It has been observed that Asian, in particular Chinese students frequently outperform their Western counterparts in international academic comparisons. However, it is still open to doubt as to whether they actually possess a deeper conceptual understanding than their Western counterparts and as to whether they would perform as well in non-routine mathematical problems (such as open-ended problems). The reason for such queries owes as much to the students' as to teachers' conceptions of mathematics. When mathematics is regarded as an absolute truth or a set of rules governing symbols, students tend to consider doing mathematics as the memorisation of algorithms and learning mathematics as a process of transmission. We posed certain hypothetical situations to students in Hong Kong and China and found that they possess a relatively restricted conception of mathematics. Later, we investigated this phenomenon at greater depth by the use of open-ended problems. We found that students usually approached a mathematical problem by searching for a rule that identifies what is given, what is being asked and the category of topic for the problem. Evidence has also shown that this approach to mathematical problems is largely shaped by the way they experience learning, their response to task demands, and the classroom environment. In other words, such a restricted conception of mathematics which exists both within the students and in the classroom culture has led students to tackle mathematical problems by searching for rules rather than approaching them through a conceptual understanding of the context. It is well known that students' conception of mathematics is closely related to their problem-solving behaviour. This conception is shaped by a number of factors, in particular, by the space of learning in which they 'live'. Of particular significance is the finding that the teachers' conception of mathematics could contribute to the shaping of this 'lived space'. These inter-relationships

This paper reports a study that aims to find out the views of teachers and student teachers about the aims of the Hong Kong education system with respect to their teacher education courses. The findings suggest that student teachers need help to understand the fitting together of their teacher education courses to become the body of professional knowledge for all educators.

此報告書是高中生公民意識的調查研究，內容包括研究方法、研究結果（個人資料、公民意識、對時事新聞／消息的關注、參與課外活動的情況、價值取向等等）、及對問卷的分析與結論。報告中亦有輯錄公民意識與公民教育研討會講詞，包括以下各講題：一、從香港教育制度看公民意識與公民教育（梁一鳴）；二、從學校行政的角度探討公民教育（李柏雄）；三、從社會工作者的角度看公民意識與教育（麥海華）：四、香港大眾傳播媒介與青少年的公民意識。此外亦附有其他參考資料及活動教材資料。

This report discusses the current status of civic awareness and civic attitudes of secondary school pupils in Hong Kong; the impact of school civic education programs on the development of the pupil's civic awareness and civic attitudes; and the basic points of reference for the development of pupil's civic awareness and civic attitudes.

This is a summary of the findings of a survey on civic education conducted in January 1987 by the Hong Kong Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education and AGB McNair Hong Kong Ltd.

This report discusses the current status of civic awareness and civic attitudes of primary school pupils in Hong Kong; the impact of school civic education programs on the development of the pupil's civic awareness and civic attitudes; and the basic points of reference for the development of pupil's civic awareness and civic attitudes.

It is the report of a research funded by the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education. The questionnaires are in Chinese and English. The report includes the bibliographical references and a conceptual-cum-methodological outline of the study. It examines the demographic factors and the results of the survey. The report discusses citizens' participation in the social arena, in particular in the electoral affairs, their knowledge and views on the rule of law, and their view on Hong Kong's future and the Basic Law.

The author investigated the correlations among children's achievement, in terms of test scores, of the two languages (Chinese and English), and the Mathematics versus those scores given to the Art and Craft (or Art and Design) subject offered to primary and lower secondary classes in Hong Kong. A drawing project was also administered by the author, together with the art teachers, to a class of P2, P3, P5, and S1 students. Statistical analyses were run to look for any correlations which existed among these essential skills which stimulated students' creative and mental growth.