ERIC EJ1164581: Survey of Needs and Expectations for Academic Advising in a Hong Kong University

2017·0.1 MB·English

by  ERIC

Survey of Needs and Expectations for Academic Advising in a Hong
Kong University
Rhonda Y. S. Cheung, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Andrew M. H. Siu, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Daniel T. L. Shek, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
UniversitiesinHongKongimplementedanew4- andefforttofulfilltheserequirements,whichmost
year undergraduate curriculum in 2012, and dowithin their first 2 years at the university.
many initiated academic advising programs to The new 4-year curriculum introduced some
help students from different academic back- newchallengesforuniversitystudentsandinstruc-
grounds and with various levels of preparedness tors. First, under the new program, the university
toreviewtheiroptionsandmanagechallengesin graduation requirements are more complex: Stu-
college. For this study, we administered a dents must choose and complete a wide range of
questionnaire survey to discover students’ views general education and major subjects. Second,
on and expectations for academic advising. The studentsmaybeadmittedtoauniversitywithouta
results show an overall positive evaluation of decided major. In the past, significant numbers of
academic advising from students, who expected studentschosetheirmajoronlyaftertheirfirstyear
academic advisors to help them understand their at the university. Third, students may be admitted
studyoptionsandpreferredadevelopmentalover to a university on the basis of their local public
a prescriptive approach. Students reported that examinationqualification(HongKongDiplomaof
discussing career issues was their greatest need Secondary Education) or otherqualifications (e.g.,
foracademic advising. theInternationalBaccalaureate,GeneralCertificate
of Education, associate degrees, or other tertiary
[doi:10.12930/NACADA-15-047] qualifications). As a result of these new policies,
students’ educational backgrounds, levels of ma-
KEY WORDS: academic advising, developmen-
turity, and scopes of preparedness for university
tal advising, prescriptive advising, Hong Kong
study range dramatically. The graduation require-
universities
ments, especially those regarding general educa-
tion, can vary among students according to
In 2012, the Hong Kong government imple-
admission qualifications or language and mathe-
mented a major education reform. Formerly,
matics competency scores. Therefore, the univer-
students attended a secondary school for 7 years,
sities introduced academic advising to help stu-
and university undergraduate-degree programs
dents transition to university life and make
lastedfor3years.Nowstudentsattendasecondary
appropriate study plans.
schoolfor6years,anduniversitydegreeprograms
In academic advising, an academic or nonaca-
last for 4 years. The reform was principally aimed
demic member of an institution (usually a higher
to implement a credit-based university education education institution) provides guidance to a
systemthatalignswiththatofmainlandChinaand student on an academic, social, or personal matter
most developed countries, replace two public (Kuhn, 2008). O’Banion (1972/2009) defined
secondary school examinations with one, and academic advising as a dynamic process that
redesign and implement a comprehensive and includes the following dimensions: exploration of
balanced secondary school curriculum. Under the lifegoalsandvocationalgoals,choiceofprograms
new4-yearundergraduatecurriculum,bothgeneric and courses, and creation of course schedules.
and discipline-specific competencies received re- According to Ender, Winston, and Miller (1982),
newed emphasis. The general education courses academic advising, a developmental process in
provided by most universities include Chinese and which students receive assistance to clarify and
English languages, subjects across different study pursue their life and career goals, comprises a
disciplines, service-learning projects, physical ed- decision-making process for students to realize
ucation courses, university orientation seminars, their educational potential.
and a personal development program. Students The experience with academic advising under
may need to commit a substantial amount of time the new undergraduate curriculum in Hong Kong
NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017 21
Cheung et al.
waslimited.Manyuniversitiesonlyrecentlysetup advising, specifically their perceptions of the
anadvisingprogramtomeetthechallengescreated goals for it and support of it, remains important
by the new curriculum. Most of the literature on forimplementingeffectivepractice.Perhapsmost
academicadvisingwasconductedinorisbasedon importantly, university leadership needs to dis-
a North American context (Broadbridge, 1996). cerntherelationshipuniversitystudentsexpectto
However, recently, many universities in Asia experiencewith theiracademic advisors, thehelp
started providing academic advising. For instance, they want to receive from them, and the
aJapaneseuniversitypioneeredacademicadvising frequency with which they intend to meet with
in 2008 (Morikawa, 2011). In a conference them.
