Although spherical video-based virtual reality (SVVR) has gained attention as an effective tool for technology-enhanced learning, little research has been conducted on its integration in formal education settings and the role of teachers in facilitating its pedagogical use. In this study, a design-based research (DBR) approach was used to develop teacher-facilitated tactics for SVVR-supported learning based on virtual inquiry fieldwork in formal senior secondary geography education in Hong Kong. Over a period of 2 academic years, we engaged with nine teachers (from nine schools across the upper, middle, and lower academic bands in Hong Kong) and their Grade-10 classes, which comprised a total of 504 students. In addition to reporting and discussing the pedagogical effectiveness of the teacher facilitation practices designed, enacted, analysed, and refined in the iterative DBR process, this paper presents the teacher facilitation principles deduced from these practices. Overall, the findings and implications of this DBR are academically and practically relevant for researchers and educational practitioners who seek to utilise SVVR for educational purposes and strive to enhance its pedagogical effectiveness. Copyright © 2023 Elsevier.

Among science subjects, gender disparities are most evident in information and communication technology (ICT). Researchers have suggested that science identification plays a key role in motivating young females to pursue the study and work of science. However, few studies have comprehensively examined the constituting components of ICT identity and its influencing factors from a person-centered perspective. By adopting an explanatory mixed methods design, this study uncovers ICT identity profiles using nine components derived from the literature and examines their influence on the intention to further study and work in the ICT field among female high school students. The sample included 821 female high school students from 13 schools in Hong Kong who completed a self-report questionnaire. Twenty of them were invited for a follow-up semi-structured interview. The result of the latent profile analysis reveals five ICT identity profiles based on differences in the levels of the nine components. Both quantitative and qualitative data analyses indicate that the higher the level of ICT identity is, the more likely female students are to choose to study and work in ICT. Furthermore, adolescent females with low levels of gender stereotypic beliefs and high degrees of parental and peer support are more likely to belong to the highest level of the ICT identity profile, namely, the ICT person profile. In particular, female high school students with the ICT person profile report even stronger intentions to study ICT when they are clear about career prospects, whereas those with the average ICT identity profile display stronger intentions to work in the ICT industry when they have high expectations of career success. The practical implications for ICT education are discussed. Copyright © 2023 Elsevier.

International kindergartens, which offer an immersive dual-language (English and Chinese) environment, are popular among middle-class families in Hong Kong. The international learning and teaching environment is cultivated primarily by developing a diverse workforce, in which Chinese-speaking (Putonghua and/or Cantonese) teachers with local training or from mainland China generally work with their English-speaking counterparts from overseas in the same classroom. Such heterogeneity has complicated the already challenging concept of collaborative teaching. This article presents a case study of the collaborative teaching practice in a trilingual international kindergarten which had been established for over 50 years. Through in-depth interviews, questionnaires, text messaging, document analysis, site visits, and observations, the study examined the collaborative teaching practices among international colleagues in the kindergarten. The findings revealed that collaboration among international colleagues was made successful by: (1) senior management and teachers sharing a common goal; (2) a dynamic whole-school supportive structure that embraced heterogeneity; and (3) the development of a shared culture of professional learning. The implications of these findings for management, practice, and research are discussed, including the need to foster a culture of collaboration, the importance of professional development, and the need for further research on collaborative teaching practices in diverse educational settings. Copyright © 2023 Springer.

This study investigates different types of social capital which are developed in play-based learning settings through a Family-School-Community partnership. Social capital is understood as the accumulated resources from existence of networks and connections with others. Data was collected through focus groups with 49 principals, senior and class teachers in Hong Kong kindergartens. Bonding social capital is formed in professional development activities among teacher groups while bridging social capital is developed through parental involvement. There is a potential for linking social capital to be mobilized through interactions between schools and community networks. Capturing such social capital could facilitate play-based learning practices. Copyright © 2023 The Authors.

