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Survey: Career and Life Planning Education Matters
2016-04-08
A study conducted by The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) revealed that many secondary students consider further studies the only viable pathway after graduation, despite the availability of other career options in the market. About 80 percent of the students surveyed indicated their preference of studying local or overseas universities, whereas nearly 70 percent of their parents had high hopes on them to enter universities.
Led by principal investigator Professor John Lee Chi-kin, Chair Professor of Curriculum and Instruction; together with Professor Rupert Maclean, Visiting Professor of International Education and Lifelong Learning; and Dr Margarita Pavlova, Associate Professor of International Education and Lifelong Learning; this two-year study was a General Research Fund project with an objective of understanding students’ career-related intentions and their actual after-school engagements, and examining how closely their aspirations matched the realities of life in Hong Kong.
Over 5,000 15-year-old local students (S4) took part in the data collection between December 2013 and February 2014, which aimed to measure the 21st century skills that are critical for the transition to life beyond school and to understand their planned destinations at the time of the survey.
Of the 169 students participating in the focus group interviews, 132 provided information about their post-school destinations in individual follow-up interviews conducted from October to December 2015. Twenty-two teachers also took part in focus group interviews to discuss the support structures provided by schools to enhance the understanding of the interplay between systemic factors, student characteristics and the development of non-cognitive skills.
According to the findings, 94 percent of the students intended to remain at school and more than 90 percent planned to undertake the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE). More than 80 percent of the students agreed that they had received help from their schools in career planning, and about 70 percent stated that their parents expected them to study at university.
The survey also measured a number of 21st century skills or competencies, which were grouped under three qualities that schools strived to instil in their students, namely 1) creative learners1 , 2) ethical citizens2 and 3) motivated achievers3 , to show how young people managed their own learning and life choices. Among these three qualities, the findings indicated that Hong Kong students considered that they were well prepared to become ethical citizens. The students rated themselves highly in the skills or competencies related to becoming ethical citizens, including teamwork (92%), perspective taking (92%), fair-mindedness (89%), altruism (84%) and a belief in the value of informed citizenship (78%). In comparison, only 39% of them agreed that they had high or very high expertise in IT, which is one of the constructs related to becoming a creative learner. Among the skills or competencies related to becoming a motivated achiever, they rated their leadership (56%) and perseverance (52%) relatively lowly, but rated personal management (24%) the lowest.
The follow-up interviews with 132 S6 students revealed that more than 90 percent of students intended to continue on to further study, and 80 percent would prefer to study local or overseas bachelor degree or sub-degree programmes. The students regarded further study as the only pathway due to keen competition in society. They also feared that having a low qualification would undermine their personal competitiveness and hence hinder their fight for a brighter future. Significantly, the students were more concerned with their personal development in society and the challenges they would be facing in the workplace and labour market.
Professor John Lee Chi-kin said that the findings demonstrate that students perceive few choices apart from continuing with their studies until they have completed college. “This echoes two other research studies, which found that young people tended to consider studying for an associate degree as a better pathway to achieve their eventual target of a University Grants Committee-funded undergraduate programme, whereas they gave vocational education a low priority”4&5 , said Professor Lee.
Professor Lee added that the findings “best manifested the need to implement a holistic and sustainable career and life planning intervention model for different kinds of young people in Hong Kong to unleash their potentials”. He added that apart from academic studies, there are other career choices in various sectors and industries and newly emerging areas.
He also called on the government to provide more diversified pathway developments, such as considering the promotion of vocational education in Hong Kong, providing various career options and strengthening career and life planning education so that students might not deem further study to be their only option. This may in turn improve opportunities for social mobility and personal development for the new generation, according to Professor Lee.
Professor Lee also suggested that the practice of Career and Life Planning education could emphasise the development of self-management skills, so that students will be prepared to compete in society. A good set of management skills may help students to achieve their career and life plans effectively and confidently.
Notes:
Creative learners who think critically, make discoveries, use technology, solve problems, communicate their ideas to others and adapt to change with optimism and hope for the future.
Ethical citizens who build relationships based on fairness, respect, empathy and compassion, and contribute fully to the community and the world through teamwork and collaboration.
Motivated achievers who create opportunities and achieve goals through hard work, perseverance and discipline, exercise leadership and demonstrate confidence and resilience.
Chiu, W.K. & Lee, T.L. (2015). The first step of Career and Life Planning discussion (in Chinese), Hong Kong Economic Journal 29th July. For details, please click here.
Ho, S.C. (2014). “How secondary students view further study and work from PISA” (in Chinese). Master Insight 12th September.
For details, please click here.
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