An investigation of the impact of the implementation of the curriculum innovation, the process writing approach (PWA), in the teaching and learning of writing may have on the beliefs of teachers and students in the area of writing was conducted. Using a collective case approach of three junior form English teachers, their beliefs about the effective teaching of writing, the usefulness and implementation of the PWA and its effects on their beliefs and practices post-implementation were investigated. Students of low, average and high linguistic ability and their beliefs about the effective teaching of writing were explored and the impact, if any, on students’ approach to writing post-implementation were investigated. A multi-dimensional methodology, which drew on both quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques, was employed. Findings showed that those teachers’ beliefs about the effective teaching of writing included aspects of genre and process approaches. These in turn affected their perceptions towards the top-down implementation and its usefulness in the classroom, raising issues such as teacher understanding, increased marking workload and feasibility prior to this year’s implementation. Other factors that affected the successfulness of the innovation reported post-implementation by teachers included the PWA’s time-consuming nature and students’ abilities, raising awareness of the importance of providing teacher autonomy in adapting the PWA to meet students’ needs across ability levels. In addition, though students held their own beliefs about the effective teaching of writing that included aspects of the genre approach as well as the importance of receiving teacher feedback, findings reported that the implementation of the new writing approach was positively well received by them regardless of their linguistic ability, as it not only increased their self-confidence in their writing skills but also their interest in learning from and sharing of writing. However, such were achieved at the expense of the reported increased pressure at the pre-writing stage as well as the difficulties faced in the peer editing and feedback stages. Causes of these findings were explored with a discussion on related pedagogical and research implications for similar contexts like this, with particular reference to the context of Hong Kong. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

寫作教學向來都是中國語文教師最重視的一環，在整個語文教育中佔有重要的地位。自小學中年級開始，學生便踏入寫作訓練階段，很多時候老師在教授寫作時都會不自覺地陷入引導的角色，加上重形式、重文句、重語法的訓練而忽略了寫作內容的創新。其實寫作是充滿創造性的，無論在選材和形式上都千變萬化。在寫作訓練中，學生的觀察力、思考力、聯想力、想像力、記憶力等，都能得到有效的鍛煉。 本研究計劃是利用「引導幻想」寫作教學，提升學生在寫作方面的創造力為目的。研究對象為小四學生，研究主要以前後測寫作、問卷和訪談來蒐集資料。通過評估學生的寫作，探討利用「引導幻想」寫作教學的方法對提升學生創造力思維的成效，以及學生寫作態度的改變。 經過教學實踐，結果發現實驗組學生在寫作的流蜴性、變通性和獨創性都比之前進步。學生都表示喜歡進行「引導幻想」的寫作活動，認為對構思寫作內容有幫助，而且比平日寫作更容易下筆、寫作內容更有趣、花的時間更少。學習態度也較主動、積極。另一方面，學生在寫作上有更深入的參與，喜歡與同儕交流分享寫作內容，從而得到較新的刺激和較多的樂趣。課堂的學習氣氛也更輕鬆愉快，更多的互動、更多的笑聲、更多創作的機會。 其實學生在寫作上並非缺乏創意，可能是教學模式的限制，以致學生未能發揮創意，教師如能從教學中加以適當的引導必能提升學生的創造力。 Teaching in writing is always a critical part for all Chinese language teachers, and it takes an important role on language education. Starting from the middle primary level, students are guided in writing skill, most of the time, teachers are always play the role as a guidance, in addition to the focus for the training on format; sentences; and grammar, which they are always overlook the creativity and innovative on the content of writing. Actually, writing is full of creativity; regardless of selection and format, the writing itself is of wide variety. During the training in writing, students can exercise their ability in observation; thinking; imagination; memory etc., all of these can be effectively train up. This dissertation consists of using “guided fantasy” to enhancing the creativity of Primary 4 student in writing. The research is achieve by practical writing, questionnaire and interview in order to collect the useful information. Through assessment of student writing articles, explore the use of “guided fantasy” method on teaching in writing, which its aim to enhance the student creativity in writing as well as change of their writing manner. The results show that their writing skill are significant improve and advance especially in fluency, flexibility and originality. Students all express that they are preferring use of “guided fantasy” in writing process, they believe that it help to improve the idea in writing content, moreover writes easily the ordinary day to start writing. On the other hand, the student has a more thorough participation in writing, and they likes to share the content of writing with the classmates, from which can obtain more new challenge and more fun in writing. The study atmosphere in classroom is tends to more relax and happily, more interactive, more funny voice and more creative opportunity. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Background: A study of the impact of yoga and aerobic exercise and psychosis was conducted in 2012 by Lin et al., from The University of Hong Kong. The study indicated significant improvement in the aspects of physical fitness, cognitive functions, psychosocial and emotional functioning in patients with psychosis after a 12-week yoga or aerobic intervention program. Long-term effect of exercise intervention, however, had yet been determined. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term effects of yoga and aerobic exercise on cognitive functioning and clinical symptoms in early psychosis. Patients who originally participated in Lin et al.’s 2012 study were recruited and re-assessed in this current 18-month follow-up study. Methods: Two intervention groups (yoga and aerobic exercise group) and one control group (wait-list control group) of a total 57 subjects from the initial study were recruited in this follow-up study. Cognitive functioning and clinical symptoms were assessed at three time points (T1:Baseline, T2:12-week, T3:18-month). Results: No significant changes or significant deterioration were found in cognitive functioning, clinical symptoms and depression between T2 (12-week) and T3 (18-month) in both intervention groups (yoga and aerobic group). Significant improvement of clinical symptoms was observed in wait-list control group at T3. Conclusions: Although there is no significant finding in this current study, it is still recommended that further study on the relationship between physical exercise intervention and psychosis should carried out in order to explore other adjunct, and especially low cost, treatment to antipsychotics in treating people with psychosis. / published_or_final_version / Psychological Medicine / Master / Master of Psychological Medicine

