This study provides a critical review on the provision of Chinese Language education for non-Chinese speaking students (NCSS) in traditional high-concentration designated secondary schools in Hong Kong. NCSS are equipped with L2 Chinese literacy but are asked to survive with the main stream society who sought for L1 Chinese literacy. This has been a thorny issue since 2008 where the good efforts of various stakeholders including the EDB have not yielded any positive outcomes in enhancing the Chinese literacy of the NCSS. On one hand the NGOs strongly advocate for an alternative Chinese curriculum framework for NCSS while on the other, the EDB justifies the existing provision of Chinese education such as the central Chinese curriculum framework (CCCF) and the supplementary Chinese curriculum guide (SCG) as adequate. Their entanglements have ended up as political fights and bring further disarray to schools, teachers and the NCSS. Despite the absence of literature and few research studies, the issue of providing Chinese Language education for NCSS is pursued in this study within a theoretical framework derived from three related areas of research: Language policy in Hong Kong for government and subsidized schools, the Chinese Language curriculum for NCSS in Hong Kong and NCSS’ language acquisition and Chinese language learning. The main aim of the study is to achieve a better understanding of the Chinese literacy of the NCSS, the manner in which the school-based NCSS Chinese curriculums are adopted from the CCCF and SCG and implemented. Last, the different views of the stakeholders and their entanglements are depicted. This study employed an eclectic approach where both quantitative (test administration and survey) and qualitative (observations, documentary review and in-depth interview) methods were administered to collect the data for the study. The essence of critical ethnography was employed in the qualitative method where in-depth interviews in a semi-structured manner and my experience and educational upbringing as an NCSS helps shed additional light and explanation to the issue which allows the issue to be holistically depicted. The findings reveal that, despite the NCSS attaining satisfactory examination results in the international Chinese examination (GCSE); their Chinese literacy is far beyond the benchmark of the societal expectations. Second, regardless of the amount of work that the EDB has put in place concerning the implementation of the NCSS Chinese curriculum, there is a weak negotiation between the different levels of curriculum planning, namely the strategic, tactical and operational. In addition, at the operational level of planning, teachers’ inadequate LTC and LTEC in notional and operational curriculums warrant our concern. Last, the entanglements between different stakeholders arise due to their relative differences on the degree of accountability and practicality concerns towards the issue. The study seeks to contribute to empirical and conceptual knowledge on international studies and re-conception on language education policy for linguistics minorities at the political level and fills the literature gaps on language pedagogy, LTEC and LTC at school level. Finally, it becomes a unique literature in explaining the un-imparted multilingual NCSS’ language acquisition which is absence in the field of applied linguistics. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This thesis explores the mutual impacts between English learners’ identity construction and their English learning at university level of education in the People’s Republic of China. Grounded in the sociocultural perspective on second language learning and based on the theory of communities of practice and the concepts of imagined communities and investment, the research focuses on two non-English major students’ English learning in a comprehensive university and investigates the social, historical and individualistic factors causing identity continuity and/or identity change in the first year of university study and explores how identity construction and English learning mutually impacted each other. This research adopted a qualitative case study method and employed weekly diaries and interviews as data collection instruments. Data collection lasted six months. Weekly diaries guided by prompt questions were collected per week to track learners’ English learning and identity construction. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted every five to six weeks to gain rich contextual, historical and individual information and to retrospectively find out learners’ English learning and identities before entering the university and in the first semester in university. Their English teacher was interviewed for data enrichment and triangulation. Thematic analysis and Fairclough’s model of discourse analysis were used to identify evidence which shows identity continuity, identity change, and English learning. Findings show that in English learning in the university, language learners experienced either identity continuity or change in English learner identities, future career expectations and the sense of belonging to learning communities in the university. Learners’ imagined identities in future careers and future social status remained continuous in the first year and the imagined identities in future careers and future social status strongly promoted learners’ investments in English learning. By engaging in the learning communities in the university with imagination of learning communities they desired to participate in and imagination of their future, learners built their sense of belonging to the university, their classes and their dormitories. The growth of the sense of belonging reflects learners’ identity change. The sense of belonging facilitated their full participation in English learning in the university, classes and dormitories as learning communities. The findings also show that when congruence between the actual and imagined communities appeared, learners’ English learning were promoted, whereas incongruence negatively impacted English learning. The findings of this study reveal the importance of learners’ imagined communities and imagined identities in future careers and future social status and also reveal the effects of learners’ non-academic factors on their English learning. This thesis suggests that learners’ diverse backgrounds and multiple identities should be taken into consideration when English curricular are designed. Career counselling and buddy schemes are also suggested. Accordingly, this study enhances the understanding of the first-year non-English major undergraduates’ identity construction in EFL learning in China. This study also attracts educators’ and researchers’ attention to the needs of non-English major students’ English learning in China as well as the needs of first-year undergraduates who experience a transition from high school to university. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Philosophy

