ABSTRACT
The traditional progressive pattern of building construction courses in most Chinese universities is that students study theoretical knowledge prior to any exposure to industry practice. While this method seems logical, the feedback from graduates suggests that there is a large degree deviation between what they seem to understand from textbooks and their actual ability to take on real construction projects. A survey among past students revealed the existing teaching philosophy adopted in Chinese building construction courses was centred around earlier education models and no longer suits the need of the current Chinese construction practice, which has been dramatically changed by the continuing reform towards market economy. An analysis has revealed that lack of practical experience among lecturers and outdated teaching and learning material are among possible causes of the problem. Strategies aimed at addressing these issues have been suggested and the overall reform in building construction courses is predicted.
