Development & Research Project
Motivation and Models of Learning among
Primary School Students in the Subjects of
Chinese, English and Mathematics
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
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Members of the Research Team
Principal Investigator: Prof. Wong Hin-wah
Chinese Subject
Ms. Chui Ching-ying, Mr. Ng Mau-yuen, Eric,
Prof. Tong Choi-wai, Mr. Yeung Chi-kwan
English Subject
Prof. Man Yee-fun, Evelyn, Mr. Sze Man-man, Paul
Mathematics Subject
Mr. Lau Ying-chuen, Mr. Law Huk-yuen
Mr. Tang Kon-ming, Prof. Wong Ngai-ying
Researcher: Prof. Lee Chi-kin, John
Assistant School Development Officer: Ms. Chu Ka-wing, Julia
Project Assistant: Ms. Ho Bik-yu, Beatrice, Ms. Yu Wing-sze, Taina
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Participating Schools
LKWSFL Wong Yiu Nam Primary School
CUHKFAA Thomas Cheung School
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1. Foreword—(1)
The focal point of this project is not only
confined to the students’ academic
achievements; we are more concerned about
the students’ maintenance of their interest
and engagement in learning, and the
multiplicity of their learning models.
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1. Foreword—(2)
The foci of the project centers round:
 Motivation and Models of learning
 Learning engagement
 Teacher empowerment
 Reflective teaching and Action research
 Professional development of teachers and
curriculum leaders
 Collaborative Partnership
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2. Views on individual differences
Each student is an individual different from all
other students;
Over emphasis on pencil-and-paper exam
results may neglect students’ effort;
Catering for individual differences is not solely
to reduce the differences in test or exam
results. Rather it is to lead students to find
personal meaning in learning and to learn
how to learn.
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3. Strategies in catering for individual
differences—(1)
Concept and Goals
Our starting points are not the school
organizational system or the structure of the
curriculum. Instead, we begin with the status
quo, with reality.
We believe that to analyze thoroughly the
teaching problems in schools and consider
theories about student motivations in learning
will develop school teachers’ sensitivity to
individual differences among students.
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3. Strategies in catering for individual
differences—(2)
Strategy of development adopted:
T: Task
A: Authority
R: Recognition
G: Grouping
E: Evaluation
T: Time
(Epstein, 1989)
We aim at changing the present learning model,
performance-goal orientation, to one of
mastery-goal orientation.
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Operational Mode of strategies
Big Wheel
Collaborative Partnership
Individual Difference
Enhancement of teachers’ motivation and models of teaching
Maintenance of students’ learning motivation and models of
learning
Small Wheel
Operational Mode of strategies
Workshop on
TARGET model
Curriculum & Instructional Leadership
Teacher reflection & professional development
Teacher empowerment & Improvement of school culture
Big Wheel
Collaborative Partnership:
Build up Mutual Trust
Relationship among university, school & CDI
Relationship between school & parents
Improvement in teaching Models
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Collaborative Partnership:
Build up Mutual Trust
Relationship among university, school & CDI
Relationship between school & parents
Improvement in teaching Models
Individual Difference
Enhancement of teachers’ motivation and models of teaching
Maintenance of students’ learning motivation and models of
learning
Small Wheel
Subject Meetings/ Workshops on Subject Teaching
Core Group (on teaching and learning) Meeting
Interview with Principals
Parents’ Meeting
Interview with Students & Parents
School-wide Dissemination
Consultants’ Meeting with CDI officers
5. Research Design
5 aspects of the study:





