Driven by the demand of talents from STEM related fields for Hong Kong to remain internationally competitive, the Hong Kong Government has invested heavily in promoting STEM education since the last decade. This paper aims to assess its impacts on local high school students, by looking at whether there were any associations between the students’ interest in STEM, the number of applications for STEM related degree programmes and the required admission scores for such programmes. This study was conducted by collecting data from 428 local high school students using a questionnaire. To see whether students will be likely to pursue in a STEM-related career, we have also examined the attractiveness of having a STEM related career in Hong Kong, by reviewing STEM career salary trends and career destinations of university graduates. Our findings indicate students tend to have positive attitudes related to STEM careers, with more than 65 % of the total respondents expressing a desire to pursue in STEM subjects and 61 % would consider a career in STEM related fields, especially in engineering. We have shown that more university graduates have chosen STEM related careers, and entry level salaries from STEM-related fields are revealed to be more attractive over time, when compared to traditional business paths. This study concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for policymakers and educators, emphasizing the need to continue nurturing young talents who have strong interest in STEM subjects and careers.

Authors:
Ho Ting Fung, Academy for Bright Future Young Engineers & The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
Ben Yui Bun Chan, Academy for Bright Future Young Engineers & The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
Fai Yeung, Academy for Bright Future Young Engineers & The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
Kam Tim Woo, Academy for Bright Future Young Engineers & The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
Chi Ying Tsui, Academy for Bright Future Young Engineers & The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Ho Ting FUNG is currently a STEM education developer and coordinator at Academy for Bright Future Young Engineers, School of Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Tuesday Schedule

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