The Chinese number system is believed to aid Chinese children in learning mathematics, which may help to explain the differences in mathematics performance between English-speaking and Chinese-speaking children. This chapter discusses Hong Kong Chinese preschool children’s mathematics learning and pre-primary and primary transition from the perspective of language and culture. Hong Kong preschool children have been found to perform better in mathematics compared with their English-speaking peers. Although the Chinese number naming system helps to explain the children’s better performance in learning individual mathematics concepts, this is insufficient in itself to account for the children’s performance. Other factors, such as classroom instruction and cultural beliefs about mathematics learning, may also have an important influence on children’s mathematics performance. Further studies involving teachers have shown that there is top-down pressure for Hong Kong preschools to adopt an academically focused curriculum. The Chinese cultural aspiration for academic success and the quest for a smooth pre-primary and primary transition have led to the use of the traditional drill-and-practice approach for teaching particular advanced mathematics concepts in Hong Kong preschools. The implications of this for early childhood mathematics teaching are discussed.
[Copyright © 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore].

Background: A number of methods to investigate growth have been reported in the literature, including hierarchical linear modelling (HLM), latent growth modelling (LGM), and multidimensional scaling applied to longitudinal profile analysis (LPAMS). Aims: This study aimed at modelling the mathematics growth of students over a span of 6 years from Grade 3 to Grade 9. Sample: The sample comprised secondary longitudinal data collected in three waves from n = 866 Hong Kong students when they were in Grade 3, Grade 6, and Grade 9. Method: Mathematics achievement was measured thrice on a vertical scale linked with anchor items. Linear and nonlinear latent growth models were used to assess students' growth. Gender differences were also examined. Results: A nonlinear latent growth curve with a decelerated rate had a good fit to the data. Initial achievement and growth rate were negatively correlated. No gender difference was found. Conclusion: Mathematics growth from Grade 6 to Grade 9 was slower than that from Grade 3 to Grade 6. Students with lower initial achievement improved at a faster rate than those who started at a higher level. Gender did not affect growth rate.
[Copyright © 2014 The British Psychological Society.]

This study aimed to model mathematics growth of students from Primary 3 to Secondary 3 from two approaches, namely, growth in content domains, and in cognitive domains. The sample consisted of 866 Hong Kong students who were followed longitudinally from Primary 3 to Secondary 3. The data were originally collected by the Education Bureau of Hong Kong. Plausible values of achievements at Primary 3, Primary 6, and Secondary 3 in three cognitive domains (Knowing, Applying, and Reasoning) were obtained using between-item multidimensional Rasch partial credit modelling. A modified autoregressive cross-lagged design was used to predict later achievement in the cognitive domains by prior achievements in these domains. Analysis was repeated for growth in content domains (Number, Shape and Space, Measures, Data Handling, and Algebra). Analysis showed that students' later mathematics achievement was strongly predicted by their previous achievement in the Knowing and the Number domains.
[Copyright © 2014 Education Bureau, HKSARG.]

促進學習的評估(Assessment for Learning下稱 AIL)是指以提升學生學習為首要目的的評核方法。如何將促進學習的評估策略融入教學中，以改善學生的學習，為近年所備受關注的。由優質教育基金資助的「寓學習於評估：香港學校的實踐」計劃 (Assessment for Learning Hong Kong Schools)目的是推展及落實AfL理念於學界中。計劃通過為教師提供專業發展培，好讓本港教師能切實地施行AfL於教學中。本文將集中探討促進學習的評估如何在數學科教學中實踐出來 。
[Copyright © 2014 Education Bureau, HKSARG.]

This study aimed to identify clusters of primary students based on their mathematics achievement, and their perceived usefulness of and expectation of feedback from teachers, and second, to examine profiles of self-regulated learning of the students in these clusters. The sample consisted of 4,570 students at Primary 3 to Primary 5 in Hong Kong. Two-step cluster analysis identified three clusters of students in each year level, namely, low achievers with negative feedback attitudes, high achievers with moderately positive feedback attitudes, and moderate achievers with strong positive feedback attitudes. Further, the clusters of moderate and high achievers shared similar mathematics self-efficacy, but moderate achievers had higher achievement goals and stronger self-regulated learning practices than either high or low achievers. Further, low achievers had the lowest, and moderate achievers the highest, self-regulated learning in mathematics. These results were consistent across year levels.
[Copyright © 2014 National Academy for Educational Research.]

