Based on Dörnyei's L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS), this study explored senior secondary students' multiple L2 selves when they enrolled in English private tutoring (EPT) courses. Through narrative inquiry, this paper analysed 18 Hong Kong Secondary Six (Grade 12) students' English learning experiences and their motivation for learning English and subscribing to EPT. Each participant completed a questionnaire, wrote three pieces of reflective writing and responded to six individual interviews throughout the year of study. The findings indicated that language learning converged from diverse activities to examination drilling at senior secondary school years. The learners possessed insecure actual L2 selves, revealing a discrepancy with their future L2 selves consisting of dominant ought-to L2 selves and suppressed ideal L2 selves. This study contributes to research in language learning by unveiling EPT learners' formation of L2 selves in a context of high-stakes testing. The findings contribute to the development of the L2MSS by operationalising the actual L2 self, its discrepancy with possible L2 selves, and the interrelationship between ideal and ought-to L2 selves. The study calls for further research to bridge the fields of shadow education and language learning given the significant role EPT plays in shaping learners' out-of-school L2 learning experiences. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This small-scale exploratory study identified strategies used by three intellectually very able university students with specific learning difficulties for maintaining motivation on their path to achievement. All three participants were located in Hong Kong. The research questions were: (a) What coping strategies are used by intellectually very able university students with specific learning difficulties? (b) What are the critical influences driving and supporting their motivation to achieve? A narrative inquiry method was used to obtain and analyze data. Two gifted university graduates and one undergraduate, all with specific learning difficulties, were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire and open discussion. Data indicated that they developed strategies to cope largely in response to adverse learning environments. The support of significant persons, such as parents and teachers, were also seen to be essential for sustaining their motivation to achieve. Implications for supporting university students with specific learning difficulties are briefly discussed.
[Copyright of Gifted Education International is the property of SAGE Publications]

近年來，兩岸三地的課程改革均將自主學習作為一項重要目標，試圖培養和鞏固學生的自主學習動機與策略。西方學者的許多研究表明，宣導學生中心的課堂環境有助於促進學生自主學習能力的發展，而偏重教師中心的課堂環境則不利於學生的自主學習。本研究基於香港中小學生對課堂環境觀感和自主學習動機與策略的兩項調查，發現教師中心的課堂環境對香港學生的自主學習同樣具有促進作用，並依此分析了華人文化情境中課堂環境及學生自主學習的特徵。
[Copyright © 2010北京大學.]

This paper reports the experiences of using a pedagogical framework for creative practices (PFCP) to support preschool teachers in fostering children's creativity in their classrooms. The PFCP includes five pedagogical components: 1) motivation; 2) a divergent process of generating possibilities; 3) a convergent process of selecting ideas; 4) putting ideas into practice; and 5) evaluation. Eighteen teachers from six Hong Kong preschools participated in the study. According to the PFCP, each teacher developed six creative practices and implemented them in their classrooms. Individual semi-structured interviews were used elicit teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the PFCP and the changes of teachers' teaching pedagogy. The observations used as a source of evidence to illustrate teachers' actual teaching behaviours and children's creative performance. The results suggest that the PFCP was perceived as being effective in helping teachers improve their lesson planning and pedagogy. Positive effects such as enhancing teachers' knowledge and skills, infusing creativity into the various learning domains and shifting teaching practices from being strongly teacher centred to being more child centred were documented. This paper discusses the implications and suggests that the PFCP could serve as a starting point for teachers to explore their own creative-practice methods. Finally, the study should lead to further inquiry on effective creative practice teaching strategies.
[Copyright © Pergamon Press].

This paper reports parts of the results of a study on secondary students’ motivational changes on musical composition after completing a compositional task. A total of 606 students from four secondary schools in Hong Kong responded to a set of pre- and post-activity questionnaires before and after completing a compositional task. A t-test was used to compare the mean score changes in motivation. In addition, a multiple-case study approach was undertaken to observe the class teaching of the schools, consisting of non-participant observations and reviewing video recordings. The nature of each of the different compositional tasks undertaken in various schools was reviewed, and each one’s relationship with the resultant motivational changes was examined. Results suggest that the teacher presentation, the nature of the composition tasks, and the level of structure may affect motivational changes. Using computers in a compositional task and students’ academic background are irrelevant to the students’ motivation changes.
[Copyright © 2008 USF CoTA School of Music.]

This article provides research evidence that creativity can be nurtured as abilities and skills both in the general domain as well as in specific domains with methods appropriate to the holistic development of young learners. It reports upon two empirical studies on the enhancement of creativity in children and young people, and connects to teachers' creative self-efficacy. The studies focus upon infusing creative arts in early childhood curriculum, and employing creative drama in subjects such as Chinese, English and General Studies. Playfulness is an important feature in these innovative pedagogies and teachers' use of creative drama techniques is also strengthened. The research evidence lends support to the hypothesis that arts-enriched learning elements and playfulness in the classroom environment can enhance individuals' creative performance. The implications and limitations for implementing such playful learning and creativity in education are discussed.
[Copyright of Education 3-13 is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2015.1020652]

現有的小學數學課程綱要 (1983) 和提議中的新修訂課程綱要 (2001) 都把「引起兒童對數學學習的興趣」列為課程目標的第一點。作者試圖在這篇文章中討論個課程綱要在內容上如何配合這個課程目標。並且討論如何由這些數學內容和教學方法達到引起兒童學習數學的目的。 香港小學數學課程，無論是1983年的板本抑或是2001年的修訂課程初稿，「引起兒童對數學學習的興趣」列為課程目標的第一點，都把內容分為5個範圍，它們是數、圖形與空間、度量、數據處理和代數。單從內容上來說，它們可以是很中性，能否引起兒童學習數學的興趣，似乎依賴老師的教學方法能否把單調的內容教得生動有趣，例如，有些老師利用比賽的形式和獎品的鼓勵，把一課四則計算變數成人人參與的數學計算課，而且興高采烈 (請先不要討論外在動機和內在動機的問題)。例如，利用數學探究的方式，研究利用1,9,9,8這4個數字，四則運算和括號去組成結果等於0,1,2,…,20的數式。這個過程可以令學生在做四則計算題時更有趣味。有經驗的老師應該可以利用一些趣味數學課題，穿插在既定的課程內，提高數學學習的興趣。 不過，老師有多能耐，仍然要從課程中尋找教材和由課程指導設計教學活動，故此，數學課程的編排，內容的取捨和相互關係，以及課程的取向，都影響老師的教學和目標的配合。假若課程取向和內容根本不能發展學生的興趣，則老師再努力亦會有巧婦難為無米之的感覺。 課程內容寫得再好亦要看看整體的教育配合，假若小學教育工作者都以中學派位作為取向，則課程寫得再好，在考試導向下，很難達成課程希望的目標。其次是老師的培訓，很多人誤以為教授小學數學不必具備太多的中文學科知識，直到大家驚覺到語文水平的低落，才亡羊補牢，提出多種辦法來挽救。其實類似情形亦同樣發生在數學科，不過大家的注意力都放在語文科身上，忽略了數學老師的培訓問題。