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This study aimed to adapt and validate a Chinese version of the online self-regulated learning questionnaire (COSLQ) with Chinese junior secondary students in Hong Kong. A total of 716 students from six schools participated voluntarily in the study. Overall, the findings of this study supported the COSLQ's psychometric quality. The COSLQ subscales all demonstrated high internal consistency. Different measurement models were tested using confirmatory factor analysis. The results indicated that a 7-factor model best fit the data, suggesting that the participants could distinguish seven types of online self-regulatory strategies: goal setting, environment structuring, time management, effort regulation, cognitive/monitoring strategies, help seeking, and self-evaluation.

Reading is a complex task that requires cognitive and emotional engagement. The integrated instruction approach, incorporating strategy instruction and literature circles, was developed to improve Chinese students' reading comprehension, reading motivation, and strategy use in reading fiction books. The current study adopted a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest treatment-control group design. A total of 87 sixth graders (aged 11-12 years) were assigned to three groups, receiving integrated instruction (INI), literature circle (LC), or traditional Chinese instruction (TRC), respectively, over 12 weeks. A reading comprehension test, reading motivation questionnaire, and strategy questionnaire were used to measure students' abilities before and after the quasi-experiment. Paired-samples t-tests, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) were used to compare reading-related outcomes within and between groups. The results indicated that the students in the INI group significantly improved their reading comprehension, all aspects of reading motivation, and strategy use; the LC and TRC students also significantly improved some aspects of their reading motivation and strategy use, but to a lesser degree than the INI students. These findings reveal evidence-based effects of INI and LC on multiple reading outcomes in the Chinese cultural and lingual context.

In this study, an intervention program was designed based on the instructional principles of self-regulated learning (SRL), and its effectiveness in enhancing Hong Kong secondary three students' classical Chinese (CC) reading comprehension and motivation was evaluated. A pretest-posttest treatment-control group quasi-experimental design was used. During the study, 191 students between the ages of 13 and 16 years were assigned to three groups and received different treatments: in the experimental group (EG), teachers implemented all the instructional practices designed based on SRL instructional principles in the intervention package; in the control group (CG1), teachers used the traditional teacher-centered approach to teach the same instructional materials from the intervention program; and in the baseline control group (CG2), teachers adopted traditional teacher-centered, text-based instruction to teach the CC texts in students' original textbook. Reading comprehension tests, questionnaires, and interviews were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. The findings indicated that the EG and CG1 students had significantly better CC reading comprehension performance and prior knowledge than the CG2 students. The EG students also showed positive attitudes towards the intervention program. Implications of the findings are discussed to provide insights into the potential applicability of SRL instruction in the Chinese context.

Previous studies comparing teacher-centred (TC) and learner-centred (LC) instruction have presented a mixed picture of the effectiveness of these two instructional approaches. By examining the effectiveness of different types of instruction on students' Classical Chinese (CC) reading comprehension and motivation, this study aims to contribute to instructional research by elucidating the positive and negative aspects of TC and LC instruction when they are applied in the context of teaching CC reading. A total of 454 Secondary 4 students between the ages of 15 and 17 years agreed to participate in this study on a voluntary basis. They completed a CC reading comprehension test and a questionnaire that measured their CC reading motivation and perceived CC reading instruction. Relationships between students' perceived CC reading instruction, reading motivation and reading comprehension were examined by correlation and path analyses. The findings of the correlation analyses indicated that traditional TC instruction positively and significantly correlated with students' CC reading performance and extrinsic motivation. Motivating tasks, one type of LC instruction, positively and significantly correlated with all types of motivation but did not significantly correlate with CC reading performance. In the path analysis, TC instruction exhibited a significant positive effect on reading comprehension, whereas motivating tasks continued to exhibit a significant positive effect on intrinsic motivation after the effect of the examined schools' achievement level was controlled for. The findings highlight the essential role of teachers in instructing students who are weak in particular subjects. Instead of viewing TC and LC instruction as two contradictory approaches, the findings indicate that a combined approach of TC and LC instruction can more effectively facilitate students' learning in a difficult school subject.

This study investigated Hong Kong secondary students' Classical Chinese (CC) reading comprehension, reading motivation, and the effects of different types of motivation on CC reading. Four hundred forty-eight seniors from four secondary schools in Hong Kong voluntarily completed a CC reading comprehension test and a reading motivation questionnaire. Findings indicated that students' CC reading performance was unsatisfactory. They had poor self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation in CC reading and read CC texts mainly for extrinsic reasons. While high-achievers had better CC reading comprehension performance and higher extrinsic motivation than low-achievers, they had lower intrinsic motivation. Unlike many previous studies in which intrinsic motivation has been found to be the most optimal type of reading motivation, structural equation modeling indicated that only self-efficacy and extrinsic motivation were significant predictors of students' CC reading comprehension performance after controlling for achievement level. The relation between CC reading and different types of motivation is discussed in light of the special nature of CC and the learning context of Hong Kong.

