Human development is a cultural process, and language serves as a cultural tool is closely related to virtually all the cognitive changes. The author addresses issues of language in education, and suggests that changing the medium of instruction should not be understood as purely a pedagogical decision. The connection between culture and language is examined for understanding why Hong Kong Chinese learners are stereotyped as passive learners. Through exploring personal experience with a student teacher, the author exemplifies how narrative inquiry is found to be a pragmatic approach to support teachers to become reflective thinkers. This study argues that narrative methods can serve as pedagogical strategies in teacher education since narrative can help both teachers and learners reflect on, question, and learn from their storied experiences.
[Copyright © 2017 Edith Cowan University.]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report the design and evaluation of an inter-university collaborative project entitled "Blended learning for building student-teachers' capacity to learn and teach science-related interdisciplinary subjects." The project is a response of the science education faculty of three Hong Kong tertiary institutes to the challenge of catering to the diversity of academic backgrounds among student-teachers. Design/methodology/approach: E-learning modules have been produced covering four content domains of science. These modules are designed based on the 5E learning model and are delivered to students using the learning management system provided by Moodle. The design of the modules is iterative, based on the evaluation of three consecutive rounds of trials through student surveys, and focus group interviews with students and course lecturers. Findings: The evaluation findings indicate positive outcomes for certain attributes such as conceptual understanding, eagerness and confidence in learning science, and metacognitive reflection on students' own learning. There are challenges to be met in relation to instructional design to cater for the diversity of student abilities, and enhance motivation in self-directed learning. Practical implications: The project indicates the ways to develop students' basic science knowledge in a mixed-ability setting through the design of self-directed e-learning modules blended with their major courses and possible measures to address the limitations of such design. Originality/value: The study represents a conscious effort for the science teacher education faculty of different universities to pull together to tackle a perennial teaching and learning problem. The findings provide important insights into possible ways to blend e-learning with face-to-face learning approaches to better cater to the needs of science learners with mixed abilities to prepare them for interdisciplinary teaching.
[Copyright ©

Blended learning which combines face-to-face and online experiences of students by integrating technology into the curriculum is increasingly prevalent in university education. In a context of long time arguments on the educational value of using social networking websites on teaching and learning, this study was conducted in two higher education institutes in Hong Kong, seeking to examine the advantages and challenges of using Facebook for sharing students' assignments, and the achievement of the course objectives in two courses. Results revealed that course assessment in Facebook could facilitate student interaction and their knowledge construction. Privacy, however, is found to be an issue that needs to be looked into specifically in order to facilitate a safe and comfortable educational learning experience of students.
[Copyright © 2016 EdUHK APFSLT.]

The rapid development of mobile technologies in recent years has induced more and more students and lecturers to use powerful mobile devices (e.g. smartphones, tablets, laptop computers, etc.) and learning software/apps to assist their learning and teaching, which has greatly enhanced the effectiveness of subject learning in higher education. It is, therefore, very important to investigate how mobile devices and learning software/apps facilitate teaching and subject learning in tertiary institutions, and how mobile learning can be promoted effectively in higher education. In this study, we will analyse and discuss the data collected from two surveys and follow up interviews among lecturersand students in the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) about their current practices regarding the use of mobile technologies in their teaching and subject learning respectively. In the findings, we will identify effective mobile learning resources and good practices of mobile-assisted teaching and subject learning. We will also discuss the establishment of a Mobile Learning Community (MLC) to promote mobile learning and mobile-assisted teaching among students and lecturers in higher education. Some key factors of establishing a successful mobile learning community will be discussed. It is hoped that this study will shed some light on how good practices of mobile learning and mobile assisted teaching can be promoted effectively in tertiary institutions.

