lifelong learning and information management skills, (5) entrepreneurship skills, (6) ethics and professional moral, and (7) leadership skills?

1.4.3      Is there any significant relationship between generic skills and academic achievement among undergraduate students of PTPL College, Ampang, Selangor?

 

1.5       Significance of the Study

There is considerable concern on the quality of Malaysian students that sometimes are seemed as only regurgitating information after considerable amount of memorization. The A’s-oriented students that the school in Malaysia produced is debatable in article, “Note-memorizing, straight-A students with little creativity or people skills” (The New Straits Times, 2006).

 A student is regarded as having met the expectation in their academic filed if they show their mastery of the knowledge or skills they have learned (Santrock, 2006). They must be able to not only retrieve the information  that they have gained throughout their learning, but also must demonstrate their understanding of what they have learned, through higher order thinking skills in Bloom’s Taxonomy which include synthesis, analysis and evaluation (Santrock, 2006). This show that it is not enough to assess a student’s academic achievement performance by what they have memorized as what has happened in our educational system. Thus, the assessment method used in the higher education institution is currently viewed as more holistic is determining student’s academic achievement since it involves coursework, attendance, portfolios and such which do not only focus on the intellectual aspect but also attitude, interest and skills (O’Connor & Paunonen, 2007).

 Therefore, instead of focusing on the cognitive development, it is hoped that generic skills will develop in line with their cognition. . Enhancing employability skills is seen as an effective way to the current teaching and learning strategies used in higher institutions. It also will be practical way to scrutinize the strengths and weaknesses of current curricular towards holistic development of the students. Also, the hope and intention that this study could help other relevant parties to be able to prepare the students to meet the challenging world when they do their training or when they work once graduated. Generally, the outcome of this study should be beneficial to all especially the students, lecturers, university and stakeholders.

  

CHAPTER 2:      LITERATURE REVIEW

 2.1       Development of Generic Skills

Generic skills are also known by many other terms such as soft skills, key skills, common skills, essential skills, employability skills, basic skills, necessary skills, competencies skills, and transferable skills. Nabi and Bagley (1998) have divided the generic skills into three categories which are personal skills, communication skills, and problem solving skills. Bennett, Dunne and Carre (2000) have reported based on their research findings that generic skills can be presented in four broad areas of management skills namely management of self, management of others, management of task, and management of information. Crosbie (2005) had listed the eight soft skills that are needed by all individuals: collaboration/teamwork, communication skills, initiative, leadership ability, people development/coaching, personal effectiveness/personal mastery, planning and organizing, and presentation skills. Generic skills include “effective reading, writing, analytical, conceptual thinking and critical thinking skills, an ability to solve problems in an unstructured setting, an understanding of organizations, international and multicultural knowledge and the ability to resolve ethical dilemmas” (Nathan and Dunn, 1997).

Generic skills are vital for all graduates to acquire, regardless of their field of study. For instance, communication skills, analytical, critical and problem solving skills, lifelong learning ability, entrepreneurship and management skills are the ones that employers value as important skills for potential employees to possess. This has aroused concern among many parties whish has led to the development of the Framework on Incorporating Soft Skill in Teaching and Learning in Malaysia Higher Education Institution. The Malaysian Institute of Higher Learning interprets soft skills as incorporating aspects of generic skills which include non-academic skills such as leadership, teamwork, communication, and lifelong learning. Below are the seven traits of generic skills that are to be embedded in the syllabus taught at Institutes of Higher Learning:

 

I.              Communication skills

Students are expected to be fluent and able to communicate effectively in both Bahasa Malaysia and English language. As graduates they should be able to convey their thoughts with clarity and confidence both in written and oral forms. They are also expected to be active listeners while providing the necessary response. Graduates should also be capable of giving and using technology during presentations confidently

 

II.            Critical thinking and problem solving skills

With this skill, graduates should be able to think in a critical, creative, innovative, and analytical manner which includes the ability to apply knowledge. Elements that graduates must possess under this aspect are the ability to identify and analyze complex situation as well as making evaluations that are justifiable. They should also have the ability to expand and improve thinking skills, to provide ideas, and alternative solutions

III.           Team work

Team work skills involve the ability to work and cooperate with people from various social and cultural backgrounds so as to achieve a common goal. In order to build a good working relationship with his/her peers, it is essential that graduates are respectful toward others’ attitude, behavior, and belief. From time to time graduates are also expected to undertake the role of a leader and a group member interchangeably

IV.          Lifelong learning and information management skills

In acquiring skills and knowledge, graduates should be able to do self-regulate learning independently. They should have the skills to search for relevant information from various sources and able to manage them efficiently. They should also be receptive to new ideas and able to develop an inquiry mind.

