NCKU “Leadership and Action” Course Partners with Three High Schools to Showcase Self-Directed Learning Achievements-國立成功大學永續發展SDGs

The “Leadership and Action” course, an integrated practice-based course at the College of Social Sciences of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), entered its ninth year and held the “Leadership and Action — High School Students’ Learning Outcomes Presentation” on June 7. In collaboration with Yongren High School, Tzu Chi Senior High School, and Deguang Catholic High School, the event brought together 32 high school students and 30 NCKU students to present the learning outcomes developed through three months of cross-school and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The project began with an open call for proposals during the summer, with NCKU faculty and students visiting the three partner schools to introduce the program. A total of 21 proposals were submitted, and 13 project teams were ultimately formed. Since March, university and high school students have engaged in intensive exchanges. With guidance and support from NCKU students, high school students gradually developed research skills, progressing from literature reviews and data analysis to research design, and completing their own self-directed learning projects.

This “mentorship between senior and junior learners” collaboration model not only demonstrates mutual learning through teaching but also extends interdisciplinary learning beyond the classroom to address real-world social issues.

The presentation topics closely reflected social phenomena of concern to the younger generation, demonstrating the spirit of independent inquiry emphasized by Taiwan’s 108 Curriculum Guidelines. Research topics covered diverse fields including environmental conservation, mental health, legal systems, gender issues, media culture, and social justice.

Examples included exploring the relationship between marine conservation values and environmental behaviors through beach-cleaning experiences; analyzing how smartphone addiction and sleep difficulties affect classroom concentration; and examining the stigmatization of mental illness, family attachment, romantic experiences, and psychological recovery after sports injuries.

In the area of public issues, students investigated topics including civil protection order systems, juvenile rehabilitation education, wrongful conviction cases, and transitional justice. In cultural studies, students explored the representation and transformation of gender stereotypes through Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba《鬼滅之刃》, analyzed traditional perspectives on emotions through Dream of the Red Chamber《紅樓夢》, and examined high school students’ motivations for posting on the social media platform Threads. Another team used the classic “trolley problem” as a foundation to analyze moral judgment through the perspectives of personality traits and personal values.

These diverse and life-oriented research topics demonstrated high school students’ keen observations of society and their ability to engage in critical thinking.

This year’s presentation featured two top-performing teams, both from Tzu Chi Senior High School.

The first winning team, consisting of first-year students Wen-Han Lin and Chu-En Chou, presented a project titled “From Flow to Action: The Impact of High School Students’ Beach-Cleaning Frequency on Marine Conservation Values and Daily Environmental Behaviors (從心流到行動：高中生淨灘頻率對海洋保育價值與日常環境行為之影響).” Drawing from their own volunteer experiences in beach cleanups, the students explored how environmental education can strengthen young people’s identification with and practice of marine conservation. Their solid research design and presentation performance earned recognition from the judges.

Another outstanding team, composed of Ai-Ling Wu, Wei-Ting Hsu, and Kuan-Lun Wang, presented “The Silenced Everyday: Reconstructing Memories through Literature, Family Letters, and Oral History (那些被噤聲的日常：從文學、家書到口述歷史的記憶重建).” Combining local history and transitional justice issues, the team designed an educational program incorporating multisensory experiences. Through field investigations and oral history interviews, they guided the public to rediscover local memories and received unanimous praise from the judges.

In addition, Deguang Catholic High School students Yu-Bo Liu and Chih-Yun Shen focused their research on juvenile rehabilitation education systems. Through interviews with clinical psychologists and juvenile judges, they explored the balance between protection and control within corrective education.

Yongren High School students Yu-Ting Huang and Ping-En Yao examined civil protection order systems through legal analysis and case studies, exploring current institutional challenges and practical difficulties. Their work demonstrated concern for public affairs and strong critical thinking abilities.

Following the event, Principal Yue-Chin Yu of Yongren High School, Principal Chih-Hua Yao of Tzu Chi Senior High School, and Principal Hui-Na Yang of Deguang Catholic High School all expressed that with university students serving as learning scaffolds, high school students were able to gain early exposure to research methods and academic thinking. This experience not only strengthened their time management and self-directed learning abilities but also connected classroom knowledge with real-world contexts, fully demonstrating the competency-based learning spirit emphasized by the 108 Curriculum Guidelines.

The NCKU College of Social Sciences stated that the “Leadership and Action” course has long been committed to strengthening connections between university and high school education. Through cross-school collaboration and interdisciplinary exchange, the course cultivates students’ leadership, research capabilities, and social awareness.

In the future, NCKU will continue serving as an important bridge between higher education and secondary education, enabling more young students to discover their direction through exploring social issues and accumulate the energy needed to create positive change in society.