Acquiring 21st-century skills through student unions in Hong Kong

Ian Nicholas LEE

Research output: ThesisHonours Projects (HP)

Abstract

This essay aims to examine the effectiveness of Hong Kong students’ acquisition and development of 21st-century skills, namely skills related to analytical thinking and innovation, active learning and learning strategies, creativity, originality, and initiative, through their participation in student unions. The main points of inquiry of this paper are what the students’ main responsibilities and how being a part of the student union helped students acquire or develop the mentioned skills. This study was approached by conducting interviews with the teacher-affiliated of the student union at a Hong Kong local school and with the head student of the union, as well as surveys with the executive members of the student union at the same school. The results of the study suggest that being a part of the student union is an experience that enhanced students’ 21st-century skills. Other than students’ learning experientially, other factors that led to such a result include the democratic practices in education the teachers adopt when guiding the students in the union, teachers’ reflection on experimentation in education, and the cultural influence of education. This paper concludes that learner-centeredness should be considered, not only in classroom contexts, but also in extra-curricular activities, in order to build the students’ competence in 21st-century skills.
Original languageEnglish
QualificationBachelor of Education (Honours)
Supervisors/Advisors
  • BRIFFETT AKTAS, Carla Marie, Supervisor
Publication statusPublished - 2020

Keywords

  • Honours Project (HP)
  • Bachelor of Education (Honours) (English Language) (Five-year Full-time)
  • Programme code: A5B059
  • Course code: PFS4030

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