Focus group evaluation of national education in Hong Kong: Postgraduate students' perceptions

In this chapter we investigate the effectiveness of a program on National Education in higher education institutes in Hong Kong. This study utilized a post-lecture evaluation strategy to gather data from graduate students during the first semester of the 2022/23 academic year at one university in Hong Kong. Using a semi-structured interview schedule, we carried out individual interviews and focus group interviews with 96 postgraduate students to understand their subjective views of the related education. Several observations can be highlighted. Firstly, the students displayed a generally positive attitude towards the program. Secondly, the students expressed different views on various aspects of the e-learning module, such as video content, lecture notes, assessment, arrangement, self-study experience, perceived benefits, and the necessity for national education. Thirdly, most students considered the lecture beneficial and meaningful. Fourthly, despite the positive comments, some students also provided suggestions for further improvement. Fifthly, contrary to the common worry, the relevant education was not perceived by students as brainwashing. The results suggest that the program can enhance and consolidate students' knowledge of National Security Law and Chinese modern history, as well as nurture their positive attitudes towards law-related issues. The present study demonstrates that an e-learning module is effective in teaching politically sensitive topics to university students.