Background: Students in Hong Kong often lack creativity when writing compositions. Based on the dual coding theory and the Multidimensional Interactive Creative Imagination Imagery Model, imagery training may help students to write more creatively.
Aims: This study is to investigate the effectiveness of the imagery teaching method imagery as a creative thinking skill.
Sample: 2 classes of students (37 and 36) participated in this pre-test, intervention, post-test writing study. One class received imagery training while the other class did not.
Method: Using hierarchical regressions, path analyses and a structural equation model, their compositions were evaluated in 4 ways: fluency, uniqueness, content, and grammar/convention.
Results: Students receiving imagery training performed better than the other students in the areas of fluency, uniqueness and content, but not grammar. Furthermore, girls were more likely to do well on the content part in the post-test than boys.
Conclusion: Imagery training is useful in enhancing students' creativity in Chinese Composition. Further research is suggested in the following two areas: training program and the process of creative writing by dual-coding theory.
香港的學生在寫作時一般都被認為欠缺創意，基於the dual coding theory 和the multidimensional interactive creative imagination imagery model，意象教學相信有助學生寫出更有創意的文章。本研究請來兩班各有37 及36 名學生，參與了包括預先測試、介入教學及培訓結束考核的寫作教學研究，其中一班受過意象教學訓練，另外一班則未有受訓。透過等級制度的回歸、軌道分析及 結構性的 方程式模型 ，們的作文會就以下四方面得到評核：流暢性、獨特性、內容及語法。結果顯示，受過意象教學訓練的一班學生在流暢性、獨特性、內容等方面的表現均比沒有受過意象教學訓練的一班較佳，但在語法上則沒有影響；同時，在培訓結束考核中，女生在語法的表現亦較男生為佳。
[Copyright of New Horizons: The Journal of Education, Hong Kong Teachers' Associationl is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Association at http://www.hkta1934.org.hk/]

This article examines whether the later development of awareness of gender issues in Hong Kong compared to Australia is reflected in patterns of gender representation in the English language textbooks published in these two places. A comparison of 10 currently-used Australian books with 10 Hong Kong books revealed that such awareness has impacted most on the use of gender-inclusive terms and symmetrical phrases in both places. The Australian writers tended to use generic they while their Hong Kong counterparts preferred either the coordination he or she or 'generic' he. Both sets of writers maintained the convention of male-first presentation, depicted women in a more limited range of social roles, and presented stereotyped images of women as weaker and more passive than men, and as operating primarily within domestic domains. The visual representations also reinforced traditional gendered roles. Hong Kong textbook writers, nevertheless, paid more heed to the inclusion of females visually. Controversy persists over whether textbook writers should reflect reality or whether they should lead social change and strive for gender equality.
[Copyright of Journal of Gender Studies is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09589231003695856]