Mathematics is one of the core subjects in engineering education and forms the foundation of all disciplines in engineering. In Hong Kong, a significant number of students are admitted to engineering programmes without sufficient mathematical background. Engineering mathematics is essential for teaching and learning many fundamental and advanced engineering subjects. Due to this reason, a mobile application (app) is developed as one of the core components of engineering mathematics education by offering students flexible and self-initiated learning. In this study, a hypothesis model is proposed to investigate the effectiveness of student's learning in engineering mathematics with the developed mobile app. The results showed that the ease and convenience of using the mobile app have a positive effect on students' autonomous learning, and motivation and have a positive relationship with the learning effectiveness of the mobile learning (M-learning) app. It was found that the average marks of the assessment tests were significantly better than the screening test by using the app and notes. The current study has important implications in that the M-learning app should be used as a supportive role to supplement traditional teaching approaches. Copyright © 2022 Routledge.

Although studying music at school can be an enriching and enjoyable experience, it is an unpopular choice for many Hong Kong senior secondary students. The purpose of this study was to examine the rationale behind the low enrolment of music as a Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) subject. A questionnaire was conducted among senior secondary school students (N = 121) studying music at the HKDSE level, collecting information about their learning experiences and their perceptions of the curriculum. The results provided evidence supporting the difficulties and struggles faced by the students, including degrees of familiarity with, and confidence about, subject matters of different musical cultures, which subjects were prioritised when it came to studying, and the amount of prior specialist knowledge needed as part of the decision-making process. Tensions were revealed between the driving forces behind curriculum change and the readiness of students to cope with these changes, along with perceptions of music as an elitist subject with low utilitarian value. Socio-cultural interventions, such as making music education more accessible for all, while simultaneously ensuring that stakeholders' voices are heard as part of the decolonisation process, remain fundamental challenges facing the curriculum. Copyright © 2022 Sage Publications.

Physical education continuous professional development (PE-CPD) has been vaunted as a powerful influence on teachers' professional competence and subsequent student learning. Despite this proposition, there remains limited empirical evidence for the effect of teacher participation in CPD on student learning outcomes. In light of this void, the purpose of this study was to examine the influence of an eight-month PE-CPD program on students' perceived physical literacy, motivation and enjoyment of physical education. A randomized control trial design was used to assign a sample of 65 physical education teachers from Hong Kong to the CPD and control intervention groups. Students' (n = 1,485) perceived physical literacy, motivation and enjoyment of physical education measures were collected across three phases of the program (post-program, eight-month follow-up, and 14-month follow-up). Repeated measures ANOVAs were conducted to analyze changes in student learning outcomes across the three phases of the intervention. Results revealed low significant interaction effects of perceived physical literacy, motivation, and enjoyment across time depending on the participation level in CPD. The findings of this study provide an important addition to the extant literature on CPD, by revealing that teachers' commitment to participation in professional development may have a sustained influence on student affective learning outcomes. Copyright © 2022 Elsevier.

This article begins with a historical overview of the STEM education policy and related classroom practices in Hong Kong. Against the backdrop that the Hong Kong education authority has been promoting STEM education over the past few years, there has been a pressing need for effective strategies of implementing STEM education in the context of reduced class size classrooms (i.e. small class teaching). With a view to addressing this need, this article strives to exemplify the incorporation of STEM education into small class teaching settings. Intended as a conceptual paper drawing on design approaches for STEM lessons and a small class teaching framework, the article demonstrates the relevance of STEM education to small class teaching. Two illustrative lesson design examples are provided to showcase how the design approaches and framework can be operationalised. In addition, the article also offers a thoughtful discussion concerning the potential challenges of delivering the two sample lessons as well as the coping strategies. It contributes to understanding of STEM education theories and provides a valuable reference for educational practitioners. Copyright © 2022 Springer.

The present study investigated 69 local Hong Kong English language education students' cross-cultural learning as a result of an Internationalization at Home (IaH) initiative that made use of international students' knowledge of English language education in contexts outside of Hong Kong. An analysis of written responses to open-ended questionnaire items revealed that most students reported acquiring superficial cultural facts related to teaching methods, testing methods, and public versus private education in international contexts; however, some students reflected more deeply on perceived cultural differences by challenging their own prior assumptions about English language education and, as a result, demonstrated cultural humility and enhanced empathy towards teachers in contexts outside of Hong Kong. This research suggests that teacher education programs should consider implementing IaH initiatives that capitalise on international student populations to satisfy program-level cross-cultural learning objectives. Copyright © 2022 Routledge.

One hundred and eighty ethnic minority students studying in Hong Kong mainstream schools were found to value knowledge, activities, practice, product, inquiry, process, feedback, and technology in their mathematics learning. To identify these values, a mixed methods approach was adopted, using a values questionnaire as a lens to identify what students find important in mathematics learning, and followed by semi-structured focus group interviews for details and verification. The data also revealed that ethnic minority students valued activities and practice more than their ethnic Chinese peers. Implications for research and instructional practice are offered. Copyright © 2022 Routledge.

Artificial intelligence (AI) education for K-12 students is an emerging necessity, owing to the rapid advancement and deployment of AI technologies. It is essential to take teachers' perspectives into account when creating ecologically valid AI education programmes for K-12 settings. However, very few studies investigated teacher perception of AI education. Phenomenography is an empirical research method that was widely used to understand teacher's interpretive understanding of new phenomenon, in this study, the teaching of AI in secondary school. Therefore, the present study investigated teachers' conceptions of teaching AI using a phenomenographic approach. Twenty-eight in-service teachers from 17 secondary schools in Hong Kong were invited to participate in an interview after implementing an AI curriculum. Six categories of teacher conceptions were identified: (1) technology bridging, (2) knowledge delivery, (3) interest stimulation, (4) ethics establishment, (5) capability cultivation, and (6) intellectual development. The hierarchical relationships of the six concepts were organised as an outcome space. The space shows a range of surface to deep conceptions and offers an understanding of how teachers perceive AI education through their teaching experience. Two learning paths have been suggested for cultivating technical and non-technical teachers for teaching AI. These learning paths provide insights for teacher educators and policymakers to enhance teachers' competence in teaching AI and promote general AI education for K-12 students. Copyright © 2022 Springer.

This paper presents a systematic review of research on Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) education for ethnic minority students in Hong Kong SAR. Using three databases and screening with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, the study selected 38 empirical studies published in English-language peer-reviewed journals. We find that there has been a surge of publications in Hong Kong in the past decade (2010–2020), and they are mostly authored by scholars from three universities in Hong Kong. Most of the research took a phenomenological approach, using interviews as the main data collection method and focusing on underprivileged South Asian students in secondary schools. The thematic analysis showed that Hong Kong’s CSL adopted a poststructuralist paradigm for understanding and revealing social inequalities surrounding Chinese language education for ethnic minority students. The study concludes that Hong Kong must decolonise its education system to genuinely support ethnic minority students to achieve educational equality and social justice. Copyright © 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH.

Purpose>This review study focuses on the framework for pre-primary education and language acquisition for non-Chinese-speaking students (NCS students) from ethnic minority families (EM families) in Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approach>This paper adopts a multidisciplinary perspective that involves both assessing the broader governing framework and researching their specific needs. In its overview of the significant changes made in recent years and an exploration of the gaps in the framework, with reference to other jurisdictions, along with input from developmental psychology as it relates to the issues faced by NCS students.Findings>This study contributes to the literature on how to shape further policies and reforms to optimize learning of NCS children in Hong Kong from a young age. This helps NCS students and families achieve their right to education and equal opportunities and schools to cater the needs of these students and families, which is essential to providing an enriched learning environment for our children regardless of their ethnicity.Originality/value>This study uses multidisciplinary approach to study pre-primary education and Chinese language acquisition of ethnic minority students in Hong Kong. Copyright © 2022 Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Few large-scale studies have examined how prepared early childhood educators feel to teach music and movement to young children. This paper is part of a survey study conducted with 1,019 Hong Kong kindergarten teachers. We investigated their prior music and movement educational experiences (extracurricular activities, pre-service courses, in-service professional development), their perceived usefulness of such experiences, as well as their perceived confidence and readiness to teach music and movement in kindergartens. Differences according to teaching experience and educational qualifications were analyzed. Findings reveal the need to strengthen teachers’ preparation in music and movement, especially among beginning educators. Limitations are discussed. Copyright © 2022 Universidad Complutense de Madrid.