Abstract

As qualitative research has grown in popularity there has been a corresponding proliferation of methodological definitions and empirical applications associated with those studies that operate under the label of "qualitative." Although there are many ways in which qualitative studies are conducted, it is still common to find qualitative research defined as a unitary endeavour. The purpose of the present paper is to provide a schematic description that illustrates the range of definitions and practices found in qualitative studies. A schema composed of six components illustrates a sample of choices that must be made and pathways that may be considered when conducting a qualitative study. The selection of components discussed addresses various aspects of qualitative research, ranging from epistemological positions to representational modes. Practical examples and theoretical arguments are considered in order to demonstrate the way in which qualitative research can vary within and across the six component. Finally, definitional boundaries for qualitative research are linked to distinctions between the broader notions of inquiry and methods.

Abstract

This paper will use a critical perspective to review the discourse currently used in the preparation of physical education teachers. The paper first traces the emergence of a paradigm of technical rationality presently utilised in the training of physical education teachers. This is followed by a brief survey of prominent issues related to the Westernisation of lifestyles and behaviours now commonly adopted by students in Hong Kong schools. Finally, the paper will suggest a range of research strategies which have the potential to react to these issues with a view to transforming the professional preparation of physical education teachers in order that their subject emerges as central rather than marginal in the Hong Kong school curriculum.

Abstract

This study investigated expectations of independence from parents in decisions regarding school-related tasks ("school-related autonomy") in Chinese teenage girls in three different school settings: an Anglo-Chinese school, an international school where the majority of the students are Hong Kong Chinese, and an international school where the majority of the staff and students are western. Caucasian students from one of the international schools formed a comparison group. Students in the Anglo-Chinese school had later expectations for autonomy than did students in the school where the majority of teachers and students are western. Expectations for school-related autonomy correlated strongly with expectations for autonomy in non-academic areas in all groups of students studied. Students' prioritization of the value of Independence in their personal lives correlated in the expected direction with school-related autonomy only in the most conservative setting. Prioritization of the value for Obedience on the other hand correlated with school-related autonomy only in those Chinese girls who attended school in the more "western" settings. Multiple regression analysis indicated that 24 percent of the variance in school-related autonomy could be predicted by school setting and non-academic autonomy expectations. The implications of these findings are discussed.

摘要

本研究在香港三所不同類形的中學調查了年青中國女學生對學業上自主的期望（“學業自主性”）。三所學恔包括一所中英文學校，一所以香港中國學生為主的國際學校，以及一所以西方學生和職員為主的國際學校。對照組為國際學校的白人學生。結果發現中英文學校學生的自主性比國際學校的學生低。所有學生組的學業自主性都與非學業自主性相關，但只有中英文學校學生的個人生活獨立性與學業自主性相關。另一方面，兩所國際學校的中國女學生的服從性與學業自主性相關。多元回歸分析顯示學校類形和非學業自主性能預示49%的學業自主性變化量。作者對本研究結果的意義作出了討論。

Abstract

To what extent can concepts to do with teaching and learning be transported across cultures, particularly to Confucian-heritage cultures that already have strong versions of these concepts? Expatriate teachers may operate at three levels in coming to grips with this issue, depending on their conception of teaching, and on the focus of their teaching efforts. At Level 1, they focus on differences that are highlighted by implicit expectations that students will conform to their own exotic norms of student behaviour. At Level 2, they focus on the given system, seeing teaching as culturally determined and successful teaching as requiring a deep knowledge of that system. At Level 3, they focus on the principles of teaching and learning that apply across systems, but a knowledge of the given system is required in order to give those principles effective local substance. These levels correspond to the pseudo-etic, emic, and etic approaches, respectively, distinguished by cross-cultural psychologists.

摘要

本文是伍、鄭（1995）有關學校組織變革一文的延續。基於學校組織變革動態模型，學校組織變革涉及學校行政人員、教師、及學生等不同成員；而除個人層面外，亦涉及小組及組織的層面，故此有關學校組織變革的研究應兼具科技、文化、及政冶的視點去瞭解學校成員在認知、情意及行為上的改變。在研究方法和探究途徑方面，從單向的線性思維轉向多向的矩陣思維；朝整合質與量兩種典範的方向進行。

本文提出應採取個案研究法及不同的研究工具來研究學校組織變革的複雜性。在方法學上應就分析單位、資料性質的不同，採用不同的分析及報告方法，指出需要選擇不同的變革個案為探究的對象，提出如何處理個別學校變革個案的資料，及如何比較及補足不同個案間的資料。研究學校組織變革，除掌握研究路向及策略外，尚需理解方法學上的技巧，因應情境和資源的限制而適當的進行。目前學校組織變革的研究逐漸增多，希望本文提出的方法對學校變革研究發展有些幫助。

摘要

學校效能是目前世界各地教育改革的主要關注課題之一。雖然近十年研究文獻迅速增加，多數研究成果因忽略學校功能的多元性，未能為政策制訂及學校改進提供全面而有力的啟示和指示。本文目的在引入學校功能的多元性架構，包括個人、機構、社區、社會及國際等多層面及涵蓋技術／經濟、人際／社會、政治、文化及教育等多類別的功能，以探討學校效能研究的新發展方向。

Abstract

School effectiveness is one of the major concerns in current education reforms in both local and international contexts. Even though the volume of literature on school effectiveness research was rapidly increasing in the past decade, most of the findings suffer from the ignorance of the multiplicity of school functions and cannot provide comprehensive and powerful implications for policy making and school improvement. This paper aims to explore the new development direction for school effectiveness research by introducing the multiplicity framework of school functions in terms of multilevels (including individual, institution, community, society, and international levels) and multicategories (including technical/economic function, human/social, political, cultural, and educational functions).