Email this article The Impacts of the International Student Mobility Program on the Employability Skills: Indonesian Student Perceptions
), Qurrata Ayunina Ciptantri Hadipranata(2), Tur Nastiti(3), Rangga Almahendra(4), Oki Almas Amalia(5), Nadia Utami Wibowo(6), Kiki Juli Anggoro(7), Zuraidah binti Zaaba(8)
| 
Country:
(1) Department of Marine and Fisheries, Politeknik Negeri Pontianak, Indonesia
(2) Department of Management, STIE Widya Wiwaha, Indonesia
(3) Department of Management, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
(4) Department of Management, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
(5) Department of Mathematics, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
(6) Department of Management, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
(7) School of Education and Center of Excellence on Women and Social Security (CEWSS), Walailak University, Thailand
(8) UiTM Women Association, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia
Corresponding Author
The Impacts of International Student Mobility Program on the Employability Skills: Indonesian Students’ Perceptions. The Indonesia International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA) is an Indonesian government scholarship program that enables Indonesian students to spend one semester studying in overseas English-medium instruction (EMI) classes. The article discusses students’ perceptions of the impact of the IISMA on employability skills: interpersonal communication, critical thinking, and teamwork skills. This quantitative study employed a questionnaire to measure three skill variables, utilizing a pre- and post-test design involving 1941 students. The online questionnaire distribution was done from November 27 to December 13, 2023. The data of this study were analyzed using Jamovi 2.3.24 software.Key findings demonstrate the significance of the Paired T-Test results (p-value < 0.001), and the difference in the increase in those skills experienced by the IISMA students had a significant effect size increase, specifically d = 0.5 for interpersonal communication skills, d = 0.667 for critical thinking, and d = 0.667 for teamwork skills. The Independent Samples T-Tests for students’ demographic information show that the value of employability skills among academic students outperforms that of vocational participants. ANCOVA analysis results show a significant correlation between students’ perceptions and their home institutions and host institutions. The research highlights the benefits of IISMA for the Indonesia Emas generation. Recommendations on critical considerations in designing programs and selecting host institutions are provided to ensure program sustainability.
Keywords: english medium instruction (EMI), experiential learning, indonesia emas.
Abelha, M., Fernandes, S., Mesquita, D., Seabra, F., & Ferreira-Oliveira, A. T. (2020). Graduate employability and competence development in higher education A systematic literature review using PRISMA. Sustainability, 12(15), 5900. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12155900
Alhassan, A., Ali, N. A., Ali, H. I. H., & Li, S. (2021). EFL students’ challenges in English medium business programmes: Perspectives from students and content teachers. Cogent Education, 8(1), 1888671. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2021.1888671
Cheng, M., Adekola, O., Albia, J., & Cai, S. (2022). Employability in higher education: a review of key stakeholders’ perspectives. Higher Education Evaluation and Development, 16 (1): 16–31. https://doi.org/10.1108/HEED-03-2021-0025
Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 4th ed., Boston, MA: Pearson.
Dawya, S. A., & Okvitawanli, A. (2024). More than studying abroad: The impacts of the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA) program on its alumni and society. Proceedings of the 2023 Brawijaya International Conference (BIC, 2023). Atlantis Press.
DeVellis, R. F. (2012). Scale development: theory and applications. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE.
Dewanto, N., & Pritasari, A. (2023). The contribution of Indonesian international student mobility awards (IISMA) on the development of employability skills of undergraduate students in Indonesia. Journal Integration of Management Studies, 1(2), 216–234. https://doi.org/ 10.58229/jims.v1i2.108
Dewi, S. L., Misnawati, Hayati, R., Zuhra, I., & Misnar. (2023). Merdeka belajar–kampus merdeka (MBKM) to strengthen the culture and citizenship literacy of EFL preservice teachers. Studies in English Language and Education, 10(3), 1270-1289.
D’Zurilla, T. J., & Goldfried, M. R. (1971). Problem solving and behavior modification. J. Abnorm. Psychol., 78(1), 107-126. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0031360
Fagerland, M. W. (2012). T-tests, non-parametric tests, and large studies a paradox of statistical practice? BMC Medical Research Methodology, 12, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-12-78
Granja, C. D. & Visentin, F. (2023). International student mobility and academic performance: Does timing matter? Research in Higher Education, 65, 322–353, https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s11162-023-09755-6
Granato, S., Havari, E., Mazzarella, G., & Schnepf, S. V. (2024). Study abroad programmes and student outcomes: Evidence from Erasmus. Econ Educ Rev. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2024.102510
Gutema, D. M., Pant, S., & Nikou, S. (2024). Exploring key themes and trends in international student mobility research A systematic literature review. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 16(3), 843–861. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-05-2023-0195
Handayani, A., Wienanda, W. K. (2020). International mobility programs to improve soft skills of vocational college students and alumni. Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn), 14 (3), 377–384. https://doi.org/ 10.11591/edulearn.v14i3.14538
Hossain, M. K., Hossain, M. F., Hossain, M. E. Hoque, A.K.M. F., Khan, N. M., & Kamil, A. A. (2022). Skill development of undergraduate students through international exchange program. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 12 (2), 40–48.