 

V.            Entrepreneurship skill

This skill involves the ability to venture into business and work-related opportunities while creating risk awareness. This skill includes the ability to identify business opportunities and be able to prepare, build, and explore business plans which eventually leads to self-employment.

 

VI.          Ethics and professional moral

With the above skill, graduates are able to practice with high moral standards in the relevant professional practice. Graduates should also be able to understand the effects of economy, environment, and socio-cultural factors on their respective professional practice. In relation to ethical issues, graduates should be able to analyze and arrive at decisions in matters concerning ethics. Beyond the working environment, graduates should be able to practice good ethics while having a sense of responsibility toward society.

 

VII.         Leadership skill

Leadership skill entails the ability to lead in various activities. Graduates should have the knowledge on basic leadership theories which will enable the graduates to lead a project. It is also essential that graduates are able to understand the role of a leader and a group member and be able to carry out those roles interchangeably.

 

2.2     Concept of Academic Achievement

Academic performance according to the Cambridge University Reporter (2003) is frequently defined in terms of examination performance. Academic achievement refers to what the student have learned or what skills the student has learned and is usually measured through assessments like standardized tests, performance assessments and portfolio assessments (Santrock, 2006). The descriptive assessment information will usually be translated through grading system such as Grade Point Average (GPA) and course grade. This study will make use of Cumulated Grade Point Average (CGPA) since it provides information of the students’ academic performance across time.

 Academic performance, which is measured by the examination results, is one of the major goals of a school. Hoyle (1986) argued that schools are established with the aim of imparting knowledge and skills to those who go through them and behind all this is the idea of enhancing good academic performance. The academic deans and the quality assurance committee are concerned about those who do not perform well because if this poor performance goes unchecked, the university may lose its reputation, which may result in loss of confidence in Uganda Christian University (UCU) graduates (Kyoshaba, 2009).

 Thelma (1998) in her research on variables that associated with academic achievement of African-American has identified non-cognitive as one of the main contributor. African-American with high scores on measures of educational aspirations, values (courage, exciting life, cleanliness, imagination, and helpfulness), emotional intelligence, acceptability of mixed dating, self-confidence, satisfaction with academic advising and tutoring, being in control of academic outcomes, preference for long-term goals, academic self-concept, self-esteem, self-concept of ability, specific personality traits (achievement aspirations, affiliation, dominance, endurance, exhibition, harm avoidance, nurturance, order, play, and understanding), favorable opinions of their study habits and relationships with others, and low scores on alienation and reliance on family and institutions to solve social and academic problems, had higher grade-point averages than those with contrasting scores on these variables.

 

2.3       Relationship between Generic Skills and Academic Achievement

There are various factors that influence the outcome of top academic performers. The students themselves play critical role in making them to be high achievers having effective learning strategies or styles, learning goals, ability to build on knowledge and strategic thinking. Successful students use strategic thinking in their approach to learning, reasoning, problem solving, and concept learning. They understand and can use a variety of strategies to help them reach learning and performance goals, and to apply their knowledge in various situations (Azizi, 2003). In addition, they also know what to do if a problem occurs or if they are not making sufficient or timely progress towards a goal. They can generate alternative methods to reach their goal or even reassess the appropriateness and utility of the goal.

For many years in higher education across the world, it was believed that only those students who possessed the talents and achieved good grades in examination would succeed in their future. Today, however, with increased mass and expensive higher education, this philosophy in no longer appropriate, since restricting failure or dropout cannot be viewed as sole criteria of quality and hallmarks of high standards (Favish, 2003). A new view of what constitutes quality and success in higher education has become imperative – one that accommodates increased student diversity and considers processes that contribute to holistic development (Harvey and Green 1993).

 

In view of the complex expectations of higher education and the difficulty of predicting the needs of constantly changing societies, it is important to determine the perceptions and expectations of students in higher education, instead of merely depending on impressive academic achievement. Generic skills are almost essential to do well in examination because a large component of the final exam in higher learning institution is usually based on case studies, and students are expected to apply their knowledge of the unit’s theoretical concepts.

