Competing philosophies in the classroom: a challenge to Hong Kong teachers     

Veronica Pearson  Eva Mei Kuen Lo 《International Journal of Inclusive Education》2013,17(3):261-279

The present paper examines the experiences of teachers in teaching children with special needs in mainstream schools and how they see and evaluate the feasibility of the new integration initiatives in Hong Kong. The data are based on individual and focus group interviews with general class teachers, resource class teachers and principals of mainstream schools admitting students with special needs. Teachers reported difficulties and problems in maintaining classroom discipline and ambivalence in meeting the competing demands between students with and without special needs. The structural constraints of implementing a rigidly defined curriculum and being accountable for good academic results regardless of student competence pose formidable obstacles in achieving the goals of integrated education. There is a conflict at the systemic level between the philosophy of academic excellence defined by grades on the one hand and the philosophy of equality and inclusion on the other. Improving parent participation, having an ample supply of funds, the provision of necessary equipment and facilities, the availability of pre‐ and in‐service training to teachers, and additional manpower in counselling are the most urgently needed resources in facilitating teachers to engage in teaching students with special needs alongside others.  相似文献   

Anxiety and self-esteem as mediators of the relation between family communication and indecisiveness in adolescence     

Valentina Lo Cascio  Giovanni Guzzo  Francesco Pace  Ugo Pace 《International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance》2013,13(2):135-149

In this study, we explored the unique and common contributions of anxiety, self-esteem, and family communication on indecisiveness among adolescents. Three hundred and fifty pupils from 13 to 16 years of age completed self-report measures on indecisiveness, quality of family communication, trait anxiety, and self-esteem. The findings in this study showed that students’ indecisiveness is predicted by family communication mediated by anxiety and self-esteem. These results have important implications for practice as it stresses the importance of anxiety and self-esteem. Nevertheless, the counselors could also focus on enhancing relationship-building skills by introducing the adolescents’ career formation as an adolescent–parent joint project.  相似文献   

Teachers’ and Students’ Conceptions of Good Science Teaching     

Benny Hin Wai Yung  Yan Zhu  Siu Ling Wong  Man Wai Cheng  Fei Yin Lo 《International Journal of Science Education》2013,35(14):2435-2461

Capitalizing on the comments made by teachers on videos of exemplary science teaching, a video-based survey instrument on the topic of ‘Density’ was developed and used to investigate the conceptions of good science teaching held by 110 teachers and 4,024 year 7 students in Hong Kong. Six dimensions of good science teaching are identified from the 55-item questionnaire, namely, ‘focussing on science learning’, ‘facilitating students’ understanding’, ‘encouraging students’ involvement’, ‘creating conducive environment’, ‘encouraging active experimentation’ and ‘preparing students for exam (PSE)’. Significant gaps between teachers’ and students’ conceptions on certain dimensions have been revealed. The inconsistency on the dimension ‘PSE’ is particularly evident and possible reasons for the phenomenon are suggested. This study raises the important questions of how the gap can be addressed, and who is to change in order to close the gaps. Answers to these questions have huge implications for teacher education and teacher professional development.  相似文献   

School‐based curriculum development: the Hong Kong experience     

Lo Yiu Chun 《Curriculum Journal》2013,24(3):419-442

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to analyse the nature of the School‐based Curriculum Project Scheme (SBCPS), which was introduced into the Hong Kong education system in 1988. The aims of the scheme were to promote school‐based curriculum development (SBCD) designed to meet the learning needs of pupils and to encourage teachers to solve curriculum problems. Overall, the article provides insights into the characteristics of the SBCPS which was introduced into a highly centralized context and was initiated through a highly centralized mechanism, and describes how it was implemented into Hong Kong schools. This underlines the need both to view curriculum policies critically and to recognize the impact that the prevailing culture in schools has on attempts at curriculum innovations.  相似文献   

English in Hong Kong: a preliminary study of the ACERWord Knowledge Test – Form F and the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices as indicators of verbal reasoning ability and abstract reasoning ability among Hong Kong university students     

Raymond Stone  Gilbert Wong  Susanna Lo 《Educational research; a review for teachers and all concerned with progress in education》2013,55(3):330-336

The standard of English of Hong Kong students is a matter of considerable debate. Academics, business people and others bemoan the deterioration of English-speaking skills and the declining quality of students. Explanations for this situation include the introduction of mass education, the lack of trained English teachers and an exam-centred curriculum. Yet, little research has been undertaken concerning student intellectual ability and English skills. This short report examines the English skills of 146 undergraduates using the ACER Word Knowledge Test - Form F , and their abstract reasoning ability using Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices. The results show that Hong Kong students, while low in English skills are superior in intelligence. Although exploratory and subject to qualification, the research has implications for the teaching and continued use of English in Hong Kong schools and universities.  相似文献   

Differing perspectives of non-native speaker students’ linguistic experiences on higher degree courses     