Hsu, H. C., & Sung, T. C. (2025). Exploring gender differences in empathy development among medical students: a qualitative analysis of reflections on juvenile correctional school visits. Medical Education Online, 30(1), 2500556. https://doi.org/10.1080/10872981.2025.2500556
Ikhlas, A.N. (2020). The effect of learning abroad on the students’ career direction and employability through Australian Indonesian student mobility programs. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 12 (6S1), 112–121.
IISMA. (2024). Indonesian international student mobility awards (IISMA). Retrieved December 30, 2024, from https://partnership.kemdikbud.go.id/academic/read/indonesian-international-student-mobility-awards-iisma
Jackson, V., O’Brien, V., & Richards, A. (2023). Investigating the impact of experiential learning on employability skill development and employment outcomes: a UK case study of MBA students from the Indian Subcontinent. Journal of Education and Work, 36 (6), 476–493. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2023.2231366
Kwok, M. (2004). Disciplinary differences in the perceptions of university graduates and faculty members with respect to the development of general employabílity skills in undergraduate programs. PhD dissertation, Faculty of Education, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Lian, L.K. (2017). The impact of experiential learning programme towards graduates’ career capabilities, in: Tang, S., Cheah, S. (eds.) Redesigning Learning for Greater Social Impact. Springer, Singapore. 391–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4223-2_36
McCarthy, M., & Southeastern, N. (2010). Learning experiential theory: From theory to practice, Journal of Business & Economics Research, 8 (5), 131–139.
Murillo-Zamorano, L. R., & Montanero, M. (2017). Oral presentations in higher education: a comparison of the impact of peer and teacher feedback. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 43 (1), 138-150. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2017.1303032
Oliver, B. (2011). “Assuring graduate capabilities: an approach to determining and evidencing standards.” In Proceedings of the Australian Quality Forum, Melbourne, Australia, June 29–July 1, 120–126.
Pengnate, W. (2018). Needs of employability skill characteristics based on employers’ perception, 5th International Conference on Business and Industrial Research (ICBIR). 598–601.
Rakhshandehroo, M. (2017). EMI and internationalisation: The experiences of Iranian international students in Japanese universities. Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies (EJCJS), 17(3). Retrieved December 10, 2024, from http://www.japanesestudies.org.uk/ejcjs/vol17/iss3/rakhshandehroo.html
Ramish, M. S., Shaikh, N., & Zahra, G. E. (2024). Experiential learning: A real source of creativity among students. International Journal of Trends and Innovations in Business & Social Sciences, 2 (2), 176–182.
Rost, J., Swayze, A. C., & McCormick, J. (2023). Increased graduation rates in students who take one or more experiential learning classes during their undergraduate program of study. Experiential Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 6 (2). https://doi.org/ 10.46787/elthe.v6i2.3561
Roy, A., Newman, A., Ellenberger, T., & Pyman, A. (2018). Outcomes of international student mobility programs: a systematic review and agenda for future research. Studies in Higher Education, vol. 44 (9), 1630–1644. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/03075079.2018.1458222
Shakir, R. (2009). Soft skills at the Malaysian institutes of higher learning. Asia Pacific Educ. Rev, 10, 309–315. https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s12564-009-9038-8
Siegel, A. (2022). Study abroad in Sweden: Japanese exchange students’ perspectives of language use in university EMI courses. Languages, 7 (1), 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7010003
Simbolon, N. E., Sadiq, N., & Curle, S. (2025). Student challenges in English medium instruction (EMI) courses: Insights from an international student mobility program. Studies in English Language and Education, 12(1), 54–69.
Sobkowiak, P. (2019). The impact of studying abroad on students’ intercultural competence: An interview study. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching (SLLT), 9 (4), 681–710. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2019.9.4.6
Teichler, U. (2017). Internationalisation trends in higher education and the changing role of international student mobility. Journal of International Mobility, 5(1), 177–216.
UIC Barcelona. (2024). Advantages of international mobility. Retrieved December 1, 2024, from https://www.uic.es/en/international/study-abroad/advantages-international-mobility
Valls-Figuera, R. G., Torrado-Fonseca, M., & Borràs, M. J. (2023). The impact of international student mobility on multicultural competence and career development: The case of students from Latin America and the Caribbean in Barcelona. Educ. Sci., 13 (9), 869. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/educsci13090869
Waibel, S., Petzold, K., & Rüger, H. (2018). Occupational status benefits of studying abroad and the role of occupational specificity A propensity score matching approach. Social Science Research, 74, 45–61.
World Economic Forum. (2020). The future of jobs report 2020. Geneva: World Economic Forum.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
View My Stats