Whole Person Development:
The Life Career Development
Perspective
Dr. Mantak Yuen C.Psych.
Registered Educational Psychologist
Faculty of Education
The University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong China
An invited presentation at the Life-wide Learning School Network Meeting.
Education and Manpower Bureau. November 4 2005.© Yuen Man-tak 2005. All rights reserved.
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Objectives:
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1. review the life career development perspective
2. examine its relevance in promoting whole person
development and developing individual potentials
3. to highlight some of the recent research findings
on students’ career and personal-social
development in the West and in Hong Kong
4. to discuss implications on enhancing life-wide
learning programs for senior secondary students in
schools.
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What are the implications for the education
of senior secondary students?
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1. Learning goals for whole person
development
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2. Contents of learning program for senior
secondary students
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3. Individual student planning
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Whole person development
and Life career development
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Life career development:
“self-development over the life span through
the integration of the roles, settings, and
events in a person’s life” (Gysbers &
Henderson, p.55)
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Life career development
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emphasize the interrelatedness of
1. life roles (e.g. student, worker, citizen,
consumer and parent),
2. life settings (e.g. home, school, and work
place, community)
3. life events (e.g. examination, job entry,
promotion, marriage, divorce, retirement)
people participating and becoming over the
life span
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Life career development
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is influenced by:
1. gender
2. ethnic origin
3. spirituality
4. race
5. sexual orientation
6. socioeconomic status
(Gysbers & Henderson, p.56)
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Life skills development
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involves three areas of student growth and
development:
1. personal/social development
2. academic development
3. career development
involving knowledge, skills and attitudes
(American School Counselor Association,
2003; Yuen et al., 2003)
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What are the implications for the education
of senior secondary students?

1. Learning goals for whole person
development

2. Contents of learning program for senior
secondary students
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3. Individual Student Planning
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Whole-Person Development and
Developing Individual Potentials in Senior
Secondary Students
Hong Kong Education and Manpower Bureau
(2005, p.18-p.19)
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Seven learning goals for whole-person
development:
“1. to be biliterate and trilingual with adequate
proficiency
2. to acquire a broad knowledge base, and be able to
understand contemporary issues that may impact
on their daily life at personal, community, national
and global levels;
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3. To be an informed and responsible citizen
with a sense of global and national identity;
4. To respect pluralism of cultures and views,
and be a critical, reflective and independent
thinker;
5. To acquire IT and other skills as necessary
for being a life-long learner;
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6. To understand their own career/academic
aspirations and develop positive attitudes
towards work and learning; and
7. To lead a healthy life style with active
participation in aesthetic and physical
activities”
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What are the implications for the education
of senior secondary students?

1. Learning goals for whole person
development
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2. Contents of learning program for senior
secondary students
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3. Individual student planning
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Components of New Senior
Secondary Student Programme
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1. Core: Languages, Maths and Liberal Studies for
all (45-55%)
2. Elective: 2 or 3 from 20 subjects or careeroriented studies (20-30%)
3. Other learning experiences: moral and civic
education, community service, aesthetic and
physical activities, career-related experiences (1535%)
Hong Kong Education and Manpower Bureau (2005,
p.15)
13
What are the implications for the education
of senior secondary students?

