Student Leaders’ Perspectives of Online Co-Curricular Activities in a Malaysian Local University

Students can build leadership abilities through participating in co-curricular activities like competitions, clubs, and societies or being part of the student representative council in the university.However, digital education has made these activities more challenging since they are not physically present on campus.Thus, this research explores the experiences of student leaders participating in online co-curricular activities to identify the most effective approach so that all students, regardless of their mode of study, can participate in these programs and graduate with leadership skills as part of the employment preparation.This exploratory research applies a qualitative method where semi-structured interviews with student leaders were conducted for data collection before the interview transcripts were thematically analysed.Technology, lack of innovation, low participation, and preparedness were the identified hurdles of online co-curricular activities.Online co-curricular activities also provide benefits including accessibility, improved digital skills, creativity, and the ability to manage crises.In the subsequent research, researchers may engage in empirical quantitative investigations to validate the correlations discovered in this research.