Service Learning (SL) is widely implemented across Malaysian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to foster personal growth, civic learning, and academic enhancement. While Public Universities utilize the structured SULAM (Service-Learning Malaysia – University for Society) framework mandated by the Ministry of Higher Education, many private institutions and teacher training institutes continue to implement unstructured community service focused primarily on volunteerism. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of non-SULAM service-learning courses by using the national SULAM framework as a diagnostic tool to identify behavioural and operational gaps in student performance. This research uses a qualitative case study design with seven teams (N=70) to explore ‘in-situ’ process skills: specifically, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability. Process data are triangulated using field observation notes, data ethnography of electronic communication via WhatsApp, email, and telecommunication data. Analysis for this research finds that failure typically occurs in three forms: (i) issues with management visibility and upward management issues irrespective of physical accomplishment, (ii) logical problems with operational processes and a lack of empathy in conditions of adaptability and dynamic constraint requirements, and (iii) a phenomenon of solidarity with experiences of disruption and/or sustaining teamwork based on degree of role awareness and visibility. The findings suggest that without the structured guidance of the SULAM framework specifically the Analysing and Manifestation phases students in private HEIs may treat community service as manual labour rather than a pedagogical experience. This validates the need to expand the SULAM framework beyond public universities to ensure all graduates achieve the intended soft skill outcomes. This paper contributes to the literature by moving beyond the implementation studies of public universities to provide a comparative diagnostic of the "non-SULAM" landscape. It highlights the specific behavioural risks of unstructured volunteerism, arguing for the necessity of process-based assessment rubrics.
Ash, S. L., & Clayton, P. H. (2009). Generating, deepening, and documenting learning: The power of critical reflection in applied learning. Journal of Applied Learning in Higher Education, 1, 25–48. 10.57186/jalhe_2009_v1a2p25-48
Chan, H. H.-K., Kwong, H. Y. C., Lin, G., Shu, F., Yan, C. T., & Lai, F. H.-Y. (2021). Effects of experiential learning programmes on adolescent prosocial behaviour, empathy, and subjective well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 709699. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.709699
Coelho, M. J., & Martins, H. G. (2022). The future of soft skills development: A systematic review of the literature of the digital training practices for soft skills. Journal of e-Learning and Knowledge Society, 18(2), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.20368/1971-8829/1135576
Culcasia, I., & Fontana Venegas, R. P. (2023). Service-learning and soft skills in higher education: A systematic literature review. Form@re – Open Journal per la formazione in rete, 3(2), 2–20. https://doi.org/10.13128/formare-372981862
Gabelica, C., De Maeyer, S., & Schippers, M. C. (2022). Taking a free ride: How team learning affects social loafing. Journal of Educational Psychology, 114(4), 716–733. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000713
Hanum, H., Amir Farhan, M. S., Nurul Ashikin, A. H., Mohd Faiz, M. N., Sharifah Dara Naqiyah, S. S., Rosniza, A. H., & Hasnah, H. (2021). From classes into practices: The impacts of implementing SULAM in public university on the students. AIP Conference Proceedings, 2347, 020168. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0051465
Hao, H., JunRu, Z., & Salim, N. (2024). Exploration and implementation of labor education evaluation system in experimental and practical training courses. Asian Journal of Social Science Research, 6(1), 48–57. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12703208
Hawes, J. K., Johnson, R., Payne, L., Ley, C., Grady, C. A., Domenech, J., … Blatchley, E. R. (2021). Global service-learning: A systematic review of principles and practices. International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, 9(1), Article 11. https://doi.org/10.37333/001c.171267
Jamhari, M. R., Nordin, M. S., Aripin, M. A., & Ismail, I. H. (2024). Implementation of service learning in Malaysian higher-educational institutions: A literature review. Journal of Workforce Education & Research, 1(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.36877/jwer.a0000518
Kajiita, R. M., & Kang’ethe, S. M. (2025). Social Work and Artificial Intelligence: Implications for South African Social Work Practice and Education. Asian Journal of Social Science Research. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15803208
Kawai, T. (2021). A theoretical framework on reflection in service learning: Deepening reflection through identity development. Frontiers in Education, 6, 604997. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.604997
Kravitz, D. A., & Martin, B. (1986). Ringelmann rediscovered: The original article. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50(5), 936–941. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.50.5.936
Mohamad, J., Baharun, N., & Sedhu, D. S. (2024). The implementation of Service-Learning Malaysia–University for Society (SULAM) programme at Universiti Teknologi MARA Perak Branch, Malaysia. Journal of Community and Lifelong Learning, 12(2), 45–60.
Radovi?, S., Hummel, H. G. K., & Vermeulen, M. (2021). The challenge of designing ‘more’ experiential learning in higher education programs in the field of teacher education: A systematic review study. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 40(5–6), 545–560. https://doi.org/10.1080/02601370.2021.1994664
Ramlee, S. N., & Hamzah, R. (2022). Service learning as a platform for soft skills development among students. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences. [Cited in Jamhari et al., 2024]
Resch, K., & Schrittesser, I. (2023). Using the service-learning approach to bridge the gap between theory and practice in teacher education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 27(10), 1118–1132. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2021.1882053
Saif Ghaleb, B. D. (2024). Social loafing: Understanding, mitigating, and enhancing group performance. International Journal of Scientific Multidisciplinary Research, 2(9), 1321–1328. https://doi.org/10.55927/ijsmr.v2i9.10975
Smith, M. G., Randle, E., & Bowers, S. T. (2022). Using service-learning and the DEAL model to develop students’ soft skills upon career entry. Transformative Dialogues: Teaching and Learning Journal, 14(3), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.59236/td2022vol14iss31489
Stith, M., Anderson, T., Emmerling, D., Malone, D., Sikes, K., Clayton, P., & Bringle, R. (2021). Designing service-learning to enhance social justice commitments: A critical reflection tool. Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education, 4(2), Article 6.
UTHM. (2021). Garis panduan pelaksanaan SULAM UTHM. Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia. [Cited in Jamhari et al., 2024]
Wahab, M. Z. H. (2024). Evaluating the impact of SULAM on student learning and community engagement. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 13(3), 173–189. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v13-i3/22077
Yusop, F. D. (2022, March 23). Webinar Service Learning Malaysia University for Society SULAM 2022 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmueUkT7194
Karim, N. A., Muhiddin, N. ‘Izzatty, Hisham, N. A. B., Saro, N., & Anuar, N. S. S. (2026). Benchmarking Unstructured Community Service Against the National SULAM Framework: A Case Study of Soft Skill Deficiencies in Private Higher Education. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 15(1), 570–582.
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