2000年起，香港的課程改革倡議用普通話教中文，根捧統計，至今已有半數以上中小學校正在推行。論者認為，“普教中”不但是教學語言的轉換，也是課程、教材、教法以至評估的更新。這項變革牽動中小學語文課程的校本設置，在教學層面上，也對教師的課堂語言及教學策略的運用，提出因應調整的要求。 識字教學是低年級語文教學的重要任務，香港的小學過去大多採取隨文識字的教學模式，通過課文學習，讓學生認識字詞的形音義，進而理解文本，訓練閱讀的能力。由於此前的語文課以粵語授課，識字教學可以充分利用學生的心理詞彙，以他們日常生活中習得字詞的語音或語義為基礎，連繫要學的字形，能較容易掌握生字和新詞。中文科改以普通話為教學語言，因為切斷晰語音層面的勾連，低年級學生便無法利用心理詞彙貫通字形、字音和字義的優勢識字；加上學生生活中缺乏普通話語感，學習字形與字義的同時，還得記憶陌生的語音，既形成新的難點，也加重了學習負擔。 這些年來“普教中”的先導學校參考內地、臺灣等地區的教學經驗，以漢語拼音作為輔助學生識字的工具。不少學校為此設置校本拼音教程，讓學生集中能在較短時間內把拼音通學一遍。語文教師在課上也不斷嘗試摸索，運用拼音教學字詞。觀課所見，教師在實踐中已就拼音識字發展出相應的教學策略，包括讓學生粗通拼音，邊學邊用；語文課上調動運用，從課前預習讀音，到課上自行拼讀字詞﹝個人或小組合作﹞；利用拼音記音、自我正音；定期和系統復習拼音等。不過，也有部分教師對語文課上運用拼音識字似乎還不夠重視，對相應的教學策略也未適當掌握，識字教學的效能可再提升。 “普教中”推行已十多年，因教學語言改變，識字教學的重點與難點有所轉移，但有關的教學對策的探討不多。本文主要從檢視目前學校的實踐經驗及成效切入，通過借鑒不同地區的中文識字教學方法和研究成果，建議引進音節教學的直讀法、漢字標音、以獨立或隨文兩種方式拼讀字音等方法，藉此探尋一套適用於香港普教中情境，能有效突破語音難關，並能促進識字效能的教學策略，供學界參考。

This paper explores the elements of technology leadership practice in a technology-rich kindergarten in Hong Kong. The centre head of this technology-rich kindergarten, who keens on promoting technology use, has been selected for this study. The center head and three teachers voluntarily participated in an in-depth semi-structured interview, and observations have also been operated during class activities for further confirmation. Findings show that centre head applied strategies that empowered teachers to design creative interactive activities with digital devices for teaching and learning purposes, collaborate with parents through the use of social networking system, and use new technologies in team supporting system. Six key elements are revealed from this technology-rich kindergarten, they are network learning culture development, resources enrichment, leadership empowerment, vision settlement, target achievement, and team enhancement.
[Copyright © 2012, Infonomics Society.]

This paper reports and discusses the findings from a study exploring the use of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) for teaching and learning at a university in Hong Kong. Seventy-one undergraduate students enrolled on an English course participated in the study. A pedagogical framework is proposed to guide the design of BYOD-mediated lessons, and the potential of BYOD pedagogies to support teaching and learning is examined. Learning gains from BYOD-mediated lessons are reflected in students’ assessment results. Some merits and challenges associated with BYOD-mediated learning are emerged from students’ focus group responses. The findings contribute to an expanded understanding of the BYOD experience across educational settings.

This case study examines preservice teachers' integration of technology in teaching various subject domains. It aims to gain in-depth understandings of preservice teachers' pedagogical patterns for teaching through the theoretical lens of technological pedagogical and content knowledge. Multiple data sources were collected in a teacher education institution in Hong Kong. The teachers' pedagogical patterns vary depending on their instructional decisions affected by individual preferences, various subject cultures, and individual school settings. The patterns reflected various forms of technological pedagogical and content knowledge development in teaching different subjects. Implications for preparation of preservice teachers' pedagogy, teacher preparation, and development are also discussed.
[Copyright © 2016 The Author(s).]

This study aimed to investigate parents' understanding of, support for and concerns about e-learning and proposed a school–parent partnership distributing responsibilities to parents and schools based on the results of the study. A total of 61 parents from 21 schools in an e-learning pilot scheme in Hong Kong responded to a questionnaire survey and focus group interviews. Results indicated that there was a high correlation between parental understanding and support for e-learning although parents demonstrated only a basic level of understanding. Four types of parental support and six major areas of parental concern were identified. These results shed light on the school–parent partnership whereby parents should implement a proactive e-learning policy at home to monitor, support and inspire e-learning. Schools should formulate a holistic policy to address parents' concerns responsively and proactively to gain support. Schools can enhance parents' pedagogical understanding of e-learning and address parental concerns through school–parent communication and peer support among parents.
[Copyright © 2017 Association for Information Technology in Teacher Education.]

本研究旨在分享兩位小學教師試行「浸入式」教學策略的經驗，探討他們運用「浸入式」教學策略對非華語學生學習中文的成效，並了解教師和學生對「浸入式」教學的意見。這是個案研究，研究對象是香港一所小學兩班小學一年級（共四十七位）非華語學生和兩位中文科教師。本研究採用「定質」和「定量」的研究方法，包括：問卷、訪談、前測和後測。研究發現教師運用了「浸入式」教學策略有助提升學生的中文的成績。教師認為有效的浸入式教學策略是：「善用實用的主題單元」、「教師語言的妙用」及「浸入式的閱讀」。學生則喜愛實用的主題、從遊戲中學習中文和組織學習檔案等學生活動。
[Copyright © 2016 香港教師中心.]