Institution-Industry Linkages Through Academic Visits: An Empirical Study on the Development of Mechanical Engineering Students, Politeknik Kuching Sarawak

Abstract

The academic visit program is a form of experiential learning that provides students with direct exposure to real working environments. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of academic visits to three industries i) Fuya Energy Sdn. Bhd., ii) Acson Malaysia Sales & Service Sdn. Bhd., and iii) Beverages Marketing (S) Sdn. Bhd. on polytechnic students in four main domains: i) academic, ii) self-exploration, iii) personality, and iv) industry relevance. A total of 79 students who participated in the program completed reflection forms using a likert scale. This research employed a descriptive quantitative method using percentage statistics and mean scores as the basis for analysis. The analysis showed that the program was highly effective, with an overall effectiveness score of 97.89%. The academic domain recorded the highest score (98.73%), followed by personality (98.00%), industry relevance (97.68%), and self-exploration (97.15%). These findings indicate that academic visits significantly enhance students’ understanding of course content and effectively relate this exposure to their field of study. In addition, it indirectly contributes to students' personal development and their preparedness for the real-world working environment. The program also successfully built students’ confidence in interacting with industry professionals and exploring opportunities within their respective fields. This study supports Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning theory and aligns with previous research that emphasizes the importance of contextual learning in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).