AC2012-5321: ENGINEERINGEDUCATIONOPPORTUNITIES,PERCEP- TION, AND CAREER CHOICE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN HONG KONG SAR, CHINA

This paper presents an investigation into engineering education opportunities and engagement among secondary school students in Hong Kong SAR, China (HK). We adapted and validated an international questionnaire and executed it in HK secondary schools. The questionnaire is designed to identify pedagogy, students’ perception, and experience (formal and informal) of engineering education, and measure their effects on students’ career choice in engineering. We investigate how do factors like age, gender, family background (local versus new immigrants), subjects taken at school, and perceptions of the engineering profession affect their career choice in engineering. Identifying factors affecting young people’s career choice in engineering is interesting as HK is in an early post-industrial position. Such study can provide an excellent comparative example to contrast between post-industrial societies such as the United States and industrializing societies such as other cities in the mainland China. Introduction As a major city and financial center in Greater China and Asia Pacific, Hong Kong (HK) borders industrializing and post-industrial cultures. The economy is at a time of increased need for technicallyand university-trained engineers. HK has a history of innovatory engineering skills extending from traditional manufacturing and construction to a large service and financial industry. However, it does not help to overcome reducing take-up of engineering-oriented courses at secondary school and university that characterize post-industrial cultures. Similar to the situation in North America, contextually, studies of higher education in HK show a decline in take-up of engineering by local students. This decline in engineering study and careers in HK parallels STEM-based choices in western countries at a time when there is a growing need for engineers to maintain industry and the economy. The decline in HK contrasts with: the range of opportunities to study technology/engineering in upper levels of secondary and vocational schools; extra-curricular opportunities offered by engineering institutions and manufacturing organizations; and high levels of engineering interest among mainland (Chinese) and other immigrant students. Understanding the take-up of engineering opportunities by secondary students in HK must acknowledge that students are active participants in their course/career choices – but choice will be constrained by the organizational, pedagogic and personal/familial opportunities affecting each student. Since the new millennium, a number of focal changes have taken place. In western countries came the realization of an increased need for engineers and university entrance studies that identified a decline in engineering entrants. Further studies have identified the limited presence of engineering in STEM subjects and the limited opportunities to take-up a career in engineering by women. International STEM comparisons also noted national/cultural differences in the takeup of engineering courses at secondary school and career choice (ex. Relevance of Science Education [RoSE], TIMSS and PISA studies described by John & Ju); where North America, Northern and Central Europe, Japan and Korea show the drop-off in engineering career choice while Southern Europe, New European countries (ex. Latvia, Estonia) and China show an increased take-up. These further studies have forced a change in orientation of engineering education studies to a recognition of the need to: a) make engineering educational opportunities and careers more visible to the public – especially at in schools and at an age level before career decisions are made; b) develop an understanding about personal experience and choice regarding engineering education courses and careers which consider the role of pedagogy and teacher support; and c) move to an ‘engineering education research’ orientation that is both representative of particular societies and rigorous. The need for these changes has only just been identified. Engineering Education and Situations in Hong Kong Understanding why only a limited number of students choose engineering for study/career poses a problem for HK. From the limited information available, we note that engineering cannot be studied in secondary schools until students enter Form 4 (age 15+) although students access technology, science and mathematics from the start of secondary schooling (Table 1). Access to an early understanding of engineering is, thus, likely to be derived through: home contacts, limited exposure in science/mathematics/technology curricula (mainly taught by non-engineers), or extra-curricular initiatives. Table 1: Provision of Secondary School Engineering courses in Hong Kong Lower Yrs Upper Yrs Lower Yrs Upper Yrs Lower Yrs Upper Yrs Lower