The inclusion of all learners in mainstream classrooms is an objective for schools internationally. The aim of this study was to test the psychometric properties of the newly developed Inclusive Practices Scale (IPS) to determine if the intention to use inclusive practices could be predicted from participants' atti-tudes and efficacy scores. Participants included 390 pre-service educators from four countries (Australia, India, Canada, and Hong Kong). Results suggest that the IPS is both a reliable and valid instrument, with teaching efficacy the strongest predictor of inclusive practice intentions. The IPS could be a meaningful tool in determining pre-service and in-service educators' intentions to use inclusive practices. Crown Copyright © 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Research Findings: This study surveyed 216 pre-service early childhood teachers in Hong Kong to examine their levels of confidence in teaching different topics of sexuality. It also sought to explore the relationships of their different perceptions about sexuality education to their behavioural intentions towards children’s curiosity. Results showed that the participants reported the highest level of confidence in teaching about self-protection and the lowest level of confidence in teaching about body parts of the two sexes and origin of life. Surprisingly, there was no significant relationship between overall confidence and behavioural intentions. Perceived benefits of sexuality education and embarrassment of talking about sexuality were associated with the avoidance intention, but only the former was associated with the approach intention.Practice or Policy: Our findings suggest that teacher educators should seek ways to help pre-service teachers realise the benefits of sexuality education and reduce their discomfort of talking openly about sexuality. Copyright © 2020 International Review of Finance Ltd.

Inclusive education has been promoted in primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong since the 1990s, and it has now spread to pre-primary education. Without qualified teachers and sufficient resources, however, it is difficult to implement inclusion in early childhood settings. This case study investigated how inclusive education was practised in an ordinary kindergarten in Hong Kong with a focus on its benefits and challenges. Two children with special educational needs, their teachers and parents, the learning support team members, and the school principal were involved in the study, which included the triangulation of observations, interviews, and documentation analysis. The results indicated that (1) the chosen kindergarten demonstrated a variety of inclusive practices and (2) although there were some problems and difficulties, all of the participants interviewed showed positive attitudes towards the inclusive programme. The implications and challenges of implementing inclusion in Hong Kong early childhood settings are discussed.
[Copyright of Early Child Development and Care is the property of Routledge.]

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the professional development needs of academics in Hong Kong higher education for the use of educational technology. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted in 2017, which involved 374 academics from Hong Kong higher education institutions. The survey covered their perception and use of educational technology for professional activities and their relevant professional development needs. Findings: The results showed an overall positive perception by the academics of the usefulness of online learning with the aid of technology, which was regarded as an effective complement to face-to-face learning. However, their use of educational technology focused only on general online applications, such as document and video-sharing tools, and e-learning platforms. Among various professional development needs, those related to the use of specific educational software with sharing of practical examples were considered to be most highly desired by the academics. In addition, the academics working in lecturer positions tended to use more online applications and had a higher need for professional development, than those with more teaching experience. Originality/value: The findings contribute to identifying the current status of the use of educational technology and the professional development needs among academics in Hong Kong, as well as the differences between academics in different job positions and with different amounts of teaching experience. The results help in designing suitable professional development activities which address the specific needs of academics.
[Copyright of Interactive Technology and Smart Education is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited.]

In contrast to a burgeoning research literature on the role of emotions in learning and instruction in Western culture, research on how emotions impact student and teacher development in Asian countries is lacking. The present paper reviews seven publications included in the 2019 Special Issue of The Asia--Pacific Education Researcher examining the role of emotions in Asian learners and in Asian educators. Three studies conducted with Asian students across education levels (primary, secondary, post-secondary) and countries (China, Singapore) explored students' emotions ranging from global constructs (engagement, satisfaction) to discrete experiences (hope, gratitude) in relation to personality, self-regulation, persistence, and contextual variables (perfectionism, self-compassion, resilience, relatedness). Four studies additionally investigated the emotional experiences of pre-service and practicing Asian teachers (China, Hong Kong, Philippines) in relation to varied motivational variables (self-efficacy, self-theories, passion, psychological capital), social-environmental factors (cooperative interactions, practicum evaluations), as well as psychological and physical health (coping styles, burnout, sleep quality). Study findings and protocols are discussed with respect to specific directions for future research on academic emotions in an Asian educational context.
[Copyright of Asia-Pacific Education Researcher is the property of Springer.]

