Teaching Practices of the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Course: A Study at the University of Malaysia Sabah

Abstract

This study examines the teaching practices of the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Course (KIAR) at the University of Malaysia Sabah (UMS) as an effort to cultivate integrity values among students in public higher education institutions in Malaysia. KIAR is a compulsory component in the General Studies (MPU) curriculum introduced by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, aiming to shape students' character to be ethical, accountable, have integrity, and reject corruption. This study adopts a case study approach with a mixed-method design, involving the experiences of lecturers, analysis of teaching documents, and student reflections. The findings indicate that lecturers play a crucial role in delivering course content in a contextual and interactive manner, including the implementation of value-based pedagogy, current issue-based learning, and the use of real-life case studies. However, challenges related to the uniformity of teaching materials, pedagogical techniques, student motivation, and the effectiveness of teaching methods need to be addressed. The study suggests enhancing teaching training, developing more suitable modules, and evaluating the learning impact as steps for improvement. Overall, the teaching of KIAR should be viewed not only as a formal educational tool but as a long-term strategy in the development of highly integrated human capital.