published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

A post-positivistic research paradigm was adopted and a qualitative (less dominant) with quantitative (dominant) method was the research design. Phase I Study was a focus group study aiming at understanding conceptions and beliefs about spousal abuse with five focus groups involving 40 undergraduates. Phase II Study was a questionnaire survey with some of the items in questionnaire derived from the qualitative findings of the focus groups. Based on a stratified sampling strategy, 361 social work undergraduates were randomly selected from all undergraduate social work training institutions to participate in this survey. They completed a 252-item questionnaire which measured their conceptions and beliefs about spousal abuse and the psychosocial correlates within the proposed ecological model. / By applying the ecological model, attitudes toward gender, identification with Chinese traditional and modern culture were significant correlates of the conceptions of spousal abuse; while gender, attitudes toward gender and identification with Chinese traditional culture were the significant correlates of beliefs about spousal abuse. The socialization influences were also significant correlates of the outcome variables in the male sample. These observations provided support for the thesis that there are individual and environmental correlates of conceptions and beliefs about spousal abuse. Coverage on spousal abuse in social work curriculum was found to be inadequate and request for training was high. Meanwhile, undergraduates with adequate training showed broader conceptions of spousal abuse, which indicated that training might help to broaden their conceptions of spousal abuse. / Results showed that social work undergraduates' conceptions of physical abuse were highly consistent with legal and experts' perspectives, while their conceptions of psychological abuse were more from laymen's perspectives, which were relatively unclear and less consistent with legal and experts' perspectives. They also had broader conceptions of wife abuse than husband abuse by identifying more behavioral manifestations as wife abuse. In general, the breadth of their conceptions of spousal abuse depended on their gender (same sex favoritism), victims' gender, and types of abuse (physical vs. psychological). Furthermore, they endorsed more biased beliefs about husband abuse than wife abuse. Male students endorsed more biased beliefs about spousal abuse than their female counterparts. / The lay conceptions and beliefs about spousal abuse among social work undergraduates in Hong Kong were studied and lay conceptions were compared with legal and experts' perspectives. Adopting an ecological model, it was hypothesized that gender, attitudes toward gender, socialization of gender stereotypes and violence approval, and identification with Chinese traditional and modern cultural values were psychosocial correlates of conceptions and beliefs about spousal abuse. / This study has several contributions. First, it enhances our understanding of the conceptions and beliefs about spousal abuse from the lay, legal, and professional perspectives. Second, with reference to our limited understanding on husband abuse, the present findings enhance our understanding on husband abuse. Third, it contributes to the development of theoretical models pertinent to the psychosocial correlates at the individual, interpersonal, and cultural levels. Finally, it facilitates improvement in coverage of spousal abuse in social work education. / Tam, Suet Yan. / Adviser: T. L. Daniel Shek. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-09, Section: A, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 423-450). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

Pan, Lin. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 173-180). / Abstract also in Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.I / 中文摘要 --- p.III / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.V / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.VI / LIST OF TABLES --- p.IX / Chapter 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 2 --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.5 / Chapter 2.2 --- Research-driven Theories of Language Learning Beliefs --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Definition of Beliefs about Language Learning --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Characteristics of Beliefs about Language Learning --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Structure of Language Learning Beliefs --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- The Role of Language Learning Beliefs in L2 Learning --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Summary --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3 --- Approaches to the Investigations of Language Learning Beliefs --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- The Normative Approach --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- The Metacognitive Approach --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- The Contextual Approach --- p.18 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Summary --- p.20 / Chapter 2.4 --- Research in Second/Foreign Language Learning Contexts --- p.21 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- The Impact of Culture on Learning Beliefs --- p.22 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Sources of Beliefs about Language Learning --- p.25 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Mismatches between Teachers´ة and Students´ة Learning Beliefs --- p.29 / Chapter 2.4.4 --- The Association between Individual Learning Beliefs and Learning Outcomes --- p.31 / Chapter 2.4.5 --- Summary --- p.33 / Chapter 2.5 --- Rationale for Present Study --- p.33 / Chapter 