Abstract

This article first summarizes relevant literature from the U.S. and Hong Kong that informs our understanding of connectedness and life skills development in children and youth. It then introduces invited papers from Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland and the U.S., and also the reflection paper presented in this special issue. Finally, the concluding thoughts highlight some conceptual advances and useful practices for educators and guidance professionals in fostering connectedness and life skills development.

Keywords: children; connectedness; life skills development; youth; Australia; China; Hong Kong; Japan; United States

摘要

本文首先概述本地和美國有關兒童和青少年聯繫感及生活技能發展的文獻，接着簡介本專輯中來自澳洲、日本、香港、中國內地及美國的特邀文章，以及一篇回應文章。最後，本文總結出一些嶄新的概念和有用的實踐，以助教育工作者和輔導專業人士促進兒童和青少年的聯繫感及生活技能發展。

關鍵詞：兒童；聯繫感；生活技能發展；青少年；澳洲；中國內地；香港；日本；美國

Abstract

This article looks at the importance of connectedness in the lives of children and young people and what this means for promoting both individual resilience and healthy communities. The focus is specifically on the role of education in helping students feel a sense of inclusive belonging in school and what teachers can do to enhance positive and healthy relationships. The article outlines the impetus for focusing on these issues in Australian education together with recent research that argues for an ecological framework in which authentic belonging is embedded across all parts of a school system. It gives specific examples of how connectedness is being developed in schools and educational jurisdictions across the country.

Keywords: school belonging; student engagement; social capital

摘要

本文探討聯繫感對兒童和青年人生活的重要性，以及它對促進個人抗逆力和社區健康的意義。文章集中討論在學校裏，為了促進學生的歸屬感，教育可以擔當甚麼角色，以及教師如何促進正向和健康的關係。本文亦會概述推動澳洲教育界重視這些議題的動力，並綜合一些近期研究，這些研究均提出能讓學校制度中每個環節都融入真正歸屬感的生態環境。最後，本文亦會舉例說明如何在學校裏和全國的教育管轄區內發展聯繫感。

關鍵詞：學校歸屬感；學生參與；社會資本

Abstract

This article briefly reviews school connectedness research in Japan, focusing on the relationship between school bonding based on Hirschi’s (1969) theory and non-attendance or antisocial behavior at school among Japanese students. In addition, the article provides a case example illustrating the homeroom teacher’s role in enhancing children’s connectedness in elementary school. Since a national comprehensive guidance program does not exist in Japan, homeroom teachers are responsible for developing children’s skills, competences, values, and connectedness to school through everyday classroom activities and school events. The case example illustrates how homeroom teachers can enhance school connectedness and how a focus on classroom climate can improve teachers’ abilities to manage their classes effectively. Formal assessment instruments such as the Classroom Climate Inventory can assist teachers in this effort.

Keywords: school connectedness; classroom climate; teacher consultation; school counseling

摘要

本文首先概述日本在學校聯繫感方面的研究，主要探討以Hirschi（1969）理論為基礎的學校連結（school bonding）與日本學生缺課或反社會行為的關係。接着，文章會以一真實案例，闡明班主任在提升小學生學校聯繫感時所擔當的角色。由於日本並無全國的全方位輔導計劃，因此班主任有責任透過日常課堂活動和學校大型活動，以發展兒童各方面的技能和能力，並培養他們正確的價值觀和對學校的聯繫感。案例展示了班主任可以如何提升學校聯繫感，以及如何建立積極課堂氣氛來促進教師管理班級的效能。在這方面，課堂氣氛量表（Classroom Climate Inventory）等正規評估工具能有效幫助教師。