1. Learning goals for whole person
development
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2. Contents of learning program for senior
secondary students
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3. Individual student planning
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Senior Secondary Student
Learning Profile
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“A student should be recognized by means of a
Senior Secondary Student Learning Profile…
The student learning profile should provide a
comprehensive picture of the full range of
achievements and abilities of students.
Schools should use resources flexibly and efficiently
to provide students with sufficient activities for other
learning experiences within schools to cater for their
diversified needs and interests”
Hong Kong Education and Manpower Bureau (2005,
pp.88-89)
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What are senior secondary
students’ needs?
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Literature review from the West
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Local research findings
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Developmental issues of senior
secondary students
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Issues of Career development
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“Senior high school students differ significantly in
their individual career development and career
maturity. Possible reasons for these variances
include inconsistent exposure to career
development tasks in previous grades, in
appropriate or inaccurate information delivery
service experiences, and the confounding variables
of socioeconomic status (SES), class, and minority
ethnic group membership.” (Herring, 1998, p.93)
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Transition from school to work
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“High school students need to be prepared for the
world of work as they enter a period of transition
from secondary student to adult citizen…students’
decisions about career choices connect to future
educational plans about entering job market,
enrolling in vocational schools for technical training,
or attending college after graduation.” (Herring,
1998, p.93-94)
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Characteristics of senior
secondary school students
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Adolescents experience many transitions:
Identity versus role confusion: Development of inner
assurance
Reinforcement by recognition from significant others
(Erikson, 1968)
Confiding in parents and significant others to their
peers (Eccles et al., 1993)
Engage in complex mental operations on problems
(Ginsburg & Operr, 1988)
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Female adolescents develop interpersonal
relationships and empathic relatedness (Crosse,
1992)
Male adolescents develop autonomy by learning to
think alone and follow an internalized set of rules
applicable to all situations (Crosse, 1992)
Occupational choice has a tremendous impact on
teenagers’ sense of identity (Erikson, 1968)
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Altruism: Thinking about the idea of serving
the society rather than their own needs
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Beginning to be aware that they might
choose a career that would use their special
skills (Ginzberg, Ginsburg, Axelrad, & Herma,
1951)
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Explore resources to help themselves to make
decision and give less time to their hobbies
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Develop a realistic self-concept that is to be
implemented, stablized and consolidated in early
adulthood (Super, 1953;1990)
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Decision making in curricular studies, extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, hobbies and
sports could be connected to their future life or
career plans (Herring, 1998)
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Life skills competencies of senior
secondary students in Hong Kong
(Yuen et al., 2004a; 2004b; 2004c)
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Purpose: To assess academic, career, and personalsocial development of senior secondary students in
Hong Kong
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Sample: 4 focus groups and a survey of 6776 senior
secondary students from 28 schools
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Instruments:
Personal-social development self-efficacy inventory
Academic development self-efficacy inventory
Career development self-efficacy inventory
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Personal-Social Competencies
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1. Self-Realization
P55 Have the courage and stamina to evaluate
myself (10.Introspection)
P50 Encourage myself in face of setbacks
(5.Setback)
2. Leadership and Teamwork
P38Appropriately allocate work to group members
when I lead an activity (8.Leadership)
P41 Exchange ideas with my classmates when I
participate in school/classroom Activities
(11.Expression)
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3. Emotional, Physical and Social Wellness
P21 Master the ways to stay psychologically healthy
(6. Health)
P31 Accept and like myself (1. Self)
4. Interests and Life Goals
P28 Develop some interests so that my leisure time
will be richer and happier(13.Leisure)
P15 Set up different goals in my life (15.Goal)
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5. Relationships
P57 Maintain a romance relationship with the
opposite sex (12.Relationship)
P12 Develop friendship with the opposite sex
(12. Relationship)
6.Avoding Drugs, Excessive Drinking and Smoking
Prevent myself from forming the habits of excessive
drinking, smoking or drug abuse (3.Drugs)
P18 Resist the temptation of smoking or excessive
drinking (3.Drugs)
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7.Finance and Self-Care
P59 Make a financial budget and spend
wisely (14.Finance)
P36 Take care of my body when I am sick
(6. Health)
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Career competencies
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Career Planning
