Knowledge Transfer Experiences During Practicum from Students' Perspectives

The primary aim of practicum or industrial trainings is to enable students to experience the practical aspects of the theories and knowledge that they have learned in classrooms. During a specified period, students would be attached to industrial supervisors at various organisations to learn by experiences at the industry. Nevertheless, past research on the knowledge transfer process within the Malaysian context is scarce. Accordingly, this study investigates the knowledge transfer experiences during practicum trainings from the viewpoint of the students. Engaging in mixed-approach of quantitative and qualitative, an online survey using Google Forms was administered on 37 law students of one higher learning institution in Malaysia, who recently completed a two-months practicum training at various organisations relevant to legal studies. The study found various learning experiences by the students throughout their practicum period of two-months, ranging from legal documentation, court appearances and conveyancing matters. Further, the study revealed the importance of being attached to appropriate departments for the purpose of enriching the transfer of knowledge from the practicum trainings. In particular, this study contributes towards better understanding of the transfer of knowledge among the law practicum students, particularly in preparing them for their future career upon completion of their studies. Within the broader picture, this paper is intended to serve as a catalyst for future research on the aspects of legal industrial trainings or attachment. Future research could focus on investigations from the viewpoint of industrial supervisors as well as report supervisors from the university to further enhance the findings by allowing for triangulation of data sources.