Passion and perseverance for long-term goals (often referred to as grit) has been found to be associated with well-being in typically developing students and adults. However, previous studies primarily relied on a two-factor model of grit, underpinned by "perseverance of effort" and "consistency of interests." This model has…

A student's 'meaning in life' and his/her connectedness to school, friends and family are believed to be factors that influence the development of life skills. Teachers could be aware of these factors in their endeavours to foster 'whole-person development' in their students. In this small-scale study, twelve secondary school teachers participated…

It is vital to foster children's ability to cooperate with others, communicate effectively, and exercise self-control. These competencies represent a set of transferrable skills required in many aspects of daily life and along any career path. In Hong Kong, a play-based training programme was launched to support parents to target these areas of…

This study provides insights into how Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong interpret the concept of "meaning in life." Data were collected from nine focus groups involving 57 junior secondary school students (age range: 13 to 16 years). It was found that students tended to interpret meaning in life as equivalent to "having a plan for a…

This study examined Chinese technical education students' (N = 18) perceptions of career-related support received from teachers using thematic analysis. Six themes emerged from the interviews: enhancement of self-improvement and self-exploration, informational support, career-related role models, instrumental support, emotional support and support…

The COVID-19 global pandemic continues, and in Hong Kong numerous measures have been put in place to contain the spread of the coronavirus. One of the many facets of life that is being affected is education, with many face-to-face classes suspended and students having to go online for lessons. The virus continues to be active in the city, so our…

The aim of this study was to evaluate relationships among the primary school students' social connectedness to parents, teachers and peers, and their career and talent development self-efficacy (CTD-SE). CTD-SE encompasses talent development, career exploration and the acquisition of good work habits. Results suggest that the connectedness with…

Approximately one-third of countries in the world are regarded as small states. There are also subnational jurisdictions, or small territories, that share similar characteristics of small states. Their small size renders them vulnerable to changes in the global economy, and this, in turn, has an impact on trade, business, and employment. In this…

The education system in Macao now implements the principle of equal opportunities for learning for all children, including those with special educational needs. This principle gives rise to the notion of 'one curriculum framework for all' -- meaning that all children in mainstream and special schools follow a common curriculum, but with necessary…

This article highlights findings from a case study research investigating factors that foster the academic achievement of community college students in Hong Kong. Data was collected from in-depth interviews with six community college students in a middle-sized, self-funded community college. The findings illustrate nuanced facets of teacher care…

Over the past two decades a wealth of research data on perfectionism has drawn increased attention to the nature and impact of perfectionism on many aspects of student development. Much of the research has explored perfectionism in the gifted student population, but few studies have considered how perfectionism could be perceived differently in…

Gifted students usually require much less time spent in practising and revising basic skills; instead, they benefit greatly from opportunities to work through the curriculum at a faster pace (acceleration). Teachers currently working with mixed-ability classes do not always find it easy to differentiate their teaching approach in this way, so…

This report is part of a larger project investigating school satisfaction of early adolescents in Hong Kong. The research questions in this part of the study focused on the school experience of 21 high-ability Chinese students aged 9-14 in Hong Kong primary and secondary schools. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with each of the…

Career-related parental support plays an essential role in the process of promoting young people's career development. Currently, research on career-related support from parents in China is still fairly limited; but at a time when the employment situation in China is changing rapidly, it is considered especially important to study this topic with…

This exploratory study involved a structured group-games intervention to develop first-grade students' social competence. The effects were evaluated by assessing possible outcomes for the children's social status. A sample of 119 first-grade, mixed-ability students from a Hong Kong primary school participated in the sessions (63 boys, 56 girls:…