C13 Understand my abilities so as to help
myself choose a career.
Gender Issues in Career
C14 Make use of the good points of being a
male/female at work.
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Training selection
C03 Understand a vocational training
program before I enroll in it.
Job Hunt Preparation
C22 Produce a job application letter for
myself.
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Job Hunting
C11 Look for suitable jobs according to my
interest and ability.
Career Goal Setting
C18 Master the strategy to achieve my career
goal.
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Findings
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Students have some, but not strong,
confidence in their personal-social, career,
and academic development.
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Item Means Means of the Subscales of the
Personal-Social Development Self-Efficacy Inventory
5.3
5.2
5.1
Item Means Mean
5
4.9
4.8
4.7
4.6
4.5
4.4
4.3
4.2
4.1
4
Selfrealization
Leadership Emotional, Interests andRelationships Avoiding Finance and
and
Physical and Life Goals
Drugs,
Self-care
Teamwork
Social
Excessive
Wellness
Drinking and
Smoking
Factor Subscales
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Item Means Means of the Six Subscales of the
Career Development Self-Efficacy Inventory
4.35
4.3
Item Means Means
4.25
4.2
4.15
4.1
4.05
4
3.95
Career
Planning
Gender
Issues
Training
Selection
Job Hunt
Preparation
Factor Subsales
Job Hunting Career Goal
Setting
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Schools have their own unique profiles
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Gender Differences
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There are some differences among boys and girls.
e.g. boys are more confident than girls in handling
gender issues in jobs (Yuen et al., 2005)
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e.g. boys are more confident in self-realization and
maintaining wellness;
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e.g. girls are more confident in leadership and
teamwork, relationship with the opposite sex, and
avoiding drugs, drinking and smoking (Yuen et al., in
progress)
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Planning makes a difference in Career
and Personal-Social Development
Self-Efficacy
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students with plans for university:
reported higher scores in Career Planning, Gender
Issues in Career, Training Selection, Job Hunt
Preparation, Job Hunting, and Career Goal Setting
than students without plans for university (Yuen et al,
2005)
have more confidence in various person-social
development domains than those who do not (Yuen
et al, in progress).
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Enhancing Life-wide Learning through a
comprehensive guidance and counseling program
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Life Skills (Guidance) Curriculum (e.g. Class teacher Period; Guidance,
Moral, and Spiritual Class; Whole School Activities; Community Services)
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Individual Planning (e.g. Student Profile; Assessments in Education, Career,
and Talent; Mentorship/Advisory Scheme)
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Responsive services (e.g. Individual Projects; Group Activities; Individual
Counseling)
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System support (e.g. Cross-curricular and extra-curricular activities; Parent
Education; Teacher Development & Consultation; Referral to Community
Resources)
For enhancing students’ personal/social, academic, career, spiritual
development (Yuen et al., 2003; Yuen et al., 2004)
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Table 1 Level of Implementation in Guidance Activities
1 9
18.5
1 8 .5
1 8
Level of
1 7 .5
17.31
17.17
im p le m e n t a t io n
16.86
1 7
1 6 .5
1 6
15.5
Guidance
I n d iv id u a l
R e s p o n s iv e
S y s te m
C u r r ic u lu m
C a re e r &
S e r v ic e
S u p p o rt
E d u c a t io n a l
P la n n in g
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Overall mean
Table 2 Working Hour in Guidance Work
2 5
21.57
2 0
1 5
Working hours
(h rs
p e r w e e k )
9.44
1 0
5
0
4.82
4.23
6.43
Class
G u id a n c e
C a re e rs
L if e
S chool
te a c h e r
m a s te r
m a s te r
e d u c a t io n
s o c ia l
c o - o r d in a t o r
w o rk e r
Type of Guidance Personnel
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Time Allocation in Guidance Work (table3)
60
55
50
45
40
35
% Allocation 30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Guidance
curriculum
Individual
assessment and
planning
Responsive
services
System support
Types of guidance personnels
Class teacher
Life education co-ordinator
Guidance master
School social worker
Careers master
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Concluding thoughts
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Enhancing Life-wide Learning
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Need time, human, financial, and
political resources
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Yuen, M., Gysbers, N.C., Lau, P.S.Y., Hui, E.K.P.,
Leung, T. K.M., Chan, R. M.C., & Shea, P. M. K.
(2005). Developing a career development selfefficacy instrument for Chinese adolescents in
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Yuen, M., Gysbers, N.C., Lau, P.S.Y., Hui, E.K.P.,
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progress). Assessing the Personal-Social
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Acknowledgement

The preparation of the presentation is partly funded by the Hong
Kong Research Grant Council (HKU 7295/03H). The project
would not be possible without the generous support of the school
guidance personnel and other members of the life skills
development project team including Professor Norman C.
Gysbers, Dr. Eadaoin K.P. Hui, Professor Patrick S. Y. Lau, Dr.
Raymond M.C. Chan, Mr. Peter M.K. Shea, Mr. Thomas K. M.
Leung, and Mr. Sherin S. Y. Ke. Their valuable contributions to
the research were highly appreciated. Dr. Mantak Yuen could be
contacted at the Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong,
Pokfulam, Hong Kong China. (e-mail: mtyuen@hkucc.hku.hk)
56