The Chinese number system is believed to aid Chinese children in learning mathematics, which may help to explain the differences in mathematics performance between English-speaking and Chinese-speaking children. This chapter discusses Hong Kong Chinese preschool children’s mathematics learning and pre-primary and primary transition from the perspective of language and culture. Hong Kong preschool children have been found to perform better in mathematics compared with their English-speaking peers. Although the Chinese number naming system helps to explain the children’s better performance in learning individual mathematics concepts, this is insufficient in itself to account for the children’s performance. Other factors, such as classroom instruction and cultural beliefs about mathematics learning, may also have an important influence on children’s mathematics performance. Further studies involving teachers have shown that there is top-down pressure for Hong Kong preschools to adopt an academically focused curriculum. The Chinese cultural aspiration for academic success and the quest for a smooth pre-primary and primary transition have led to the use of the traditional drill-and-practice approach for teaching particular advanced mathematics concepts in Hong Kong preschools. The implications of this for early childhood mathematics teaching are discussed.
[Copyright © 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore].

In this chapter, we attempt to capture experienced Chinese language teachers’ voices on the medium of instruction (MOI) issue as Putonghua is being promoted as an MOI for teaching Chinese in Hong Kong schools. The interpretative inquiry involved the collection of eight experienced Chinese teachers’ professional experiences with a focus on their attitudes concerning the potential shift towards the use of Putonghua as an MOI in Chinese classes. Through a collaborative interpretative process, the study revealed a wide spectrum of attitudes including reservations and enthusiasm for the possible switch to Putonghua as an MOI. We interpreted the participants’ attitudes with reference to shifting political, demographical conditions, the participants’ experiences of curriculum reforms and their concerns with pedagogical conditions.
[Copyright © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht]

Background: A number of methods to investigate growth have been reported in the literature, including hierarchical linear modelling (HLM), latent growth modelling (LGM), and multidimensional scaling applied to longitudinal profile analysis (LPAMS). Aims: This study aimed at modelling the mathematics growth of students over a span of 6 years from Grade 3 to Grade 9. Sample: The sample comprised secondary longitudinal data collected in three waves from n = 866 Hong Kong students when they were in Grade 3, Grade 6, and Grade 9. Method: Mathematics achievement was measured thrice on a vertical scale linked with anchor items. Linear and nonlinear latent growth models were used to assess students' growth. Gender differences were also examined. Results: A nonlinear latent growth curve with a decelerated rate had a good fit to the data. Initial achievement and growth rate were negatively correlated. No gender difference was found. Conclusion: Mathematics growth from Grade 6 to Grade 9 was slower than that from Grade 3 to Grade 6. Students with lower initial achievement improved at a faster rate than those who started at a higher level. Gender did not affect growth rate.
[Copyright © 2014 The British Psychological Society.]

A much under-researched issue in higher education is the extent to which English-medium university courses help students improve their English proficiency in an ESL context. Adopting a longitudinal, mixed methods design in which quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed, the current study tracked English language improvement, or lack thereof, among 33 students over a 12-month segment of a Bachelor of Education degree (B.Ed.) program. The results revealed that on average, student scores showed very slight improvement both overall and across each of the four skill areas, although there was considerable variation among the students in the amount of improvement or lack of improvement made. Analysis of the interview data identified a combination of factors that might influence students’ English language development in the B.Ed. program. Important implications of the results for pedagogical practices that facilitate ESL teacher trainees’ English language proficiency development are discussed. Although this study took place in Hong Kong, it has value in other contexts where second or foreign language learners study disciplinary content through the target language.
[Copyright © 2015 the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center and Presidio of Monterey.]

This study aimed to model mathematics growth of students from Primary 3 to Secondary 3 from two approaches, namely, growth in content domains, and in cognitive domains. The sample consisted of 866 Hong Kong students who were followed longitudinally from Primary 3 to Secondary 3. The data were originally collected by the Education Bureau of Hong Kong. Plausible values of achievements at Primary 3, Primary 6, and Secondary 3 in three cognitive domains (Knowing, Applying, and Reasoning) were obtained using between-item multidimensional Rasch partial credit modelling. A modified autoregressive cross-lagged design was used to predict later achievement in the cognitive domains by prior achievements in these domains. Analysis was repeated for growth in content domains (Number, Shape and Space, Measures, Data Handling, and Algebra). Analysis showed that students' later mathematics achievement was strongly predicted by their previous achievement in the Knowing and the Number domains.
[Copyright © 2014 Education Bureau, HKSARG.]

本研究在香港12所幼兒園進行識字認讀測試。研究目的是探討華語學生和非華語學生在認讀漢字上的差異，以及考查教學語言對非華語學生認字數量的影響。本研究發現，非華語學童在12所幼兒園接觸目的語(粵語) 的時間，最多有每周840分鐘，最少只有150分鐘。在認字測試中，同在一班的非華語學生個別差異大。從統計中，非華語男女學童認讀漢字數量沒有明顯差異。然而，非華語學童與華語學童在認字測試中有明顯差異。三所以粵語為教學語言的學校與一所使用英語較多的學校，學生在認字數量上沒有差異。但與一所以全英語為學校語言的幼兒園比較，學生的認字數量有差異。研究還發現，非華語學生對曾寫過的字認讀能力比華語生低，會寫的字不一定會讀出來，老師宜多加注意。
[Copyright © 2014 The Korea association for Han-Character and classical written language Education.]

近年，香港中學文憑試揭示了一個令人關注的教育問題：學生的中文基礎弱，寫作水平未能達標。回顧本港學生在十數載的中、小學寫作學習歷程中，每年由教師主導的寫作量着實不少，語文教師往往因批改作文而壓得透不過氣來，可是學生卻每每聽到寫作便「 民怨四起 」，實在令教師威到受挫及困擾。同時，久而久之，學生對寫作的學習動機也變得不積極，更遑論自發地增加寫作量。究竟問題出在哪裏？事實上，在日常的寫作教學中，學生往往只限於被動地接收教師所給的回饋，學生能否真切地進行自我反省，了解自己的作文錯在哪裡？如何作改善？教師卻不得而知。學生在單一評估下，難以進行分享、反省及修正，對學習的裨益始终有限。如何引入由多方分擔的評估任務 (吳毓 , 2003)，提升學生對中文科寫作的動機成了重要的議題。
[Copyright © 2014 Education Bureau, HKSARG.]

促進學習的評估(Assessment for Learning下稱 AIL)是指以提升學生學習為首要目的的評核方法。如何將促進學習的評估策略融入教學中，以改善學生的學習，為近年所備受關注的。由優質教育基金資助的「寓學習於評估：香港學校的實踐」計劃 (Assessment for Learning Hong Kong Schools)目的是推展及落實AfL理念於學界中。計劃通過為教師提供專業發展培，好讓本港教師能切實地施行AfL於教學中。本文將集中探討促進學習的評估如何在數學科教學中實踐出來 。
[Copyright © 2014 Education Bureau, HKSARG.]