Advancing accreditation and sustainable education goals through outcome attainment analysis: a case study of statics education in Malaysia

This paper investigates the attainment of Course Outcomes (COs) and Programme Outcomes (POs) in the Statics course (ECS416) within the Bachelor of Civil Engineering with Honours (EC222) at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, over three consecutive semesters (March-August 2024, October 2024-February 2025, and March-August 2025). Using direct assessment data from tests, assignments, projects, and final examinations, the study evaluates two primary CO-PO mappings: CO1-PO1 (application of mechanics principles) and CO2-PO2 (systematic evaluation of statics problems), consistent with Washington Accord–aligned outcome frameworks implemented under Malaysia’s national accreditation system. A longitudinal analysis reveals a consistent upward trajectory in attainment, with CO1-PO1 increasing from below the accreditation benchmark to 68.40% by the final semester, while CO2-PO2 rose more modestly to 62.20%. These findings suggest the effectiveness of pedagogical refinements, including project-based tasks and sustainability-oriented assignments, in supporting improvements in measured learning outcomes. However, persistent disparities between lower-order application outcomes and higher-order problem-solving outcomes were observed across all three cohorts, suggesting the need for deeper pedagogical innovations, such as greater weighting of experiential projects and the progressive integration of digital simulation-supported learning activities. The study contributes course-level, longitudinal evidence to the continuous quality improvement (CQI) cycle, offering context-specific insights into the implementation of outcome-based education (OBE) in a Malaysian civil engineering programme. Beyond compliance with accreditation thresholds, the findings underscore broader implications for curriculum design, student employability, and alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education). By providing a three-semester, direct-assessment evaluation of a core mechanics course, the paper advances both institutional practice and the scholarship of teaching and learning in engineering education.