In the past, visual arts education in Hong Kong was not considered an important area of early childhood education. While the Hong Kong kindergarten curriculum has recently been updated to encourage creativity, there remains a lack of adequate visual arts education for young children. This deficiency stems from the fact that the visual arts receive minimal attention within Hong Kong teacher education programs. Little research has been conducted on how visual arts education is actually delivered in local kindergarten classrooms in Hong Kong and what kinds of artistic knowledge and skills kindergarten teachers need. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate kindergarten teachers' content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge in early visual arts education (EVAE) and to identify the challenges they faced in teaching visual arts to children. The study surveyed 342 in-service kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong and conducted individual interviews with 12 participants. The findings revealed that Hong Kong kindergarten teachers generally performed well in terms of their pedagogical content knowledge, but they lacked content knowledge in various forms of early visual arts (EVA) and faced challenges in teaching visual arts effectively. This study has the potential to change how early childhood visual arts teaching is conceptualized and taught in Hong Kong and other Asian regions. Copyright ©2025 Springer.

This qualitative study examined the pedagogical thoughts of three kindergarten teachers in the English classroom practice. It is a partial replication of Gatbonton Model (1999, 2008) and Mullock Model (2006). Three teachers were invited to attend stimulated recall interviews to explain their segments of their lesson recordings. The underlying assumption is the cognitive thinking of teachers can be coded when they are prompted with visual or audio aids. These pedagogical thoughts were labeled and categorized into 50 pedagogical thoughts under eight domains. The highest consulted pedagogical thoughts of the three teachers were compared and discussed to find patterns, and similarities and differences. The data were further studied to find out the PCK of kindergarten English teachers (PCK-EKT). Seven PCK components were identified: (1) Subject Content Knowledge (PCK-SCK), (2) Knowledge of Students (PCK-KS), (3) Knowledge of Educational Context (PCK-KEC), (4) Knowledge of Education Ends (PCKKEE), (5) Knowledge of Curriculum (PCK-KCu), (6) General Pedagogical Knowledge, and (7) Child-friendly Pedagogy. With a focus to inform teaching practice, the components are basically like the seven categories of Shulman’s teacher knowledgeg. The derived PCK-EKT emphasizes the knowledge in PCK. For example, PCK-SCK means Subject Content Knowledge within teaching kindergarten English. The knowledge is discipline-specific. The category in teacher knowledge in Shulman’s model is in a broad sense. Besides, the PCK development of the three teachers was recorded. Their stories give insights on teacher professional development and the role of principals in ‘nurturing’ competent English teachers. All rights reserved.

This paper is to investigate kindergarten teachers’ understanding of play and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in practicing play-based curriculum. Kindergarten teachers’ professional knowledge, particularly their PCK, has always been considered an important component in securing the quality of early childhood education (Hedges & Cullen, 2005, Sheridan et al., 2009, Wood & Bennett, 2000). This study is built upon the work of Shulman (1986, 1987). Among seven domains of knowledge, PCK blends both content and pedagogy, encompasses both teachers’ understanding of content areas and enactments, with aims to develop better practices for children. This specific domain constitutes knowledge base of teachers to warrant the quality of play-based curricular practice. This study invited 19 kindergartens and 29 teachers. Using the interpretivist approach, qualitative data were collected through classroom observations and teacher focus group interviews to gain a deeper understanding about the kinds of PCK embedded in their actual practice. The present study has met the university’s research ethics. Informed consent has also been obtained from kindergarten principals, teachers and parents of the participating children. Our findings indicated that kindergarten teachers’ situated form of knowledge appeared as significant as their PCK in shaping their professional practice of play-based curriculum. Teachers conceived that ongoing complexities and dilemmas that circumscribing their practice required them to constantly frame, adapt and modify pedagogical strategies. Findings revealed that teachers’ knowledge on play-based pedagogy is contextually bounded. This study gives insights into how teachers develop situated wisdom to complement their PCK in constructing authentic play-based learning in classes. Copyright © 2018 28th EECERA Conference.