discussion,representativesofuniversitiesinChina, To provide appropriate academic advice to
Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and the United Arab students, advising leadership must recognize the
Emirates explained that the definition of academic types of information and support university
advisingisstillbeingestablishedontheircampus- students in Hong Kong hope to gain from the
es (Haghamed, 2016). advising process. On the basis of surveys of
Experience with academic advising in the undergraduatesattendingaU.S.university,Smith
region also remains limited. Therefore, to provide and Allen (2006) identified 12 functions of
academic advising that addresses the needs of academic advising. They found that surveyed
students in Hong Kong, students’ views on students considered accurate information about
advising must be acquired and understood. For graduation requirements the most important
this study, we administered an institution-wide advising function, but other important ventures
surveytodeterminetheviewsofstudentsattending included offering advice about choosing subjects
a Hong Kong university, including their expecta- thatlinkstudents’academic,career,andlifegoals
tions for academic advising and their advising and information about university regulations and
needs.Wealsoinvestigatedstudentpreferencesfor policies. However, the findings were based on
a developmental or a prescriptive approach to data collected from students attending U.S.
academic advising. universities and may not equate to the expecta-
tions of students attending universities in Hong
Literature Review Kong. Therefore, as Smith and Allen did in the
Students’ Expectations of and Need for United States, we aimed to obtain information
Academic Advising about the advising needs of undergraduates in
Before the implementation of the new under- Hong Kong.
graduate curriculum, academic advising in Hong
Kong took the form of personal tutoring, which Students’ Preferences for Academic Advising
comesfromatraditioninBritishhighereducation Approach
institutions in which personal tutors monitor Different approaches in academic advising
students’ academic work, intellectual develop- involve different sets of strategies that academic
ment, and personal interests (Earwaker, 1992). advisors use in practice (Drake, Jordan, & Miller
Personal tutors monitor academic progress and 2013).Inthe1970s,whenacademicadvisingwas
achievement as well as provide learning assis- initiated as a ‘‘defined and examined activity,’’
tance when needed. Unlike academic advising, Crookston (1972/2009) described and compared
personal tutoring does not address students’ two different approaches—prescriptive and de-
overall study planning, management of factors velopmental—academic advising, and this delin-
that contribute to students’ academic success, or eation exerted a powerful influence on the
thewaysstudentsmightmakeoptimaluseoftheir trajectory of advising (Kuhn, 2008). The two
highereducationopportunities.Knowledgeofthe approaches described by Crookston were subse-
personal tutoring experience of students who quently considered the traditional normative
followed the former 3-year university curriculum approaches (Hagen & Jordan, 2008).
inadequately informs the current practice of Through the prescriptive advising approach,
academic advising. Furthermore, students accus- advisorsprovideinformationpertainingtocourse
tomed to personal tutoring may find academic selection, explain registration procedures, and
advising a novel experience and possess little ensure that students enroll in the appropriate
knowledge about the purposes of or goals for courses. Prescriptive advising presupposes a
advising. Therefore, understanding students’ relationship between academic advisors and
views on the concepts and practices of academic students in which students expect academic
22 NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017
Advising in Hong Kong
advisors to provide them with solutions but not ing office at the university; views on and
necessarily address holistic academic concerns expectations of academic advising; preferences of
(Crookston 1972/2009). Fielstein (1989) referred the advising approach (prescriptive vs. develop-
to prescriptive advising as the traditional, didac- mental); and academic advising needs.
tic, and directive approach.
In developmental advising, a mutual relation- Participants
ship between advisor and student is emphasized The sample was composed of 1,303 students
such that both parties engage in learning and attending a publicly funded university in Hong
developmental tasks (Crookston, 1972/2009; Kong. Of these, 829 (63.6%) were first-year
King, 2005). Crookston (1972/2009) defined students, and 454 (34.8%) were second-year
developmental advising as ‘‘concerned not only students; 20 students (1.5%) did not indicate
withaspecificpersonalorvocationaldecisionbut their year of study. Each university student,
also with facilitating the student’s rational pro- including every participant, is assigned two
cesses, environmental and interpersonal interac- academic advisors: one from the student’s
tions, behavioral awareness and problem solving, program-of-studydepartmenttoprovideguidance
decision-making, and evaluatingskills’’(1972, p. on major subjects and one from the central
5). advising office who addresses general education
Researchers have investigated students’ pre- requirements. The university recommended that
ferred academic advising approach. Some con- studentsmeetwitheachacademicadvisoratleast
cluded that university students prefer the pre- once during their first year of study; hence, the
scriptive approach (Fielstein, 1989; Motterella, study participants were expected to follow this
Fritzsche, & Cerabino, 2004; Smith, 2002); directive. More female (55.3%) than male
others found that students prefer the develop- participants (44.7 %) volunteered for the study,
mental approach (Broadbridge, 1996; Herndon, and all schools and departments in the university
Kaiser, & Creamer, 1996; Winston & Sandor, were represented.
