Chinese children with ASD in Hong Kong (SAR): development of inclusive practice

The advancement of inclusive educational provision in the Asia‐Pacific region has been guided by international research. As one example, Hong Kong has developed a unique and cultural response to inclusive practice within the region. This paper reviews Hong Kong's development of inclusive education practice for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It provides an account of how services in education have developed for Chinese children with ASD, from diagnosis to school placement, and how the students are supported. A number of challenges for the region are discussed including those related to pedagogy, mentoring, placement, support and the need for culturally appropriate professional learning.     

Social foundations of public–private partnerships in education: the historical cases of post-war Singapore and Hong Kong

This paper compares public–private partnerships (PPPs) in education in post-war Singapore and Hong Kong. After the Second World War the Singapore government shied away from PPPs, while the state in Hong Kong collaborated extensively with the non-state sector in education. Singapore was a small city-state flanked by two Muslim nations, and its post-war regime faced challenges from the Malayan Communist Party. These pressures curbed the state’s involvement with missionary and Chinese bodies in education. Hong Kong, however, was a mono-racial society without any anti-Chinese neighbours, and its authorities were seldom challenged by a militant antagonist. Thus, its government was freer to involve non-state agents in education. This study reveals that PPPs are viable only when suitable non-state partners exist and when the state does not believe that such undertakings would expose the school system to an antagonist. It also urges scholars in future to explore the socio-political preconditions for PPPs.     

Exploring organisational perspectives on implementing educational inclusion in mainstream schools

Achieving equality remains a major challenge in schools globally. In Hong Kong, the current education policy has a core value that all students have the right to learn. Policy-makers and school personnel are struggling to find ways of catering for diverse learning needs in schools. Early in 2006, a self-initiated inclusive educational project has linked one mainstream school and a special school. Their project can be seen as a pioneer in the field of education, for it provides concrete recommendations to other education practitioners on initiating whole-school participation and joint-school partnerships, integrating such collaborations into the culture of the school, and encouraging teachers committed to student voice and engagement. This article records the qualitative case study comprising the teachers' self reports to demonstrate how teachers re-shaped their perceptions, beliefs and behaviours as they developed and implemented a school-based inclusion project. It is expected that the findings of this study will assist educators to further understand present challenges in the school system regarding managing diversity and attaining inclusive education goals. In particular, local schools are now facing the challenge to implement inclusive education.     

Impact of training on change in practice for education assistants in a group of international private schools in Hong Kong

This paper reports research that evaluated the efficacy of training for education assistants and its impact upon changing practices in a group of private international schools in Hong Kong, China. Two cohorts of education assistants received training through an education institute. The focus was on supporting and fostering inclusive practices in schools. The expectations and perceptions of the education assistants regarding the training was recorded through survey and focus group interviews and discussed alongside international literature in the area of classroom support and inclusive schooling. The paper concludes that the provision of training was successful in meeting education assistants’ expectations and in increasing personal confidence and raising self‐esteem, but that they face many challenges if their learning is to be applied. The research further reveals that education assistants within Hong Kong schools lack clarity in their role and a narrow understanding of how they may be most appropriately utilised within schools has led to a limiting of their deployment. Implications for training providers and the teaching profession are discussed.     

The Hong Kong policy of quality education for all: a multi-level analysis of its impacts on newly arrived children

This paper attempts to argue that using market forces to raise education standards casts doubts to quality education, although this is seemingly an international trend, for such practice presents challenges to many issues such as equity. Using Hong Kong as a case, the paper analyses the practices of quality school education by focusing in particular on the difficulties that newly arrived children encounter. A multi-level framework is employed to critically examine the current government policy on quality education with reference to nine schools from five levels: individual student, institutional, government, societal and professional learning community. Discrepancies between policy goals and school practices are highlighted. The paper then addresses options for improvement and consideration if quality education is to be the hallmark of Hong Kong schooling.     

Equity,Elitism, Marketisation: Inclusive Education in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, the concept of equity and subsequently inclusive education began to gain ground in the 1970s. Inclusive education has been made the goal of special education since 1977 and was finally implemented in 1997. Meanwhile, Hong Kong has been struggling to maintain its competitiveness in a global and knowledge-based economy. Elitism and marketisation of education battle against the force of equity and will continue to form strong forces in determining educational policies and directions. Therefore, this article examines Hong Kong's inclusive education agenda, the roles of government bodies and higher education institutions, and the progress achieved. In addition, salient issues that have emerged and affected inclusive education in Hong Kong as a result of the struggle among equity, elitism and marketisation forces are discussed.     

