Students' achievement motivation has been the concern of educational psychologists for the past several decades. Empirical studies on the effects of teachers' feedback provide useful information to educators on instructional practices. From these studies, educators know how to cultivate adaptive learning attitudes in students. However, a meta-analysis by Kluger & DeNisi (1996, 1998) did not find consistent effects of success and failure feedbacks in past studies. Idson and Higgins (2000) suggested that regulatory focus, a personality variable, could address these inconsistent effects. In their study, Idson & Higgins (2000) found that individuals with different orientation in regulatory focus would respond differently to success and failure feedback. The motivation of individuals with promotion focus would increase after success feedback but decrease after failure feedback. In contrast, the motivation of individuals with prevention focus would increase after failure but decrease after success feedback.
The present study attempted to identify the group of individuals who would be motivated both after success and failure feedbacks. It adopted an alternative fourfold classification of regulatory focus and extended Idson & Higgins (2000) study. Four independent groups could be derived from this classification: 1) individuals high in promotion focus but low in prevention focus; 2) individuals high in prevention focus but low in promotion focus, 3) individuals high in both prevention and promotion focuses (HH); 4) individuals low in both prevention and promotion focuses (LL). The third group of individuals was expected to be motivated after success and also failure feedbacks. They might be the people with the most adaptive motivational pattern of behaviors.
The present study adopted a 2 (promotion focus: high vs. low) x 2 (prevention focus: high vs. low) x 2 (feedback: success vs. failure) experimental design. The participants were 180 Hong Kong university students

The present study attempted to address the paucity of developmental data on English reading and spelling development among Chinese English-as-a-second-language (ESL) learners. English reading and spelling development among Chinese ESL learners in Hong Kong was examined in a one-year longitudinal study covering three developmental periods: Kindergarten to Grade 1, Grade 2 to Grade 3, and Grade 4 to Grade 5. One hundred and fifty five participants were tested on three types of cognitive-linguistic measures (rapid naming, phonological processing, and visual-orthographic processing) and language proficiency measures (English reading, English spelling and Chinese reading). Three major patterns of results were identified. First, the relationships between cognitive-linguistic skills and English proficiency measures differed among Chinese ESL learners of different proficiency levels. Previous research examining the significance of visual-orthographic and phonological skills to English reading and spelling development among Hong Kong Chinese ESL learners has yielded inconsistent results. On one hand, findings in some studies among kindergarteners and Grade 1 students demonstrated the predominant role of phonological skills to English reading and spelling development (Chow, McBride-Chang, & Burgess, 2005; McBride-Chang & Ho, 2005; McBride-Chang & Kail, 2002). On the other hand, the study by Leong, Tan, Cheng and Hau (2005) among Grade 4 – 6 students showed that visual-orthographic skills were of greater significance than phonological skills in predicting English proficiency. Since the participants in these studies were from different age groups, differences in results may simply reflect differences in age or ‘stages’ of reading and spelling development among the participants. Findings in the present study did confirm this speculation: phonological skills were of particular importance to English reading and spelling development among younger participants while the significance

Chinese-English bilingual education is common practice in Hong Kong schools. In 1997, the Education Department published the paper "Strong Guidelines for Medium of Instruction" to stop the teachers use mixed languages or code-switching in secondary schools. All students entering secondary schools have to undergo the Medium of Instruction Grouping Assessment (MIGA) which is the basis of the assignment to study in Chinese or English-medium schools. The present study of bilingual memory models in local primary school students attempts to provide a theoretical framework for the planning and implementation of bilingual education. It will also contribute towards the development of effective bilingual education in Hong Kong.
For student to communicate and study effectively and efficiently in a second language, a vocabulary of a certain number of words has to be stored up. Cognitive psychologists have four basic models in describing the semantic network of bilinguals. There are namely, Separate Store Model, Common-store Model, Verbal-imagery Dual-code Model and Overlapping Distribution Model. There is no single model that isconsidered to be comprehensive enough in explaining all observed phenomena.
Generally Hong Kong primary school students showed positive attitudes to English learning and English-based teaching. They are fully aware that English is an essential commercial language and a necessary learning tool, which would definitely bring helpful for further studies or future careers. Nevertheless, students also agreed that learning in their mother tongue Chinese or in a mixed code of Chinese and English would reduce their learning difficulties. Primary school students adopted varying strategies in learning Chinese and English. In learning Chinese vocabularies, students only relied on Chinese characters or the Chinese language system without utilizing the English language system. Whereas in learning English vocabularies, students still relied on Chinese resources

