Enhancing Students’ Soft Skills Competence and Grade Through Experiential Learning in the Feed Industry Management Subject

Abstract

. The present research was carried out to study the beneficial effects of the application of the Experiential Learning (EL) in the form of the assignment of scientific paper on the improvement of soft skills and achievements of student grades. The study involved 80 students enrolled Feed Industry Management subject located in Limau Manis (PDG) dan Payakumbuh (PYK) Campus. They were divided into three parallel classes: P03PDG (32 students), P01PYK (31) and P02PYK (17). The students were offered a structured assignment, starting with an explanation of the material, measuring physical properties of feed in the laboratory, calculating and processing of data, writing and submission of draft and final scientific paper. Students were closely mentored and offered feedback at each stage of the task to encourage the students to do so with an honest, disciplined, obedient and earnest. Parameters observed included soft skills (honesty, discipline, obedience, earnest) and achievement grades (mid exam, final grades). The results showed that the group of students P01PYK and P02PY shows better honesty, discipline, obedience and sincerity than that in the class P03PDG. Assignment might promote the improvement of soft skills of students, but there was no significant effect on achievement mid exam scores. It might be concluded that that learning through assignments preceded by field experiences in the laboratory has a positive effect on student soft skills but the application of this EL model has not been able significantly to improve student achievement.