 
Research by Raymond and Chadi (2008) on the initiative to reduce the failure rate in an undergraduate Accounting Information Systems course without compromising academic standards, he found out that initiative relied on the development of generic skills in the major assessment tasks. Further evidence in his research suggests the generic skills intervention was responsible for the majority of the improvement in students’ academic achievement. It addressed the issue of student perception by heavily weighting the internal assessment to encourage students to focus on the generic skills assessment tasks. Students had a clear understanding that the skills to be mastered in the generic assessment tasks related to 80% of the overall course (internal assessment plus final exam). It was further noted that in addition to any general weaknesses, undergraduate accounting students do not fully understand the importance of generic skills in the accounting profession. They have a tendency to underestimate the importance placed by employers and educators on non-technical skills (such as communication skills) and rank technical accountancy skills much higher (Usoff and Feldmann 1998).

 Other studies show that “hard skills” trump “soft skills” as determinants of academic success. Based on analyses of data from six longitudinal studies, Duncan et al. (2007) find that early math and reading skills are stronger predictors of later achievement than non-cognitive traits, such as attention-related capacities, social strengths and behavioral deficits. Lleras (2008) reports similar results from a study analyzing data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study, as do Claessens et. al. (2009) based on data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study.

 Students change significantly in a number of ways throughout studying at higher learning institution. One of these areas is their perception of confidence in their own ability to demonstrate generic skills. For instance, confidence levels in some skills relate more strongly to actual academic performance. While it is too early for this study to point any value of perceptual change for development purpose, it appears that positive perception of problem solving and decision making for example, might appear to be potentially strongly linked to better academic performance, and need further investigation.

 

2.4       Chapter Summary

In sum, this chapter of literature review is divided to three sections; (1) the development of generic skills, (2) the concept of academic achievement, and (3) the relationship between generic skills discussed in previous section and academic achievement. The chapter of review provides some theoretical perspectives of the current scenario relevant to this research and researchers’ debate regarding the status of academic achievement, generic skills and the relationship between the two variables. The review also provides the empirical findings about significance of generic skills and its relation to student academic settings.

Updated: REFERENCES

 Azizi Yahaya, 2003. Factors Contributing Towards Excellence Academic Performance. University Technology Malaysia

 

Baxter, M. Young J.L. (1982). What do employers expect from high school graduates? NASSP Bulletin, 66, 93-98.

 

Bernd Schulz, 2008. The Importance of Soft Skils: Education beyond academic knowledge. NAWA Journal of Language and Communication, June 2008.

 

Cambridge University Reporter. (2003). Indicators of academic performance. Retrieved on August 8, 2007 from http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2002-3/weekly/5913/

 

Chang, M. (2004, July). Why some graduates are more marketable than others: Employers’ perspective. Paper presented in a Workshop on Enhancing Graduate Employability in a Globalised Economy, Economic Planning Unit, Malaysia.

 

Chapman, K. (2010, march 7). Earning a place. Retrieves September 17, 2010, from the Star Online: http://thestar.com.my?education/story.asp?file=/2010/3/7/education/5782565&sec=education

 

Claessens, Amy, Greg Duncan, and Mimi Engel. 2009. “Kindergarten Skills and Fifth-grade Achievement: Evidence from the ECLS-K,” Economics of Education Review 28(4): 415-427.

 

Duncan, Greg J., Chantelle J. Dowsett, Amy Claessens., Katherine Magnuson., Aletha C. Huston,, Pamela Klebanov, Linda S. Pagani, Leon Feinstein, Mimi Engel, Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Holly Sexton, Kathryn Duckworth, and Crista Japel. 2007. “School Readiness and Later Achievement.” Developmental Psychology, 43(6): 428-46.

 

Dutton, M. (1996). Tech/prep/school-to-work: Career Paths for All. Education Digest,61(5), 56-69.

 

Higgins, D.M., Peerson, J. B., Pihl, R. O., & Lee, A. G. (2007). Prefrontal Cognitive Ability, Inteligence, Big Five Personality, and the Prediction of Advanced Academic and Workplace Performace. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

 

Hoyle, E. (1986). Policies of School Management, Suffolk. The press ltd.

 

Jailani, Wan Mohd Rashid, Noraini & Wahid (2005). Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) from Malaysia Perspective. Paper presented at 2nd International TT-TVET EU-Asia-Link Project Meeting, VEDC Malang.

 

Kyoshaba Martha, 2009. Factors Affecting Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students at Uganda Christian University.

 

Lleras, Christy. 2008. “Do Skills and Behaviors in High School Matter? The Contribution of Noncognitive Factors in Explaining Differences in Educational Attainment and Earnings.” Social Science Research 37 (3): 888-902.

