published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This study aims to further enhance and develop an ��English Corner�� program implemented at a Hong Kong Chinese-as-the-medium-of-instruction (CMI) primary school. The ��English Corner�� in this particular school refers to an area in the playground where students can voluntarily participate during recess in speaking English to their peers that are previously selected and identified by the English teachers as more competent in their oral proficiency. This research with an evaluative approach focuses on: (1) the participation level in lower and upper primary grades (2) why the students in lower and upper primary grades choose to participate (3) English teachers�� perceptions and effectiveness of the program (4) the quality of the oral interactions in lower and upper primary grades In order to answer these questions, questionnaires were distributed to two classes of students, one in lower primary and one in upper primary. Focus group interviews with students were also conducted. In addition, interactions in the ��English Corner�� were observed, audio-recorded and transcribed. Furthermore, interviews were conducted with English teachers in the school. A variety of linguistics and interactional features such as the types of questions, the use of feedback and negotiating strategies during communication breakdown are deliberately focused in determining the quality of the oral interactions between younger and older learners. The findings, first of all, revealed the unavailability of a vast percentage of the non-participating students among the older learners which reflects the importance of having a more thorough and considerate planning before carrying out such program. The results also reflect the differences not only in motivational styles among younger and older learners but also their reactions towards rewards. Moreover, even though the English teachers are all supportive of this school-based curricular implementation, a lack of clear objective is evidently discovered. Various teaching beliefs have also led to different perceptions of the practicality of the program which further prove the need for adjustment and more thorough planning in the near future. Finally, the conversations in upper primary levels were found to be comparatively more communicative and meaningful with a higher percentage of referential questions, more probing used, equal participation, more feedback and the significance of mutual understanding in communication breakdown which imply that younger learners may not be ready when it comes to this kind of free-style conversational activity. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The main purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of the picture book teaching method on reading motivation and basic reading literacy (word recognition) of primary first grade students. This research is going to analyze the effect of picture book on primary first grade students according to the basic reading literacy (word recognition) under a tailor-made reading curriculum. The pre-test and post-test of reading comprehension will be given to P.1 students before and after the intervention. The researcher will compare the result of the pre-test and post-test of reading comprehension in order to assess the effective of the picture book teaching method. Questionnaires and interviews will be held before and after the picture book curriculum so as to explore the impact of the picture book teaching method on students’ interest of reading picture book. 本研究主要目的在於探究圖畫書閱讀教學對學生閱讀動機和閱讀識字能力的影響。本研究從校本設計的圖畫書閱讀課程中，分析圖畫書對低年級學生在閱讀理解第一個層次---識字能力上的成效；以純文字篇章之閱讀理解和圖畫書作讀本之閱讀理解作前後測，比較學生前後測的分數，評估圖畫書閱讀教學的成效；再輔以問卷及訪談訪問學生，進一步瞭解圖畫書教學課程對學生閱讀圖畫書的興趣之影響。 / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

隨着閱讀研究的蓬勃興盛，許多學者從認知層面探討人類閱讀的歷程，本研究主要目的欲運用認知負荷的設計原則(分心效應與冗餘效應)，編排說明文體，探討學生閱讀後的篇章理解表現與編排後的說明文體是否能降低學生的認知負荷。 本研究主要採用實驗研究，進行三次實驗。受試者為香港某私立小學四年級學童，受試者依據其語文理解測驗(前測)分數，隨機分派到實驗組與控制組。研究工具主要以閱讀理解表現測驗和認知負荷量表為主，訪談為輔。每次實驗大約35 分鐘，之後，研究者隨機抽取3-5 位受試者進行訪談。本研究主要以組別為自變項，閱讀理解表現和認知負荷量表的得分為依變項，前測分數為共變項，對收集到的資料進行單因子共變數分析。 資料分析顯示：實驗一(字、字義整合)與實驗三(文字、圖片整合)兩項實驗結果呈現，兩個組別並沒有因為不同編排而在閱讀理解與減輕認知負荷上有所差異；而在實驗二(段、段意整合)，兩個組別因不同編排的文本而在閱讀理解表現與認知負荷量表上呈現差異。最後，研究者亦提供教學與研究上的建議給教育學者和未來研究者。 With the prevailing research on reading around the world, many scholars have being explored the process of human’s reading in aspect of cognition. The main goal of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of primary school students’ reading comprehension on diverse expository prose formations which was designed based on the principles of cognitive load theory (the split-attention effect and the redundancy effect). This study had three experiments and the fourth grade students were selected as subjects who randomly assigned to experimental group and control group based on their pre-test scores. The research tools included reading comprehension test, cognitive load scale (a 7-point Likert scale), and interview. Each test lasted 35 minutes, and then, 3-5 subjects were chosen to be interviewees. ANCOVA was used to analyze the collected data: group was the independent variable, the score on reading comprehension test and cognitive load scale were dependent variables, and the score on pre-test was covariate variables. The findings showed that there were no significant differences between two groups in the first experiment (text, vocabulary definitions integration) and the third experiment (text, pictures/photos integration). However, there was a significant difference between two groups in the second experiment (text, text summary integration). Finally, the recommendations of teaching and research for educators and future researchers were provided as well. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

