Choi, Wing SheungWing SheungChoi2026-06-242026-06-242026http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11861/27680252 pagesThis study investigates how prospective graduates in Hong Kong view hope and aims to identify themes and structures related to hope. Seventeen participants from eight higher education institutions, including second-year associate degree or higher diploma students and third- and fourth-year bachelor's students, were recruited through purposive sampling. Reflexive Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2019) was used for the first part of the study. A flowchart was created to illustrate how participants view hope, covering internal and external elements, hope itself, its consequences, and factors influencing adjustability. In the second part, network analysis was used to investigate relationships among themes. The findings show that hope among prospective graduates is multifaceted and can be broadly categorised into four major domains: externally oriented, internally oriented, hope itself, and action led by hope. It was found that the cognitive approach (e.g., Snyder, 2002) was not enough to capture the multiple dimensions of hope, and a special environment during the COVID-19 period was considered for illustration. The implications of the findings from Reflexive Thematic Analysis and Network Analysis, and their relevance to evaluating prospective graduates’ hope, were discussed.enHopeProspective graduatesTransitionReflexive thematic analysisNetwork analysisThesis