Global competence has gained momentum in international policy and scholarly discourses. As a multidimensional construct, its conceptualisation has been ambiguous. So far, the OECD Global Competence Framework has been the most updated and comprehensive framework for understanding global competence. However, all current conceptualisations, including that of the OECD, have been developed in the Western context, and their applicability in non-Western contexts is questioned. In this paper, we conduct a prototype study to examine how local university students in Hong Kong understand global competence and to explore how their conceptualisations shed light on cross-cultural similarities and differences in their understanding of global competence. Based on three sub-studies (n = 276), this prototype study showed that certain features appear more frequently, are more central to global competence and are seen as more salient in people viewed globally as more competent by the participants. It provides lay (university students) cross-cultural conceptions of global competence beyond definitions and frameworks provided by scholars and international organisations. Local Hong Kong university students' conceptions of global competence not only display an assemblage of multiple dimensions resonating with the international literature but also extend it to other dimensions and features shaped by local social and cultural dynamics. Copyright © 2025 The Author(s).

Gratitude is usually conceptualised psychologically and approached through interventions largely detached from pedagogy and the wider context of school. However, its roles in learning and socialisation differ across cultures, and may impact teachers’ perceptions and practices. We interviewed teachers in Hong Kong. International school teachers emphasised the importance of gratitude in developing interpersonal relationships and saw performative acts of gratitude as lacking genuineness. Local (public) school teachers valued explicit gratitude, which they saw as essential for maintaining social harmony. These differences suggest that gratitude serves different functions in the two school systems. We discuss implications for gratitude education. Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd.

Humility as a virtue has been receiving increasing scholarly attention in the fields of philosophy and psychology (particularly positive psychology). While humility is regarded as important for knowledge production, acquisition, and transmission, philosophical and psychological inquiries indicate that the concept of humility can significantly differ across social arenas and cultural traditions. However, despite its clear educational importance, humility as a moral concept is seldom explored empirically in relation to teaching and learning. This study seeks to extend our cross-cultural understanding of humility and its association with teaching and learning practices in schools. Based on semi-structured interviews with teachers in local and international secondary schools in Hong Kong, we comparatively explore how teachers understand the concept of humility and how their understandings shape their teaching practices in classrooms. This comparative approach can provide a deeper understanding of the differences and similarities between different teachers’ understandings of humility as an important moral concept. Furthermore, this study will shed light on how educators’ moral concepts are associated with their pedagogical practices. This will provide an alternative lens to reflect on and improve teaching and learning practices, and teacher-student relations in schools. Copyright © 2021 The Education University of Hong Kong.