Learning is the focus of attention for any educational enterprise. Consequently, the quality of assessment of the extent to which learning has occurred is of crucial importance. Assessment plays an important role in education in Hong Kong as in other places. Nevertheless, how to design an assessment that is of high quality, or how to fully utilize the results of the assessment to understand more deeply about the ability of our students is a demanding task for most teachers. It is not uncommon for teachers to assume that those students who cannot get good assessment results are weak students or that they have learning problems. Teachers rarely question the quality of assessment items to be the source of problems. In other words, teachers seldom consider the possibilities that the items may be too difficult, or unsuitable for the students' levels. In fact, it is worth investigating both the students' and items' performances for the assessments in order to understand more about the ability of our students. Under such circumstances, Rasch Measurement Model is a tool that teachers may consider to assist them for interpreting and analyzing the alignment between student ability and assessment item difficulty. In Rasch modelling, the data are checked, using a set of procedures and criteria, for the extent to which they match with the theoretical model. In particular, the point-measure correlations, and the INFIT and OUTFIT statistics are used to assess the goodness of fit between model and data. This study aims to illustrate how teachers can make use of these statistics from Rasch modelling to support them in the implementation of learning oriented assessment. The study will be based on assessment data obtained from two classes of Primary Three Students in a local school in July 2006. In the study, we will focus on the implication of misfit persons and items by using Rasch Measurement Model so as to discuss ways for understanding our students and improving the items and setting

世界各地為了面對急速變化的環境，紛紛修訂小學數學課程。香港的小學數學課學課程大綱自一九八三年出版至今，卻仍未改變。 一九九二年香港政府推行「學習目標及目標為本評計」計劃，再演變成為日後的「目標為本課程」，惟在數學科學習課程大綱上乃未進行改革，只沿用八三年課程綱要。隨著九七年近，香港又即將回歸中國，香港和中國大陸相互影響機會趨甚。香港、中國、台灣三地人種、文化、語言、文字相同，故本研究選擇三地為探討對象。 研究架構選用泰勒 (Tyler, 1949) 對課程的理論，集中討論「學習目標的選取、學習經驗的選取 (學習內容)、學習經驗的組織(學習內容的編排)和學習經驗的評估」，並作三地的分析。本研究論及三地的教學大綱、小學數學課程的教學目標、培養學生能力的異同處。 本論文採用香港的目標為本課程數學學習範疇分類方法，即數、度量、圖形與空間、代數、數據處理五種，並加入數學應用於生活中，進行三者的分析。論文在縱向和橫向進行分析，包括各年級的教學內容，各範疇所包含內容、所佔分量及教學重點所在的異同。 在探討內容時，著意分析內容方面是否和所訂定的總目標或分層目標相吻合。在學習內容的組織方面，探討對教學次序和所採用的方法排列，判決何者是直線式抑或螺旋式；也找出何者採用較多探究活動方式或是採用直述式的教法。在學習經驗的評估方面，礙於未能親自進入中國大陸及台灣的教學環境中實地觀察，所以在評估方式上，只能從所蒐集得來的文章資料中略作窺探，這仍要留待後來的研究者去作出探究。 本研究發現三地的課程內容大致相近，惟重點不同。香港教學內容分散，讓學生接觸面增廣，強調創造能力及欣賞數學的能力；中國和台灣則較為集中，中國注重基礎計算能力外，也強調向學生進行思想品德教育，台灣則著眼於學生以數學為解難工具，注重概算及實踐，要求學生面對新知識、要有高的應變能力。 三者的課程充份反映各自的政治、文化及經濟發展，以及對未來的期望。