摘要

本文首先對「全球化」的概念略作探討，然後考察全球化所帶來經濟、政治與社會生活的變化，進而審視全球化所引生的問題和對教育的挑戰。文章並指出目前全球化的本質仍限於經濟與資訊的全球一體化，而全球化對教育帶來的挑戰仍然是科技發展、工商業文明所引生的人的主體喪失與價值失落問題的延續。儒家以德育為中心的人本主義價值教育，其重視人的主體性，重視生命的直接照面，是具有針砭當前重智的科技工業文明、資本主義文化的弊端，而有救蔽補偏的作用。

Abstract

After a brief inquiry into the meanings and definitions of the concept of globalization, this article investigates the economic, political, and social changes caused by globalization. It then looks into the educational problems and challenges that educators have to face. The article contends that the recent development of globalization is limited to the scopes of information and economic arenas. The education challenges that globalization aroused are basically the loss of value and human subjectivity, which is the extension of the problems resulting from scientific-cum-industrial-commercial culture of the past centuries. Confucian humanistic values education, with moral education as its core, is remedial for the scientific, industrial, and capitalistic culture since Confucianism emphasizes human subjectivity and directs life experiences.

摘要

香港近年教育改革的其中一個關鍵項目是「從閱讀中學習」。然而，有關廣泛的閱讀與學科為本的閱讀兩者之間關係的討論仍有擴大的空間。本文借助學科閱讀的三大範式（閱讀與學習技巧範式、認知與學習範式及社會建構主義範式），探討一項涉及十二所中學的歷史科閱讀計劃的研究結果。透過分析歷史讀物的書面報告及進行焦點小組訪問，本文主要討論兩個問題：一、以歷史讀物為主題的閱讀活動，如何落實歷史科課程綱要所釐定的學習目標？二、歷史科學生的閱讀習慣，如何受社會脈絡的影響？藉此希望啟發師生思考如何在豐富的歷史讀物中增強學科知識及理念，並在香港特有的社會脈絡中，締造獨立思維的空間。

Abstract

“Reading to learn” is one of the four key tasks advocated by the Hong Kong education reformers in recent years. Yet the relationship between reading programs and content area reading is largely unexplored. Drawing from the three main paradigms of content area reading (i.e., reading and study skills paradigm, cognitive and learning paradigm, and social constructivist paradigm), this article discusses the results of a study on the effects of content area reading activities in the development of historical understanding and thinking among Chinese history and World history students in twelve Hong Kong secondary schools. Based on focus group interviews with students and textual analysis of their reading reports, two main questions are pursued. First, how can reading activities achieve the goals of history education laid down in the official curriculum? Second, how do the social contexts shape the reading habits of history students? The article hopes to shed light on how history fictions and non-fictions can be used to broaden the realm of historical inquiry and independent thinking among teachers and students, particularly the close relationship between the process of critical reading and the construction of historical knowledge.

摘要

教學實習是教師教育中關鍵的一環。本文闡述一個探討六位香港小學實習教師學教歷程的質性個案研究，從建構教學自我的角度剖析實習教師的專業學習經驗。本文檢視教學實習環境中行動環境、社群專業環境及視導環境的不同層面，包括不同人士營造的挑戰與支援、實習教師對教學及專業角色的詮釋、他們在教學知識上的建構，這些皆與教學自我的建構有關。這項研究讓我們能更深入認識實習教師的專業學習，從而對發展高質素的教學實習帶來啟示。

Abstract

Teaching practicum is an integral component of teacher education. This article presents a qualitative case study that explored the professional learning journey of six pre-service primary student teachers in Hong Kong. Student teachers’ professional learning was examined from the perspective of the construction of the teaching self. It was found that the construction of the teaching self is closely related to (1) the challenges and support offered by the action context, the socio-professional context, and the supervisory context; (2) their interpretation of teaching and professional role; (3) their construction of knowledge. This study provides a deeper understanding of student teachers’ professional learning and generates insights for the development of quality teaching practicum.

Abstract

Education aims to enable students not only to acquire knowledge but also to become capable and enthusiastic lifelong learners. Prior research has found that learning is more likely to be effective where a student plays a proactive role in the learning process. Such a proactive process, including learning on students’ own initiative and strategies, is often described as “self-regulated learning” (SRL). The present study aims at investigating SRL in Hong Kong students as compared with students in other countries that participated in the first cycle of PISA (Programme for International Students Assessment) study. Using Hierarchical Linear modeling, the study also investigates the relationships between SRL and academic performance of 15-year-old students in Hong Kong. The findings suggest that most of the SRL constructs are positively related to academic achievement in reading, mathematics, and science domains in Hong Kong students. Particularly, the results show that control strategies and self-efficacy appears to be the two most important learning strategies associated with performance in all three domains; but instrumental motivation and memorization have negative associations with mathematical and scientific literacy performances. Although most of the SRL indices are found to have positive relation with academic achievement, it is interesting to find that Hong Kong students use SRL strategies far less frequently than do students in other countries in PISA except competitive strategies. If educating students to self-regulate their own learning and to become intrinsically motivated to learn is crucial for the Hong Kong educational reform, further studies should be conducted to find out how learning environment in Hong Kong can be adjusted to help students obtain this goal.

Abstract

In this study, instructional activities in science classrooms are examined in order to collect evidence to account for the strengths and weaknesses of Hong Kong students in scientific literacy as reported in the PISA 2000 project. The study consists of a questionnaire survey on the perceptions of classroom climate of science lessons of 17,616 Secondary 2 (S2) students and classroom observations of seven science lessons. According to students’ perceptions, science lessons were generally didactic; interactions were satisfactory but student questions and group discussions were less frequent. Class practicals were mainly demonstrations and pre-assigned investigations with detailed instruction. Classroom observations basically substantiate the findings obtained from the student survey that science lessons were didactic in nature and teacher-student interactions were mainly confined to low-order teacher questions. These problems were particularly serious when English was used as the medium of instruction. The prevalent use of highly prescriptive manuals and worksheets for practicals tended to discourage students from developing a genuine understanding of the nature and processes of scientific inquiry. These observations provide some preliminary evidence to account for the PISA finding that Hong Kong students were less successful on items that assess “recognizing questions” and “drawing conclusions.”

Abstract

In order to explore the possibilities and effectiveness of art education in local museum context, three Asian cities (Taipei, Singapore, and Shanghai) were selected and major public art museums there had been visited from 1999 to 2003. For the educational role of those public art museums in these three Asian cities, it is obvious that art education is agreed to be one of the main duties of public art museums. By applying appropriate education methodologies and taking into consideration local situations, public art museums such as the Taipei Fine Arts Museum and the Singapore Art Museum were successful in organizing various art education activities for different types of visitors. Compared to the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Shanghai Art Museum, in which art education activities tended to be exhibition-related programs, museum activities in the Taipei Fine Arts Museum and the Singapore Art Museum were more related to school curriculum and comprehensive in nature. Indeed, how to provide a continuation of school art education and give people of all ages with a place for study and appreciation of art is a mission of most public art museums. Although many newly established art museums in these three Asian cities are still unable to achieve this ideal, this is a firmly held view in the museum circle.