 

Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion & Keith Morrison (2000). Research Methods in Education. Edition: 5^th. RoutledgeFalmer, London.

 

Malaysia has 60,000 graduates unemployed. (2005). Retrieved from http://www.malaysia-today.net/Blog-e/2005/11/malaysia-has-60000-undergraduates.htm

 

Maria Salih, 2008. Realizing sustainable development of higher education in Malaysia through soft skills. Indian Journal of Science and Technology. Vol. 1 No. 5 (Oct. 2008) http://www.indjst.org

 

Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia. (2006). Development of soft skills for Institutions of Higher Learning. Universiti Putra, Malaysia.

 

Nabi, G. R. and Bagley, D. (1998) Graduates’ perceptions of transferable personal skills and future career preparation in the UK, Career Development International, 3(1), 31-39.

Bennett, N., Dunne, E. and Carré, C. (2000) Skills Development in Higher Education and Employment. Buckingham: The Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press.

 

Nathan, S. and Dunn, K.A. (1997). Business Press Articles and Higher Level Learning Skills in Accounting Courses. Education & Training. 39, 4/5, 189-194

 

Noorlaila Yunus, Salina Noranee and Rohana Ehsan, 2004.The Perception of Employer towards Office Management (OM) Industrial Trainees’ Performance during the Internship: A Case Study of Public/Private Organizations in Klang Valley.

 

Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills. (1992, April). Learning a Living: A blueprint for High Performance. Executive Summary. A SCANS Report for America 2000. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor.

 

O’Connor, M. C. & Paunonen, S. V. (2007). Big Five personality predictors of post-secondary academic performance. Personality and Individual Differences.

 

Raymond Young and Chadi Aoun, 2008. Generic Skills to Reduce Failure Rates in an Undergraduate Accounting Information System Course. Asian Social Science, Vol. 4, 10, October 2008. www.ccsenet.prg/journal.html

 

Santrock, J. W. (2006). Educational Psychology (rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

 

Thelma Young Monk, 1998. Variables Associated with Academic Achievement of African-American Males in Four-year Undergraduate Educational Institutions: A Synthesis is Studies. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

 

The New Straits Times. (2006, March 21). Experts: Go back to drawing board. Kuala Lumpur

 

Usoff, C. & Feldmann, D. (1998). Accounting Students’ Perceptions of Important Skills For Career Success. Journal of Education for Business. 73, 4, 215-220

 

Worthington, R. L., & Juntunen, C. L. (1997). Vocational Development of Non-College-bound  

Youth: Counseling Psychology and the School-to-Work Transition of Movement. The Counseling Psychologist, 25(2), 23-24.

 

30,000 grads in unsuitable jobs (2012,May 10). New Straits Times. Retrieved from http://www.mohr.gov.my/mygoveg/extras/isunov05.htm#nst101105

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.0       Introduction
The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between generic skills and academic achievement among students in PTPL College, Ampang, Selangor. This chapter will discuss in detail methodology that will be employed such as, research design, sample, instruments that were used and data analysis.

 

 3.1       Research Design

This study will utilize a survey method and is descriptive in nature, which is intended to investigate the generic skills of the students of higher education in PTPL College, Ampang, Selangor. It also endeavors to determine the relationship between students’ academic achievement and their generic skills based seven traits categorized by MoHE, 2006. Descriptive research (survey research) is found to be more economical in examining the generic skills possess by undergraduate students in PTPL College. Louis, Lawrence and Keith in (2000) stated that survey is a systematic method of collecting data from a population of interest. It tends to be quantitative in nature and aims to collect information from a sample of the population so that the results will be representing the population within a certain degree of error. The purpose of a survey is to collect quantitative information, usually through the use of a structured and standardized questionnaire. With the used of Statistical Software Package (SPSS), the interpretation of the result could be processed. It was further described that survey research were found as quantifiable and generalizable to an entire population if the population is sampled appropriately, standardized, structured questionnaire minimizes interviewer bias, tremendous volume of information can be collected in short period of time and it can take less time to analyze than qualitative data.

 

 3.2       Population

The study will be conducted in PTPL College Ampang, Selangor, which will be treated as a subset of the population that researcher is trying to represent. This is accessible population because it is cheaper, faster and easier.  There were 280 undergraduates students were identified in PTPL College, Ampang. Those students belong to Faculty of Business Management, Faculty of Mass Communication and Faculty of Information Technology.