Yrs Upper Yrs (S1-S3) (S4-S6) (S1-S3) (S4-S6) (S1-S3) (S4-S6) (S1-S3) (S4-S6) SUBJECT Automobile Tech (S1-S3) 0% 0% 0% 0% Computer Lit (S1-S3) 96.88% 87.80% 87.50% 88.18% D & T (S1-S3) 31.25% 2.44% 55.47% 49.02% Electronics (S1-S3) 6.25% 0% 1.30% 1.53% Home Ec / Tech & Living (S1-S3) 6.25% 95.12% 60.42% 59.74% Tech Funda (S1-S3) 0% 0% 1.82% 1.53% Design & Applied Technology (NSS) 9.38% 2.44% 12.24% 11.16% Info & Com Tech (NSS) 96.88% 92.68% 94.27% 94.31% Tech& Living (NSS) 0% 24.39% 4.43% 5.91% NSS Applied Learning (ApL)*1 37.50% 31.71% 36.20% 35.89% TOTAL (n=457) CO-ED (n=384) TYPE OF SCHOOL MALE ONLY (n=32) FEMALE ONLY (n=41) (Notes: D & T stands for Design and Technology; NSS stands for New Secondary School curriculum, equivalent to Grade 10 to 12 in US) Take-up of engineering subjects in HK parallels western STEM studies (in the USA and UK and Pacific/Asian countries such as South Korea – where decreasing numbers of top students choose engineering subjects at school or higher education in spite of its increasing importance for the economic health of nations. Low take-up of engineering courses does not indicate low exposure to engineering during secondary schooling though. In HK, technology subjects account for 8% of curriculum time; and similar opportunities are provided elsewhere via K-12 programmes in the USA and outreach in the UK. Lack of rigorous engineering education studies in secondary schools in HK does not allow an immediate explanation of the gap between opportunity and take-up of engineering education. In light of limited studies in HK, we identify some key issues raised in western engineering and STEM studies: 1. Most school children choose careers before they turn 14 – before engagement with engineering courses in HK and elsewhere; 2. although secondary students have early access to science, technology and mathematics, both Holman and Katehi et al. to refer engineering’s true representation in schools as STEM – noting subject/career choice are strongly affected by non-school, extra-curricular, family and media influences; 3. an survey of Year 9 (age 14+) children’s career choices identified the importance of subject teachers encouraging subject/career choice and found that science teachers were unlikely to have an engineering background or act as a career advisor with regard to engineering; 4. engineering education teachers are unlikely to be engineers and have little knowledge of engineering; 5. these teachers often rely on ‘transmission’ pedagogy when current (higher education) studies identify that engineering demands active skills of efficacy, innovation and entrepreneurship; 6. access to applied problem solving and interpersonal skills in the Design & Technology curriculum may enhance aspirations if sympathetic teacher allow engineering topics to enter the curriculum in an experiential manner; 7. pedagogy that encourages engagement and positive attitudinal development within a subject may have a central role in enhancing engineering as a subject/career choice at school level but there is little current evidence that identifies a relevant pedagogy for engineering aside from: ‘developmentally appropriate’ recommendations and the need to move beyond ‘plan and do’ constructions and contests by the inclusion of reflection after activities; 8. there are high participation rates for ethnic minorities but not females; and 9. engineering take-up tends to be explained by home and cultural background – arising during the life-course rather than via a ‘linear’ school-dominated progression. Finally, very few evaluations of school-based engineering education have the rigor of control/comparisons and often focus on numbers attending rather than impact on course/career choice. From the above studies, we can surmise there is little understanding of opportunities, support and effective pedagogy associated with engineering education in HK or elsewhere. Theoretically, we are left with simplistic explanations for choice of engineering as a subject/career characterized by: home, school-type, teacher, extra-curricular activities, and cultural perceptions. Research Questions and Method In light of need to develop the above aspects of engineering education research in HK, this study draws upon local information and the international literature to inquire on the following research questions: 1. What is the current situation of engineering education at secondary school in HK, with regard to: exposure to engineering education experiences; effects of schooland non-school-based engineering experiences; and perceptions/attitudes of engineers including aspects of planned behaviour, efficacy, entrepreneurship and teamwork? 2. With regard to (1), are there any differences exist with regard to student gender, minority and home background status? 3. What are the relationship between engineering orientation (efficacy, academic choice, and career orientation) and various engineering education experience?