Argumentation is being seen as increasingly important in science lessons to develop students’ argumentation skills, reinforce their learning of science, and develop scientific literacy (Driver, Newton & Osborne, 2000). This study aims to investigate whether, and to what extent, students are able to use argumentation effectively in science class and what relation there is between argumentation and interest and achievement in science and epistemic beliefs. An intervention was carried out on 45 students in their first year of secondary school in an international school in Hong Kong. Students in the intervention class (n=22) were taught using an argumentation-based learning strategy; they were compared to a control class (n=23) who were taught using a standard textbook higher-order-thinking learning strategy. Three quantitative measures were used to compare cross group difference after a two-month intervention period. Results indicated that the training group did not show any significant change in their scores of the Epistemic Belief Inventory (EBI) or science term grades. However, they showed significant gains (p<.05) in their enjoyment of and confidence in science learning as measured by the Science Questionnaire (SQ). Two qualitative measures, namely one-to-one interview and online forum discussions were also used to gain understanding of students’ use of argumentation. Results of the current study suggest that these students were not able to use or trained to use argumentation in science to achieve significant improvement in science scores. However, the teaching of an argumentation-based strategy may at least improve their enjoyment and confidence towards science learning, which may in turn lead to long-term improved learning. Limitations of the current study will be discussed and further research will be suggested. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This article presents the findings of a research which concerned with primary level students’ understanding of arithmetic principles. The objectives of this research were to investigate primary students’ understanding of inverse relation between addition and subtraction and find the possible difficulties when students using inverse relation principle. In this research, “Understanding” involved two aspects: 1. Knowing the fact and here, the fact referred to the knowledge of the inverse relation between addition and subtraction; 2. Ability to identify the situation that related to inverse relation and ability to make use of the inverse relation principle properly in related situation. With this definition, our research not just only concerned the students’ knowledge base, but also concerned how the students analyzed different problems and how they used the principle in different situations. The different situations meant the inverse related questions with different complexity and they were categorized into transparent inverse problems and non-transparent inverse problems. According to the result, students partially understood the inverse principle because they obviously underused the inverse principle in the related problems and they preferred calculating step by step with using column form. We also discovered that their understanding varied among different grades because of their arithmetic experience and the type of the inverse related questions. Basically, students did better in transparent inverse questions than non-transparent inverse questions and higher grade of students had higher level of understanding and they could use the inverse principle properly more often. But, the primary 3 students surprisingly did worse in non-transparent five-term inverse problems than primary 2 students. It may because the students experience and the attitude of analyzing the questions. These findings gave us some insight of teaching arithmetic in primary levels. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This study aims at finding out values in the curriculum of formal schooling and private tutoring in China’s context. Value is an important component of education. As schools’ values have great influence on students’ developing values, it is significant to study values experienced by students in both formal schooling and private tutoring. The present study adopts a qualitative research method with case studies of two secondary students who go to both public formal schools at weekdays and private tutorial institutes at weekends in Guangzhou, China. Data collection consists of documents and interviews. The present study identifies and analyzes stated values in the curriculum of both formal schooling and private tutoring and values perceived by students. Comparison between these two educational systems is drawn. Also, comparison between stated values and perceived values are being made. Distinctive differences in values between formal schooling and private tutoring are identified as collectivism vs. individualism, curriculum for moral education vs. nil curriculum for moral education, and non-consumerism vs. consumerism. The two systems also share similar values such as quality and efficiency on teaching and learning and success on scores. There are some gaps between what educational institutes claim and what students perceive in practice. They are all-round development vs. all-subject development on exam success, student-centre development vs. economic efficiency and aspirations in life vs. success in realistic world. The findings suggest a need to rethink the educational aims in an era of transformation in China. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This study aims to find out the influences of science teachers’ teaching implementations in addressing the students’ common misconceptions on their conceptual understanding on photosynthesis. The study was conducted in a school in Hong Kong with an international setting. A total of thirty-one Year 9 students participated in this study. Eighteen students were taught by Teacher A, the intervention group, who carried out the intervention to identify the common students’ misconceptions on photosynthesis and attempt to change the students’ misconceptions by carrying out different teaching activities. On the other hand, thirteen students were taught by Teacher B, the control group, who taught according to the Year 9 Science curriculum plans of their school and had focussed on delivering the expected concepts to be acquired by the students. Students’ conceptual understanding was assessed through the use of 4 different instruments, including the two-tier multiple choice question developed by Haslam and Treagust (1987) and the cartoon concept developed by Naylor and Keogh (2000), before and after the teaching of the topic. Results showed that the intervention group had better conceptual understandings on the plants’ food and the harnessing the Sun’s energy by plants during photosynthesis while the control group had better conceptual understandings on respiration in plants and the limiting factors on photosynthesis in plants. Overall, the intervention group had not developed a better conceptual understanding nor less misconception compared to the control group. Open ended teaching strategies (self-exploration, whole class or group discussions etc.) had limited the conceptual understanding amongst the lower achievers and the formation of misconception ‘plants respire only at night’ in the intervention group. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Opportunity cost is not only the first threshold Economics concept learnt by students, but also a common concept applied in decision making such as cost-benefit analysis. Most decision makings made by government or private firms involved in-depth cost-benefit analysis. However, researches in economic education revealed that the teaching and learning of opportunity cost might not be effective so that students, or even adults apply this concept wrongly in decision making. The objectives of this study are to investigate the effectiveness of the theory of variation when it is adopted in the teaching of the concept of opportunity cost and to evaluate the learning outcomes of students by investigating the change of the qualitatively different ways of seeing or experiencing the concept of opportunity cost. The object of learning was the capability of understanding the concept of opportunity cost. Critical aspects of the object of learning were identified from the pre-test and two patterns of variation were designed respectively in two different groups of secondary four students. The results of this study showed that the learning outcomes of both groups were improved by the rise in the levels of the conceptions on opportunity cost and full cost, and it was even more powerful in group 2. It concluded that appropriate pattern of variation could raise the effectiveness of learning. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This study was designed to explore adolescents’ educational and career aspirations. The Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) was used as a framework, and the variables were selected with empirical and theoretical support for their possible significance to the career aspirations of Hong Kong high school students. Two separate studies were conducted. In study I, the Chinese Career Aspiration Scale (CAS) and Career-Related Parent Support Scale (CRPSS) were developed. In addition, the existing Academic Development Self-Efficacy Inventory (AD-SEI) and Career Development Self-Efficacy Inventory (CD-SEI) were simplified for this study. The four measures were validated using a sample of 677 Secondary Four students. The sample was randomly divided into two sub-sets. The first sub-set was used to explore the construct validity, while the second sub-set was used for further validation. The results of the exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the Chinese CAS was an adequate indicator for assessing Chinese high school students’ educational and career aspirations. The Chinese CRPSS also could provide an adequate indicator for assessing career-related parental support of Chinese high school students. It was also found that the AD-SEI and CD-SEI measures could be adequately represented by the simplified versions. The reliability analyses showed that the total scale and subscales were internally consistent. In study II, data were collected from 729 Secondary Four students who were asked to complete the four measures developed and tested in study I, and to provide demographic information. Correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between predictor and outcome variables. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed to determine the significance of each predictor variable on students’ continuing education and career achievement aspirations. The results indicated that gender and family socio-economic status were not associated with continuing education aspirations or career achievement aspirations. The students’ perceived academic achievement influenced continuing education both directly and indirectly through academic self-efficacy or career self-efficacy. However, perceived academic achievement was not associated with career achievement aspirations. Career-related parental support influenced continuing education and career achievement aspirations both directly and indirectly through academic self-efficacy or career self-efficacy. The results of this study provided an in-depth view of the perceived influences on adolescents’ continuing education and career achievement aspirations. This knowledge can help educators design better targeted and individualized career interventions. The results also provide empirical evidence in support of Social Cognitive Career Theory, in terms of the impact of contextual factor (career-related parental support) and self-efficacy, in predicting continuing education and career achievement aspirations with a Chinese sample. In addition, the Chinese versions of Career-Related Parent Support Scale and Career Aspiration Scale are viable assessment tools for researchers and guidance professionals working in the careers field. Implications for future research and career guidance practices within the Hong Kong education context are also discussed. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Education

The ineffectiveness of language teaching, the declining level of language proficiency of students, and a lack of motivation to learn, have always been of great concern to the society and the education sector. With the implementation of the 334 New Senior Secondary School System, self-designed elective unit of Chinese Language curriculum is launched. It could eliminate the shackles of public examination pressure. Teachers can have a larger space to try to use different materials and teaching approaches. They can design and implement school-based curriculum based on the interests and abilities of students which could be beneficial to students. With this Chinese Language Curriculum Reform, the researcher has carried out a unit design teaching experimental study in which micro novels are used as teaching materials and genre theory is used to design pedagogy. The subjects of the study are the Form Five students of the researcher’s school. The students are divided into two groups, control group and experimental group. Students from the control group were taught with traditional teacher-centred pedagogy, while students from the experimental group were taught with a pedagogy which is based on genre theory. Through analyzing questionnaires and interviews for all students, and interviews for teachers involved, the researcher could find out the appropriateness of using micro novels as teaching materials. After implementing the new pedagogy, the researcher compared the micro novels written in pretest and posttest by students from the control and the experimental groups and recognized the effectiveness of this new pedagogy. The research results show that most of the students and all the teachers involved thought that micro novels are suitable Chinese Language teaching materials and are useful in improving students’ interest in learning Chinese language. According to comparative analysis of the students’ works, the performance of the experimental group students' in posttest is significantly better than that in the control group. The students being taught with the newly designed pedagogy have significantly higher writing ability than the students being taught with traditional pedagogy. Micro novels can meet the needs of the students, arouse students’ motivation, and also meet the requirements of the new Chinese Language Curriculum. They are ideal Chinese Language teaching materials. Furthermore, using genre theory to design pedagogy to teach micro novels enable students to systematically grasp the characteristics of micro novels. On the other hand, using explicit method to teach students the function, generic features, register and mode of micro novels could strengthen students’ stylistic awareness of micro novels. Besides, group discussion, joint construction and cooperative learning could help provide a scaffold for students to consolidate their learning. By using marking checklist for peer assessment, students could have immediate feedback and thus enhance their interest and ability in writing. In a nutshell, using micro novels as teaching materials could arouse the students’ interest in learning Chinese Language and reduce individual differences of motivation in learning. Using genre theory to design pedagogy could reduce the individual differences in students' abilities. Even students with low abilities can have great improvement. Both the new teaching materials and new pedagogy can meet the needs and reduce individual differences of the students. This is exactly the essence of school-based curriculum. 語文教學成效不理想，學生語文能力水平不斷下降與及缺乏學習的動機，一直以來都是社會和教育界極為關注的問題。 隨著三三四新學制新高中中國語文科課程的推行，尤其是選修「自擬單元」的出現，消除了師生在公開考試壓力的束縛，教師能有較大的空間嘗試使用不同的教材和教學處理方法，可根據學生的興趣和能力，設計及推行更切合學生需要的校本課程，讓學生有更多的得益。研究者嘗試配合中國語文科的課程改革，以微型小說為教材，以「文類教學理論」設計的教學法，進行單元教學設計實驗研究，並對教學結果進行研究分析，以了解新的教材和新的教學法的成效。 研究者以所任教學校中五級學生為研究對象，學生分為控制組和實驗組，控制組用傳統以教師為主導的一般小說教學法教授微型小說，而實驗組則採用根據「文類教學理論」設計的教學法。通過對全體學生的問卷調查和訪談，與及對任教老師的訪談，研究者得以了解「微型小說」作為教材的適切性，通過對控制組和實驗組在進行微型小說教學單元前後寫作的前測和後測作品比較分析，可了解新的教學法的成效。 研究結果顯示，絕大部分的學生和所有任教老師都認為微型小說是適合作為中國 語文科的教材，亦能提高學生學習中國語文的興趣。而通過學生作品比較分析可見，實驗組學生後測作品的表現都明顯優於控制組，且差異亦顯著，接受以「文類教學理論」設計的教學法教授微型小說的學生在寫作微型小說方面的能力明顯高於接受一般教學法的學生。 微型小說能符合學生的需求，能引起學生的學習動機，亦能符合新高中中國語文科課程的要求，是中國語文科理想的教材。而運用「文類教學理論」設計的教學法來教授「微型小說」，可以讓學生有系統地掌握微型小說的特點，在教學過程中，以明示式的方法教授「微型小說」的功能、文類結構、語域和語式等知識，可加強學生對微型小說的文體意識，此外使用小組討論、集體創作的合作學習形式，能在師生互動、生生互動的情況下，為學生提供支架，鞏固所學，使用評改量表、同輩互改的評改方式，能通過互動的模式，讓學生得到及時的回饋，提高寫作的興趣及能力，因此運用「文類教學理論」設計的教學法會較一般傳統的教學法更有成效。 總括而言，以「微型小說」作為教材，可提高學生學習中國語文的興趣，能減少學生學習動機的個別差異。運用「文類教學理論」設計的教學法，能讓學生有系統地掌握文類的特點，成效顯著，能減少學生能力的個別差異，即使低水平的學生也可有很大的進步，而無論新的教材和新的教學法都能切合學生的需要，能更有效地「照顧學生的個別差異」，這亦正是「校本課程」的精要所在。 / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Education

With the changing media environment, media literacy education begins to be an emerging field in China. There are many studies showing the significance of media literacy education; however, few studies on school practices are presented. The existing studies are mostly based on the context of western discourse. Even the curriculum framework in this case is influenced by western scholars. There have been a few studies investigating media literacy education in the Asian context. It is still struggling for the foothold in schools in China compared with countries where it has been practiced for a long time. Based on this understanding, this study is to explore the entry and approaches of media literacy education in a Chinese primary school. It aims to shift media literacy education from an international context to its local setting, and offers a point of reference to enrich the theory and practice in the process of localization. The research questions are concentrated on how media literacy education was initiated in the context of the national curriculum reform, and two ways in which it implemented in the HZMHT primary school. It is a qualitative case study, using observation, interviews, focus groups, group meetings and document analysis as the main methods of collecting data in the field. The introduction of media literacy education in the HZMHT primary school is consistent with the national curriculum reform, which provides an opportunity for the development of media literacy education. Through the changes in management structure and curriculum standards, the HZMHT primary school gets officially support to promote its curriculum innovation through media literacy education. The school practice becomes a response to curriculum reform in return. In this study, the curriculum practice is a result of a collaborative effort between a university and a primary school. With the endeavor of teachers in the HZMHT primary school and the team members from BBU, media literacy education was exercised both as a school-based curriculum and as an integrated component of multiple subjects. In the curriculum practice of media literacy education, students’ media culture is brought into the classroom and they are encouraged to interact with a digital society from the perspective of constructivism and critical pedagogy. Students construct new knowledge and fulfill personal growth by interacting with teachers and peers in a student-centered dialogue. In addition, they become aware of media environment and their roles in a world with dominant media. Five conceptual understandings of media literacy education are practised in the school-based curriculum, while priority was given to achieving the objectives of the original subjects in the integrated curriculum, where media literacy education is integrated with moral education, math education, information technology and integrated practical activities in a constructivist approach. Students’ engagement and interactive activities indicate the effectiveness in the curriculum practice. The research gaps on the process of contextual adaption and pedagogical exploration for media literacy education are filled through this school initiative in this case study. First, the changing paradigm of school practice and moral cultivation of the curriculum in China enrich the theory of localization for media literacy education. Second, the school initiative of a curriculum innovation fulfills the pedagogical exploration for the promotion of media literacy education and its legitimacy in Chinese context. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Various research has been done to investigate the relationship between learners’ vocabulary size and collocation knowledge (Gyllstad, 2007; Brown, 2012; Nizonkita, 2012). However, none has been done on Hong Kong senior secondary students who are taught under the new education curriculum and take the new Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education examination before pursuing their university studies. This study involved 90 secondary five students as participants who were divided into high-, medium- and low-ability groups. They were asked to do a test paper for the assessment of their vocabulary sizes and collocation knowledge. Also included in the test paper was a task to assess their vocabulary levels, aiming to find out the word levels they need to work on for the improvement of their academic vocabulary for university pursuit. The results found a significant positive correlation between the vocabulary size and collocation knowledge for the 90 participants as a whole group; interestingly, when divided into three proficiency groups, such a correlation was obtained only in the medium-ability group. Findings also indicated that the academic vocabulary level (AVL) closely correlated with the 3,000 and 5,000 word levels. Most of the students in the high-ability group performed well at AVL, and this group needed only to work on the 5,000 word level for the improvement of their academic vocabulary, whereas the other two groups needed to work on both the 3,000 and 5,000 word levels for the same purpose. The study concluded with suggested ways for teachers to help their students develop a bigger vocabulary size and improve their collocation knowledge. / published_or_final_version / Applied English Studies / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

Conceivably there has never been a better time to talk about character and moral education than now, especially in light of the critical need to better serve our society, our nation, and our world. The development of any society or nation is measured on its moral values, and this study explores the values acquisition in a school. It attempts to answer the question: What values have students acquired from their schooling experiences, and what are elements of the school that had contributed to this process? This study aims to add to the fuller picture of values education in Hong Kong through a thick description of the culture of a local secondary school named Wah Yan College, Kowloon (WYK). To unearth the intricacies of student beliefs and practices, I have stayed in the field for a year to gain "native experience" of life at WYK. The direct contact and discussions with students and alumni had enabled me to untangle the web surrounding the meanings students attach to values as a concept. Through observation of the school life at the case school, I began to appreciate how students negotiate these meanings. The purpose of this study was to capture the unique world of a school, hence a variety of methods including interviews, observation, and document analysis were adopted. Values are acquired by students in a variety of ways at WYK. Students do not only learn in the classroom, but also beyond their classrooms through non-study activities, where they are encouraged, or even required, to make decisions on their own, with no repercussions. There are more than ninety student clubs and societies at WYK, which provide students opportunities to develop wide interests, activities and responsibilities, as well as their knowledge and skills, via their experiences in these non-study activities. This liberal way of values teaching enables students to become autonomous learners in learning a set of values rather than being a passive recipient of the values taught in school. Moreover, spending their formative years at WYK, students are cultivated with a sense of identity among themselves. A tradition is formed this way, special to WYK, from generation to generation. Values that are core to this family are not easily lost, even after students graduate. The characteristics of WYK habitus included: holism, consistency, and continuity. The values WYK upheld, and subsequently taught to and acquired by its students were conducted in a holistic fashion via different "subsequent experiences" - in the forms of lessons, gatherings and extra-curricular activities. This process of value acquisition through the activities and experiences of everyday life at WYK serves as a living example of habitus. While it followed the same pattern of many other habitus, one cannot expect the case of WYK to be replicated overnight. The elements of its habitus can be identified and the model be re-produced. They can be used by schools and educators alike who would like to breed the kinds of values they prefer. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy