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The study examined the factor structure, reliability and validity of a Chinese version of the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (C-CLES), an instrument for assessing students’ perceptions of the extent of constructivist approaches prevalent in classrooms. A convenience sample of 967 students in Secondary Three (Grade 9) in Hong Kong participated in this study by completing a self-administered questionnaire in their class time. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported the hypothesised factor structure, indicating five theoretical constructivist environment dimensions that showed goodness-of-fit to 25 items: Personal Relevance, Uncertainty, Critical Voice, Shared Control, and Student Negotiation. Criterion-related validity, involving evidence based on relations to other variables, was assessed by correlations between the constructivist environment dimensions and cognitive strategies and academic ability. Most correlations were statistically significant and in the positive direction. The C-CLES with 25 items provides a useful measure for educational practice and research among school students.
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This study explores the relationship between student teachers' beliefs and practices in early Chinese literacy instruction. Semi-structured interviews, classroom observation, and document analysis were conducted with six student teachers during their teaching practices. Findings indicated that the student teachers believed explicitly teaching literacy skills and imperceptible acquisition of literacy abilities through communication and meaning-making processes are essential in Chinese early literacy learning. However, they mainly taught Chinese literacy skills in their practices, which means the student teachers still needed to practice what they preached fully. The study suggests that possible reasons for the discrepancies include 'direct teaching' and 'rote learning' might be much easier for student teachers to design and conduct a lesson. Student teachers have limited abilities and experiences in conducting an ideal lesson, and the kindergarten curriculum and onsite supervisors highly influenced their teaching practices. The findings from this study suggested that more operational activities (such as designing lesson plans and conducting micro-teaching) should be used during pre-service training. Furthermore, the communication of educational beliefs between the university supervisor and the onsite supervisor should be strengthened.
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Critical thinking (CT), as a form of higher-order thinking, is intended to help individuals form reasonable reflection and judgment to deal with increasingly severe employment situations. As the primary workforce in the labor market, undergraduates must possess a strong critical thinking disposition (CTD) to make better use of CT. Despite extensive research on components of CTD from the perspective of educational practices, there is limited emphasis on investigating the components and their relationships of CTD in the labor market and the impact of gender differences. Therefore, this study presented an analysis of 1535 Chinese undergraduates (Mage = 20.89; SD = 1.43) using the Employer-Employee-Supported Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (2ES-CTDI), aiming to explore the CTD that undergraduates should possess before entering the labor market. The relationships among the components were examined using SmartPLS4.0 in conjunction with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Additionally, a multigroup analysis (PLS-MGA) with a measurement invariance (MI) test was conducted to validate the moderating effects of gender. The findings indicate that (a) self-efficacy has a significant negative effect on habitual truth-digging, and boys are more affected than girls, instant judgment plays a competitive partial mediating role in this relationship; (b) self-efficacy has a significant positive effect on instant judgment, and boys are more likely to make instant judgments than girls; (c) instant judgment significantly positively affects habitual truth-digging. These findings highlight the dynamic equilibrium among the internal components of CTD in the labor market and call for increased attention from educators to the importance of gender differences in the cultivation process.
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In the context of Asia, the changing dynamics of higher education has increased the visibility and significance of the group of intraregional education migrants. There are several methodological issues which need to be addressed in conducting research for this group of migrants. First, how does the particular type of migrant group and Asian context influence the research design? Second, in order to capture the scale and diversity of this migrant group, how should research be conducted across multiple sites? Third, how does a mixed method design allow researchers to learn more about the behaviour, practice and orientations of education migrants? Our paper aims to make contributions to the discussions on the methods of education migration research in Asia through answering these questions. We use research experiences and preliminary data from a multinational project to illustrate the issues involved in the selection of methods, research design and project management.
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The argument is raised that, in an age of the networked, connected society in an information-rich environment with communication possibilities as never before experienced or made possible, the displacement of educational virtues of morality, ethics and the development of all-round human beings, by those of money, labour, power and work are speeding apace, and the disconnect between system and lifeworld is increasing. Drawing initially on the work of Habermas, in which the colonization of the lifeworld occurs by system imperatives of rationalization, labour, money and power, the paper argues that such moves are manifested starkly in discourses of the relation between education and work, and five areas are introduced in which the links operate. The marketization and commodification of education, together with its incorporation into the service of capital and labour, are attested through a short worked example of one small territory within the larger context of China. Then, taking a lead from Sertillanges and Habermas’s later work, the paper argues for: (a) a reaffirmation of the importance of moral, ethical and spiritual dimensions of education; (b) the breaking of a narrowly instrumental, capital-acquisitive view of education as serving the jobs market and social control and towards a liberating view of education as communicative action and the development of being rather than simply behaving; (c) the importance of transcendence and immanence; and, thereby, (d) moves towards the re-integration of system and lifeworld in participating subjects.
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This paper adopts a political economy perspective in understanding how the country context frames the development of higher education doctoral science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs. We argue that a country's commitment to research and development spending as a strategy to maintain its economic competitiveness creates the market for research labor. This embeddedness of STEM doctoral training programs in the country's science and technology system enlarges differences between STEM and non-STEM doctoral programs. This argument is validated from a survey of doctoral students in leading Pacific Asian universities which shows that STEM doctoral programs have stronger research networks, are better financed, use better facilities, and incorporate a variety of research placements. The embeddedness of STEM programs is further illustrated from the case of Singapore. Singapore-based STEM doctoral students mention enjoying better financial support and receiving better career advice from their supervisors. They depend on collaborative peer learning and cite more varied employment options when asked about their career plans.
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This study examined responses from 508 full-time teachers working in inclusive schools in Macao (SAR). The intention was to understand the teachers’ perceptions about their roles and how they responded to inclusive practices in their school. Teachers’ perceived levels of emotional exhaustion and cognitive work engagement were assessed in relation to several professional competencies (self-efficacy with using inclusive instruction, collaborating with parents and paraprofessionals, and managing disruptive behaviours), as well as the organisational variable of role understanding. Regression analysis showed that teachers’ self-efficacy with using inclusive instruction was found to be the most powerful negative predictor of emotional exhaustion; while self-efficacy for managing disruptive behaviours was a positive predictor of teachers’ cognitive work engagement. Teachers’ level of understanding of their role and that of their schools was a negative predictor of emotional exhaustion and a positive predictor of cognitive work engagement. Moreover, it further confirmed that the concept of co-existence between work engagement and burnout can be applied to inclusive teachers. Results were interpreted in relation to management in inclusive schools in Macao and were followed by a discussion on the implications of enhancing inclusive education.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of Special Administrative Region (SAR) performance on the “trust” of Hong Kong and Macau people, who “live” under similar context of “one country, two systems,” toward Beijing Central Government. The different perceptions, relating to the abovementioned issue, of the young peoples’ are also investigated. Implication for civic education in these two societies will be brought to light. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts secondary data analysis on the captioned topic. To further illustrate the said issue, this study reviews and analyzes data from protest campaigns in both societies. Findings This paper finds that the performance of Hong Kong and Macau SAR Governments has different impacts on the peoples’ “trust” toward Central Government. It may attribute to the different perceptions about the role of Central Government and levels of democratization in these societies. Civic education emphasizing the “core spirit” of “One country, two systems,” roles of SAR and Central Governments could enable young people better comprehend their relationship with Mainland China and their role as SAR–Chinese citizens. Originality/value This paper is an exploratory study for providing implications for further research on this topic.
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