合作學習是一種以小組形式進行的教學策略，組員藉著互相幫助去提升大家的學習成效，包括認知及情意兩方面。在合作學習的小組中，各成員對小組都有貢獻。每個成員在某項活動上擁有不同的資訊和材料，掌握不同的知識和技能，所以任何成員都沒法單獨把活動完成，於是他們互相交流，合力把問題解決。合作學習在香港雖然比較陌生，但它是本地課程改革的其中一種有效教學策略。本研究探討學生在合作學習上遇到的困難，對象是兩間小學的198名學生。研究員透過觀課及學生訪談，嘗試探討有關問題。結果發現學生在合作學習上遇到不少問題，例如：組員互相交流知識時，能力低的組員較難表達自己、部分組員趁小組討論時談天說地、小組討論聲浪嘈吵及小組討論引起衝突。有些問題好像表達上希困難，顯示教師在實施合作學習之前未有學生提供足夠的說話訓練。另外一些問題，如組員之間的衝突，教師可以從旁協助，不過最重要的是教師要藉此讓學生嘗試自行處理，方能更有效發揮合作學習的優點，提升他們學習的成效及與人相處的技巧。教改帶來教學實踐的改變，課堂上的合作學習方式對教師和學生都是一項重大的挑戰。新的教學實踐有賴教師對學與教概念上的轉變。

This project evolved from the efforts of foreign lecturing staff at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. It was found when they first started teaching pre-service teacher education courses, that the language of instruction, although English, was not universally known at a sufficient competence level that all students could understand what was being discussed. The combination of large class size and differential culture expectations, found the lecturing staff themselves in a dilemma of how best to communicate effectively with their students. The following research objectives had to be addressed: 1. Increase collaborative Learning through quality learning teams; 2. To enhance academic outcomes of individual members of the quality learning team; 3. To inculcate a constructivism culture within the quality learning teams; 4. To enhance both learning and instruction strategies; 5. To encourage and increase motivation of both the quality learning team and each of its individual members; 6. To increase student achievement and create a positive student attitude of quality learning teams and their individual members; The formulation of a strategy whereby small groups (maximum of 5 students) took an independent assignment, worked as a "Quality Learning Team", reported back to the class and then with a combination of jigsaw and team presentation styles, a very satisfied, if somewhat initially frightened, group of students emerged. The departure from hand feeding, which was firmly put to one side, resulted in a more independent reflective individual. Team leaders were quickly established, friendships firmly made, trust in ones peers established, relaxed interdependency accepted as the norm, respect of ones peers accepted, leading to the emergence of highly motivated 'Teams' and individuals. The eventual consequence was all of these changed strategies created extremely motivated students for the most part and for those students whose learning style was not suited to this sharing

Assessment and learners’ achievement have an affinity in enhancing teaching and learning in education. At the time academic achievement is stressed, educators ought to re-think the following questions: How is achievement defined? Who defines achievement and in whose interest? What is the purpose of achievement? Who grades? Who defines the criteria for grading? On the other hand, teacher education programs have educated student-teachers to work effectively with one dominant culture. Teachers are then unprepared to acknowledge the cultural differences and educational inequalities that schools often perpetuate. Some teachers find it difficult to understand that minority and poor students have the potential to be successful; they often are not given the opportunity to develop their academic and social skills. All of these barriers may result in the disadvantaged learners’ underachievement (Sleeter & Grant, 1986, 1988). Assessment for learning has an emotional impact as well, i.e. teachers’ comments, marks and grades can have effect on learners’ confidence and enthusiasm (QCA, 2004). Obviously, the diverse awareness of teachers will affect their use of assessment and students’ learning achievements will then be determined. This article will demonstrate that teacher’s multicultural education beliefs are important in a pluralistic society, where teachers must be prepared to make professional decisions about how best to meet the educational needs of all students, especially the disadvantaged learners. This study reports a group of Chinese pre-service teachers and experienced school teachers’ attitudes of cultural difference with the Chinese pre-service teachers and experienced school teachers’ attitudes of cultural difference with the use of an instrument, Cultural Diversity Awareness Inventory, CDAI (Henry, 1991). The study is trying to understand: (1) the cultural sensitivity levels towards alternative assessment of Hong Kong teachers; and (2) the general assessment practices

A method for enhancing the quality of teaching and learning is through encouraging academics to engage in action research projects into some aspect of their teaching which is of interest or problematic for them. Action research is promoted as a means for committed teachers to bridge the gap between their theories and practices, and now it has becoming a required skill of frontline teachers in schools in Hong Kong. However, groups of teachers being sold to the concept, are fresh to such idea and method, and their day to day practice has confined themselves to the more practical and technical management of teaching in schools. This paper explores the use of a case illustration approach for teaching action research on 33 in-service primary school teachers, the application of constructivist theories of learning underpins this approach will be addressed and the result will be discussed while significance of the findings will be highlighted in the light of preparing curriculum leaders to promote change in schools.