This study used both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the role of lower- and higher-level language skills in classical Chinese (CC) text comprehension. A CC word and sentence translation test, text comprehension test, and questionnaire were administered to 393 Secondary Four students; and 12 of these were randomly selected to participate in retrospective interviews. The findings revealed that students' CC reading performance was unsatisfactory with respect to both lower- and text-level comprehension. Among the different factors examined, the most crucial to CC reading comprehension was lower-level reading skill. Owing to students' weak lower-level reading skills, participants relied heavily on contextual clues when reading in CC. The implications of these findings for understanding factors that contribute to CC reading comprehension, and for planning effective instruction to enhance students' CC reading competence are discussed.

Building on previous listening strategy research, the author aimed to explore the differences between Chinese high-proficiency listeners (HLs) and low-proficiency listeners (LLs) on their strategy use, problems, and motivation in native language (L1) listening. It involved 1,290 Grade 7 and 1,515 Grade 9 students. Both quantitative and qualitative methods, including a listening comprehension test, questionnaires, and interviews, were adopted. The findings indicated that HLs possessed more types of strategies and used strategies more frequently and effectively than LLs. HLs not only reported fewer listening problems but also had a better awareness of listening problems and use of problem-solving strategies than LLs. Both HLs and LLs agreed with the importance of listening but showed little interest in doing listening tasks. The similarities and differences between the findings of this study and those of second-language listening research and implications for planning effective instruction to enhance native language listening proficiency are discussed.

The outperformance of Chinese students in large-scale international assessments has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers. This study explored the relationship between an important student factor, self-regulated learning (SRL), and Hong Kong students' reading performance on Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA). Using data from PISA 2009, this study found that Hong Kong students obtained an overall strong performance on the PISA 2009 reading assessment. They were relatively good at reflecting and evaluating and reading continuous texts. Compared with the OECD average, Hong Kong students showed better reading engagement and perceived a more positive classroom disciplinary climate in their reading lessons, but they used fewer control strategies, had poorer awareness of effective reading strategies, and perceived a lower degree of teacher stimulation and scaffolding. Reading enjoyment and control strategies were the most important SRL components facilitating Hong Kong students' reading performance, after controlling for other background variables in multilevel analysis. Possible cultural and contextual factors affecting Hong Kong students' SRL and reading performance, and their relationship are discussed to shed light for understanding the paradox of Chinese learners and improving the instructional practices in Chinese classes.

The study aimed to explore Chinese language teachers' perception and implementation of instruction based on self-regulated learning (SRL) in a researcher-teacher collaborative project. The participants were 31 teachers and their 10th grade students, from six secondary schools in Hong Kong. The findings of questionnaires, interviews, and observations indicated the teachers had a positive perception of SRL-based instruction and altered their instructional tasks and instrumental support following the project. Important factors affecting the teachers' perception and implementation of this new instructional approach, including the nature of SRL-based instruction, cultural, teacher and student factors, and external constraints and support, are discussed. (Contains 3 tables and 2 figures.)

The purpose of the study is to construct and validate a Chinese self-regulated learning (SRL)-based reading instruction questionnaire (CSRIQ) and to examine the relationship between Chinese reading instruction and Hong Kong students' reading development from the SRL perspective. A total of 339 Grade 10 students completed the initial CSRIQ in Study 1. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability analyses were used to assess the psychometric quality of the questionnaire, and the original CSRIQ subscales were then revised. Study 2 comprised 1,121 Grade 10 students. The factor structure of the revised CSRIQ was supported by the findings of confirmatory factor analysis. The findings of structural equation modelling indicated significant relations between SRL-based instruction and various reading-related variables. Among the four aspects of instruction, teacher support was the most positive factor facilitating Chinese students' reading development, whereas student autonomy seemed less favourable. Cultural and curricula factors affecting Chinese reading instruction in Hong Kong were discussed. (Contains 5 tables, 1 figure, and 2 notes.)

This study examined the relations between students' reading motivation, perceptions of reading instruction and reading amount, together with grade differences, in a Chinese educational context. A total of 1,146 students from 19 secondary schools in Hong Kong voluntarily responded to a questionnaire that measured these three sets of variables. The study's findings indicated that students' intrinsic motivation was most strongly related to their reading amount. Students' perceptions of the reading instruction they received in their Chinese language class were significantly related to their reading motivation, but were only indirectly related to their reading amount, being mediated through reading motivation. Consistent with previous studies, significant grade differences were found in all types of reading motivation, students' perceptions of reading instruction and students' reading amount. The findings indicated that junior secondary students had better self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation and social motivation than senior secondary students. The largest grade difference was in students' self-efficacy. Junior secondary students also perceived the reading instruction in their Chinese language class as more mastery-oriented and read more frequently than senior secondary students. The implications of these findings for understanding Chinese students' reading motivation and for planning effective reading instruction to enhance their motivation are discussed.

