Category Archives: Reading and Writing

Research and Development Project on Reading and Writing Assessment for the Chinese Language Curriculum Second Language learning framework

Fund Source Chinese Language Education Section (CDI),  Education Bureau
Project Investigators Prof. SK Tse
Period of Project Nov 2014 to Dec 2015
Aim(s) of Project
  1. Identify learning difficulties in reading and writing of NCS students at different stages;
  2. Design the blueprint of learning framework and assessment tasks;
  3. Develop different stages of assessment tasks and marking rubric with rationales for school teachers to diagnostic students’ learning difficulties
 
 

Provision of Services on the Study of Using Assessment Data to Enhance Secondary Students’ Reading Comprehension Skills and Motivation in Learning Literary Chinese (以評估資料提升中學生對文言文的閱讀能力和閱讀動機)

Fund Source Education Bureau (Education Infrastructure Division)
Project Investigators Dr. Y.K. Law
Co- Investigators Dr. J.W.I. Lam and Ms. A.W.M. Poon.
Period of Project May 2013 to May 2015
Aim(s) of project This two-year project aims:

  1. enhance students’ reading ability and motivation in learning Literary Chinese;
  2. identify possible problems leading to the general weaknesses in Literary Chinese;
  3. work with teachers in formulating interactional strategies and develop effective approaches on reading strategy instruction for learning Literacy Chinese for secondary schools;
  4. develop assessment tool(s) to evaluate the effectiveness of students’ reading ability and motivation in Literary Chinese;
  5. ) design and develop quality and need-focused web-based L/T support material for the secondary classroom in this study;
  6. provide professional teacher training for secondary teachers in this study in adopting the suggested approaches to reading strategies and the need-focused learning and teaching materials in Literary Chinese; and
  7. provide professional views and suggestions to EDB in promoting reading strategies in Literary Chinese in the secondary classroom based on the findings of this study.

Provision of Services for the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2016 in Hong Kong (EDB(RTD)l/ 28011410/12)

Fund Source Education Commission and Planning Division of Education Bureau
Project Investigators Prof. S. K. Tse
co-investigators Dr. J. W. I. Lam, Dr. E. K. Y. Loh and Dr. W. M. Cheung.
Period of Project February 2013 to January 2018
This study aims This three-year project aims at :

  1. To monitor Primary 4 students’ reading literacy attainment objectively;
  2. To delineate any changing trends and progress in Hong Kong Primary 4 students’ reading literacy from the PIRLS 2001 to 2016 cycles;
  3. To investigate issues of particular pertinence relating to reading in Hong Kong;
  4. To collate the impact of policies and practices relating to learning to read and to reading instruction, and to triangulate evidence and establish the veracity of interpretation of any conclusions; and
  5. To support the utilisation of standardised literacy data in Hong Kong schools and the relevance of impartial evidence for current practice.

The Fourth Study on the Progress in Chinese and English Reading Literacy Study (in 2013) at Primary 4 in Hong Kong and Approaches to and Strategies for Enhancing the Quality of Teaching and Learning of Reading

Fund Source RGC GRF
Project Investigators Prof. S. K. Tse
co-investigators Dr. J. W. I. Lam and Dr. E. K. Y. Loh.
Period of Project September 2012-August 2014
Aim(s) of project The project has the following objectives:

  1. The Fourth Study on the Progress in Chinese and English Reading Literacy Study (BR2013) is the fourth study in a series (following BR2004, BR2007 and BR2010). The present study operates in a three-year cycle of assessment and measures trends in children’s bilingual reading literacy attainment in relation to policy and practice changes. The data collection period will be conducted from April to June in 2013.
  2. The relative bilingual reading literacy of P4 pupils in English and Chinese will be determined.
  3. The effects of using Cantonese or Putonghua as the MOI on Chinese reading literacy will be robustly analyzed.
  4. The impact on students’ bilingual reading performance of implementing “reading across the curriculum” policies in Chinese and English will be investigated.
  5. The impact on bilingual reading performance of students’ reading habits, self-concept as readers, attitudes towards reading, teaching methods and classroom reading activities, home reading environment and parents’ attitudes toward reading will be investigated.

Provision of Services on the Study of Using Assessment Data to Enhance Primary Students’ Reading Proficiency and Comprehensive Skills

Fund Source Education Infrastructure Division of Education Bureau
Project Investigators Dr. D. Y. K. Law
Period of Project Sep 2009 to Dec 2010
Aim(s) of project The project aims to :

  1. explore how Chinese teachers make use of the assessment data to enhance the ability of learning reading strategies of primary six students, especially for those with lower capabilities; and
  2. explore how Chinese teachers can effectively teach primary six students on making use of the reading strategies so as to enhance their reading ability; and
  3. develop a programme that suits primary schools in Hong Kong on teaching reading strategies effectively.

