摘要

香港於2002年全面實施初中中國語文科課程改革。本研究探討制度層面（包括課程發展議會及其下的中國語文教育委員會、課程發展處及其下的中國語文教育組）的課程決定。研究採取描述的方式，從課程決策者的角度分析決定課程改革內容及其背後的理念。研究發現，各課程決策者在這次決策的意見頗一致，曾經考量不同理念，並照顧了教師的接受程度。

Abstract

In 2002, Hong Kong started to implement the Chinese Language curriculum reform at junior secondary schools. This research inquires the curriculum decision-making of the reform at the system level, which includes the Committee on Chinese Language Education of the Curriculum Development Council and the Chinese Language Education Section of the Curriculum Development Institute. Adopting a descriptive approach, it aims to analyze the decision contents and its rationales from the perspective of curriculum policymakers. It was found that these policymakers had consensus in decisions, attended to rationales behind decisions, and considered the receptivity of teachers.

摘要

本文主要目的是以台灣人權教育發展為例，探究儒家文化與人權普世價值的接榫，提供普世倫理與特殊文化之間互動、對話的例證。討論的重點包括：一、從儒家所建構的人倫社會、道德論述以及「義務語言」與「權利語言」互相涵攝的觀點，探討儒家傳統與人權理念若合符節之處。二、我們習以為常認定儒家重視差序格局、義務導向、集體重於個人的說法，可能是攙雜了統治階級的「權力」論述；並以漢武帝獨尊儒術及台灣實行「文化復興運動」為例，說明統治者將儒家視為維護既得利益的工具，把它變作國家意識形態機器的「變形」儒家。三、以台灣政治民主化歷程、公民社會蓬勃發展及中小學校園推動人權教育等例證，說明儒家文化與人權普世價值之間確實存在接軌與對話的空間。最後，總結在學校場域推動人權教育，重要關鍵在於反思「權力」滲透的文化、價值，挑戰涉及「權力」操控的結構與運作，尋找人權普世性與文化特殊性之間會通、接軌的可能。

Abstract

The main purpose of this article is to search for common understandings of human rights in Taiwanese social context embedded in Confucian cultural heritages from the practice of implementing human rights education in schools. Through engaging in a dialogue between the universality of human rights and Confucian values, it is hoped to find a way of understanding the theory and practices of human rights within the context of particular cultural heritages and yet to reflect the universal applicability of this way of understanding.

摘要

在中國大陸，公民教育已經不再被視作資本主義的衍生品，在最近十年廣受關注。本文從全球意識形態景觀的視角出發，探討中國大陸學者如何通過翻譯和演繹，把「公民教育」這個外來語賦予本土內涵。公民教育的本土建構主要體現在三個主要議題上：打破國家霸權（民眾和社會成為決策參與者）、爭取民主（民眾常被批評缺少公民意識，這也被解釋為社會缺少民主氛圍的原因，但公民教育的研究者借此論證實施公民教育的必要）、平衡政治身分與文化身分（反映出知識分子自我的文化覺醒和對共產主義／社會主義的失望）。

Abstract

“Citizenship education,” no long conceived as a product of capitalism, gains widespread attention during the past decade in the Chinese mainland. This article explores, from the perspective of ideoscapes, how the global concept of “citizenship education” is ascribed local meaning. Three aspects are highlighted in the local conceptualization of citizenship education by mainland scholars: breaking state hegemony (participation of citizens and society as stakeholders); struggling for democracy (lack of democracy is partially justified by lack of civic consciousness among the ordinary, accounting for the need for citizenship education); and balancing political identity and cultural identity (intellectuals’ self-reflection on cultural consciousness and disappointment of communism/socialism).

Abstract

This article details an investigation into onscreen marking (OSM) in Hong Kong — where paper-based marking (PBM) is being phased out, to be completely superseded by OSM. It is a specific follow-up to a larger study (Coniam, 2009a) involving 30 raters who had previously rated English language essay scripts on screen in the 2007 Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE). In that study, 16 raters were generally negative about marking onscreen compared with marking on paper as against 8 raters who were generally positive about OSM. The current study is a direct response to concerns that the attitudes of the two groups of raters (i.e., negative versus positive attitude) might be reflected in the scores awarded to test takers through the two marking mediums. An examination of the groups’ data involving classical measurement statistics results such as correlations between rater attitude and the different component of the HKCEE Writing paper, along with multi-faceted Rasch measurement to examine rater fit and erratic behavior in marking, reveals that a negative attitude toward OSM does not appear to impact upon the reliability of the rating.

Abstract

The rise of women’s modern schooling in late Qing China was deemed to be, by the historical trend of modern China, a progress that coincided with China’s modernization and national self-strengthening movement after the humiliating defeat of the Opium War. This article is an examination of this process from 1840 to 1911, which had undergone three stages: (a) 1840–1898, dominated by Western Protestant missionaries, who had founded pioneering girls’ boarding schools in major cities and treaty ports. Women’s schooling was regarded as an effective way to disseminate Christian doctrines and to cultivate indigenous female evangelists; (b) 1898–1907, dominated by China’s patriotic gentry, who had established women’s schools all over the country. They saw women’s schooling as an effective tool to cultivate “future mother of a superior citizenry”; (c) 1907–1911, dominated by the Qing government, which had incorporated women’s schooling into the national education scheme. The policy of promoting women’s schooling was adopted as one of the reformative efforts to save the declining Qing regime from extinction.

Abstract

This article argues that school social capital is crucial for school effectiveness, but it has been disregarded in the traditional school administrative theory. Therefore, this article tries to illustrate the significance of school social capital to school effectiveness. School social capital is defined as the social resources embedded in internal and external school social networks. According to the existing literature, if schools possess more socially embedded resources, the overall school performance will be better. Thus, managing school social capital is important for school to strive for effectiveness. It is suggested that schools can manage school social capital through (a) maintaining the possessed social resources by expressive action and cultural intervention, and (b) acquiring additional social resources by instrumental action and the balance of loosely coupled system and tightly coupled system of school social networks. However, there is no specific theory explaining school social capital and its relationship to school effectiveness. Therefore, it will be contributive to the development of a theory of school social capital.

Abstract

There has been growing enthusiasm for English learning in China in recent years. This development, along with the introduction of a new English curriculum in 2001, has brought a breakthrough in English language teaching (ELT) in China. In the new curriculum, the traditional emphasis on grammar and vocabulary is replaced by a focus on the development of communication skills. How do Chinese mainland teachers perceive ELT these days? Are they ready for the paradigm shift? This article reports a study that attempts to answer these two questions. The study includes a questionnaire survey with 214 primary English language teachers from Guangdong and observation of two demonstration lessons conducted by local teachers. The findings reveal that although many teachers had a heightened awareness of the importance of using the learner-centered approach to enhance students’ communicative competence, their teaching was still directed by textbooks, with authentic teaching materials seldom being used. This article identifies some issues that the education authorities in China need to address in order to implement curriculum reform successfully.