Impacts of Teaching Approaches on Learning Approaches of Construction Engineering Students: A Comparative Study between Hong Kong and Mainland China

Journal of Engineering Education, Apr 2008 by Leung, Mei-Yung, Lu, Xinhong, Chen, Dongyu, Lu, Mei

ABSTRACT

Teaching and learning contexts influence the learning process and determine the learning outcome or product. Teaching approaches may vary across different engineering and science courses and students. This study was aimed at understanding the differences in teaching approaches between two regions (Hong Kong and mainland China) and their relevant impacts on the learning process in construction engineering education. An exploratory survey was conducted on construction engineering students in China to investigate relationships between teaching approaches, learning approaches, and teaching satisfaction. Results indicate that the "transferring" and "shaping" teaching approaches are commonly used in the first and second class universities in the mainland, while the "transferring" and "traveling" approaches are commonly applied in Hong Kong. Teacher-centered teaching is correlated to a "surface" learning approach among students at Hong Kong universities but it is correlated to a "deep" learning approach for students in the mainland. Students at universities in mainland China are satisfied with all four teaching approaches, "transferring," "shaping," "traveling," and "growing;" while students in Hong Kong are only significantly satisfied with the "growing" teaching approach.

Keywords: construction engineering education, learning approaches, teaching approaches,

I. INTRODUCTION

In the early 1990s, mainland China experienced a period of significant economic growth under the Open Reformation Policy. As a result, education in mainland China has again gained considerable attention. Recently, significant changes have been undertaken in higher educational institutions in mainland China, including financial support systems, enrollment expansion, curriculum reform, university mergers, and the establishment of private universities (Zhou, 1997). Additional resources from government and private enterprises are also being invested in higher education. As a result, the numbers of instructors with Ph.D. degrees, and those with first degrees from overseas educational institutions, have been increasing in recent years. Further, the role of the university instructor has further shifted from not only teaching, but also to research. As a consequence of these factors, the quality of teaching in higher education in China has become a public concern (China Education and Research Network, January 2008) as observed by increasing criticisms (Leung and Fong, 2003). Chinese students are generally described as passive rote learners, and lacking in their responsiveness to instructors in class.

However, Hong Kong is different because it mixes both Eastern and Western cultures together. The educational system in Hong Kong was established and implemented according to the British system due to its special history over the past 100 years. In recent years, the Hong Kong government has invested significant sums of money (e.g., HK$55,000 million in 2002-2003) to improve and upgrade the information technologies available to primary/secondary/ higher education (People's Republic of China-Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 2003; Leung, 2005). The improvements in facilities at the universities in Hong Kong have included various innovative technologies and teaching materials/software (see Table 1). However, the quality of university graduates in Hong Kong is still criticized by some educators (Ming Pao Daily News, 2001), senior governmental officials, (Law, 2003) and industrial employers (Ming Pao Daily News, 2001). University students are often seen to emphasize answers lacking a strong connection to practice and to concentrate on obtaining their degrees rather than gaining knowledge (Ramsden, 1992).

A comparative study of construction engineering education in Hong Kong and the mainland was undertaken to gain insights into improving the quality of teaching of construction engineering education in both regions. Construction engineering programs were selected because the construction industry's contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Hong Kong (HK) has been in the range of 4.49 percent to 7.96 percent since 1990 (People's Republic of China-Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) and 19.7 percent in 2003 in the mainland (China Statistical Yearbook) Thus, any major changes in the industry affects the economies in both HK and the mainland. Higher education is increasingly important for producing professionals who can meet the challenges of the construction industry, both in China and the rest of the world. Although construction higher education in China started in the 190Os, the dynamic environment (the economic situation and the governmental system) challenged universities to upgrade their educational quality.

Although a comparison of teaching approaches in the West and in China has been undertaken in the past (Kelly and liew, 1998; Zhang and Collis, 1995), we still lack an investigation involving a more scientific approach. A survey based on Biggs' Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ) (Biggs, 1997 and 1992) was given to construction engineering students in mainland China and in Hong Kong by Leung et al. (2006). The survey found that mainland China university students are inclined to adopt a "deep learning" motive and a "deep learning" strategy, i.e., a deep approach; while HK university students favor an "achieving" motive and a "surface" strategy, i.e., an avoid failure approach (Leung, Ng, and Li, 2004). Building on these recent results, this paper explores approaches to teaching as one of the main factors influencing students' approaches to learning, as applied at universities in mainland China and in Hong Kong. The differences between the two regions are examined. An exploratory survey was given to the same groups of construction engineering students with the purpose of investigating correlations between the teaching approaches of the educators and the learning approaches of the students.