Achievement emotions have been identified as important psychologic constructs that are closely linked with self-regulated learning and academic achievement (Pekrun, Goetz, Titz, & Perry, 2002; Pekrun, Goetz, Frenzel, Barchfeld, & Perry, 2011). Very recently, a team of researchers (Pekrun, Lichtenfeld, Marsh, Murayama, & Goetz, 2017) have identified the reciprocal relationships between achievement emotions and academic performance through longitudinal design. Despite these desirable outcomes associated with positive achievement emotions, experimental studies aiming to enhance students’ positive emotions are rare. This study extends achievement emotions research by using an experimental design. An intervention approach termed Team-based Learning (TBL, Michaelsen & Sweet, 2011) was implemented in a general breath course in a Hong Kong university. Experimental and control classes were used. Two negative emotions (anxiety and boredom) were included in order to better understand the effect of TBL as an intervention approach to promote positive and reduce negative emotions in learning. The Chinese version of learning-related Achievement Emotions Questionnaire (L-AEQ, Yang, 2017) was used to test students’ positive and negative emotions (enjoyment, hope, anxiety, boredom). The results showed in the TBL class, students’ enjoyment and hope significantly enhanced, meanwhile students’ boredom and anxiety declined. Comparatively, there were no significant changes in terms of positive and negative emotions in the control class. Implications of TBL as one of productive educational interventions to promote students’ enjoyment and hope in learning are discussed in relation to the control-value theory of achievement emotions. Copyright © 2018 ERAS-APERA International Conference.

In the last two decades there has been a growing trend of adopting English medium instruction (EMI) in universities. EMI increases the need for teaching English for specific purposes, so as to help students develop discipline-specific English language skills. Summary writing skills in such a disciplinary context are considered to be essential as students need to comprehend, synthesise and integrate source materials into their own academic writings. This paper focuses on a project supporting students’ summary writing skills through ESP summary writing workshops and an online learning platform in a university in Hong Kong. Data were collected through students’ self-reflections and post-workshop interviews. Findings reveal that disciplinary-specific summary writing training raises students’ awareness of writing skills that can be adapted to writings in their own subject courses; students also perceived that the online learning platform offers the chance for them to self-evaluate their own summaries and regulate their own learning. The present study contributes to the understanding of strategies that can support university students’ discipline-specific summary writing skills in the EMI context. Copyright © 2018 Asia TEFL.

Chinese is a tone language, i.e., pitch cues are used to distinguish different lexical meanings. Chinese tones are important but difficult for foreign learners who acquire Chinese as a second language (L2). This paper provided a systematic discussion on teaching methods, including the teaching methods and materials as well as the teaching sequence of Chinese tones. Based on the tone categories and pitch features of Chinese tones, this paper proposes several effective methods of teaching tones to second language learners. From the perspective of tone categories, there are two methods to enhance tone teaching: (1) applying minimal pairs, which consist of same segments of consonants and vowels but different tones; (2) applying meaningful phrases in the tone order. From the perspective of pitch features, there are three effective methods for tone teaching: (1) utilizing the similarities between musical tones and linguistic tones; (2) utilizing the visual assistance of pitch contours; (3) utilizing multimedia assistance of simple acoustic measurement, which can be realized by a free software called Praat. In addition to tones in isolated citation form, the teaching sequence for tones in non-canonical forms are also discussed. The teaching materials and methods proposed in this paper can help to enhance the efficiency of teaching Chinese tones to L2 learners.漢語的一個顯著特點是聲調語言，這在對外漢語教學中既是重點也是難點。本文系統地探討了對外漢語聲調教學的方法，包括教學中可使用的材料、手段以及注意事項等。從漢語聲調本身的特點出發，有兩種教學方法可以應用：第一，巧用聲調的最小語音配對，通過辨識詞義和反復朗讀讓留學生熟習國語的四個聲調。第二，巧用按聲調順序排列的詞組或成語，幫助留學生記憶和熟習漢語的聲調。若從音高的特性和呈現方式出發，以下幾種方法也可以幫助留學生掌握漢語的聲調：第一，巧用音樂音高或語調音高和聲調音高的耦合訓練學生的聲調聽辨能力。第二，巧用聲調音高曲線的視覺形象，幫助留學生掌握漢語聲調的調高和調形。第三，巧用簡單的語音測量（在免費軟體PRAAT 下完成）輔助聲調教學。除了標準字調的教學，本文還探討了變調的教學。本文提出的教學資料和方法，能幫助二語學習者更有效地學習漢語的聲調。 Copyright © 2019 The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK).

