Empirical Research Background: Traditional approaches to physical fitness assessment have two major deficiencies: the first, the high dependence on raw scores limits the validity and accuracy of the interpretation of assessment results because raw scores are not valid ―measures‖ with inferential value; the second, students have to attempt all of the separate fitness indicators in order to get the whole picture about their abilities on the different components of physical fitness. Empirical Research Aims: This study aimed to explore a new approach to physical fitness measurement by developing a Rasch Measurement Physical Fitness Scale (RMPFS) consisting of the physical fitness indicators routinely used in Hong Kong primary schools. Empirical Research Sample: Data used in this study were retrieved from the database of a Hong Kong primary school covering primary students‘ physical fitness data over academic years 2002-03 to 2006-07. Empirical Research Method: Students‘ performances on 9 physical fitness indicators, i.e, BMI, 6-minute Run, 9-minute Run, 1-minute Sit-ups, Standard Push-ups, Modified Push-ups, Sit-and-Reach, Right Handgrip, and Left Handgrip, were analyzed with WINSTEPS 3.0. The partial credit model was specified for the analysis. The fitness indicators were investigated one by one from a Rasch measurement perspective. Empirical Research RASCH: The scale development was guided by Rasch measurement principles. The fitness indicators that violated Rasch measurement requirements would be excluded from the scale. Empirical Research Results: 1) A RMPFS which integrates three components of physical fitness including cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular endurance, and muscular strengthen was successfully developed; 2) The RMPFS and its scale indicators showed fit to the Rasch model sufficient for the intended purposes of measuring overall fitness of children. Empirical Research Conclusions: The findings of this study will be informative to physical education

The early childhood period is associated with the fundamental movement phase of motor behaviors (Baddard, 1992; Sanders, 1992; Gallahue & Donnelly, 2003). It is a crucial period for subsequent learning development (White & Watts, 1973; Skinner, 1979; Kelly & Kelly, 1984; Opper, 1992) in the intellectual, social, emotional and physical aspects. In preschool curriculum, movement has been regarded as the essence of life and the course of all learning (Vannier & Gallahue, 1978; Graham, Holt/Hale & Parker, 2007), through which young children move to explore, discover, and to interact with the world and its myriad parts (Whitehurst, 1971). It is why the Guide to the Pre-primary Curriculum (The Curriculum Development Council, 2006) has emphazied the importance of “Physical Fitness and Health” as one of the six learning areas for young children in Hong Kong. The main purposes of this paper are two-fold. First, to keep pace with the contemporary trend of early childhood curriculum, an innovative teaching approach for preschool physical education will be introduced with the ultimate goal to enhance young children’s total development in body, mind and spirit. Secondly, through the Hong Kong experience in practicing the approach, the paper will discuss the educational learning outcomes of the preschool physical education curriculum to the whole child development, namely: physical, emotional, social, intellectual, moral, creative and aesthetic aspects. It is expected that the newly innovated approach will initiate new insights to preschool teachers in designing preschool physical education curriculum and remarkable movement to the development of educationally appropriate preschool physical education practice in Hong Kong.

Early Childhood Physical Education (ECPE) is core curriculum in preschools. Children are physical beings and full of curiosity and drive to learn through physical play and movement which have been named as early childhood physical education. Young children are learning a great deal as they move about (Davis, 1996), and explore, learn, experience and interact with the world and its myriads parts (Whitehurst, 1971). Gallahaue and Donnelly (2003) has emphasized that movement is at the centre of young children’s lives. In Hong Kong, the Curriculum Development Council (2006) has issued the Guide to Pre-primary Curriculum and has emphasized the aim of early childhood education as fostering children’s whole person development. In light of this, the core of the curriculum framework is the four developmental objectives for young children, namely physical development, cognitive and language development, affective and social development; and aesthetic development. Given that, the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd) has developed various ECPE modules since 1995 for different levels of programmes from Certificate, BEd (Hons), and to Postgraduate Diploma. The main purposes of this paper are twofold: first, to review the development of ECPE modules in the HKIEd; and secondly, to make recommendations for early childhood teacher education in Hong Kong. The findings have revealed that due to the inadequate credit points, tutors has been facing the dilemmas / difficulties in teaching both theoretical and practical core elements in these modules. Besides, students’ altitudes and abilities towards Physical Education have influenced their learning greatly. To provide high quality teacher education in ECPE, recommendations have been made in program structure, module contents, credit points and resources in this paper.

Based on the western curriculum for children improvement, the integrated curriculum collaboratively was a kind of cross-modal power of the brain have recently been promoted as a solution for children improvement. Using a nursery school in Hong Kong as an illustrative case, this study explores the issue of integrated curriculum help children increase learning efficiency. The methodology used in this paper is a case study which examines an integrated curriculum to help children apply fundamental skills (i.e., problem-solving skills, critical thinking and communicative ability) and encourage children learning depth and breadth. The data was collected from case study school reveal that children found ways to apply information to real world activities based on an interdisciplinary project on the theme named “My Family”. The finding through a case sample was that the integrated curriculum programs was used and replicated to enhance the effectiveness for student. The few existing studies have been taken up with integrated curriculum in nursery school level in Hong Kong. This paper expects the integrated curriculum could assist children to build up habits, attitudes and skills necessary for life in postmodern society.

This comparative research was designed to investigate the knowledge on the occupational abilities of 1345 secondary school physical education teachers from Hong Kong (n=513), Beijing (n=151), Shanghai (n=174), Guangzhou (n=192), Fuzhou (n=131) and Suzhou (n=184). The results indicate that the ability of teaching, organizing, training, and self-study were consistently considered as the most important factors for the secondary school physical education teachers. The physical education teachers from Hong Kong paid more attention to the ability of self-study than those from Inland China. Teachers from both Hong Kong and Inland China did not pay much attention to research and aesthetic abilities.
[Copyright © 2001 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.]