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

Chinese orthography is morphosyllabic and its script differs in unique ways from other alphabetic, phonemic syllabic and morphemic scripts. Hence the teaching of Chinese literacy is challenging and requires considerable practice on the part of learners. This thesis reviews the methods which have been used to teach Chinese literacy during preschool years. By searching the electronic databases, we classify various articles into different types, introducing “importance of learning early literacy”, “key elements of learning Chinese literacy”, “school-based teaching methods of Chinese literacy” and “home-based teaching method of Chinese literacy”. The study analyzes that core components of learning Chinese literacy are “oral language”, “morphological awareness”, “orthographic skills,” “learning the sound, semantics and shape of the character” and “providing meaningful literacy experience”. Also the study finds three main types of school-based teaching methods, namely “bottom-up teaching method”, “whole to part teaching method” and “integrated teaching method”, of which “integrated teaching method” is the most appropriate one in enhancing Chinese literacy learning. For home-based method, the study finds that “dialogic reading with morphologic training” and “games of learning the characters by components” are the appropriate ways to provide early literacy learning at home. The study concludes that systematical learning sequence is needed in learning Chinese literacy. But it is difficult to implement a systematical sequence of learning Chinese in an integrated curriculum model. Educators need to find out an appropriate way to implement a systematical sequence of learning Chinese in an integrated curriculum model. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

本文通过个案研究，探究两位在香港国际学校任教中学一年级的华文教师，在实施现行与新华文课程的实际情况。研究主要通过课堂录像、教师访问与观课记录，阐述教师在实施新课程时的转变。本文也希望找出一些重要和具启发性的现象，进而总结影响教师转变的因素。本文综合运用了Fullan（1993）和Pennington（1995）的研究理论，以此为依据来设计理论架构。本研究发现在教师发展的过程中，三个阶段会同时间出现，特别是处于第一和第二阶段的时间。本研究也发现，教师实施新课程的时候，对教学目标格外重视，而且在教材选择与使用方面，以及教学活动的设计，都有明显的转变。针对影响教师转变的因素，研究显示课程的修订常促使教师在实际教学中有所调整。其次，教师积极参与新课程的筹备和教学工作，也能促进教师对新课程的理解与接受。当然，学生在课堂上的反应是直接影响教师转变的必要因素之一。本研究的结果可以帮助校方在全面推行新课程之前，预先了解教师在新课程实施方面所需的准备。学校行政人员也可以借鉴此研究的相关成果，为往后学校推行新课程作铺垫。 Using a case study approach, this paper explores the changes in two teachers when implementing the existing and new Chinese Language curriculum in the Secondary One level of an international school in Hong Kong. According to the findings yielded from several video-recordings, interviews and classroom observations, this study hopes to investigate the changes in the teachers when implementing the new curriculum. It also highlights some significant areas of concern, and concludes the critical factors that affect teachers’ change. The integration of Fullan’s (1993) and Pennington’s (1995) theories have been adopted as the theoretical framework for this study. Findings have shown that the three stages of teachers’ change can actually co-exist, and this is especially so for Stage One and Stage Two. Moreover, findings also show that the teachers began to place a greater emphasis on the teaching objectives. Significant teacher change is also observed in terms of the selection and application of teaching materials, as well as the design of learning activities. As for the critical factors which influence teacher change, the researcher found that the revision of the existing curriculum has encouraged teachers to adapt and adopt the changes. The active involvement of the teachers in the preparation and implementation of the new curriculum have also promoted a deeper understanding and hence, enabled teachers to better accept the new curriculum change. Inevitably, the students’ reaction in the classroom is a direct factor which affects teacher change. This study hopes to shed some light on the participating school about the situation that teachers will face when a new curriculum is in place. The results of this study will in turn enable the school to better prepare the other Chinese Language teachers in carrying out the new curriculum effectively. The administrative staff can also gain relevant experience which maybe helpful in the next round of curriculum review. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The majority of scholars proved that the explicit and implicit instructions could measure the rules complexity however the explicit instruction has more centered on the complex rules and since there is no available equivalent criteria of rule complexity; therefore the issue that whether teachers’ perceptions are trustworthy on rules complexity is still questionable. My research seeks to fill the gap in Pawel Scheffler’s (2011) research Rule Difficulty: Teachers’ Intuitions and Learners’ Performance by including both explicit and implicit instructions in Chinese teaching to indicate whether there is significant consensus between the teachers’ perceptions and students’ performance. In this study, 14 teachers were asked to assess the difficulty of ten language points, while 38 students were tested on sentence making for their explicit knowledge and on the timed Grammaticality Judgment Test (timed--‐GJT) for their implicit knowledge. The results of both tests were compared with the teachers’ assessment and the Spearman’s rank order correlation coefficient was calculated. My hypothesis is that there is a significant negative correlation between the teacher’s perception of rules difficulty and the students’ performance, that is, the language points that the teachers found difficult were indeed troublesome for the students too. The Spearman’s rank order correlation of teachers’ perceptions and students’ learning were found -0.59 and ‐0.34 respectively, however, the results of their p‐value were 0.07 and 0.34 respectively, the hypothesis was doubted. The implication of the conclusion on the selection of teaching method is discussed. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This study explores the role and meaning of general education in Chinese higher education in the face of ongoing social changes in China, using Fudan University (FU) as a case study. General education has been heatedly discussed and greatly promoted in Chinese higher education since the last decade of the 20th century. Since existing theories and conceptions of general education mainly focus on Western, especially American, higher education, there has been little exploration of the meaning and role of general education in China, which has very different sociopolitical and cultural traditions from those of many Western nations, especially in the context of economic globalization. Therefore, an exploration of the meaning and role of general education in Chinese higher education could help to provide either challenges or supplements to existing theories and conceptions of general education. This study adopted the qualitative case study with FU as the case to explore the research problem. It used three data collection methods – document collection and review, interviews and observation – to gain an in-depth understanding of the development and tasks of general education at FU during periods of social transformation of China from 1905 to 2004, and during the latest reforms to general education at FU, between 2005 and 2012. Data collected from historical documents identified that general education at FU had mainly assumed two persistent tasks during periods of social transformation of China between 1905 and 2004. The first task was to facilitate the transmission of core cultural values, as defined mainly by the leaders of the state in different periods, to help the state to preserve its national identity. The second task was to equip students with knowledge, capacities and values, mainly Western in origin, to facilitate the state’s economic modernization. Further analysis of documentary, interview and observation data also identified continuities in and changes to the sociopolitical/cultural and economic tasks of general education at FU between 2005 and 2012; specifically, that general education still transmitted state-promoted core cultural values and still equipped students with a wider range of knowledge and capacities, but the contents of those values and the nature of those knowledge and capacities had changed due to the further development of China’s market economy and the effects of economic globalization. Based on these findings, this study proposed a concept to understand the meaning and role of general education at FU in the context of ongoing social changes in China. This thesis argues that, at FU, general education can be interpreted as a curricular instrument for nation-building that helps China promote its sociopolitical/cultural and economic tasks by facilitating (a) the inheritance of selected Chinese and non-Chinese cultural values, and (b) the equipment of students with a broader range of knowledge and capacities to cope with China’s changing economy. This study identified that, to facilitate China’s nation building ambitions, general education transmitted to students (a) Chinese and non-Chinese (particularly Western) cultural values, and (b) both traditional cultural values and contemporary cultural values prescribed by different national leaders (and/or scholars) in different historical periods. Further, this study identified two tensions in general education for nation-building: (a) the tension between traditional and contemporary Chinese cultures, and (b) the tension between selected Chinese and non-Chinese cultures. This study shows the ebb and flow of traditional Chinese cultural values in the sociopolitical/cultural task of general education, and how it has been shaped by China’s nation building since the early 20th century under the economic and military challenges of foreign nations. The concept of general education proposed by this study helps to explain the persistence of the economic and the sociopolitical/cultural task of general education at FU during the periods of social changes of China from 1905 to 2012. The study also identified that the economic task of general education mandated the import of elements of Western culture and values and therefore created tension with the Chinese cultural values transmitted in general education’s sociopolitical/cultural task. The concept of general education proposed by this study has implications for existed theories and conceptions of general education (mainly Western in context) which do not show (a) the coexistence of and the tensions between traditional and contemporary national cultures in the tasks of general education, and (b) the coexistence of and tensions between the economic and sociopolitical/cultural tasks of general education. Further research is suggested into the complex relationships among and tensions between different cultures as general education facilitates nation-building. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the roles that assessment plays in promoting learning. Formative assessment is considered to be a powerful device for improving students’ learning. However, its learning potential has been less extensively explored in contexts where summative assessment dominates, as summative assessment is considered to undermine the effective implementation of formative assessment. Abandoning summative assessment completely in real classrooms is not possible; therefore, how to implement formative assessment along with summative assessment becomes important. This study explores students’ responses to classroom English assessment in the Chinese high school context, a context typically dominated by summative assessment, in an attempt to identify features of formative assessment, and to examine whether and to what extent summative assessment can be used formatively. The study chooses to explore classroom assessment mainly from the perspectives of students, as they are a critical factor in the learning process. A qualitative approach was adopted to investigate this topic in five classes from two high schools in China. Participants were six teachers teaching five different classes and their forty-eight secondary students (aged 16-18). Data were collected from multiple sources, including classroom observations, the draw-a-picture technique and interviews. The study identified various assessments in classrooms, from informal ones integrated into the classroom teaching to formal tests. This thesis focuses on the three most prominent assessments in the two schools: oral presentations, dictation, and tests and related test follow-up. The in-depth exploration of these three methods reveals students’ affective responses to assessment and their understandings of the relationship between assessment and learning. Assessment was found to be an emotionally charged issue, and students responded to it with both negative and positive feelings. The complex roles of assessment have also been unraveled. At the informal end, students did not distinguish clearly between assessment and learning activities. At the formal end, tests were considered to be a tool to summarize students’ language learning achievement; and there was also the potential to use summative tests formatively, in particular through test follow-up. On the basis of the findings presented in the thesis, this study identifies three key related issues which form the framework of this research, namely, assessment tasks, feedback or judgment, and potential follow-up actions. This framework presents the assessment process and how assessment could be used to improve student learning. Central to this framework is students’ active engagement with assessment. The significance of this study is threefold. First, it contributes to the theoretical understanding of formative assessment, including the potential variations of classroom assessment and the potential interplay between formative and summative assessment. Second, it provides insights into students’ responses to assessment, including their affective responses, what they perceive assessments are, how and to what extent assessments contribute to their learning and factors affecting their perceptions. Finally, situated in a context dominated by high-stakes tests, this study uses empirical evidence to develop a contextual perspective of formative assessment; hence, the findings enrich our knowledge about implementing formative assessment in a context dominated by summative assessment. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This dissertation based on the Cognitive Load Theory, focuses on the effectiveness of using schema reading strategy to enhance secondary five students’ reading comprehension ability. An action research, consists of designing reading worksheets, tests, guiding students using schema reading strategy and observing lessons, in order to promote students’ self-monitoring skill during reading comprehension as well as the effectiveness of the research. The findings conclude: (1) a positive significant on the effects of cognitive load management by modifying the teaching materials for students; (2) using schema reading strategy to enhance secondary five students’ reading comprehension ability. 本研究目的在於應用認知負荷理論，設計一個提升香港中學五年級學生閱讀策略的教學課程，以探討圖式閱讀策略對提升高中學生閱讀能力的成效。本行動研究利用閱讀教材、閱讀測卷和課堂觀察，進行兩個循環的閱讀教學過程，包括計劃、實踐、觀察和反思，藉以調整教學設計和教學模式。結果發現，認知負荷理論對閱讀教學設計的重要性，老師應確保閱讀教材具適度的認知負荷，以免妨礙學生的閱讀效能，亦應注意訓練學生運用圖式閱讀策略，適當地自我監控閱讀過程，從而提升閱讀能力。 / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This study focuses on the effectiveness of schema theories to improve the ability of classical Chinese reading comprehension of Hong Kong secondary three students. A classical Chinese reading course is therefore setup to demonstrate the Chinese cultural schema (hereinafter referred to as “the course”). The result will be discussed below. Quasi-experimental research method is used in this study. Students are divided into two groups: experimental group and control group. They are compared in pre-test and post-test to evaluate the effectiveness of the course. In addition, individual interviews and questionnaires are conducted both before and after the course of Chinese cultural schema to experimental group in order to learn more their opinions in Chinese culture, reading classical Chinese and the course. It is shown that both “basic reading comprehension ability” (“understanding of basic / surface meaning”) and “advanced reading comprehension ability” (“understanding of implicit meaning”) are improved, in which “advanced reading comprehension ability” is ameliorated particularly. For the ability of “constructing new knowledge and personal views”, however, the improvement is not outstanding enough. It is also found that students are more interested in Chinese culture and reading classical Chinese after the course. The result of Chinese cultural schema takes time to reflect. Teachers are encouraged to help students by revision and link up to previous schemas. Once students’ knowledge is reinforced, there will be a fundamental change in their way of thinking. It enhances the course’s effectiveness and makes it more long-lasting. 本研究旨在應用圖式理論，設計一個以建構中國文化圖式為主的文言文閱讀課程(下稱：「中國文化圖式課程」)，藉以探討該類課程對提升香港中三學生文言文閱讀能力的成效。 研究主要運用準實驗研究的方法，透過比對實驗組學生和對照組學生前、後測的成績，藉以評定中國文化圖式課程的成效。此外，為進一步了解學生對中國文化、古典作品，以及是次實驗課程的看法，研究員亦於實驗前、後，向實驗組學生各進行了一次訪談及問卷調查。 研究結果顯示，中國文化圖式課程對提升香港中三學生文言文的「基本閱讀能力」(理解基本/表層文意) 和「深層閱讀能力」(理解篇章深層意義)，均有一定的成效；當中，尤以「深層閱讀能力」的成效最為顯著。至於「讀者層閱讀能力」(建構個人新知識及看法) 方面，於是次研究中，則暫未見顯著成效。此外，研究結果亦發現，學生於課程完結後，對中國文化及古典作品的興趣，亦有一定程度的提升。 圖式建構絕非一朝一夕的，教師在教學的過程中，宜反覆重溫、連繫學生的已有圖式，如是，學生的思維才能出現本質上的改變，而課程的成效也才能變得更加持久。 / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education