School civic education has had the responsibility for developing local citizenship and shaping the role of S.A.R. citizens since the 1997 handover. An active citizenry is what a society aims to achieve in the development of modern citizenship. In the face of globalized competition and change, the future growth and development of a society rests greatly on innovative civic participation. The informal curriculum in Hong Kong schools provides a practice-based learning opportunity and milieu for participatory civic development. In examining the electoral participation of students' associations in schools, we can better understand civic learning in Hong Kong secondary schools. Apart from curriculum problems and difficulties, learning of participatory citizenship in school can help develop students' civic knowledge, skills and awareness. This article investigates participation in student union elections to find out how well participatory education is developed in Hong Kong secondary schools and discusses ways to develop civic education in Hong Kong schools.

Two achievement goals and three perceived parenting styles were identified in a sample of Hong Kong teacher education students. Significant correlations exist within the parenting styles and the achievement goals. Parental authoritativeness was significantly and positively related to learning goal and parental authoritarianism was significantly and negatively related to performance goal. Analysis of paternal and maternal influence showed there was no significant relation between paternal parenting styles and goal orientations but maternal authoritativeness was significantly related to learning goal. Further investigation with a larger sample, more male students and paternal influence would help confirm the paternal versus maternal influence on students ’ goal orientations.

Global trends have led to marketization of higher education. The rapid development of Information Technology and the Internet challenge the established paradigms of educational enterprise. Hong Kong has restructured its economy in line with the Asian Pacific region and is undergoing change in order to establish itself as service based and technologically driven. This paper address online higher education in Hong Kong, with a focus on non-government funded continuing and professional education. Three cases of online education courses organized by public funded universities are identified together with online higher and continuing education in the private sector. Public-private partnership is developed between the higher education institues (HEI) and the online education service providers. The state intervention is only on traditional higher education programmes but the area of cyber education for adults is left to the market.

This paper examines the effects of computerised music instruction on student motivation to learn music through a case study of five secondary schools in Hong Kong. Two main types of music software were used: the sequencing Technology-based Music Learning (TBML) type for composing, arranging and creating sound projects and the closed-package Computer-assisted Music Instruction (CAMI) type for enhancing musical knowledge such as the introduction of the musical instruments, Chinese operas and music theory. The researcher observed 16 lessons and 2sessions of extra-curricular activities in all and interviewed 5 teachers and 44 students. Analysis showed that use of the divergent sequencing software generated more student interest. It also showed that peer and independent learning took place more readily and that students demonstrated musical understanding more vividly through their creative work. When using the closed-package CAMI software, most teachers and students enjoyed the attractive visual effects, the organised sequential instruction and efficient feedback. The results may help music educators to review several pressing issues in the 21st century, including music curriculum design catering for teenagers with different learning styles when using music technology. The results may also have implications for teaching styles, changes in the teacher’s role with increased student autonomy, and the need for hardware and software support for classroom music lessons.
[Copyright © 2002 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.]

This paper reports on the design and implementation of a project for developing self-directed learning in student teachers. The study involved 20 student teachers currently enrolled at The Hong Kong Institute of Education. The study contextualized self-directed learning in the Education Projects module. Each student teacher designed and implemented a small educational research project. The Know Want Learn (KWL) method, concept map and a reflection question were used to collect data on the change in the self-directed learning capacity of student teachers. Data analysis revealed that student teachers had differential growth in selfdirected learning competence. Further, both quantitative and qualitative changes were observed in student teachers’ conceptualizations of educational research. Nevertheless, capacity remained for further improvement in their capacity for self-directed learning.
[Copyright © 2005 International Self-Directed Learning Symposium Group.]