Facilitation of self-concept: Effects of the innovative Project Yi Jin in Hong Kong

To high school students in Hong Kong, failure in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education (HKCEE) used to imply definitely no access to tertiary education. Project Yi Jin (PYJ) is an innovative program for students in Hong Kong who failed in the HKCEE so as to allow them to pursue advanced education via an alternative pathway. After two years of implementation of the program, an evaluation was conducted to examine any gains in the PYJ students in their academic self-concept that is believed to be essential for lifelong education. Analysis of variance comparing their academic self-concepts before and after attending PYJ found significant improvement in both their academic and parent self-concepts. The evidence shows that the program has provided a curriculum that suits those students who cannot cope with the conventional high school curriculum and helps them to improve their personal and social skills. The program has also provided a new learning environment that has facilitated a revival of the low achievers’ self-concepts so that they are ready for challenges in advanced studies at the tertiary level.