Navigating the Nexus: Challenges Faced by Part-Time Postgraduate Government Employees in Malaysia

Despite the growing importance of advanced education for career progression, part-time postgraduate students often face numerous obstacles that impact their academic and professional lives. These challenges encompass social, economic, political, and psychological dimensions, reflecting a complex interplay of challenges within and outside the workplace. The primary objective of this research is to explore the challenges experienced by part-time postgraduate government employees in Malaysia. Utilizing a qualitative approach and case study design, data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with five informants, and thematic analysis was employed to identify prominent themes. The findings reveal four key themes, i.e., social, political, economic, and psychological challenges. Social challenges emerge in the form of people's expectations, work overload, work-life balance issues, and age-related factors. Inequitable access to government financial support is identified as the primary political challenge. Economic challenges include budget prioritization and sacrifices, as well as economic instability and the need for supplemental income. Lastly, psychological challenges encompass stress, burnout, and cognitive strain. This study recommends the development of flexible scholarship schemes targeted at part-time government employees, the enhancement of psychological support services, and the implementation of institutional policies that promote a work-study balance.

part-time postgraduate students, government employees, challenges, Malaysia

1. Abraham, K. G., & Houseman, S. N. (2019). Making ends meet: The role of informal work in supplementing Americans’ income. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 5(5), 110-137. https://doi.org/10.7758/RSF.2019.5.5.06 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Andrade, D., Ribeiro, I. J. S., & Máté, O. (2023). Academic burnout among master and doctoral students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-31852-w [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Ardissone, A. N., Galindo, S., Wysocki, A. F., Triplett, E. W. & Drew, J. C. (2021). The need for equitable scholarship criteria for part-time students. Innovative Higher Education, 46, 461-479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-021-09549-7 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Baharudin, S. N. A., Murad, M., & Mat, N. H. (2013). Challenges of adult learners: A case study of full time postgraduates students. Procedia-social and behavioral sciences, 90, 772-781. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.07.151 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Baqutayan, S. M. S., Ghafar, S. W. A., & Gul, M. (2017). The relationship between stress and emotional intelligence among postgraduate students: The case study at Perdana School of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STI Policy), University Technology Malaysia. International Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 11(2), 74-81. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Third Edition. United States of America: SAGE Publications, Inc. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Douglas, D., & Attewell, P. (2019). The relationship between work during college and post-college earnings. Frontiers in Sociology, 4, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2019.00078 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Etikan, I., Musa, S. A., & Alkassim, R. S. (2015). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5(1), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajtas.20160501.11 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Fitriyani, F., & Oktaviani, A. M. (2022). The Phenomenon of "Burnout" Among PGSD Students; Perspectives on Social Skills in the Post-Pandemic Era of Covid-19. In International Journal of Science and Applied Science: Conference Series, 6(2), 61-67. https://dx.doi.org/10.20961/ijsascs.v6i2.74066 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Hassim, N. H., Yusri, M. Y., Zin, S. H. H. M., Ibrahim, N. S., Shafee, C. M. N. M., & Thasrabiab, T. (2022). A Case Study to Investigate the Level of Burnout of Employees among Government and Private Sectors in Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(9), 1735-1751. http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v12-i9/14705 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Havenga, Y. & Sengane, M. L. (2018). Challenges experienced by postgraduate nursing students at a South African university. Health SA Gesondheid, 23, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.4102/hsag.v23i0.1107 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Hordósy, R., Clark, T., & Vickers, D. (2018). Lower income students and the ‘double deficit’ of part-time work: Undergraduate experiences of finance, studying and employability. Journal of Education and Work, 31(4), 353-365. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2018.1498068 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam [JPA]. (2023). Human capital development policy. https://www.jpa.gov.my [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Kadoke, F., & Otieno, K. O. (2022). Assessment of the challenges facing post-graduate students in research: A study of universities in Arusha region. Journal of Research Innovation and Implications in Education, 6(3), 47-57. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer Publishing Company. https://books.google.com/books/about/Stress_Appraisal_and_Coping.html?id=i-ySQQuUpr8C [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Ministry of Education Malaysia [MOE]. (2015). Malaysia education blueprint 2015-2025 (Higher education). https://www.kooperationinternational.de/uploads/media/3._Malaysia_Education_Blueprint_2015-2025__Higher_Education__.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia [MOHE]. (2024). Postgraduate completion statistics 2023. https://jpt.mohe.gov.my/index.php/en/corporate/policy-documents/16-malaysia-education-development-plan-2015-2025 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., & Hoagwood, K. (2015). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and policy in mental health and mental health services research, 42, 533-544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Priyadharshini, K. (2025). A Study on the impact of work time schedules of part-time student employee in Tirupur city. International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts, 13(4), 5-17. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Rabourn, K. E., BrckaLorenz, A., & Shoup, R. (2018). Reimagining student engagement: How nontraditional adult learners engage in traditional postsecondary environments. The Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 66(1), 22-33. https://doi.org/10.1080/07377363.2018.1415635 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Ramli, M. S., Ayob, N. H., Musa, N. D., Ridzuan, A., & Roslan, Z. N. (2022). The Influence of Stress Factors towards Psychological Well-Being among Part-Time Students at UiTM Shah Alam. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(1), 1351-1364. http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v12-i1/12156 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Rockman, D. A., Aderibigbe, J. K., Allen-Ile, C. O., Mahembe, B., & Hamman-Fisher, D. A., (2022). Working-class postgraduates’ perceptions of studying while working at a selected university. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 20(0), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v20i0.1962 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Sahdan, M. N., & Hussain, S. (2022). Workload analysis of administrative staff in faculties and academic centers: A case study in Universiti Malaysia Pahang. International Journal of Industrial Management, 15(1), 38-45. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Schiller, E., Dorner, H., & Szabó, Z. A. (2020). Developing senior learners’ autonomy in language learning. An exploratory study of Hungarian adult educators’ support strategies. Educational Gerontology, 46(12), 746–756. https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2020.1813974 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Shetty, A., Shetty, A., Hegde, M. N., Narasimhan, D., & Shetty, S. (2015). Stress and burnout assessment among post graduate dental students. Nitte University Journal of Health Science, 5(1), 31-36. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., & DeVault, M. (2016). Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons Inc. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Tumin, Faizuddin, A., Mansir, F., Purnomo, H., & Aisyah, N. (2020). Working students in higher education: Challenges and solutions. Al-Hayat: Journal of Islamic Education, 4(1), 79-89. https://doi.org/10.35723/ajie.v4i1.108 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• A Decadal Overview of Welfare Schemes in Telangana (2014–2024)
• Ubuntu and the Missed Development Goals in the Global South: Rethinking MDGs and SDGs through an African Philosophical Lens
• Exploring the Factors of Obesity: Insights from Johor State Civil Servants
• The Lived Experiences of Skilled Filipino Women Immigrants in Denmark
• Qualitative Analysis of Stakeholder Perceptions of AGOA’s Challenges in Nigeria