Bob Adamson

Comparative education research: approaches and methods

Approaches and methods in comparative education research are of obvious importance, but do not always receive adequate attention. This book contributes new insights within the longstanding traditions of the field. A particular feature is the focus on different units of analysis. Individual chapters compare places, systems, times, cultures, values, policies, curricula and other units. These chapters are contextualised within broader analytical frameworks which identify the purposes and strengths of the field. The book includes focus on intra-national as well as cross-national comparisons, and highlights the value of approaching themes from different angles. The book will be of great value not only to producers of comparative education research but also to consumers who wish to understand more thoroughly the parameters and value of the field. This book should emerge as the fields leading volume in comparative education research methodology.

Curriculum, schooling and society in Hong Kong

The book presents a specific analysis of the Hong Kong school curriculum and highlights the ways in which the curriculum both reflects and changes in response to broader socio-political shifts.

Barbarian as a foreign language: English in China’s Schools

The ambiguous relationship between politics and society in China and the English language – the tongue of military aggressors, barbarians, imperialists and virulent anti–Communists, as well as of trade partners, academics, technical experts, advisers, tourists and popular culture – historically has created tensions that have been manifested in social upheavals and swings in education policy. In this paper, the shifting role and status of the English language within social, economic and political contexts in China are examined from a historical perspective in order to understand and explain state educational policy regarding the language. The paper argues that, since the mid–nineteenth century, the government of China has avoided the potential pitfalls of cultural transfer by adopting a strategy of selective appropriation under state control. The evidence for this assertion is drawn mainly from official policy documents, policy actions and policy debates. At times, assimilation was very limited for political reasons, at others the process has been freer. In the former cases, English has not been ascribed a significant role in state policy; in the latter cases, the language has been promoted, most notably in the curriculum of schools, colleges and universities.

A comparison of trilingual education policies for ethnic minorities in China

In recent decades, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) has instigated language policies in education ostensibly designed to foster trilingualism in ethnic minority groups. The policies, which, as this paper shows, vary from region to region, encompass the minority groups home language, Chinese, and English. Based on data arising from interviews, documentary analysis and secondary sources, this paper examines the tensions behind these trilingual education policies by comparing the implementation of policies for three minority groups: the Zhuang, the Uyghur and the Yi people. It identifies some of the facilitators and barriers that affect the achievement of trilingualism, and finds that ethnic minority languages are at a disadvantage compared with Chinese and English. The paper concludes by making some suggestions for enhancing the effectiveness of the trilingualism policy.

Language and the Curriculum in Hong Kong: Dilemmas of triglossia

As with colonial transition elsewhere, the language patterns in Hong Kong have changed with the return of sovereignty to China. Biglossia (whereby Hong Kong Cantonese and English predominate) is shifting to triglossia, as Putonghua, the official language of the Peoples Republic of China, has become increasingly important. This paper focuses on the impact of colonial transition and in particular the emergence of Putonghua and on the language subjects in the primary and secondary school curricula in Hong Kong. It argues that, whilst the rationale for promoting Putonghua is logical, tensions are evident in the school curricula, most notably in two areas. Firstly, the curricula were already heavily biased in favour of language subjects and, secondly, the necessary teaching expertise for Putonghua is not readily available.

Language Policies for Hong Kong Schools since 1997.

Francis of Education (print)/1474-8479 (online) Article 2010 Language in education debates in Hong Kong focus on the role and status of English (as the former colonial language and an important means for international communication); Cantonese, the mother tongue of the majority of the population; and Putonghua, the national language of China. This paper examines the language policy formulated in 1997–1998, and finds that it radically departed from previous policies by mandating the use of Cantonese as the medium of instruction in secondary schools. The paper then analyses two subsequent policy revisions and concludes that, while the tonal emphasis on mother-tongue education has remained, the policy revisions have reversed the language policy to previous practices that emphasised the importance of English.

Assessment reform past, present and future

This chapter introduces the edited volume by providing an overview of assessment and related policy and implementation issues. It starts with a discussion of the complex nature of assessment and how it fulfils different functions for different stakeholders. These functions have waxed and waned in significance over time, as illustrated by the brief review of assessment in various historical periods. The chapter then identifies some of the challenges and tensions that are inherent in the process of creating a coherent set of policies and practices. Finally, it outlines the contents of the rest of the book, linking the individual chapters to the concepts and issues that have been presented.

Leadership and collaboration in implementing curriculum change in Hong Kong secondary schools

Task-based learning (TBL) was a methodological innovation in the 1999 English Language syllabus for secondary schools and the 2006 curriculum for senior secondary schools in Hong Kong, designed to replace teacher-centred, grammar-focused approaches that were identified as previously prevalent. This two-year longitudinal study analyses the implementation of TBL in three schools. It focuses on teachers’ conceptions of TBL and classroom practice, and the support provided by senior management. It finds that TBL is enacted differently by individual teachers, and that the lack of senior leadership is significant in causing the innovation either to wither or to become diffuse. In some cases, problems associated with implementing TBL were addressed through the determined commitment of pioneering teachers and the collaborative efforts by staff, but change was nonetheless hampered.

Different Models, Different Emphases Different Insights

This final chapter pulls together some themes from earlier chapters, and in a sense makes a comparison of comparisons. The earlier chapters have addressed a range of foci within a variety of paradigms. Using insights from the book, this final chapter begins with a discussion of models for comparative education research. It then makes some remarks about emphases, before concluding with comments about the insights than can be gained from comparative approaches and methods in educational research.

A case study of the College English Test and ethnic minority university students in China: negotiating the final hurdle

The College English Test (CET) is one of the entry and exit requirements for undergraduate study for any major at universities in China. Its high status reflects the prominent role ascribed to the English language in the nations economic development. For many students from Chinas 55 ethnic minority groups, the CET represents a formidable hurdle: they typically received piecemeal exposure to English, as their primary and secondary schooling was conducted in relatively under-resourced areas. The paper reports the case of a university that lowered the CET entry requirements for these disadvantaged students. However, similar adjustments were not made to the exit requirements, resulting in the failure of hundreds of ethnic minority students to graduate. A subsequent court decision ruled that the university had not breached any laws. The paper discusses the questions of social justice that are posed by the universitys actions in particular and by the importance attached to English in higher education in general, and concludes that there is a fine line between affirmative action and discrimination, and the universitys language policy failed to take full account of the reality facing many ethnic minority students.