教育改革时不时会顺应社会变迁与经济转型而进行，新加坡也不例外。新加坡教育部为了顺应新一代学生与社会需求的转变，于2004 年进行了华文教育改革。改革的传播与推广直接地影响改革成效，是实施课程改革的过程中举足轻重的一环。本研究便希望能够通过新加坡国际学校（香港）的个案研究，探讨并评估新加坡教育部推广与传播华文课程改革的策略，以及新加坡国际学校（香港）实施教育改革与新课程的成效。 本研究以课程推广与传播及教育改革的基本理论为基础，着重研究新加坡教育部推广新课程到新加坡国际学校（香港）的过程，以及新加坡国际学校（香港）内部如何推广新课程，从中总结归纳影响今次推广与传播课程改革策略的不同因素。研究中采用质性与量性的研究法，如访谈、问卷调查、文件分析、课堂观察等，从多方面建构个案。 Education reviews often take place as a result of societal changes and economic developments, and education reviews in Singapore is no exception. The background of this study stems from the latest Singaporean Chinese Language Curriculum Review in 2004. The dissemination of education reviews has a direct impact on the effective implementation of the reviewed curriculum; hence it is important to learn about how dissemination takes place in a review cycle. This study aims to discuss and evaluate the strategies of dissemination and diffusion used by the Singapore Ministry of Education in disseminating educational to the Singapore International School (Hong Kong).(HKSIS) This study is based on the theories of curriculum dissemination and diffusion , together with theories of educational change, and is focused on the dissemination process of the new Primary Chinese Language Curriculum to HKSIS , and the diffusion process within HKSIS, so as to discover the different factors affecting the effectiveness of dissemination and diffusion for HKSIS. This study uses both quantitative and qualitative research method to build a multi-faceted case study, such as interviews, text analysis, classroom observation and questionnaire surveys. / 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

是次研究為了討論繪本教學能否提升學生的閱讀能力，學生在閱讀繪本，透過觀察圖畫推測故事情節。配合閱讀策略，提問不同層次的閱讀問題，引導學生理解故事內容。 研究對象來自研究者任教小學，是三年級學生。研究開始時，研究對象要先作答閱讀測試作為前測。研究者便設計相關的繪本教學，並與研究對象一起閱讀繪本教材及進行不同層次的閱讀活動，讓研究對象對繪本故事內容進行推測、解釋、評鑑。教學後，研究對象要完閱讀測試作為後測。最後收集數據及教學資料進行分析。 根據數據分析，研究者發現以下兩項結論： 1. 繪本教學能提升學生的閱讀理解能力。 2. 繪本教學能有效地讓學生在閱讀中推測故事情節。 The purpose of this study is to discuss the effect of the picture book teaching approach, which can help the student increase the ability of reading comprehension. The students’ reading comprehension and the student responses to story reading were explored. The student responses to reading picture books and to reading strategies were investigated. The participants in this study were thirty-five Primary 3 students from the researcher’s school. First, the participants answered the pre-test of reading comprehension. Second, the researcher and participants read the picture book together. The researcher also asked the different level of comprehension questions about the picture book. The participants were guessing the content, finding information, understanding words and solving the problem. After the two learning cycles, the participants took the post-test of reading comprehension. Finally, the data was collected, computed and analyzed by the researcher. Based on the data analyses, the findings of the study are summarized as follows: 1. The Picture Book Approach was improving students’ reading comprehension. 2. The Picture Book Approach had a positive effect on the student responses to perception of reading. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Ever since the curriculum reform was launched, 'Reading to Learn' has been one of the four key tasks initiated. The result shown in Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS,2011) reflected that the reading ability of Hong Kong Primary students is among the best in the world, whereas their reading motivation ranking the last. Researchers also found in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA, 2009) conducted among secondary students that their metacognitive level is the lowest among all the secondary students in South-east Asian districts. It reflected that Hong Kong students lack self-regulation and comprehension monitoring awareness in reading. This dissertation is written in support of an action research and a case study. It aims to discuss the impact on the implementation of teaching of reading strategies on four different primary students, who are of diverse ability on comprehension. In the action research, the researcher tries to enhance students' comprehension monitoring awareness through introducing the K-W-L Chart and Directed Reading and Thinking Activity. In the case study, the researcher makes use of think aloud activities and student interviews to collect and analyze the qualitative data obtained. Together with the quantitative analysis, the researcher studies the reading strategies used among the four selected primary 4 students as well as their understanding toward reading strategies before and after they received the teaching in the process. The research result reflects that teaching reading strategies has a significant effect on enhancing student's reading comprehension monitoring awareness among students, especially the lower ability students. Furthermore, this research makes a few practical suggestions on how to enhance students' reading comprehension awareness in daily teaching. 自課程改革(以下簡稱「課改」)以來，「從閱讀中學習」一直為課改四大關鍵項目之一。「全球學生閱讀能力進展研究(PIRLS，2011)」的結果反映本港小學生的閱讀能力冠絕全球，閱讀動機卻在全球榜尾的奇怪現象；而以中學生為對象的「學生基礎素養能力計劃(PISA，2009)」亦發現本港學生的後設認知能力水平為全東南亞地區最差，反映本港學生在閱讀方面缺乏自我調整和閱讀監控的意識。 本論文旨在以行動研究(action research)及個案研究(case study)方式，探討閱讀策略教學對促進四位小學四年級不同能力學生的閱讀理解監控知覺的影響。在行動研究方面，研究員通過教授自我檢測圖及引領思維閱讀策略，促進學生的理解監控知覺。在個案研究方面，通過放聲思考(think aloud)活動及學生訪談，搜集及分析質性數據，並結合量性分析，探討本港某小學四位四年級學生於接受教學前後，在閱讀過程中運用閱讀策略的情況，以及他們對閱讀策略的認識。研究結果反映，閱讀策略教學對促進學生的閱讀理解監控知覺對於閱讀能力較弱的學生，有明顯的影響。此外，本研究就如何在日常教學中教授閱讀策略，以提升學生的閱讀理解監控知覺方面提出一些建議。 / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

