Translanguaging has been empirically proven to have constructive and even transformative effects, as it provides linguistic minority learners with access to various educational and linguistic resources. Nevertheless, there is limited research on its use in the context of Chinese writing as a second language and, more specifically, on how it supports the co-construction of knowledge between Chinese teachers and non-Cantonese-speaking (NCS) students. This study examines NCS students' perceptions of and experiences with translanguaging in Chinese writing classrooms while illuminating the role that translanguaging plays in Chinese as a second language (CSL) writing classes in Hong Kong secondary schools. The findings of this ethnographic study indicate that NCS students' attitudes toward and experiences with translanguaging are largely positive, particularly in terms of cognitive and emotional scaffolding. They reveal that NCS students developed more complex thinking skills, metalinguistic awareness and criticality through the translanguaging space that they co-constructed in the classroom. This study also discusses the roles played by both spontaneous and planned translanguaging in NCS students' speech and writing development. Copyright © 2024 Wiley.

First-year students encounter a plethora of challenges upon entering university. However, little is known about how they adjust and work through these challenges during the transition phase. This study investigates the relationships among transitional challenges, well-being, help-seeking, and students' adjustments to the university by combining the variable- and person-centered approaches. Data were collected from 710 Hong Kong first-year university students. We employed structural equation modeling (variable-centered approach) and latent profile analysis (person-centered approach) to analyze the data. Results showed that socio-emotional challenges, academic challenges, and coping were negatively related to students' adjustment to university. Three profiles emerged for students' transitional challenges and adjustments: 'maladaptive', 'average', and 'adaptive' learners. This study underscores the significance of considering students' perceived challenges to promote a smooth transition to university life. Copyright © 2025 Taylor and Francis Ltd.

This article examines the patterns and trends of undergraduate post-graduation outcomes among nine top Chinese universities (the C9 League) over the past decade against the broader context of geo-politics and COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzing data from the institutional report of graduate placement from 2013 to 2022, we find that most C9 university graduates choose to continue education immediately after receiving their bachelor's degree. There is a marked trend that more students choose to further their education domestically rather than study abroad after the COVID19 pandemic, particularly staying at the same university from which they received their bachelor's. The US is losing its advantage as the top destination country for Chinese education elites whereas the UK, Hong Kong, and Singapore are receiving more Chinese students. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the post-graduation decisions of Chinese elite graduates, who demonstrated a clear shift towards choices associated with lower risk and uncertainty. Copyright © 2024 Elsevier .

Global migration presents a pressing need for teachers and teacher education to become responsive to the changing demographics of schools in many countries. Yet, teacher education has been slow in developing practices to prepare teachers to meet the needs of immigrant students. Using humanizing pedagogy as a lens, this study draws on interviews with 22 teacher educators from Türkiye, the United States, and Hong Kong to examine how they prepare teachers to teach immigrant students. Findings highlight: (1) personal and professional contexts; (2) professional practices; and (3) supports for/barriers to change. Implications for teacher educators and teachers are discussed. Copyright © 2024 Elsevier .

Purpose: Many master's students enrol in coursework-based programmes to improve their professional knowledge and skills for the job market. Most studies of employability in higher education focus on undergraduates rather than master's students, although the number of master's students worldwide has increased significantly in recent years. This study explores the factors involved in the perceived employability (PE) of master's students in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach: The authors first proposed a conceptual model of PE based on the social cognitive career theory. Using survey data from 786 master's students in Hong Kong, the authors applied descriptive statistics and an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to address the following research questions: How do master's students gauge their PE? How do person, learning and environment variables influence the PE of master's students? Findings: The authors found that PE is influenced by students' approaches to learning and their institutional career support.Originality/value: Few studies examined whether students' learning experiences during the master's programmes influence their employability. This study highlights the importance of learning experiences and career support in coursework-based master's programmes for enhancing graduate employability. Copyright © 2024 Emerald Group Publishing.

In recent years, there has been a rapid expansion of master's education worldwide. Using a mixed methods research design, this paper explores the factor structure of students' motivation for pursuing a master's degree and their changing expectations of its returns, with a focus on mainland Chinese students in Hong Kong. We first distributed an online survey to students enrolled in various kinds of coursework-based master's programmes; we collected 302 responses. The survey data were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis from which four factors emerged: positional advantage, educational pursuit, intrinsic motivation, and career progression. Twenty-six interviewees participated in follow-up, semi-structured interviews. The content analysis of the interview data corroborated and supplemented the interpretations of the exploratory factor analysis. The declining expectations of economic returns upon graduation suggest that master's degrees were not necessarily viewed as guaranteeing career progression. Furthermore, students' changing expectations of non-monetary returns, including social benefits and self-growth as viewed retrospectively, contributed to students' overall satisfaction level on master's education. The study has implications for understanding and responding to the increasing demand for master's education and rethinking the value of master's education. Copyright © 2024 Springer.

