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Students’ Willingness for Future Volunteering in Hong Kong

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Abstract

Volunteering is playing an increasingly bigger role in social services and schools both in Western settings and in the Hong Kong Chinese context. The demand for volunteers in the sector of social services is continually increasing (Sherr 2008). Little is known about the willingness of secondary school students to participate in future volunteering in Hong Kong. This study attempts to explore the phenomenon of youth volunteering through the theory of planned behavior and Personal and Social Responsibility, and identifies prior experience in community service as a main predictor of the willingness of the students to participate in future volunteering. A total of 1046 students from seven secondary schools in Hong Kong completed a structured questionnaire. Social workers, teachers, and volunteer managers could benefit from this study as they could foster students’ willingness to volunteer after graduation by actively engaging them in community service programs early on in a specific time in their life.

Résumé

Le bénévolat joue un rôle de plus en plus en plus important dans les services sociaux et les écoles tant dans les milieux occidentaux que dans le contexte chinois de Hong Kong. La demande de bénévoles dans le secteur des services sociaux ne cesse d’augmenter (Sherr 2008). On sait peu de chose sur la volonté des élèves du secondaire de participer aux futures activités de bénévolat à Hong Kong. Cette étude tente d’explorer le phénomène du bénévolat des jeunes à travers la théorie du comportement planifié et la responsabilité personnelle et sociale et établit que les expériences antérieures de service communautaire sont le principal critère pour prévoir la volonté des étudiants de participer à des futures activités de bénévolat. Un total de 1,046 étudiants issus de sept écoles secondaires à Hong Kong ont rempli un questionnaire structuré. Les travailleurs sociaux, les enseignants et les responsables de bénévoles pourraient bénéficier de cette étude, car ils pourraient favoriser la volonté des étudiants de faire du bénévolat après l’obtention de leurs diplômes en les engageant activement dans les programmes de service communautaire rapidement à un moment précis de leur vie.

Zusammenfassung

Die ehrenamtliche Arbeit spielt im Sozialdienstleistungsbereich und in Schulen sowohl in westlichen Ländern als auch im chinesischen Hongkong eine immer größere Rolle. Der Bedarf an ehrenamtlichen Mitarbeitern im Sozialdienstleistungsbereich nimmt stetig zu (Sherr 2008). Es ist nur wenig bekannt über die Bereitschaft von Schülern weiterführender Schulen zu einer zukünftigen Ausführung einer ehrenamtlichen Tätigkeit in Hongkong. Diese Studie möchte das Phänomen der Freiwilligenarbeit Jugendlicher anhand der Theorie des geplanten Verhaltens und der persönlichen und sozialen Verantwortung erklären. Dabei stellt sich eine frühere Erfahrung im Gemeindedienst als ein Hauptprädiktor für die Bereitschaft der Schüler zu einer zukünftigen Ausführung einer ehrenamtlichen Tätigkeit heraus. Insgesamt 1.046 Schüler aus sieben weiterführenden Schulen in Hongkong füllten einen strukturierten Fragebogen aus. Sozialarbeiter, Lehrer und Freiwilligenkoordinatoren könnten von dieser Studie profitieren; denn sie können die Bereitschaft von Schülern zur ehrenamtlichen Arbeit nach dem Schulabschluss fördern, indem sie die Schüler frühzeitig zu einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt in ihrem Leben aktiv für Gemeindedienstleistungsprogramme engagieren.

Resumen

El voluntariado está desempeñando un papel cada vez más grande en los servicios sociales y escuelas tanto en escenarios occidentales como en el contexto chino de Hong Kong. La demanda de voluntarios en el sector de los servicios sociales está aumentando de manera continua (Sherr 2008). Poco se conoce sobre la disposición de los estudiantes de escuelas secundarias a participar en un futuro voluntariado en Hong Kong. El presente estudio trata de explorar el fenómeno del voluntariado juvenil mediante la Teoría del Comportamiento Planificado y la Responsabilidad Personal y Social, e identifica la experiencia previa en servicios comunitarios como un pronosticador principal de la disposición de los estudiantes a participar en un futuro voluntariado. Un total de 1 046 estudiantes de siete escuelas secundarias en Hong Kong completaron un cuestionario estructurado. Los trabajadores sociales, los maestros y los gestores voluntarios podrían beneficiarse de este estudio ya que podrían fomentar la disposición de los estudiantes a realizar voluntariado después de su graduación implicándoles activamente en programas de servicio comunitario en etapas tempranas en un momento específico de sus vidas.