Mairin Hennebry  Yuen Yi Lo  Ernesto Macaro 《牛津教育评论》2013,39(2):209-230

We report a small-scale study investigating the perceptions of postgraduate students who are non-native speakers of English and those of academic staff with regard to those students. Previous research has focused only on the former and identified a number of linguistic and cultural challenges these students face in adapting to Anglophone institution environments. A sample of 43 students in one department at a Russell Group university were surveyed and a sub-sample interviewed. Six members of academic staff were interviewed and some observed in their teaching. Findings suggest that, despite the high linguistic admission requirements set by the university, this group of students faced a range of difficulties in all four language skills but particularly in skills needed for oral interaction in seminars. Students and staff provided differing accounts of the source of these difficulties and students expressed a desire for better integration with native speaker students. There were also differing accounts regarding the amount of linguistic support students should receive, particularly with regard to proofreading written work. The study suggests a need for further research of this comparative kind potentially leading to recommendations for additional support for students and staff development.  相似文献   

The longest journeys in Super Rugby: 11 years of travel and performance indicators     

Michele Lo  Robert J. Aughey  William G. Hopkins  Nicholas Gill 《Journal of sports sciences》2013,31(18):2045-2050

ABSTRACT

Regular air travel is common in sport. The aim of this study was to understand the extent to which travel has affected Super Rugby teams’ performance from 2006, the first season with available Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), to 2016. Data were analysed with mixed linear models for the effects of number of time-zones crossed (east or west), travel duration, the away-match disadvantage, difference in ranking, a set of amendments to the laws of Rugby Union in 2008, a change in competition format (introduction of a conference system) in 2011, and a secular trend. In 2006, the predicted combined effects of travelling 24 h across 12 time-zones and playing away were trivial or small and negative but generally unclear for most of the KPIs in both directions of travel. In 2016 more effects were clear, small and negative for westward travel, while most effects for eastward travel were clear, small to moderate and negative. Most KPIs showed small to moderate increases over the 11 years, while difference in ranking, the introduction of new rules and game format led to mostly small changes. Changes in the physical demands of the game, and inadequate recovery time for long-haul travel can explain these effects.  相似文献   

Out of your zone? 21 years of travel and performance in Super Rugby     

Michele Lo  Robert J. Aughey  William G. Hopkins  Nicholas Gill 《Journal of sports sciences》2013,31(18):2051-2056

ABSTRACT

The extent to which travel has affected Super Rugby teams’ performances was analysed using outcomes of all matches played from the beginning of the competition in 1996 to the end of the 2016 season. Points difference and matches won or lost were predicted with general and generalized mixed linear models. The predictors were the linear effects of number of time zones crossed and travel duration based on the teams’ locations for each match and their locations in the previous week. The away-match disadvantage was also estimated, along with trends in all these effects. In 1996 the predicted combined effect of eastward travel across 12 time zones was a reduction of 5.8 points scored per match, resulting in 4.1 more matches lost every 10 matches. Corresponding effects for westward travel were 6.4 points and 3.1 matches. In 2016 effects travelling eastward were 3.7 points and 2.3 matches, whereas travelling westward the effects were 3.7 points and 1.5 matches. These travel effects were due mainly to the away-match disadvantage: 5.7 points and 3.2 matches in 1996; 5.2 points and 2.3 matches in 2016. Teams in Super Rugby are dealing successfully with long-haul travel and should now focus on reducing the away-match disadvantage.  相似文献   

如梦亦如电:美国近代图书馆业如是观   总被引：9，自引：0，他引：9  

卢国邦 《中国图书馆学报》2004,30(5)

近代美国图书馆事业发轫于资源共享。全国依仗私人、政府、企业机关等的捐赠和资助,在不同的图书馆积累了亿万本图书与其他知识资源。通过优越的检索与传递系统,绝大部分的人民都能利用馆际互借,享用绝大部分的知识宝藏。资讯爆炸促进技术的发展,使资讯共享更为快捷方便而增加使用量。因此由于供求的循环冲击,并受到社会的公信,美国图书馆业将继续迈进。以后的专业高峰,不限于势在必行的“数字图书馆”,也应该是还没有受到充分注意而万分重要的“资讯启蒙”。在资源共享的范畴上,将趋向全球共享才可以满足个别图书馆的需求。参考文献2。  相似文献   

The Intellectual Structure of Metacognitive Scaffolding in Science Education: A Co-citation Network Analysis     

Kai-Yu Tang  Chia-Yu Wang  Hsin-Yi Chang  Sufen Chen  Hao-Chang Lo  Chin-Chung Tsai 《International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education》2016,14(2):249-262

The issues of metacognitive scaffolding in science education (MSiSE) have become increasingly popular and important. Differing from previous content reviews, this study proposes a series of quantitative computer-based analyses by integrating document co-citation analysis, social network analysis, and exploratory factor analysis to explore the intellectual structure of the MSiSE literature (i.e. the relationships within and between subfields of MSiSE). Co-citation refers to any two articles that are jointly referenced in other articles. After the computation of co-citation analysis, 27 articles that have been co-cited at least once by follow-up studies as references were identified as the final set of core articles. The whole co-citation profile of 27 cores with the 434 links was then visualized in a network through social network analysis, representing an overview for the intellectual structure of core MSiSE studies. The most cross-referenced underpinnings in the network focused on adaptive scaffolding for self-regulated learning to enhance students’ conceptual understanding and on younger students’ metacognition in online science inquiry learning environments. Furthermore, two emerging topics in the network were identified through an exploratory factor analysis as “non-technological metacognitive scaffolding media,” and “behavior patterns & task analysis in technology-infused environments.” Overall, the study provides an innovative review method of scholarly communication in the MSiSE literature.  相似文献