This study aimed to explore Hong Kong primary school students’ development of story writing in Chinese, by examining the fluency, structure and organization ability, and communication ability. It was a basic research that adopted qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. In total, 2823 pieces of Chinese story writing were collected from three Hong Kong primary schools; 1200 samples were randomly selected for analysis in details. In analysing the selected samples, the total numbers of words and sentences were first identified. Then, the type of structural organization with reference to story schema, and their communication elements were studied. Finally, the data were used for additional statistical analysis. The study showed that primary school students’ ability in writing Chinese stories was developmental and with variety of ability within each class level. The fluency, structure and organization ability, and communication ability were gradually improved when students got older. This study has four major findings. First, the total numbers of words and sentences were increased at each grade level. Difference in the total numbers of words and sentences within the same class level was significantly found in Primary Four and difference became larger in Primary Five and Six. Second, the story schema which students constructed in their story writing was more and more complex as they grew up. Third, the older subject students could write much more rich contents in the beginning and ending of story. Fourth, the older subject students were more skilled at using the communication elements in the beginning of story, and expressing major theme through the story writing. The study’s results enrich the understanding of the theories of the language development of children and their story writing. It also provides valuable information for the researchers in the related areas, and the teachers who teach Chinese and design Chinese writing curriculum. However, this study is only an exploratory attempt to study Hong Kong primary school students’ development of story writing in Chinese; further verification of its findings and test are needed. 本研究旨在探討三所香港小學生的中文故事寫作能力發展。研究是一項基礎研究，採用質性和量性的研究方法，分析研究對象中文故事寫作的流暢性、結構組織能力和傳意能力。本研究從三所小學搜集了2823篇中文故事寫作研究樣本，再以隨機抽樣的方式抽取1200篇作為分析之用。最後，對所得的數據會進行統計分析，以了解研究對象的中文故事寫作能力發展。 研究結果顯示，研究對象的中文故事寫作能力具發展性和差異性，會隨?年級的增長，在流暢性、結構組織能力和傳意能力方面的表現會有所提升。流暢性方面，研究對象寫作的「總字數」和「總句數」均隨?年級逐年的上升而穩步增加，而各級研究對象的表現均有明顯的差異，並在小四年級開始擴大。結構組織能力方面，研究對象在中文故事寫作中應用的故事結構圖式，隨?年級的增長而趨於複雜。按研究對象的故事結構組織能力，大致上可以把他們分成三段發展階段。第一組為小一和小二，第二組為小三和小四，第三組為小五和小六。研究對象的開端鋪敘能力和故事結構組織能力一樣，大致可以分為三段發展階段。結尾鋪敘能力方面，亦是隨?年級的增長而鋪敘更多的故事內容。不過，敘述觀點卻沒有呈現發展的趨勢。傳意能力方面，研究對象雖然會隨?年級的增長，更能在故事的開端部份加入傳意元素，但能夠在中文故事寫作的開端部份加入傳意元素的研究對象不多，而且較多集中在高年級。至於透過故事寫作傳達主題思想方面，小三至小六年級中，明顯有較多研究對象能夠在中文故事寫作中傳遞主題思想。 本研究探討了三所小學生的中文故事寫作能力發展，研究的結果豐富了兒童語言發展和故事寫作理論，亦為進行相關研究的學者，以及規劃中國語文寫作課程或教學的教師，提供了有價值的資料。不過，本研究是一項初步的探索性研究，所取得的發現有待進一步證實和發展。 / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

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published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Education