By considering the example of proving the triangle postulate, this study aimed to explore Hong Kong preservice and novice teachers' knowledge competencies and their beliefs about preformal and formal proofs. The findings revealed that such teachers are not proficient in using preformal proofs and do not realize that preformal proofs are a useful tool for connecting abstract geometrical concepts with concrete meanings. We conclude by providing strategies for teachers to use preformal proofs effectively in their teaching of geometric propositions. Copyright © 2017 Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, Inc

With the economic and technological developments of Asian countries in the last two decades, nurturing individuals' capabilities for logical thinking and problem solving have become one of the major foci of secondary education. Being a core subject for developing the fundamental ability of high school students towards systematic and organized ways of thinking, mathematics is no longer a requirement only for students who are going to study science or engineering majors in university but has become a common core subject for whole-person education. In this chapter, we shall investigate the recent development of high school mathematics curricula in Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore, in coping with the change. Copyright © 2018 selection and editorial matter, Kerry J. Kennedy and John Chi-Kin Lee; individual chapters, the contributors.

In this chapter, the author, educated and trained in the UK, shares his experience of teaching first language Chinese students in Hong Kong. There is little doubt that there are many talented students in Hong Kong, who are industrious and are driven towards their work. However, at the same time, students from local Hong Kong schools may also appear as quiet and introverted compared with their Western counterparts, and they tend to keep themselves to themselves. Although not unique to Hong Kong, it is not uncommon for a teacher to meet with total silence when raising a question or inviting comments in Hong Kong classrooms. However, this does not necessarily mean students are mentally disengaged but, rather, just being reluctant to speak out. Hence, the question is, why do Hong Kong students appear to be shy? Silence may not be golden in a classroom environment nowadays, where enquiry-based learning is becoming more accepted in Hong Kong international schools. Whereas, Hong Kong students from local schools are still being bounded by traditional Chinese classroom culture, in which the teacher would do most of the talking, while the students maintain their attentive nature and intensive learning required of them. This is further exacerbated by the lack of confidence some students have in their use of English. Foreign teachers wishing to teach in Hong Kong need to adapt their Western teaching model and have an appreciation of the differences of language structure and cultural backgrounds. Copyright © 2017 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

The perception of falling standards in education, and in second language teaching in particular, has been a constant refrain for the past 20 years as changing needs and practices affect economic processes and manpower requirements.Within this context, this article deals with the establishment of language standards ('benchmarks') for teachers of English in Hong Kong. The article deals with two separate but linked notions: first, the notion of which model of the English language should be used as the standard model for English language teacher benchmark assessment in Hong Kong; second, the level of language ability that will be decided upon in order to establish the proficiency standards expected of teachers of English. The article first describes the background to the setting of language standards for teachers of English in Hong Kong. It then examines the selection of and justification for the model of English selected as the 'minimum standard'. The following section considers the level of language ability agreed upon as the standard that teachers of English need to attain. The article concludes with an examination of the extent to which the standards that have been agreed upon match the needs of the major stakeholders in the standard-setting process. Copyright © 2002 John Benjamins Publishing Company.

香港高校自2012年起推行四年新學制以及新的課程架構，其特點為：(1)課程理念與目標已經超出傳統學術與智性發展範疇，開始融入與共通能力、態度有關的元素。(2)課程架構以必修課與分佈選修結合為主要特徵。分佈選修的範疇圍繞人文與藝術、社會與文化、科學與技術三大知識領域展開，必修科目的內容存在明顯差異，有的大學圍繞智性探究，有的大學還在智性探究範疇之外增加語言溝通、共通技能、統整融合的元素。(3)課程內容超越知識探究，關注當代社會重要議題以及未來生活需具備的能力與素質。(4)課程發展採取成果為本方法。(5)建立完善的質素保證機制，對通識課程進行定期檢討，從不同管道搜集持份者意見，對通識課程、教學做出持續改進。A new academic system and new curriculum has been implemented in Hong Kong higher education since 2012. This paper reviews the factors that affect the change of general education in Hong Kong and outlines the characteristics of general education(GE)in Hong Kong since2012. Five characteristics can be identified: 1)The purposes and objectives of GE curriculum has gone beyond the domain of academic study and intellectual inquiry and infused generic skills and attitudes into the new curriculum; 2)Most higher education institutions have adopted a structure of core curriculum and distributive requirement; 3)The themes of curriculum address important issues in the current era; 4)Outcome-based approach has been adopted in the curriculum development across the institutions; 5)Quality assurance scheme has been established to monitor the implementation and quality of overall teaching and learning with general education included as one component. Copyright © 2018 武漢理工大學；中國交通教育研究會高教研究分會；高教研究分會.

Students' progress in reading comprehension is a crucial goal in language education, and teaching comprehension processes to students is considered to be one of the most effective approaches to improving students' reading ability. To facilitate teachers' use of the Comprehension Process Model (CPM), it is necessary to identify teachers' stages of concerns about using the model, which has not been investigated systematically in language teaching. This study investigated Hong Kong (HK) Chinese-language teachers' concerns about using the CPM in their teaching of reading in secondary schools. The Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ) was administered and 347 completed questionnaires were suitable for analysis. The study has found that teachers demonstrated a profile with multiple peaks, which shows highest concerns at the collaboration and informational stages in the Stages of Concern (SoC) model. The result implies that teachers realize that they need to learn more about the CPM and to enhance collaboration with their colleagues to implement it effectively. Teachers' concerns varied according to demographic factors including training on the CPM, years of using the CPM, years of teaching expe-rience, and richness of experience in using the CPM. Implications for developing more effective professional development interventions for Chinese-language teachers are also discussed. Copyright © 2016 International Association for Research in L1 Education.

This study investigated the effects of two vocabulary instructional approaches on Chinese EFL primary school students (n = 31) to vocabulary learning, extended and incidental instructions, with using a between-subject design. Student's general intelligence and initial English ability were entered as covariates. The extended instruction featured multiple encounters to vocabulary, providing opportunities to apply as well as encouraging active and deep processing. The incidental instruction featured natural exposure to the words and learning vocabulary through readings. The instructional effects on student's vocabulary knowledge were assessed by three measures: target word mastery, expressive definition as well as word association. Extended instruction showed an advantage in building up vocabulary breadth in students compared to incidental instruction. Both instructions seemed inefficient on enhancing depth of vocabulary knowledge. Implications of present findings are discussed and directions about future research are suggested. All rights reserved.

This qualitative study investigates the language ideology of a groups of Chinese language teachers working in Hong Kong’s secondary schools when they teach ethnic minority students. Drawing on interview data, this study reports on how these teachers’ language ideologies are in accordance/discordance with dominant discourse, and in what ways their ideologies impact their teaching approach and attitudes towards the students’ heritage language and culture. Key findings indicate that instead of promoting homogeneity as a prerequisite for success, the teachers hold a pluralistic language ideology and outline the potential for ethnic minority students to become linguistic and cultural brokers between the heritage communities and mainstream society. An inconsistence was found between the teachers’ positive language attitude towards heritage language and their self-distancing from the heritage language learning and use in school contexts. The findings implied that teacher education courses could enable teachers, as active agents, to re-negotiate the separate language ideology of the language policy at the macro level, deconstruct it in classroom settings and develop knowledge and beliefs to challenge and resist the ideologies that sustain the marginalisation of heritage language and culture. Copyright © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

The implementation of a school-based integrated curriculum enables schools to plan a balanced, flexible and coherent curriculum in order to reduce subject specification, especially in kindergartens. Despite kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) being encouraged to integrate music content across subject areas, these boundaries still exist and prove challenging. This instrumental case study shows how one kindergarten teacher attempted to integrate other subjects into the music curriculum through movement and games, and encourage children's creativity. Eight detailed observations of music lessons and an interview with the kindergarten teacher depict her efforts at integration. Findings show that some progress was made and that the support of the principal was pivotal. They also suggest ways in which kindergarten teachers might begin to incorporate more creative integrated approaches to music education and have some applicability to other kindergarten settings where transmission approaches tend to dominate and teachers want to encourage music integration and children's musical creativity. Copyright © 2018 Cambridge University Press.