香港开埠初期中文学塾发展述论

香港开阜初期,教育不发达,中文学塾是主要的教育形式之一,并在此基础上形成香港的官办教育事业。中文学塾来源于香港私塾,后经政府资助改造成为公立教育。其发展经历了自由发展时期(1840—1847年)、政府资助时期(1847—1854年)和官办学校教育制度的确立(1854—1859年)三个历史阶段。通过对中文学塾的改造,使香港教育步入近代化发展轨道。     

Quality assurance and school monitoring in Hong Kong

This study reports on the Hong Kong education quality assurance and school monitoring system. Three research questions were addressed: (1) Who controls the quality of school education in Hong Kong? (2) What strategies are used in the Hong Kong school education quality assurance process? (3) Agenda for Future Research on quality assurance and school monitoring in Hong Kong. The analysis found that whilst quality assurance systems in Hong Kong are sophisticated, major reviews are necessary to rebuild trust between the government and practitioners.     

Reforms and challenges in the era of inclusive education: the case of China

This article, written by Meng Deng of Beijing Normal University and Kim Fong Poon‐McBrayer of the Hong Kong Institute of Education, reviews and analyses the reform of special education in China, the challenges confronting Chinese special education provisions, and how the Chinese inclusive education model, namely ‘Learning in Regular Classrooms’, has been shaped by the pragmatic needs aligning with the nation's economic and social developments. In an effort to provide wider school access, the current inclusive education model has become the form of educational placement that serves the majority of students with disabilities in China. The authors conclude that reforms in the last two decades have resulted in dramatic changes and progress in many facets of special education service delivery, school structure, administrative monitoring mechanism, and instructional practices. However, the current Chinese special education service structure is still shaky, with inadequate resources, personnel preparation and support at the local level. Fundamental changes to the examination‐oriented mainstream education system are still needed, to enhance the quality of education for students with special needs.     

The Influence of an Inclusive Education Course on Attitude Change of Pre‐service Secondary Teachers in Hong Kong

Since the mid‐1990s in Hong Kong there has been a slow but obvious shift from expecting students with disabilities to be educated in segregated special schools to providing more opportunities for them to be educated alongside their mainstream peers. Pre‐service teacher training institutions have begun to offer modules of study in order to assist mainstream teachers in coping with greater diversity in their classes. The main purpose of this paper is to examine the adequacy of an inclusive education module on the attitude change of pre‐service teachers in Hong Kong. A convenience sample of over 200 pre‐service secondary teachers in a B.Ed. (Honours) Programme at one university participated in the study. Data were obtained through a three‐part questionnaire to find out whether there were any substantial changes in their attitudes, concerns and confidence for inclusion before and after taking a module of study on inclusive education. Findings and implications are drawn in light of preparing teachers to cater for diversity in the schools in Hong Kong.     

香港中学生的公民素养变迁1999-2009——基于对IEA两次国际公民素养研究项目的比较

进入新世纪以来,面对变动社会的全球背景,香港中学生的公民素养现状如何?与十年前相比,香港中学生的公民素养有何变化?香港中学生参与公共和政治生活的兴趣和倾向程度如何?哪些因素与此有关?在回归祖国、全球化等背景下,香港中学生的身份认同有何变化?对比IEA两次国际公民素养研究项目的调查结果可以发现:香港中学生在公民知识、公民参与及身份认同方面的表现优异。面对全球化的冲击,香港中学生形成多重身份认同。学校教育在学生身份认同及价值倾向的型塑方面发挥了积极的作用。     

The Creation of the ‘Hong Kong Visual Arts Education Web’ and the Use of the Inquiry‐Based Teaching Approach

This article describes a collaborative action research conducted by a lecturer and several primary school art teachers, who between 2001 and 2006 created the Visual Arts Education Web (‘iii web’) in Hong Kong. The creation of the ‘iii web’ was accomplished through research that employed questionnaires, focus group discussions and individual interviews. Teachers' perceptions of using websites in teaching were examined, art education websites from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China and the USA were compared, in order to create a website that could meet the needs of Hong Kong primary school art teachers. Inquiry‐based learning is one of the important teaching approaches that were introduced during the Hong Kong Education Reform in 2003. An example of using the ‘iii web’ to teach public art is described to illustrate how the teacher and students used inquiry‐based learning in art education.     

Enhancing Quality of Higher Education for World-Class Status

Aspiring to become an international city in Asia, the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has been investing more in higher education. In order to enhance its global competitiveness, all public universities in Hong Kong have gone through different forms of quality assurance exercises, including teaching and learning processes reviews, research assessment exercises, management and governance reviews, as well as quality assurance council reviews. In the context of the significant emphasis placed by Hong Kong on the internationalization of higher education, this article examines the major approaches and strategies that the HKSAR has adopted in enhancing quality in teaching, learning, and research in higher education, and also discusses the major challenges for quality assurance confronted by the city-state.     

香港高等教育发展新策略 --副学士学位课程计划

2001年香港特区政府提出在10年后使接受高等教育的适龄学生达到60％,并改革英国式教育系统的计划。引入由学生自资的副学士学位课程,即是这个计划的一个重要部分,成为香港高等教育大众化发展的一个新策略。它正在为香港创造一个繁荣的高等教育新市场。     

中西交融文化下的香港老年社会福利述评

面对人口已经严重老龄化的现状,多年来,特别是在后殖民地时期,香港摸索出了一套与自身经济、政治、文化背景相符合的老年福利模式。香港老年福利体系主要由老年保障和安老服务两方面所构成,其中,老年保障主要包括综援与生果金、强积金和个人储蓄及家庭资助;安老服务主要包括长者社区支持服务和安老院舍照顾服务。现时香港老年福利制度与其中西合璧的政治、社会、历史文化背景和自由主义的经济体制密不可分,而且未来的老年福利改革也要顺应香港的实情和民意。因此,无论是香港老年福利的当前架构,还是未来改革方向,对于正在高速发展的中国内地,都具有一定的参考价值。     

The quest for quality,East and West

The paper describes the development of a new distance education institution in Hong Kong. The methods and systems used to assure that its courses and degree programmes are of the highest quality are described. The paper addresses the means by which new courses are produced: a direct import from another institution, adaptation of an imported course, and in‐house production. Although established by the Hong Kong Government the institution is required to become self‐financing within four years — the paper describes some of the consequences of this policy especially on quality. The paper concludes by comparing the performance of Hong Kong students on courses taken from the British Open University with that of their British counterparts.     

Pioneering the community college movement in Hong Kong

As part of the reform of the overall education system in Hong Kong, the government set a target in October 2000 of raising the percentage of senior secondary school graduates who could receive higher education from the current 30% to 60% within a period of ten years. Prior to this announcement, however, the School of Professional and Continuing Education of The University of Hong Kong (or HKU SPACE for short) had already taken the lead by establishing the first Community College in March 2000. The Associate Degree programme of the College offered an alternative route to higher education to many aspiring young people. The broad-based curriculum with its equal emphasis on science and humanities (as well as solid generic skills) is a new attempt to produce people that can meet the challenges of the knowledge society. The first intake of 740 students in 2000 was followed by a second intake of more than a thousand in 2001. This paper examines the experience gained during the first two years of this new development, and explores the role of community colleges in general in the education reform movement and human resources development strategy of Hong Kong     

Improving teaching self-efficacy for teachers in inclusive classrooms in Hong Kong

This study investigated changes in teacher self-efficacy for inclusive practice using a mixed method research design. Participants were 417 in-service teachers in Hong Kong taking a 1-week basic teacher-training course about inclusive education. Data were collected pre and post participation in the course using the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices Scale (TEIP). A series of five in-depth focus-group interviews provided greater clarification of the perceptions and efficacy issues of teachers. The best predictors to participants’ teaching self-efficacy were confidence in teaching students with special education needs (SEN) and knowledge of legislation and policies for inclusive practice. From the focus-groups, results demonstrated a more positive attitude change towards students with SEN with a number of essential factors emerging as highly beneficial for inclusive teaching in Hong Kong (i.e. caring and love, school environment and curriculum adaption). The discussion considers the role of short training programmes as an appropriate means to improving self-efficacy for teaching within inclusive classrooms in Hong Kong.     

Development of an Instrument Designed to Investigate Elements of Science Students’ Metacognition,Self‐Efficacy and Learning Processes: The SEMLI‐S

The development and evaluation of science students’ metacognition, learning processes and self‐efficacy are important for improving science education. This paper reports on the development of an empirical self‐report instrument for providing a measure of students’ metacognition, self‐efficacy and constructivist science learning processes. A review of the range of literature related to metacognition, self‐regulation and constructivist learning processes resulted in the development of an initial bilingual (English and traditional Chinese) instrument composed of 72 items. This instrument was completed by 465 Hong Kong high school students. The data collected were subjected to exploratory factor analysis and Rasch analysis. The subsequent refinement process resulted in a final version of the Self‐Efficacy and Metacognition Learning Inventory—Science (SEMLI‐S) consisting of 30 items that can be used for either analysing and focusing on any or all of its dimensions or for assigning scores to individuals that enable comparison between them in relation to their metacognitive science learning orientations.     

Educational Reform and Research in Hong Kong: A Request for Comprehensive Knowledge

When Hong Kong is moving towards a knowledge society in the new millennium, research is clearly necessary to provide a knowledge base for educational development and reform to meet the challenges of globalization and high technology in the world. This report aims to review the education policy environment in Hong Kong and see whether research can be encouraged to support policy development and practice improvement. Particularly, the report will give a brief introduction to the recent initiatives in Hong Kong school education since the establishment of the Special Administrative Region in 1997 and discusses the potential research agenda to support the ongoing education reforms at the school system. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.