This study's principal objective was to explore the statistically predictive power of academics' research agendas for their job dissatisfaction beyond demographics. Five hundred and forty-seven academics from the eight publicly funded universities in Hong Kong responded to the Multi-Dimensional Research Agenda Inventory-12 (MDRAI-12) and the Job Dissatisfaction Scale (JDS). Three key findings were obtained. First, good psychometrics for the MDRAI-12 and the JDS were obtained. Second, research agendas varied by age, gender, academic rank, and academic discipline, while job dissatisfaction varied by age, academic rank, and institutional ranking. Third and most importantly, when age, gender, academic rank, academic discipline, and institutional ranking were statistically controlled, trailblazing research agendas generally negatively contributed to job dissatisfaction, whereas a cohesive (conservative) research agenda positively predicted job dissatisfaction, as hypothesized. Implications of the findings are discussed for academics and university senior managers. Copyright © 2023 Springer Nature.

Many post-industrial societies have seen a decline in secondary school students' aspirations to become an engineer. Hong Kong (HK) is a post-industrial region within a larger industrialising society where no current study identifies engineering aspirations of secondary students. A representative sample of HK (3724 students/23 schools) explored engineering attitudes, perceptions, motivation, efficacy and curricular/extracurricular experiences using a purposely defined questionnaire. Contributions of these factors to students' aspirations were differentiated into individual and school contexts using hierarchical linear modelling and structural equation modelling. Descriptive analyses identified boys and younger students in single-sex schools had the most positive attitudes towards engineering but school-based engineering opportunities did not provide significant contributions to students' aspirations. Aspirations were affected by students' engineering efficacy, practical 'hands-on' experience and limited science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curricular experience. Similarities between HK and many post-industrial societies, and curriculum/pedagogical implications concerning efficacy for secondary school engineering education are identified.
[Copyright of European Journal of Engineering Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd.. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2018.1435629]