Background: A limited amount of research has been conducted on children and adolescents who are low achievers. In Hong Kong, educators describe low achieving students in terms of academic performance, they seldom focus on socio-emotional aspects, such as self-esteem, peer affiliation, and inter-personal relationships. However, low achieving students could also be described differently in different contexts. Students who experience difficulties academically are characterized as having difficulties in studying, completing assignments and organizing information Therefore, this study attempts to explore the impact of the transitions from primary school to secondary school among low achieving students on their peer affiliation and the reciprocal effect of self-esteem and academic outcomes, using data triangulation and methodological triangulation (different methods, i.e., observation, journal entries, portfolios and interviews) (Denzin, 1978).
Aims: This study examined the effects of a peer support programme in smoothing the transition to adolescence and secondary school for students in the first year of secondary school by enhancing self-esteem, peer affiliations and academic performance.
Sample: Participants in the study were students from a secondary school in Hong Kong. Seven form-one students participated three times weekly in groups facilitated by a trainer and older students. Method: The methods of data triangulation and time series design were employed. Data was collected from teacher interviews, observational field notes, inter-rater checklists, and conversations with students.
Results: The results suggested that the peer support programme has significant effects on students' academic outcomes and peer affiliations.
Conclusion: Three major findings arise from this investigation. First, the overall effectiveness of the peer support programme could enhance the students' academic performance and peer affiliations, this was agreed by the participants

本研究調查了414 名香港與廣州的大學生對創新價值和創新能力的態度。兩地大學生都甚看重創新行為的社會責任及其價值。香港大學生較廣州大學生更注重創新的個人收穫與滿足及其獨創性，廣州大學生則較香港大學生更注重創新的實用性及其對社會的貢獻。香港與廣州大學生皆十分注重有想像力、有獨創性和有觀察力對創新能力的作用而輕視有幽默感和有藝術感對創新能力的影響。香港大學生較廣州大學生更相信創新能力是少數人才有的能力。
The present study examined 414 university students in Hong Kong and Guangzhou about their values toward creativity. Students in both cities cared more the social contribution of creativity than personal gratification. Hong Kong students were more motivated than Guangzhou students for having personal gratification and innovation in creativity. Guangzhou students were more motivated than Hong Kong students for having pragmatic use and social contribution in creativity. Students in both cities cared a lot for being imaginative, original and observant in creativity but cared little for being artistic and humorous in creativity. Hong Kong students believed more than Guangzhou students that creativity was only gifted to a few people.
[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/]

Emotional Intelligence has been a hot topic for both parents and educators in Hong Kong in recent years. Conceptually, emotional intelligence should be related to students' life satisfaction, positive attitudes towards life, and the attainment of various education goals. However, despite its growing popularity, there is relatively little empirical evidence showing these relationships. The purpose of the present study is to provide some empirical evidence to examine these effects in Hong Kong. A group of 30 university students helped generate emotional intelligence items and 20 of these items were selected empirically from the responses of another 100 university students. Then a sample of 225 six formers completed a questionnaire which measured their perceived emotional intelligence, life satisfaction, and powerlessness in their lives. Their form masters evaluated their performance in moral and social development. Attainment in intellectual education of these students was estimated by their HKCEE results. As expected, results indicated that emotional intelligence is positively related to life satisfaction, and performance in moral, social and intellectual development. It is also negatively related to powerlessness in life. Limitations for this study and implications for future emotional intelligence research are discussed.
近年情緒智商成為香港的家長和教育工作者的熱門話題，理論上，學生的情緒智商應與其生活滿足感、正面的生活態度及不同的教育目標有關，但有關的實微証據則不多，本研究的目的是在香港探索這幾個概念的關係，我們先以三十名大學生提供情緒智商的測量項目，然後以一百名大學生的資料選取其中最佳的二十項，接著我們請225 名預科生回答問卷，而他們的班主任則評估他們在德育和群育的表現，智育表現則以他們中學會考成績為指標，結果証明情緒智商與生活滿足感、生活態度、德、群和智育有關。最後，我們討論了本研究的限制及未來研究的方向。
[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/]