Assisting Ethnic Minority Students (EMS) of Hong Kong to Share Intercultural Experiences through Picture Book Reading and Writing

Fund Source HKU Class of’ 84 Social Inclusion Fund
Project Investigators Dr. Ki Wing Wah
Period of Project April 2010 to September 2011
Aim(s) of project The project aims to :

  1. provide a platform on picture books for EMS to express their thoughts & feelings;
  2. increase the self esteem and confidence in themselves to stand up in society;
  3. increase their learning motivation in language and arts;
  4. enhance their Chinese language competence, this is essential for their future;
  5. allow university students to have experience of friendship with EMS;
  6. allow university students to get practical experience in teaching EMS;
  7. enhance university students’ intercultural experience in seeing the neEds. of EMS;
  8. encourage intercultural exchanges between EMS and Chinese students of HK;
  9. encourage HK students to see the value of literacy works with art and text;
  10. use these successful cases to motivate the larger EMS community to learning;
  11. use these successful cases to reduce prejudice on EMS in HK.

Enhancing creative teaching behaviors by Learning Study and its impact on writing and reading abilities of Primary school students in Hong Kong

Fund Source RGC GRF
Project Investigators Dr. W. M. Cheung
Period of Project December 2009 to November 2011
Aim(s) of project The project aims to :

  1. To inform teachers and help them develop creative teaching behaviors to enhance their teaching in Chinese by means of Learning Studies;
  2. To examine the cultural relevance and validate the Creative Teaching Framework to creative teaching behaviors of teachers in Hong Kong;
  3. To examine the impact of Learning Studies on teachers’ creative teaching using the framework set out in objective ii and qualitative analysis of lessons;
  4. To examine achievement gains in writing and reading among primary students as a result of the creative teaching developed by objective; and
  5. To explore the relationship between creative teaching behaviors of teachers and achievement gains in writing and reading among primary students.

The Progress in Chinese and English Reading Literacy Study (in 2010) at Primary 4 in HK and Approaches to and Strategies for Enhancing the Quality of the Teaching and Learning of Reading

Fund Source RGC GRF
Project Investigators Prof. S. K. Tse
Period of Project 2010 – 2012
Aim(s) of project The project aims to :

  1. this Bilingual Reading (BR) project, after BR04 and BR07, will be the 3rd in a 3-year cycle of assessment that measures trends in children’s bilingual reading literacy achievement, and policy and practices related to literacy;
  2. the Chinese reading literacy of pupils using Cantonese or Putonghua as their MOI will be compared;
  3. impacts of “small class size” on teaching approaches of English and Chinese reading and pupils’ bilingual reading performance will be investigated; and
  4. Impacts of pupils’ reading habits, self-concept and attitudes, teaching methods, classroom reading activities, home reading environment and parents’ attitudes towards reading on bilingual reading performance will be investigated.

Promoting Reading Research Project in Macau

Fund Source Direccao dos Servicos de Educacao e Juventude, Macau SAR Government
Project Investigators Prof. S. K. Tse
Period of Project Sep 2010 to Feb 2013
Aim(s) of project The project aims to :

  1. investigate the importance and structure of promoting reading in primary and secondary schools in Macau; and
  2. investigate the state of the teaching and promoting of reading in primary and secondary schools in Macau; and
  3. investigate the state of teachers and school librarians in primary and secondary schools in Macau; and
  4. investigate the outcome and impact of the teaching and learning of reading in primary and secondary schools in Macau; and
  5. investigate the learning environment and resources support teaching and learning of reading in primary and secondary schools in Macau; and
  6. investigate the expectation of parents and their support on teaching and learning of reading in primary and secondary schools in Macau; and
  7. provide suggestions for future development; and
  8. provide reading assessment tools for primary and secondary schools for the continuous development of teaching and learning of reading.

The Same Theoretical Approach in Two Different Cultures

Fund Source Swedish Research Council
Project Investigators Dr. W. M. Cheung
Period of Project Jan 2009 to Dec 2012
Aim(s) of project Enhancing students’ reading literacy as the learning of a complex learning object will be studied in two different cultural contexts. As previous studies were carried out either in Sweden or Hong Kong, it is not sure if the findings are valid in other cultural contexts. This raises the need to:

  1. discern critical features of enhancing reading literacy in Sweden and Hong Kong; and
  2. develop theoretical tools of enhancing reading in Chinese and Swedish Language teaching in the learning studies; and
  3. explore ways participating teachers handle the lessons to foster students’ reading literacy; and
  4. describe similarities and differences in enhancing reading in Sweden and Hong Kong. The project also evaluates the effectiveness of the implementation of the variation theory in improving students’ reading literacy. We study learning both in short- and long-term perspectives in line with our findings on generative learning (Holmqvist et al., 2007) and Vygotskij’s findings (2001) on the same topic. Vygotskij’s claim parallels our findings that more complex or higher functions require a more general understanding which seems to develop learning behind the learning situation (generative learning).
    This is the first major in-depth study looking into the impact of both school-level or classroom-level elements on reading achievement of primary students in Sweden and HK. The findings will help authorities and schools develop reading policies and curricula, and help teachers improve teaching pedagogies (especially the use of teaching resources in reading, types and organizations of classroom reading activities, teaching of reading skills and strategies and so on).