published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education

This paper reports a case study conducted at a local Government-aided primary school in Hong Kong to explore the teaching and learning of three students with special educational needs (SEN). The research aims to investigate the perceptions of the principal, teachers, social workers, students and parents on inclusive education, and look at the practicability and feasibility of the school inclusive policy. Results indicated that although the school embraces the inclusive ideology in principle, the interviewees expressed serious reservation on the Government promoted whole school integration approach to include all students with special educational needs. The study on one hand examined the government and school policy and practice on inclusion, and on the other hand identified the difficulties and obstacles encountered by the school, some of which were regarded as fundamental problems that require changes in the educational system. The paper ends with recommendations for further research that is worth exploring in order to achieve a true and effective inclusive educational system in the Hong Kong landscape. Research methodology is qualitative. Interviews were conducted with a number of school staff and two parents of the SEN students. The interviews focused on how school key personnel and teachers viewed their roles, contributions, and difficulties in implementing inclusive education, and how parents view the studies and growth of their children at the case school. A 10-week observations aimed at observing how the three students under the case study adapted, learnt and grew in a mainstream school environment. Through inductive reasoning, data collected was subsequently grouped into patterns and regularities. There are two recurrent themes brought up at the study. First, the success of inclusive education rests largely and predominately on the ‘heart and soul’ – the attitudes and values of the teachers in educating the SEN students; and second, the school does not have the right conditions, in particular, sufficient resources to provide a true inclusive environment for the SEN students with intensive support needs, where the system must change to adapt to the children’s needs and not the vice versa. The general conclusion developed is that the case school, in face of the increasing number of SEN students, is forced to do more with less under the current government inclusive policy; and the SEN students themselves are forced to squeeze in the shoes of the regular students in a mainstream school. Without a system change, there is only partial inclusion at the mainstream school, and the SEN students must adapt to the regular classroom mode and curriculum, or fail. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Early childhood inclusive education (ECIE) has been advocated in Hong Kong and other societies for decades. Anecdotal evidence, however, suggests that there might be some gaps between teachers’ beliefs and their practices regarding ECIE in Hong Kong. Although a large number of studies on the implementation of ECIE have been conducted in western countries, there are very few in a Hong Kong context. Therefore, this thesis is dedicated to the investigation of Hong Kong kindergarten teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding ECIE with two studies. Study One was designed to be quantitative in nature, examining Hong Kong kindergarten teachers’ beliefs and practices of ECIE by surveying 184 practitioners. Responses revealed that Hong Kong teachers: (1) shared mixed beliefs in both inclusive education and special education; (2) had positive attitudes toward children with special education needs; and also (3) had positive attitudes toward inclusive practices. However, most of them reported that they had failed to put ECIE into practice. Further analyses found a significant school type effect: the teachers in special child care centers (SCCC) and kindergartens with integrated programs (IP) had more positive attitudes toward ECIE and tended to use more individualized practices than those working in kindergartens without IP. In addition, the special education teachers were found to hold the most coherent beliefs and