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The Impact of Capstone Project on Students’ Soft Skills: A Case Study at ACLEDA University of Business

Chanrey Pang

ACLEDA University of Business

Pisith Hok

ACLEDA University of Business

Bun Khem

ACLEDA University of Business

Sinit To

ACLEDA University of Business

Socheat Hoeung

ACLEDA University of Business

ISSN: 3078-3771 (Print)

Keywords: Education Data Mining, Predictive Modeling, Machine Learning Algorithms, Academic Performance, Risk Identification, Intervention Strategies

Published: 2025-09-12

How to Cite in APA Style: To.S., Hok.P., Khem.B., Pang.C., & Hoeung.S. (2025). The impact of capstone project on students’ soft skills: a case study at ACLEDA university of business. AUB Research Series, Vol 4, 126–144.

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Abstract

This study examines the impact of capstone project participation on the development of key soft skills among students at ACLEDA University of Business. Grounded in project-based learning and experiential learning theory, the research is motivated by the pressing need to understand how practical, collaborative tasks foster essential professional competencies. Specifically, this study investigates the influence of capstone projects on communication skills, teamwork, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills. Employing a quantitative research design, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to assess the relationships between capstone project participation and the four aforementioned skill domains. The results indicate statistically significant positive effect of capstone project participation on communication skills, teamwork, and interpersonal skills. However, a significant negative association was observed with problem-solving skills. These findings affirm the value of capstone projects in fostering critical soft skills within higher education curriculum, while also revealing an unexpected result in relation to problem-solving which warrants further investigation.

Authors' Biography

Sinit To has joined the Faculty of Law and Economics and worked as a lecturer of Business at ACLEDA University of Business (AUB), since January 2022. He is presently working in a Department of Supply Chain Management and Logistics (DSL). He has been lecturing a wide range of courses including Introduction Business, Principles of Marketing, Global Marketing, Doing Business in Digital Era, and other courses related to business disciplines. He had previously worked at NathThananmanpower. Co., Ltd., in a position of an Administrative Manager in Chonburi City, Thailand in 2017. In 2019, he moved to work as an Assistant Director of Administration at Paññásástra University of Cambodia (PUC). Before he had joined AUB, he worked with an NGO as an Oral Interpreter and worked as a Part-time Lecturer at several universities. In 2010-2014, he has successfully completed a Bachelor’s Degree of English Literature in the major of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) at Cambodia International Cooperation Institute (CICI). In 2016-2018, he also has successfully completed a Master’s Degree of Business Administration International Program at Bangkok University (BU), Thailand.

Pisith Hok has obtained a Master degree of Finance and Business Economics from the University of Adelaide, Australia. He also has had a strong educational background from Cambodia, including a Bachelor of Arts in English (TEFL-Teaching English as a Foreign Language), a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, a Certificate of Teacher with Higher Education Degree (CTHED) in English and Educational Psychology and a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Banking. He has extensive experience of more than 18 years in the educational field, from ESL teaching to tertiary lecturing at various institutes and universities, mostly Accounting, Finance, Banking and Economics subjects. In addition to his teaching, he also has had more than 4-year practical experience in Accounting and Finance work, including more than 2 years of employment in public accounting at the Provincial Treasury and about 2 years in budgeting at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. He is a qualified tertiary educator with a Professional Certificate in Pedagogy, endorsed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, and with expertise in the development of the curriculum of Accounting, Finance and Banking, Economics, and other majors, both at undergraduate and graduate levels. He has been working for the ACLEDA University of Business (AUB) since 2016, starting as a Consultant to an Assistant Professor and to a Technical Team Leader. He is currently a Dean of Faculty of Law and Economics (FLE).

Bun Khem is currently Head of Department of Law, Faculty of Law and Economics, ACLEDA University of Business (AUB). He has obtained Master of Arts in Indian Philosophy and Religion at Banaras Hindu University, India; and Master of Arts in Public Administration at Magadh University, India and Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy at Banaras Hindu University, India. He has extensive experience in teaching at higher education institutions both public and private sectors such as Preah Sihanouk Raja Buddhist University, Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia, and Saint John Mary Vianney Major Seminary (Phnom Penh).

Chanrey Pang is a Lecturer at the Department of Business Economics in Faculty of Law and Economics at ACLEDA University of Business (AUB). She received a Bachelor degree in Science, Majoring in Mathematics at Royal University of Phnom Penh in 2014 and Master degree of Economics at National University of Management in 2021. She has been lecturing some courses: Principles of Economics, Statistics for Business and Economics, Quantitative Analysis for Management. Before presenting at AUB, she had been an English teacher at Sovannaphumi School for four years. After that, at the early of 2014, she had moved to Zaman International School for a position as Teacher Assistant and worked there until 2015. In late 2015, she was employed by ACLEDA Bank plc., as a cashier, and had been working there for three years and was promoted to be a Lecturer at AUB in 2018 until present.

Socheat Hoeung is a Lecturer “B” at ACLEDA University of Business (AUB). He graduated with a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Preah Sihamonyraja Buddhist University (PSBU) in 2022. He graduated a Bachelor of Law from Preah Sihamonyraja Buddhist University (PSBU) in 2020 and a Bachelor's Degree in Management from the National University of Management (NUM) in 2020. In 2017-2022, he was the Vice President of the Ideal Association of Khmer Children and the Director of Buddhist Studies in Kampong Thom Province. In 2019, He is the president of the volunteer club teaching law at Preah Sihamoni Reach University (PSBU). He has been working for the AUB since 2023.

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