This comparative study investigated the associations between instructional practices and students' reading performance among 10 top performing regions that participated in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018. A nationally representative sample consisting of 80,016 15-year-old students from 5 Asian regions (B-S-J-Z [China], Singapore, Macao, Hong Kong, and Korea) and 5 Western regions (Estonia, Canada, Finland, Ireland, and Poland) were included. A secondary analysis of PISA survey and assessment data was conducted. T test and ANOVA analyses revealed systematic differences in instructional practices of the 10 regions. B-S-J-Z (China) had significantly higher levels of teacher support, teacher-directed instruction, and teacher stimulation than the other sample regions. Asian regions tended to have higher levels of teacher support, teacher-directed instruction, teacher feedback, adaptive instruction, and teacher enthusiasm compared with Western regions, although variations were also found within Asian regions or within Western regions. Hierarchical linear regression (HLR) analyses indicated that reading performance was positively predicted by teacher support, adaptive instruction, teacher stimulation, and teacher enthusiasm, but negatively predicted by teacher-directed instruction and teacher feedback. This study sheds light on the effective instructional practices for optimizing students' reading performance across different cultural contexts. Copyright © 2023 Springer Nature.

Despite the increasing use of virtual modalities in schools since the COVID-19 pandemic, no systematic tools exist to evaluate the process of online learning. We developed and validated an Online Learning Process Questionnaire (OLPQ) for assessing online at-home learning among 219 Hong Kong primary-school students and 474 caregivers. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of caregivers' data classified the 58-item OLPQ into 11 subscales: (1) learning aims, (2) environmental structuring, (3) learning environment, (4) time management, (5) engagement in learning activities, (6) persistence, (7) interaction between teachers and students, (8) interaction among students, (9) feedback from the interface, (10) application of learning, and (11) meaning of learning under three learning phases. Confirmatory factor analysis of students' data further categorized the 11-subscale framework into three learning phases: preparatory, performance, and transfer. The OLPQ demonstrated excellent reliability and discriminant validity across caregiver (Cronbach's alpha = 0.98) and student samples (alpha = 0.98). These findings indicate that the OLPQ is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the online at-home learning process among both students and their caregivers. Copyright © 2023 Springer Nature.

Despite the increasing popularity of online learning in elementary and primary schools, it is unclear to which extent that students' attitudes toward online learning influence their learning progress and outcomes. In this study, the Online Learning Attitude Questionnaire (OLAQ) was developed and validated to measure students' online learning attitudes among 383 caregivers and 172 primary school students in Hong Kong. The caregiver data were analysed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability analysis to establish the factor structure, reliability. and discriminant validity of the OLAQ questionnaire. The student data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis to cross-validate the factor structure and confirm the reliability and discriminant validity of the OLAQ. The final 34-item OLAQ questionnaire comprises five subscales including (1) enjoyment, (2) development, (3) motivation, (4) utilization, and (5) anxiety. These results indicate that the OLAQ is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing primary school students' attitudes toward online learning. Copyright © 2023 Taylor & Francis.

Synchronous online teaching through video-conferencing software (VCS) has become a common mode of instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. This mode brings unique challenges for teachers that require specific professional digital competences. One such challenge is conducting formative assessment. Through the use of in-depth interviews with nine Hong Kong university teachers who had taught synchronously online for one semester, this exploratory study explored the challenges of conducting formative assessment during synchronous online lessons and the strategies teachers deploy to conduct formative assessment. The findings indicate that the key difficulties include gathering information on students' needs, checking students' understanding, giving individual feedback, and building relationships with students. To address these challenges, the teachers suggested four pedagogical strategies: (1) Combine synchronous with asynchronous approaches; (2) Utilise breakout rooms; (3) Utilise poll functions of the VCS and combine it with other online platforms; and (4) Provide time before or after lessons for informal conversations. The findings suggest that teachers need to develop specific pedagogical strategies to conduct formative assessment. This provides an initial conceptualisation of one important dimension of Professional Digital Competence, teaching using digital technologies, and one aspect of that dimension, how teachers use digital tools and strategies to conduct formative assessment. Copyright © 2023 Taylor & Francis.

