Project-based learning framework for non-technical skills

Abstract

Non-technical skills are becoming crucial requirements for engineering graduates to be hired by companies or industries. Unfortunately, employers nowadays are expressing their dissatisfaction on the level of non-technical skills among engineers. A preliminary study conducted by the researcher found out that electrical engineers are not equipped with proficient non-technical skills. An appropriate teaching method need to be introduced as an effort to develop nontechnical skills effectively. The main purpose of this research is to study the effectiveness of Project-Based Learning (PjBL) in developing the non-technical skills among electrical engineering students. Quantitative and qualitative methods are used in this study namely questionnaires, interviews and observations. The respondents consisted of the first year electrical engineering students from three universities in Malaysia, and the lecturers who are using PjBL, semi-PjBL and non- PjBL for teaching and learning. The findings of this research display that PjBL is an effective teaching method that is able to develop communication skills, problem solving skills, teamwork skills, lifelong learning skills and ethics among electrical engineering students compared to semi-PjBL and non-PjBL. PjBL also enables students to experience the real practice of engineers through the real world experience provided to them. Based on observations and interviews, a new framework of PjBL was constructed in order to develop the non-technical skills of engineering students effectively. Therefore, it is recommended for engineering education programmes to implement PjBL in their curriculum as an effort to develop the engineering students’ skills and to produce better engineering graduates, who are equipped with both technical and non-technical skills.