Youth in a global world: attitudes towards globalization and global citizenship among university students in Hong Kong

Despite the wealth of theoretical literature on globalization and global citizenship, empirical studies on the topic are lacking, especially in the context of pedagogical needs in relation to global citizenship education. In order to address this gap, a study was conducted in Hong Kong to investigate the attitudes of university students towards various dimensions of globalization and global citizenship. The initial results indicate that Hong Kong university students are generally quite aware of globalization's impact on the economy and personal consumption choices and that while there is considerable apathy towards international affairs, there is also a great interest in cross-cultural service learning opportunities that is not being met by the available programmes. Moreover, this study finds almost no association between age, gender, and religion and any of the measured dependent variables on attitudes towards globalization and global citizenship, the only exception being the factor of past intercultural experiences, where a significant difference in measured attitudes was found between respondents who had and respondents who had not participated in such experiences before. Explanations of the findings and the implications of findings for policy and future research are discussed.     

National identity,patriotism and studying politics in schools: a case study in Hong Kong

After reunification with the People's Republic of China in 1997, Hong Kong was turned into a special administrative region. The new government has repeatedly emphasised the development of national identity and patriotism. One of the locations where these issues might be expected to appear is in the teaching of Government and Public Affairs (GPA), an optional subject offered to secondary students aged 15–18. The aim of this paper is to study the perceptions of GPA teachers in order to address two issues. First, how do GPA teachers who teach politics in schools construe ‘national identity’ and ‘patriotism’? Second, do the teachers believe studying politics through the subject GPA can enhance national identity and patriotism among the students? The findings show that the teachers understand national identity and patriotism critically. They insist politics should be taught in a rational way. At the same time, they think teaching politics in a rational way, with no appeal to the emotions as is the current practice, will enhance neither the students' sense of national identity nor their patriotism.     

Creating culturally responsive environments: ethnic minority teachers' constructs of cultural diversity in Hong Kong secondary schools

One of the challenges facing Hong Kong schools is the growing cultural diversity of the student population that is a result of the growing number of ethnic minority students in the schools. This study uses semi-structured interviews with 12 American, Canadian, Indian, Nepalese and Pakistani teachers working in three secondary schools in the public sector to examine how school teachers are handling this challenge. The study uses these interviews to establish a model for the creation of culturally responsive environments that may help to improve the academic performance and promote the personal growth of students in Hong Kong's secondary schools. Five aspects of cultural responsiveness are identified: conceptualising cosmopolitanism, raising sensitivity to “minor acts of racism”, managing the diverse learning needs of students, promoting a deep understanding of cultural values and helping students deal with the challenges of trilingualism. This study argues that ethnic minority teachers are engaged in a continuing cross-cultural process through which they make sense of the cultural diversity of students and re-learn their own beliefs and practices. The implications for the creation of a culturally responsive environment are also presented.     

Major issues of university education policy in Hong Kong

University education is believed to be one of the most controversial public policies in Hong Kong. Numerous changes have also occurred in the university education sector since the 1990s when the rapid expansion of university places was put into force. The most notable changes may include the institutionalization of quality assurance mechanisms, the reform of university governance and staff remuneration systems, the adoption of role differentiation among the universities, the potential emergence of private universities and community colleges, and the trend of internationalizing university education. This article identifies major issues of university education policy and examines those factors that are affecting the development of university education, in Hong Kong.     

香港中小学教育公平的实践

入学机会在香港虽早已普及,但这并不代表香港中小学教育是公平的。为了检视香港教育公平的实践,本文回顾了香港回归后与教育公平有关的教育政策争议,从学童的性别、贫穷家庭子女、特殊学习需要学童、少数族裔学童、新来港与跨境学童等几方面剖析了香港中小学在教育公平方面的实施情况,并就探讨香港教育公平课题提出了进一步的建议。     

Decolonization,Nationalism, and local identity: rethinking cosmopolitanism in educational practice in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT

Cosmopolitanism and its application for education in western societies has been well examined. Yet cosmopolitanism in society and in education has not been systematically explored in many Asian societies. Facing a large number of people from diverse backgrounds, the society and its education system in Hong Kong are troubled by issues similar to those found in western postindustrial societies, related to cultural and national belonging and identity. Prejudice and racism towards ethnic minorities – particularly those from South Asia and Africa, is quite common. Additionally, animosity and hostility to mainland Chinese newcomers has increased and intensified in the context of Hong Kong’s “repoliticization” after its 1997 handover. This article aims to explore how cosmopolitanism is understood, valued, and approached in Hong Kong education. We start by exploring the role of decolonization and nationalization in political education in Hong Kong. We then discuss cosmopolitanism, and consider how it impacts particular social and educational issues in Hong Kong. We also provide an analysis of discourses on cosmopolitanism taken from Hong Kong General Studies and History textbooks, to identify challenges faced in facilitating cosmopolitan values, a balance of identities, and global citizenship in Hong Kong education.     

