Abstract

Two domains — talent development and positive psychology — that have heretofore rarely interacted in the literature have been brought together to explore how the positive psychology perspective could shed light on the process of talent development. With the description of the field of talent development and its current models that focus on psychosocial variables and the transforming process, the consideration of talent development from the impact of the three pillars of positive psychology is discussed, together with the need for research in this interdisciplinary area.

Keywords: character strengths; positive psychology; talent development; Hong Kong

Abstract

Action research projects have been used as a means of innovations in curriculum and in-service professional up-grading of teachers. Many instructional innovations of the Western world are being replicated in Asian’s education systems often without due consideration of success rates. As such endeavour consumes much time and other resources, it would be prudent that account be taken of success rates based on the Western experiences. This paper suggests using meta-analyzed effect sizes hitherto available for (1) making pre-project decisions as to whether a project is worth trying in view of the relevant past experiences, and (2) evaluating a project effect, post hoc, vis-à-vis the average effect size available for similar projects for a contextualized interpretation. Examples and information for doing these are given. Relevant conceptual issues are discussed.

Keywords: meta-analysis; action research; curriculum innovation

Abstract

This paper draws upon the methodological aspect of my thesis project completed in June 2007. At the center of the research problem was the question: How do history teacher educators (HTEs) in Bahir Dar University comprehend the sources and nature of historical knowledge? Phenomenological approach to research was employed in an attempt to explicate invariant structures of their epistemic assumptions of history as a school subject. Accordingly, with six purposefully selected educators as research participants, in the two-month time field work, in-depth interview and essay questions for personal text were used to gather qualitative data. Then, the data were analyzed thematically using an adapted six-phase model and interpretive themes emerged as findings of the study. And it was learnt that the educators have a very muddled conception and unquestioned assumptions on the nature and sources of historical knowledge. With this, also phenomenological enquiry, with difficulties and rewards of its own, was found to be an appropriate strategy to understand personal meaning and beliefs of the educator with regard to disciplinary knowledge of history. The paper, therefore, describes the way I employed phenomenological research approach to understand the case, and presents my personal experience of it as a beginner education researcher.

Keywords: epistemology; historical knowledge; phenomenology; lived experience

Abstract

Earlier studies stress that teachers are at the center of the educational change process. Based on Fullan’s (1982) multidimensional framework for educational change, 40 schoolteachers were selected and randomly distributed (Penuel, Fishman, Yamaguchi, & Gallagher, 2007) according to four conditions of professional support, specifically, the control group (CO), Teaching Materials and Teacher Development (TMTD); Teaching Materials and Student Assessment (TMSA), and Teaching Materials, Teacher Development, and Student Assessment (TMTDSA). Subsequently, pre- and post-stage studies to the 10-month intervention were conducted to compare the various effects of educational change on teacher receptivity (Ha, Lee, Chan, & Sum, 2004; Waugh & Godfrey, 1993). Both quantitative and qualitative methods were likewise used to identify the teachers’ views on education reform. Results show that teachers of TMTD and TMTDSA obtained a significantly higher post-test score (p < .05) on “Behavioral Intentions toward Promoting Physical Education as a Key Learning Area (PE-KLA)” and “Other Perceived Support for Teaching PE-KLA,” respectively. Meanwhile, the control group obtained a significantly higher post-test score (p < .05) in “Issues of Concern Associated with Implementing PE-KLA,” indicating that teachers who do not receive support from schools or outside agencies showed more concern on the implementation of the initiative compared to the other groups.

Keywords: Fullan’s multidimensional framework of educational change; Teacher Receptivity Model

Abstract

The Hong Kong government would like to enhance Hong Kong’s status as a regional education hub. It is argued that if we do not consider how to help the non-local students to adapt to the Hong Kong society, it may influence the students’ mental heath and academic performance. In turn, this may affect the development of a reputed regional education hub. In recent years, most of the non-local graduates and postgraduates come from Mainland China. It is expected that this trend will continue. Therefore, this research intends to understand the relationships between cross-cultural adaptation, acculturation strategies (integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization) and social support (local friend support, non-local friend support, family support, and university support) among this kind of students. The findings showed that cross-cultural adaptation may relate to social support and integration positively, but it may relate to marginalization and separation negatively; and social support did significantly predict cross-cultural adaptation rather than acculturation strategies. Accordingly, it is suggested that the government and universities should encourage the students’ cross-cultural adaptation through enhancing their social support networks with their local and non-local friends, family, and the university.

Keywords: cross-cultural adaptation; acculturation strategies; social support

摘要

本文介紹一項以「全校總動員手法」預防及處理欺凌程序，討論其成效及成敗要素。研究採用活動前後測試，收回小四至小六學生活動前問卷493份及活動後問卷488份，比對兩所小學在兩年內實踐全校總動員手法的效果，闡述學校之參與程度與學生欺凌、自尊感、助人行為、缺乏感同身受的能力及與其他價值之關係。比對兩所學校的參與程度及欺凌行為轉變後，發現「全面總動員」學校，比「一般總動員」學校達更佳的果效，此證明全校總動員手法是有一定效用。

關鍵詞：欺凌；程序評估；和諧校園

Abstract

This paper highlights programs of a whole-school approach for tackling bullying in two primary schools, reports its effectiveness, and discusses factors leading to the success and failure of the programs. Using a quasi-experimental research design with “intervention” group and “partial intervention” group in two schools, the authors have collected program intervention data over two years to assess the effectiveness of the approach. A total of 493 pre-test and 488 post-test questionnaires were collected from Primary 4 to Primary 6 students. Students’ bullying behaviors, self-esteem, caring behavior, inappropriate assertiveness, lack of empathy, and their ratings on quality of school life were measured. The findings show a significantly marked reduction of bullying behavior in the intervention group as compared with the partial intervention group.

摘要

本研究採用幽默風格量表（CHSQ），精神症狀自評量表（SCL-90-R），以及生活定向測驗修訂問卷（LOT-R）對300名香港大學生和500名內蒙古呼和浩特市大學生的幽默風格、樂觀人格與心理健康的關係進行了調查。香港大學生和內地大學生都較多運用親和型幽默，較少運用自貶型幽默；內地大學生較香港大學生更多運用自強型幽默，香港大學生較內地大學生更多運用嘲諷型幽默。兩地高樂觀組的大學生都比低樂觀的大學生更少運用嘲諷型和自貶型幽默。內地高樂觀組的學生比低樂觀的學生更多地運用親和型和自強型幽默。氣質性樂觀、親和型和自強型幽默都與心理健康呈顯著正相關，嘲諷型、自貶型幽默與心理健康則呈顯著負相關。

關鍵詞：幽默；樂觀；心理健康；中國文化

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between mental health, humor styles and dispositional optimism in Chinese societies. 300 undergraduates in Hong Kong and 500 undergraduates in Huhehot in Mainland China participated in this study. They were required to complete The Humor Styles Questionnaire (CHSQ), The Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) and Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R). The results show that Hong Kong and the Mainland students mostly used affiliative humor but rarely used self-defeating humor. Hong Kong students used more hostile humor while the Mainland students used more self-enhancing humor. Hong Kong and the Mainland students with high optimism used less hostile and self-defeating humor than those with low optimism. The Mainland students with high optimism used more affiliative humor and self-enhancing humor than those with low optimism. Both optimism and mental health were positively correlated with affiliative and self-enhancing humor but are negatively correlated with hostile humor and self-defeating humor.