The purpose of this study was to establish the factorial construct validity and dimensionality of the Metacognitive Orientation Learning Environment Scale – Science (MOLES-S) which was designed to measure the metacognitive orientation of science classroom learning environments. The metacognitive orientation of a science classroom learning environment is the extent to which psychosocial conditions that are known to enhance students’ metacognition are evident within that classroom. The development of items comprising this scale was based on a theoretical understanding of metacognition, learning environments and the development of previous learning environments instruments. Four possible hypothesized structure models, each consistent with the literature, were reviewed and their merits were compared on the basis of empirical data drawn from two populations of 1026 and 1223 Hong Kong secondary school students using confirmatory factor analysis procedures. The scale was calibrated using the Rasch rating scale model using data from the 1223 student sample. The results suggest that there is strong evidence to support the factorial construct validity of the MOLES-S but that, on the basis of the Rasch analysis, there are still suggestions for further refinement and improvement of the MOLES-S.
[Copyright © 2004 Journal of Applied Measurement.]

Primary school pupils’ attributions of academic success are presented in this study. The sample for the study comprised 1154 Year-3 and Year-5 pupils from ten primary schools in Hong Kong. Pupils’ academic attributions were measured by a 16-item Academic Attribution Scale. Pupils indicated the extent to which they attributed their performance at examinations, tests, homework assignments, and class work to luck, ability, effort and use of strategy, on the scale. It was found that girls tended to have healthier attributions than boys did. Girls attributed significantly more to strategy use and effort than boys did. Boys attributed performance to luck significantly more than girls did. Multilevel analysis showed that there was significant school-level and class-level variance for attributional beliefs. Nevertheless, most of the higher level variances of attributional beliefs occurred at the class-level rather than at school level. Implications for teaching and learning are discussed in the article.
[Copyright © 2006 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.]

Aim: This paper discusses the creation of learning environments with online resources by primary school teachers for pupil's learning of science-related topics with reference to the resource-based e-learning environments (RBeLEs) framework. The reasons for the teachers to choose particular contexts, resources, tools, and scaffolds in designing the learning environments are considered. Evaluation by the teachers and opinions from the pupils regarding the teaching and learning in the learning environments are also included. Methodology: The teaching designs of three upper primary science-related topics were analysed using the four components of RBeLEs framework: creation of contexts, selection of resources, design of tools, and adoption of scaffolds. The three teaching designs were "Climate in China", "Connection and movements of bones", and "Hong Kong climate". The underpinning rationale and the post-lesson reflection on the designs by the teachers were captured through interviews with the three teachers who developed the teaching designs. Pupils' feelings about learning in the RBeLEs were revealed from interviews after the lessons. Results: From the analysis of the teaching designs, it was discovered that the contexts were mostly determined by the teachers according to the curriculum and textbooks; only one teacher also incorporated some current issues. For online resources, two teachers made use of both dynamic and static resources from different sources, and one teacher only selected static resources. To foster pupils' learning, the teachers adopted tools for various tasks, including tools for processing information, searching and seeking, collecting information and data, organising, collaborating and integrating, and communicating. Different types of scaffolds were also designed to support pupils in asking and discussion, searching and selecting, doing and observing, and summarising and conceptualising while learning in the RBeLEs. As revealed from interviews before

This paper looks at the need for a comparative cross-cultural view of leadership in Hong Kong schools.

每一所學校創立目的各異。有的學校負有單一教育下一代，為國家培育年幼一代，或是具有示範、輔導及研究發展之功能與任務等。每一所學校都需要涵孕出以自己特有的校風，同時需要在各項教育設施和經營上作出配合，才可以成功發展，成為具有與眾不同符特色。本文是作者在參與籌辦學校過程中，針對學校課程組織和設計，設計者所應作的準備、校舍設立及校園布局等工作的反思文章。文章目標一把從美國、內地和台灣等地搜集所得的實驗、附實學校等，所採用課程及學校布局等等相關文獻進行分析，並作綜合報告；目標二是探討學校在發展過程中，預期遇上的挑戰，我們可以如何運用學校文化範式為對策；目標三是從教育教育機構中的一員的身分和角度，與參與者分享及收集教育同工對具有實驗小學的學校課程，所引發的期望和意見。

為了推動校長的持續發展，香港特區教育當局於2002年開始要求各在職校長在三年內參加不少於150小時的專業發展活動，當中的一個環節是要求校長要最少有30小時的實踐學習。這種重視實踐學習的取向，是行動學習能，透過理論學習、行動實踐和省思批判的循環過程，來培養行動者的知識、能力與熱忱。在漸趨複雜、多元、快速改變的社會環境之下，校長已處於一種弔詭的情境；亦即校長的行為對於學校效能的重要性日益增加，而校長的角色也愈加複雜，但卻沒有一套放諸四海皆準的既定法則可供遵循。因此，校長必須具備自我反省與自我發展的能力，才得以領導不確定性日漸高漲的學校教育。而行動學習因著重解決問題的意識，故可有效減少教育行政理論與實務的落差，從而協助校長發展專業。此文目的是以行動學習的觀念去分析一位小學校長在學校發展中的實踐經驗。