This exploratory case study employed deductive thematic analysis of coaching interactions of four coach-teacher dyads in primary school settings to explore the instructional coaches' use of the Partnership Learning principle of equality. Evidence of coaches' procedural knowledge (i.e. what coaches say and do) in relation to the principle of…

This manuscript examines the status of L2 teacher education research over the past 15 years from three perspectives. First, it examines the status of L2 teacher education research vis-à-vis general teacher education. Second, a common stereotype which considers teacher education as a Western phenomenon is challenged. Third, it investigates the…

This study examined the profiles of L2 strategy use and their association with different types of L2 reading achievement. A total of 1491 college students responded to a strategy use questionnaire evaluating the efficiency of strategy use immediately after they took an English reading test. Results of latent profile analysis revealed: (1) there…

The present study seeks to explore the long-term impact of an overseas immersion programme on pre-service teachers' professional learning in Hong Kong. In-depth interviews with 11 pre-service teachers about their immersion experiences and post-immersion learning revealed their professional gains and challenges brought by their exposure to…

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is an important predictor of educational quality. PCK develops from various sources, such as teaching experience. Studies investigating the effects of teaching experience on PCK development mainly focus on the question whether experienced teachers differ from novices in the amount of PCK. In a mixed methods…

While there has been a scholarly call to enhance authenticity in assessment in secondary English classrooms, whether and how secondary English teachers perceive authentic assessment (AA) and engage with it remains under-explored. Drawing on data gathered through survey, classroom observations and interviews, this study investigates the perception…

This paper makes a sociological exploration of the enforcement of strong boundaries between "pure" (disciplinary) and "applied" (common-sense) knowledge in primary school English classrooms. This article is innovative in its focus on how pupils describe and evaluate their own experiences. It addressed the research question:…

This study examined (1) differences in background, integrative/instrumental motivation, learning approach, leaning strategy and proficiency in second language (L2) and (2) the determinants of learning outcomes between Hong Kong and Mainland (Chinese) students. To achieve this, a questionnaire survey was distributed to 773 s language learners…

For successful reading experiences in native and/or foreign/second language, individuals need to benefit from not only cognitive strategies but also metacognitive strategies. Although research found reading comprehension and performance increase following metacognitive trainings, such findings may not transfer into mainstream classrooms as easily…

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been increasingly employed as a teaching and learning approach in many disciplines in higher education. In English medium of instruction (EMI) universities in Asia, PBL can further enhance knowledge construction as well as development of disciplinary language and communicative skills. It is necessary to explore how…

This exploratory study focused on the factors that constitute second language (L2) learners' resilience, and how these factors are related to L2 learning by investigating what relation resilience may have to motivated behaviour and proficiency in English learning. A total of 1620 secondary school learners of English participated in a questionnaire…

This study reports on a longitudinal inquiry into professional identity construction among six novice cross-border English language teachers from mainland China, who completed their pre-service teacher education in Hong Kong (HK) and began their teaching practice in local HK schools. The findings indicate that the participants navigated obstacles…

This paper argues that, despite government support in financial and contractual matters, ongoing problems of retention of Native-speaking English Teachers (NETs) in Hong Kong stem, in part, from problems of cross-cultural adjustment. The paper reports a small-scale qualitative investigation into the experiences of NETS in Hong Kong and finds…

Teachers are encouraged to enhance professional competence through reflective practice and they are also asked to undertake research to generate evidence for their professional practices. This paper reports on an inquiry into a group of primary school English language teachers' research engagement in the province of Guangdong on the Chinese…

Learning about foreign language (FL) cultures is becoming an important objective in the FL curricula and national standards of different countries throughout the world. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of the cultural portfolio project on: (1) students' concept development in their perceptions of the target language culture and…