1984). Because findings show no consistent
preference on the approach, conclusions about Instrument
the most appropriate or effective in meeting For the survey, we developed a questionnaire
students’ needs remain elusive. The limited with four sections based on the Academic
research conducted on the academic advising of AdvisingInventory(AAI)byWinstonandSandor
Chinese students focused on their social adjust- (2002); we focused particularly on Part Vof the
ment (Mortenson, 2006), value systems, and AAI to which respondents indicate their views
worldviews (Yang, Harlow, Maddux, & Smaby, about an ideal advisor using a prescriptive–
2006),andthelearningissuesofChinesestudents developmental continuum. To fit the local
studying in colleges and universities in English- context, we discarded some AAI items (e.g.,
speaking countries (Zhang & Brunton, 2007). ‘‘My advisor tells me what would be the best
Review studies suggest that prescriptive advising schedule for me’’), and we amended most of the
may be an appropriate developmental interven- statements; for example, we changed ‘‘My
tion with multicultural populations, including advisor tells me what I must do in order to be
Chinese students (Brown & Rivas, 1994). How- advised’’ to ‘‘I prefer academic advising telling
ever, no study specifically focused on Chinese me what exactly is expected from me as an
students’ preferred advising approach. The pres- advisee.’’ The AAI Manual provides a detailed
ent study partially fills this research gap. description of the scales of developmental–
prescriptive advising and of advisor–advisee
Method activity, which each features subscales compris-
With the aim of discovering Hong Kong ing items on decision making, personal develop-
students’ views on academic advising for the first ment, and the understanding of policies and
time in an institution-wide study, we chose a regulations of the institution. In developing the
survey method to gather numerical data to subject instrument, we referred to the AAI Manual
to statistical tests. Through a questionnaire, we guidelines on these scales and subscales. Table
collectedinformationaboutthefollowingsurveyed 1 outlines the structure of the Hong Kong
students at a university in Hong Kong: current questionnaire, which had sections on respon-
engagement with academic advisors in their dents’ opinions about the overall evaluation of
program-of-study department or the central advis- academic advising (5 items); expectations of
NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017 23
Cheung et al.
Table 1. Structure of survey questionnaire
Section Number of Items Reliability (Cronbach’s a)
1. Students’ opinion academic advising 5 .81
2. Expectations about academic advisors
(cid:2) Academic counselors (central advising unit) 4 .68
(cid:2) Academic advisors (faculty in department) 4 .69
3. Preferences for approach of academic advising:
(cid:2) Developmental advising 6 .78
(cid:2) Prescriptive advising 6 .79
4. Students’ needs in academic advising 12 .86
5. Students’ background information and their 7 n.a.
experience in academic advising
Note. n.a.¼not applicable. Item 6 of Section 1 was excluded from the reliability estmiation of the scale
because it was less consistent with the other five items.
academic advising (8 items); preferences for Procedures
advising approach (12 items); academic advising Weadministeredtworoundsofsurveys.Inthe
needs (12 items); and background information (7 firstround,wesurveyedthesecond-yearstudents
items). In the first four sections of the question- who hadbeen admittedtotheuniversity in2012.
naire,thestudentswereaskedtorate(ona5-point These were among the first cohort of students
Likertscale)thedegreetowhichtheyagreedwith studying the new 4-year undergraduate curricu-
certain statements. The fifth and final section lum, and they had received academic advising at
contained multiple-choice questions used to the university for one academic year. In the
gather demographic information about the stu- second round, we surveyed first-year students,
dents and information about their experiences whowereamongthesecondcohortofstudentsto
with academic advising. followthenew4-yearcurriculum.Atthetimewe
Analysisoftheinternalconsistencyofthefirst conducted the second round of the survey, the
four questionnaire sections showed that the participating students had completed the first
Cronbach’s a values were acceptable (ranging semester of university study.