Background: Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation can improve the survival rate of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation in schools by teachers is one of the ways to increase the number of bystanders who can perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Nevertheless, there have been no studies on the readiness of teachers in Hong Kong to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation in their schools. Objective: To assess whether secondary school teachers are prepared to teach their students cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Methods: This was a questionnaire survey. Teachers from 22 local secondary schools were recruited. The questionnaires were designed with questions covering their knowledge about cardiopulmonary resuscitation and attitudes towards teaching their students cardiopulmonary resuscitation. A knowledge score and attitude score were calculated. Result: 557 teachers completed the questionnaires. Most had never witnessed a cardiac arrest and over half of them had never been trained cardiopulmonary resuscitation or use of an automated defibrillator. About 25% of them answered all questions on knowledge wrong. Only 25% supported teaching cardiopulmonayr resuscitation in schools and 32% were willing to teach it. Legal liability was a major concern. Conclusion: Local teachers' readiness for teaching students cardiopulmonary resuscitation in secondary schools is likely poor. More efforts are required to raise their knowledge level on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and instill a positive attitude towards cardiopulmonary resuscitation education in schools.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Journal of Emergency Medicine is the property of Sage Publications Ltd.]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study how reflection affects the teacher change with a focus on teaching practices under education reforms in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach: This study adopted narratives as the research design to unveil the contents of teachers' reflection and how the contents affect their change in teaching practices under education reforms. Findings: The study finds that teachers' reflection starts with completion of curriculum ("technical level"), then consideration of students' learning needs ("practical level") and finally, the social justice and equality ("critical level"). The levels of reflection teachers engage have significant influence on their change. The higher the level of reflection teachers have, the more motivated the teachers to explore new teaching practices not only for the learning needs of students in classroom but also for the society outside classroom. Originality/value: This study underlines the value of reflection in the process of teacher change in their teaching practices.
[Copyright of International Journal of Educational Management is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited.]

Gifted students usually require much less time spent in practising and revising basic skills; instead, they benefit greatly from opportunities to work through the curriculum at a faster pace (acceleration). Teachers currently working with mixed-ability classes do not always find it easy to differentiate their teaching approach in this way, so there is a need to facilitate in-service professional development to provide teachers with practical strategies for implementing effective differentiation for gifted learners. In response, a project for primary school teachers was organized by a university in Hong Kong. The purposes of the project were (a) to "enhance the confidence of teachers" in planning and delivering differentiated lessons in specific key learning areas (KLAs) with particular reference to gifted students; (b) to "empower teachers with knowledge and strategies" necessary for designing and implementing a differentiated curriculum in KLA domains and (c) to establish a "professional development practice" that connects local academics with schools and teachers. The project was implemented by inviting curriculum leaders, panel chairpersons and subject teachers from primary schools to attend a 3-hour lecture and a 6-hour workshop in which differentiation practices were explored. The project was later evaluated based on feedback from participants and university consultants. Overall, the feedback was positive, but suggestions are provided here for enhancing future projects of a similar nature.
[Copyright of Gifted Education International is the property of SAGE Publications]

This study reveals the perceptions of over one hundred Hong Kong teachers who were asked to reflect upon the implementation of Liberal Studies in secondary schools in response to the latest government review of the subject's curriculum. Questionnaire-based surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted to probe the participating teachers' perceptions and suggestions in such areas as the subject's objectives, content and assessment, with the ultimate goal of tracing the subject's developmental trajectory. The findings indicate that, whilst the teachers appear to have faith in Liberal Studies' objective to develop students into critical and independent thinkers, they feel that the pedagogical challenges with which they have been confronted have influenced their teaching motivation and support for the subject's mandatory status in secondary education. Further, the potential tension between the challenges they have encountered in reality and the ideal outcomes envisaged by policymakers raises the question of how Liberal Studies can move forward in giving teachers a greater role in educational reform. Recommendations for relieving that tension, as well as the findings' implications for future research on curriculum development in Hong Kong and elsewhere, are also discussed.
[Asia Pacific Education Review is a copyright of Springer, 2017]