Hong Kong is moving towards a knowledge-based economy. In order to nurture and motivate a population to continuously achieve world-class success, Hong Kong‟s education system has been reformed extensively since 1997, with a balanced focus on academic and practical learning. Generic forms of learning outcomes are critical to allow students to demonstrate high flexibility and adaptability in response to ever-changing challenges in the future. By using two well-validated instruments which measure students‟ achievement of generic learning outcomes and their engagement in schools, the cultural literacy and student engagement scales, this study aims to assess the development of generic learning outcomes of Hong Kong senior secondary school students, the extent to which students are well-equipped with the skills to succeed in a knowledge-based economy. The results of a survey study of 1,715 students inferred that their performances were not up to standard and questioned in particular the success of the New Senior Secondary (NSS) school curriculum. A regression model further suggested that these generic learning outcomes could largely be explained by how schools plan and facilitate students‟ learning inside and outside the classroom. It is argued that the primary role of NSS schools should focus to provide students with meaningful and useful learning experiences so as to achieve the curriculum goal of fostering their generic learning. This paper will contribute to the discussion of how to better support the NSS curriculum reform in Hong Kong. Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). All Rights Reserved.

This study aimed to elaborate and make clear the correlations and cause-and-effect relationships among the variables: depression, suicide cognitions, positive perfectionism, and negative perfectionism. The participants comprised 412 Chinese university students at two Hong Kong universities, who completed the 18-item Suicide Cognitions Scale, the depression subscale of the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, and the 12-item Positive and Negative Perfectionism Scale. The results of regression analysis indicated that depression is negatively predicted by positive perfectionism and positively predicted by negative perfectionism. Positive and negative perfectionism and depression were all found to be significant predictors of suicide cognitions. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that positive perfectionism and negative perfectionism have significant effects on suicide cognitions, and that suicide cognitions significantly affect depression. Individuals who exhibit healthy perfectionism may experience positive outcomes. It is critical for educators and parents to recognize the differences between positive perfectionism and negative perfectionism. When educators and parents convey negative perfectionist ideas to children, the outcomes can be extremely harmful. Copyright by Special Education Society of Hong Kong Limited. All Rights Reserved.

The theory of planned behaviour was used to examine academic dishonesty among secondary school students in Hong Kong. Participants were 386 students in Forms 1-3 (Grades 7-9). Attitudes toward cheating, perceived behavioural control, and moral obligation were positively related to the intention to cheat, but only the subjective norm against cheating was significantly related to self-reported cheating behaviour. The subjective norm was both a predictor of self-reported cheating and a moderator of the relationship between the intention to cheat and self-reported cheating: the intention predicted the behaviour only when the subjective norm against cheating was perceived to be weak.
[Copyright of Educational Psychology is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2018.1454588]

The predictors of attitudes regarding academic plagiarism were investigated in Hong Kong secondary school students. The participants were 257 Grade 10 and 11 students who were taking liberal studies. Quantitative analysis showed that the students were unfamiliar with what actions constituted plagiarism. The best predictor of attitudes was the perceived descriptive norm regarding plagiarism (i.e., perception of the frequency of plagiarism in one's environment). We explain this finding by applying the cultural-self perspective and present our recommendations for teachers. Copyright © 2018 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

This research investigated the attitudes of Chinese students toward inclusive education, by dividing the research into two studies with different subgroups included. Study 1 invited 340 secondary students and 129 secondary teachers from 9 mainstream secondary schools in Hong Kong to participate. The Chinese version of the 16-item Attitudes toward Inclusive Education Scale originally developed by Wilczenski⁶⁹ was applied. The results were analyzed at item and variable levels. Hong Kong students had significantly more positive attitudes toward inclusive education than their teachers. However, both groups did not show positive attitudes towards inclusive education. Based on the results of study 1, study 2 tried to cross validate these findings by inviting 135 teachers and 260 students in Macau to participate. As well, study 2 extended the horizon of comparison by inviting 260 parents to participate. They were either the mothers or fathers of the 260 students who participated in study 2. The same scale was applied in study 2 and the results showed that neither the Macau students nor the teachers were particularly positive toward inclusive education. The Macau parents had the more positive attitudes toward inclusive education than the Macau students and teachers. The results from the two studies in Hong Kong and Macau were compared and discussed.
[Copyright © 2015 World Research Journals.]

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is often seen to be constraining and focused on specific skill development for specific occupations. This goal is at odds with the demands of a knowledge economy that requires more general educational outcomes for an uncertain and unpredictable labour market. For this reason, Hui (2012) has adopted a broader definition of student learning outcomes and assessed the extent to which ‘cultural literacy’ might be a preferred goal for TVET to supplement the skills training element. Cultural literacy refers to an individual’s world view, ways to interact with people, character, personal ethics, values and style. Hui’s study highlighted the need for TVET to emphasise the development of these generic outcomes, students’ comprehensive attitudes and personal qualities in particular. To achieve greater control over the quality of outcomes, this study aims to investigate the influence of students’ participation in institutional activities on their growth. Through modifying the well-known National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), this study examines the relationship between the five benchmarks of effective educational practice and students’ cultural literacy and their self-reported academic performance. Results of a survey study of 238 Hong Kong TVET students indicated that some of the benchmarks could predict to a strong and moderate degree these two important outcomes. It is argued that proper planning and facilitation of educationally purposive activities could enhance both their learning and development. This article will contribute to the discussion on how to advance TVET students’ learning performance.
[Copyright © 2014 Behalf of UCU.]

Teacher efficacy has been shown to be an important variable predicting teachers' capacity to contribute to reform efforts. Given the role that future teachers are expected to play in educational reform, this research aimed to measure the teacher efficacy of samples of pre-service teachers in Hong Kong and Macao using the Chinese version of the 12-item Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (C-TSE). A cross-cultural perspective was important because it provided that opportunity to test the robustness of the instrument and to look at broader socio-cultural issues of teacher efficacy in two locations through the use of C-TSE. Sixty-six Hong Kong pre-service teachers and 66 Macao pre-service teachers participated in the study. In general, Hong Kong pre-service teachers were found to be more efficacious than the Macao cohort. However, the factor structures of the scale were not the same for the sub-samples. It is suggested that, on the one hand, programme characteristics and/or local cultures need to be considered when interpreting these results. On the other hand, the full 24-item scale, with more items that envisage and reflect particular classroom tasks and situations, could be useful to explore the dimensionality of pre-service teachers' sense of efficacy. This work contributes to an understanding of issues and problems relating to the measure of Chinese pre-service teachers' efficacy beliefs.
[Copyright © 2006 De La Salle University, Philippines.]