from .68 to .86). This indicates that the items For both rounds of the survey, we invited (via
were consistent under each section of the e-mail) all the students in both cohorts to
questionnaire (see Table 1). We conducted an participate; the students who volunteered then
exploratory factor analysis of questionnaire completedthequestionnaireonline.Inthesecond
Sections 1, 3, and 4 to examine the structural round ofthesurvey,wealso madehardcopies of
validity of the measures. The first 5 items of the questionnaire available for the students to
Section 1 (students’ opinions) formed a coherent complete after they finished an advising session
set of items and a single factor that explained at the university’s central advising office. Upon
57.02% of the total variance. The factor loadings inviting them to participate in the study, we gave
ranged from.68to.79.From Section3(advising students a brief explanation of the purpose of the
approach), two factors were extracted concerning study and the specifics of their involvement.
thepreferred(developmentalorprescriptive)style Before they could participate, they were
of academic advising (see Table 2). The two- required to sign a consent form or indicate their
factor solution explained 50.30% of the total consentontheonlinesurveywebsite.Theethical
variance, and all factor loadingswere significant; standardofthisstudywasreviewedandendorsed
however, Item 19 loaded on both approaches of by the head of the central advising office and the
advising. All the items in Section 4 loaded research ethics committee of the sponsoring
significantly onto a single factor representing institution.
thestudents’academicadvisingneeds.Thefactor
Results
solution explained 40.17% of the variance.
Overall, the key sections of the questionnaire Meetings with Academic Advisors
demonstratedgoodstructuralvalidityandinternal Most of the students (70%) had met at least
consistency. once with the academic advisors from their
24 NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017
Advising in Hong Kong
Table 2. Rotated factor matrix of the items on the style of academic advising
Component
Questionnaire Item 1 2
26. When I face with difficulties, I prefer Academic Advising allowing the discussion .73a .04
of alternatives but I will make the decision on my own.
23. I prefer Academic Advising referring me to campus resources and let me explore .69a .07
on my own.
15. I prefer Academic Advising helping me learn how to look for information about .61a .32
subjects and programmes of study.
18. I prefer Academic Advising teaching me how to choose the subjects wisely. .60a .36
22. I prefer Academic Advising allowing the sharing of ideas about academic matters .59a .26
and I am fine that there is no specific instruction from the advisor.
19. I prefer Academic Advising allowing me to tell my advisor my expectation on .56a .48
Academic Advising.
16. I prefer Academic Advising telling me details about subjects and programmes of .53a .38
study.
24. I prefer Academic Advising making direct contact with campus resources and I .02 .77a
will just need to follow my advisor’s instructions.
25. When I face with difficulties, I prefer Academic Advising telling me my .16 .72a
alternatives and I will be told which one is the best choice.
17. I prefer Academic Advising telling me which subject is the best for me. .33 .67a
21. I prefer Academic Advising giving me specific instructions on what I should do .39 .59a
for academic matters.
20. I prefer Academic Advising telling me what exactly is expected from me as an .46 .52a
advisee.
Note. Component 1¼developmental advising; Component 2¼prescriptive advising. Instrument was
administered in British English; items are presented verbatim.
aIndicates highest loading for the factor.
program-of-study department and nearly all of formed a coherent set. Table 3 shows that most
them (93%) had met with their academic advisor studentsagreed withItems1–5.Twooftheitems
from the central advising office. The median received the highest mean rank: The students
numberofmeetingsthestudentsreportedforeach agreed that academic advising helps them under-
academic advisors was one. Approximately one standtheirstudyoptions(M¼4.0,SD¼0.7)and
half(47%)ofthestudentsindicatedthattheyhad make their study plans (M¼3.9, SD¼0.7). The
onlyattendedone-to-onemeetingswithacademic scoresfor Item6werelower(M¼3.4,SD¼0.9)
advisorsfromtheirprogram-of-studydepartment; than for the other items. The female participants
most of the other students (39%) had met with gave a higher mean rating than did the male
these advisors in small-group meetings; 14% of participants for the current practice of academic
thestudents reportedattending bothpersonal and advising, but thedifferencewas insignificant (t¼
group meetings. More than one half (56%) of 2.32, p ¼ .06). The first-year students gave
students reported meeting one-to-one with advi- significantly higher ratings (M ¼ 3.89, SD ¼
sors from the central advising office, and fewer 0.5)for thecurrentpracticeofacademicadvising
than one third (32%) attended small-group than second-year students did (M ¼ 3.62, SD ¼
meetings. 0.2; t¼9.27, p , .001).