While there is growing recognition of the mutually shaping relationship between teaching with information technology (IT) and teachers' beliefs, skills and self‐efficacy, there has been a paucity of research attention on the construction of teacher identity during actual IT‐assisted in‐class teaching and out‐of‐class networking with students, in a full institutional and social context. This study investigates how a group of secondary school English as a second language (ESL) teachers regulated their teaching and practices and constructed their identities in relation to governmental requirements for the use of IT in teaching. Teachers from seven government‐subsidised schools in Hong Kong were interviewed about their experiences of using IT in teaching. We frame the reported practices of these teachers as a process of construction of identity, formed in the context of the 'governmentality' supporting current examination‐oriented educational policy. Observing from the perspective of what has been termed 'governmentality' and an ethical framework for self‐formation of personal identity makes it possible to see these teachers' professional identities constructed through the use of IT practices within the contradictory conditions of professional/personal demands, compliance/resistance, school promotion/peer non‐cooperation, advantage/disadvantage in use of IT, use of IT/content and pedagogical knowledge. This study has implications for developing a more supportive and rational environment for the use of IT in teaching, in which more autonomy and identity options—rather than constraints—can be provided for teachers in the digital era. This study also informs practitioners and policy makers in other educational settings experiencing a similar IT boom in teaching. Copyright © 2019 British Educational Research Association.

This study was designed to explore how secondary students perceive the use of flipped classroom for learning computer programming. Specifically, it aimed to investigate the effects of flipped classroom on students’ learning and acquisition of programming knowledge and skills. Flipped classroom is known as a blended learning approach in which learning materials are delivered online, out of class for self-study in advance of classes, while homework assignments are transformed into class activities. This approach leverages technology and digital resources to support students in independent and online learning. It also enables teachers to minimize direct instruction and maximize student involvement in both teacher-student and student-student interactions. In this study, forty students from two Information and Communications Technology (ICT) classes (18 students in Secondary 4 and 22 in Secondary 5) in a Hong Kong secondary school were involved. Flipped classroom was adopted to teach students about computer programming topics (conditional, repetition and array) in both classes. Data were collected from a questionnaire and two interview sessions to explore students’ views on using flipped classroom to learn computer programming. The findings of this study indicate that students in the flipped classroom, regardless of their performance level, experienced stronger grasp of programming knowledge and higher engagement in learning programming concepts. Our findings also highlight limitations with this study that could be addressed in future work. Copyright © 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

This study explores 16 non-native English teachers' beliefs and practices about pronunciation teaching in Hong Kong. Drawing on data from the teachers' written reflections and follow-up interviews, the findings suggest that these non-native English teachers understood the importance and goal of pronunciation teaching but appeared unconfident and ill-prepared in their teaching. Their lack of confidence was not only a result of insufficient training but also of their non-native English teacher status influenced by specific institutional and sociocultural contexts. Important implications for EFL teacher education and professional development are drawn. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved.

Many studies have found that the preschool curriculum in Hong Kong still reflects the influences of its social and cultural context that emphasises teacher-directed learning. Developing creativity in preschools requires teachers to change their familiar practices. A good understanding of teachers’ actual practices for facilitating creativity in the classroom is an important first step for educators dedicated to pedagogical change. This study aims to investigate the creativity-fostering pedagogy that teachers actually use in their classrooms to draw attention to the crucial aspects of effective creativity-fostering pedagogy in Hong Kong preschool settings. This study employed a qualitative research approach to explore and analyse the characteristic features of creativity-fostering practice in Hong Kong preschools with results presented in the form of case studies. Semi-structured interviews and classroom observations were used as data sources and content analysis was performed to examine the features and the effectiveness of teachers’ creativity-fostering pedagogical practices. Findings revealed that the three Chinese teachers held similar perspectives about creativity-fostering pedagogies and their perspectives were mainly rooted in Western pedagogies. However, the three cases demonstrated the different interpretation of these pedagogical perspectives, ranging from being strongly teacher-directed to strongly child-centred. A balance between teacher-directed and child-centred was found to be more effective pedagogic practice in the Chinese classroom. Results suggested that different creativity-fostering pedagogies might work for certain contexts and certain children and an awareness of both cultural and contextual appropriateness is important for creativity reform. Copyright © 2018 The Asian Conference on Education.

