Ricci W. Fong

Enhancing life skills development: Chinese adolescents' perceptions

This study explored Chinese adolescents’ perceptions of their own life skills development and the importance they place on such skills. The study also investigated the within‐school and outside‐school influences that may help develop and enhance life skills development. Six focus groups involving 52 high school students were conducted, using a set of predetermined discussion topics. Results revealed students’ awareness of many salient life skills, including those related directly to academic development, ‘learning to learn’, personal and social growth, and future career planning. The students were also able to suggest practical strategies that schools might use to further enhance students’ life skills development. Contextual factors influencing the development of life skills appear to include not only experiences within the school curriculum and the guidance and counseling program, but also talent development opportunities, and family and peer relationships. The implications of the findings are discussed with particular reference to implementing comprehensive school guidance and counseling programs in Hong Kong.

Perfectionism and Chinese Gifted Learners

Over the past two decades a wealth of research data on perfectionism has drawn increased attention to the nature and impact of perfectionism on many aspects of student development. Much of the research has explored perfectionism in the gifted student population, but few studies have considered how perfectionism could be perceived differently in students of non-Caucasian descent and how it may have different impacts on their learning, development, and adjustment. In view of the apparent cultural divide in the research literature, and the emphasis on pursuing perfection within Chinese culture, this article reviews studies that do address perfectionism in Chinese gifted students. The aim was to offer a cultural perspective for understanding perfectionism in this population and to locate pertinent information to assist identification, counseling interventions, and future research.

Using Augmented Reality in early art education: a case study in Hong Kong kindergarten

Innovation in pedagogy by technology integration in kindergarten classroom has always been a challenge for most teachers. This design-based research aimed to explore the feasibility of using Augmented Reality (AR) technology in early art education with a focus on the gains and pains of this innovation. A case study was conducted in a typical kindergarten in Hong Kong, with a class of four- to five-year-old children (N=30) and their class teacher, ICT teacher as well as two parent volunteers. A series of art education activities using AR was designed and implemented in the class. Effectiveness of the activities was evaluated through a triangulation of semi-structured interviews with teachers, principal and parents, and surveys administered to children. The results indicated that (1) all the children could design, control and interact with the animated objects generated by the AR application; (2) all the stakeholders interviewed were supportive of this pedagogical innovation and (3) the principal, teachers and parents were concerned about the side effects of using AR in early childhood education. Possible improvements and implications to AR-based art education were also addressed.

The Role of Self-Efficacy and Connectedness in the Academic Success of Chinese Learners

Chinese learners have frequently demonstrated academic achievement that outshines their Western counterparts—but paradoxically research has suggested that various nurturing, teaching, and learning conditions in the Chinese context are often believed in the West to be unfavorable to learning. Against this background, the chapter revisits this paradox by drawing upon research and current theories of motivation and learning. Through a cultural lens, the authors discuss pertinent personal and social-contextual factors influencing Chinese learners’ academic success. In particular, attention is directed to learners’ self-efficacy and connectedness. The chapter offers a picture of how Chinese learners are actually nurtured and identifies some culturally sensitive notions in the research literature. The arguments here should alert researchers and practitioners to some key cultural differences when interpreting research and practice.

Connectedness and life skills development for all children

Ziegler and Phillipson draw upon the Actiotope Model of Giftedness (AMG) to give an overview of a systemic approach to gifted education. They argue the value of such a systemic approach for understanding the development of exceptionality. We certainly agree that the achievement of excellent performance is not only the result of individual abilities and efforts but also the collective support from interactive components within the system. In our field, the AMG has provided us with a conceptual framework that helps us interpret our data on connectedness and life skills development among children in Hong Kong. In Western countries, efforts have been made to identify components of exceptionality (such as intelligence, creativity and personality) that may contribute to excellence. However, consideration of how these attributes interact with sociocultural factors within the total system is often neglected. In the Asian context, the emphasis on “the system” is consistent with beliefs and practices focusing on “whole person” education, with each child having opportunities that will bring out his or her full potential (Hong Kong Education Commission, 2000; Yuen, 2010). In this context, promoting connectedness and life skills through whole-school approaches goes beyond implementing specific programs. The key is in collaboration among teachers, parents, administrators and guidance personnel, with a focus on nurturing students’ healthy social–emotional development (Yuen, Chan, Lau, Gysbers, & Shea, 2007; Yuen, 2011). Ziegler and Phillipson also point out weaknesses in key models and strategies established so far in gifted education. They certainly challenge the fundamentals of the current mode of nurturing giftedness. They hold that the development of exceptional achievement requires attention to students’ needs at an individual level, rather than group or class level. Given that gifted education should construct individualized learning pathways that focus on optimizing interactions between students and their environment, it seems to follow that the mode of educating gifted students should be reconceptualized. It may be that gifted students are not able to benefit fully from acceleration, enrichment and pull-out programs due to their often asynchronous development.

Examining the association of grit with test emotions among Hong Kong Chinese primary school students

Passion and perseverance for long-term goals or grit has been linked to various indices of educational success such as academic achievement, engagement, and motivation. Despite the nascent evidence regarding the beneficial impact of grit, previous investigations adopted a variable-centered approach which could not explore how individuals with different profiles of grit may differ in terms of academic outcomes. The current research aimed to build on the existing grit literature through examining the linkage of grit to test emotions using a person-centered approach among 1,051 Hong Kong Chinese primary school students. Results of cluster analyses showed that there were three naturally-occurring profiles of grit (Cluster 1 = High Perseverance and High Consistency; Cluster 2 = High Perseverance and Low Consistency; Cluster 3 = Low Perseverance and High Consistency) in the present study. Results of the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) demonstrated that students who belonged to Cluster 2 had the highest scores on hope and lowest scores on anxiety and shame. The results imply that espousing high perseverance of effort and low consistency of interest is associated with higher levels of positive activating emotions and reduced levels of negative activating emotional states when taking academic tests.