2.6 --- Summary --- p.34 / Chapter 3 --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY --- p.36 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.36 / Chapter 3.2 --- Context of the Study --- p.36 / Chapter 3.3 --- Research Design --- p.38 / Chapter 3.4 --- The Pilot Study --- p.40 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Pilot Testing Survey --- p.40 / Chapter 3.4.1.1 --- Participants --- p.40 / Chapter 3.4.1.2 --- Construction of the Survey --- p.41 / Chapter 3.4.1.3 --- Procedures --- p.43 / Chapter 3.4.1.4 --- Results --- p.43 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Pilot Study of Semi-structured Interviews --- p.45 / Chapter 3.4.2.1 --- Participants --- p.45 / Chapter 3.4.2.2 --- Design of Interview Protocols --- p.45 / Chapter 3.4.2.3 --- Procedures --- p.46 / Chapter 3.4.2.4 --- Results --- p.47 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Implications of Pilot Study --- p.48 / Chapter 3.5 --- The Main Study --- p.48 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Participants --- p.49 / Chapter 3.5.1.1 --- Survey Participants --- p.49 / Chapter 3.5.1.2 --- Selection Criteria for Student Interviewees --- p.49 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Instrumentation --- p.51 / Chapter 3.5.2.1 --- Survey --- p.51 / Chapter 3.5.2.2 --- Semi-structured Interviews --- p.52 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Data Collection --- p.52 / Chapter 3.5.3.1 --- Survey --- p.53 / Chapter 3.5.3.2 --- Semi-structured Interviews --- p.53 / Chapter 3.5.4 --- Data Analysis --- p.55 / Chapter 3.5.4.1 --- Survey --- p.55 / Chapter 3.5.4.2 --- Semi-structured Interviews --- p.55 / Chapter 3.5.4.3 --- Triangulation of Data --- p.56 / Chapter 3.6 --- Summary --- p.57 / Chapter 4 --- SURVEY FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION --- p.59 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.59 / Chapter 4.2 --- General Picture of Student Learning Beliefs --- p.59 / Chapter 4.3 --- General Picture of Teacher Learning Beliefs --- p.70 / Chapter 4.4 --- Mismatch between Teachers´ة and Students´ة Learning Beliefs --- p.77 / Chapter 4.5 --- The Relationship between Individual Learning Beliefs and Proficiency Levels --- p.81 / Chapter 4.6 --- Summary --- p.85 / Chapter 5 --- INTERVIEW FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION --- p.86 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.86 / Chapter 5.2 --- Participants´ة Learning Beliefs --- p.87 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Beliefs about Foreign Language Aptitude --- p.87 / Chapter 5.2.1.1 --- The general existence of specialized abilities for language learning --- p.88 / Chapter 5.2.1.2 --- Beliefs about the characteristics of successful and less successful language learners --- p.91 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Beliefs about the Difficulty of Language Learning --- p.102 / Chapter 5.2.2.1 --- Difficulty of learning English as a foreign language --- p.103 / Chapter 5.2.2.2 --- Relative difficulty of different language skills --- p.106 / Chapter 5.2.2.3 --- Expectation for success --- p.110 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Beliefs about the Nature of Language Learning --- p.112 / Chapter 5.2.3.1 --- Role of culture contact and language immersion in language learning --- p.113 / Chapter 5.2.3.2 --- Language learning and learning of other school subjects --- p.117 / Chapter 5.2.3.3 --- Focus of the language learning task --- p.110 / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Beliefs about Learning and Communication Strategies --- p.121 / Chapter 5.2.4.1 --- Pronunciation --- p.123 / Chapter 5.2.4.2 --- Grammar --- p.130 / Chapter 5.2.4.3 --- Vocabulary --- p.132 / Chapter 5.2.4.4 --- Reading --- p.135 / Chapter 5.2.4.5 --- Writing --- p.138 / Chapter S.2.4.6 --- Speaking --- p.140 / Chapter 5.2.5 --- Beliefs about Motivation --- p.145 / Chapter 5.3 --- Discussion --- p.150 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Sources of Learning Beliefs --- p.150 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Beliefs Specific to the Hong Kong Learning Context --- p.154 / Chapter 5.4 --- Summary --- p.156 / Chapter 6 --- CONCLUSION --- p.157 / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.157 / Chapter 6.2 --- Summary of the Significant Findings --- p.157 / Chapter 6.3 --- Implications of the Research --- p.162 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Eliminating Learners´ة Inappropriate Learning Beliefs --- p.162 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- "Improving Learners, Perceptions of Foreign Language Aptitude" --- p.164 / Chapter 6.3.3 --- Changing Learners´ة Views about the Difficulty of Foreign Language Learning --- p.165 / Chapter 6.3.4 --- Increasing Learners´ة Knowledge of Accents in Varieties of English --- p.166 / Chapter 6.3.5 --- Providing More Opportunities for Practicing English with Native Speakers --- p.167 / Chapter 6.3.6 --- Adjusting Teachers´ة English Learning Beliefs --- p.167 / Chapter 6.4 --- Limitations of the Present Study --- p.169 / Chapter 6.5 --- Suggestions for Further Studies --- p.170 / Chapter 6.6 --- Summary --- p.172 / REFERENCES --- p.173 / APPENDICES --- p.181 / Appendix A: Sample Questionnaire for Beliefs about Language Learning --- p.181 / Appendix B: Sample Questionnaire on Teachers´ة Beliefs about Language Learning --- p.185 / Appendix C: Sample Semi-structured Interview Protocol --- p.187 / Appendix D: Sample Content Form --- p.192 / Appendix E: Full result of Students' Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (As Percentage) --- p.194 / Appendix F: Full result of Teachers´ة Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (As Percentage) --- p.196 / Appendix G: Comparison between Teachers and Students on Language Learning Beliefs (As Percentage) --- p.198