Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes are under mounting pressure to prove that graduates leave with more than a transcript; they need to leave with community-tested competence. Social entrepreneurship modules are one of the few places in a technopreneurship degree where that proof can actually be generated, yet published accounts rarely show, in enough operational detail, how a TVET-based course turns a stack of curriculum documents into hours of real fieldwork with vulnerable communities. This paper works through that gap using a single, closely documented case: BTMT 3383 Social Entrepreneurship, a compulsory course inside the Bachelor of Technopreneurship with Honours (BTEC) programme at a Malaysian technical university. Drawing on the institution's official Summary of Course Information, its approved Service-Learning Malaysia-University for Society (SULAM) working paper, and its full assessment documentation, the study traces how three Course Learning Outcomes spanning Knowledge, Skill, and Attitude domains are carried through a fourteen-week teaching plan, a competency-weighted assessment scheme, and a Table of Test Specifications built on Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. In the semester examined, 159 Year-3 TVET students, were placed with 67 community beneficiaries across five sites in Melaka Tengah, ranging from women micro-entrepreneurs to persons with disabilities and special-needs learners. They were trained to deliver practical digital-marketing coaching using tools such as Canva, CapCut, TikTok, Facebook, and WhatsApp Business. Sixty percent of the final course grade rests on this fieldwork or on reflective assessment of it, a considerably heavier weighting toward authentic performance than examination recall receives. The paper offers a transferable, TVET-relevant template for building Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-aligned, community-facing capstone assessment into technopreneurship curricula, and it argues that vocational programmes are well placed, perhaps better placed than conventional business schools, to make service-learning count toward a real grade rather than toward a certificate of participation.
Aggarwal, M., & Johal, R. K. (2021). Rural women entrepreneurship: A systematic literature review and beyond. World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, 18(4), 373–392. https://doi.org/10.1108/wjstsd-04-2021-0039
Al Issa, H. E., Thai, M., & Nguyen, H. T. T. (2024). A systematic mapping of social entrepreneurship education: A call for increased collaboration, ethics, and research frameworks. The International Journal of Management Education, 22(3), Article 101025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2024.101025
Al Issa, H. E., Thai, M. T. T., & Saad, S. (2025). Empowering social entrepreneurial intentions through experiential learning and self-efficacy. The International Journal of Management Education, 23(2), Article 101154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2025.101154
Alt, D., Raichel, N., & Naamati-Schneider, L. (2022). Higher education students' reflective journal writing and lifelong learning skills: Insights from an exploratory sequential study. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 707168. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.707168
Bernama. (2025, August 13). TVET reforms lift Malaysia's graduate employability to 95.1 pct. https://www.bernama.com/en/news.php?id=2456165
Biggs, J. (1996). Enhancing teaching through constructive alignment. Higher Education, 32(3), 347–364. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00138871
Che Rus, R., Salisu, M. A., Mohammad Hussain, M. A., Mustaffa Kamal, M. F., Hanapi, Z., Idris, M. O., Bamiro, N. B., & Kayode, B. K. (2023). Systematic review of Malaysia Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) sustainability framework to increase the marketability of graduates using PRISMA. Jurnal Kejuruteraan, SI6(2), 51–63. https://doi.org/10.17576/jkukm-2023-si6(2)-06
Compare, C., & Albanesi, C. (2023). Belief, attitude and critical understanding: A systematic review of social justice in service-learning experiences. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 33(2), 332–355. https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.2639
Corrêa, V. S., Brito, F. R. d. S., Lima, R. M. d., & Queiroz, M. M. (2022). Female entrepreneurship in emerging and developing countries: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 14(3), 300–322. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijge-08-2021-0142
Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2025). Labour force survey report, Malaysia 2024: Summary of findings. https://www.dosm.gov.my/uploads/release-content/file_20250630114109.pdf
Derouich, M. (2025). Ensuring outcome-based curriculum coherence through systematic CLO–PLO alignment and feedback loops. Discover Education, 4, Article 486. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00915-7
Dutta, D., Moganti, L. K., & Kundu, D. (2026). Integrating sustainable development goals in higher education: A review and framework. International Journal of Educational Development, 122, Article 103535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2026.103535
Feor, L., Clarke, A., & Dougherty, I. (2023). Social impact measurement: A systematic literature review and future research directions. World, 4(4), 816–837. https://doi.org/10.3390/world4040051
Findikli, M. A., & Acar Erdur, D. (Eds.). (2020). Creating social value through social entrepreneurship. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-4727-4
González García, E., Colomo Magaña, E., & Cívico Ariza, A. (2020). Quality education as a sustainable development goal in the context of 2030 Agenda: Bibliometric approach. Sustainability, 12(15), Article 5884. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12155884
Goyal, M., Gupta, C., & Gupta, V. (2022). A meta-analysis approach to measure the impact of project-based learning outcome with program attainment on student learning using fuzzy inference systems. Heliyon, 8(8), Article e10248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10248
Gruppen, L. D. (2012). Outcome-based medical education: Implications, opportunities, and challenges. Korean Journal of Medical Education, 24(4), 281–285. https://doi.org/10.3946/kjme.2012.24.4.281
Guha, S., & Majumdar, S. (Eds.). (2021). In search of business models in social entrepreneurship: Concepts and cases. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0390-7
Gulikers, J. T. M., Bastiaens, T. J., & Kirschner, P. A. (2006). Authentic assessment, student and teacher perceptions: The practical value of the five-dimensional framework. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 58(3), 337–357. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820600955443
Halik Bassah, N. A. S., Mohd Noor, M. A., & Ahmad, A. M. (2025). Graduate attributes and employability skills in TVET in Malaysia: A systematic review towards holistic and future-ready graduates. Management Research Journal, 14(2), 100–119. https://doi.org/10.37134/mrj.vol14.2.6.2025
Hallinger, P., & Kongpiwatana Narong, D. (2024). A bibliometric review of service learning research, 1950–2022. Journal of Experiential Education, 47(4), 566–590. https://doi.org/10.1177/10538259241245137
Huerta Rosales, S. M., Taramona Ruiz, L. A., & Camones Bazan, E. L. (2026). Systematic review of authentic assessment strategies in competency-based training. Revista InveCom, 6, Article e601072. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15505499
International Labour Organization. (2024). Making TVET and skills systems inclusive of persons with disabilities. ILO. (DOI not available.)
