Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong

STEM education has become a hot topic in recent years, but the benefits and purpose of this type of education are not particularly well known. To help the public get a clearer picture of STEM education in our city, the Knowledge Management and Strategy Section of Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong carried out a survey called "STEM Education and Youth Literacy" between June and September of this year. The aim of the study was to learn more about the effectiveness of STEM education and the relationship between STEM education and students’ autonomous learning abilities, and levels of empathy and civic responsibility. We released the survey results at a press conference on 28 November in the hopes of providing useful information, encouraging the community to support STEM education and promoting the all-around development of students. The press conference and results attracted extensive media coverage.

 

Chinese YMCA College has been committed to STEM education for many years, and its achievements have been widely recognised. Mr Lau Kwok Leung, the principal of Chinese YMCA College, presented the survey results on behalf of the Association at the press conference. Dr Au Siu Chung, Director of the Science and Biology Department at the Chinese YMCA College, also discussed the results, while students Lee Ka Yi (in F4) and Lam Chi Kin (in F5) shared their perspectives on STEM education with the press.

 

Mr Yeung Chi Hin, a Service Development Officer at Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, explained how the survey results highlighted the autonomous learning abilities, empathy and civic responsibility of local students, and recognised the positive contributions STEM education made to each of these elements.

 

He pointed out that the average scores of "autonomous learning ability" , "empathy" and "civic responsibility" were, in general, higher than 4 (1 = strongly disagree, 6 = strongly agree), of which the score of "civic responsibility", at 4.4, ranked highest. The "civic responsibility" aspects of the survey included asking students whether they were "responsible for creating a sustainable future" (average score 4.5) and whether they were “responsible for participating in social service and care for others” (average score 4.46). The data showed that Hong Kong students generally have a good sense of civic responsibility, are concerned about future sustainable development and recognise that they have the responsibility to participate in social affairs.

 

In addition, the survey results showed that respondents with a higher interest and ability in STEM subjects had higher scores in "autonomous learning ability" , "empathy" and "civic responsibility" . Of the average scores in these three areas, respondents with higher interest and ability in STEM subjects scored 7.2% to 15.4% higher than those with less interest and ability in STEM subjects.

 

There were also three STEM learning approaches listed. Of these, 21.3% of the respondents said they had "never used online self-study" , 28.5% had "never borrowed reference books or read newspapers and magazines" and 35.5% had "never visited STEM exhibitions or participated in STEM competitions".

 

Among these STEM learning approaches (1 = strongly disagree, 6 = strongly agree), the average scores of "online self-study", "borrowed reference books or read newspapers and magazines" and "visited STEM exhibitions or participated in STEM competitions" were 2.99, 2.58 and 2.36. The data reveals that respondents tended to use these approaches less, implying that overall, respondents seem to be less willing to use other approaches to learning STEM outside the classroom.

 

According to Principal Lau Kwok Leung' s analysis, the survey shows that STEM education is related to students' autonomous learning abilities, empathy and civic responsibility, as well as students' general degree of interest and ability in STEM subjects. However, because students seem to spend a limited amount of time on STEM learning activities after class, the Association suggests that STEM education should be integrated and combined with social service elements. This will help to develop students' soft skills in different areas, while increasing their willingness to learn STEM concepts outside the classroom and improve their all-around development.

 

Dr Au Siu Chung, Director of the Science and Biology Department at the Chinese YMCA College, said that unlike traditional academic subjects, the "return" on the effort and investment we put into STEM education may not be immediately noticable, since there are no scores or direct assessments. However, it is important to remember that STEM education provides far-reaching benefits – like improving students' soft skills and improving their academic performance. He believes that schools, teachers, students, parents, and all sectors of society should support the development of STEM education. Finally, the students, Lee Ka Yi and Lam Chi Kin, shared with the participants that their STEM activities helped them build empathy and social awareness, something which is beneficial to their overall academic and personal development.

 

As part of our ongoing 120th anniversary celebrations, the Association is hosting our "Snapshot 120" photo competition between 2 and 20 January 2022. To participte, you will first need to follow our Instagram page, then take a photo or find one of your own existing photos that is related to the theme of the YMCA’s 120th anniversary. The photo must show "120" in the form of a text or an image, and must be related to the theme of "birthday", "anniversary", "YMCA", "blessings", or something similar. Participants will also be required to write a short congratulatory message, fill in the form on the event webpage and upload both the photo and the message.

 

Those who make the most outstanding contributions will be eligible for the "Best Photo Award" and the "Best Congratulations Message Award" – both of which will consist of lunch buffet vouchers for two, sponsored by the Cityview or the Harbourview. All participants will also receive 120th anniversary badges, though these are available on a first come, first served basis.

 

Online application form: 

https://forms.gle/eMvZemseKx6eTT1MA

Enquiry Telephone Number:

2783 3370

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last chance to join the 8th Hong Kong Secondary School Mini-Movie Competition!

 

Hosted by the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, Magna Education Centre and the Hong Kong Micro Movie Institute, the last workshop of the 8th Hong Kong Secondary School Mini-Movie Competition was held in early December. Experienced actor and producer, Mr Joey Leung, gave a lecture to help guide students' directorial skills, including helping them understand how to help actors get the most out of the filming process. He also shared tips on how to make a successful mini-movie.

 

The theme of this year' s competition is "Post-pandemic and the Future", and we anticipate that participating students will express their longing for the end of the pandemic and encourage people around them to stay positive and face up to challenges, spreading positive messages through their creations. The final submission deadline is 31 January 2022. For the winners there will be some wonderful prizes, including department store cash vouchers, cinema coupons and food vouchers worth approximately HK$80,000. The winning films will also receive recommendations to participate in the student categories of various overseas film festivals, and have their work shown on the big screen at ACX Cinema. Students who are interested in participating should act quickly and sign up for the competition as soon as possible!

 

Online application form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfrg4wXcV0IeORUmBdwO2vo_cS4vwdpdPKgpA9njEmF5c-LPQ/viewform

Official website:

https://www.ymca.org.hk/minimovie2021

 

 

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