Extending Shulman’s work, this study investigated kindergarten teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in developing play-based learning. Data were collected from focus group interviews with 29 teachers, head teachers, and principals in Hong Kong. Findings suggested the development of play-based learning is contextual. Teachers believed that ongoing complexities and dilemmas regulating their practice which required them to modify pedagogical strategies. Situated forms of knowledge were found as dispensable component shaping their professional practice. This study highlighted how teachers developed pedagogical wisdom to complement their practice involving the construction of effective play-based learning. Copyright © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

漢語師資培育課程設置「現代漢語」科是建基於漢語教師須具備漢語知識才能有效教授學生學習漢語的理念。筆者於2012年進行了「國際漢語教師元語言知識運用的個案研究」，分析受試者（修讀香港教育學院「國際漢語教學文學碩士課程」中「現代漢語」科的學生）在實習期間的教學實錄和反思紀錄，了解受試者能否有意識運用語言知識來教學，即探討「教師漢語元語言意識」的發展和所產生的作用。結果顯示現代漢語知識達中等水平的準教師在教學過程中運用漢語知識的意識不強。筆者因此反思漢語師資培育課程中「現代漢語」科的教學取向，於2012-2013年增加了「漢語知識在漢語教學上的運用」的小組專題報告和個人教學實習反思報告，以加強發展學生（準教師）的漢語元語言意識，提高他們運用漢語知識來加強教學成效的能力。本論文綜合分析30名學生（準教師）「現代漢語」科的學習成果，進一步探討純漢語知識學習和「教師漢語元語言意識」發展的關係，以及檢討師資培育課程中「現代漢語」科的教學策略運用。This article reflected on the traditional belief of the direct relationship between language knowledge learnt by the language teaches and their ability to teach language in the classroom. The notion of development of Teacher Metalinguistic Awareness, (hereby referred to as TMA), was discussed in the article. TMA was regarded as an important factor contributing to effective language teaching (Andrews, 1997; 1999; 2001; 2003; 2006; 2007). Assessment result of 30 students (pre-service teachers) of the Modern Chinese Course was thoroughly analyzed. The teaching strategy used in the Course was revisited based on the analysis of the assessment result. This finding would shed light on the continuous action research on the development of Teacher Metalinguistic Awareness through the teaching of Modern Chinese of a CSL Teacher Education Programme. Copyright © 2015 台灣華語文教學學會.

Flipping the classroom is a current pedagogical innovation in many schools and universities. Although interest in flipped classroom (or Inverted Classroom) continues to grow, its implementation so far has been driven more by teachers' intuitive beliefs, rather than empirically-based principles. Many studies merely replace in-class instructions with videos and use class time for group discussions. But what instructional design framework should we use in planning the overall flipped classroom approach? This paper attempts to answer this question through two exploratory studies conducted in a Hong Kong secondary school. In Study 1, a flipped classroom Mathematics remedial approach was offered for underperforming students (n = 13) in Form 6 (Grade 12). In Study 2, high ability students (n = 24) in Form 6 participated in another flipped classroom Mathematics training approach. Both flipped classroom approaches utilized the First Principles of Instruction design theory. Paired t-test results indicated significant learning gains in both groups of students. Based on the suggestions of students and teacher as well as the existing literature, several recommendations for course planning, out-of-class learning, and in-class learning of flipped classroom are proposed.

This paper aims to explore whether Learning Study improves teachers' subject content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and attitude toward teaching mathematics. A Learning Study was conducted in a Hong Kong primary school for a research lesson on comparing the size of fractions to explore the new teacher roles.
[Copyright © Korean Society of Mathematical Education].

In this paper, qualitative results of a case study about the professional knowledge in the area of argumentation and proof of future teachers from universities in three countries are described. Based on results of open questionnaires, data about the competencies these future teachers have in the areas of mathematical knowledge and knowledge of mathematics pedagogy are presented. The study shows that the majority of the future teachers at the participating universities situated in Germany, Hong Kong and Australia, were not able to execute formal proofs, requiring only lower secondary mathematical content, in an adequate and mathematically correct way. In contrast, in all samples there was evidence of at least average competencies of pedagogical content reflection about formal and pre-formal proving in mathematics teaching. However, it appears that possessing a mathematical background as mandated for teaching and having a high affinity with proving in mathematics teaching at the lower secondary level are not a sufficient preparation for teaching proof.
[Copyright © FIZ Karlsruhe 2008.]

This study examines the differences and similarities of mathematics teachers’ subject matter knowledge among England, the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. Data were collected from a ten-item test in the SKIMA subject matter audit instrument [Rowland, T.; Martyn, S.; Barber, P. & Heal, C. (2000). Primary teacher trainees’ mathematics subject knowledge and classroom performance. In: T. Rowland & C. Morgan (eds.), Research in Mathematics Education, Volume 2 (pp. 3–18). ME 2000e.03066] from over 500 participants. Results showed that participants from England performed consistently better, with those from Hong Kong being next and then followed by those from the Chinese mainland. The qualitative data revealed that participants from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland were fluent in applying routines to solve problems, but had some difficulties in offering explanations or justifications.
[Copyright © 2010 Korean Society of Mathematical Education.]