Students’ Opinions on the Current Practice of Students’ Expectations of Academic Advisors
Academic Advising The students expected the academic advisors
Afactoranalysisshowedthat6itemsformeda from their own program-of-study department to
unidimensional scale with factor loadings from be knowledgeable about their major of study;
.45 to .77. This result indicates that the items on they expected the advisors from the central
students’ opinions about academic advising advising office to be knowledgeable about
NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017 25
Cheung et al.
Table 3. Opinion of the current practice of academic advising
Likert Scale: 1–5
Questionnaire Item M Median SD
1. I know the types of support and services I can get from Academic Advising 3.8 4.0 0.7
at the university.
2. Academic Advising is important for my university study. 3.8 4.0 0.7
3. Academic Advising helps me understand my study options and graduation 4.0 4.0 0.7
requirements.
4. Academic Advising helps me adjust to my university life (e.g., knowing the 3.8 4.0 0.7
difference between secondary education and university study).
5. Academic Advising helps me plan for my study. 3.9 4.0 0.7
6. I had expected some sort of support like academic advising before I became 3.4 4.0 0.9
a university student.
Average ratings for items 1–6 3.8 3.8 0.5
general education and related university require- Students’ Preference for Advising Approach
ments. The students did not expect that their We calculated the mean scores for the
academic advisors would get to know them very students’ preferred academic advising approach
well or would help them connect with professors (developmental or prescriptive). Paired t tests
or teaching staff. When asked if they would like revealed a significantly stronger preference for
to have more meetings with their academic developmental advising (M ¼ 3.96, SD ¼ 0.45)
advisors, the students agreed or remained neutral overprescriptiveadvising(M¼3.75,SD¼0.55;t
(M¼3.55 for meeting with a faculty advisor and ¼18.25,p,.001).Weconductedfurtherpairedt
M¼3.54 for meeting with an advisor from the tests, taking into account gender, year of study,
andtheprogram-of-studydepartment;wefounda
central advising office). Overall, first-year stu-
preference for developmental advising over
dents reported higher expectations of academic
prescriptive advising (the scores remained un-
advisors from their program-of-study department
changed from the initial analysis among the
than did second-year students, and they returned
different subgroups of sample).
significantly higher scores than their second-year
peers on Item 8 (helping them connect to the
Students’ Academic Advising Needs
professors and teaching staff in their program of
In the questionnaire, we included 11 types of
study) (t¼2.05, p¼.04), Item 10 (know them
advising needs (Table 5); of these, the students
well) (t¼2.03, p¼.04), Item 13 (having more
rated 3 as the most important: Theyreported that
meetings with their academic advisors in the
they needed their academic advisors to provide
department) (t ¼ 4.62, p ¼ .04), and Item 14
information about the career aspects of their
(having more meetings with their academic
program of study; give them advice when they
advisors from the central advising office) (t ¼
encounter academic problems; and discuss their
7.35, p , .001). The second-year students
academic,career,andpersonalgoals.Mostofthe
expressed higher expectations than first-year
students wanted their academic advisors to focus
students only on Item 9 (faculty academic
on their career development; enhancing their
advisors in the department are knowledgeable
academic performance; and helping them to set
about matters related to their major study) (t ¼ academic,career,andpersonalgoals.SeeTable5.
4.75, p , .001). The male students were We found no gender-related differences in the
significantlymorelikelytoexpecttheiracademic students’ academic advising needs except with
advisor from the central advising office to know regard to advice on choosing suitable subjects or
them well (Item 10) than were female students (t program of study (t¼2.51, p¼.012): The male
¼2.97,p¼.003).Thefemalestudentsweremore students expected more from their advisors than
likely to expect faculty academic advisors from the female students did. First-year students
their own department to be very knowledgeable expressed a stronger need for advising than
about their major study (Item 9) than were the second-year students did, and first-year students
male students (t¼2.79, p¼.05). See Table 4. showed a significantly higher expectation on all
26 NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017
Advising in Hong Kong
items than second-year students did, except with between 3.8 and 4.0). In particular, students
respect to getting information about the career thought that academic advising helped them
aspects of their program of study (e.g., career understand their study options and graduation
paths and internships). requirements, which they reported as the most
important aspect of advising, and they reported
Discussion
that advising assisted them in planning their
Meetings with Academic Advisors studies, which they ranked as the second most
Most of the students (93%) met with their important advising function. By ranking the
academic advisors from the central advising importanceofacademicadvisingfor theirstudies
office; approximately 70% of them had met with and indicating awareness of the support they
academic advisors of their program-of-study could obtain from advising—the cohorts gave
departments. The central advising office stands nearly equal ratings for the support for studies,
as a student service unit, and the academic and both ranked it third among the items—
advisors in it work full-time and come from a respondents acknowledged thevalue of advising.
