Implementing Effective Group Work for Mathematical Achievement in Primary School Classrooms in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Education Bureau recommends that primary school pupils’ mathematical achievement be enhanced via collaborative discussions engendered by group work. This pedagogic change may be hindered by Confucian heritage classroom practices and Western-dominated group work approaches that predominate in Hong Kong. To overcome these obstacles, we introduced a relational approach to group work in a quasi-experimental study. Our sample included 20 teachers randomly allocated to experimental (12) and control (8) conditions and their 504 mathematics pupils (aged 9–10). The relational approach focused on the development of peer relationships in a culturally appropriate manner and was implemented over 7 months. Pupils were pre-/post-tested for mathematical achievement and systematically observed, and the teachers were assessed for subject knowledge and pre-/post-tested for pedagogic efficacy. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) results show enhanced mathematical achievement, supported by improved peer-based communication skills and time-on-task for the experimental pupils. Experimental teachers raised their pedagogic efficacy. Results indicate the potential of the relational approach for boosting academic achievement via enhanced child-peer-teacher interaction and the need to reassess the role of peer-based latent collectivist learning in Confucian heritage classrooms.     

The romance and the reality between pre-service teachers’ beliefs about the potential benefits of a short-term study abroad programme and their practices

This qualitative study aimed to explore Hong Kong pre-service teachers’ beliefs about the potential benefits of a short-term study abroad programme and their practices. Pre- and post-programme semi-structured interviews and reflective journals were employed to collect data. The findings suggest that the transformation of beliefs into practices plays a critical role in the actualization of possible learning outcomes, such as increasing the use of the target language, fostering pedagogical development, broadening cultural understanding and nurturing personal growth. The programme per se, however, does not guarantee target language enhancement in a short time. Implications for programme coordinators and future research are discussed.     

Universal, developmental, and variable aspects of young children's play: a cross-cultural comparison of pretending at home

Using longitudinal data from five Irish American families in the United States and nine Chinese families in Taiwan, in conjunction with an emerging body of evidence in the cultural psychology literature, we propose universal, culturally variable, and developmental dimensions of young children's pretend play. Possible universal dimensions include the use of objects, and the predominantly social nature of pretend play. Developmental dimensions include increases in the proportion of social pretend play initiated by the child, the proportion of partner initiations elaborated upon by the child, and caregivers' use of pretend play initiations to serve other, nonplay social functions. Culturally variable dimensions include the centrality of objects, the participation of specific play partners, the extent of child initiations of social pretend play with caregivers, the various functions of social pretend play in interaction, and specific themes. These findings raise the theoretical issue of how universal and variable dimensions of pretend play interact in specific communities to create distinctive development pathways.     

On extending the concept of double negativity to acoustic waves

INTRODUCTION At this moment, novel concepts of “negative” media, having negative refraction and/or “double negativity” and their physical consequences and plausible applications are drawing considerable at- tention from the science and engineering community. In the past few years, considerable progress has been made in electromagnetic (EM) waves. It is our wish to generalize such concepts to acoustic waves. Since the concept of negative refraction, negative constitutive relationships…     

An International Meta-Analysis of Reading Recovery

ABSTRACT

Reading Recovery is one of the most researched literacy programs worldwide. Although there have been at least 4 quantitative reviews of its effectiveness, none have considered all rigorous group-comparison studies from all implementing nations from the late 1970s to 2015. Using a hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) v-known analysis, we examined if effects differed in the United States versus other nations, if experiments yielded larger effects than quasi-experiments, if the effects changed over time, and if the type of outcome mediated the impact estimates. We also considered the sustained effects of the intervention. After reviewing 203 primary studies, we identified 16 that met our criteria, such as treatment fidelity and experimental or high-quality quasi-experimental design. Based on a random effects model, the estimated overall effect was .59, with larger effects for outcomes based on the Observation Survey (Clay, 2013 Clay, M. M. (2013). An observation survey of early literacy achievement. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. [Google Scholar]), and stronger effects in certain literacy domains, such as text reading, print knowledge, and general literacy. Although United States studies produced a larger point estimate (.61) compared to other countries (.52), and experiments (.69) yielded a larger estimate than quasi-experiments (.43), neither difference was statistically significant. Overall, effects did not change over time, but effects based on the Observation Survey did improve significantly from earlier to later studies. We also found that the long-term effect may diminish, but there were too few studies to estimate the sustained impact with confidence. The .59 overall effect places Reading Recovery in the top 10% in terms of impact of early literacy programs reviewed by the What Works Clearinghouse.     

韩国汉语教学的市场需求调研——以“商务汉语”课程为例

本研究通过选出特定的汉语学习者群体,作为开发商务汉语(Biz Chinese)教学课程的研究对象,以设计符合该群体特色的商务汉语(Biz Clhinese)教学课程为目的,进行了一系列的问卷调查和采访,其结果可作为基础资料,应用于商务汉语(Biz Chinese)课程的个性化、多样化的教材和教具开发设计的研究.     

Liberal Studies in Hong Kong: A new perspective on critical thinking through group work

This article reports research that is contextualised within reforms of secondary education in Hong Kong and the reintroduction of Liberal Studies, which jointly emphasise the need for a learning environment that facilitates the practice of group work and the development of critical thinking. A study is described that explores the relevance of group work for fostering critical thinking, looking in particular at the participation of teachers in small group activity. While attention is paid to the results of critical thinking tests and excerpts extracted from the students’ dialogues, the research also seeks to highlight the role of the teacher in breaking stalemates in discussion with appropriate interventions. In sum, this article concludes by illustrating the importance of collaborative group work in the development of students’ critical thinking skills.     

The policies of reintroducing Liberal Studies into Hong Kong secondary schools

This study focuses on the policy issues generated by the reintroduction of Liberal Studies and evaluates the predicted effectiveness of the proposed curriculum in Hong Kong (HK) secondary schools. Theorised by Ball (1992) ‘policy cycle’, approximately 200 newspaper articles and 30 government documents were collected to identify the issues in the process of policy-making. The documentary inquiry shows that ‘Public Recognition’, ‘Learning Objectives’ and ‘Curriculum Structure’ were the three major issues surrounding the reintroduction. Little evidence of any ‘explicit’ political influence related to the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is demonstrated. The interviews conducted later in this study illustrate that there were diversified opinions of the Liberal Studies curriculum. Whilst scholars and teachers disapproved of it, parents showed appreciation. It seems that the stakeholders working in the education field were uncertain, divided and displeased with the process of policy-making. A follow-up questionnaire-based survey clearly uncovered a sharp contrast between the beliefs of the teachers and the expectations of the students with regard to Liberal Studies. In other words, the gap formed between the two showed considerable differences in the level of satisfaction with the proposed curriculum.