The unintended hegemonic effects of a limited concession: institutional incorporation of Chinese schools in post-war Hong Kong

Using the case of Chinese schools in post-Second World War Hong Kong, this paper explores the unintended consequences of an incomplete hegemonic project. After World War II, anti-imperialist pressures and rising educational demands in the local setting propelled the colonial authorities to be more active in providing and funding Chinese schools. This development created a considerable number of vernacular institutions that were either directly state-run or generously government-financed. Nevertheless, this concession was circumscribed because the regime eschewed universal and compulsory education, and many Chinese schools remained private and unaided. Producing three different types of vernacular institutions, the state’s partial incorporation of these institutions unwittingly divided these schools and pre-empted them from forming a united, antagonistic identity. These findings urge us to examine carefully, when using Gramsci’s concept of hegemony, the extent of compromise the powerful have actually conceded. They also hint that hegemony should not be conceived only as a conscious, conspiratorial project, for state practices occasioned by conjunctural forces may produce unintended consequences that have profound repercussions on political power.     

香港中文教育政策述评

香港特区政府以“两文三语”为目标的中文教育政策,是香港总体语言政策的构成部分,文章从推广普通话、推行母语教学、以普通话教授中文及推行简化字等方面对此进行了述评。     

Ethnic minority students from South Asia in Hong Kong: language ideologies and discursive identity construction

This article explores how ethnic minority students in Hong Kong secondary schools discursively construct their identities in relation to culture, heritage, and social discourse. It finds that the ethnic minority students negotiate their identities within multiple positioning from parents, school, and the broader social discourse on minority languages and cultures. It also finds that they construct contradictory language ideologies when attempting to legitimate their heritage languages and to illegitimate the status of Chinese in the social context. The findings indicate that the participants tend to establish an essentialized cultural difference between their heritage culture and host culture. It argues that fixed and stereotyped views towards language practices and culture may lead to antagonistic relations between the ethnic minority students and locals, and become obstacles to their socialization and integration into the mainstream community. The implications for establishing a flexible and relational view on cultural differences and language use are explored.     

The relevance of media education in primary schools in Hong Kong in the age of new media: a case study

In this age of new media, children are exposed to media messages at an early age. What can we do when the mass media exert such a great influence on children? One proposal has been for the introduction of a new school subject: media education. Though media education has not been part of the official curriculum in Hong Kong, some schools, both primary and secondary, have tried it out. This paper argues for the desirability of introducing media education in primary schools in Hong Kong, with regard to social change, recent education reform and learning initiatives of primary pupils. It then draws on the findings of a study conducted in a local primary school to examine the views of pupils, parents, and teachers on the effects on pupils of the implementation of media education lessons and campus radio projects in this age of new media.     

Research assessment in Hong Kong

A system of research assessment was developed and implemented inHong Kong during the period from 1991 to 1994 as an input to theassessment of the public recurrent funding allocations of theterritory's higher education institutions and as an extension ofthe University Grants Committee's other quality assuranceactivities. Refinements were subsequently introduced for the nexttwo assessment exercises in 1996 and 1999. This paper describesthe evolution of the process, identifies some significantdifferences from that in the UK on which it was modelled, andevaluates the 1999 research assessment exercise, in particularthe application in that context of the Carnegie Foundation'sdefinitions of research and research-related scholarlyactivities, viz. the scholarships of ``discovery, integration,application and teaching'.     

新加坡与香港地区教师教育比较

1970年,新加坡总理李光耀在香港大学年会上以"双城记"为题做了一场发人深省的演讲,除了讲述新加坡和香港地区所取得的相似成就与优势以外,还进一步做出预测,表示两地在未来将会取得更大的成功.在此基础上,笔者试图从一个更为广泛和更具批判性的视角进行深入分析,首先梳理出二者基本差异,进而再讨论是哪些特定的政治、文化和教育因素最终导致了二者的不同发展路径和成果.国际研究学者围绕同一主题共同创作了一篇具有独到见解的文章,这使得1970年发表的这篇文章在35年后又被重新提起.     

香港地区高等教育学生贷款的经验与启示

伴随全球性的高教财政危机，高等教育成本回收理论的推广以及政府资助高校模式的改变，高等教育学生贷款在许多国家逐渐出现并发展起来。适应高校扩张和收费提高之需要，香港地区的高等教育学生贷款方案经过30多年的发展，已形成一个较为规范的多元化的学生贷款体系。本文在介绍和分析香港学生贷款发展脉络及现状特点的基础上，将香港地区的学生贷款与中国大陆实施的学生贷款加以比较，并根据香港的成功经验对后者的发展提出相应的建议。     

早期教育的文化:来自香港幼稚园的观察研究

随着对“幼儿是如何学习的”这一问题认识的不断深入,世界范围内的幼儿教育从知识传授向知识建构教育范式转变。本文对当前香港主流的幼稚园教育实践以及影响香港幼儿教育的社会文化因素作了探讨。系统观察研究的结果显示,香港幼稚园普遍采用直接教学和探究式教学相结合的教学方式。在语言教学中,逐渐接受早期读写萌发教学的观念;在数学教育中,从传统的以讲授和练习为主的教学转向以活动为基础的教学。关于幼儿社会化的文化观念反映在教学实践以及与幼儿的互动过程中。虽然关于幼儿怎样才能更好地进行学习的理念在当前幼儿教育实践中得到了较好的体现,但是中国传统文化中的相关观念仍然在课堂情境中占据主导地位,二者彼此交织和融合在教学实践中。     

An Overview of Bilingual Education in Hong Kong

English is more widely used in Hong Kong than mainland China. The introduction, escalation and declination of English in Hong Kong are examined. Relevant reasons are explored to account for the gradual change of language use. Afterwards, appropriate recom mendations are provided to elevate the status of English as globalization requires communication barriers across diverse cultures to be lifted.     

香港高等职业教育评介--兼论深港高等职业教育合作

香港高等职业教育发展得比深圳高等职业教育要较早而较完善,并与社会发展紧密同步,层次清晰,体系完整,国际化的程度较高,教学内容、方法和手段也较灵活。香港高等职业教育的这些特点有利于深港高等职业教育的合作。     

全球化、国际化与高等教育交流:香港的经验

为了应对日益激烈的全球市场竞争,许多新兴国家和地区的政府近年来都纷纷起草教育改革蓝图,并出台一系列针对教育体制改革的措施。香港特别行政区也把教育作为一项优先发展的公共政策,以增强本地公民的全球竞争力。在认识到人力资源是特别行政区拥有的唯一资源后,香港特区政府亦斥巨资投资教育。尽管特别行政区目前面临严重的预算赤字,但教育仍占到2004-2005年政府预算公共支出的最大份额22.5％。本文着重对在全球化的背景下,香港特别行政区采取怎样的措施来改善其高等教育体制,以及香港的大学如何与海外大学加强学术交流,以增强本港大学的国际竞争力进行论述。     

港台地区高校创业教育的特点及启示

自创业教育兴起以来,港台地区高校就积极参与并形成了独具特色的创业教育体系和模式。大陆和港台地区同文同种,在文化传统、大众观念等方面有很大程度的相似性,通过对港台地区高校创业教育特色的梳理分析及合理借鉴,对我国高校创业教育体系的完善具有一定的启发意义。     

Home-based parental involvement amongst Pakistani families in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT

Ethnic minority parents often appear to be less involved in school functions and activities than their culturally dominant counterparts. Their invisibility is usually assumed due to a lack of either interest or parental capacity to oversee their children’s education. However, the simplistic equation between parental involvement in children’s education and their participation in school is largely informed by middle-class cultural norms that ignore diversity. Data drawn from home visits and in-depth, semi-structured interviews amongst Pakistani parents and children in Hong Kong reveals that the involvement of these parents only seems less visible because it is largely based at home rather than in schools. The parental involvement of this ethnic minority is influenced by socio-economic and cultural factors that separate school from home, divide parental responsibilities by gender, and set expectations for children with primary reference to the parents’ own experiences. These research findings on how such characteristics shape the outcomes of parental involvement can inform school practices to build more effective home-school collaboration and enhance children’s academic achievement.