This study investigated learning strategies for Chinese character handwriting (CCW) among students of Chinese as a second language (CSL) in Hong Kong international schools. It first developed an inventory for identifying CCW strategies. The data obtained from the international school students showed that the most frequently used learning strategies as those related to the meaning, structure and shape of Chinese characters; the least frequently used strategies were found to be games, calligraphy, and metacognitive strategies. Then, a factor analysis revealed that two dimensions exist for CCW strategies: knowledge-based and indirect, indicating that both linguistic features of Chinese characters and the cognitive process of handwriting influence students’ employment of CCW strategies. Accordingly, suggestions for teaching approaches and improvement were provided. Copyright © 2024 The Education University of Hong Kong. All Rights Reserved.

There is a global trend in the increased adoption of e-assessment in school classrooms to enhance learning. Teachers, as classroom-based assessment designers and implementers, play a vital role in such assessment change. However, little is known about school teachers' classroom-based e-assessment practices and the underlying reasons. To address this research gap, this study identified the factors influencing Hong Kong primary school teachers' e-assessment practices underpinned by the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). A large-scale survey was issued to 878 teachers via Qualtrics. Structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis shows that primary school teachers' intentions of using e-assessment and perceived behavioural control of it were the two strongest factors predicting their e-assessment practices in a general way. Specifically, teachers' intentions outweighed perceived behavioural control in determining their use of alternative e-assessment tasks and e-feedback, but this reversed for e-tests/exercises. The impact of perceived behavioural control was consistent across the three types of e-assessment practices. Furthermore, teachers' attitudes significantly influenced their intentions to use alternative e-assessment tasks, while subject norms primarily predicted their intentions to use e-feedback. The findings have implications for primary schools to take countermeasures to facilitate the successful implementation of e-assessment at the classroom level.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic E-assessment has the potential to influence learning. E-assessment has often been used in a controlled environment with a relatively small sample size. The past 3 years have seen a surge in discussions and research around using e-assessment in classroom settings, mostly in higher education. What this paper adds Primary school teachers used more e-tests or exercises than alternative e-assessment tasks and e-feedback in their daily teaching. Teachers' intentions

Language choice and code-switching are commonplaces for peer interaction among bilingual children from various language backgrounds in Hong Kong. However, few studies concern these linguistic practices of immigrant children proficient in Mandarin and English. This study adopted a qualitative research approach to investigate three Mandarin-English preschoolers’ language choice and code-switching by analyzing their conversations in interaction with a Cantonese–English bilingual peer under the framework of translanguaging. The findings reveal that these Mandarin-English preschoolers’ priority language for interaction is English, indicating that choosing a shared language is an essential communicative strategy for integrating with their Cantonese–English peers. The factors for those language choices include social environment, interlocutor’s ability, and sense of identity and belonging. Both inter-sentential and intra-sentential code-switching are adopted in verbal interaction. However, intra-sentential code-switching occurs more frequently and with greater diversity in Mandarin-based sentences, where nouns are the most easily switched component, followed by verbs and adjectives. This study enriches the study of bilingual children in Hong Kong, extends the application of translanguaging to peer interaction outside the classroom in multilingual contexts, and provides pedagogic implications. Copyright © 2024 Informa  UK  Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

The initiation of formal science education provides an opportunity to investigate how age-related language and reading skills respond to the challenge of science literacy (SL) performance. SL in early primary schools refers to the understanding and application of scientific core ideas and practices for informed decision-making. Studies revealed that high levels of singular reading or language skills correlate with better SL performance in school settings. However, it is essential to explore how nuanced words and textual reading skills relate to SL performance for early primary learners. One hundred ninety-three Hong Kong second graders were assessed on word reading, reading comprehension, vocabulary, nonverbal reasoning, and SL. The hierarchical regression model shows that word reading and reading comprehension are significant predictors of SL, controlling for nonverbal reasoning and vocabulary. Further, mediation analysis reveals that reading comprehension significantly mediates the effect of word reading on SL at grade 2, suggesting a shared reading-SL cognitive process. A tailored early elementary school literacy instruction is a promising way to enhance SL development among young learners. Copyright © 2024 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, we explored the impact of 498 primary school teachers in Hong Kong on the competences of students with special educational needs (SEN). We found that their attitudes, control beliefs, and subjective norms about inclusive education (IE) significantly influenced their IE intentions, and subsequently their behaviors. Intentions and behaviors mediated the effect on the social and academic competencies of SEN students. Our findings, consistent across nine different SEN types, have highlighted the role of fostering positive teacher dispositions and reinforcing IE intentions and behaviors through training and peer support networks, facilitating effective IE implementation. Copyright © 2024 The Authors.

