Research Article
Affective Domain of Learning and Perceived Acquisition of Soft Skills Among Tourism and Hospitality Diploma Students in Nairobi County: The Moderating Influence of Course Enrolled
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 2, December 2025
Pages:
72-85
Received:
26 May 2025
Accepted:
13 June 2025
Published:
4 July 2025
Abstract: The tourism and Hospitality landscape globally is rapidly changing to accommodate evolving dynamics of customer expectations that dictate consumption and business success in the serviced driven experiential industry. This has necessitated the need for industry professionals who possess industry specific soft skills to spur growth while maintaining competitiveness. Despite the growing interest in the integration of Affective Domain of Learning (ADL) framework into training, the interplay of this framework and perceived acquisition of soft skills among tourism and hospitality diploma students is under-investigated. This study recognizes the interdisciplinary nature of the hospitality sector characterized by different clusters of courses, each requiring different affective learning activities. Therefore, this research leveraged the humanism learning theory to explore the moderating influence of course enrolled on the relationship between the ADL framework and perceived acquisition of soft skills among students enrolled in different courses in the tourism and hospitality diploma training programme. The study employed a quantitative research design that targeted 822 second and third year students pursuing diploma in tourism and hospitality spread across five institutions in Nairobi County of Kenya. The study employed the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach on data drawn from a sample of 240 students to show that despite the ADL framework having an independent positive and significant effect on students perceived acquisition of soft skills, the course enrolled negatively moderated this effect, an indication that the course enrolled determines the pressure to be exerted on the ADL framework. Educators and industry stakeholders should therefore take cognizance of the importance of the course enrolled when designing learning activities to include in the ADL framework. However, for enhanced external validity, future studies should seek to expand the geographic scope to include more counties, countries, or undergraduate tourism and hospitality students; as well as considering experimental designs to minimize social desirability biases.
Abstract: The tourism and Hospitality landscape globally is rapidly changing to accommodate evolving dynamics of customer expectations that dictate consumption and business success in the serviced driven experiential industry. This has necessitated the need for industry professionals who possess industry specific soft skills to spur growth while maintaining ...
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,
Beatrice Ohutso Imbaya
