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PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF UNDERGRADUATES’ UNDERSTANDING OF THE PHILOSOPHY AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES COURSE (FIS): OBSERVATIONS FROM UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SABAH (UMS)

The Philosophy and Contemporary Issues (FIS) course was introduced for undergraduate level study in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) starting from the September 2019 intake. An initiative of Dr. Maszlee Malik, the Minister of Education Malaysia during that period, the course is aimed at creating a generation of scholars capable of critical and rational thought, able to engage in analytical and systematic discourse, and guided by wisdom and prudence when faced with diverse contemporary ideology challenges. This course is compulsory for all HEI students including those in Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). Philosophy in general is perceived as a difficult subject to comprehend. Since FIS is a new course, this study is relevant to examine students’ understanding of the subject matter as taught in UMS specifically those in the 2020/2021 intake. Utilising a quantitative approach, the aspect of student understanding in FIS was analysed in a descriptive manner based on online questionnaire instruments. Findings showed UMS undergraduates had a relatively high and encouraging level of understanding in FIS. This proves that the notion of courses related to philosophy being difficult and uninteresting was not wholly accurate. The FIS course could be fine-tuned to ensure it is able to continue its role as a medium for the inculcation of new thought culture among undergraduates.