There is a lack of empirical research into group dialogue and questioning - the most basic component of teaching in art lessons. This study investigated the dialogues conducted by primary school visual arts teachers with their students. Eight teacher participants were observed and their teaching was examined against a theoretical framework constructed from a spectrum of dialogue and questioning strategies proposed by various theorists. From the observed dialogues, it was found that most teachers focused primarily on the observation and visual analysis of artworks. They also introduced some essential contextual knowledge to their students. However, interpretations of artworks were rather limited. Lastly, the development of students' personal connections with and judgment of artworks were ignored by most of the teachers. The study is particularly meaningful given the increased emphasis on learning art criticism in the new visual arts curriculum and amidst the latest cultural developments in Hong Kong. Copyright © 2019 Australian Institute of Art Education.

This article examines the cross-cultural experience of immigrant students in Hong Kong and the U.S. state of California and the role of their cultural capital in the cross-cultural identity process. It begins with a review of studies on the challenges of immigrant students in schools. A theoretical framework is then established to examine the cross-cultural experience of these students based on the evidence obtained from the literature. The article concludes with a discussion of the study’s implications for educational provision to immigrant students. Copyright © 2018 [National FORUM Journal]. All rights reserved.

This study presents a systematic review of previous research on e-book-based language learning. E-book-based language learning has been increasingly investigated in the field of language education, whereas previous review studies of relevant literature were relatively low in volume and incomprehensive from aspects of research participants and research perspectives. In the present study, we identified 52 relevant journal articles on e-book-based language learning published in the recent decade, coding them from three dimensions: methodology, e-book devices and features, and research issues and findings. The results indicated that: (a) most studies on e-book-based language learning were of a large sample size and one-session investigation; (b) pre-school children and university students were the most frequently investigated sample groups; (c) computers and tablets were the most frequently used devices; (d) multimedia, feedback giving, gamification and personalisation were the four features most frequently applied in enhancing the efficiency of e-book-based language learning; (e) researchers collected and processed data mainly through pre- and post-tests and group comparisons; (f) learning outcomes, learning behaviours and learners’ psychological states were investigated in most studies, whereby the findings indicated overall positive effects of e-book on language learning. Copyright © 2020 Laboratory for Knowledge Management & E-Learning, The University of Hong Kong.

The concept of happiness has been addressed from both philosophical and psychological perspectives. Given the possible connection between happiness and well-being, the promotion of happiness in teaching and learning and the development of ＂happy schools＂ have gained increasing attention. The present exploratory empirical study is conducted in Hong Kong and investigates the teaching of happiness in a sample of pre-service and in-service teachers. Their perceptions of teaching happiness are also compared, which may have implications for teacher education and development programmes. The results reveal that whilst pre-service and in-service teachers have different perceptions of happiness, many agree on the importance of teaching happiness and the key role of teachers, positive emotions in such teaching. The findings suggest that from the perspective of life education, more attention should be given to teaching happiness through different perspectives and strategies, including the development of happy schools.人們通常從哲學和心理學的角度來理解幸福的概念。有鑑於快樂和幸福感之間可能存在的聯繫，在教學中推廣快樂與幸福感以及發展「幸福學校」越來越受到重視。本文以香港地區教師為研究對象，以香港在職及職前教師為樣本，旨在探討快樂教學的探索性實證研究。本文比較了在職教師及職前教師對教授快樂與幸福感的看法，並討論不同的看法對教師教育和教師發展計畫的制定可能產生的影響。結果顯示，雖然職前和在職教師對快樂與幸福感有不同的看法，但多數教師都同意教授快樂與幸福感的重要性，並肯定教師的正向情緒在教授快樂與幸福感中的關鍵作用。此外，從生命教育的角度來看，教育者應多加思考透過不同的視角和策略來教授幸福，亦應考慮發展「幸福學校」。 Copyright © 2020 社團法人台灣生命教育學會.

This paper examines the global implications of policy borrowing, employing case examples of Chinese school systems, which enjoy the success of grafting new identities to improve education. The paper comments on contemporary scholars’ use of identity grafting theory (Lee in Managing Chineseness: identity and ethnic management in Singapore, Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2017) to generate insights on how schools, teachers and students engaged educational change in mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore. Scholars presented empirical findings by using identity grafting constructs to explain education stakeholders’ diverse responses to change: (1) born-again—rejecting change by reviving traditional practices; (2) repression—repressing traditional identities instead of embracing change; (3) integration—combining traditional identities and progressive change to achieve a balance; and (4) situationalism—developing new identities that transcend boundaries between traditional identities and progressive change. The scholars contributed research that advances the theorization of identity grafting. First, rising born-again Chinese sentiments seek to reject the imposition of a singular Chinese identity imposed by state governments. Born-again Chineseness no longer singularly focuses on defending traditional identities against Western influences. Second, a better understanding is achieved on identity repression—change resistance results from a displaced focus on repressing traditional identities. Third, the prevalence of identity integration strategies can be explained by intensive policy borrowing in the region. Policy borrowers need to ensure externally imposed identities are represented to overcome challenges generated by identity grafting strategies that impede progressive change. This popularity of integrationist strategies accounts for the challenges in achieving identity situationalism—policy borrowing needs culturally divisive identity markers that provide clear indicators to

