背景：校本評核是教育改革的新方案，不少國家引入校本評核輔助公開考試，拓闊評核的基礎，提升學習效能，然而很多研究發現教師對評核變革的信念足以影響其實施。
目的：香港中學會考中國語文於2005-06學年實行校本評核，本研究以個案形式探討教師對校本評核的信念及其如何回應此變革。
研究對象：兩位高中中文教師
研究方法：採用半結構式訪談及檔分析蒐集資料
研究結果：研究發現乙老師支持校本評核，採取積極態度，安排各種評估活動，豐富學習與評核的內容；而甲老師卻持觀望態度，採取最省時省力的方法實施校本評核而不影響教與學的常態，反而致力幫助學生應付公開考試。
結論：研究揭示教師的信念影響其態度、決策與行動，為政策制定者帶來重要的啟示。
Background: School-based assessment is a new initiative of education reform. Many countries from different parts of the world have introduced SBA to supplement public examinations, broaden the assessment base and enhance learning effectiveness. However, many studies uncover teachers' beliefs, which affect the implementation of SBA.
Aims: SBA has been implemented in Chinese Language of Hong Kong Certificate Education Examination since the academic year of 2005-06. This case study aimed at exploring teachers' beliefs on SBA and how they responded to the change.
Sample: two Chinese Language teachers who teach senior forms
Method: Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis.
Results: The results showed that teacher B supported SBA and his attitude was positive. He was willing to arrange a variety of activities for assessment, enriching the contents of learning and assessment. However, teacher A with dubious attitude towards SBA, adopting time-saving and energy-saving strategies to implement SBA without hampering the norms of teaching and learning. Effort was focused on helping students prepare for the public examination.
Conclusion: This study highlighted the importance of teachers' beliefs, which exerted influence to their attitudes, decision making and action. The findings have important implications to policy makers.
[Copyright of New Horizons: The Journal of Education, Hong Kong Teachers' Associationl is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Association at http://www.hkta1934.org.hk/]

背景： 近年，香港推行教學和評估的改革，很多教師有機會參與不同的培訓課程，認識到語文教學和評估的新趨勢。他們對實踐評估理念提出很多意見。
目的：1. 探討教師對語文評估新趨勢理念的認識和實踐的情況 ；2. 探討教師在現行語文評估遇到的困難
調查對象：研究對像是香港小學中國語文科教師，選取2005-2006年度，修讀香港教育學院中文學系舉辦的小學語文科教師專業進修課程的學員為研究樣本。
調查方法：本研究採用定量研究和定質研究兩種調查方式。定量研究方法是採用問卷調查方式，派發了九十份問卷，收回八十份，回收率達百分之八十九。定質研究方法是採用與教師面談方式，訪問六位元教師，他們來自不同的學校，教齡在五年以上。
調查結果：調查發現大部分教師認同指引中提出的評估理念，但是對於如何落實新的評估理念仍存有疑問的。教師應用多元化評估方法遇到了不少的困難。同時教師卻深受考試「倒流效應」的影響，教師為了應付「全港基本能力評估」，常給學生操練式的練習和補課，影響教師的課堂教學，妨礙了教師實行多元化的評估。
總結：香港近幾年提出了新的語文評估理念，研究發現教師對實踐評估理念是有困難的。要確切落實新語文評估的理念，教師培訓人員、校長、教師和家長多方面的支持和配合是不可或缺的。
Background: In recent years, reforms on Chinese language assessment have been introduced in Hong Kong. Teachers have attended different seminars about the new trend of assessment in Hong Kong and they have opinions on it.
Aims: (1) To find out primary Chinese language teachers' perception and their implementation of the new assessment. (2)To explore the difficulties teachers encounter in the implementation of the new assessment.
Sample: The sample was chosen from the in-service primary Chinese language teachers who enrolled in the five weeks retraining course during the academic year 2005-2006. They were qualified and experienced teachers.
Method: Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used in this study. Questionnaires were sent to 90 in-service primary Chinese language teachers and 80 returned the questionnaires, the return rate is 89%. Then, a total of six teachers were interviewed, all are experienced teachers with at least five years of teaching.
Results: Finding indicates that many teachers agree with the rationale of the new assessment, however, they do not actually know how to implement it in their classrooms. They encounter difficulties in implementation. The 'backwash effect' has great impact on their teaching.
Conclusion: Finding indicates that many teachers encounter problems in the implementation of the rationale of new assessment. However, it is suggested that

