Classroom management is recognized as an essential component of effective teaching. However, there is little information about how physical education student teachers manage their class during their practicum. The purpose of the study was to describe the class management practices of Hong Kong physical education student teachers. Twenty local primary pre-service student teachers were videotaped teaching two ball games lessons in the allocated schools during their final practicum. Each videotaped lesson was coded using the Physical Education Teacher Assessment Instrument (PETAI). Quantitative data generated by the PETAI indicated that the pre-service group spent similiar percentages of time in overall class management to other studies. Three pre-service student teachers were randomly selected to participate in the second phase of the study. Students were observed teaching two ball games lessons and were invited to take part in two pre-lesson interviews and two post-lesson stimulated recall sessions. Qualitative data were collected through lesson observations and interviews. Constant comparison and analytic induction were used to organize and categorize the data. Results showed that there were common managing behaviours and strategies exhibited by the pre-service student teachers during teaching. Pedagogical setting for learning and organization were the identical managing behaviours observed, whilst the preventive management, equipment management, and interactive management were the common class managing strategies identified. Findings of the present study hold implications for the preparation of physical education teachers.

All of us, who visit schools, or who have worked as teachers, at one time or another have become aware of the significant effect the physical environment can have on learning. As learners, we all try to construct learning and working environment, that contain both artefacts and psychological features that emancipate us, and thus support our learning and study. Pupils and teachers alike frequently complain about the noise, temperature, lighting, space, furniture, seating arrangements and materials that constitute the physical aspects of a classroom environment. There are also complaints, often by principals, but increasingly by teachers and parents, about psycho-social elements of classrooms. That is, the amount and nature of classroom talk, the use of groups, the role expectations of teachers and pupils. The appropriateness of the psycho-social and physical objects and conditions inherent in classrooms affect the teacher's and pupil's ability to concentrate, to think and/or attend to classroom activities. Classroom environment, language acquisition and teacher thinking research reinforces the role teacher's play in creating effective learning environments. Close-up examinations of 'life in classrooms,' beginning with Jackson (1968), indicate how teachers can arrange the physical and psycho-social environment in ways that make them more effective scaffolds for pupil learning. Consequently, the nature of the physical environment is viewed as one determinant of a teacher's effectiveness, i.e., their ability to facilitate pupil learning. In addition, research has also shown that the content and nature of the physical classroom environment -the learning facilities, the instructional materials, the equipment used, and the displays of pupil work- amount to a public statement of the beliefs about teaching and learning that each respective teacher holds (Sipco, 1996; Tessmer & Harris, 1992). This presentation will report findings of a study that explored 70 primary classrooms

After the 1997 transfer, it is realized that Chinese language has become a sensitive subject due to its cultural significance and political symbolization. One of the most important responsibilities for the post-1997 Hong Kong government is to make both Chinese language and Information Technology (IT) become new initiatives for vitalizing Hong Kong's education system. It is suggested that the Hong Kong government should continue to strengthen resources and technical support in promoting computer assisted learning in school (Report on Review of 9-year Compulsory Education, 1997, Hong Kong, pp.110, 124). The ratio of students to computers is going to be pushed closer one-to-one for maximum use in primary schools. In Hong Kong too, the Arts curriculum stays relatively flexible that allows primary and secondary school teachers to choose content and structure for professional purposes. A development in information technology provision in education recent years has been the constant challenges for the traditional classroom presentation. However, a problem that is being faced by educators is the application of appropriate strategies to support both with respect to hardware and software related to teaching. In order to further enhancing technology teaching, there is also a need for teachers to make judgement to accommodate new approaches for their individual instructional design. Traditional method processed in static, linear and disparate design model do not adequate for multimedia programs. Yet multimedia teaching with a focus on affective and cognitive approaches has been the subject of very little research. Both researchers and educators have to face a situation of very limited multi-disciplined nature teaching references. The project has been descriptive of the issues that have arisen in the Hong Kong context: 1. How to effectively use multimedia in cultivating interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary curriculum across Art, music and Chinese poetry? 2. How to reshape the

This presentation will focus on how teacher feedback helps cultivate critical thinking skills and raises awareness in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course. Analysis is based on data taken from verbal/written exchanges between teacher-student and student-teacher. Samples from students' work and teachers' comments will highlight the effectiveness of the process approach in developing L2 learners' writing skills. Practical issues such as ways of organising individual and group feedback sessions will be addressed. It also argues that dialogic encounters should be gradually scaffolded in order to maximise learning outcomes.

Amidst the various demands created by curriculum reforms in Hong Kong, the core business of schools - 'high quality teaching and learning' - has become the focus of attention. Teachers and schools are vested with the responsibilities to put the reform ideals into practice. Schools are accountable for improving student learning outcomes, the empowerment of teachers through mentoring, peer review and appraisal, and turning themselves into learning organisations. This paper describes how Learning Study, which initially started as a modest project to find ways to cater for individual differences in mainstream schools in Hong Kong, became a powerful tool for schools to achieve the aims mentioned above. We did this in a series of projects by using Learning Study as a major component of a mentoring system, which resulted in the creation of learning communities in schools, with a focus on teaching and learning. Such a system benefited all teachers involved, both novice and experienced. Starting with only two schools in 1999, schools in the Learning Study network rapidly expanded to over 100 in 2004, and in the next three years, at least another 120 schools will join the network. The success of Learning Study in Hong Kong will be analysed under the following factors: its conceptual framework, methodology, partnership with higher education institutions, positioning, reform context and culture, and dissemination strategy. Its potential in moving towards improving the status of the profession as a whole will also be discussed.

This paper reports a lesson learned from an initial attempt of incorporating ICT into ordinary module teaching of Chinese linguistics in a teacher education programme. In the teaching and learning process, student teachers were found strongly motivated by online exercises but were not interested in using other online facilities. Feedback from the module participants on the reasons underlying the behaviour patterns identified were collected through focus group interviews at different stages of the module. Findings indicate that poor computer literacy in Chinese, frequent contact with other participants and the lecturer and learning styles all hindered the participants from responding to online discussion and sharing. To optimize the use of e-learning facilities in supporting the study of the same module, the participants suggested that more sensible and authentic online activities are needed. Educators interested in adopting e-learning need to plan and structure more tactically in establishing a context for deep online learning.
[Copyright © 2004 The Association for Advancement of Computing in Education.]