background in and have experience with mental- The student responses indicated their surprise
health or career counseling, student guidance, about the availability of academic advising at the
teaching, and social work. Hence, we expected university (M¼3.4). These results comport with
academic advisors from the central advising two university goals for academic advising: (a)
office to persist in making appointments with help students acquire accurate information about
students and show particular competence at the academic regulations and graduation require-
interviewing and advising. Indeed, central office ments and (b) assist students in developing and
advisors tried to make personal phone calls and implementing a study plan.
send e-mails inviting their assigned advisees to Students expected only academic advisors
meet with them. They also pledged to advise all from their program-of-study department to show
first-year students, and very nearly fulfilled this knowledgeaboutcurriculaandstudying.Students
promise in the first two years of in operation: did not express strong expectations for advisors
Approximately 95% of first-year students re- from their own program-of-study department to
ceived advising from the central office in engage in relationship building with them; their
academic years 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. motivation to meet more frequently with these
Approximately 50% of all academic advising advisorswas notparticularly strong. This finding
is conducted in one-to-one meetings; academic is consistent with the frontline experience of
advisors from the students’ own program-of- faculty advisors, who haveremarked (in contexts
study departments tended to hold more small- other than this study) that students vary a great
groupmeetings(39%)thandidacademicadvisors deal in their motivation to see them.
from the central advising office (32%). Group Severalreasonsmayexplainthestudyfindings
appointments require more preparation than one- about faculty advisors. First, university students
to-one appointments and facilitators find attend- in Hong Kong may believe that they should
ing the needs of individuals more challenging in manage their own studying independently and
group sessions. However, group advising has that they do not need to see advisors frequently.
emergedascommonforbothcohortsofstudents, Second, they may think that only weak students
andacademicadvisorsfromboththeprogram-of- needtoseeadvisors.Third,studentsmaybewary
study departments and the central office used it. aboutrevealingtheirpersonalissuesandconcerns
In the small groups, students tended to be more to advisors who are members of the academic
relaxed,andadvisorscouldgainanunderstanding staff; that is, they may feel apprehension about
of the ways networks of students study together the effect of any divulged personal issues on the
and help each other in handling challenges in grading of their academic performances.
pursuit of academic success.
Students’ Preference for Academic Advising
Advisee Opinions and Expectations Approach
In general, the results show that the students The results support the contention that stu-
agreed that academic advising provides helpful dents prefer developmental over prescriptive
support: For 5 of the 6 questions related to advising. Students indicated partiality for a two-
opinions of academic advising, the students way interactive relationship with their advisors,
generally ranked advising with high scores (M and they want options and active participation in
NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017 27
Cheung et al.
Table 4. Students’ expectations of academic advisors
Summary of Questionnaire Item M Median SD
Faculty Advisors
7. Knows me well 3.71 4.00 0.77
8. Helps me connect to the professors and teaching staff in my programme of study 3.76 4.00 0.76
9. Is knowledgeable about matters related to my major study 4.11 4.00 0.66
13. Want more than 1 meeting/year 3.55 4.00 0.80
Central Advising Office Advisors
10. Knows me well 3.63 4.00 0.75
11. Helps me understand the general education requirements 4.12 4.00 0.63
12. Is knowledgeable about matters related to the general education requirements 4.15 4.00 0.63
14. Want more than 1 meeting/year with my academic advisor 3.54 4.00 0.78
Note. Instrument was administered in British English.
the advising process. The surveyed students of-study departments, should be prepared to
showed a strong predilection for making their provide guidance on postcollege matters.
own decisions independently. The results of our Students also consult an academic advisor for
studyalsosuggestthattheplansoftheinstitution assistance in overcoming academic problems.
to promote developmental advising matches Therefore, academic advisors need preparation
students’ preferences. The developmental style in resolving academic concerns, such as those
can be used to help students identify their related to study skills, adjustment to university
academic and personal development goals; they life, and improvement in academic performance.
can engage in development advisingprocesses to Studentsaspiretoadvancetheirownbasicorsoft
explore possible career paths and study options skills (e.g., language, communication, critical
(e.g., study stream, also called a concentration, thinking, and presentation) and their profession-
relatedcompetencies.Advisorsrequireawareness
andadeclaredminor).Thus,ourfindingssupport
of the various forms of academic support
universitiesinHongKongstrategicallypromoting
available within their university, such as work-
developmental academic advising, and we sug-
shops or courses provided by student services,
gest they provide training in developmental
assistance offered by the university library staff,
advising approaches.
and learning support units (e.g., a language
Despite the statistical outcomes on student
center). Some academic departments have taken
preferences, the mean score for developmental
the initiative and organized tutorials, peer tutor-
advising was not much higher than that for
ing,andstudyskillsworkshopsfortheirstudents.
prescriptive advising. The prescriptive style of
advising provides needed clarification about
Suggestions for Practice and Development of
studyrequirements,academicregulations,subject
Academic Advising
registration, and resources for suitable academic
The results of our study also suggest a few
support. Academic advisors should use prescrip-
ways to enhance the academic advising services
tive advising in cases for which students need
provided in Hong Kong universities to meet their
specific and directed advice.
students’ expectations, needs, and preferences.
First, although academic advising was new to
Students’ Advising Needs Hong Kong universities, surveyed students re-
Regarding student needs from academic ad- ported expectations for advisor knowledge about
vising, both first- and second-year students programsofstudyandforadvisingthataddresses
reported a strong yearning for their advisors to academicandcareerissues.Thisfindingexplains
givetheminformationaboutthecareeraspectsof the reasons that students do not expect their
their program of study. This suggests that advisors to know them well and the perception
students are particularly interested in discussing thatpersonalandemotionalissuesextendoutside
career development or career-related issues when the scope of academic advising. However,
theymeetwiththeiradvisors.Academicadvisors, personal and emotional issues (family, finances,
especiallythosefromthestudents’ownprogram- lifestyle, and peer relationships) may affect
28 NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017
Advising in Hong Kong
Table 5. Students’ advising needs
Student
Ranking Questionnaire Items by Item Number M Median SD
1 34. I would like Academic Advising to focus more on 4.11 4.00 0.68
providing information about the career aspect of my
programme of study (e.g., career paths and internships).
2 36. I would like Academic Advising to focus more on 4.03 4.00 0.62
giving me advice when I encounter academic problems
(e.g., study skills, adjustment to university life, poor
academic performance...etc.).
3 35. I would like Academic Advising to focus more on 4.01 4.00 0.66
discussing about my academic, career, and/or personal
goals and helping me make plans to achieve these
goals.
4 33. I would like Academic Advising to focus more on 3.98 4.00 0.66
providing information about the academic aspect of my
programme of study (e.g., curriculum, assignment
requirements, study pattern, etc.).
5 32. I would like Academic Advising to focus more on 3.95 4.00 0.71
ensuring I have registered for the right subjects to fulfil
the graduation requirements.
6 31. I would like Academic Advising to focus more on 3.90 4.00 0.70
helping me make decisions on choosing the suitable
subjects/programme of study.
7 38. I would like Academic Advising to focus more on 3.88 4.00 0.71
providing information about scholarships and/or other
financial support for my study.
8 29. I would like Academic Advising to focus more on 3.85 4.00 0.72
helping me build study skills for better academic
performance.
9 30. I would like Academic Advising to focus more on 3.84 4.00 0.68
connecting me to resources in the university.
10 27. I would like Academic Advising to focus more on 3.73 4.00 0.79
explaining University policy, graduation requirements,
how to register for subjects etc.
11 37. I would like Academic Advising to focus more on 3.62 4.00 0.79
giving me advice when I encounter personal problems.
12 28. I would like Academic Advising to focus more on 3.61 4.00 0.79
getting to know more about me (e.g. your academic
background, personal interests, etc.).
