This study compares direct instruction to two constructivist approaches, namely experimentation and problem-based learning, in fifth-grade science learning in Hong Kong. Constructivist instructional approaches, contrary to direct instruction, stress on students' active role in constructing knowledge in learning. Experimentation and problem-based learning are constructivist approaches commonly adopted in science classes. Research has shown that experimentation enhances cognitive and affective learning outcomes, but mixed evidence has been found in similar comparisons between problem-based learning and direct instruction. We recruited 380 fifth-grade students, each of whom participated in a single science lesson that involved one of the three distinct instructional approaches. Results showed that students in the direct instruction group outperformed both the experimentation group and the problem-based learning group in immediate learning outcome as measured by a short test, while the three groups did not differ in learning interest. Immediate learning outcome and learning interest were weakly correlated only in the problem-based learning group. Our findings may be explained by students’ unaccustomedness to constructivist approaches arising from the unique cultural-educational environment in Hong Kong, where direct instruction is the norm and the curriculum prioritises memorisation and understanding of facts and concepts over discovery processes in learning. This inconsistency with the existing literature highlights the importance of considering cultural factors when evaluating the effectiveness of instructional approaches in primary school science education. Copyright © 2024 De La Salle University.

This study aims to investigate whether the flexible-learning approach may or may not foster student engagement in learning music history at the tertiary level. This approach provides students with a certain degree of autonomy in terms of deciding what to learn and how that learning should be assessed. Hence, it is highly learner-centred and deemed effective in cultivating students’ learning interests. The flexible-learning approach has received global attention in recent years, particularly in Europe, where both policymakers and teachers in higher education have borrowed it for the purposes of curriculum planning and course design. To determine the impact of the flexible-learning approach on music history education, this study employed a retrospective post-pre survey in order to measure students’ learning engagement. The results demonstrate that a flexible-learning approach can effectively enhance students’ motivation in learning, implying that a single music history course does not need to stick to the traditional linear design, but should provide multiple trajectories for students to learn according to their interests and abilities. Copyright © 2023 The Education University of Hong Kong.

Arts and Creativity is one learning area of Hong Kong’s official kindergarten curriculum framework. Kindergarten teachers are expected to foster children’s creativity via four art forms: music, visual arts, dance, and drama. However, prior studies have investigated the provision of activities for each of the art forms in isolation and have not explored the demographic variables that predict teachers’ provision of arts education activities. Investigating the provision of the four art forms and its relationship with teachers’ demographics could provide an overview of the status of arts education in Hong Kong kindergartens. We had two research goals: (1) investigate the frequency with which kindergarten teachers conduct arts education activities focusing on music, visual arts, dance, and drama; (2) identify subgroups of teachers who differ regarding the provision of arts education activities and analyze how key demographic variables predict their memberships to these subgroups. We surveyed 477 teachers. Descriptive statistics, latent profile analysis, and multinomial logistic regression analysis were performed. We found that the presence of the four art forms was unbalanced. Participants reported conducting music and visual arts activities frequently, while dance and drama activities were occasionally or rarely conducted. Moreover, we identified three subgroups of teachers who provided arts education activities with different frequencies. Participants with a master’s degree and those who worked in government-funded kindergartens were more likely to be in the highest arts provision group. Findings suggest that the curriculum is not being implemented accurately, as teachers do not equally expose children to the four art forms. We interpret these findings as a reflection of teachers’ uneven preparation in the various art forms. Implications for educational policy regarding professional development are discussed. Copyright © 2024 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Purpose: This study aims to offer authors’ humble yet unique experiences about developing an undergraduate sociology programme in an increasingly divided city.Design/methodology/approach: In this study, the authors reflect upon the development of a new sociology programme in Hong Kong in which a wide spectrum of expectations from different stakeholders, together with their own sense of mission towards sociology education, have set a very challenging stage.Findings: Developing an undergraduate sociology programme has never been easy, and there is no self-complacence as far as developing a programme that is of both academic and social values.Originality/value: This paper offers a first-hand account of how sociology educators have developed a new sociology programme in a unique social context. Copyright © 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited.

Mastering the skill of writing from multiple sources is essential for university students. Against today's multilingual backdrop, students not only need to engage with various sources but may also encounter materials in different languages. However, most existing research on source-based writing has focused on monolingual contexts, leaving us with a limited understanding of how students integrate cross-linguistic sources in their writing. To address this gap, we conducted a preliminary exploration of language use in the context of writing an English text based on a series of Chinese (L1) and English (L2) sources among 33 university students in Hong Kong. By utilising multiple methods (i.e., writing logs, questionnaires, and interviews), we examined students' language use as reflected in their access to sources in different languages and their self-reported writing processes. The results did not show a significant difference in the use of L1 and L2 in integrating sources, despite the final written text being in L2. Additionally, we found that the two languages dynamically interacted with each other, supporting different stages of the writing process. The study also provides pedagogical implications for source-based writing in a bilingual context. Copyright © 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

隨著信息技術的不斷發展，通過自媒體上的教學視頻進行語言學習已經成為一種新的學習方式。本文以國際中文教育為例，對新時期信息技術環境下的自媒體二語教學視頻進行研究。研究問題共有四個： 自媒體二語教學視頻有怎樣的特點？ 自媒體二語教學視頻的優點和不足是什麼？自媒體二語教學視頻如何輔助傳統形式的課堂教學？ 自媒體二語教學視頻如何在內容與製作上更有規範、更有系統化的發展？在研究方法上， 以定性研究為主，定量研究為輔，具體採用問卷調查、訪談法和非參與式課堂觀察法來收集數據。根據數據的分析和討論，得出了最終的結論，回應了研究問題，並進一步提出了自媒體二語教學視頻的教學框架、模型和概念。本文的研究意義是希望幫助自媒體二語教學視頻更好的發展與傳播，成為數字化信息技術時代下主要的網路學習方式和途徑； 幫助拓展網路教與學的空間； 幫助學校的教師更好的使用自媒體二語教學視頻來輔助課堂教學，提高教學效率和教學質量；幫助國際中文教育事業等第二語言教育事業方面的發展和推廣； 幫助發展個性化學習和終身學習，並進一步做到知識共享。All rights reserved.

