In this study, we investigated the factors affecting the motivation of studio-based instrumental learners in Hong Kong. We interviewed a total of 13 participants who learnt the violin and/or the piano. We analyzed the interview data by selective coding accordingly to the three basic needs in the conceptual framework of Basic Psychology Needs Theory, which is one of the mini-theories from Self-Determination Theory. The thematization of basic needs are (1) autonomy, (2) relatedness, and (3) competency. We found relatedness and competence were more related to our participants. This study contributes to the understanding of studio-based, learning-environment characteristics as well as specific motivation factors attributed to the distinctions between the violin and the piano learning environments in Hong Kong. We also discussed the issues of music learning in school and teacher's style of teaching practice. Copyright ©Sage Publications Ltd.

The language of music shares a number of basic processing mechanisms with natural languages, yet studies of learner autonomy in music education are rare. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of fostering music students' learner autonomy in performance practice through a series of curriculum changes. A mixed-methods approach, including a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews, was used to investigate two cohorts of music education students (N = 74) from Hong Kong. The analysis reveals the students' autonomous learner characteristics, including the ability to formulate their own learning strategies, identify both musical and non-musical weaknesses and take appropriate steps to improve their performance skills. Copyright ©Cambridge University Press.

This study investigates designs for developing knowledge building (KB) and higher order competencies among academically low-achieving students. Thirty-seven low-achieving students from a ninth-grade visual arts course in Hong Kong participated. The design involved principle-based KB pedagogy, with students writing on Knowledge Forum® (KF), enriched by analytics-supported reflective assessment. Analysis of the discourse on KF showed that the low achievers were able to engage in productive discourse, with evidence of metacognitive, collaborative, and epistemic inquiry. Analysis illustrates how the design supported student engagement, including (1) reflective inquiry and social metacognition; (2) reflective meta- and epistemic talk; (3) evidence-based reflection for collective growth; and (4) reflection embedded in community ethos. Implications of reflective assessment for supporting low achievers for inquiry learning and KB are discussed. Copyright © Sage Publications Ltd.

研究團隊曾發表〈香港小學佛化生命教育初探〉的論文，而在兒童至青少年階段，主要的生命場景，都是在學校中度過的。因此，研究團隊在完成了香港佛化教育的初探以後，顯然目光應朝向生命教育的另一階段――中學教育。以此因緣，研究團隊走訪了二十一所香港佛教中學，以見出「香港中學佛化生命教育」的實況。研究團隊在中學佛化生命探索之際，不斷反覆自我提問︰中學生由於其生命由純粹而駁雜，是可能引致其生命素質下降的根源。那麼難道我們建議他們不要成長嗎？可以拒絕由知識而帶來的「所知障」嗎？那麼學校和老師的角色又當如何？怎樣才算得是一位能導引生命的導師呢？凡斯種種，皆能緊扣生命素質的主題而問。中學生較小學生的生命由純粹而駁雜，知識由「為學日益」而見長，但西方學者推行的道德教育，往往由於道德知識與道德行動分離，不能兼顧︰意願、行為和判斷三個層面的結合，才會出現「所知障」的問題。生命素質的提升，並非僅止於知識的提升而已，這亦正是重在知識與技巧的現代教育方向，尤其強調「基於果效的學習」(outcome based learning) 的主要盲點所在。所有成功的生命素質教育，必然具有以下兩種特質︰其一、必須對知識有「辯證式」的提升，才有真正生命素質的提升。易言之，不能光看問題的正面，也必須從反面思考，最後把正反兩面結合，才看提升到新的境界。這正是青原惟信禪師「見山是山」、「見山不是山」、「再見山是山」的思考模式。不過，這個新的境界，也會變成你現時的正面思維，必須不斷再經歷前述的提升，才會再有生命素質的提升。其二(甚至是最決定性的因素)、生命導師的最重要功能與價值――以身為範。前引青原惟信禪師的偈語，其重點不惟落在智慧境界的提升上，而在於個人體會「親見知識」，才「有箇入處」，又親嘗其內心之轉折、奮鬥，才可說「得箇休歇處」。能有內心的體會，才「許汝親見老僧」。如果純粹談知見，有人既能完全把握「見山是山」等三層辯證的意涵，則他已在智能上，超越了一般的見地。則准許他親見老僧，難道是為了嘉獎其聰明才智嗎？如是，又稱得上是生命的學問嗎？因此，禪師要親見此人，乃要把自身生命中經歷的種種，傳授予此見道之人，讓他在生命上有真實的提升和鞏固也。則所謂生命導師者，非惟內容上指導，而在內心的體貼、點撥、提撕之地用功也！The research team has published previously a “Preliminary Study of Buddhist Life Education at Primary Schools in Hong Kong”. Since most of one’s early life is spent in formal education, the team has gone on to investigate life education in the next phase in 21 Buddhist secondary schools. During this process, the team has kept questioning themselves: “Should we discourage students to grow up if complexity in life is the main cause of their deteriorating life quality? Can we refuse hindrances to wisdom-knowledge (jñeyāvaraṇa)? What roles should schools and teachers play? What comprise a life mentor?” Every question asked is relevant to life quality.A secondary school student has a life complicated (less pure) than a primary school student’s. Knowledge is gained by everyday learning. However, the moral education western scholars have proposed separates moral knowledge and moral actions, one cannot be aware of both. Jñeyāvaraṇa occurs when problems from will-, action-, and judgment-levels combine. Improving life quality does not only involve an

