Students with special education needs (SEN) face challenges in developing career adaptability and self-efficacy. Using a sample of 355 students with SEN in Hong Kong, this study evaluated effects of social connectedness and meaning in life on career adaptability and career self-efficacy. Data were collected twice, participants completing self-report measures at baseline and 18 months later. Analysis found that meaning in life significantly and positively predicted both variables. At follow-up, social connectedness directly predicted presence of meaning, while indirectly predicting career adaptability and self-efficacy. Interventions for SEN students should seek to strengthen their social connectedness and meaning in life. Copyright © 2022 Springer.

Teachers shape secondary students' career development for social mobility with equal opportunities in a cohesive society. Concomitantly, young people have recently marched against socio-political challenges to the development of civil societies in different locations. A cross-case study of career education in different schools of a Chinese society was conducted to explore a paradoxical dilemma between teachers' inclusive development of the education for every student and the missing social inclusion of the society in an adverse socio-political situation. Students should be prepared for the sense of social inclusion. Implications of the dilemma for cultivating a cohesive civil society are also discussed. Copyright © 2022 Pergamon-Elsevier Science.

In this chapter, the authors use a policy and program perspective to explore the specific career development needs of gifted learners in Hong Kong. They first examine recent developments in gifted education and career education policies in Hong Kong, then draw on relevant literature to highlight salient career development needs of gifted learners. Next, consideration is given to possible priority content for career guidance programs for these students, and some existing programs are reviewed. The chapter ends with a summary of the implications for educators, counselors, researchers and policy-makers. Copyright © 2020 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

To enhance understanding of factors that may improve students’ STEM career participation, we explored Hong Kong secondary students’ self-perceptions of STEM subjects and career interests using the STEM Semantic Survey and Career Interest Survey questionnaire. Results showed that most students thought technology was more appealing than science, mathematics, and engineering subjects. Science was the only subject in which male and female students showed similar attitudes. A gender gap was found in these students’ career interests in STEM. Students held a neutral to mildly positive stance toward a career related to science, technology, and mathematics but had the least interest in a career related to engineering. Males showed more interest than females in careers related to all four subject areas. Results revealed a need to stimulate students’ interest in STEM education and search for ways to make a connection between STEM subjects and future careers through STEM teaching in the classroom. More attention should be paid to encouraging girls to engage in STEM-related activities. Copyright © 2022 Technology Education Program, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Students’ social identity is considered to have profound effects on their learning and academic performance, but there was a lack of research on whether students’ social identity would also influence their aspirations to pursue STEM careers. This research studied the associations between the social identity of students and their aspirations to engage in STEM careers. Nearly 4,000 Hong Kong students from three key learning stages participated in a survey related to their STEM aspirations. Data analysis using multiple regression and structural equation modelling showed that local and national identity were predictive of STEM career aspirations. Moreover, students’ sense of contribution to the nation and local society, as well as the perceived value of STEM professionals were mediators of the impact of their social identity on their STEM career aspirations. The implications provide insights for policymakers and educators to formulate appropriate curricula benefiting students’ social identity development as well as their STEM aspirations. Copyright © 2022 National Institute of Education, Singapore.

Geopolitical changes worldwide, together with rapid advances in technology, have created a situation where an individual's working life can present many new challenges. Helping students develop the attitudes and skills necessary to adapt to constant change along a career path has become a priority in education. Developing this career adaptability is becoming increasingly important to the sustainability of democracy, the economy, justice, human values, and equality. The authors of this paper argue that to improve the quality of our education system in universities, active learning should play a more important role to enrich the typical lecturing-learning processes. The aim of the study reported here was to examine the impact from implementing a 3-month active learning program that took university students beyond the classroom to increase their career adaptability and self-esteem and to strengthen their meaning in life. A mixed-method approach was adopted and conducted in two phases with 119 undergraduate students in human resources management at a university in Hong Kong. Findings suggested a significant improvement in career adaptability of the students after participating in the program when compared to a control group. However, data did not indicate any significant change in self-esteem and meaning in life in the training group. The findings support the valuable role of active learning as a strategy to enhance students' career adaptability in a changing but sustainable world of employment. Copyright ©2021 MDPI.