關鍵詞：學校聯繫感；課堂氣氛；教師諮詢；學校輔導

Abstract

This is a report of a study examining the interrelationships among teacher care, students’ life skills development, and academic achievement of Hong Kong junior secondary students. Specifically, the study aimed to examine: (a) the relationships between teacher care and the four domains of students’ life skills development, namely academic, personal, social, and career and talent development; (b) the relationship between teacher care and students’ academic achievement; and (c) the student gender difference in the effect of teacher attitudes on students’ life skills development. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect data through self-reported questionnaires. Data from a total of 15,113 student questionnaires and 635 teacher questionnaires were collected successfully from 86 secondary schools. Findings indicated that teacher care is a significant factor contributing to all domains of students’ life skills development and to their academic achievement. Comparing the student gender difference on the influence of teacher care, findings reflected that the impact of teacher care on male junior secondary students is less significant. This article reports these findings with practical implications for school counseling professionals, teacher educators, and school administrators.

Keywords: teacher care; life skills development; academic achievement; school guidance work

摘要

本文報道一項研究，探索教師關懷對學童生活技能發展及其學業成就的影響。研究的主要目的包括：（1）探討教師關懷對學童生活技能發展中四個範疇（即學術發展、個人發展、群性發展及事業發展）的影響；（2）探討教師關懷與學童學業成就的關係；及（3）探討教師關懷與學童生活技能發展的關係是否因學童性別不同而有所影響。是項研究為橫貫式研究，透過參與者自填問卷收集相關數據。研究成功收集了86 所中學合共15,113 份學童問卷及635 份教師問卷。結果顯示，教師關懷對學童生活技能發展中各個範疇及其學業成就均有正面影響，而教師關懷對女學童的影響亦較男學童明顯。在推動學校輔導工作方面，是項研究對學生輔導專業人員、教育工作者及教育行政人員有一定啟示。

關鍵詞：教師關懷；生活技能發展；學業成就；學校輔導工作

Abstract

This article is concerned with a research undertaken in a middle school on the Chinese mainland and the implications of its findings. The research involved the introduction of an experiential pedagogy usually described as circle time. The article describes the contribution of circle time to affective education and its pedagogical nature. The historical and broader cultural context in which the research was undertaken and the significance of these are discussed. Aspects of the research and its findings are then presented. Though the impact of the intervention (i.e., circle time) on students’ self-esteem was limited, it appeared to have some positive effects on their academic achievement. Data was collected using a range of methods. Both the students involved in the circle time and the teachers showing an interest responded positively. There were at least three important implications from the research: (a) an experiential approach developed in a Western context could be effectively transposed to an Eastern one; (b) based on the positive response from the students, it could have potential value for other students on the Chinese mainland; (c) young people have an affective need to which education in China is currently failing to respond. Finally, the limitations of the research are highlighted and the directions for future research are suggested.

Keywords: affective education; circle time; pedagogy; sushi jiaoyu (quality education); personal and social development

摘要

本文介紹了在中國內地一所中學所進行的一次實驗性教育研究及研究結果的啟示。研究嘗試把「圍圈活動時間」（circle time）這一西方教學方法融入亞洲的學校教育當中。本文敘述了圍圈活動時間對情感教育的貢獻及其教學法本質，並從歷史和文化角度探討了研究的背景及其重要性。接着，文章描述了研究的各個層面及其結果。據研究結果所示，雖然圍圈活動時間對增加學生自尊心的效果不大，但卻能提高實驗組學生的學科成績。研究以多種方法收集數據，結果顯示，參與實驗的學生及對圍圈活動時間有興趣的老師都有十分正面的反應。研究結果至少有三個重要啟示：（1）西方的經驗學習法可以有效轉移到亞洲的教育實踐當中；（2）從實驗學生的積極回響，可見此教學法對中國內地的其他學生都有潛在價值；（3）當前的中國教育實踐未能回應年青人情感教育的需求。最後，本文分析了研究的局限，並建議未來的研究方向。

關鍵詞：情感教育；圍圈活動時間；教學法；素質教育；個人及群性發展

Abstract

The growth of positive youth development (PYD) programs in the United States (U.S.) reflects a shift from a focus on pathology to potential, which is a change welcomed by the counseling field. However, the roles of collectivist, individualist, and relational worldviews have not yet been factored into any assessments of whether PYD programs in the U.S. may be equally useful or necessary in Asian societies like China, Korea, and Taiwan. This article describes the Cross-Age Mentoring Program (CAMP), a highly structured, developmental mentoring program for adolescents and youth, and reports the changes in adolescent connectedness it effects among participating mentees and mentors. Problem-behavior theory is used to consider whether the changes CAMP fosters in conventional connectedness would occur in more collectivistic or relational societies and whether such changes would be the best, most useful and primary outcomes of CAMPs implemented in those countries.