In the context of social and economic globalisation, the nature and uses of literacy have been profoundly impacted by information technologies, giving rise to an increasing variety of multimodal, digitally mediated texts, practices and relationships called new literacies. This study explores how new literacies were taken up by teachers and students in English Language (English as a Second/Foreign Language) classrooms in Hong Kong primary schools. Set within a government funded project aimed at promoting new literacies in Hong Kong schools, the study specifically explores the discursive tensions amongst the English Language curriculum and new literacies practices and pedagogies, and how students and teachers negotiated these tensions and appropriated new literacies practices as they planned and enacted a new literacies task within a curriculum unit. The research design involved a critical policy text analysis and a multi-case study within a poststructuralist discourse analytic approach illuminated by Lacanian psychoanalytic theories of fantasy and enjoyment. Extracts of key policy texts and New Literacies Project texts were selected for critical discourse analysis. The multi-case study of three new literacies curriculum units, enacted by three classes of students and their teachers in two local Hong Kong primary schools, focussed on various new literacies practices. Data collected for the multi-case study included recordings of lessons and planning meetings, participant observation with field notes, observations of material and virtual contexts such as computer labs and online sites, students’ classroom work and digital products, and teacher and student interviews. In the process of mapping the discursive constructions, tensions and contradictions of new literacies across policy texts and classroom enactments, three ‘economies’ emerged in the findings. Tensions between the knowledge economy of globalised educational and curriculum policies emphasising language forms and linguistic skills, and the attention economy of new literacies involving students’ creative multimodal production and consumption and the accumulation of attention in online interactions, were negotiated by students, teachers and the Project researcher (myself) in the three school cases. A key, if unanticipated finding, however, was the emergence of an economy of enjoyment, involving the transgression of classroom social norms and the subversion of symbolic authority in students’ digital products and online interactions. Enjoyment was also found in the ways some students were captivated by online interactions and the pursuit of celebrity identities, and in teachers’ intense commitments to and anxieties around particular discourses and subjectivities. The study concludes with a discussion of the significance of psychoanalytic notions of enjoyment in new literacies in curriculum policy and practice, and suggests implications for research and practice of new literacies in the context of globalised educational policies. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This study investigates whether principles of learner autonomy are integrated into ELT textbooks used in Hong Kong primary schools. Primary quantitative data were generated through an analysis of textbooks, and the supporting qualitative data came from interviews with teachers and lesson observations. Two sets with a total of twelve English language textbooks published for Primary Four, Primary Five and Primary Six students by Oxford University Press (China) Ltd. and Pearson Hong Kong were evaluated. Five teachers participated in the interviews while lesson observations were conducted with three of them. The results show that principles of learner autonomy are included in the textbooks to some extent. Out of the five key principles of learner autonomy, only self-assessment is achieved fully. The other key principles are partly achieved (i.e. self-selecting learning strategies, self-selecting materials and classroom activities) or not achieved (i.e. self-setting goals and self-reflection). There is currently not enough attention given in these primary ELT textbooks to promoting learner autonomy. In addition, it is found that there is no great difference in the degree of learner autonomy promoted across educational levels. The findings also suggest that different authors have different levels of awareness of promoting learner autonomy. This study concludes that a set of guidelines about the incorporation of principles relating to learner autonomy would facilitate authors and publishers in designing textbooks. / published_or_final_version / Applied English Studies / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics