This study examines a promising new coping and parental competency (CPC) intervention for parents of children with special educational needs that targets parents' mental health outcomes. Coping and parental competency impact parents' mental health, but no studies have rigorously assessed whether CPC is an effective strategy for cultivating emotional wellness in these parents. A seven‐week skills‐based CPC parenting programme was developed and administered in groups. One hundred twenty‐four parents in Hong Kong were randomly assigned to the intervention group or the wait‐list control group. Parents in the intervention group (a) showed reductions in depression, anxiety, and stress, (b) used fewer emotion‐oriented coping strategies and (c) exhibited an increased sense of parenting competency compared to the wait‐list control group. The serial multiple mediation of emotion‐oriented coping and parental competence in the relationship between treatment condition and mental health outcomes was found to be statistically significant. The discussion highlights the potential usefulness of a CPC intervention for populations at risk for parenting and coping challenges. Copyright © 2021 Wiley.

The COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest have posed a unique set of challenges to Hong Kong. During these two social events, parents of children with special educational needs (SEN) who were already experiencing caregiving pressure, likely coped with additional stressors; they were at a higher risk of mental health problems. A pre-registered, cross-sectional survey study was carried out among 234 Hong Kong parents of children with SEN, investigating the associations of stigmatized identity, perceived discrimination, and subjective well-being under the impact of these social events. Utilizing the Bayesian modelling, we found that highly self-stigmatized parents not only perceived more daily-life discriminating behaviors against them, but also reported having higher distress, more negative emotions, and lower life satisfaction. A higher perceived impact of social events and more discrimination were also associated with lower well-being. Additionally, stigmatized identity, perceived discrimination, and perceived impact of social events demonstrated unique associations with well-being variables, indicating they were substantial stressors. The study called out for public attention to the mental health conditions among parents of children with SEN and other disadvantaged groups in society. Copyright © 2021 by the authors.

This paper examines the difference between adolescents’ perception of parents’ educational expectations and their own, and the role of parental involvement in developing adolescents’ educational expectations. The sample was drawn from the fifth cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2012. About 3,000 Hong Kong 15 year-old students participated in the longitudinal study by completing the questionnaire. Using a logistic regression model, we investigated to what extent and how parental expectations and involvement were related to Hong Kong adolescents’ expectations for pursuing a university degree. The effects of individual characteristics (i.e., gender and cognitive ability) and family background (i.e., family structure and SES) were controlled in the model. Results indicated that perceived and actual parental expectations were important predictors shaping adolescents’ educational expectations even after the academic and socio-economic backgrounds of adolescents were taken into account. The model also suggested that less privileged adolescents might be able to overcome their socio-economic disadvantages in achieving high educational attainment if a parent was involved in helping them to make educational plans. The importance of family interventions – in particular, home-based communication between parents and adolescents – is discussed in this paper. Copyright © 2014 INET.

Parents as the primacy agent of socialization are important to influence students’ educational pathways they are undertaken after compulsory education. Past studies have found that parents’ social status and family resources have intertwined effect on the differential patterns of educational expectation between students from different socio-cultural milieu. Those studies indicated that students from high socioeconomic background with more family resources are more likely expecting to pursue university degree than those of low socioeconomic groups. Parental involvement, as one of family cultural socialization exists in different forms, is conducive to support their children in their process of navigation to post-secondary education.The present paper attempts to link these three dimensions of family factors – family socioeconomic status, family resources and parental involvement, and to study their relationships with adolescents’ expectations to reach post-secondary education. The data were drawn from a recent longitudinal study which was an extension of PISA 2021. A total of 3,000 students aged 15 years in Hong Kong have participated in the subsequent survey. The logistic regression model was deployed to address the research question: to what extent family socioeconomic background, family resources and parental involvement predict students’ expectation of pursuing university degree. In particular, the relative contributions of different forms of parental involvement were clarified while student academic background was also controlled.The results affirm the persistence of inequalities on structural regularities that are linked to parents’ occupation and cultural possession. Nevertheless, the role of parent involvement in social communication with their children has significant relationship with students’ expectation on going to university, regardless of parent’s social status, family resource and student’s academic background. The findings may pose the need to strengthen

The COVID-19 outbreak led to switch from face-to-face classes to virtual mode of teaching. This emerging phenomenon requires adopting new educational policies and strategies for synchronous learning at home. This study develops a conceptual model by investigating the holistic supports for kindergarten teachers, children and families. There are well-documented studies reporting on the relationships between families’ social backgrounds, home learning environment and experiences (e.g. Foster et al., 2005; Hartas, 2011). However, few studies have shown a connection to conceptualize holistic model through investigating contextual sources of support on home learning (Kluczniok et al., 2013). In coping with the challenges and limitations of home learning, Hong Kong government and kindergartens develop various measures, schemes and plans of action to facilitate teachers and families adopting different e-learning approaches and using educational resources. This study draws on the multiple data from policy documents, reports and empirical studies to analyze the impacts of policy implementation and educational programmes. The ethical issues are considered throughout the study. Five themes have been identified from the policy discourses and empirical evidence, including preparedness, adaption, affordance, responsive and transparency. Findings of this study show that a quick adjustment on information flow, social support and parenting practices that could influence the quality of home learning experience for children. This study offers an integrated view on identifying multiple sources of support that are conducive to children’s home learning. It gives insights into building a collective repertoire of educational practices for parents and teachers to adopt during the “New Normal” period. Copyright © 2021 EECERA.

