Previous studies conducted in university and high school students confirmed that physical self-perceptions were hierarchically organized in 3 tiers, with global self-esteem at the apex, physical self-worth in the middle, and four physical self-perception sub-domains (sport competence, condition, body attractiveness, and strength) at the bottom. However, it is not clear whether children age 10 or under also exhibit similar pattern. In this study the 3-tier model was tested in 800 Hong Kong Chinese primary 4 and 5 pupils using structural equation modeling. Further more, how perceived importance and goal orientations affect physical self-perceptions at different level of generalities was considered.

The 1997 handover created demands for teaching Chinese culture at and above college level, including those being trained to be teachers. There have been debates on Chinese culture texts and relevant parts of the up-coming high school liberal studies syllabus. The criticisms reflect worries about indoctrinating patriotism and occasionally, losing the right to interpret Chinese culture to the national political centre. While using international scholarship in anthropology and other disciplines might answer some of these concerns, "internationalizing" alone does not help foster participation in interpreting Chinese culture or build a sense of community with alternative voices in the mainland. This paper describes attempts to introduce the work of mainland scholars in anthropology and other disciplines which transcend the tradition-versus-modernity and Chinese-versus-foreign dichotomies. As many of those authors do some of their writings for the mainland reading public, address current issues in mainland China, and often are concerned about empowerment through understanding marginalized traditions, the inclusion of more of their work in teaching Chinese culture in Hong Kong could help nurture "non-official" concepts of being Chinese without opting out of a sense of community that can benefit many on either side of the Hong Kong – mainland divide.

English language remains an important learning component of all university students in Hong Kong. Regardless of their academic interests, all pre-service teachers whose specialisms are not English are also compulsorily required to study English during their first year of university years. Does it mean these non-English subject trained pre-service teachers will be de-motivated to learn English? How do they respond to English learning even if they do not expect to teach English in the future? What learning strategies do they adopt during English lessons? In this paper, we attempt to look at a group of non-English major pre-service teachers' motivation to learn English. Through the research instruments of questionnaire and in-depth interviews with teachers and students, data are to be collected to analyse their motivation and attitudes to learn English.

With the Hong Kong Government advocating the use of IT in education and the stress on student-focused teaching in education reform, this paper investigates the effects these innovations have on students' learning. Bernstein's concept of strong/weak framing is employed analytically to conceptualise the transaction of teaching and learning. Different levels of framing inherent in the music software and related teaching strategies and the ways they affect children's achievement in composing in lower secondary school settings are investigated, using an experimental study. The results show that children achieved best with very weak framing conditions using the computer to compose, suggesting that a student-focused approach facilitated composing and creativity, and this has several implications to teachers and teacher education today.
[Copyright © 2001 Aichi University of Education.]