This pilot study was about the effectiveness of the integration policy for disabled children in Hong Kong's mainstream kindergartens from the viewpoints of teachers.
[Copyright © 2005 Common Ground, Yuk Ching Eva Lai.]

Researchers have warned of the need to identify accurately students who are underachieving in Hong Kong, particularly among the gifted group. When comparing the relative effectiveness of three methods for estimating the proportion of underachievement, the absolute split method, using an arbitrary upper and lower limits for estimates of both performance and ability, is more useful for identifying gifted underachievers than the simple difference method (where standardized performance scores are subtracted from standardized ability scores) or the regression method. In contrast, the latter two methods are more useful for identifying underachievers at all levels of ability. All three methods, however, depend on measurements that are invariant, unidimensional and additive. With the advent of modern measurement theory using Rasch measurement models, it is now possible to satisfy these requirements. In this study, a sample of Primary 5 students in Hong Kong (n = 957) were asked to complete a test of mathematical achievement and the Ravens Progressive Matrices test in order to estimate the proportion of students who are underachieving at all levels of ability. Measurement scales were created using Rasch models for partial credit and dichotomous responses for each variable, respectively, and students placed on each scale according to their responses. Because the results are based on measurement scales that are invariant between persons, the identification of underachievement in these students across all levels of ability can be regarded as objective rather than sample dependent.
[Copyright © 2007 Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business.]

This paper reports an investigation of the job satisfaction of teachers of severely mentally handicapped (smh) schools in Hong Kong. Responses to a modified version of the Job Description Index (JDI) are shown to be internally consistent and evidence is presented of the convergent and discriminant validity of the JDI scales. The teachers of the smh students were shown to be content with aspects of their job other than promotion opportunities, more so than representative samples of Hong Kong primary, secondary, and moderate grade mentally handicapped school teachers and psychiatric nurses. The JDI scales showed some power to predict intention to leave their current job.
[Copyright © 2000 De La Salle University, Philippines.]

In most countries around the world, teachers for special education are prepared through pre-service and/or in-service programmes. In Hong Kong, the focus has been on in-service education. Currently there are no pre-service teacher preparation programmes that qualify their graduates as special education teachers. When teachers with basic education background are employed by special schools/classes, they will enroll in the in-service special education programme. This paper will present an overview of the developmental history of such a programme in Hong Kong. Since its introduction in the 1960s, the programme has undergone many changes. A critical analysis of its evolution, the changes made and their impact on the local special education scene will be discussed in light of the varying circumstances. Furthermore the paper will highlight the existing teacher preparation programme for special education as a result of the establishment of the Hong Kong Institute of Education in 1994 and the policy statement made by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 1997. Implications for future educational needs will also be emphasized.
[Copyright © 2000 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.]

The purpose of this study was to compare attitudes of final year students in teacher preparation program and in-service physical education teachers toward including students with disabilities into regular settings between Hong Kong (HK) and mainland China (MC), and to further examine the influences of attitudes on development of adapted physical education program. Total 152 participants (53 4th year students and 43 in-service teachers) from HK, and 56 students from MC participated in this study. A survey was conducted regarding students' attitudes toward inclusion (type disability can be included, type of experience and skills they need for inclusion), and opinions and concerns about inclusion (open questions). The results of survey indicated that both students and in-service teachers in HK and MC philosophically support inclusion, however, there were many concerns and different opinions regarding inclusion when they answered open-end questions. For question #1 "Students with disabilities should be taught in RPE classes" 65% (HK) and 62% (MC) students disagreed. For question #3, "Students with severe disabilities should be taught in separate classes (APE classes)", 77% (HK) and 85% (MC) agreed. The survey indicated that students from HK and MC thought special school and teachers with special training will provide better education for students with disabilities than general teacher. Survey results also indicated from question #13, "to be prepared to teach students with mild to severe disabilities, it is important that I receive training on activities that includes ideas on lesson planning for a variety of abilities levels", that 95.5% students from both HK and MC agreed and strong agreed on "need more academic preparation" for inclusion. There were no significant difference between 4th year students and in-service teachers on these items. Other results indicated that, in addition to government policies, attitudes and lack of special education training for current teachers

近年，香港所推行的教育改革積極鼓勵學校實施融合教育。融合教育是指所有學生，無論他們是具有不同的資質或能力，都應在學校裡享有同等的學習機會；要達到共融的目的，教師必須引用校本課程發展的模式，以配合學生的不同學習需要。通過有關教師的訪問，本研究旨在探討參與融合教育的教師如何運用校本課程發展去幫助融合學生學習和曾遭遇過的困難與問題。研究的結果能幫助有志推行融合教育的教師進一步在學校裡施行融合教育的工作。