This thesis presents an in-depth, qualitative study that examines how a group of English teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and various sociocultural and institutional factors affect their integration practices of CALL in a private university in China. An activity theory (AT) perspective is adopted as both the theoretical and analytical framework for the research. AT in essence postulates that human activities shape and are mediated both at the individual and social levels, with the mediational tools and artifacts that link the processes together. Four College English teachers in a private university (two part-time teachers and two full-time teachers) participated in this one-year study. Adopting a qualitative multi-case study approach, data were collected from semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, stimulated recall interviews and related documents and artifacts. A key finding is that the teachers each espoused unique, compatible and incompatible systems of pedagogical belief regarding English teaching and CALL. While commonalities among the teachers’ reported beliefs about English teaching and learning are noticeable, there are significant divergences existing among their beliefs with regard to CALL. In contrast with the divergences in the teachers’ reported beliefs, however, classroom observations reveal a very similar pattern in the teachers’ CALL integration: CALL was applied primarily as a tool of input to support their teacher-centered and linguistic-knowledge-oriented method of instruction. With activity theory as the analytical framework employed for interpreting the mechanisms that link the teachers’ integration of CALL, their cognition and the sociocultural settings, the research findings suggest strong contradictory relationships among the various elements in the teachers’ CALL-integration activity systems. The cross-case analysis (in terms of the identified object and contradictions in the teachers’ activity system in particular) suggests that, regardless of their expressed pedagogical beliefs, the teachers’ practices in CALL were also strongly affected by their situated concerns for learners and for meeting the institutional expectations that they act as “qualified teachers”. In addition, their practices in CALL were also evidently shaped by the institutional part-time and full-time personnel structure, a fact manifested in the teachers’ unsystematic teaching arrangements, their heavy workload and the lack of community communication and professional development. The long-established teaching and learning culture in the Chinese context also had a role to play. In such a context, teachers are considered the major source of knowledge imparted to students, while computers as a distraction from learning. The significance of this study is threefold. First, the findings provide a comprehensive understanding of why and how College English teachers in a private university setting in China integrated CALL in their instruction. The findings suggest the institution needs to direct its efforts in promoting change in teachers’ conceptual and pedagogical beliefs while integrating CALL, and to emphasize alignment among teachers’ belief systems, curriculum design, pedagogy, technology affordances and the learning context. Second, the research findings provide pedagogical and policy implications for CALL integration in higher education in China. In addition, the findings may facilitate the development of teacher preparation and development programs in the area of educational technology in language education in higher learning institutes in China. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This study examined the use of digital game design and development process in secondary mathematic classroom to develop students’ mathematical problem-solving skills. The findings indicated students were able to acquire new mathematical concept and applied the newly acquired knowledge to solve different problems throughout the game design and development process. The game development process was highly motivating and it promoted students learning attitudes and interests in general. However, the complex skills required in the game development process did discourage one of the students. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

This study explored effectiveness of blog-based writing and compares it to traditional ‘paper and pen’ English narrative in a primary school classroom. A group of 30 primary five (P5) students were selected based on results of a pre-test, and randomly assigned into one of two groups: blog group and pen group. The students had six English composition lessons with focus on narrative writing. The students from both groups were in same class, and teaching was conducted by a single English teacher. Only difference between the two groups was that the blog group students composed their writing assignments with computers in the computer laboratory through the blog interface. The pen group worked in the classroom in traditional ‘paper and pen’ way. The post-test was conducted after six lessons, and questionnaires and evaluation forms were administered to provide data. In addition, data collection included artefacts produced by students. Collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data suggest that blogging can support writing in three areas. Firstly, blogging helps to increase the volume of writing produced by students. Secondly, blogging supports improvement in quality of narrative writing, more specifically in areas of Vocabulary, Language Use and Mechanics. Finally, blogging enhances students’ positive attitude towards writing. It Using Blogs to promote English narrative writing in Hong Kong Primary School ii is hoped that the results of the study will have encouraging effect on English teachers in a primary school classroom to apply blogging for purpose of improving students’ writing. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

This thesis is on motivation. It is an action research case study of my own classroom practices coupled with the study of motivational forces that drive or inhibit students to learn or disengage. As Covington (1998) cited in McDonough (2007:370) offers: “the importance of the beliefs learners hold about themselves, and therefore their level of aspiration and the kinds of strategies they operate or can be taught to adopt, to achieve what they want for themselves”. It incorporates the instrumental planning, teaching and supporting that the teacher’s role in the classroom defines. The time frame, participants and research methods such as interviews and questionnaires are all outlined within. The findings showed that students in my classroom were intrinsically motivated and regarded learning English as important, useful, fun and participated in classroom activities with a sense of enjoyment. The implications of the research study indicates motivational strategies have their place in the classroom. With an increased understanding of these motivational strategies, their implementations and the motivational dynamics that interplay within the classroom, motivational levels can be raised further and with a concerted effort of building relationships between teachers and students, appropriate and relevant contents and contexts, a step towards the bridging of learning and language acquisition of English by students in local CMI schools can be envisioned and realized. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Influenced by Robert Gardner’s socio-educational model, this research is focused on investigating the factors affecting the non Chinese speaking (NCS) students in learning English as a second language in a sociolinguistic perspective. This study aims to find out (1) the learning difficulties that non Chinese speaking students come across in English; (2) the sociolinguistic factors affecting the Hong Kong born NCS students in English learning in a multi-cultural primary school; (3) the sociolinguistic factors affecting the newly immigrated NCS students in English learning in a multi-cultural primary school and (4) to compare the similarities and differences of (2) and (3). Semi-structured interviews were the instruments used for data collection. Findings of the study showed that (1) the non Chinese speaking students are facing difficulties in their English learning; (2) the sociolinguistic factors affecting both the Hong Kong born and newly immigrated non Chinese speaking students are similar. Discussion on external influences and individual differences was made and practical implications for teaching and implementation of languages policies were suggested. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

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

本文嘗試通過對兩所香港國際學校授課教師的問卷調查, 以及筆者對授課教師進行的課堂跟蹤觀察, 試論香港的國家學校的對外漢語教學課堂中, 有效的和較無效的糾錯策略, 從而可以為香港國際學校對外漢語教學的後繼研究和實際教學提供實驗性的結果 / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education