Self-financing higher education institutions (SfHEIs) in Hong Kong help boost the local higher education participation rate, but they are labeled as second-tier opportunities for those with academic weaknesses. Students at SfHEIs may develop a negative self-concept that deteriorates their academic performance and psychological wellness. Therefore, it is critical to understand their self-concept and how it is built. From the narrative perspective, a self-concept is the storied experiences or stories that are lived; therefore, this study employs narrative inquiry using 15 SfHEI students to represent the general pattern of the participants’ experiences. This study proves that students at SfHEIs tend to view themselves as losers or inferiors based on their low self-evaluations of their Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) results, SfHEIs, and career futures. Additionally, this study sheds new light that the loser identity is historically developed from childhood during interactions with parents and teachers, as parents and teachers continuously reinforce the message that enrollment at a publicly funded university is the only way to achieve success in life. Copyright © 2022 by the authors.

The aim of this qualitative study is to understand how children aged between three to four years of age acquire the identity of a “pre-school” student within a Chinese context. By drawing on Foucault’s work in relation to various related discourses, as well as Actor Network Theory (ANT), this ethnographic study also tries to appreciate the role and place of objects in terms of children becoming “preschoolers”.The fieldwork that underpins this study took place at three Hong Kong preschools. These schools were selected because of their differences, as well as their similarities, in terms of approaches in delivering the curriculum. Qualitative methods, including observations and interviews, were used to capture children’s interactions with one another, with adults, and, importantly, with objects. A journal was kept throughout the study period and this, together with photographs of classroom life, enabled me to critically reflect on the study, so as to make sense of the lived experiences of the preschool students.This study stems from the poststructuralism and posthumanism premise that there are no universal or absolute truths in relation to acquiring a preschool identity. As a consequence, there is no attempt to produce “findings” in a scientific sense. However, the study does add to our knowledge and understanding of the process by which children acquire a preschool identity, and explores the profound role that objects play within these processes.By drawing on two theoretical frameworks, I was able to make two significant moves. First, Foucault’s work enabled me to appreciate how children are disciplined and regulated into what constitutes the “normal” or “ideal” preschooler. Foucault also allowed me to recognize how children themselves can undertake three practices: “refusal”, “curiosity”, and “innovation”, so as to experience alternative modes of being.Second, ANT allowed me to appreciate that objects have agency and are therefore actors. As “lively matter”, objects

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of extracurricular music participation on preschool children’s social skills in Hong Kong. This study was quantitative dominant, whilst qualitative data was collected to triangulate with the quantitative data. Phase one was the intervention and quantitative data collection whilst individual interviews and class observations were conducted in phase two. Interventions were three different extracurricular activities including: 1) group music training; 2) piano lesson; and 3) drawing class. The duration of the interventions was 24 weeks and the instrument used to collect data was the Social Skills Improvement System-Rating Scale (SSIS-RS). Participants were 180 preschool children aged from four to five (n1=72, n2=72, n3=36).Interviewees were teachers and parents from the different intervention groups. Results of ANOVAs revealed that extracurricular activities have positive effects on participants’ social skills. Tukey post hoc tests revealed that the effects of group music training on participants’ social skills was significantly higher than the piano lesson and the drawing class in all seven subscales; effects of piano lesson on participants’ social skills were significantly higher than the drawing class in four subscales. Qualitative data indicated that parents’ understanding of social skills was similar with each other. Parents’ expectations of extracurricular activities were varied between groups, but were similar within each studied group. Teachers’ perception of social skills and their perception of their role and responsibilities were diverse between groups. Teachers’ perception of effects of extracurricular lessons on young children’s social skills was diverse too. Qualitative data showed that parent’ expectations on the extra-curricular activities, teachers’ beliefs and instructional strategy might influence the results.This study indicated that music education can play a role in young children’s development

Disadvantaged students increasingly confront ruthless competition for higher education degrees, while losing out on opportunities for social mobility. Some of Hong Kong’s low-income households defy the trend: families take on risk, including considerable debt, to send their offspring abroad, rather than test their chances at home by dealing with competitive learning silos, stratified schooling, social status anxiety, and failing employer support. Drawing on stakeholder theory, the “glonacal agency” heuristic and the existentialist perspective, this paper examines how some low-income families break the cycle of disadvantage by tapping into the powers, legitimacy and urgency of “important others,” allowing them to harness local and global resources to achieve social mobility. Copyright © 2015 James Nicholas Publishers.

Research Findings: Previous studies have found that a growth mind-set was associated with optimal learning and well-being outcomes. However, much of this research has been conducted among adolescents and young adults. Relatively little is known as to whether these associations also apply to young children. The present study aimed to examine whether mind-sets are associated with school engagement and subjective well-being in the early childhood context (i.e. first-grade students). A total of 402 Hong Kong first-grade students (219 boys and 183 girls; mean age = 6.69) were recruited. Self-reported questionnaires were administered to assess students’ growth mind-set, engagement, and subjective well-being. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Results indicated that students who endorsed a growth mind-set were more likely to report higher levels of engagement and subjective well-being. Practice or Policy: Our study demonstrates the importance of growth mind-set for optimal functioning among young children. Growth mind-set may need to be nurtured in the early childhood context as a potential pathway to improving students’ academic engagement and subjective well-being. Copyright © 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Teachers’ sexual attitudes and views on sexuality education were important determinants of the efficacy of school-based sexuality education (SBSE). This study assessed teachers’ sexual attitudes, feelings and knowledge of sexual topics as well as their attitudes towards SBSE. A total of 98 teachers (mean age = 35.8, SD = 8.1; 40% were males) from two secondary schools were recruited via convenience sampling. Results of data analysis showed that teachers hold conservative sexual attitudes. Inconsistent with past research, conservative sexual attitude was associated with positive attitudes towards SBSE. Teachers felt comfortable and knowledgeable in teaching various sexual topics and showed positive attitudes towards SBSE. They also considered teaching various topics of sexuality important in sexuality education. The findings implicated that teachers’ sexual attitudes and their positive attitudes provided a fertile ground for the implementation of SBSE. Copyright © 2022 Specialusis Ugdymas. All Rights Reserved.

This study explores how students in Hong Kong perceive the influence of parental support and parental cultural capital on their participation in musical activities. A survey questionnaire was distributed to students attending grades seven to nine at eight Hong Kong secondary schools in the early summer of 2015. The findings from that survey, based on the 1,433 valid questionnaires that were returned, show that parents' cultural background informed their support of their children's musical activities, and could, in turn, enhance cultivation of students' cultural capital. Students in the study also perceived parental encouragement to be more important to their musical activities than the possession of musical competence and knowledge. This study provides a nuanced perspective on the interplay between parental cultural capital and parental support, and students' perception of the influence of parental support on their participation in musical activities in the Hong Kong context. Copyright © 2016 The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups.

Triarchic model of grit (TMG) has conceptualized grit as individuals’ tendency to demonstrate perseverance of effort, consistency of interests, and adaptability to situations. Past studies demonstrated that TMG dimensions predict positive outcomes such as well-being and academic success. However, there is limited research demonstrating the role of social factors in TMG. The current study explored the associations of parenting styles and perceived filial piety with dimensions of grit in Hong Kong undergraduate students. Results showed that only authoritative parenting style positively predicted adaptability to situations. This study underscores the role that parenting plays in sustained motivation to accomplish long-term goals. Copyright © 2022 Informa UK Limited.

Children’s social-emotional learning (SEL) lays the groundwork for their later adjustment (Durlak et al., 2011). Although numerous SEL programs have been developed for children, few measures have been constructed to assess social-emotional competencies, namely self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making (CASEL, 2013). This study validated the 40-item Washoe County School District-Social-Emotional Competency Assessment (WCSD-SECA; Crowder et al., 2019) for use in Hong Kong. The sample consisted of 369 Chinese children (8-13 years old) and their parents. Children completed WCSD-SECA and International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Short Form (Thompson, 2007). Parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman et al, 1997). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the original 8-factor model fit well to the data, χ2(698)=1116.16, p>.001, CFI=.91, TLI=.90, RMSEA=0.04. WCSD-SECA was associated with emotions and behavioral problems, ps<.05, thereby demonstrating concurrent and predictive validity. Hence, WCSD-SECA could be used to assess children’s social-emotional competence in Hong Kong. Copyright © 2021 HKERA-APERA International Conference.