Background: Healthy movement behaviors in early childhood are believed to track to adulthood, potentially imparting protective benefits against non-communicable diseases. Highlighting the collaborative and complementary roles of parents and educators in promoting health of young children, this study aims to enable parents and teachers to successfully promote healthy movement behaviors in young children. Guidelines for physical activity, sedentary screen time, and sleep of children aged 2 to 6 years will be systematically disseminated to parents and teachers of children enrolled in early childhood education centers (ECECs) in Hong Kong. An evaluation will be conducted to assess the implementation process and the outcomes of the dissemination of said guidelines. Methods: The evaluation will include formative and summative components to examine the implementation (i.e., process evaluation) and the outcomes (i.e., outcome evaluation). Participants include teachers, parents, and children from ECECs in Hong Kong. The process evaluation will be guided by the RE-AIM framework (i.e., reach, efficacy, adaptation, implementation, maintenance). Data gathering and analysis will take a mixed-methods triangulation design - convergence model. The outcome evaluation consists of a non-randomized observational study, using quantitative data from questionnaires and accelerometers. The primary outcome to be measured is the extent to which children meet the guidelines for physical activity, sedentary screen time, and sleep; the secondary outcome is teachers’ and parents’ knowledge and awareness of the guidelines. Discussion: Young children who engage in healthy movement behaviors are likely to become adults who will have the disposition to engage in behaviors that have protective effects against non-communicable diseases. The findings of this evaluation are expected to contribute to improving the strategies of systems and government agencies that aspire to promote healthy movement behaviors

Objective: This study investigated how school counsellors in international schools in Hong Kong supported the wellbeing of students and families during the period of school closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of parents.Method: Sixteen parents with children in eleven different international schools in Hong Kong were interviewed and the data were analysed thematically.Results: Strong pre-existing relationships, role clarity, and open communication between counsellors and parents were associated with the effective adaptation of counselling services to the changing needs of parents during the school closure period, but these characteristics were often weak or absent.Conclusions: Parents’ perceptions of counselling during the school closure period provide important feedback that schools can use to build more integrated and responsive support services. Counsellors can support students’ wellbeing more effectively during crises by communicating their roles clearly, building strong relationships with parents, and helping students to maintain a diverse experience in their schooling. Copyright © 2021 Informa UK Limited.

Research Findings: This study investigated the relationship between the use of digital devices (DD) by preschool children in Hong Kong and their early development. The moderating role of family socioeconomic status (SES) was also examined. A total of 877 Chinese Hong Kong children aged 3–5 years old from 18 kindergartens and their parents participated in this study. The parents reported their children's DD use, including whether they used DD, the daily time spent using DD, what they used DD for, and the situations in which they used DD. The Hong Kong Early Child Development Scales and Movement Assessment Battery for Children were used to understand these children's development in various domains. The results showed that 74.54% of the children had experience using DD. Use of DD and time spent using DD were found to negatively predict children's performance on General Knowledge, Fine Motor Skills, and Gross Motor Skills. Watching cartoons was found to negatively predict children's performance on Early Academic Achievement, General Knowledge, and Fine Motor Skills. Children's DD use before bedtime or on request also had a negative relationship with their performance on Fine Motor Skills. Moreover, SES had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between children's use of DD before bed and their performance on General Knowledge. Practice or Policy: These findings suggest that parents reduce the time and frequency of their children's DD use, monitor their DD activities, and prevent them from using DD before bedtime. Copyright © 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

While existing research has well-recognized educational plan as an important predictor of students’ educational achievement, the alignment of educational plan and achievement should not be taken for granted. As plan-achievement misalignment is liable to negative psychological and social consequences, this study aims to examine the extent to which parents vis-à-vis teachers could guide students into plan-achievement alignment. Specifically, this study is set within two comparable cases of Taiwan and Hong Kong to explore whether the relative importance of parents’ and teachers’ guidance would differ according to the institutional contexts of education systems. Methodologically, society-specific (multinomial) logistic regression analyses are conducted based on the data of the Taiwan Education Panel Survey and the Hong Kong Survey on High School Students’ Aspirations for Higher Education and Employment. In Taiwan, we find students not only received more guidance from parents, but parents’ guidance was also more effective in helping them reach plan-achievement alignment. By contrast, teachers are found to have played a key role in these regards in Hong Kong. The findings provide support to our propositions that the relative importance of parents’ and teachers’ guidance may vary by the opportunity structures of post-secondary education and the level of school-based parental involvement. Copyright © 2021 National Institute of Education, Singapore.

In discussions about how to implement learning through/in/at play, there is still not a commonly agreed view. This qualitative study investigated Chinese teachers’ and parents’ perspectives on learning in play to attain a co-constructed picture of learning in play through real classroom practices and perceptions using the Mosaic approach. Fourteen teachers and six parents took part in this study. Among the participants, six kindergarten teachers were interviewed to obtain their perspectives on learning in play. They assisted the researchers in the selection of exemplary play episodes, which were filmed in their own classrooms. Four three-minute videos containing the largest amount of learning elements based on the teachers’ views were selected for further in-depth focus group discussions. The selected multivocal video-cued interview clips were shown to eight other teachers and six parents in focus groups to elicit their perspectives on learning in play. The co-constructed picture of learning in play that emerged included discipline in the classroom, more difficult and complicated learning matters, more freedom to play, and teachers’ intervention to facilitate children’s learning in play. The findings revealed different social representations of learning in play in the Hong Kong context, the contributions of which are important and useful for professional education practices and curricular policy currently undergoing reform. Copyright © 2020 The Author(s).