Keywords: Asian youth; connectedness; collectivism; mentoring

摘要

在美國，青少年正面發展計劃的冒起反映出服務的重點已由尋找病理轉為發展潛能。對這種轉變，輔導界是認同的。然而，對於美國的青少年正面發展計劃是否同樣有益於亞洲社會如中國、韓國和台灣，從未有任何評估考慮過集體主義、個人主義和關係主義世界觀的因素。本文描述一項高度結構化的發展性導師計劃──跨年齡導師計劃（Cross-Age Mentoring Program，簡稱CAMP），並指出它能增進參與導師和受導者的聯繫感。文章並以問題行為理論，探討CAMP對符合社會規範的聯繫感的促進作用會否同樣在集體主義或關係主義的社會中出現，以及在該等社會推展CAMP能否得出最佳、最有效的結果。

關鍵詞：亞洲青少年；聯繫感；集體主義；導師制度

Abstract

The concept of the importance of teacher wellness in fostering connectedness and life skills development among students in schools is analyzed in this reaction paper. Five articles about school connectedness and life skills development of youth in an international context, published in the current special issue of Asian Journal of Counselling, were reviewed. Roffey (2011) described specific initiatives practiced in Australia. Ito (2011) described the unique role of homeroom teachers in the Japanese education system and how teachers could make use of Classroom Climate Inventory to devise appropriate school or class activities to increase student cohesion and foster student self-worth and mental health. Chan, Lau, and Yuen (2011) discussed the importance of teacher care and its relationship to the life skills development and academic achievement of students in Hong Kong. Wu and Lang (2011) presented their findings on how circle time sessions facilitated self-awareness of the participants and their relationships with peers. Lastly, Karcher and Santos (2011) described the management of a Cross-Age Mentoring Program and discussed how such a program could benefit Asian youth to cultivate better school connectedness. These articles and other research findings together suggest that: (a) school connectedness is linked to various positive outcomes; (b) it is promoted by many pedagogical methods; and (c) it concerns the satisfaction of students’ need to belong. Since teachers contribute significantly to all these aspects, the wellness of teachers becomes an indispensable factor in promoting school connectedness.

Keywords: school connectedness; life skills development; youth; teacher wellness

摘要

本文回應本期《亞洲輔導學報》的五篇文章，指出教師身心康寧在促進學校聯繫感及學生生活技能發展的重要性。Roffey（2011）描述了澳洲的實踐情況，而Ito（2011）則論述了日本教育系統特有的班主任（homeroom teacher）制度，以及如何利用課堂氣氛量表（Classroom Climate Inventory）設計合適的學校及班級活動，團結學生，提升他們的自我價值及精神健康。Chan, Lau, & Yuen（2011）討論了教師關懷與生活技能發展的關係。Wu & Lang（2011）則展示了「圍圈活動」（circle time）如何促進參加者自我了解，並增進他們的同儕關係。最後，Karcher & Santos（2011）勾畫了跨年齡導師計劃（Cross-Age Mentoring Program）的運作，以及這個計劃如何令亞洲青少年有更強的學校聯繫感。總結五篇文章並結合過去一些研究可知：（1）學校聯繫感和許多正面效果有關；（2）它能以多種方式推行；及（3）它要考慮滿足學生從屬的需要。由於老師在上述各領域均可有重要貢獻，故此在促進學校聯繫感時，教師身心康寧不可忽視。

關鍵詞：學校聯繫感；生活技能發展；青少年；教師身心康寧