Attitudes and aspirations regarding engineering among Chinese secondary school students: comparisons between industrialising and post-industrial geo-engineering regions of Mainland China and Hong Kong

Abstract

Attitudes and aspirations regarding engineering among Chinese secondary school students 2 Abstract School-based pipelines for university and technical engineering education are recognised as important for economic development and the high-school years are critical for shaping students' career aspirations and attitudes. This study examined a range of attitudes/experiences on the aspirations of secondary students to pursue engineering education and vocation. Predictors covered demographic characteristics, family/school support, practical learning experiences, curricular/extra-curricular experiences, attitudes, perceptions and engineering-efficacy that may affect aspirations. A designed/validated questionnaire capturing these variables was administered to respective samples of secondary school students from four Chinese geo-engineering regions (Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and ShanXi; 5965 students) that represent differing degrees of industralisation. Comparative analyses across regions show 'doing' engineering is key to motivating students' aspirations; while regional variations suggest that schooling and family factors are generally more significant in industrialising Mainland cities, and extracurricular opportunities and personal factors are more significant for students in post-industrial Hong Kong.

Career Choice and Academic Programme among Senior High School Students in the Ashanti Mampong Municipality, Ghana

“…The proper educational counselling that may also guide students towards making intelligent and informed decisions is somewhat not sought after and this may lead to problems in coping with a course of study, lack of interest, lack of motivation and subsequently withdrawal [12]. Also, the problem of career choice among senior high school students has generated a lot of questions and different answers among scholars [13,14]. It has been a delicate issue that has to be approached with caution.…”

“…It has been a delicate issue that has to be approached with caution. Senior high school students should have the opportunity to explore all the choices available to them to make a logical educated plan when choosing a career [14].…”

Propensity Score Analysis of the Impacts of Junior Secondary Students’ Participation in Engineering Practices on their Attitudes toward Engineering

“…Because of the overall absence of engineering education at the K-12 level, students possess little relevant knowledge and encounter many problems in understanding and pursuing this discipline. This has a direct negative impact on the development of engineering education in higher education and the cultivation of engineering talents (Kutnick et al, 2017). Nevertheless, confronted with inadequate experience and the pressure of 'lessening the academic burden' on primary and secondary school students, establishing an independent engineering subject in the K-12 education system remains difficult.…”

“…Thus, students receive little exposure to systemic engineering education and learning experiences. To a large extent, this negatively affects their pursuit of engineering-related majors and careers and the development of engineers in society (Hayden et al, 2011;Kutnick et al, 2017;UNESCO, 2010). A review of the literature also shows that the majority of studies has focused on exploring students' attitudes toward engineering and STEM subjects (de Vries, 2016;Unlu, 2016).…”