Abstract
Over the years there has been a reaction from parents and employers toward certain types of schooling which they deem too narrow in nature. Many lament that “traditional schooling” has failed to provide education that empowers individuals to be productive members of society. Education in an Asian context often focuses on developing high-scoring students who perform well in high-stakes tests. This is often to the detriment of other “soft skills” integral in the formation of a well-rounded individual. Thus there is a need to relook at conventional ways of “doing” education. The aim of this paper is to investigate the outcomes of an innovative program that sought to instill in high school students the skills necessary in their preparation for work, which is a key notion of holistic education. The essence of this innovation lies in pairing preuniversity and A-level students from a private college with performance coaches on a 1:1 ratio. The purpose of the coach was to implement a strategy to develop a variety of skills in the student not normally attainable within a classroom setting. The skills ranged from developing personal mission statements to improving time management. After 6 months, questionnaires and interviews were administered to the students (n = 75) and the results analyzed. Quantitative data from the questionnaires and a thematic analysis of interviews showed that students perceived they had learned the most in the following areas: time management, communication, and problem-solving. In addition, the administrators of the program obtained feedback to improve the program for further implementation. One suggestion was the need to increase contact hours and include more group activities. As a measurement of success, it was found that 93 % of students surveyed would recommend the program to others.
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Yong, F.S., Khoo, L.L. (2015). Holistic Education in a Preparatory High School: An Innovative Program to Prepare Students for the Future. In: Tang, S., Logonnathan, L. (eds) Taylor’s 7th Teaching and Learning Conference 2014 Proceedings. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-399-6_45
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-399-6_45
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