Undergraduates' expectations of economic and other benefits of higher education : a case study of Hong Kong

Hong Kong started a major expansion of its higher education system in 1989. By 1996, in less than a decade, the student enrolment rate had reached 18% of the relevant age group. Was there a justification for further expansion? This thesis investigates the issue of the demand for higher education fro...

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Main Author: Yung, Andrew Man Sing
Published: University College London (University of London) 2003
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Online Access:http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.402036
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spelling ndltd-bl.uk-oai-ethos.bl.uk-4020362018-07-24T03:14:31ZUndergraduates' expectations of economic and other benefits of higher education : a case study of Hong KongYung, Andrew Man Sing2003Hong Kong started a major expansion of its higher education system in 1989. By 1996, in less than a decade, the student enrolment rate had reached 18% of the relevant age group. Was there a justification for further expansion? This thesis investigates the issue of the demand for higher education from the perspective of the students during the 1 990s, a period of drastic political change and difficult economic conditions. It was an interesting time to explore students' perceptions of economic and other benefits of university education. The assumption was that if students possess positive views of returns from higher education, even in critical periods, their motive for investing in higher education is at least partly instrumental. The findings of the study reveal that students were realistic and informed about the future graduate labour market. They were aware of the financial hardships incurred from the increase in their own share of the cost of higher education, the intensifying competition in the future graduate labour market resulting from education expansion, the possible impact the political changes and the economic downturn after 1997 might have on their future career conditions. Many foresaw and were ready to accept diminishing immediate economic returns upon graduation. Yet most of them still maintained a positive view of long term earnings and career development. Most of them understood that their investment in higher education was a prerequisite for a better future both in economic terms and in terms of life long personal development. All in all, the findings of this study provide evidence to support the instrumentalists' idea, not to exclude the academicians' though, an individual perceives participating in higher education as making investment for his/her future pecuniary returns and/or other benefits.331.114235095125University College London (University of London)http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.402036http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10006644/Electronic Thesis or Dissertation
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topic 331.114235095125
spellingShingle 331.114235095125
Yung, Andrew Man Sing
Undergraduates' expectations of economic and other benefits of higher education : a case study of Hong Kong
description Hong Kong started a major expansion of its higher education system in 1989. By 1996, in less than a decade, the student enrolment rate had reached 18% of the relevant age group. Was there a justification for further expansion? This thesis investigates the issue of the demand for higher education from the perspective of the students during the 1 990s, a period of drastic political change and difficult economic conditions. It was an interesting time to explore students' perceptions of economic and other benefits of university education. The assumption was that if students possess positive views of returns from higher education, even in critical periods, their motive for investing in higher education is at least partly instrumental. The findings of the study reveal that students were realistic and informed about the future graduate labour market. They were aware of the financial hardships incurred from the increase in their own share of the cost of higher education, the intensifying competition in the future graduate labour market resulting from education expansion, the possible impact the political changes and the economic downturn after 1997 might have on their future career conditions. Many foresaw and were ready to accept diminishing immediate economic returns upon graduation. Yet most of them still maintained a positive view of long term earnings and career development. Most of them understood that their investment in higher education was a prerequisite for a better future both in economic terms and in terms of life long personal development. All in all, the findings of this study provide evidence to support the instrumentalists' idea, not to exclude the academicians' though, an individual perceives participating in higher education as making investment for his/her future pecuniary returns and/or other benefits.
author Yung, Andrew Man Sing
author_facet Yung, Andrew Man Sing
author_sort Yung, Andrew Man Sing
title Undergraduates' expectations of economic and other benefits of higher education : a case study of Hong Kong
title_short Undergraduates' expectations of economic and other benefits of higher education : a case study of Hong Kong
title_full Undergraduates' expectations of economic and other benefits of higher education : a case study of Hong Kong
title_fullStr Undergraduates' expectations of economic and other benefits of higher education : a case study of Hong Kong
title_full_unstemmed Undergraduates' expectations of economic and other benefits of higher education : a case study of Hong Kong
title_sort undergraduates' expectations of economic and other benefits of higher education : a case study of hong kong
publisher University College London (University of London)
publishDate 2003
url http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.402036
work_keys_str_mv AT yungandrewmansing undergraduatesexpectationsofeconomicandotherbenefitsofhighereducationacasestudyofhongkong
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