practices of ECIE among all the samples. Study Two was a multiple case study of five early childhood settings, with a focus on the gaps between teachers’ beliefs and practices of ECIE. The validity was established by triangulating the data sources (principal, general teachers, and IP teachers) and methods (classroom observation, interviews, and document analysis). The results indicated that: (1) there was no consistent pattern in teaching schedules, settings, curricula in the five cases; (2) the principals and teachers had mixed beliefs in ECIE and special education; (3) there was a remarkable belief-practice gap in ECIE; and (4) and the teachers from SCCC, kindergartens with IP, and those without IP had different attitudes about communication with parents, perceived behavioral control and intention, and the practical difficulties in ECIE implementation. These qualitative findings were consistent with those found in Study One. The thesis is believed to offer a contribution to the theoretical and practical development of ECIE. This study provides empirical evidence to the early childhood policymaking. The findings imply that the educational authorities need to provide more resources, teacher training, and support to facilitate the implementation of ECIE in Hong Kong. The limitations of this research and future directions are discussed, and some suggestions about how to bridge teachers’ beliefs and practice gaps are also made. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education

融合教育（Inclusive Education）是20世紀90年代興起的國際教育思潮。隨著各國對於教育平等的追求，融合教育的理念得到了世界各國的認可。許多國家亦積極將融合教育的思想付諸實踐。隨著融合教育在世界範圍內的發展，越來越多身心障礙的學生走進普通學校，與同儕一起接受普通教育，包括體育教育。在此發展情境之下，瞭解普通學校中體育老師對融合體育教育的看法以及他們如何應對融入身心障礙學生的體育課堂，對於促進融合體育教育在一般體育課堂當中的發展就變得非常重要。本論文的研究目的分為：（一）探討體育教師對融合體育的認知以及影響這些認知形成的因素；（二）探討體育教師對以情境教學方法促進身心障礙學生參與一般體育課堂活動的信念和實際教學行為。 / 以社會文化建構理論（Vygotsky, 1978, 1986）為理論基礎，研究一（第三章）旨在探討香港中學體育教師對融合體育教育的認知。通過質性半結構訪談方法（Patton, 2002）對八位香港中學體育教師（男=3，女=5）進行訪談；訪談資料被錄音，記錄，檢驗，並通過內容分析方法（Patton, 2002）進行分析和描述性闡述。研究結果為：（一）老師們一致認為融合體育教育的實施為身心障礙學生提供了與同儕平等的機會來接受一般體育教育；並強調此舉將特別有助於發展其社會交往能力。然而，老師們亦強調將身心障礙學生融入一般體育課堂的過程遇到諸多困難。這些困難來自教師自身在實施融合體育課程中缺乏能力與有效方法，課堂其他同輩消極的態度與欺淩，缺乏家長支持，以及缺乏特殊體育器材的支持等；（二）老師們表達了對處理融合體育教育實踐專業知識與培訓的渴求，希望能夠以更專業更有效的方法令到身心障礙學生獲得有意義的一般學校體育教育。研究結果表明為促進融合體育教育順利實施，相關責任人（如教師和其同事，身心障礙學生家長，管理者）之間需要更加頻繁、更加有效率的溝通，參與和協作。研究結果亦突顯了促進教師自我規制以提高其教授身心障礙學生的能力和自信心的三個因素，包括：考量大學體育教育中有關教授身心障礙學生的內容，增加教師關於融合教育在職培訓中有關體育教育的內容，和促進或增加與教學助理的協作。 / 紮根於情境學習理論當中的實踐社群概念（Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998），研究二認為，“將身心障礙學生融入一般體育課堂“，不單只是強調令身心障礙學生學習並獲得運動技巧，更強調這是一個令到身心障礙學生參與並投入一般體育課堂活動機會增加的過程。情境學習理論連同計畫行為理論中信念框架作為理論基礎，研究二探討了教師對促進身心障礙學生參與一般體育課堂活動的信念和教學行為。研究二採納質化個案研究策略（Patton, 2002; Yin, 2009），使用訪談，觀察，實物分析等多種研究手段針對四位中學體育教師（男=3，女=1）對“促進身心障礙學生參與一般體育課堂活動的信念和實際教學行為，進行描述，探討、描述、分析和檢驗。研究結果表明：（一）教師對於促進身心障礙學生參與一般體育課堂活動持積極態度。教師亦視自身為促進者角色，來為身心障礙學生在一般體育課堂當中的學習提供幫助。教師認為給予積極回饋，稱呼名字，肢體接觸，更多的演示，將動作分解，都有利於身心障礙學生更多參與活動；教師亦強調班容量過大，自身缺乏信心，專業知識與能力都成為促進身心障礙學生參與活動的阻礙因素；（二）教師和身心障礙學生之間缺乏互動；在教學過程中很少強調身心障礙學生與其他同儕交流合作的重要性。教師在教學中未嘗試教學方法令到身心障礙學生想像和真實地參與其他體育社群活動。研究結果突顯了體育教師本身對於促進身心障礙學生參與體育課堂活動的信念和其具體的教學行為，對身心障礙學生在一般體育課堂中學習與經歷所產生的的重要的影響作用。研究建議教師應基於學習理論角度，從建構情境學習模式（參與，想像，一致）出發來考慮和設計教學，以促進身心障礙學生積極參與一般體育課堂活動。 / 綜上所述，通過檢視體育教師對融合體育教學的認知，融合體育教學信念和實際教學行為，本研究揭示了融合體育教與學的複雜性。研究認為：身心障礙學生在一般體育課堂的學習與經歷是一個社會性的，實踐性的，和與同輩互動的參與過程。此過程通過身心障礙學生，一般學生和體育教師及其他參與此過程的人員的身份的認同而得到不斷的創建。研究建議：體育教師和教育機構應重新審視“將身心障礙生融入一般體育課堂這個主題概念。通過重新認知融合體育課堂社會構建的本質，即在實踐社群中創建和認同不同參與者的身份，以此來進行融合體育教學的設計與實踐，從而達到融合體育教育的理想效果。 / In the pursuit of educational equality, many countries have applied the philosophy and practice of inclusive education since the1990s. As a result, there are more students with disabilities in general education classrooms, including general physical education (PE) classes. Therefore, the purposes of this study are (1) to examine the perceptions of teachers on inclusive PE and identity the factors influenced their perceptions, and (2) to examine teachers’ beliefs and practices on the use of constructivist teaching methods on students with disabilities in general PE. / Adopting the social constructivism theory (Vygotsky, 1978, 1986), the first study in Chapter Three examined the perceptions of PE teachers concerning the inclusion of students with disabilities in general PE programs in Hong Kong secondary schools. Eight secondary PE teachers (F = 5, M = 3) were recruited for individual semi-structured interviews. Data gathered from the interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed. Interview transcripts underwent content analysis and were presented as descriptive summaries. Two themes emerged: (1) favorable, but encountering barriers, and (2) enhancing one’s professional knowledge and collective experience. Results indicated that the teachers acknowledged the benefits of inclusive PE, but they also expressed concern about the instructional and environment barriers to the inclusion of students with disabilities in general PE programs. The findings clearly demonstrate the need for more frequent and efficient communication, involvement, and collaboration among stakeholders involved (e.g., teachers and their peers, parents of students with disabilities, administrators) in inclusive PE. The findings also illustrate the important influences of initial training of Physical Education-Teacher Education program relevant to teaching students with disabilities, inclusive education in-service training specific to PE, and collaborations with teaching assistants in promoting the self-regulation of teachers and improving their competencies and confidence in teaching inclusive PE. / Ground in the notion of “community of practice“ of situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998), the second study understands the inclusion of students with disabilities in general PE as a process which not only focus on skill acquisition, but also pay more attention to increase participation of students with disabilities in the classroom activities of the general PE classroom communities. Based on the situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998) in conjunction with the components of the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985, 1991), the second study in Chapter Four examined the beliefs and practices of four secondary PE teachers (F = 1, M = 3) regarding promoting the participation of students with disabilities in general PE using a qualitative case study approach (Pattoon, 2002; Yin, 200p). The results revealed the following: (1) The teachers varied in their beliefs about the degree of difficulty in promoting the participation and engagement of students with disabilities in the PE lessons, although they had positive attitudes towards constructivist teaching inclusive PE. According to the teachers, this facilitation involved giving positive feedback, calling the first names of students with disabilities, physical interaction, additional demonstrations, and breaking down skills into various parts. The teachers also specified negative factors, such as large class size, lack of personnel resources, and lack of professional knowledge. (2) Teachers and students with disabilities were less engaged with each other mutually. Moreover, the teachers offered very few opportunities for mutual engagement of students with disabilities in general PE. Thus, social interactions of students with disabilities in general PE were not well established. Teachers in this study did not exert effort to make students with disabilities to imagine taking part in other PE communities in a broader context. In addition, teachers did not push the boundaries of the inclusive PE communities, and make students with disabilities really interact in other PE communities. The study highlights the importance of the situated learning theory on teachers’ beliefs and practices on teaching students with disabilities. Teachers are expected to consider teaching practices to increase the participation of students with disabilities from the modes of learning architecture of the situated learning (i.e., engagement, imagination, and alignment). / In conclusion, by demonstrating the complex process of inclusive PE, this study argues that the experiences of students with disabilities in general PE need to be seen as a socially constructed and negotiated process through which the identities of PE students--with or without disabilities--and teachers are constantly created. The study exhorts teachers and educational institutions to rethink current notions concerning the inclusion of students with disabilities in general PE, and to work toward inclusive practices by recognizing the socially constructed nature of inclusive PE classroom interaction and participation and critically examining the roles and identities constructed by different participants in the inclusive PE classroom community. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Qi, Jing. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 202-222). / Abstract also in Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / ACKNOLEDGEMENTS --- p.vi / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.viii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.xi / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.xii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- INTRODUTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Research Questions --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3 --- Operational Definitions --- p.10 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Inclusion --- p.10 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- Physical Education --- p.10 / Chapter 1.3.3 --- General Physical Education --- p.11 / Chapter 1.3.4 --- Inclusive Physical Education --- p.11 / Chapter 1.3.5 --- Students with Disabilities --- p.11 / Chapter 1.3.6 --- Perceptions --- p.11 / Chapter 1.3.7 --- Beliefs --- p.12 / Chapter 1.3.8 --- Practices --- p.12 / Chapter 1.4 --- Limitations --- p.12 / Chapter 1.5 --- Delimitations --- p.13 / Chapter 1.6 --- Significance of the Study --- p.14 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE --- p.15 / Chapter 2.1 --- Inclusion --- p.15 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Disability Inclusion and Global Development --- p.15 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Hong Kong Context --- p.18 / Chapter 2.1.2.1 --- Inclusive Education Development. --- p.18 / Chapter 2.1.2.2 --- The Whole-School Approach to Inclusive Education --- p.20 / Chapter 2.1.2.3 --- Physical Education in Hong Kong --- p.22 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Research on Inclusive Education --- p.23 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- Inclusion in Physical Education --- p.29 / Chapter 2.1.4.1 --- Stakeholders Perspectives --- p.32 / Chapter 2.1.4.2 --- Impacts on Students without Disabilities --- p.38 / Chapter 2.1.4.3 --- Experiences of Students with Disabilities --- p.38 / Chapter 2.1.4.4 --- Effective Inclusion in Physical Education --- p.43 / Chapter 2.1.5 --- Summary --- p.51 / Chapter 2.2 --- Teacher Perceptions of Inclusive Physical Education --- p.52 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Teacher Attitudes and Views of Inclusion Research: Theoretical Perspectives and Debates --- p.52 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Teacher Perceptions Construction: A Social Constructivist Perspective --- p.57 / Chapter 2.2.2.1 --- Overview of Learning and Cognition Theories --- p.57 / Chapter 2.2.2.2 --- Overview of Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory --- p.61 / Chapter 2.2.2.3 --- Teacher Perceptions of Inclusive Physical Education: A Social Constructivist Perspective --- p.64 / Chapter 2.3 --- Teacher Practices in Inclusive Physical Education --- p.65 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Teacher Implementations of Inclusion Research: Theoretical Perspectives and Debate --- p.65 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Learning and Teaching in Inclusive Physical Education: A Situated Learning Perspective --- p.68 / Chapter 2.3.2.1 --- Overview of situated learning theory --- p.68 / Chapter 2.3.2.2 --- Situated Learning Theory in Physical Education --- p.73 / Chapter 2.3.2.3 --- Inclusion Practice in Inclusive Physical Education: A Situated Learning Perspective --- p.76 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- PERCEPTIONS OF PHYSICAL EDUCAITON TEACHERS ON THE INCLUSION OF STUDETNS WITH DISABILITIES --- p.89 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.89 / Chapter 3.2 --- Theoretical Framework --- p.90 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- The Definition of the Perception --- p.90 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism --- p.91 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Applications of Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism in this Study --- p.93 / Chapter 3.3 --- Methods --- p.94 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Participants --- p.94 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Data Collection --- p.96 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Data Analysis --- p.97 / Chapter 3.3.4 --- Trustworthiness --- p.100 / Chapter 3.4 --- Results --- p.104 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Favorable, but Encountering Barriers --- p.104 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Enhancing one’s Professional Knowledge and Collective Experience --- p.110 / Chapter 3.5 --- Discussion --- p.112 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Communication, Involvement, and Collaboration --- p.112 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Promoting Teacher’s Self-regulation --- p.115 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Perceived Relevance --- p.119 / Chapter 3.6 --- Conclusions and Limitations --- p.119 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- USING SITUATED LEARNING THEORY TO FACILITATE THE INCLUSION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN GENERAL PHYSICAL EDUCATION --- p.122 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.122 / Chapter 4.2 --- Theoretical Underpinnings --- p.125 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Situated Learning: A Constructivist Approach to Inclusive PE --- p.125 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Beliefs of Teachers --- p.129 / Chapter 4.3 --- Methods --- p.133 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Research Design --- p.133 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Settings and Participants --- p.134 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Data Collection --- p.135 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Data Analysis --- p.145 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Trustworthiness --- p.149 / Chapter 4.4 --- RESULTS --- p.150 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Case 1: Lisa --- p.150 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Case 2: John --- p.159 / Chapter 4.4.3 --- Case 3: Tom --- p.166 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Case 4: Peter --- p.171 / Chapter 4.5 --- Discussion --- p.179 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- Teacher Beliefs of Constructivist Teaching Students with Disabilities --- p.179 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- Link to Situated Learning: Teacher Practices of Teaching Students with Disabilities --- p.184 / Chapter 4.5.2.1 --- Mutual Engagement --- p.185 / Chapter 4.5.2.2 --- Imagination --- p.188 / Chapter 4.5.2.3 --- Alignment --- p.189 / Chapter 4.6 --- Conclusions and Limitations --- p.189 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS --- p.192 / Chapter 5.1 --- Summary --- p.192 / Chapter 5.2 --- Conclusions --- p.193 / Chapter 5.3 --- Implications --- p.195 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Implications for Future Practice --- p.195 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Directions for Future Research --- p.199 / REFERENCES --- p.202 / Chapter Appendix A --- DESCRIPTIONS OF DISABILITIES --- p.223 / Chapter Appendix B --- INFORMED CONSENT LETTER FOR TEACHERS --- p.224 / Chapter Appendix C --- INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR FORMAL INTERVIEWS WITH TEACHERS ON THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF INCLUSION IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION --- p.225 / Chapter Appendix D --- INFORMED CONSENT LETTER FOR TEACHERS --- p.226 / Chapter Appendix E --- INTERVIEW GIIDE AND SAMPLE QUESTIONS FOR FORMAL INTERVIEWS WITH THE TEACHERS --- p.228 / Chapter Appendix F --- AIPE-T Record Table --- p.229 / Chapter Appendix G --- AIPE-S Record Table --- p.230 / Chapter Appendix H --- SOFIT Record Table --- p.231 / Chapter Appendix I --- INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS WITH STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES --- p.235 / Chapter Appendix J --- INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR GROUP INTERVIEWS WITH STUDENTS WITHOUT DISABILITIES --- p.235

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education