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 professional development needs of Hong Kong ESL teachers

In the light of changing needs for the professional development (PD) of ESL teachers in Hong Kong, this study investigates current practice and future needs within the context of the implementation of educational reforms by the Hong Kong Government. A cohort of ESL teachers, members of a knowledge sharing community project, participated in a survey to gauge their experience of, and attitudes towards, PD. The survey produced a 100% response. Data from the cohort indicated that experienced, well-qualified ESL teachers perceive the need for PD from a broader perspective than their less qualified, less experienced peers who are driven by more immediate needs. These findings resonate with those from countries where PD is viewed as an integral part of ongoing teacher development. The paper concludes with the recommendations that the current findings would be augmented by a further, qualitative study.     

Validation of the Olympic Games Attitude Scale (OGAS): Evidence from Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses

There have been extensive studies of local residents’ perception and reaction to the impacts of mega events. However, there is limited empirical research on the social impacts that shape foreign attitudes toward the host country. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Olympic Games Attitude Scale (OGAS) to examine viewers’ perception of the Olympics hosting country. Participants (N = 483) were based on a convenience sample in a local community of the mid-Atlantic region in the United States. Results of the exploratory factor analysis identified four factors (economic advancement, image enhancement, community enrichment, and turmoil development) with a total variance of 67.59%. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that after removing one item, the 13-item OGAS provided a good fit to the data (comparative fit index [CFI] = .97; incremental fit index [IFI] = .97, standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] = .049; root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .080). It is concluded that the OGAS is a valid measuring instrument for assessing viewers’ perception of hosting the Olympic Games.     

Searching for the holy grail: A core collection for undergraduate libraries

How realistic is the attempt to identify books that should be held by every undergraduate library? The authors of this article review past efforts to develop a core list of books for undergraduate libraries and examine several collection overlap studies. They then present findings from analyses of overlap among several groups of libraries, and discuss the implications of these findings.     

Game-display board activities for science teaching

This paper presents samples of game-display board activities developed by the instructors, technicians, and teacher-participants of the course The Teaching of Integrated Science within the Postgraduate Diploma in Education program offered by the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Designed for junior high science classes, the board activities employ ideas from traditional seatwork and end-of-chapter exercises, such as matching, multiple choice, word puzzles and summary tables. The activities are carried out by means of a vertical magnetic white board and magnetic backed word and picture cards. Unlike ordinary paper-and-pencil exercises which are usually done by students individually, game-display board activities facilitate classroom interaction by providing a center of attention to every student. Moreover, because of the game element involved, these activities foster group cooperation as well as allow whole-class participation. Comprehensive samples of the activities will be provided in this paper. A study of the teacher-participants' attitudes toward the activities will also be reported.     

Mode of acquisition as a factor in deaf children's reading comprehension

This article examines the role of mode of acquisition (MoA) of word meanings in reading comprehension: children acquire word meanings using perceptual information (e.g., hearing, seeing, or smelling the referent) and/or linguistic information (e.g., verbal explanations). A total of 72 deaf and 99 hearing children between 7 and 15 years of age performed a self-paced reading task. Comprehension scores increased with age in both groups, but reading speed increased over age only for the hearing participants. For both groups, reading times on linguistically acquired words were longer than on perceptually acquired words. Although deaf children scored lower than hearing children in both conditions, comprehension scores for both groups were lower on linguistic items than on perceptual items. Thus, MoA influences reading comprehension, but the deaf show difficulty on both the perceptual and the linguistic items.     

Benefits of self‐paced learning modules for teaching quantitative methods in environmental science

Abstract

This is a multiple‐indicators evaluation of an innovative approach, using self‐paced learning modules accompanying computerised exercises as an adjunct to teaching quantitative concepts and skills to environmental science students at university. The evaluation data, based on a pre‐unit and a post‐unit questionnaire survey completed by 38 students, show high levels of student satisfaction with the unit as a whole, and the self‐paced workbooks in particular. Students also indicated a clear preference for learning from self‐paced workbooks compared to learning from textbooks. Some students applied the quantitative skills acquired to other academic units, or took the initiative to learn to use additional statistical procedures (not covered in the unit) for academic purposes. However, comparison of students’ levels of interest and confidence in quantitative subjects before and after the completion of the unit did not yield significant changes. Implications of the research findings for university science education are discussed.     

Internationalising the Student Experience: Preparing Instructors to Embed Intercultural Skills in the Curriculum

The Internationalising the Student Experience Project was devised and piloted as a teaching innovation to improve the intercultural awareness of instructors and, subsequently, that of their domestic and international students. In this article we claim that instructor preparation in the use of the Alliance Building and Cultural Mapping tools of the international EXCELL (Excellence in Cultural Experiential Learning and Leadership) Program can provide a base for institutionalised support. We report and discuss this approach and the outcomes to the challenges of and opportunities for internationalising the curriculum in the broader higher education context.     

Chinese Parents’ Beliefs about the Importance and Feasibility of Quality Early Childhood Inclusion

This study aims to explore Chinese parents’ understanding about the importance and feasibility of quality pre-school inclusion and how these beliefs are affected by their levels of education and the types of disabilities in the Chinese socio-cultural and policy contexts. Findings support parents are highly supportive of the philosophy of inclusion. Both groups of parents of children with and without disabilities have different expectations for what quality inclusion looks like in the six dimensions of inclusion except for professional development and resources. The higher the levels of education, the more likely regular parents agree on all six dimensions of inclusion. Finally, disability categories did not affect parents’ beliefs. Parents of children with multiple disabilities expressed the greatest need for inclusion. Overall, parents’ agreement with the important features of inclusion reflects a greater expectation for quality inclusion and policy-making to make this happen to all young children.