Computer technology has become a vital element which takes part in almost every aspect of our lives. In visual art, it acts as media for studio art production, tools for learning instruction, and tools for classroom management. However, the development of computer assisted learning in Hong Kong is still in an initial stage. As an educator of art, it is part of my responsibilities to study on the potential and effectiveness of computer application in the learning and teaching of art. This case study research of a programme of teacher education aims to find out the competency and attitude of prospective art teachers towards computer assisted learning and teaching. Result can pave way for future development of computer application for art teaching and learning in teacher education and in primary schools in Hong Kong. New Technology and Art Education: Computer technologies have enormous potential and advantages in enhancing and expanding the way of teaching and learning art in schools. Pupils can experiment their ideas on the screen without fearing of making mistakes and can easily try out their ideas and visualize their images in mind (Mathieson, 1993). These playful and relaxed working processes are a vital avenue leading to creativity (Greh, 1990). In teaching, on-line computer images provide enormous images through the net with a relatively lower cost (Heise,1996). Manipulating images on the screen allows more flexibility in teaching art appreciation and criticism than using slides for presentation (Greh, 1990). With the use of computer, pupils can 'save' part of the process and teachers are free to involve in the interim of their work (Greh, 1990). Computer application provides alternative ways for learning. For example the extensive use of World Wide Web makes thousands of works from major museums uploaded to the Net and on CD ROM which provides means to ponder, confer, and analyze everything from the most obscure artists; and allows life-long art-based learning (

The purpose of the study is to identify the rationales and notions for music education in Hong Kong and China. This study investigates the practice of music education in Hong Kong and China under the impacts of Westernisation and colonization particularly since the late 19th century. It also highlights the features of music education, and current issues in education in Hong Kong and China with regard to the two recently issued music curricula. The curricula reveal various resemblances and differences in the design of the music curricula, which bring to light recommendations that could be shared among other countries.

Classroom management is recognized as an essential component of effective teaching. However, there is little information about how physical education student teachers manage their class during their practicum. The purpose of the study was to describe the class management practices of Hong Kong physical education student teachers. Twenty local primary pre-service student teachers were videotaped teaching two ball games lessons in the allocated schools during their final practicum. Each videotaped lesson was coded using the Physical Education Teacher Assessment Instrument (PETAI). Quantitative data generated by the PETAI indicated that the pre-service group spent similiar percentages of time in overall class management to other studies. Three pre-service student teachers were randomly selected to participate in the second phase of the study. Students were observed teaching two ball games lessons and were invited to take part in two pre-lesson interviews and two post-lesson stimulated recall sessions. Qualitative data were collected through lesson observations and interviews. Constant comparison and analytic induction were used to organize and categorize the data. Results showed that there were common managing behaviours and strategies exhibited by the pre-service student teachers during teaching. Pedagogical setting for learning and organization were the identical managing behaviours observed, whilst the preventive management, equipment management, and interactive management were the common class managing strategies identified. Findings of the present study hold implications for the preparation of physical education teachers.

Textbook is a kind of operational curriculum which serves as a reflection and interpretation of the official curriculum. This study attempts to identify and compare the content demonstrated in the selected music textbook series of three publishers for junior secondary schools of Hong Kong. The balance and the emphasis of the three dimensions: "Music Elements and Knowledge", "Teaching Materials" and "Types of Activities" derived from the content of the text series are investigated by a set of quantitative content analysis instrument. The intra and inter relationship of the listed features of each textbook series provides the basis for the conclusion and recommendation of the study.

Despite the fact that PMI is not the government policy, an increasing number of schools in Hong Kong have adopted different modes of using PMI in teaching Chinese Language since 1997. Such a trend has caused general concern because Putonghua (the standardized spoken form of Modern Chinese) is not the mother tongue of most teachers or students in the local community. The switch of medium in teaching the language subject may have profound impact on the cognitive development of students because most teachers and students will need to acquire another system of speech sounds and lexicon in handling the subject matter. Nevertheless, as the PMI trend prevails, language teachers are under "pressure" to adjust their teaching medium so as to meet the changing social expectation of equipping students with the standardized form of a world language. This paper reports the findings of a recent study of teachers' views of teaching Chinese through PMI in Hong Kong. Among the group of 20 serving teachers in a postgraduate course, some are proficient in Putonghua and some are not. Through a series of seminar presentation and discussion, these front line teachers revealed the current practices in different school contexts. Insights of these participants represent an "insider's" view of the issue and should inform the development of effective ways of reforming the teaching medium of Chinese in a complex social context.

"What knowledge, skills and attitude concerning physical education (PE) are of most worth to students in Hong Kong?" This paper tries to review and discuss the values of PE in schools with reference to the development of PE curriculum in Hong Kong. It is assumed that such values are 'subjective' in the sense that they are perceived by PE teachers as means to an end expressed in their curriculum. They are dynamic and changing from time to time. It is also characterised by personal values of PE teachers or the intentions of the government and other organizations. According to Jewett, Bain and Ennis (1995) and Crum (1993), values of PE can be categorised into different frameworks with three major sources of influence, namely PE teachers' value perspectives towards personal or individual development, social-cultural goals and the subject matter content of PE. Some PE teachers believe that personal or individual development is the major concern of their PE curriculum. Cultivating all-rounded development of the students and developing them to become elite athletes or life long participants in leisure and recreational activities are some of the examples. Others concern more on the social-cultural goals of the PE curriculum. These PE teachers concern more on building students' social efficiency and adaptability through fostering desirable traits of cooperation, loyalty and citizenship. Conversely, some want to develop students' independent and critical thinking through PE so that they can become the change agents for a better society. For some practitioners, the subject matter of PE deserves the special attention in formulating the values of PE in schools. 'The education "of", "through" and "about" physical' conceptions explain appropriately different viewpoints of teachers on the subject nature of PE. However, all the orientations mentioned above are not mutually exclusive. Some are sometimes conflicting and confusing in nature. The situation is sometimes complicated by the