Recent studies on ethnic minority students in Hong Kong have highlighted the difficulties they face when learning Chinese-as-an-Additional-Language (CAL). These linguistic challenges can cause anxiety and hinder their integration into Hong Kong society. Transpositioning is an emerging notion in the field of Applied Linguistics and involves individuals stepping out of their assigned roles and adopting different perspectives through translanguaging. It has been argued that engaging in transpositioning can potentially engage students' learning and participation in classroom interaction. However, there is limited research on how multilingual classroom teachers can suspend their social roles to alleviate students' anxiety while learning a second language in classrooms. This paper seeks to fill this research gap by examining how a Chinese teacher creates a safe translanguaging space for co-learning, which allows him to move beyond his predefined social roles and alleviate ethnic minority students' anxiety in learning CAL. The study uses Multimodal Conversation Analysis to analyse classroom interaction data. The fine-grained classroom analysis is triangulated with the video-stimulated-recall-interviews with the teacher and students which are analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The paper argues for a Transpositioning-Translanguaging-Co-Learning approach to reduce students' anxiety related to CAL learning. By positioning both the teacher and students as equal contributors to knowledge, this can foster student engagement and active participation in classroom interactions. Copyright © 2024 Elsevier.

PurposeThis research investigates mobile security awareness among university students in Hong Kong, who increasingly rely on mobile devices for their daily activities and academic needs. This research seeks to inform targeted educational strategies and policies to enhance mobile security practices among young adults, particularly in regions similar to Hong Kong, where mobile usage is extensively integrated into everyday life.Design/methodology/approachUtilizing an online survey, this research assessed the mobile security awareness of 407 university students from Hong Kong. The Mann-Whitney U-test and other statistical methods were employed to analyze differences in security awareness based on demographic factors such as IT background, gender, educational level and participation in mobile security courses.FindingsThe research revealed a generally high level of mobile security awareness compared to similar research in other regions. It also highlighted that despite no significant difference in awareness between genders, students from IT-related fields or those who participated in mobile security courses exhibit higher awareness levels. These findings underscore the impact of focused education and training on enhancing mobile security awareness.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the limited but growing body of literature on mobile security awareness from the end-user perspective, particularly among university students in the Asia Pacific region. It offers valuable insights for governments, educators and corporate policymakers worldwide, providing a basis for integrating mobile security education into broader academic and professional training programs. Copyright © 2025 Emerald Group Publishing.

Quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC) has become an increasing concern in recent years. The issue has been regularly discussed by different stakeholders. However, the rising concern regarding quality in ECEC has not seriously taken into account children's perspectives. Hong Kong, with its academic-driven education system, is no exception. Children's perspectives have been neglected under the impact of neoliberalism on education in Chinese society. Engaging with children's perspectives has thus become an important matter in Hong Kong society. In April 2019, a children's pretend-play project was started in an open playground in Hong Kong. This project aimed to help children regain their subjectivities and share their thoughts through the process of pretend play. Children in this project were invited to create, pretend and imagine themselves in the role of superheroes so that they could express their perspectives. This alternative practice opened a space for children to liberate themselves through pretend-play activities, while reworking the conventional pedagogies found in the neoliberal education system. The findings offer critical reflections on how to improve quality in ECEC by redeveloping trust and respect among adults and children through listening to children's perspectives. Copyright © 2024 Wiley.

PurposeThis study introduces a non-orthodox approach to the dominant policy-based approaches to graduate employability through contextualizing international students' everyday experiences within their educational and wider structural contexts of the labour market.Design/methodology/approachThe study used narrative frames to collect data from 180 international students from China, Hong Kong, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Nepal at a New Zealand tertiary institution. Narrative frames as a research tool in educational contexts are used to ellicit the experiences of individuals in the form of a story as participants reflect on their experience. The frames use sentence starters to draw responses from participants about their experiences (Barkhuizen and Wette, 2008).FindingsThis study argues that, through a socialization process, international students develop identities that fit an ever-changing labour market. This process is catalysed by a higher education landscape that produces career-ready subjects capable of appropriating different social spaces that prepare students and graduates to enter the labour market. Further, it argues that graduate employability should be understood as a complex process through which students and graduates socialise themselves through negotiating the socioacademic spaces by (1) familiarising themselves with the dominant workspace norms, (2) positioning themselves as more career-ready individuals, and (3) imagigining employable selves capable of meeting the needs of the job market.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has limitations. Only one data collection source has been used. It would have been great to use narrative frames along with interviews. In addition, the data would have been stronger if the researcher could have used classroom observations, which could be a future initiative.Practical implicationsThis study could provide practical insights to tertiary institutions about international students' developing capabilities and identities