Note. Instrument was administered in British English, and items are presented verbatim.
academic performance. Therefore, academic ad- setting priorities, and improving time manage-
visors need training in the screening of issues ment and study skills; some advisors bring the
related to adjustment to university life or mental skills and experience to assist students with
healthissues,andtheymustmaketimelyreferrals personal challenges.
to counseling services when necessary. In prac- Second, surveyed students reported that they
tice,practitionersmaystruggleindrawingaclear needacademicadvisorstoprovideinformationon
linebetween personalandacademicissues; some the career aspects of their program of study.
advisors support advisees in handling issues that Career advising should be an integral part of
are not strictly academic but linked to academic academic advising. Students should not make
performance, such as managing study stress, study plans or academic decisions without an
NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017 29
Cheung et al.
understandingoftherelationshipsbetweencareer probingthereasonsbehindthestudents’expressed
paths and educational decisions, and their aca- views, expectations, and preferences. Second, we
demic advisors should help them gain this used a convenience sample that was not fully
understanding (Gordon, 2006). Academic advi- representative of the student population. However,
sors should also encourage students to explore as the sample was fairly large, a significant
their career goals, understand the ways educa- sampling error seems unlikely. Third, the respon-
tional experiences can prepare them for the dents’ experiences with academic advising varied
workplace, and support their achievement of greatly,andwhentheycompletedthequestionnaire
career goals (Gore & Metz, 2008). Advisors can in the second round, some first-year students had
use various tools, such as Holland’s taxonomy not met with their academic advisors. Students,
(Murphy, 2012), the theory of multiple intelli- faculty members, and staff at the universities may
gences (Gardner, 2011), and the Myers-Brigg not have engaged in advising previously. Hence,
Type Indicator (Bayne, 2004), to help students some of their opinions may reflect secondhand
understandtheextenttowhichtheirpersonalities, impressionsortheirownconceptualunderstanding
interests, and abilities comport with their aca- of academic advising rather than their actual
demic and career goals. Advisors should encour- experience with practice.
age students to make full use of university In the future, researchers might recruit groups
resources, such as career and placement services. of students who report different levels of satisfac-
Furthermore, King (2008) suggested that aca- tionandtheir perceptionsofthebestoutcomesfor
demic advisors should serve as hubs connecting academic advising, and they might examine the
students to on-campus offices and resources. ways students’ understanding of, experience with,
Academic advisors should maintain awareness and readiness for academic advising affect their
of all the relevant on-campus resources and refer satisfaction with and their descriptions of the
students to places that provide advanced career outcomes for academic advising. Researchers
adviceandencourageadviseestomakefulluseof might extend the findings through a mixture of
these resources. qualitative and quantitative methods. Likewise,
Third, we recommend the use of developmen- they could employ case studies to examine the
tal rather than prescriptive advising because way students’ experiences of advising link to their
students prefer the former. Developmental advis- satisfaction with the outcomes of academic advis-
ing involves the establishment of a relationship ing, and researchers might access survey data to
between advisor and advisee, and the scope of analyze the correlations among the processes and
such advising extends beyond purely academic outcome variables of academic advising.
matters (Grites, 2013). If they employ the
Conclusion
developmental approach, academic advisors can
urge students to explore educational, personal, LittleacademicadvisingwaspracticedinHong
and career goals within a holistic framework. Kong universities before the introduction of the
Academic advisors should give university stu- new 4-year degree curriculum in 2012. Further-
dents an opportunity to reflect on their interests, more, most research on academic advising has
strengths, and weaknesses to facilitate learning been conducted in the North American context,
and help them make appropriate study plans. andtheextenttowhichthefindingsrelatetoHong
Universities that provide new academic advisors Kong remained unknown. We aimed to fill these
withtrainingcanturnpractitionersintomorethan gaps in the literature and to provide insight into
an information provider to a knowing advising academicadvisinginHongKongtoaidthefurther
professional who asks probing questions and developmentofthisnewlyintroducedpractice.We
offers appropriate guidance. recruitedfirst-andsecond-yearstudents,whowere
among the first admitted to a Hong Kong
Limitations of the Study university under the new undergraduate curricu-
Several limitations characterize the study. First, lum, and we administered a questionnaire survey
participants’ responses to the survey questions (in two rounds) to determine their needs for,
werebasedontheiropinionsofacademicadvising expectations of, and preferences for academic
but did not provide any information about the advising. The results showed that both groups of
reasons for their perspectives. Employing qualita- students agreed that academic advising helped
tive methods (e.g., conducting interviews and themunderstandtheirstudyoptionsandgraduation
focus-group meetings) would have allowed for requirements; they reported definitively about the
30 NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017