3.3       Sample of the Study

When descriptive research was employed, simple random sampling is concerned. As stated by Louis et al. (2000), simple random sampling was found to be the least complicated compared to all sampling. Simple random sampling is a sample where everyone in the population has equal opportunities to be surveyed. Besides, sampling error can be calculated fairly easy for this type of sampling. In fact, confidence ranges for the variability in responses due to sampling have been calculated and put into a table for simple random samples.  A representative sample drawn from the accessible population will allow researchers to generalize from the sample results to the accessible population. The survey questionnaires will be distributed to undergraduate students from three faculties which are Faculty of Business Management, Faculty of Mass Communication and Faculty of Information Technology. The students who are currently in semester three and above were selected as respondents for this study.

 

3.4  Instruments of Measurement  

3.4.1    Academic Achievement

Academic achievement of students is measured by their Cumulated Grade Point Average (CGPA), the average of all their Grade Point Average (GPA) for every semester that they have completed.

Credit for Graduation - the total number of credits hours required to pass a certain course, as determined by the Senate.

Credit Counted - the credit hours calculated towards obtaining the GPA and CGPA.

GPA (Grade Point Average) - the average grade point earned in a semester.

CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) - the average cumulative point obtained for all semesters.

 Academic Standing

            A student’s performance is assessed using both GPA and CGPA.

                      GPA = Total point value of a semester
                                  Total credit counted of a semester

                                              and

         CGPA = Total point value of all semesters

                                     Total credit counted of all semesters

 The relationship involving marks, grades and point value is shown in Table I.

Percentage score	Letter Grade	Quality Points Equivalent	Remark	Hours Earned
85 - 100	A	4.00	Pass	Yes
80 - 84	A-	3.67	Pass	Yes
75 - 79	B+	3.33	Pass	Yes
70 - 74	B	3.00	Pass	Yes
65 - 69	B-	2.67	Conditional Pass	Yes
60 - 64	C+	2.33	Conditional Pass	Yes
55 - 59	C	2.00	Conditional Pass	Yes
50 - 54	C-	1.67	Fail	No
40 - 49	D	1.00	Fail	No
0 - 39	F	0.00	Fail	No

 The grade obtained for each course is based on the overall performance in the course work including assignments, tests and end-of-semester examination.

KCDIs: 

3.4.2      Generic Skills

The students’ generic skills are measured through seven traits of generic skills that categorized by Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (MoHE), 2006.  The items used intend to measure the degree of generic skills that they have which include (1) communications skills; (2) critical thinking and problem solving skills, (3) team work, (4) lifelong learning and information management skills, (5) entrepreneurship skills, (6) ethics and professional moral, and (7) leadership skills. The distribution of the items according to the seven generic skills is presented in Table II.

 

Table II: Components of Seven Generic Skills

Seven Generic Skills		Item number
Communication skills	Written Communication Oral Communication	1 2
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving	Problem Solving Skill Critical Thinking Skill	3 4
Teamwork	Group Decision Making & Planning Adaptability & Flexibility Interpersonal Relations	5 6 7
Lifelong Learning & Information Management	Eager to Continuously Learn Something New Able to Effectively Manage Both Old and New Knowledge	8   9
Entrepreneurship	Business, Marketing & Branding Instinct & Knowledge	12
Ethics and Professional Moral	Personal Integrity Professional Ethics	10 11
Leadership	Exemplary Characteristics, Confidence & Management Skills	13

 

 

The five-point Likert Scale format will be used, with 1 being “the least important” and 5 being “the most important”. The respondents were asked to identify the scale that most accurately describes their perception of themselves by circling the number in the boxes provided according to the following scale in Table III:

 Table III: Likert Scale for the Normal-scored Items

Opinion	Scale
Least important	1
Less important	2
Not important	3
Somewhat important	4
Very important	5

 

3.5       Data Collection

The data will be collected by distributing a set of self-inventory questionnaire adapted from seven traits of generic skills that categorized by MoHE. The questionnaire will be distributed to undergraduate students, who are from semester three and above, from three different faculty, to measure the variables in the research. The data will be collected on the same day after the questionnaire was distributed. The researcher will take time to assist and explain in detail about the questions that were less understood. In order to get high return of the questionnaires, researcher will wait for the questionnaires to be completed by respondents by end of their learning session.

3.6       Data Analysis

In analyzing the data, descriptive statistics were used to measure the research questions, which were related to the level of academic achievement and the central tendency of the level of generic skills among the respondents. The frequency and percentage of the data were analyzed using statistical analysis software, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Then, the correlation between the variables will be measured using Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient in order to determine the strength and direction of the relationship between generic skills and academic achievement.