Predictors of overseas study for secondary 7 students in Hong Kong: implications for educational policy development

© 2000 Dr. Elizabeth May Yee ChanThis study sought to ascertain the relative importance of school, personal and societal variables prompting the decision making of students in Hong Kong to choose overseas study. The significance of the project arose from the increasing number of students deciding to study overseas in the past twenty years or so. Based on studies carried out in overseas countries and relevant information available in Hong Kong from various sources, hypotheses related to the phenomenon of Hong Kong student international mobility were formulated. Both the positive and negative forces exerted by countries chosen for overseas study were also examined. Data collection involved the use of a student questionnaire and structured interviews. From logistic regression analysis and discriminant analysis applied to the questionnaire responses of the Hong Kong sample of20 schools, consisting of 1,341 students, the most important predictor for overseas study was found to be academic expectations and the greatest attraction of the host countries came from their prestigious universities. Information collected from interviews with students and teachers, parents and school principals, educators and policy makers in the present study corroborated these findings. To effectively meet the expectations of students in higher education and the change in market requirements, the government officers in Hong Kong and other countries may have to decide on policies or means to develop and improve their education systems. Retaining or attracting students are important issues. It is envisaged that policies and data banks may also evolve to promote international student growth for the benefit of both Hong Kong and the countries chosen for overseas study. In view of the majority of students proclaiming their preference for overseas study and the significant findings of this investigation, it would be worthwhile to replicate the survey in other countries. This would be in the form of case studies and longitudinal predictive studies on this important educational phenomenon of international student mobility