The education reform in Hong Kong advocated the Project Approach as an effective pedagogy to support childrens' learning through exploration and play. This paper outlines a case study of a Hong Kong kindergarten which implemented the project approach using a picture book and digital picture book as a stimulus to begin the project topic and develop the inquiry process. The qualitative data sources included analysis of documentation such as teacher lesson plans, teacher questionnaire on reflection, documentation of children's works and activity photos of the project. The findings revealed that picture book was a good stimulus to arouse children's interest. The children were observed to be highly engaged in the investigation and the benefits from the picture book in project were not limited to literacy learning but also integrated learnings such as in the domains of music and movement, drama, and science. Additionally, the project provided opportunities to use the 21st skills of collaborating, communicating, creativity and critical thinking. The case also acts as an example of implementing the project approach in a non-Western context and recommendations are made for Hong Kong early child educators who participate the education reform. Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). All Rights Reserved.

This article reports the results of a study that assesses the effectiveness of a Philosophy in Schools (PIS) programme in developing students' thinking skills and English competence in Hong Kong. In the study, training and support were provided for three Integrated Humanities (IH) teachers to enable them to teach PIS to their Secondary 3 English as a Second Language (ESL) students. The students were found to be capable of reasoning and arguing in a competent way about philosophical problems arising from various stimuli prepared by their teachers according to the IH curriculum. PIS was also found to play a major role in promoting the students' critical and creative thinking and to enhance the development of their English language proficiency to a significant extent. The findings of this study suggest that integrating philosophy into the IH curriculum can promote critical thinking, creative thinking and English language proficiency in ESL students. Copyright © 2020 University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education.

The aim of this paper is to examine blended learning as an integral component of a learning culture. By drawing on two concepts- habitus and field - we consider the cultural learning experiences of postgraduate students within the context of a Hong Kong University. It is an examination that allows for an appreciation of both an individual as well as a collective experience of blended learning and in so doing it demonstrates how power is (always) an issue within learning cultures. The paper goes on to argue that if blended learning is to achieve its goal in terms of enhancing learning there is a need to have a better understanding of learning itself where questions are asked concerning the learner, the locations where learning occurs and processes of learning. Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). All Rights Reserved.

In this article, the processes and patterning of translanguaging and trans-semiotizing in facilitating Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) are examined in Cantonese-English bilingual contexts. Classroom interaction data and students’ written exercises/assignments were collected to analyse the processes of feeling-meaning making among junior secondary students and their teacher in English-medium Integrated Humanities classrooms in Hong Kong. Discourse analysis on classroom data and student exercises/assignments shows that translanguaging and trans-semiotizing naturally emerge in the dynamics of feeling-meaning making and the teacher and students have challenged the dominance of English and contested the previous stabilized cultural patterns of academic and non-academic registers via orchestrating Cantonese and English, formal and social languages, visual elements and physical items in the immediate environment. It is therefore suggested that translanguaging and trans-semiotizing should not only be seen as a spontaneous, naturally occurring process but can also be incorporated in multilingual CLIL classrooms as planned systematic scaffolding.本文針對雙語環境中學科與語言整合式教學(CLIL)，嘗試探討以跨語際、跨符號實踐作為課堂教學鷹架的過程與模式。本文以香港初中英文綜合人文(Integrated Humanities)課堂為例，蒐集、分析課堂互動錄影及學生課後習作，剖析師生共同建構情感意義的過程。分析表明，師生為令課堂連貫流暢，協調粵語、英語以及正式和非正式語言的運用，調動視覺元素及課堂環境中的相關物件，自然地以跨語際、跨符號實踐表情達意。英語的主導地位以及關於學術及非學術語域的傳統觀念也在無意中被挑戰。因此本文提出除了作為即時的自發現象，跨語際、跨符號實踐還可作為有計劃及系統的鷹架支持，運用於帶有多語言背景的CLIL課堂中。 Copyright © 2020 National Taiwan Normal University.

This study attempts to address the "teacher expertise gap" in L2 writing research, using "adaptive expertise" as a specific tool for understanding the notion of writing teacher expertise. Drawing upon language teacher education research and L2 writing research, and using teacher interviews and classroom observation as data sources, the study explores the expertise of three writing teachers from different schools in Hong Kong, as well as the factors that may have contributed to their expertise. The findings of the study show six key components of teacher expertise as demonstrated in the participating teachers, comprising integrated knowledge base about writing and teaching writing; student-centred pedagogy focusing on learner motivation and confidence building; professional visions, self-agency, and reflectivity; leadership in writing innovations; passion as teachers of writing and as writers; and ongoing teacher learning and progressive problem solving as pivotal to writing teacher expertise. The study suggests the rich, dynamic, and contextual nature of writing teacher expertise, which is influenced by teachers' cognitive engagements, social interactions, and affective experiences in their situated contexts. The paper concludes with implications for the teaching of writing and writing teacher education. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.