本研究透過文獻探究福祿貝爾（以下簡稱福氏）的遊戲教育理論，將其和香港的遊戲學習課程的政策和實踐做比較、討論，其中，從探究福氏的教育理念和遊戲教育論，參考其他福氏研究專家的詮釋資料，整理出關於福氏遊戲教育的原貌，再將福氏遊戲教育和香港的《幼稚園教育課程指引》，以及國際期刊中有關香港遊戲學習課程的實證研究結果，進行批判性分析和比較，藉此反思當代香港幼兒教育的遊戲中學習的理念，並深入探討福氏遊戲教育對現代香港幼兒教育倡導的遊戲中學習的啟示。本研究獲得以下主要結果：一、香港的遊戲學習課程原以福氏遊戲教育理論為基礎，但福氏遊戲教育中強調的幼兒自動自發遊戲的自主性，受到課程時間限制和各種社會文化因素，在香港幼兒教育課程的實踐上有一定的難度；二、福氏遊戲教育的核心要素——照料遊戲，雖類似香港幼兒教育課程政策提倡的教師多元化角色，但福氏的照料遊戲亦給了教師如何運用言語等去引導幼兒學習一個更明確的方向。本研究結果提供香港或其他提倡遊戲中學習的國家一個更明確的方向，幼兒教育課程政策上應提供更清楚指引達到幼兒自主性和教師的照料遊戲工作，實務上的意涵則是對實踐遊戲中學習的方向更清楚。 Copyright © 2022 中華民國比較教育學會.

This paper explored teacher professional development (TPD) for online and blended learning (OBL) via microlearning in the higher education English language teaching context in Hong Kong in 2021 and 2022. OBL requires teachers to integrate technology. This study drew on quantitative survey data (N = 67) and interviews (N = 12) that took place after the participants were exposed to microlearning. The findings illuminated that microlearning was perceived as flexible and stress-free and allowed teachers to focus on relevant and immediate tasks using bite-sized learning segments to achieve digital growth. Such activities created favourable conditions to equip them with the skills necessary to teach effectively in the context of the “new normal”. Moreover, the study shed light on how previous TPD activities were often considered too general to improve teachers’ digital competence. It concluded with a call for more research on microlearning and TPD for OBL to help teachers gain pedagogical, theoretical and practical knowledge to enhance their teaching. Copyright © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

This paper focused on students’ learning experiences in a flipped data science class integrated with peer instruction and just-in-time teaching. University students in Hong Kong participated in the research during the pandemic. Students’ perceptions of the flipped learning mode were investigated by a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. According to the results, most students felt they enjoyed learning with the flipped mode since it allowed them to learn flexibly and independently. The course materials (i.e., instructional videos, lecture notes, and in-class exercises) were well-designed, and students perceived the materials were useful and user-friendly. As suggested by the students, more time should be given to the pre-class learning activities. Based on the suggestions, the researchers provide practical implications on improving teaching in the flipped science class. This study demonstrates how to flip a data science class and proves its value on students’ learning, providing implications for using flipped learning during the pandemic period. Copyright © 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Online and blended learning (OBL) requires a different skill set than face-to-face teaching. The ability to facilitate student-centered teaching by integrating technological information and communication technology (ICT) in pedagogically effective ways is urgently needed. This study explored the microlearning experience of twelve English as a second language teachers at a Hong Kong university as a form of teacher professional development (TPD) to prepare them for the transition to OBL during the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews to capture a holistic overview of teachers’ experience with bite-size, practical, and easily digestible TPD directly relevant to teachers’ practice. The findings indicate that teachers found the microlearning TPD activities to be quick, relevant, and engaging; they provided practical knowledge and confidence. Such activities are suggested to create favorable conditions to equip teachers with the necessary skills in OBL. Effective TPD for English as a second language teachers should focus on improving digital competence through short learning activities situated in the specific teaching context and providing input through activities in various modalities. Copyright © 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Curriculum reforms in Hong Kong have put more emphasis on play pedagogy juxtaposed with teacher-directed academic learning. Against this background, this study investigated the nature of the play-based learning approach by reviewing Fröbel’s play pedagogy (Spielpädagogik) and comparing it with the policies and practices of the play-based curriculum in Hong Kong. Data collection consisted of observations, interviews, and analyses of curriculum documents. Based on Fröbel’s educational philosophy on Spielpädagogik, policy documents and the results of empirical studies were analyzed and critically compared. The findings showed that Hong Kong’s play-based learning curriculum had some elements in common with Fröbel’s Spielpädagogik; however, the child-initiative (Selbstbestimmung) aspect emphasized in Fröbel’s Spielpädagogik was not commonly observed in Hong Kong’s classrooms because of time constraints and other sociocultural factors. There were also similarities between Fröbel's “play care” (Spielpflege) and teachers’ roles in children’s play advocated by Hong Kong’s curriculum policies. Yet, comparatively, Fröbel’s play care gave clearer directions on teachers’ roles, particularly on how to use language to guide children’s play. The research findings provide clearer insights into how the play-based approach in Hong Kong should move forward, and suggestions for which direction other places advocate play-based approach should take. Copyright © 2023 EECERA.