Pre-screening children for specific learning disabilities (SLDs), e.g., dyslexia, is essential for effective intervention. With a quick and reliable pre- screening result, special education coordinators (SEN- COs) can provide students with early intervention and relieve their learning pressure. Unfortunately, due to the limited resources, many students in Hong Kong receive dyslexia assessments beyond the golden period, i.e., under the age of six. To this end, information technology could establish automatic pre-screening tools to address this issue. However, dyslexia pre-screening for children learning Chinese is challenging due to the lack of sound-script correlation in Chinese. In this paper, an Automatic Dyslexia Pre-screening System (ADPS) is developed to provide a quick test to identify at-risk children. Through a two-stage approach, we first develop a gamified tool based on linguistic characteristics and then evaluate the result by a comparison study. Results from a pilot test on 30 students with dyslexia and 32 students without dyslexia indicate that ADPS can effectively distinguish two groups of students. Furthermore, the interactive design elements can motivate students to conduct the pre-screening independently. Copyright © 2024 IEEE.

Against the background of expanding parental choices and declining global birth rates, schools are experiencing rising competition regarding student enrolment. Schools have responded by strategically presenting information about their students’ academic achievement and whole-person development orientation in the hope of attracting parents’ interest. However, few studies have investigated the impact of these factors on student enrollment, particularly in the context of diverse school types and educational orientations. Accordingly, this study utilized data from 327 secondary schools in Hong Kong to examine the effects of academic achievement orientation and whole-person development orientation on student intake. Using hierarchical regression analysis, we found a positive association between high whole-person development orientation and student intake in aided schools with a strong academic development orientation. The result implies parents are increasingly concerned about their children’s academic achievement and whole-person development at school. The study contributes to a broader understanding of the factors influencing parental choice in high-performing education systems, providing valuable insights for policymakers and educators seeking to improve educational offerings, enhance school transparency, and be better aligned with parental expectations. Copyright © 2024 The Author(s).

Since the public release of ChatGPT in November 2022, generative AI tools—capable of creating human-like content such as audio, code, images, text, simulations, 3D objects, and videos—have gained significant attention. While the impact of these tools on language teaching and learning has been widely speculated, the perspective of language teacher educators concerning their influence on initial language teacher education (ILTE) remains unexplored. This study investigates how teacher educators, who play a crucial role in adapting ILTE to technological advancements, perceive the effects of generative AI tools on ILTE. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with thirteen English language teacher educators from all four Hong Kong government-funded universities offering ILTE. Findings reveal that participants believe generative AI tools will substantially affect the ILTE curriculum, instruction, and assessment. However, most participants believed they lacked the confidence and competence to address the implications of generative AI tools effectively. This study highlights the need for further research and training to support teacher educators in adapting ILTE to the emerging influence of generative AI. Copyright © 2024 The Authors.

This paper captures the group dynamics underpinning preservice teacher identity formation to understand how childhood schooling and teacher education shape the teaching metaphors teachers construct of intercultural education. We propose a theory of identity grafting (IG) for a precise framing of the diverse ways teachers identify with intercultural education vis-à-vis other pre-established aspects of their teacher identities. Studying their IGs helped us connect the preservice teachers’ experiences with the experiences of other teachers that had emerged in global literature. We draw insights from our efforts to co-construct with preservice teachers their professional development in facilitating intercultural education. Adapting the activities based on their responses, we co-constructed with each other during the workshop teacher identities with a sense of connectedness between intercultural education and other pedagogical forms. We observed preservice teachers as we facilitated their discussions, employing ethnographic approaches to immerse ourselves in the interactions of the workshop participants. The findings revealed that preservice teachers had become more mindful of the implications of their intercultural education practices after having reflective dialogues with each other. However, although the teachers successfully integrated each other's views about intercultural education practices, this could not be sustained when they attempted to contextualize these efforts. The teachers could not reconcile their disparate childhood experiences with cultural diversity as students graduating from schools with differing academic performance rankings (school banding). Therefore, they struggled to connect their experiences with other pedagogical forms that they had previously encountered. Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developing cultural inclusiveness has been a prominent agenda in European and North American teacher preparation programmes. Beyond these societies, however, discussion on teacher education programme diversity remains tokenistic. Hong Kong, a city often marketed as Asia's World City, is not an exception, given the relatively recent history in the representation of minority groups and the enactment of an anti-racial discrimination ordinance in 2009. This lacuna thus raises questions about teachers’ preparedness to engage with the growing concerns for educational equity for ethnically diverse learners. This chapter describes and reflects on an informal learning programme within a Hong Kong university that has taken up the challenge of engaging pre-service teachers more explicitly about cultural diversity. The informal programme applies a ‘to know, to care, to act’ approach in collaboration with a social enterprise to offer students virtual experiential learning opportunities with ethnically diverse communities. The programme aimed at developing learners’ global competence as aspiring teachers of diverse learners. In doing so, this chapter advances theoretical arguments about merging global and multicultural education frameworks. This is a means to foster contact and learning between pre-service teachers and ethnically diverse learners and provides a pathway for promoting cultural inclusion in schools. Copyright © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Paul Downes, Jim Anderson, Alireza Behtoui and Lore Van Praag; individual chapters, the contributors.