Using Deleuze and Guattari's concept of rhizome, this study examines the key measures of the Kindergarten Education Scheme introduced by the Hong Kong government in 2017 after a large‐scale advocacy movement. It argues that these measures have expanded the power of the neoliberal imaginary through producing an enhanced market apparatus and an apolitical teaching profession. The neoliberal expansion reflects the manifestation of different kinds of rhizomatic connections to reterritorialise the field. This study calls for the rethinking of teacher educators’ ethical responsibility in addressing the complexity of teacher work frequently neglected by policy and the policy/practice divide in teacher education. Copyright © 2020 National Children's Bureau and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

It is commonly believed that ethnic minority (EM) parents tend to have low expectation towards their children’s education due to adverse social and economic status, but other studies suggest EM parents would have high expectation because they want their children to gain upward social mobility. In this study, we compared Pakistani parents’ expectation towards early childhood education (ECE) with Hong Kong parents and examined the role of acculturation in Pakistani parents’ expectation towards ECE. Participants were 73 first-generation Pakistani parents living in Hong Kong and 214 Hong Kong parents. They filled in questionnaires that measured expectation towards ECE. Pakistani parents also answered a questionnaire that captured the degree of acculturation. Results of moderation analysis revealed significant interactions between culture and child gender in all the dimensions of parental expectation towards ECE. Specifically, Pakistani parents reported higher expectation towards ECE than Hong Kong parents. Moreover, Pakistani parents generally reported significantly higher expectation for boys than for girls, while Hong Kong parents’ expectation towards girls was significantly higher than boys with a few exceptions. Moreover, regression analyses showed that integration and marginalization were positively related to several dimensions of parental expectation. These findings provide pioneer understanding about expectation towards ECE among Pakistani parents in Hong Kong and shed light on the promotion of gender-equality ECE. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reorienting existing educational programs in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) for the purposes of advancing the attainment of sustainable development goals (SDGs) through skills development significantly depends on the capacity of educators. This capacity can be enhanced through teacher training and professional development programs based on principles of adult learning, as well as through the use of sustainability related resources designed for use in student-centered TVET classrooms. This paper considers how TVET educators respond to the reorientation of the curriculum towards Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) through the inclusion of generic green skills in a green module that was delivered by one TVET institute in Hong Kong. It examines how different types of teachers respond to sustainability related, work-based training conducted through action research. Four teachers’ attitudes are examined, based on their expertise in ESD and their motivation to change current practice. Based on the findings, this paper puts forward a work-based learning model for the professional development of TVET teachers that encourages them to learn with researchers and students together. The model can be adjusted to meet the needs of different types of teachers and it has the potential to enhance teachers’ capacity to implement green modules that will support students’ generic green skills development. Copyright © 2019 PAVLOVA/CHEN.

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the strategic role of world-class universities and the international academic profession in the regionalisation project of China's Greater Bay Area (GBA). It illustrates the way in which the case of the GBA regionalisation project offers a potentially rich empirical example for adding contextual understanding to the literature of the Triple Helix model, which largely draws on inductive theorising from western successful innovation cases. The GBA regionalisation processes will provide a wealth of empirical cases for identifying circumstances that address tensions and increase interactions in the Triple Helix relationship of university, government and industry for fostering knowledge synergies.Design/methodology/approach: Focusing on the case of Hong Kong, it engages in policy and stakeholder analysis and addresses three key research questions: What are the competitive advantages and potential strategic role of Hong Kong's universities and academic profession in the regionalisation of innovation systems in the GBA? What is the role of the governments in the regionalisation processes? What are the expected opportunities and challenges offered by the GBA policy initiatives for the future development of Hong Kong's universities and academic profession?Findings: Hong Kong, given its status as an international finance centre and global city with intense internationalisation and established judicial system operated by the rule of law, will contribute to the GBA development by leveraging on its edge in scientific research and development and international networks of academic research through the world-class academic profession. Scientists and researchers in the city, possessing the competitive advantages of basic research and international partnerships, are highly regarded by the central government. The engagement of Hong Kong's scientific talents, can play an important role in achieving China's aspiration of becoming a global technology power.Research

This article describes a learning unit for seniors within a university in Hong Kong, as an example of offering lifelong learning opportunities for senior adults. This article reports and discusses findings from a small-scale research study conducted at the unit, which aimed to explore the effectiveness of the current mode of integrating elder learning into higher education, specifically how this related to the promotion of intergenerational learning between elders and university students. This article reports on the findings of a quantitative survey conducted with elders, university students and instructors, in order to compare their views on the impact of a mixed intergenerational classroom and to identify the benefits of elder learning. The most positive impact of the mixed-class arrangement was upon the elder learners, who reported very positive learning experiences and a number of positive benefits to learning. All three groups positively reported that the class arrangement did improve intergenerational learning. Whilst all three groups responded very positively to the mixed-class arrangement and presence of elders, there were less positive responses reported from both undergraduates and their instructors as to the impact of elders in the same class upon helping undergraduates learn better. Copyright © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Purpose: This article aims to (1) systematically examine the development of career guidance practices in Hong Kong over the past 40 years, (2) discuss developmental attention to the career-related self-concept of diverse learners, and (3) propose a multidimensional model of self-concept by integrating the career-related domains with recent advances in self-concept research pertaining to students' in-school and post-school outcomes.Design/Approach/Methods: This article charts the developmental trend of career guidance and counseling (CGC) over more than 40 years in Hong Kong. The article also examines key findings relating to self-concept research made in the fields of education and career counseling in the past 50 years.Findings: For 50 years, Hong Kong has progressively recognized the importance of CGC. The government's continued determination to refine its policies and practices in this domain was succinctly highlighted in the Chief Executive's 2018 policy address. However, many challenges pertaining the professional competence of career guidance teachers and the ability of school administrators to manage the paradigm shift from informal to formal career guidance and counseling practices (CGCPs) remain. Meanwhile, the effects of these CGCPs on students' gains of career-related abilities and interests directly and indirectly remain under-researched.Originality/Value: This article integrates research into the developmental trend of career guidance practices in secondary schools and the study of academic self-concept. The article builds upon previous self-concept research by proposing an extended self-concept model that includes the career-related domain, setting a theoretical model for further research to explore. Finally, the article demonstrates the importance of tailoring career guidance activities in secondary education to reflect the diverse career-related self-concepts held by today's students with diverse abilities. Copyright © 2020 The Author(s).

Many societies, including Hong Kong, allow for outsourcing curriculum delivery to third parties using government funds (state-funded ed-outsourcing). Previous research conducted in other contexts at the respective levels of government and schools suggests that outsourced education perpetuates or even aggravates the educational inequity observed in overall education. However, empirical research documenting the interaction between government policies and school-level practices is very limited, especially in the Asian context. Considering the great role played by context in shaping the impact of a policy, there is a need for research that addresses this gap. This paper, drawing on government documents on relevant policies as well as reports on grant use allocated for ed-outsourcing from a third of Hong Kong secondary schools, shows that while the government is trying to ensure educational equity through ed-outsourcing, some equity-related issues have remained. It also identifies the factors contributing to the equity landscape around ed-outsourcing and presents policy suggestions to ensure the equity of education provided in partnership with third parties. Copyright © 2019 Asian Productivity Organization.

To increase the competitive position in the higher education sector, management teams of self-financing institutions have to investigate critical factors influencing satisfaction of students studying at sub-degree and undergraduate degree levels so as to implement appropriate strategies in recruiting students. We adopted a model of Strategic Enrolment Management (SEM) to investigate student satisfaction on tertiary studies. 626 questionnaires were collected to investigate the critical factors affecting student satisfaction in studying self-financed programs. The findings revealed that marketing, admission, academic advising, career services, institutional research and peer influence are the critical factors affecting students' perceived satisfaction. The results provide insightful information and suggestions on how self-financing higher education institutions could improve student satisfaction and further strengthen their institutional strategies and management in increasing the competiveness. Copyright © 2018 International Economic Society.

Since 1997, the Hong Kong government adopted a ‘biliterate and trilingual’ language policy, aimed at developing biliterate (written Chinese and English) and trilingual (Cantonese, Putonghua and English) citizens. However, Hong Kong secondary schools did not have an agreed approach for this policy implementation, and the Medium of Instruction (MOI) arrangements have been controversial. In response, the government decided to fine-tune MOI arrangements for secondary schools in 2009, allowing them the flexibility to decide on appropriate MOI arrangements. This paper reports on a case study of the trilingual education approach of a Hong Kong secondary school after the introduction of the fine-tuning policy. Research methods employed include questionnaire surveys, interviews and analysis of recorded lessons. Research findings suggest that various factors need to be considered when adopting a trilingual education approach. First, students found it more appropriate to use Cantonese than Putonghua as the MOI for teaching Chinese Language, and the effectiveness of using Putonghua as the MOI (PMI) was questioned by Chinese Language subject teachers and the principal. Second, although some subjects such as Integrated Science and Mathematics were taught using English as the MOI, mixed code is prevalent in classroom teaching. Third, the importance of using the mother tongue in teaching is emphasised. It is hoped that this study will shed light on how trilingual education can be implemented effectively in secondary schools. Copyright © 2020 University of Westminster Press.

粵港澳大灣區項目,在針對教育方面的內容,皆在十九大報告、習近平視察廣東重要講話、兩會中所提及並有所強調。本文主要闡述了灣區在教育建設方面的重要性及其意義,並結合國外三大灣區的特點,對粵港澳大灣區教育建設提出各方面改進措施及建議。