Purpose This study explores the learning and career motivation of the students who have chosen archival studies as their major in their master's degree programs, which has scant prior research. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a qualitative interview method to investigate the students' opinions and underlying reasons. Nine students from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and University of British Columbia (UBC), both members of the iSchools, were interviewed. Considering the responses and research questions, the authors applied content analysis techniques to summarize data gathering from interviews into five themes to better interpret the meanings behind them. Findings Despite different development stages of archives sectors in Hong Kong and Canada, the learning and career motivation factors of these students from both universities share some similar characteristics and can also be divided into intrinsic factors (such as personal interests, personalities) and extrinsic factors (such as prior working experience, working environment, nature of archives work and development of the archives field). Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors significantly influenced them in choosing archival studies as major in their graduate studies. Practical implications These findings can help educators and professions review and improve the curricula as well as promote the profession to the public and attract more people to pursue their studies in the archives field. Originality/value Scant studies discussed the career development and education motivation of archivists, especially related to Asia. Copyright ©2021 Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.

This study aims at exploring middle teacher leadership practices for social justice in career and life planning (CLP) education as part of the research collaboration developed in the International School Leadership Development Network (ISLDN) in the past decade. We have identified that young people face challenges to their career development in different types of public secondary schools led by various school leaders. Teacher leaders of the education, as informal or formal middle leaders, are responsible for the whole-school programme development, while senior secondary students are participants to be inspired about potential career pathways before graduation. However, allocation of students to different schools according to their academic achievement is a long-standing social justice issue. A framework of inclusivity was adopted for exploration of the teacher leaders' experiences of the issue in leading the education, and diverse young people's experiences of development in different secondary school types in Hong Kong. A qualitative approach was used for capturing the views of three teachers and three groups of students in three school types in answer to the research questions: What challenges facing the whole-school CLP education for different young people are derived from the social justice issue in secondary schooling? How do middle teacher leaders cope with challenges through their leadership practices in socially just CLP education for students in different types of school? What equal development opportunities for younger people's career pathways can be contextualised from the leadership practices in the schools? Although the students' self-understanding and competencies can generally be awakened, different interests and various abilities beyond academic performance are the common key factors of tailor-made CLP education for every student's development by the school types. A long-term commitment to social justice for youth's future pathways is also discussed.

While the short form of career development self-efficacy inventory (SF-CDSEI) has been validated in students with and without special educational needs, the relationships between the five subscales (i.e., Career goal setting, Career planning, vocational training selection, Job hunting preparation and Job hunting) have not yet been adequately explored to inform more effective practices (e.g., intervention development). Based on the Social cognitive career theory (SCCT), this study examined their relationships based on two SCCT-supported models with a new sample of secondary students with SEN(n=218). In model 1, student self-efficacy of career planning (CP) and career goal setting (CGS) were two cognitive-oriented predictors of a general action-oriented self-efficacy factor consisting of job-hunting preparation (JHP), vocational training selection (VTS) and job-hunting behavior (JHB). In model 2, JHP and VTS formed a general factor of job-hunting preparation (G-JHP), while JHB was separated. The results of model 1 showed 95% variance of action-oriented CDSEI could be explained by cognitive-oriented self-efficacy of CP and CGS with CGS was a stronger predictor (β=.60 vs. β=.43). Comparatively, model 2 showed that 90% variance of G-JHP and 87% JHB could be explained by career planning and career goal setting. But as compared to CGS(β=.42), CP (β=.57) was a stronger predictor of JHB. For G-JHP, CGS was a stronger predictor (β=.68) as compared to CP (β=.32). The results are discussed in relation to the SCCT to develop intervention programs for addressing the needs of SEN students in terms of CDSEI. Copyright © 2020 International Conference on Learning and Teaching.