德育及公民教育在香港课程改革中的理念、策略和实践经验

香港特别行政区推行的课程改革,将德育及公民教育作为首要发展项目,并就具体的推行策略建议中小学校应优先培育学生五种价值观和态度:坚毅,尊重别人,责任感,国民身份认同及承担精神;强调以学生为本的方针,鼓励学校将学生身边发生的事情灵活地融入课程设计中。此目标和策略的厘定,是回应现今香港的社会情况及未来发展方向,亦考虑到学校现况及参考其它国家的实践经验。学校推行德育及公民教育的策略,除了开办正规的德育及公民教育课程外,亦会在正规的学科学习中,渗透一些涉及价值判断的讨论活动,藉此提升学生的道德判断能力;或是藉实践学习的经验培养学生的价值观。教育统筹局作为推动香港德育及公民教育发展的官方机构,负起带领学校推行课程改革的职责:引入新思维、鼓励新尝试及交流新知识;目的是希望将课程改革的信息带到学校,以提升教师在这方面的认识和教学技巧,并为学生提供一个有利培育正确价值观的学习环境。     

All-aqueous multiphase microfluidics

Immiscible aqueous phases, formed by dissolving incompatible solutes in water, have been used in green chemical synthesis, molecular extraction and mimicking of cellular cytoplasm. Recently, a microfluidic approach has been introduced to generate all-aqueous emulsions and jets based on these immiscible aqueous phases; due to their biocompatibility, these all-aqueous structures have shown great promises as templates for fabricating biomaterials. The physico-chemical nature of interfaces between two immiscible aqueous phases leads to unique interfacial properties, such as an ultra-low interfacial tension. Strategies to manipulate components and direct their assembly at these interfaces needs to be explored. In this paper, we review progress on the topic over the past few years, with a focus on the fabrication and stabilization of all-aqueous structures in a multiphase microfluidic platform. We also discuss future efforts needed from the perspectives of fluidic physics, materials engineering, and biology for fulfilling potential applications ranging from materials fabrication to biomedical engineering.     

Teachers’ perceptions of Incorporated Management Committees as a form of school-based management in Hong Kong

The policy of the registration of School Management Committees (SMCs) as Incorporated Management Committees (IMCs) has led to a dispute between the School Sponsoring Bodies (SSBs) and the Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB, renamed Education Bureau, EDB in July 2007) and has caused great tension between the two parties. However, in this heated debate, little has been heard about teachers’ opinions on this important issue. Therefore, this study aims at finding out teachers’ perceptions of the newly proposed school management system and whether they are willing to participate in IMCs. In this study, 585 questionnaires were collected from a total of 652 which had been distributed to 25 schools (19 secondary schools and 9 primary schools), and five teacher representatives from five schools were involved in post-survey interviews. Findings from this study show that while the teachers were generally in favour of working hand in hand with the public (e.g. parents, alumni and members of the local community) for the betterment of schools, they had reservations about the registration of SMCs as IMCs because there would be legal implications of the Committees. Second, the teachers saw the IMCs as an administrative tool to improve school management, rather than as a means of enhancing students’ learning outcomes. Third, teachers were hesitant about taking up the posts of teacher managers due to the unpredictable workload and legal liability involved. Finally, teachers from Christian schools were generally much less in favour of including representatives from the public and the registration of the SMCs as IMCs. The findings imply that the EMB has a responsibility to clarify the legal implications of IMCs and the ways in which school representatives’ interests can be safeguarded. At the same time, SSBs need to regulate their management pattern and allow more transparency and accountability in managing their schools.

Measuring the degree of implementation of school-based assessment schemes for practical science

The study described in this paper investigated the degree of implementation of school-based assessment schemes for practical science. An assessment scheme in Hong Kong was used as the context for the research. Five dimensions of implementation were identified and a conceptual framework was built by breaking down each dimension into attributes and these into content areas. The research method used in the study incorporated some modifications on most past designs in order to determine adequately the construct validity of data and to examine any method-specific biases. Three measuring instruments (namely, a student questionnaire, a teacher questionnaire and an observation schedule) were designed. The construct validity of student data was demonstrated through confirmatory factor analysis and multitrait-multimethod analysis. Comparative analyses of students' perceptions, teacher self-reports and independent observational data resulted in convergent findings for only three out of the ten attributes of implementation.     

Science Learning Outcomes After Accounting for Opportunity to Learn: The Effect of Gender and Science Stream

This article examines the effects of gender and Science stream differences on the cognitive and affective outcomes of schooling at the Sixth Form level (Grade 12) in Hong Kong, using data collected for the Second IEA International Science Study (SISS). It seeks to derive some dimensions of gender difference on these outcomes amongst the physical and biological Science stream pupils. The problem of the confounding effect of gender and Science stream, and the pattern of curriculum implementation effect across Science streams and courses are handled. Social and psychological implications of the findings for curriculum developers, teachers and pupils are discussed. Results of the analyses provide a basis for comparisons across school systems participating in the SISS surveys.     

Teacher efficacy: A comparative study of Hong Kong and Shanghai Primary in-service teachers

Teachers beliefs about their ability to affect students’ performance is an important part of professionalism. This study compared 725 Hong Kong and 575 Shanghai primary in-service teachers on their teacher efficacy. Two Chinese versions of the 12-item Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale were used in this study since some wordings of the Hong Kong version of the Scale (HK-TSE) were different from the Shanghai version (STSE) as a result of cultural differences. Basically, the Shanghai teachers reported significantly higher efficacy than did the Hong Kong teachers. After reviewing these quantitative results, 86 follow-up questionnaires from Shanghai in-service teachers who also participated in the first part of this study were collected. Results of this qualitative part showed that the three most commonly cited factors for the contribution of teacher efficacy were: respect and confidence placed in them by students and parents, the training they received from universities and the experience they gained from daily teaching practice. Though Hong Kong in-service teachers had lower efficacy scores than the Shanghai counterparts.     

A Tale of Two Cities: Education Responds to Globalisation in Hong Kong and Singapore in the Aftermath of the Asian Economic Crisis

It has been suggested that although the most theorisation about globalisation has emerged from “western” contexts, the material implications of globalisation have been felt most strongly in non‐western regions. With this in mind, we are undertaking a situated analysis of how two states, Singapore and Hong Kong, are interacting with the broader processes of globalisation through their educational policies. We apply Foucault's conceptual tool of governmentality to understand (i) the conduct of governing in the contemporary nation‐state, and (ii) how the “right” rationalities are being inculcated by government to create “desiring subjects” who will play their part in ensuring national prosperity. We use the Asian Economic Crisis as a point of departure to show how global‐local tensions are being managed by Singapore and Hong Kong. We conclude that both these global cities have adroitly managed the Asian economic crisis to steer their citizens away from pursuits of greater political freedom and towards concerns of material well being. They have done so through a selective interpretation of globalisation, by simultaneously resisting and embracing the contradictory strands of globalisation. Education has emerged as a critical space for this selective absorption of globalising trends.     

Why do Chinese students cheat? Initial findings based on the self-reports of high school students in China

Academic dishonesty is recognised as a serious problem in Australia, and educators have been searching for ways to prevent its escalation. It is important to understand what factors influence cheating. This study used a sample of 446 grade 7 to 9 students, 160 from Macao and 286 from Zhuhai in China, to examine the personal and contextual aspects of academic dishonesty. The findings suggest that involvement and task orientation in the classroom environment (contextual aspects) and intrinsic value and utility value (personal aspects) are associated with students’ attitudes toward the acceptability of cheating and cheating behaviour in mathematics. Some suggestions for reducing academic dishonesty are included in the paper.