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Fostering Civic Education and Soft Skills in Secondary Students through College-Led Cross-Age Peer Tutoring in Community Service Settings

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Title: Fostering Civic Education and Soft Skills in Secondary Students through College-Led Cross-Age Peer Tutoring in Community Service Settings
Language: English
Authors: Yui-yip Lau (ORCID 0000-0002-2053-6238), Siu-kam Jamie Lo (ORCID 0000-0002-1051-7711), Simon Wong (ORCID 0000-0003-3408-9747)
Source: Education & Training. 2026 68(4):483-500.
Availability: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 18
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Civics, Citizenship Education, Soft Skills, Secondary School Students, College Students, Cross Age Teaching, Peer Teaching, Tutoring, Service Learning, Skill Development, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: Hong Kong
DOI: 10.1108/ET-07-2025-0556
ISSN: 0040-0912
1758-6127
Abstract: Purpose: This study intends to examine the effectiveness of developing secondary students' soft skills and civic awareness via a unique college-led service-learning programmes. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-methods approach incorporates a pre-test and a post-test with secondary students, along with semi-structured in-depth interviews with the students, teachers and service providers. Findings: After attending the unique college-led service-learning programmes, the secondary students show the most improved skills, including proactiveness, positive thinking, stress tolerance and time management. As such, these results suggest that participants benefited most in areas related to mindset, stress management, time management and proactiveness. The secondary students perform moderately, including communication skills, problem-solving and leadership skills. Research limitations/implications: This result creates constructive guidelines for educators and secondary schools on how to enhance the quality of these civic education programmes for the future. Originality/value: These research findings help to explain and forecast the evolution of civic education and soft skills in secondary school education. Also, valuable suggestions on how to design and implement community service programmes into civic education in the secondary school curriculum are provided. Although the demand for civic education continues to increase, its roles in secondary education remain relatively ambiguous.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1506139
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1506139
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Fostering Civic Education and Soft Skills in Secondary Students through College-Led Cross-Age Peer Tutoring in Community Service Settings
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yui-yip+Lau%22">Yui-yip Lau</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2053-6238">0000-0002-2053-6238</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Siu-kam+Jamie+Lo%22">Siu-kam Jamie Lo</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1051-7711">0000-0002-1051-7711</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Simon+Wong%22">Simon Wong</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3408-9747">0000-0003-3408-9747</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Education+%26+Training%22"><i>Education & Training</i></searchLink>. 2026 68(4):483-500.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 18
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Civics%22">Civics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Citizenship+Education%22">Citizenship Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Soft+Skills%22">Soft Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+School+Students%22">Secondary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cross+Age+Teaching%22">Cross Age Teaching</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Peer+Teaching%22">Peer Teaching</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Tutoring%22">Tutoring</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Service+Learning%22">Service Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Skill+Development%22">Skill Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hong+Kong%22">Hong Kong</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1108/ET-07-2025-0556
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0040-0912<br />1758-6127
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: This study intends to examine the effectiveness of developing secondary students' soft skills and civic awareness via a unique college-led service-learning programmes. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-methods approach incorporates a pre-test and a post-test with secondary students, along with semi-structured in-depth interviews with the students, teachers and service providers. Findings: After attending the unique college-led service-learning programmes, the secondary students show the most improved skills, including proactiveness, positive thinking, stress tolerance and time management. As such, these results suggest that participants benefited most in areas related to mindset, stress management, time management and proactiveness. The secondary students perform moderately, including communication skills, problem-solving and leadership skills. Research limitations/implications: This result creates constructive guidelines for educators and secondary schools on how to enhance the quality of these civic education programmes for the future. Originality/value: These research findings help to explain and forecast the evolution of civic education and soft skills in secondary school education. Also, valuable suggestions on how to design and implement community service programmes into civic education in the secondary school curriculum are provided. Although the demand for civic education continues to increase, its roles in secondary education remain relatively ambiguous.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
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  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1506139
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1506139
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1108/ET-07-2025-0556
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 18
        StartPage: 483
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Civics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Citizenship Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Soft Skills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Secondary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cross Age Teaching
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Peer Teaching
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Tutoring
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Service Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Skill Development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Hong Kong
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Fostering Civic Education and Soft Skills in Secondary Students through College-Led Cross-Age Peer Tutoring in Community Service Settings
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            NameFull: Yui-yip Lau
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            NameFull: Siu-kam Jamie Lo
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            NameFull: Simon Wong
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            – D: 01
              M: 05
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              Y: 2026
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              Value: 68
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            – TitleFull: Education & Training
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