Teaching young people to understand and appreciate diversity is crucial in Hong Kong efforts for a just and inclusive multicultural society. History is the main place where the cultural identity and values of Hong Kong society have been reflected on, questioned, and problematized in the curriculum, as changes to this curriculum interface with larger social and political changes of the society. Although diversity is emphasized in Hong Kong history curricula, representations of ethnic minorities provided in education may not always be effective toward multicultural aims. This research explores how multicultural content is expressed in Hong Kong Chinese history textbooks. In particular, we focus on how relationships between Han and minority cultures are represented in the texts, using qualitative content analysis. Based on the analysis, we elaborate three main descriptive codes and themes: (1) only majority perspectives are provided, (2) cultural superiority of the dominant group (the Han), and (3) plural monoculturalism, where minority views are treated as threatened and/or as threatening in relation to the society as a whole. We argue that these codes are in contrast with a multicultural stance that aims to enhance social justice and equity in relation to diversity, through providing balanced perspectives, including positive ethnic minority recognition and support for just forms of pluralistic integration. Copyright © 2019 National Institute of Education, Singapore.

傳統或現代水墨在香港學校的視覺藝術教育中向來有待開發，站在地域上，香港自然是中西文化交融最成功地方之一，視覺藝術教育卻未正視此特質。雖然多年來偶有熱心水墨教育者申請基金舉辦活動，但正規中、小學課程仍然未能平衡中、西方藝術教育。文章通過行動研究探討在香港這特殊地理位置下，學校水墨教育可能應用的教學法。筆者在教學行動研究中加入現代和當代水墨的觀念元素和創作技法，並試以電腦方式加入草稿構想佈局，模仿傳統水墨中「搜盡奇峰打草稿」或臨摹不同古賢作品後重新結構自己作品方式－如謝赫「六法」中的「傳移模寫」後，自己重新構想「胸中幽壑」的方法。大量的電腦資料庫有助學生作構圖拼合（用 photoshop 軟件 )，省略了大量造型描摹時間，更易專注於用筆和墨韻的學習和練習。大會主題為「挑戰與轉化」，香港學校水墨畫教學應透過研究與時並進。除了考慮香港中、西文化交融的特質外，亦可以嘗試在傳統的創作媒介中結合現代主題和科技應用，讓年輕一代有機會通過學校視覺藝術教育接觸到中國傳統藝術，期望達致「轉化」學校視覺藝術教育長期忽略水墨畫教學的慣性和價值觀。 Copyright © 2020 Author(s). All rights reserved.

There is a lack of empirical research into group dialogue and questioning - the most basic component of teaching in art lessons. This study investigated the dialogues conducted by primary school visual arts teachers with their students. Eight teacher participants were observed and their teaching was examined against a theoretical framework constructed from a spectrum of dialogue and questioning strategies proposed by various theorists. From the observed dialogues, it was found that most teachers focused primarily on the observation and visual analysis of artworks. They also introduced some essential contextual knowledge to their students. However, interpretations of artworks were rather limited. Lastly, the development of students' personal connections with and judgment of artworks were ignored by most of the teachers. The study is particularly meaningful given the increased emphasis on learning art criticism in the new visual arts curriculum and amidst the latest cultural developments in Hong Kong. Copyright © 2019 Australian Institute of Art Education.

This article reports the results of a study that assesses the effectiveness of a Philosophy in Schools (PIS) programme in developing students' thinking skills and English competence in Hong Kong. In the study, training and support were provided for three Integrated Humanities (IH) teachers to enable them to teach PIS to their Secondary 3 English as a Second Language (ESL) students. The students were found to be capable of reasoning and arguing in a competent way about philosophical problems arising from various stimuli prepared by their teachers according to the IH curriculum. PIS was also found to play a major role in promoting the students' critical and creative thinking and to enhance the development of their English language proficiency to a significant extent. The findings of this study suggest that integrating philosophy into the IH curriculum can promote critical thinking, creative thinking and English language proficiency in ESL students. Copyright © 2020 University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education.