Application of Soft System Methodology in Higher Education

8/11/2019 Application of Soft System Methodology in Higher Education

1/19

Application of Soft SystemsMethodology in Defining ProfessionalCommunication Skills for MalaysianGraduates.

Azza Jauhar Ahmad TajuddinSchool of Education,

The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus

.

22112013


2/19

Objective

To determine the key definitions ofprofessional communication skills (PCS)identified by Malaysian stakeholders Malaysian based multi-national companies,

government agencies and academia forsuccessful workplace function.

1


3/19

2

Respondents

24 respondents in the following subgroups:

1) human resource managers from multi-national key industries (10 respondents);

2) government executives who recruit entry-level employees for public sectors (4respondents) and;

3) EOP instructors and HE liaison officers forindustrial training (10 respondents).


4/19


5/19

Soft Systems Methodology

4

A systemic 7-stage approach: action-orientedwhereby actions can be taken to improveproblematic situations (Checkland and Scholes,1990).

Appreciating, understanding and acceptingperspectives of interveners (Morcos andHenshaw, 2009) while improving issues.

SSM leads to the implantation of culturallyfeasible and systemically desirable changes inhuman organisations of any kind (Checkland,2000).


6/19

SSM in Social Science

SSM has been adopted in many social scienceresearch (Banathy and Jenlink, 1996;Rose,1997; Md. Saad, Alias, & Abdul Rahman,2006; Hindle, 2011; Liu et.al.,2012; Hassan,

2012) SSM in the process of teaching and learning:

UK (Patel, 1995), China (Liu et al, 2012); Math

Ed. (Warwick and South, 2008); EAP (Tajinoet al, 2005); PD (Knight, 2002)

5


7/19

Checklands 7-stages of SSM

6


8/19

Stages 1 & 2

Develop rich picture of the problematic

situation. Rich picture highlights different world-views

7


9/19

8


10/19

Stage 3

CATWOE synopsis of scope of study

Root Definition researcher defines the studywith no interference from stakeholders.

9


11/19

CATWOE

10


12/19


13/19

Stage 4

SSM can be used to develop conceptualmodels that identify patterns in knowledgeactivities.

Incorporates theories and models

Helps to provide a basis for technical designand organisational and social intervention.

It summarised the conceptual framework ofthe study in practical phases.

12


14/19

13


15/19

Stage 6 & 7

14


16/19

What we found

provides a general set of concepts andan intellectual framework for articulating

the search for images of reality which arerelevant to taking purposeful action withinsome problem situation

(Ledington and Donaldson, 1997).

15


17/19

What we discovered

SSM can be used as a framework toinvestigate a problem within the Malaysianeducational discipline.

The primary benefit is its ability to focus onissues and dwell in depth with the wholesystem as compared to the quantitativeresults-driven and analytical quality assurance

processes that are traditionally used to assessthe effectiveness of a module.

16


18/19

To conclude

The rich findings can contribute significantly tothe knowledge and development of English forOccupational Purposes courses since this studyhas generated an informed framework for PCS.

Because of this, taught courses that shouldcontain PCS in Malaysia HE institutions woulddiscontinue to take multiple forms.

Ultimately, the PCS Framework generated usingSSM addresses the requirements needed byfuture employers for Malaysian graduates.

17


19/19

Thank you kindly for your attention.

Documents

Application of Soft System Methodology in Higher Education