Improving primary students' reading comprehension is one of the most significant objectives shared by all language educators. Recent studies have highlighted the uniquely important role of executive function (EF) in underpinning reading comprehension, both directly and indirectly through other reading-related skills. Reading engagement, which may require active management from readers, has been widely acknowledged as a crucial contributor to reading comprehension. Therefore, it has been claimed that EF can facilitate reading engagement and, in turn, benefit reading comprehension. However, the relationships between EF, reading engagement, and reading comprehension have not been fully explored yet. In the present study, 225 primary Grades 3 and 5 students in Hong Kong were invited to complete a battery of tasks, including EF tasks, reading engagement questionnaire, and reading comprehension task. The findings suggested that EF exerted indirect effects on reading comprehension through reading engagement, beyond its direct effect. Furthermore, when comparing the hypothesized model between students from the two grades – the effect size of each path in Grade 5 was found to be higher than in Grade 3. Additionally, the indirect effect of EF on reading comprehension via reading engagement was only found to be significant in Grade 5. Theoretical implications were discussed based on the present findings – which also enlightened teaching reading in the context of Chinese. Copyright © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Sin Manw Sophia Lam, John Chi-Kin Lee and Chung Mou Si; individual chapters, the contributors.

This chapter examines the focus on life and moral education in the Greater China region, particularly in Hong Kong, in response to global educational changes and talent demands. Emphasizing the cultivation of lifelong learning skills, problem-solving, innovation, conflict resolution, and a sense of responsibility, the Chinese Language curriculum is analyzed for its values elements related to life and moral education. The curriculum in Hong Kong includes learning strands encompassing Chinese culture, morality, and affection, with specific objectives such as moral reasoning, awareness, judgment, sentiment, self-reflection, positive life views, temperament development, and community responsibility. Teaching, learning, and assessment strategies for promoting life and moral education are also explored. Additionally, contemporary and ancient texts, namely “The Back” by Zhu Ziqing and “Love on Lotus Flower” by Zhou Dunyi, are used to illustrate the curriculum's potential for nurturing core competencies, values, and attitudes amidst diverse cultures and ideas. By equipping young individuals with these skills, they are better prepared to navigate future societal challenges and value conflicts. Copyright © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Sin Manw Sophia Lam, John Chi-Kin Lee and Chung Mou Si; individual chapters, the contributors.

There has been global popularity of the Chinese language for the past three decades. With a vast market of 1.4 billion people and enormous business opportunities in China, the Chinese language as a foreign or second language is taught in more than 2,000 universities in over 80 countries and countless primary and secondary schools. Hong Kong as part of China after the handover of sovereignty in 1997, the learning and teaching of the Chinese language as a native language in Hong Kong has experienced remarkable changes throughout the years. Hong Kong used to be a British colony where the East meets the West and played an essential role in bridging the gap between Chinese and Western cultures. For historical reasons, Hong Kong tends to be a bilingual city and advocates trilingual biliterate in education, which means students are encouraged to learn and speak Cantonese (a local dialect), write traditional Chinese characters (versus simplified Chinese characters in Mainland China), Putonghua (Mandarin) and English. In general, English is used in business and public affairs as an official language and Lingua Franca whereas Chinese is another official language used in daily communication. In terms of language education, students learn Chinese because it is their first language and cultural identity while learning English has instrumental values. It is, therefore, Hong Kong society has generally prioritized English over Chinese, and students do not attach much importance to Chinese language learning. This chapter first analyzes the challenges and development of Chinese language learning and teaching in Hong Kong in the past 50 years. It also discusses the controversial issues of language education policies, including the division of Chinese language and literature, the teaching of Classical Chinese, the teaching of Putonghua, medium of instruction (MOI), non-Chinese speaking (NCS) students learning Chinese, aiming to review the Chinese language education in Hong Kong. It is hoped

The study examines the teaching of Chinese characters in Hong Kong primary and secondary schools. Currently, the “learn character through reading text” approach is widely used, but it lacks an explanation of the connection between form, meaning, and sound. This study aims to provide a systematic understanding of word form and meaning through an etymological approach – Systematic Chinese Etymon Acquisition (SCEA). The system helps students understand Classical Chinese and recognize the different meanings of the same character in various texts. The study involved 114 Year 10 students from a local secondary school in Hong Kong. Learning materials aligned with the school's Chinese language curriculum were used for one month. Pre-and post-tests were conducted to assess the students' knowledge of Classical Chinese vocabulary, and questionnaires were administered to gather feedback on the SCEA approach. The data were analyzed using SPSS. The findings revealed that the participants' knowledge of etymology improved significantly. They demonstrated a stronger understanding of the meaning and extended meaning of Chinese characters, as well as an increased awareness of Chinese culture. Based on these results, pedagogical implications for teaching Chinese characters will be proposed. Copyright © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Sin Manw Sophia Lam, John Chi-Kin Lee and Chung Mou Si; individual chapters, the contributors.