本研究的主要目的是調查香港新界西北區中學生學習的「愉快狀態」。研究有兩部份：第一部份是開放式問卷，共有184 位學生參與，第二部份問卷主要是根據第一部份的問卷結果設計，這部份共有435 位學生參與。第一部份的研究發現，成績好以及與同學、老師和朋輩的關係良好是學生感到最愉快的事；相反，成績不理想、考試壓力大、功課太多以及與同學和朋輩的關係不好是學生感到最不愉快的事情。第二部份的研究發現學校的環境、個人的關係、學習的進度、個人的問題以及研究對象與家庭和老師之間的關係最容易影響他們的愉快狀態。研究結果可以作為學校行政人員及教育決策者改善學生愉快學習環境的參考。
The present study aims at investigating the "states of pleasurable learning" of secondary school students in the North West Districts of the New Territories in Hong Kong. The study consists of two parts. The first part consists of open-ended questions. 184 students answered the questions. The second part is a questionnaire. Another sample of 435 students was involved. The construct of the questionnaire was based on the data collected from the first part of the study. The results of part one indicated that good school result, good relationship between classmates, good teachers; and many good friends were the elements, which made students, feel happy. Bad school result, great pressure from examinations, too much homework, and poor relationship between classmates would make students feel unhappy. In the second part of the research, it is found that school environment, personal relationship, learning progress, personal problems, relationship between the subjects and their family, and teacher-student relationship were the most influential elements of the states of pleasurable learning. This study can inform principles to make improvement in schools and help students to have a pleasurable learning environment.
[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/]

透過聚焦訪談，研究發現政治社教化為個人在不同領域中與社教化仲介互動、協商，以建構自己的政治現實的過程。研究中的社會及政治活躍學生對公民身份的理解是多元的，從較保守的「克守本份」的公民理念到較激進的參與遊行及抗議不合理法律的公民實踐等。研究並發現，促成活躍民主公民身份形成的三個重要政治社教化因素包括：議題為本教學法、體驗式學習和有信譽的老師。以上的發現，對師資培訓具重要的影響。
Evidence obtained from focus group interviews supports a conception of political socialization as an active process where individuals interact and negotiate with socialization agents in different contexts to construct their political realities. The citizenship understandings of socially or politically active students in this study were basically eclectic, including conservative views about doing the best in their diverse roles as well as more radical orientations, such as participating in demonstrations and protests in opposition to unreasonable laws. Issues based teaching, experiential learning, and teachers with credibility have been identified as significant political socializing factors for active democratic citizenship. Such a finding has significant implications for teacher education.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre Journal is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre at http://www.edb.org.hk/hktc]

Most teachers believe that providing students with effective feedback on their writing is vital as it helps students to correct their own mistakes and be more independent writers, which will in turn train them to become better writers. However, some research studies on the effectiveness of teacher feedback on ESL students' writing report a grim picture (Hendrickson, 1980; Semke, 1984; Robb et. al, 1986; Truscott, 1996) as teachers' feedback does not seem helpful for students to improve their writing. This paper presents the results of a classroom research study that examines factors that affect the effectiveness of teacher feedback by analyzing students' preferences for and responses to teacher feedback on their writing. It is suggested that the ineffectiveness of teacher feedback may not lie in the feedback itself, but in the way how feedback is delivered to students. The study also provides several implications for teachers when giving effective feedback to students.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre Journal is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre at http://www.edb.org.hk/hktc]

In the face of heavy demand for private supplementary tutoring in basic education, the state seems to have adopted a consumerism model in the decentralised governance of mass tutoring, allowing students and parents to select for themselves course information, payment amounts and methods, tutoring dates and times, and physical conditions when buying services from registered cram schools in Hong Kong. In the study reported here, a 3-level cultural analysis of cram schools was conducted from 1998 to 2008 to examine the patterns of mass tuition trends in Hong Kong. The analysis investigated the impacts of such trends, or culture, upon youth values, and implications are drawn for policy making, educational reform, societal movements, and academic recommendations for further research.
面對課餘補習的極大需求，香港特區政府似乎採納以消費主義為本的分權管理模式，讓有需要的學生及家長自行考慮課程內容、收取的費用及收費方法、學習環境、補習日期及時間等條件，去選擇合宜的註冊補習社。通過三個層次的文化分析，本文旨在剖析補習社文化或風氣於1998年至2008年期間對青少年價值觀的影響，從而在管理政策、教育改革、社會運動及學術研究等多層面上提出建議。
[Copyright of Journal of Youth Studies is the property of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups at http://yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/]

法治精神是文明社會的重要基石。香港、澳門和內地雖然各具不同社會背景和法律制度，但法律普及教育工作對三地未來法治精神的延續與傳承均十分重要。本文透過由香港青年協會進行的「穗港澳三地大學生法治意識比較研究」，從中了解並分析三地大學生的有關認知和態度。此外，文中亦嘗試就研究結果，提出未來三地法律普及教育發展的重要考慮方向。
The rule of law is the foundation of our civilized society. Although the social backgrounds and legal systems of Hong Kong, Macao, and mainland China differ greatly from one another, the promotion of legal education is highly significant to the continuity and inheritance of the rule of law. This article investigates and analyzes knowledge and attitudes of the awareness of rule of law among university students in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macao through a comparative study carried out by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups. Derived from the research results, this article suggests some considerations regarding the development of promoting legal education in the three regions concerned.
[Copyright of Journal of Youth Studies is the property of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups at http://yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/]