This pilot study investigates the impact of using mobile devices to facilitate the practising of scales and arpeggios. The AI application was designed by an engineer/musician in Hong Kong. This AI application enables students to practise, record themselves, view their mistakes and prepare for examinations based on the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music’s scales and arpeggios syllabus for five instruments (violin, flute, clarinet, trumpet and saxophone). This study (a) examines the progress of learners who use the application to practise scales and arpeggios; (b) observes how elementary learners perceive mobile practising in a virtual learning environment and (c) proposes a blended learning model that uses mobile practising with the support of AI. Copyright © 2020 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

There is an increasing need in Hong Kong kindergartens for exploring children with exposure to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math (STEAM) in school settings. The aim is not the subject-based learning but the way of integrating the STEAM concepts in the holistic learning experience. Guiding children to explore the concepts in the process of solving problems, providing hands-on experience to stimulate children's intrinsic motivation. However, the challenge is apparent that the lack of professional development to prepare the teachers for STEAM education in early childhood education. This project adopted a Pedagogical Play-framework (Edwards, 2017) to prepare kindergarten teachers to integrate STEAM education through play. Accordingly, three types of play were explored, including 1) open-ended play, 2) modelled play and 3) purposefully framed play. The initial finding indicates that kindergarten teachers showed the positive attitude to involve STEAM education in the classroom practice, and used the Pedagogical Play-framework for improving children’s engagement. Teachers were lack of the subject concepts especially the science and the engineering areas. More school-based support were needed to create the multimodal learning spaces.越來越多香港的幼稚園開始探索融入STEAM的元素，包括科學、科技、工程、藝術及數學的學習範疇。但其目標不是主張孩子學習獨立學科，而是希望進行統整的學習，在解決問題的過程中探索所需的概念，以動手解難為基礎讓孩子整合學習經驗，激發孩子的內在學習動機。然而教師培訓是STEAM教育在幼兒教育推行的一個難點。本研究以一個幼師培訓課程為例，使用教學遊戲架構（Pedagogical Play-framework）來透過遊戲來設計STEAM教學活動，三類型遊戲包括1）開放式遊戲，2）示範式遊戲以及3）目的性的遊戲。研究初步發現大部分教師對STEAM教學的態度積極，使用教學遊戲架構能夠幫助教師提升兒童參與程度。但初步的研究結果顯示教師缺乏STEAM的學科知識，特別是在科學和工程方面，以及需要更多的校本支持來設計多元學習空間。 Copyright © 2018 Learning & Teaching Expo.

Although extracurricular music activities are common in Hong Kong, private music teachers’ perceptions of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are underexplored in research in this context. This study examined private music teachers’ knowledge of ASD and their attitudes toward students with ASD in Hong Kong, and the relationship between these two factors. The study collected data from a questionnaire survey (n = 200) and eleven individual interviews. Unexpectedly, the findings showed that the teachers had a good understanding and a marginally positive perception of ASD, despite some anxiety about teaching students with ASD. Furthermore, knowledge of and attitude toward ASD were positively correlated. Teachers with previous training in special education needs had a better understanding of ASD and a more positive attitude toward ASD than those without related training. These results imply that further formal and public education could promote acceptance of and equal learning opportunities for students with ASD. Copyright © 2021 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

本文基於對香港教育大學音樂教師教育專業人才培養計劃的文本分析, 總結出其培養目標具有高度概括性與邏輯性; 課程設置具有課程結構合理, 課程體系全面、課程高度支撐培養目標的達成的特點。同時探討了內地音樂教師教育人才培養可從中汲取啟示, 貫徹成果導向教育、重視音樂教育實習、培養復合型音樂教育人才。

音樂教師教育是培養音樂教育人才的重要途徑, 本文以香港教育大學和湖南師範大學為例, 圍繞課程定位、課程內容、課程安排三個方面介紹了兩校的課程設置, 並分析比較了香港與內地音樂教師教育專業課程設置的異同, 以期充分借鑒香港的先進做法, 為我國內地音樂教師教育專業課程設置提供參考。

Hong Kong, as a capitalist society, has an achievement-driven education system. Visual arts have become a marginalized learning area, especially in early childhood education. Although 'art and creativity' is one of the six learning domains for early childhood education in the kindergarten curriculum guide in Hong Kong, product-oriented and craft-based art activities are commonly practiced in kindergarten classrooms. This study observed 33 classrooms and interviewed 29 teachers for a total of 409 minutes to discuss issues surrounding the early childhood art curriculum in Hong Kong and the difficulties teachers face responding within the context. Through the triangulation of observations, interviews, and documentation analysis, the teachers indicated that they are facing a dilemma regarding teacher-directed and child-centred orientations towards teaching children visual arts. To sustain the 'third space' of early childhood visual arts education, three main areas are considered: (a) introducing visual arts as an alternative narrative in early childhood curriculum, (b) considering that children's creative behaviours are performative, and (c) positioning teacher education in relation to the visual arts. Copyright ©Routledge.

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