Purpose: This study aims to examine the impact of the transformation of an assessment on students' performance and perspectives in an English for Academic Purposes course in Hong Kong. The assessment was changed from the traditional pen-and-paper mode to an unproctored online mode. Design/methodology/approach: Using mixed methods, the research team analysed the differences between the assessment performances of those who took the course before the pandemic (n = 664) and those who took it during the pandemic (n = 702). Furthermore, focus group interviews were conducted with seven students regarding their perspectives on the unproctored assessment. Findings: The results revealed that, although there were no major differences in the overall grades of the two groups, students who were assessed online during the pandemic performed significantly better in terms of their English use. Nevertheless, the shift to online assessment had several negative effects on the students. Originality/value: Previous studies on unproctored online assessments (UOA) were concerned with potential learning quality issues, such as plagiarism and grade inflation. This study, however, provided empirical evidence that high-quality assessment delivery can be provided via UOA if the question types and assessment arrangements are carefully decided. Copyright © 2023 Emerald.

This study investigated how English learners complete multimodal formative quizzes. Participants included 17,950 students enrolled in a mandatory English for Academic Purposes course at a university in Hong Kong. We retrieved data from Blackboard, a learning management system, and conducted a two-step cluster analysis to examine student self-regulated learning (SRL) profiles with the quizzes. We first identified five clusters of learners with distinctively different self-regulated learning patterns. Then, we performed a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to further explore their differences in SRL, in terms of start day, days started before deadline, differences in scores between first and last attempt, and scores in language learning activities. Our findings echoed those of previous studies on the relationship between self-regulated learning and academic success. This research enables us to better understand the needs of EAP students in Hong Kong. Copyright © 2023 International Forum of Educational Technology & Society.

Successful implementation of formative assessment in classrooms relies on teachers’ formative assessment literacy, which is typically supported by professional development programs. This study reports on the impact of a professional development program on a group of in-service primary teachers in Hong Kong. The authors investigated the effectiveness of the program in developing teachers’ formative assessment literacy and how far the program assisted them in addressing the challenges they faced when implementing formative assessment in classrooms. With a mixed-method design, quantitative data were collected with a pre- and post-program survey (N = 27); qualitative data were collected with open-ended survey questions and a focus group with six participating teachers. The results provide evidence of the program’s success in developing teachers’ formative assessment literacy and equipping them with the necessary skills to address the challenges in implementation. The features of professional learning communities embedded in the program contributed to the positive impact of the program. Copyright © 2023 Teacher Development.

Few studies have explored primary school teachers’ e-assessment practices in conditions of emergency remote teaching caused by the COVID-19 lockdowns. This study explored Hong Kong primary school teachers’ e-assessment practices during the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic from late January to March 2022, when all primary schools were closed and transitioned rapidly to online teaching. 48 teachers from different schools were individually interviewed. The participants reported a variety of e-assessment practices, which were categorised into three types: e-tests/exercises, alternative e-assessments and e-teacher feedback. It was found that participants cautiously approached e-tests for summative purposes but majorly for formative purposes. It was also found that the participants less frequently used alternative e-assessments and tried out e-feedback. The participants’ e-assessment practices were influenced by their own conceptions of the usefulness of e-assessment, others’ attitudes towards its use, and perceived behavioural control. Crises such as pandemics and climate disasters will inevitably disrupt education again in the future. The findings of this study encourage policy makers, researchers and teachers to rethink the purposes and process of e-assessment in primary classrooms, thus sustaining, deepening and focusing on learning in the ‘new normal’. COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to break away from content-heavy summative assessment and to make effective use of technology to enhance formative assessment. Copyright © 2023 ICLT.

Assessment is an important aspect of mathematics teaching and learning. This paper aims to explore Hong Kong mathematics teachers’ views on online assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data analysed is part of a larger project comprising an online survey and semi-structured interviews. This paper presents data from the survey responses of ninety-two teachers and from interviews of three teachers. Thematic data analysis is conducted, focusing on teachers’ views on assessment during online learning. Findings show that the forms of assessment that Hong Kong mathematics teachers conducted during the pandemic were similar to those from before the pandemic. They view online assessment mainly as assessment for and of online learning. This paper also discusses suggestions for online mathematics assessment. Copyright © 2022 left to the authors.