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International Journal of Modern Education Research

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Generic Competencies of Business Tertiary Students After Secondary Curriculum Reform in Hong Kong

International Journal of Modern Education Research
Vol.4 , No. 6, Publication Date: Nov. 25, 2017, Page: 85-91

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Authors

[1]	Maggie Ka-Wai Ng, College of Professional and Continuing Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
[2]	Joseph Chi-Ho So, College of Professional and Continuing Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
[3]	Ada Pui-Ling Chan, College of Professional and Continuing Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
[4]	Alvin Yau-Tak Wong, College of Professional and Continuing Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.

Abstract

This paper attempts to explore the correlation between academic discipline (business and non-business) and the development of generic competences among secondary graduates who were just admitted to Associate Degree and Higher Diploma programmes in Hong Kong tertiary institution. A total of 3238 freshmen had completed a set of self-assessment questionnaires across three academic years from 2011 to 2013. The result indicated that there were significant differences between freshmen in business and non-business programmes in five areas, including communication, cultural appreciation, entrepreneurship, lifelong learning and teamwork in 2011; and there was a trend of diminishing differences between two groups in the area of generic competencies afterwards. This trend might be due to the impact of curriculum reform on generic skills education. Therefore, the impact of new secondary curriculum reform on students’ generic skills is also discussed. When the reported scores of general skills on the areas of communication, cultural appreciation, entrepreneurship, lifelong learning and teamwork, among different cohorts, were analyzed, it shows that the introduction of new secondary curriculum strengthens the generic competences of the freshmen.

Keywords

Business and Non-business, Curriculum Reform in Hong Kong, Generic Skills, New Senior Secondary

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