The mixed-method study reported here was designed to evaluate a strengths-based career intervention program for secondary school students with mild special educational needs (SEN). A sample of 32 SEN students (19 boys: 13 girls) from 5 inclusive schools in Hong Kong were recruited to a treatment group. An additional 32 SEN students (19 boys: 13 girls) were selected to form the control group matched for age, gender and parents’ education level. The special needs exhibited by both groups were in areas of literacy and numeracy, attention deficits, and social-emotional problems, but did not include severe or complex disabilities. Participants in both groups responded to pre- and post-intervention questionnaires covering career development self-efficacy, personal and social development self-efficacy, and meaning in life. As a follow-up, two teachers and three social workers providing support to SEN students, and the 32 participants were interviewed several months after the intervention. Interviews also took place with teachers, social workers and students to evaluate the perceived effects of the intervention. Findings indicated significant interactions between Time 1 and Time 2, and between groups (control vs. treatment) in personal goal-setting, career goal-setting, and the presence of meaning in life. Additionally, several themes were identified from the interviews suggesting that the intervention did have positive effects on SEN students’ career, personal and social development self-efficacy, and acquisition of meaning in life. Copyright © 2022 The International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS) and Springer Nature B.V.

To promote our understanding of moral behavior of adolescents as well as moral and civic education in Hong Kong, Wofoo Foundation collaborated with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University to conduct five studies. While the first three studies are survey studies examining the issues from the perspectives of high school students, teachers and parents, the fourth and fifth studies reviewed moral and character education in Hong Kong and examined the views of principals and teachers on moral and civic education, respectively. In this paper, we present the major findings and recommendations of these studies and integrate them for future service, policy and research considerations. Copyright © 2021 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

The association between physical activity in achieving mental health benefits and subjective well-being is consistently identified by empirical research. The causation of a positive self-concept created by physical exercise is empirically supported by Sonstroem and Morgan’s (1988) exercise and self-esteem model (EXSEM). However, various drawbacks of maintaining high self-esteem have been identified; thus, the concept of self-compassion was conjectured to be a form of “true self-esteem.” Hence, the current study aimed to investigate the relationship between physical activity and self-compassion by examining the exercise and self-esteem model revised with self-compassion (EXSEM-SC). This study recruited secondary school students from Hong Kong using convenience sampling. The structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, including path analysis and multiple indicators, multiple causes (MIMIC) modeling, were used to reveal the results of the study. The results (n = 1097) indicated that the relationship between physical activity and self-compassion could be demonstrated by the EXSEM-SC, with a satisfactory goodness-of-fit index in the SEMs. The SEM also demonstrated the direct paths from physical activity to self-compassion and mental well-being, indicating the significant effect of physical activity on self-compassion. Copyright © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

This paper reports the findings of a case study that attempted to identify school-related factors influencing the quality of implementation of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong. The case study method was utilized to investigate perceptions of the program implementers of program effectiveness, and to identify the crucial factors for program success in a school with a religious background that admits students with high academic achievement. Findings demonstrated that incorporation of the program into the formal curriculum, good administrative support, efficient management from school, and presence of dedicated teachers contributed to program success. The present findings provide insight for the implementation of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in schools with a religious background. Copyright © 2011 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston.

This study examined the treatment efficacy of PEERS®; (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills) among Chinese adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Hong Kong. The original PEERS®; manual was translated into Chinese, and cultural adjustments were made according to a survey among 209 local adolescents in the general population. 72 high-functioning adolescents with ASD were randomly assigned to a treatment or waitlist control group. The 14-week parent-assisted training significantly improved social skills knowledge and social functioning, and also reduced autistic mannerisms. Treatment outcomes were maintained for 3 months after training and replicated in the control group after delayed treatment. The present study represents one of the few randomized controlled trials on PEERS® conducted outside North America.
[Copyright of Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders is the property of Springer Science & Business Media. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3728-1]

Hong Kong underwent tremendous changes after the transfer of its sovereignty to China in 1997. This study attempts to explore the changing role of schools in preparing students for future democratic citizenship in the post-colonial era. Different researchers have postulated that schools play a crucial role in the political socialization process in meeting the developmental needs of adolescents. A mixed-method sequential explanatory research design was adopted to assess the effectiveness of Hong Kong schools in promoting civic learning. The significance of the present study was to analyse the school context by using the assessment framework from the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Civic Education Study (CivEd) to generate citizenship education studies. An extensive review of research related to the role of schools through formal and informal curricula was conducted. This process helped extend the current understanding of the effectiveness of the political socialization in secondary schools in Hong Kong and contributed to the further development of the research on political socialization in the Chinese context. The findings from this study would help educators or policy makers rethink the future role of schools in citizenship education.
[Copyright © 2017 National Institute of Education, Singapore.]

The research team developed a mindfulness course for less academically able adolescents that aims to help them improve their emotional regulation and affective control with the ultimate aim of improving their academic performances. For the duration of the course in three secondary schools in Hong Kong high dropout rate and low attendance rate among the participants were recorded. Interviews with the students revealed that most students were not interested in the mindfulness course because of the quiet and static nature of mindfulness activities. Based on these findings, possible ways of improving the course are proposed.
[Copyright of Social Work in Mental Health is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15332985.2014.932885]