Abstract

The importance of creativity in our daily life was first highlighted through an overview of different approaches in the study of creativity. The issues and challenges in fostering creativity in schools were then discussed from the perspective of the confluence approaches, and in particular, the systems model, which emphasizes the interaction of individuals, domain, and field as subsystems. This systems model suggests reasons why traditional schools are inimical to the development of creativity, and provides insights into ways of fostering creativity in Hong Kong schools through effecting changes in all the three subsystems. Implications for helping students develop creativity, curriculum reform, and teacher education from the systems perspective are discussed.

Abstract

This article analyzes the technical and conceptual errors in three items in the written practical papers of the A-level examination papers, as well as mistakes in the corresponding solutions from the official marking scheme. Their causes and possible influences are discussed. Improvement for specific items and general preventive measures are proposed.

摘要

本文用淺白的文字和化學科的教學例子，解釋基模（schema）這種知識表徵的意義，並且提出在教學方面如何利用基模來幫助學生學習，啟發他們的思考，進而把所學的與實際生活連結起來。

摘要

政府在教育發展中應該發揮怎樣的作用？本文從經濟學和教育財政學的角度分析了政府干預教育的理由、方式與效果。結果顯示：政府與市場各有其行動邊界。政府干預教育的理據，主要規限在提供公共物品、維護社會公平和校正市場失靈這些範圍內。在這些範圍以外，政府應避免干預，留下空間，讓市場作出調節和發揮其促進效率的功能。各國發展的實踐研究表明，政府在教育發展上因角色錯位導致對教育「干預過多」或「干預不夠」的現象比比皆是，尤以發展中國家為甚。究竟政府應在哪些領域內及何種情況下「退出」干預，或「進入」以承擔應負的責任？這些都是急需探索的教育發展研究課題。就中國內地的教育而言，政府角色轉換還有很長一段路要走。

Abstract

What is the role of government/state in the development of education? This article analyzes the justification, strategy and impact of government intervention on education from the perspectives of economics and finance of education. The analysis shows that there is an intersecting boundary between government intervention and market operation. Government intervention should be limited to the provision of public goods, the protection of equality, and the adjustment for market failures. Outside these boundaries, government should refrain from intervention and allow market forces to operate and exert their positive effects on efficiency. A study of education development in various countries reveals that in most cases, government has exerted either too much or not enough intervention in education, especially in developing countries. In which areas and under what conditions a government should “retreat” or “enter” are important and urgent research topics in education development. In the case of Mainland China, the change in the role of government in education still has a long way to go.

Abstract

Eighty-three regular class teachers drawn from five primary schools in Hong Kong responded to a survey measuring how they felt about integrating students with disabilities into their regular classes. At the time of the study, two of the schools were implementing a policy of integration set out by the Hong Kong Education Department. Results indicated that preparation for integration was significantly related to willingness to accept students with disabilities into regular classes. Age of teacher, experience teaching students with disabilities and teaching in an integrated school were not significantly related to willingness to integrate. Students with physical problems were favored for integration over all other categories of exceptionality, the least acceptable students being those with emotional/behavioral problems. While 64% of the teachers indicated a willingness to integrate students with disabilities if support services were available, many teachers expressed ambivalent feelings toward the policy of integration. Teachers placed great emphasis on the need for resources and training in order to implement integration successfully in the schools of Hong Kong.

摘要

大學教育體制朝向大眾化（massification）的方向發展，打破昔日精英教育的傳統。大眾化對社會和大學教育界均帶來深遠影響，使社會大眾和政府都擔心大學教育質素會因為學生人口持續上升而下降。至於大學的意義和功能如何在全球化過程與後現代社會中定位，也是值得關注的問題。大學教育的目的不再純粹是為社會提供學術與文化服務，亦需要回應勞動與商品市場對大學教育的需求，即受到「市場化」（marketization）趨勢的影響。除了教育質素備受關注之外，大學要符合向公眾問責（accountability）的原則，加強有效調配和運用資源的能力，並提高管理效能。在各地政府積極推行公營部門及服務改革的同時，大學教育的發展也無可避免受到這股改革浪潮影響。管理主義（managerialism）或「新公共管理」（New Public Management）的概念，便在這種背景下開始影響大學教育的發展。本文旨在探討大眾化、管理主義及市場化趨勢對香港的大學教育系統的影響，回顧大學質素評鑑機制的發展，並分析評鑑制度對大學發展及學術界的影響。

Abstract

In recent years, the massification of university education represents a departure from an elite system in the past. There have been widespread concerns about the quality of teaching and learning, research, and university graduates in Hong Kong. Instead of being pure cultural and academic institutions, universities are increasingly treated like public service institutions that are under the great influence of marketization. Concerns about accountability, effective resource allocation prevail together with the notion of managerial efficiency. The recent development of university education is not immune from the tidal wave of public sector reform under the strong influence of the ideology of managerialism or the notion of New Public Management (NPM). This article discussed how managerialism and marketization affects university education, reviewed the development of quality assessment system of university education in Hong Kong, and analyzed the impacts of all the above trends on the prospects of universities and the academic profession.