This paper reports findings about a curriculum innovation conducted at The University of Hong Kong. A CD‐ROM consisting of videos of two lessons by different teachers demonstrating exemplary science teaching was used to elicit conceptions of good science teaching of student‐teachers enrolled for the 1‐year Postgraduate Diploma in Education at several stages during the programme. It was found that the videos elicited student‐teachers' conceptions and had impact on those conceptions prior to the commencement of formal instruction. It has extended student‐teachers' awareness of alternative teaching methods and approaches not experienced in their own schooling, broadened their awareness of different classroom situations, provided proof of existence of good practices, and prompted them to reflect on their current preconceptions of good science teaching. In several ways, the videos acted as a catalyst in socializing the transition of student‐teachers from the role of student to the role of teacher.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09500690500239805 ]

Despite the advantages of problem based learning (PBL) and the fact that it has been utilised for some time in conventional higher education settings, it is not widely used in distance education in Hong Kong. Recently, a small group of course co-ordinators at the Open University of Hong Kong engaged in a series of action learning projects to explore ways in which it could be incorporated into their courses. The purpose of this paper is to report the opinions of these academics about the suitability of PBL for a distance education environment. Generally, they concluded that it is possible, and perhaps desirable, to consider implementing PBL as one learning approach. However, most of the projects focussed on a fairly narrow application of PBL, namely in face-to-face tutorials. The limitations of the participants' interpretations are discussed in the light of the constraints they face, and some recommendations are made for other ways of implementing PBL into distance education.
[Copyright of Distance Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0158791000210206]

Procedural and conceptual knowledge for solving a basic quantitative problem in chemistry by expert and novice secondary school students is reported. Experts use a known qualitative procedure with a working forwards strategy to obtain a numerical solution. Novices attempt a means-ends analysis strategy which is often unsuccessful, so switch to a simple formula-driven working forwards strategy to obtain a numerical solution, the qualitative procedure being either omitted or only partially formed. A gradual shift in strategies and representations used as expertise increases was observed. Differences with findings for problem solving in physics were also found. Experts' conceptual knowledge is accurate and linked to underlying procedural knowledge, whereas novices have misconceptions and a poor understanding of formulae. Conceptual understanding, use of a qualitative procedure, and the type of strategy used, are major differences between experts and novices. Instructional techniques are suggested in these areas to enhance problem solving and teaching.
[Copyright of International Journal of Science Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/095006999290787]

This study examines the Chinese learner in the current changing education contexts with their emphasis on 21st century learning goals of inquiry, teamwork, and learning how to learn. With socioeconomic and technological changes, internationalisation and educational reforms, pedagogical approaches developed in the Western countries, such as inquiry-oriented and technology-based learning are becoming increasingly common in Confucian-Heritage Culture (CHC) classrooms. This paper reports on a case study of an expert teacher implementing a computer-supported knowledge-building approach in Hong Kong classrooms over a period of three years. The analyses indicated that the Chinese learners used seemingly contradictory approaches to make meaning, given the contextual dynamics. Similarly, the teacher did not merely adopt the Western model; he developed a transformed pedagogy integrating Chinese and Western approaches to scaffold student learning. The Chinese learners and Chinese teachers employed approaches that transcended the polarised categorisation of surface vs. deep, student-centred vs. teacher-centred, and didactic vs. constructivist approaches in the Chinese classroom. Implications for teaching and learning for Chinese learners in the changing educational contexts are discussed.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09500790802485245]

After reunification with the People's Republic of China in 1997, Hong Kong was turned into a special administrative region. The new government has repeatedly emphasised the development of national identity and patriotism. One of the locations where these issues might be expected to appear is in the teaching of Government and Public Affairs (GPA), an optional subject offered to secondary students aged 15-18. The aim of this paper is to study the perceptions of GPA teachers in order to address two issues. First, how do GPA teachers who teach politics in schools construe 'national identity' and 'patriotism'? Second, do the teachers believe studying politics through the subject GPA can enhance national identity and patriotism among the students? The findings show that the teachers understand national identity and patriotism critically. They insist politics should be taught in a rational way. At the same time, they think teaching politics in a rational way, with no appeal to the emotions as is the current practice, will enhance neither the students' sense of national identity nor their patriotism.
[Copyright of Compare: A Journal of Comparative Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03057920601061729 ]