摘要

在西方和中国香港的背景下,志愿活动正在社会服务和学校中扮演越来越大的角色。社会服务领域对志愿者的需求正在持续增长 (Sherr 2008)。然而,对中学学生在未来参与香港志愿活动的意愿了解甚少。通过规划行为理论及个人和社会责任,本研究尝试探索青年人志愿活动的现象,确定早期体验社区服务是学生参与未来志愿活动意愿的主要预测因素。总共有来自香港7家中学的1,046位学生填写了结构式问卷。社会工作者、教师和志愿者管理人员可从本研究中受益,因为通过让其在生活的特定时间早期参与社区服务计划,他们可以增强学生毕业后参加志愿活动的意愿。

ملخص

يلعب التطوع دورا متزايد الكبر في الخدمات الإجتماعية والمدارس على حد سواء في إعدادات غربية وفي سياق هونج كونج الصينية. الطلب على المتطوعين في قطاع الخدمات الإجتماعية في تزايد مستمر(Sherr ، 2008). قليل يعرف عن رغبة طلاب المدارس الثانوية للمشاركة في العمل التطوعي في المستقبل في هونج كونج. تحاول هذه الدراسة إستكشاف ظاهرة العمل التطوعي للشباب من خلال نظرية السلوك المخطط والمسؤولية الشخصية والإجتماعية، وتحدد خبرة سابقة في خدمة المجتمع بإعتباره مؤشرا” رئيسي لإستعداد الطلاب للمشاركة في العمل التطوعي في المستقبل. أكمل ما مجموعه 1046 طالب وطالبة من سبع مدارس ثانوية في هونج كونج إستبيان منظم. الأخصائيين الإجتماعيين والمعلمين ومديري المتطوعين يمكن أن يستفيدوا من هذه الدراسة لأنهم يمكن أن يعززوا رغبة الطلاب للتطوع بعد التخرج عن طريق إشراكهم بفاعلية في برامج خدمة المجتمع في وقت مبكر في وقت محدد في حياتهم.

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Acknowledgments

This article is based on a Master’s dissertation by the first author under the supervision of the second author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MPhil degree of The University of Hong Kong.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Wai Hang Ling & Wing Hong Chui

  2. Department of Applied Social Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Wing Hong Chui

Authors
  1. Wai Hang Ling
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wai Hang Ling.

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Appendices

Appendix 1: English items of Theory of Planned Behavior Scale

I. Attitude

7-point evaluative semantic differential scales with the following end points.

  1. 1.1

    Unpleasant and Pleasant.

  2. 1.2

    Good and Bad.

  3. 1.3

    Favorable and Unfavorable.

  4. 1.4

    Negative and Positive.

II. Intention*

  1. 1.5

    It is likely that I will engage in three or more hours of volunteer work per week during the next month.

  2. 1.6

    I do not intend to do three or more hours of volunteer work per week during the next month.

  3. 1.7

    I intend to volunteer three or more hours per week during the next month.

III. Subjective norm*

  1. 1.8

    Those people who are important to me would not want me to engage in three or more hours of volunteer work per week during the next month.

  2. 1.9

    Most people who are important to me would approve of my engaging in three or more hours of volunteer work during the next month.

  3. 1.10

    The people who are important to me would think it was desirable for me to engage in three or more hours of volunteer work per week during the next month.

IV. Self-efficacy*

  1. 1.11

    I am confident that I could engage in three or more hours of volunteer work per week during the next month.

  2. 1.12

    If I wanted to, it would be difficult for me to engage in three or more hours of volunteer work per week during the next month.

Appendix 2: English items of Personal and Social Responsibility Scale

I. Social Welfare*

  1. 4.1

    It is the responsibility of the community to take care of people who cannot take care of themselves.

  2. 4.2

    In general, people should help others, whether they know them personally or not.

  3. 4.3

    People should help others even if they do not get paid for it.

  4. 4.4

    I am interested in doing something about the problems in the community.

II. Duty*

  1. 4.5

    I feel bad when I let down people who depend on me.

  2. 4.6

    I let others know when I cannot keep an appointment.

  3. 4.7

    When part of a group, I feel obligated to carry out tasks assigned to me by the group.

  4. 4.8

    I would feel bad if I did not finish a job I had promised to do.

III. Competence*

  1. 4.9

    I feel comfortable presenting my ideas in a group discussion.

  2. 4.10

    I have a hard time getting the group to pay attention to my suggestions.

  3. 4.11

    I am good at helping people.

IV. Efficacy*

  1. 4.12

    I think I have control of what will happen in my life.

  2. 4.13

    For me, it is just good luck when things go well, not something I did.

  3. 4.14

    I feel I would be able to help solve problems in the community.

* The scale is a 7-point Likert scale: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Partially Agree, 4 = Neutral, 5 = Partially Agree, 6 = Agree, 7 = Strongly Agree

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Ling, W.H., Chui, W.H. Students’ Willingness for Future Volunteering in Hong Kong. Voluntas 27, 2311–2329 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-016-9700-9

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