Kamarapu, S., Pandukuri, N., Challa, R., Safare, R., & Simha Bhattaru, S. (2025). Innovative marketing approaches for rural women entrepreneurs: A review of empowerment strategies. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 29, 1–11. (DOI not available.)
Magraner, T., Gil-Garcia, I. C., & Fernandez-Guillamon, A. (2025). Linking SDGs, competencies, and learning outcomes: A tool for curriculum alignment in higher education. Sustainability, 17(19), Article 8910. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17198910
Mastam, N. M., & Zaharudin, R. (2024). Work readiness skills for students with learning disabilities in special education vocational schools: A conceptual framework. Jurnal Pendidikan Bitara UPSI, 17, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.37134/bitara.vol17.sp.1.2024
Ministry of Education Malaysia. (2019). Service-Learning Malaysia-University for Society: SULAM playbook. Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education Malaysia. (DOI not available.)
Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia. (2021). Social innovation and social entrepreneurship trainer certification module. Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia. (DOI not available.)
Noorhaslinda Kulub Abd Rashid, Mohd Nizam Lani, Effi Helmy Ariffin, Zaleha Mohamad, & Isma Rosila Ismail (2024). Community engagement and social innovation through knowledge transfer: Micro evidence from Setiu fishermen in Terengganu, Malaysia. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 15(1), 1069–1086. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-023-01102-5
Peredo, A. M., & McLean, M. (2006). Social entrepreneurship: A critical review of the concept. Journal of World Business, 41(1), 56–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2005.10.007
Portales, L. (2019). Social innovation and social entrepreneurship: Fundamentals, concepts, and tools. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13456-3
Rosdi, M. D. I., & Adnan, M. F. (2025). An integrated framework for advanced TVET in higher education: Aligning curriculum with the digital economy through competency-based design. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 14(4), 1707–1718. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v14-i4/27066
Roslan, M. H. H., Hamid, S., Ijab, M. T., Yusop, F. D., & Norman, A. A. (2022). Social entrepreneurship in higher education: Challenges and opportunities. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 42(3), 588–604. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2020.1859354
Salam, M., Awang, D. N. D. I., Ibrahim, D. H. A., & Farooq, M. S. (2019). Service learning in higher education: A systematic literature review. Asia Pacific Education Review, 20(4), 573–593. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-019-09580-6
Shahid, M. S., & Alarifi, G. (2021). Social entrepreneurship education: A conceptual framework and review. The International Journal of Management Education, 19(3), Article 100533. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2021.100533
Sharipah Ruzaina, S. A., Wahi, R., Zulkipli, Z. A., Mohamed, A. M. D., Awang Hashim, R., & Elianawati (2025). Factors influencing the sustainability of Service Learning (SULAM) projects: Insights from Malaysian university lecturers. Malaysian Journal of Qualitative Research, 11(2), 266–293. https://doi.org/10.61211/mjqr110209
Shvets, O., Murtazin, K., Piho, G., & Meeter, M. (2026). Using assessment questions based on Bloom's taxonomy to automate personalised feedback. Cogent Education, 13(1), Article 2634438. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2026.2634438
Sluijsmans, D. M. A., Straetmans, G. J. J. M., & van Merrienboer, J. J. G. (2008). Integrating authentic assessment with competence-based learning in vocational education: The protocol portfolio scoring. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 60(2), 159–172. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820802042438
Sparviero, S. (2019). The case for a socially oriented business model canvas: The social enterprise model canvas. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 10(2), 232–251. https://doi.org/10.1080/19420676.2018.1541011
Tomkins, L., & Ulus, E. (2016). 'Oh, was that "experiential learning"?!' Spaces, synergies and surprises with Kolb's learning cycle. Management Learning, 47(2), 158–178. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350507615587451
Wang, Y., & Horta, H. (2025). University-based social innovation and entrepreneurship education in Hong Kong: A curriculum analysis. Studies in Higher Education, 50(6), 1248–1267. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2024.2369202
Weaver, R. L. (2022). Social entrepreneurship: A practical introduction. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003226963
Yusop, S. R. M., Rasul, M. S., Mohamad Yasin, R., Hashim, H. U., & Jalaludin, N. A. (2022). An assessment approaches and learning outcomes in technical and vocational education: A systematic review using PRISMA. Sustainability, 14(9), Article 5225. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095225
Zahedi, S., Jaffer, R., Bryant, C. L., & Bada, K. (2023). Service-learning effects on student civic engagement and community: A case study from India. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 18(1), 3–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/17461979211041334
Zhao, M., & Mao, J. (Eds.). (2021). Social entrepreneurship: An innovative solution to social problems. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9881-4
Ismail, A. F. M. F., Mohamad, M. A., Mukapit, M., Abdullah, M. M., Kamaruzaman, N., Nadzir, N., Abidin, S. F. S. Z., & Abdullah, M. A. (2026). TVET-Driven Social Entrepreneurship Education: An Outcome-Based, SULAM-Anchored Curriculum Case Study from a Malaysian Technical University. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 16(9), 79–102.
Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
