Experiential Learning for Soft Skills Integration in Malaysian Vocational Education: A Qualitative Model Development Study

In the context of vocational education in Malaysia, the integration of soft skills has now become an urgent necessity to ensure that students are prepared to face the increasingly challenging demands of the workforce, especially in the post-pandemic era and industrial automation. Despite widespread acknowledgement of their importance, soft skills are often insufficiently addressed in vocational curricula, particularly in practical classroom implementation. This study explores the development of a pedagogical model grounded in experiential learning to systematically embed soft skills into vocational teaching practices. Using a qualitative exploratory design, data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with twelve experts, including PVMA teachers, curriculum officers, and vocational education researchers. Thematic analysis revealed three key themes: (1) the presence of experiential learning practices, though fragmented and informal; (2) the pivotal role of teachers in facilitating soft skills through contextualized instruction; and (3) the institutional challenges in scaling experiential learning, such as limited resources, lack of structured models, and inadequate assessment tools. These findings informed the construction of a teaching and learning model tailored to the Malaysian vocational context. The study contributes to the growing discourse on vocational pedagogy by providing a grounded framework for enhancing soft skills through structured experiential strategies. Implications for teacher training, curriculum design, and policy alignment are also discussed.