Replacing Work with Study: A Sustainable Development Strategy for Economically or Culturally Disadvantaged Students

Education is one of the most effective ways to eradicate and reduce poverty, helping to eliminate it as well as to promote social mobility. Although universities have been extensively established in Taiwan, the country still faces the problem of a large difference in students’ academic ability and a widening gap in educational resources among families. This study mainly explored whether the strategy of encouraging learning instead of working for disadvantaged students is helpful to their learning effectiveness. The research samples were collected from the data of college students who participated in the higher education SPROUT project of Taiwan’s Ministry of Education. This study enrolled a total of 752 students categorized as disadvantaged. The results found that those students who participated in the project usually devoted more time to study and schoolwork, and so they passed more subjects in the schoolwork with better overall performance in learning. They also obtained the required licenses for employment and more student subsidies to improve their lives. Therefore, the conclusion of this study is that by participating in multiple counseling mechanisms such as schoolwork counseling, license counseling, or career counseling arranged by universities, disadvantaged students can increase their study time, which not only improves their schoolwork learning effects but also enhances their employability.