This study is aimed at exploring the evolution and characteristics of higher education research in Hong Kong within the special context where neoliberalization, internationalization and "sinicization" simultaneously drive the development of universities and academic community in the city-state. This study analyzes the research outputs of Hong Kong on higher education between the 1980s and the 2000s. The publication data on higher education research will draw on Scopus database and will focus on journal articles. The selected research outputs will be analyzed by themes and issues so as to explore what types of issues higher education researchers have been most interested in and the extent to which their interests have reflected and responded to the systemic changes in higher education in the last three decades.

Exploring teachers' attitudes towards research is always interesting. Following the decision of the Education and Manpower Bureau to create a position of Primary School Master/Mistress (Curriculum Development) (PSM(CD)) in Hong Kong primary schools, it becomes significant to understand and beliefs which these curriculum leaders hold with respect to action research - as a means to help schools to reflect upon their strengths and to decide how best to bring about reform in curriculum. A survey of 209 PSM(CD)s suggested that in general they favoured using research in their work. A four-factor model indicated that the majority of the respondents perceived themselves as having the ability to do research, valued research for professional development and providing solutions to teaching and learning deficiencies, and found the action research course useful. The survey results showed that demonstrated research experience and holding higher degree qualification had no significant impact on attitudes to action research, but that those attitudes were associated positively with the participants' sense of self-efficacy, an internal locus of control and their commitment to their school. The work will contribute to gaining an understanding of how curriculum leaders' participation in school-based curriculum research and development can be facilitated.
[Copyright © 2008 Academic & Professional Book Centre.]

在香港，無論是小學、中學、還是幼稚園的老師，要想在繁忙的工作日程之上再抽出額外的時間來做教育研究，實屬不易。而當他們下決心去做研究時，卻往往不知如開始，又如何在搜集好資料後寫出研究報告。本文旨在為本港的幼稚園教師或幼教專業的大、中專學生提供一些由小範圍的質化研究起步的方法。本文希望能夠在幾個方面解答一些重要的問題，並且提供相關、實用的策略，包括如何做準備、如何選題、如何進行文獻探討、研究方法的選擇、研究結果以及討論的撰寫等。最後，本文還提供一些簡單而基本的研究論文撰寫的要訣。
[Copyright © 2008 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.]

Action research is a type of applied research. It is action-oriented and a form of professional development. It is conducted by practitioners and is geared toward the improvement of professional practice. Action research as a tool of inquiry can be used to discover solutions to discrete problems that emerge in any classroom or school. Presented here are three cases of action research that aim to improve areas of concern in teaching and learning at the individual subject, school and across-schools level. Queenie CHENG and her team present "The Action Research on Classroom Learning and Professional Development of Teachers" which is a subject-based action research; Stephen LUI presents a whole school action research, "Working on What Works: A Case Study to Improve the Effectiveness of a Government Secondary School in Hong Kong"; and Paul LEE, Siu -Wai WU and Peter TANG of The Hong Kong Primary Education Research Association present "Sharing and Action research on School Self-evaluation in Primary School", an action research project joined by nine primary schools. This symposium provides a chance for open discussion.

The use of Rasch measurement in the high-stakes testing of educational achievement increases at an outstanding rate. It provides the psychometric background for system-wide examinations in Hong Kong, Australian national beachmarking testing and many educational systems in the US. Its use in Computer Adaptive Testing is fundamental to the in-school assessment systems provided by NWEA in the US and the CEM Centre in the UK. More important for APERA delegates is the growing use of Rasch measurement for small and large scale educational research projects conducted in schools and universities by academic researchers. The development of sample independent invariant measures for educational research allows researchers to address problems that remained intractable under previous analytical methods. Presenters in this symposium will provide an international perspective on the use of Rasch scales in projects including student feedback about teaching, gifted students, mathematics education, self-efficacy, dyslexia in Chinese language and readiness for early school learning.