Background: The literature suggests two main types of orientations influencing teachers' choice of assessment strategies--"Knowledge acquisition and retention (K orientation)" and "Understanding and Conceptual change (U orientation)" with the former more directly related to surface learning types of assessment strategies and the latter more to do with strategies which encourage deep learning.
Aims: The study aimed to investigate what kinds of strategies teachers used to assess their students and how teachers' self-reported assessment strategies reflected the orientations suggested in the current literature. In addition, it identified the governing forces that impacted on the orientations of the teachers in their assessment strategy selection.
Sample: Ninety-four Hong Kong teachers from nine primary schools and six secondary schools took part in semi-structured interviews which focused on the strategies they used for assessing their students.
Results: The teachers reported using many types of strategies including tests, exams, projects, etc. The results of the study showed that there were forces that drew teachers towards "Knowledge acquisition and retention" orientation while selecting assessment strategies for use.
Conclusion: More effort has to be made to encourage teachers to attain a better balance between assessment aimed at measuring knowledge and assessment aimed at learning and understanding.
背景: 文獻指出教師在選擇評估策略上有兩種主要取向 - 「知識的獲取與記憶」(知識取向) 及「理解與概念的轉變」(理解取向)。「知識取向」的評估策略偏向淺層次的學習；而「理解取向」的評估策略是鼓勵深層次的學習。
目的: 本研究的目的是瞭解教師選擇甚麼評估策略來評估學生，分析他們選取評估策略的取向，及找出主導他們對評估策略取向的因由。
取樣: 本研究訪問了九十四位來自九所小學及六所中學的香港教師。
結果: 本研究的結果顯示教師曾經使用不同種類的評估策略，包括測驗、考試及專題計劃等。當教師選擇評估策略的時候，有一些外在的力量使他們傾向於選擇「知識取向」。
結論: 有需要增強相關的做法，令教師擺脫這些限制，使「用評估量度知識」與「用評估學習和理解」之間取得平衡。
[Copyright of New Horizons: The Journal of Education, Hong Kong Teachers' Associationl is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Association at http://www.hkta1934.org.hk/]

In recent years, the emphasis in second language (L2) oral proficiency assessment has shifted from linguistic accuracy to discourse strategies such as the ability to initiate, respond, and negotiate meaning. This has resulted in a growing interest in the discourse analysis of students' performance in different oral proficiency assessment formats. The study reported in this article represents an attempt to investigate students' discourse performance in L2 oral proficiency assessments conducted in the form of peer group interactions in Hong Kong. Forty-three female Hong Kong secondary students were involved. Findings from a qualitative discourse analysis of the students' interaction data supplemented with data from interviews and a questionnaire reveal the emergence of a test-task specific genre featuring recurrent frames of talk for task management, content delivery, and response giving. These frames were characterized by discourse features that seem to be ritualized, contrived, and colluded. Such interaction practices suggest a strong desire on the part of the students to maintain the impression of being effective interlocutors for scoring purposes rather than for authentic communication. Implications for test construct validity and the impact on the students' L2 oral proficiency development are discussed.
[Copyright of Language Assessment Quarterly is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15434300903473997]

