Is Moral Studies a pain in private higher
education institutions? A case study of Curtin
University of Technology Malaysia

The Private Higher Educational Institution Act 1996 requires that the private higher institutions (PHEIs) in Malaysia run four compulsory subjects. Students are required to pass the subjects as a prerequisite to the award of certificate, diploma and degree. Moral Studies LAN 1005 is one of the subjects. The rationale behind introducing this subject is to produce young graduates who are not only knowledgeable in their disciplines but are also equipped with high moral values. However, there are many issues affecting the effectiveness of this unit in the university. Common feedback from students is that morals and ethics should not be taught in the university level. Instead, the sense of right and wrong is a 'trial and error' that one makes through his/her own experience in life. Such negative perceptions have eventually made it difficult for teachers to create a positive learning environment in the classroom. Why does this happen? What are the factors contributing to students' resistance towards this unit? This study is aimed to address these issues. Specifically, the objectives of this paper are to investigate how the students perceive Moral Studies and to examine various causes that influence these perceptions. These include the unit itself (unit syllabus/contents), the classroom environment, and teaching methodology (lecture delivery, unit structure). This paper is based on a case study of Curtin University students who have enrolled in this unit.