Translanguaging originally referred to a pedagogical practice in bilingual classrooms where languages alternate for both receptive and productive uses (Cen William, 1994). Translanguaging has later been given deeper theoretical meaning; it is theorized as complex, fluid, and multiple discursive meaning making practices in bi/multilingual contexts (García, 2009; García & Li, 2014; García & Lin, 2016). Although translanguaging has been investigated as a pedagogical strategy in bi/multilingual contexts such as content and language integrated learning (CLIL) classrooms where English is used as the medium of instruction (Lin, 2013; Lin & Wu, 2015; Lin & He, 2017), it has remained under-researched in Chinese-as-second-language contexts where translanguaging is practiced to facilitate communication between the Chinese teacher and the non-Chinese speaking (NCS) learners during the teaching of Chinese as a second language (Tse & Loh, 2014). Due to the multilingual and multicultural backgrounds of the NCS learners, especially kindergarten learners who are emerging bilinguals, it is difficult to help (young) NCS learners to acquire the integration of 形 (form), 音 (sound) and 義 (meaning) which are fundamental aspects of the learning of Chinese characters. This research examines the effects of translanguaging in CSL classrooms of kindergarten NCS learners by focusing on: 1) Whether translanguaging can facilitate kindergarten NCS students’ acquisition of Chinese characters? 2) How translanguaging and trans-semiotizing (Lin, 2013) facilitate the teaching and learning of Chinese as a second language in multilingual and multicultural learning backgrounds? 140 learners of three grades (K1, K2 and K3) from both EMI and CMI kindergartens in Hong Kong will participate in this research. 70 students in the experiment group will receive lessons which allow translanguaging between both Chinese and English as medium of instruction in the Chinese lessons while the other 70 students in the control

There are about 17,000 kindergarteners (for 3 to 6 years old) learning Chinese as a second language (CSL) in Hong Kong (HK). Research shows that these children’s Chinese language (CL) ability is at least 3 years behind their native Chinese counterparts while encountering difficulties in learning (Tse & Loh, 2014). It is also a challenge for the teachers to cater for such huge learning diversity, as HK kindergartens mainly use the theme-based approach without deliberate consideration of CL curriculum (HK Education Bureau, 2006). Without professional training in CSL teaching, teachers have little knowledge of how to provide these students with adequate support. The present study aims to examine the possibility and effectiveness of implementing a CSL curriculum for CSL students in “content and language integrated learning” (CLIL) classrooms where Chinese is used as the medium of instruction (Lin, 2013; Lin & Wu, 2015; Lin & He, 2017), and how well it works with the existing themebased curriculum. “Dynamic Enrichment Learning Mode” (DELM) was developed and implemented in six kindergartens with 131 CSL learners. This CSL-focused DELM was designed based on the Second Language Acquisition (Krashen, 1982) and CL orthographic (Leong et al., 2011) theories and comprises the following: (1) tailormade individual (one 30-minute session every fortnight) and group (two 30-minute sessions every week) enrichment learning activities; (2) using both CSL and mainstream theme-based curricula; (3) authentic learning materials (e.g. picture books and specially written children’s songs based on the learning objectives of each unit); (4) diversified learning activities (e.g. interactive language games, matching games, free writing games etc.). CSL students learn together during the enrichment activities, and then return to their ordinary classes to learn with their native Chinese classmates to benefit from both the CSL and theme-based curricula. This enables them to immerse in a safe, comfortable

Learning Study, an enriched version of lesson study, developed during the education reform era in Hong Kong and evolved into a participatory action research model with a theoretical underpinning framework and collaboration between teachers and university researchers. It has once been used as a major model for enhancing partnership between a university and schools for the preparation of pre-service teachers in Hong Kong. In recent years, a shifting focus of this partnership model has been witnessed with recognition of broader needs of schools as well as the accomplishment of a wide range of educational goals including: promoting peer observation through open lessons which serve as a platform for professional exchange; fostering assessment for learning; developing self-directed learning and e-learning strategies, etc.. With the university school collaboration under the Learning Study approach, the value and applicability of the above new initiatives are put into empirical research.This paper reviews the Learning Study programs and projects developed since year 2000 in one of the major teacher training university in Hong Kong, the Education University of Hong Kong. Documents including reports, program books, case studies reports, monographs and related research papers are collected and reviewed in order to identify the challenges encountered and the resolutions found in developing the Learning Study approach in the school community in Hong Kong. Using the framework of Walse & Backe (2013) about the characteristics of effective university-school partnership, this paper analyzes the strategies and critical elements of the Learning Study approach to be developed as a long-lasting and major universityschool partnership model.This paper first illustrates the development of the Learning Study approach in Hong Kong since year 2000 to explicate the shifting focus of university-school partnership - from meeting the need of school placement to accomplish broader education goals by