Research Findings: Assessment and accountability have been given prominent attention in the field of education in recent decades. Educators have been debating what assessment is, how it is practiced in school, and how it is used for accountability purposes. A case study was conducted of the assessment practices in a Hong Kong preschool to understand the issues of assessment and accountability. This study investigates changes in assessment practices and explores implications for assessment and accountability. This research adopted various qualitative data collection methods, including interviews, site observations, collection of documents, and review of personal notes. The findings showed that there was a paradigm shift of assessment practice from an outcome-oriented approach to a process-oriented approach. Results revealed 4 major changes in the new assessment approach that involved the choice of assessment tools, the planning procedures, data collection methods, and new assessment activities. The major changes were built on the idea of assessment for learning and the strength of school capacity supporting self-improvement. The development of a culture of collaboration and professional learning communities helped to enhance teacher development and build school capacity.
Practice or Policy: This study urges the improvement of process-oriented assessment, school capacity, and the use of assessment data to understand the impacts of the new accountability system. The study supports a more balanced approach of combining school internal capacity and external systems to uphold school accountability and advocates the use of process-oriented assessment in early childhood education.
[Copyright of Early Education & Development is the property of Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Full article may be available at the publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10409281003638717]

In recent decades, with an increasing application of computer technology to the delivery of oral language proficiency assessment, there have been renewed debates over the appropriateness of two different testing modes, namely, (a) face-to-face, or direct, testing, and (b) person-to-machine, or semi-direct, testing. Previous research conducted in various geographical regions has produced mixed results as to which format is more acceptable to test takers. The present investigation, carried out in the context of a university setting in Hong Kong, compared the popularity of two testing modes by analyzing reactions and perceptions of a group of test takers who had just sat for a direct test as well as a semi-direct test. The results indicate that, although a large proportion of the participants had no particular preference in terms of the testing mode, the number of participants who strongly favored direct testing far exceeded the number strongly favoring semi-direct testing. The participants' main reason cited for disliking semi-direct testing was its inability for the examiner and examinee to interact during the test, which appears to have created a psychological barrier for the test taker.
[Copyright of Language Assessment Quarterly is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15434300902800059]

Background: Although recent quantitative research suggests that medical students are reluctant to engage in peer physical examination (PPE) of intimate body regions, we do not know why.
Aim: This article explores first-year medical students' anxieties about PPE of intimate body regions at six schools.
Methods: Using the Examining Fellow Students (EFS) questionnaire, we collected qualitative data from students in five countries (UK; Australia; New Zealand; Japan; Hong Kong) between 2005 and 2007.
Results: Our framework analysis of 617 (78.7%) students' qualitative comments yielded three themes: present and future benefits of PPE; possible barriers to PPE; and student stipulations for successful PPE. This article focuses on several sub-themes relating to students' anxieties about PPE of intimate body regions and their associated sexual, gender, cultural and religious concerns. By exploring students' euphemisms about intimate areas, our findings reveal further insights into the relationship between students' anxieties, gender and culture.
Conclusion: First-year students are anxious about examining intimate body regions, so a staged approach starting with manikins is recommended. Further qualitative research is needed employing interviews to explore in depth students' anxieties about examinations of intimate body regions and how their views are shaped by interactions with peers, patients and doctors.
[Copyright of Medical Teacher is the property of Informa Healthcare . Full article may be available at the publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/01421590802578244]

The aim of this study was to investigate whether, in the Hong Kong context, selfand peer-assessment promote students' self-reflection and enable students to understand their own strengths and weaknesses better. A three-stage assessment strategy was employed in three Science courses at The Chinese University of Hong Kong: (1) students developing assessment criteria, (2) self-assessment, and (3) peer-assessment. These assessment strategies are not common at the University. Education in Hong Kong is often portrayed as having less experience of, and being somewhat resistant to, educational innovation. So, in addition to studying the learning potential of these strategies, the study also focused on the practicality of implementing the new strategies. The results confirm that there are challenges in the present context but also indicate that these innovations to assessment are well perceived by students if they are appropriately framed and implemented.
[Copyright of Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09695940903319729]