Attributes of Hong Kong Construction Engineering Student Learning Approaches: Investigation of Chinese and Western Personal Values

Abstract

AbstractMembers of the construction engineering profession require developing not only technical knowledge but also various personal attitudes and values to enable them to keep abreast of an ever-changing body of knowledge and solve construction dilemmas. However, construction engineering education in Hong Kong emphasizes students’ professional and technical training and pays less attention to their personal development, despite previous studies having identified that personal values have a significant effect on learning. Inappropriate personal values in education can result in students becoming surface learners whose only aim is to achieve a pass or a particular grade. A student’s learning approaches will not only affect his or her academic performance but also shape further personal and professional development when working in the construction industry after graduation. For these reasons, it is essential to investigate the complicated relationships between the personal values and learning approaches of ...