From Classroom to Community: Understanding Community-Based Learning Practices in Malaysian Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

Community-based learning (CBL) integrates the classroom learning and the community learning, as a pedagogical strategy, equipping students thereby with the skills needed, especially personal and soft skills. CBL also promotes student volunteerism, experiential learning, and community-based research. The current literature describes the numerous impacts of CBL, yet it is not widely discussed (the clear guidelines), nor how to implement it. Thus, this paper attempts to discuss the elements of CBL and the potential benefits of integrating CBL, as part of classroom learning particularly at tertiary educational level in Malaysia, using soft-system methodology; as this method can be used to analyse the intricate human activity systems. This qualitative study involved five registrars, 20 lecturers and 121 undergraduates from five public universities in Malaysia. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data from the focus-group interviews. The findings showed that there should be six elements, in order for an effective CBL framework in Malaysian higher educational institutions. This framework would help to link between the courses’ learning outcomes, its andragogical activities and assessments for all CBL courses in Malaysian higher institutions.