This is an abridged report on an exploratory research project on the suitability of Andragogy and Action Learning approaches to management education for local adult learners. Adult learners of the Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) taking hig her-lever courses in business and management were invited as respondents. The objectives were to find out respondents' predominant learning styles, learning preferences, motivation of study and possible influence of local Chinese culture which might have impact on the suitability of the two approaches and management education. The research findings revealed that the predominant learning styles and learning preferences were mainly the Reflector style and Reflective activities, compatible with the general expectation and stereotype of local Chinese learners as discussed elsewhere in various literature, local and overseas. It appeared that Chinese culture would have some impact on the learning styles of local learners. However, the preliminary attempt to est ablish a closer link/relationship between the local Chinese culture and the learning styles by using Hofstede's cultural framework and Honey and Mumford's learning styles typology was inconclusive. The study nevertheless did reveal that the Andragogy and Action Learning approaches were not very much in favour as most features of these approaches did not quite match the predominant learning style, predominant learning preferences or the most important motivation of study of the respondents.
本研究利用問卷調查《運用成人學習方式》及《行動學習法於管理 教育》對本地成人學生的恰當性。目的是探討調查對象的主要學習風格，學習偏好， 學習動機及本地中國文化對該兩種學習法運用於管理教育方面的可能影響。 調查顯示學生的主要學習風格及喜好是沉思型及思考類型的學習方／活動，與一般 海內外公認的華人學習形式（Chinese learning stereotypes）相同。似乎支持中國 文化對學習風格及喜好有一定影響的論點。調查嘗試以Honey & Mumford的學習風格 類別（Learning style typology）及Hofstede的文化指標（cultural framework） 進一步探討中國文化與學習風格的關係， 但沒有肯定結論。無論如何，調查結果顯示《成人學習》及《行動學習法》兩種 學習方式，整體來說並不符合學生的主要學習風格，喜好甚至動機。如果上述調查 結果可以一般化，則《成人學習》及《行動學習法》兩種學習方式，對本港成人學 生來說，學習效果（effectiveness）並不高；但從管理教育方面考慮，上述兩種 方法仍有可取之處（usefulness）

問題為本學習法是一種培養學生掌握學習技巧的教學法，本研究應用問題為本學習法在中六級的通識教育科中，評估其成效。教學過程共分四個步驟：探究、預備、教學、評估。文中除了學生對學習的反思外，亦加入了筆者對教學的反思。
Problem-based learning (PBL) helps students develop the attitude, strategies and skills of self-regulated learners. The main aim of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of the PBL in the Liberal studies lesson.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre Journal is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre at http://www.edb.org.hk/hktc]

以273名內地大學生和368名香港大學生為被試比較了兩地學業倦怠的狀況及與其相關的個體因素。結果表明：內地大學生比香港大學生更外控，在學業倦怠量表上報告較少的衰竭感和譏誚態度，自我效能感上兩者無差異。內地大學生的外控性不能有效預測其學業倦怠，但兩地大學生的策略－情境匹配度以及主觀應對有效性，都能在內外控的基礎上，解釋較大比例的倦怠增益方差。
The current study explored student burnout and its predictors. Participants included 273 students on the mainland and 368 in Hong Kong. Results indicated that mainland students reported less exhaustion and cynicism than their Hong Kong counterparts, but the two groups did not show any differences in the professional efficacy dimension. Students from the mainland scored higher on external locus of control, but this did not contribute to predicting their burnout. For both groups of students, the matching of strategy to situation and the subjective judgement on coping effectiveness, in addition to locus of control, together explain the substantial incremental variance in burnout.
[Copyright of Journal of Youth Studies is the property of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups at http://yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/]