published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Social Service Management / Master / Master of Social Sciences

This study is a qualitative case study which aims to investigate teachers’ conceptions of Liberal Studies teaching in a case study school after Liberal Studies became compulsory in the Senior Secondary curriculum. A list of aspects of teaching were compiled based on previous research studies and were used to identify teachers’ conceptions. Data were collected from three participating teachers with two research tools, namely, lesson observations and semi-structured interviews. The teachers came from different educational backgrounds but they taught students at the same secondary level. The findings reveal that participating teachers possess multiple conceptions and there are discrepancies between what they think Liberal Studies teaching should be and their real classroom practices. They also do not have complete understanding of what an issue-enquiry approach is. The reasons participating Liberal Studies teachers gave in response to the formation of their conceptions are found to be related to their major subject taught or major subject completed at a degree level. It is also found that when they attended Liberal Studies related training courses, they tended to use their educational background to selectively pick up teaching strategies introduced in the courses. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Learner autonomy has been asserted by many scholars as essential to learning, and that the teacher’s role in fostering autonomy is of great importance in the institutional context of learning. In the field of language education, previous studies have looked into teachers’ beliefs in promoting autonomy mainly in the university setting in different regions of the world, such as Omen, Turkey, some countries in Europe and Hong Kong. The teachers were from a range of nationalities and cultures. A certain group of teachers in the primary education field or in a homogeneous cultural context has not been touched on. This study attempts to fill these gaps and focuses on the context of Hong Kong primary schools, aiming to find out Chinese teachers' beliefs about learner autonomy and the possible factors that influence the form of their beliefs. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Recent sociolinguistics research in the study of English has shifted from focusing only on Inner Circle English varieties in Kachru’s (1985) sense to include Outer and Expanding Circle varieties, the phenomenon of which is captured by the term ‘world Englishes’ (WE). This paradigm shift to include WE as acceptable norms has immediate impacts on English language teaching (ELT) as it is suggested that what students learn should approximate the reality of English use worldwide. Research in applied linguistics and language education has discussed the position of WE in ELT (e.g. Jenkins, 2009a), investigated teachers and learners’ perceptions about WE (e.g. Andrews, 2002; He & Li, 2009), and developed curricula that incorporate WE features (e.g. Jenkins, 2002). However, not many studies have looked into how contextual factors have impacted on English teachers’ perceptions about WE and their pedagogical practices. This thesis presents an in-depth, qualitative study that seeks answers to research questions regarding: (i) the relationship between the cognitions and pedagogical practices of WE of a group of Hong Kong English teachers; and (ii) contextual factors that may influence their reported cognitions and observed practices. Borg’s (2006) schematic conceptualisation of language teacher cognition is adopted as the theoretical and analytical framework, which postulates that language teacher cognition and practices are shaped by their schooling experience, professional coursework, contextual factors as well as their ongoing pedagogical practices. Guided by an embedded-case study approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations of lessons and activities, stimulated recall interviews and documentation analysis. This research takes a Hong Kong secondary school as a single case with five English teachers as embedded cases who participated as the main informants over a period of one school year. To obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the context, additional data were collected from other sources including school administrators, students, and education officials. An analysis of the data using Borg’s (2006) framework revealed that the informants’ cognitions of WE had been shaped by their experiences as learners, teachers and users of English. The informants’ perceptions were ‘ambivalent’: expressing an embracing view towards WE, but at the same time attaching only to British English in teaching due to local examination and curriculum requirements. The informants’ observed classroom practices also manifested such ambivalence: they were willing to teach a text containing WE features but continuously reminded students to avoid using WE in examinations. This ambivalence seemed to have rooted from their pedagogical focus only on meeting examination requirements and formal English use. Furthermore, this exclusive focus was shared not only among the English teachers, but also by their students, school administration of the case School and education officials, together forming the overarching context shaping the English teachers’ cognitions. The implications of this study are twofold. First, the informants’ exclusive preference for British English over WE for ELT seems to diverge from WE research suggestions to introduce non-Inner Circle varieties as acceptable norms. Second, their ambivalent view towards WE manifested a tension between maintaining English standards and exposing students to the sociolinguistic reality of English. The findings reveal the teacher informants’ predominant focus on teaching uses of English for examinations, which tend to focus on standard Englishes and formal genres. It is suggested that English teachers should go beyond an uncritical adherence to nation-based English varieties to develop a broader understanding of language variation that takes into account the users, uses and modes of communication (Mahboob, 2014). This study calls for (i) the inclusion of a wider range of language variation in the English curriculum; (ii) more attention to teacher education programmes in strengthening English teachers’ awareness of language variation; and (iii) raising awareness of education and assessment officials towards a broader conceptualisation of language variation. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Education

Ko Chi-Chung Andre. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 257-266). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.ii / Acknowledgements --- p.v / Table of contents --- p.vii / List of figures --- p.x / List of tables --- p.x / List of abbreviations --- p.xii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- Background of the study --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Statement of the problem situation --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Purpose and significance of study --- p.4 / Chapter 1.4 --- Research questions --- p.5 / Chapter 1.5 --- Delimitation of the study --- p.6 / Chapter 1.6 --- Definition of key concepts --- p.7 / Chapter 1.7 --- Outline of the remainder of the thesis --- p.17 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Literature review I: Environmental education and science education / Chapter 2.1 --- Overview of the literature review --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2 --- Understanding environmental education --- p.19 / Chapter 2.3 --- Present status of environmental education in Hong Kong schools --- p.28 / Chapter 2.4 --- Environmental education and science education --- p.30 / Chapter 2.5 --- Summary --- p.37 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Literature review II: Research issues relevant to teaching environmental education / Chapter 3.1 --- Environmental education as a field of study and its paradigm of research --- p.39 / Chapter 3.2 --- The study of teachers' perceptions and practices --- p.42 / Chapter 3.3 --- Framework of analysis --- p.53 / Chapter 3.4 --- Research related to teachers' perceptions and practices --- p.58 / Chapter 3.5 --- Summary --- p.66 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Research design / Chapter 4.1 --- Overview of the research design --- p.68 / Chapter 4.2 --- Research questions and associated research methods --- p.70 / Chapter 4.3 --- Questionnaire survey --- p.71 / Chapter 4.4 --- In-depth interview --- p.79 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Curriculum analysis / Chapter 5.1 --- Overview of curriculum analysis --- p.86 / Chapter 5.2 --- Background the curriculum --- p.86 / Chapter 5.3 --- Characteristics of the curriculum --- p.91 / Chapter 5.4 --- Evaluation of the curriculum --- p.112 / Chapter 5.5 --- Summary and conclusion --- p.121 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Questionnaire survey results / Chapter 6.1 --- Overview of the chapter --- p.123 / Chapter 6.2 --- Descriptive analysis of questionnaire survey data --- p.123 / Chapter 6.3 --- Inferential analysis of the questionnaire survey data --- p.142 / Chapter 6.4 --- Summary --- p.1525 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Interview findings / Chapter 7.1 --- Overview of the chapter --- p.155 / Chapter 7.2 --- Interview findings --- p.157 / Chapter 7.3 --- Analysis of interview findings --- p.178 / Chapter 7.4 --- Summary --- p.197 / Chapter Chapter 8 --- Discussion / Chapter 8.1 --- Overview of the chapter --- p.200 / Chapter 8.2 --- Self-reported practices of teaching environmental education --- p.200 / Chapter 8.3 --- Teachers' perceptions of EE and their relation to practices of teaching EE --- p.209 / Chapter 8.4 --- Synthesis of research findings --- p.218 / Chapter 8.5 --- Further discussion of research findings --- p.220 / Chapter 8.6 --- Summary --- p.238 / Chapter Chapter 9 --- Conclusion and recommendation / Chapter 9.1 --- Summing up: Hong Kong secondary school science teachers' perception of environmental education --- p.239 / Chapter 9.2 --- Implications of research findings --- p.243 / Chapter 9.3 --- Limitation of the research and recommendation for further study --- p.248 / Appendix A A sample of cover letter and survey questionnaire --- p.251 / Appendix B Relevant EE topics of the IS Syllabus recommended in the CDC Guidelines --- p.256 / References --- p.257

published_or_final_version / Applied English Studies / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This mixed-methods exploratory study of 34 ESL university teachers in Hong Kong sought to investigate the relationship between teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning, their epistemological beliefs, and their classroom practice. Generally, findings indicate beliefs are formed though teachers’ past learning experiences, and professional education. Higher sophistication in teacher epistemology positively impacted classroom practice, probably facilitated through regular self-reflection and greater cognitive engagement, with teachers focusing more on student learning, and preparing students for independent study. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

With advancements in information technology, people can now access enormous amounts of information with ease. The education system, which plays a vital role in developing our future, has undergone important changes. In the past decades, nearly every part of the education process, from curricula design, assessment methodologies, to teaching methodologies, have been scrutinized. As a result, a series of reforms or changes have been implemented. The purposes of the present study are to investigate more about perceptions and attitudes of secondary school mathematics teachers towards the use of computers in their teaching. Besides, the factors affecting teachers’ attitudes towards computer application in teaching are also analyzed. Finally, the study will also explore the effectiveness of students’ learning through cooperative learning One class of 36 students from 5C, aged 14-16, were invited to participate in this research by using the DMS of GeoGebra for teaching the topics of ‘Basic Properties of Circles’. The teaching outcome of 5C would then be compared with 2 other classes of 5A and 5B, which would be taught by my peer teachers. 5A and 5B’s teachers would employ conventional teaching methods to teach ‘Basic Properties of Circles’ (i.e. the Control Group). Five student worksheets for Basic Operation of GeoGebra and each sub-topic of “Basic Properties of Circles” were devised (see Appendices I to V). Those 5 students were all asked to fill in the questionnaire I. Besides, 12 mathematics teachers were asked to fill in the questionnaire I (see Appendix VIII) of Mathematics with Technology Perceptions Survey (MTPS) in order to investigate their perceptions of using information technology (IT) in teaching mathematics. The purpose of the MTPS items was to ascertain the prevalence of key attitudes and perceptions creating barriers or enabling teachers’ intentions to alter their practice and to teach mathematics with technology. Demographic data of MTPS items were collected on gender, age group, years of teaching, education level, teacher training, teaching level and subject taught. During the whole study, video-recording was taken. In addition, my two peer teachers from classes 5A and 5B were also invited to have an interview. Then, they were asked to fill in the questionnaire II (see Appendix XIII) in order to investigate their’ intention in using the DMS of GeoGebra for teaching and learning mathematics in Secondary 5 classes. Besides, 14 students were randomly selected in order to find out the effects of their learning by using DMS of GeoGebra through peer groups, and these 14 students were invited to complete an extended version of questionnaire II (see Appendix X). Finally, students were asked to conduct a test (see Appendix VI) in order to compare the learning outcome of students learning ‘Basic Properties of Circles’ with the DMS of GeoGebra with those learning in its absence. It is suggested that the integration of computer in learning mathematics should be required. Schools need to make full use of technology to guide students to learn as much as possible. Also, leadership needs to be available to teachers and to provide an in-service education in technology use, so that technology use was operating as well as possible. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This research aims at finding out the effects of teaching beliefs of History teachers in interpreting NSS Liberal Studies curriculum. Using autoethnography as the research methodology, the researcher, as a novice History teacher, reflected on his curriculum interpretation in comparison to other LS teachers in his context. This self-narrative is then compared with another History teacher's curriculum interpretation in its respective context. The findings of the research identified some common features between the two History teachers in LS curriculum interpretation. They are more likely to highlight the importance of socio-historical context to an issue and transfer from History studies the training of source interpretation skills and argument formation of students and the expertise towards political concepts in the Liberal Studies curriculum. This subjective curriculum interpretation forms the perceived LS curriculum of History teachers. Moreover, the subjective curriculum interpretation is a dynamic process. Individual teacher’s beliefs dynamically balance and rebalance factors in context, between a spectrum from individual teacher’s belief to socio-cultural contextual demands and constrains. Lastly, the complexity in the socio-cultural context correlates to the extent of manifestation of individual teacher’s belief in the subjective Liberal Studies curriculum interpretation. Between the two History teachers, the History teacher, who was situated in a more individualistic and cooperative context, transferred much more teaching beliefs in interpreting Liberal Studies curriculum. On the contrary, another History teacher projected limited teaching beliefs in LS curriculum situation. The more collaborative context leveled individual teacher’s teaching belief. Teacher’s belief is a moderator in context. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education