Is Career Development Learning Alone Sufficient to Enhance Graduate Employability in Asia? The Role of Self-Efficacy and Language Proficiency

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62448/episteme.v2i2.607

Keywords:

Career Development Learning, Self-Efficacy, Self-Perceived Employability, Language Proficiency, Private Higher Institutions

Abstract

This study examines the impact of Career Development Learning (CDL) on students’ Self-Perceived Employability (SPE), with Self-Efficacy (SE) as a mediator and English Language Proficiency (ELP) as a moderator. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected from 446 final-year undergraduate students at Malaysian private higher education institutions and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that CDL significantly enhances both self-efficacy and employability perceptions. Self-efficacy partially mediates the relationship between CDL and SPE, suggesting that career development experiences improve employability primarily by strengthening students’ confidence in applying their competencies. Furthermore, ELP positively moderates the relationship between self-efficacy and SPE, indicating that stronger English proficiency enhances the translation of confidence into employability perceptions. These findings highlight the importance of integrating career development initiatives with interventions that strengthen students’ self-efficacy and English communication skills to improve graduate employability in multilingual higher education contexts.

Author Biographies

Husaina Banu Kenayathulla, Universiti Malaya

Dr. Husaina Banu Kenayathulla is an Associate Professor at Department of Educational Management, Planning and Policy. She obtained her PhD from Indiana University, Bloomington, USA. Currently, she serves as the Deputy Dean (Postgraduate Studies). Her research interests include Education policy, Economics and Finance in education, Comparative and International education and Higher Education. She has published more than 60 peer-reviewed publications. Leadership experience includes Deputy Dean (Research and Enterprise), Head of Department, Chief Liaison Officer, Risk Manager, and Course Coordinator. Editorial experience includes positions such as Editor-in Chief, Associate Editor, Editorial Advisory Board Member, and Peer reviewer of education journals. Has co-edited a Special issue in the International Journal of Education Development. Latest book chapter is published by Springer Nature Singapore. Notable journal publications include papers in International Journal of Education Development, Asia Pacific Education Review, Heliyon and COMPARE: A Journal of Comparative and International Education. She has been invited as a speaker for panel sessions at various international conferences. She had been invited as a Panel Expert by UNESCO in projects such as Shadow Education, Micro certification, Artificial Intelligence,  Developing Subject Specific Quality Standards in the Asia Pacific region. She has been the Principal Investigator for grants at the national and international levels on School Finance, Digital Financial literacy, Financial Literacy, Employability, Internationalization, and Comparative & Higher Education projects. She is also a recipient of the SATU project in collaboration with National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan in Comparative and Sustainable Education Project. She has collaborated with Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia on entrepreneurship and sustainability projects. She is also involved as a Consultant for the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) project on Quality Education, Malaysian Ministry of Human Resource on Employability for TVET Graduates & Malaysian Ministry of Education for Policy on Lifelong Learning, Compulsory Education, and District Education Ranking Measures.

Muhammad Faizal Bin A. Ghani, Universiti Malaya

Muhammad Faizal A. Ghani is an academic in the Department of Educational Management, Administration, and Policy, Faculty of Education, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. His expertise lies in Educational Leadership, with a focus on Educational Management and Administration, as well as School Finance. He contributes to society by sharing his academic knowledge, skills, values, and professionalism through scholarly publications having authored nine academic books and more than two hundred research articles. His latest book is entitled “School Leadership in the 21st Century.”

In addition to his publications,  Muhammad Faizal has been invited as a keynote and plenary speaker at various international and national conferences, seminars, and workshops. In the area of research, he serves as an evaluator of research proposals at his university and has secured international, private, and government research grants exceeding USD 80,000 for studies related to Effective Schools, Educational Leadership, School Finance, and Principalship.

His extensive experience is further reflected in his editorial contributions. He currently serves as the Editor of the Journal of Educational Leadership and as a member of the editorial boards for several international journals, including the Bannu University Research Journal in Education, the Journal of Economics and Finance, the European Journal of Educational and Social Sciences, and the International Journal of Education, Teaching, and Learning.

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Published

2026-08-10

How to Cite

Serilharan, S. D., Kenayathulla, H. B., & Bin A. Ghani, M. F. (2026). Is Career Development Learning Alone Sufficient to Enhance Graduate Employability in Asia? The Role of Self-Efficacy and Language Proficiency. Episteme: Jurnal Kajian Mahasiswa, 2(2), 84–104. https://doi.org/10.62448/episteme.v2i2.607

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2026): Episteme: Jurnal Kajian Mahasiswa

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Articles