Study
Study
Study
Study
Study
of
of
of
of
of
the
the
the
the
the
students
teachers (including PSM(CD)s)
principals
parents
researchers
Multiple channels and angles of observation to collect
and analyze data (Table)
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6. Improvement in learning and
teaching
Change in school culture
Individual to collaborative culture
Collective lesson planning, Peer lesson observation,
etc. and the formation and development of the Core
Group of Teaching and Learning
Improvement in subject teaching
A wide range of various strategies are developed by
teachers at two participating schools to enhance their
teaching and learning.
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7. Research findings: Changes taking
place in participants—Students(1)
Student questionnaire
(refer to ER-p.16, 7.1.1. & CR-p54, 7.1.1.)
Findings
Students’ self concept is generally high in the first year.
Then it tends to get slightly lower in the second and
third year.
When students get to a higher form, they will encounter
more difficult subject content, and their interest and
motivation in learning and learning motivation will
likely be adversely affected.
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7. Research findings: Changes taking
place in participants—Students(2)
Student interview
(refer to ER-p.17, 7.1.2. & CR-p.58-7.1.2.)
The topics of the first two interviews focus on
dimensions of students’ experiences and
impression of school life: how they see
“going to school”, “attending class”,
“homework”, “dictation”, “teachers”,
“classmates” and “school”.
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7. Research findings: Changes taking
place in participants—Students(2)
The interview data is summarized from two
dimensions:
(1) How the students view learning
(refer to ER-p.17, 7.1.2.1. & CR-p.59, 7.1.2.1.1.)
(2) How the students view their teachers
(refer to ER-p.18-7.1.2.2. & CR-63, 7.1.2.1.2.)
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7. Research findings: Changes taking
place in participants—Teachers(1)
Observations by the university researchers




Increase in taking the initiative in teaching
Self-reflection
Opening up the classroom and meeting challenges
Using research to enhance teaching and
professional development
(refer to ER-p.19, 7.2.1. & CR-p.64-7.2.1.)
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7. Research findings: Changes taking
place in participants—Teachers(2)
Interviews with teachers: The “Changed” and the “Unchanged”
(refer to ER-p.20, 7.2.2. & CR-p.70, 7.2.2.)
Changes in teacher

Changes in teaching model, beliefs, concepts about teaching
(refer to ER-p.24, 7.2.2.1. & CR-p.71, 7.2.2.1.)

Views on collaborative lesson planning
(refer to ER-p.21, 7.2.2.1. & CR-p.77, 7.2.2.1. b)

Views on collaboration among teachers
(refer to ER-p.22, 7.2.2.1. & CR-p.79, 7.2.2.1. c)

Views on teacher empowerment, teacher autonomy
(refer to ER-p.23, 7.2.2.1. & CR-p.82, 7.2.2.1. d)

Views on reflective teaching
(refer to ER-p.23, 7.2.2.1. & CR-p.84, 7.2.2.1. e )

Views on co-operating with parents
(refer to ER-p.23, 7.2.2.1. & CR-p.84, 7.2.2.1. f)
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7. Research findings: Changes taking
place in participants—Teachers(3)
Reasons for the teachers’ changes
(refer to ER-p.24, 7.2.2.2. & CR-p.85, 7.2.2.2.)










Students’ reactions and changes
Collaboration among colleagues
The leadership of subject leaders
The support of university experts
Identifying with the model TARGET
The parents’ impetus
The principals’ encouragement and support
The mobilization of the whole school
Some teachers are self-motivated
To be answering the call of educational reform
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7. Research findings: Changes taking
place in participants—Teachers(4)
Changes out of expectation
(refer to ER-p.24, 7.2.2.3. & CR-p.89, 7.2.2.3.)




Teachers’ personal change and growth
Materials-design with own efforts
The project could reap quick returns
Begin to realize that pressure can be minimized if
teachers are able to collaborate nicely and to
achieve professional growth in due course.
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7. Research findings: Changes taking
place in participants—Teachers(5)
The Unchanged
(refer to ER-p.25, 7.2.2.5. & CR-p.91, 7.2.2.4.)




The curriculum content of some subjects is still
packed;
Some teachers in the schools still do not accept
reform;
Principals support the teachers strongly;
Parents’ concern about their children.
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7. Research findings: Changes taking
place in participants—Teachers(6)
Teachers’ personal growth
(refer to ER-p.25, 7.2.2.5. & CR-p.93, 7.2.2.5.)







Enhanced understanding of the curriculum
Raised teachers’ sense of autonomy over the
curriculum
More active concern over students
Increased team spirit
More capable of designing learning activities
More patient with students
Increased confidence in teaching
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7. Research findings: Changes taking
place in participants—Teachers(7)
Relationship between teachers’ personal growth
and the development of the school: tightly
interconnected
(refer to ER-p.26, 7.2.2.6. & CR-p.96, 7.2.2.6.)
Relationship between the project and the
development of the schools: to hasten the
overall development of the schools
(refer to ER-p.26, 7.2.2.7. & CR-p.97, 7.2.2.7.)
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7. Research findings: Changes taking
place in participants—Teachers(7)
Problems and challenges faced by teachers
(refer to ER-p.26, 7.2.2.8. & CR-p.97, 7.2.2.8.)
 Not really know how best to help those students who
are weak in learning ability or have great difficulties
in learning learn with efficiency;
 Not enough manpower or time
 Some teachers in the schools are still skeptical about
the efficiency of the project
 Really need help from “experts” in the relevant field
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7. Research findings: Changes taking
place in participants—Principals(1)
Interview with principals
(refer to ER-p.27, 7.3. & CR-p.99, 7.3.)
Principal A
(refer to ER-p.27, 7.3.1. & CR-p.99, 7.3. A-E)





Changes in the teachers perceived by the principal
Recognized that students can change teachers
Self reflection on the principal himself
Continuation of the project in the school
Problems and challenges
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7. Research findings: Changes taking
place in participants—Principals(2)
Principal B
(refer to ER-p.28, 7.3.2. & CR-p.104, 7.3. A-C)




Changes in the role of the principal
Reflection on the principal’s role
The Unchanged
The attitude of the parents in co-operating with the
school
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7. Research findings: Changes taking
place in participants—Parents
Interview with parents
Parents’ perception of the teaching in the school and the students’
learning (refer to ER-p.29, 7.4. & CR-p.110, 7.4.)

Reasons for changing schools
(refer to ER-p.29, 7.4.1. & CR-p.111, 7.4.)

Views on subject teaching
(refer to ER-p.30, 7.4.2. & CR-p.112, 7.4.)

Changes in students
(refer to ER-p.30, 7.4.3. & CR-p.113, 7.4.)

New understanding of students’ homework
(refer to ER-p.30, 7.4.4. & CR-p.114, 7.4.)

Change in views towards dictation
(refer to ER-p.31, 7.4.5. & CR-p.114, 7.4.)

The understanding of the relationship between reading
and learning
(refer to ER-p.31, 7.4.6. & CR-p.115, 7.4.)
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7. Research findings: Changes taking
place in participants—Researchers
Interview with researchers
(refer to ER-p.32, 7.5. & CR-p.129, 7.5.)




The understanding of the conceptualization of the
project
The role of the project researchers
The understanding of the entire project
The experience gained in participating in the
project and its relevance to teacher education
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8. The dissemination of the project
To disseminate the experience of the project with CDI
(refer to ER-p.34, 8.1. & CR-p.138. 8.1.)
Publication of monographs
(refer to ER-p.34, 7.2. & CR-p.141, 8.2.)
Application of one participating school to join the Seed
Project for the sake of experience-dissemination
(refer to ER-p.34, 8.3. & CR-p.142, 8.3.)
Presentation in 3 regions conference on Curriculum
Leadership & Evaluation
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9. Conclusion—(1)
No educational problems can be solved by one
party, so the concept of collaborative
partnership becomes a bridge connecting
educational theory and practice.
Teaching is an interactive process. This means
not only that teachers and students interact.
It also means interaction between school and
family.
Learning by doing is a central tenet of the
Project.
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9. Conclusion—(2)
Educational reform required time. Its effectiveness may
not be measurable by quantification. On the long
march to educational reform, wayfarers need to hold
steady their educational principles, pay attention to
students’ needs, be sympathetic to and have faith in
teachers’ capacity. We need patience and
persistence. It really requires the support and
understanding of every stakeholder, indeed every
citizen. That, too, is part of the true meaning of “No
one is dispensable”.
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Theoretical consideration

1. Zeichner and Gore（1990）suggest that
interface between individual teachers and
their schools reveals a critical gap in our
understanding of change. (Richardson, ed.,
2001, 4th Handbook of Research on
Teaching, p.929)
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Theoretical consideration

2.
Effects of Teacher Change on Students. Few
studies of teacher change in either the individual or
organizational literature move toward examining what
happens to student learning when teachers change their
practices. Within a community, student learning should
be assessed longitudinally to determine the effects of
teacher change on student learning over a number of
years.(Richardson, ed., 2001,p.929)
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