While most lessons shifted to synchronous online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of asynchronous online learning materials is becoming essential to supplement regular classes. To improve teaching effectiveness through virtual teaching and learning, this study is determined to develop a new set of self-paced online learning materials that focus on developing postgraduate students’ essential generic research skills. It is hoped that the online materials can provide flexibility for research postgraduate students to direct their learning. Guided by situated cognition theory, the virtual materials are designed in a way to immerse learners in eLearning activities with content that mimics real-world situations. Interactive elements in each module, such as open-ended quiz questions, references to other online academic materials, and useful web materials, are integrated into the teaching packages. By clicking the H5P link, students will be diverted to Padlet, where they can start to post or review and respond to what others have posted. Academic staff and postgraduate students conducted pilot tests and provided valuable feedback to further enhance the training materials. The completed online modules have incorporated many interactive elements, including but not limited to videos, multiple-choice questions, audio notes, and audio tracks, which proved that these highly interactive materials stimulated students’ learning motivation. Qualitative focus group interviews will be carried out after the completion of all modules. Copyright © 2023 The Education University of Hong Kong.

This paper aims to provide comparative insights into the psychosocial well-being of Hong Kong and Kazakhstan undergraduate students, focusing specifically on the role of ethnicity and gender. The existing body of literature on students’ health-promoting lifestyle has shown how age, gender, income level, sociability, and knowledge of health can shape one’s perception of physical and mental well-being. Much lesser attention, however, has been paid to the ways in which students from diverse ethnic origins differ from each other in cultivating different dimensions of psychosocial well-being. To address this issue, this study delivered questionnaires to 284 undergraduate students from Hong Kong and 281 undergraduate students from Kazakhstan. Developed from the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II, the questionnaire is designed to measure undergraduate’s psychosocial well-being threefold. Using independent sample t-test, this paper shows that Hong Kong undergraduate students have higher levels of psychosocial well-being in terms of “interpersonal relations” and “stress management” whereas Kazakhstan undergraduate students are stronger in another dimension of well-being – “spiritual growth”. Results show that the influence of gender on students’ psychosocial well-being varies in different contexts. One of the important implications of these findings suggests that school administrators and students from different countries may benefit from cross-cultural exchange, co-promoting all dimensions of psychosocial well-being. Copyright © 2022 The Author(s).

Early Childhood Education is important in developing ethical, intellectual, physical, social, and aesthetic aspects of children together with cognitive skills. Parents play an important role in their children's early life and provide a role model. Additionally, holistic education seeks to incorporate principles of wholeness, interconnectedness and spirituality. This study examined how well parental perceptions of kindergartens (KG) aligned with goals of Holistic Early Childhood Education (HECE) in Hong Kong. Written survey responses were received from 1383 parents and 165 teachers, including principals from 22 kindergartens across three Districts in Hong Kong. The findings of the study indicated that parents' and teachers' perceptions of kindergartens aligned with HECE policy in HK for young children's development and practice in the kindergarten programs. These findings clearly indicate a cohesion between parents' and teachers' concern and official Hong Kong education documents regarding holistic development of young children in kindergartens in Hong Kong. Copyright ©International Society for Educational Planning.

The present action research examined the effectiveness of one pre-school teacher professional development with the focus of deep understanding of autism behaviour and the practical application of three evidence-based strategies: social story (auditory means), TEACCH (visual support) and positive behavior support. The purposive and self-selected samples of 27 pre-school teachers and their students be diagnosed with or suspected of having autism were recruited (N=32) from seven local kindergartens. The teacher participants of the experimental group completed one two-day workshop and received school-based consultations with the input from autism experts. The teacher participants of the control group received delayed teacher training. The teacher participants completed two instruments in Chinese, the Aberrant Behavior Checklist and the Checklist for Learning, Social and Emotional Adjustment (Kindergarten version) to measure the student performance. The teacher participants completed another two self-reported instruments in Chinese, the revised 10-item Attitudes and Concerns about Inclusive Education Scale (SACIE-R) and the 18-itemTeacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practice Scale (TEIP). The data indicated that the student participants of the experimental group reduced the challenging behavior and at the same time they showed improvement in learning and peer interaction. For the teacher participants of the experimental group, they showed more awareness about the inclusion needs of their students on the spectrum. They also recognized the function of having expert input to further enhance teaching efficacy for inclusive practice. The preliminary outcomes here confirmed the positive impact of the holistic and practical approach to pre-school teacher professional development for supporting learning diversity.本硏究以行動研究探討一項著重知識及實踐的學前老師專業培訓，培訓內容包括深度理解自閉症特徵及實戰執行三項有循證數據的支援策略：社交故事（直接、具體的口頭指令）、TEACCH（視覺提示）及正向行為支持。參加者為來自七間幼稚園的 27 位老師及其 32 位有自閉症診斷或懷疑個案的學生。實驗組的老師完成兩日的工作坊和接受有自閉症專家參加的校本諮詢。比較組的老師於研究完成後接受培訓

A hierarchy of inclusive teaching tasks by associated level of teacher efficacy is derived from a group of primary and secondary school teachers in Hong Kong using a Rasch rating scale model on 536 in-service teachers attending a professional development course. Findings show collaboration tasks represented the highest teacher efficacy in primary and secondary teachers. Managing behavior represented the lowest level of teacher efficacy but slightly more in primary than in secondary school. Hence, future training regarding inclusive practices should be specific to the school level, with a strong focus on collaborations between school, parents, and the community. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A two-wave longitudinal study on 470 parent–child dyads examined the impact of family mealtime environment, parenting style and family functioning on preschoolers' (three to six years old) learning. Measures included parent report on parenting style, family functioning, family meal frequency, mealtime television, feeding practice, teacher/parent report of academic competence and individual assessment of preschoolers' preschool concepts. Family mealtime environment variables were associated with pre-schoolers' learning, in addition to parenting style and family functioning, after controlling for family income and wave 1 preschoolers' learning. The results highlighted the importance of family mealtime environment on preschoolers' learning.
[Copyright © 2017 Department of Social Work, National University of Singapore, Singapore.]

Based on interview data from a wide range of stakeholders in Hong Kong, this study provides valuable findings of current progress and challenges of Special Educational Needs students’ post-school transition.

Hong Kong has experienced a major shift in inclusive education since 1997. The present study examines practical challenges for including learners with ASD in ordinary school setting.

This paper explores role of core values in the brand building processes of higher education institutions (HEIs). The research findings from looking at two universities in Hong Kong show that there are few, if at all, common core value across universities both hierarchically (organizationally and departmentally) and functionally (student offices and academic departments). Interestingly, however, all of the units in the study have their own set of core values directing their branding strategies. These core value-directed branding strategies are linked to the university missions. Consequently, it is possible to suggest a university mission-oriented brand building processes with core value-directed branding strategies. It is argued that universities who hope to balance public good as an educational institute and pragmatic aspect, i.e. competing for funding may get some hints from the results of this study by applying some values or core values in the pragmatic university missions and visions.
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