Background: The mixed findings of previous studies on the nature and effects of performance goals have led to a call for re-examination of the dichotomous framework of achievement goal orientation theory. While the call for a revised achievement goal orientation theory has received considerable discussion in Western studies, it is not clear whether the revised theory can also be applied in other ethnic and cultural contexts. Aims: Our aim was to validate the Chinese version of Elliot and Church's (1007) Goal Orientation Questionnaire and to initially test the revised goal orientation theory in the context of Chinese students in Hong Kong. Sample: A total of 270 Chinese students (137 boys and 133 girls) from a primary and secondary school in Hong Kong participated in Study 1. Study 2 involved a total of 9,440 students (5,420 boys and 4,020 girls) from 10 primary and 18 secondary schools in Hong Kong. Method: Participants in Study 1 completed a Chinese Goal Orientation Questionnaire (CGOQ) measuring three types of goal orientation. Exploratory factor analysis, item total correlation, and reliability analyses were undertaken to assess the psychometric quality of the CGOQ. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis was used to provide further validation for the revised questionnaire. The relationships among different goal orientations and that with students' perceived classroom environment and self-efficacy were also explored using structural equation modelling. Results: Findings of exploratory factor analysis in Study 1 and confirmatory factor analysis in Study 2 supported the proposed factor structure of the CGOQ. All the subscales in the questionnaire also showed good internal consistency reliabilities. The construct validity of the CGOQ was supported by its significant relationship with criterion measures. While most of the relationships between the three types of goal orientation and the learning-related variables measured in our study were consistent with the revised goal orientation theory, the positive relationships between performance-avoidance goals, mastery goals, and perceived classroom environment were different from previous studies. Conclusion: Our findings generally supported the trichotomous framework of the revised goal orientation theory with Chinese students in Hong Kong. Consistent with the revised goal orientation theory, our findings indicated that both mastery and performance-approach goals had positive impacts on students' learning. However, the positive relationships between performance-avoidance goals, mastery goals, and perceived classroom environment were contradictory to the conceptualization of performance-avoidance goals in the revised theory. Cultural and social factors affecting Hong Kong students' goal orientations are discussed.

This study aimed to develop a set of quantitative instruments to investigate Hong Kong Chinese language teachers' orientation to reading instruction, their instructional practices and the relation between these two constructs under the implementation of the new curriculum. A total of 493 Chinese language teachers from 170 secondary schools in Hong Kong participated in this study. The findings of this study generally supported the psychometric properties of the instruments. Teachers participating in this study showed a higher level of acceptance of the competence-based orientation proposed in the new curriculum compared with the traditional text-based orientation. On the basis of self-report, teachers' orientation to reading instruction was closely related to their daily instructional practices although instructional practices were not directly observed. While competence-based orientation was the strongest predictor of the use of competence-based instructional strategies, text-based orientation was also found to be positively related to teachers' instruction. Teachers who believed in both competence-based and text-based orientation employed competence-based instructional strategies more frequently than did teachers who only believed in one or the other type of orientation. Implications of these findings for understanding and facilitating Hong Kong teachers' implementation of the new reading instructional approach and the limitations of the use of self-report measures are discussed.

Background: This was a small-scale study conducted in Hong Kong Chinese language classes, based on the research in cognitive strategy instruction. Purpose: This study aimed to explore whether Chinese language teachers were able to develop their own school-based strategy instruction programme through collaborating with the researcher. Programme description: The school-based programme was mainly adapted from a Chinese reading strategy instruction programme that was developed by the researcher. It aimed to enhance students' reading comprehension through direct teaching on different reading strategies. Sample: A total of 205 grade 7 students and six teachers from one secondary school in Hong Kong participated in the study. One of the teachers and six students from his class were specially invited to participate as target subjects in an in-depth investigation. Design and methods: This study adopted quantitative methods, including a reading comprehension test and questionnaire, and qualitative methods, including think-aloud measures, interview and observation in programme evaluation. Results: Findings of the study generally suggested that the school-based programme was implemented quite smoothly in the regular Chinese language lessons, and most of the students had better performance on their strategy use and reading comprehension after receiving the programme. While the findings provided preliminary support for developing a school-based strategy instruction programme in Hong Kong Chinese language classes, some problems in changing Chinese language teachers' instructional approach are also discussed. Conclusions: This study explored the possibility of developing a school-based strategy instruction programme in Chinese language classes. Due to the small scale and exploratory nature of the study, however, certain limitations of the research design of this study should be noted. (Contains 3 tables.)

Compares 83 good readers and 76 poor readers on their ability to use reading strategies in Chinese reading comprehension and on various reading motivation variables. Finds poor readers scored lower than good readers in using all reading strategies, and had lower intrinsic motivation in reading than good readers. Discusses implications of these findings for implementing effective reading instruction in Hong Kong Chinese language teaching. (SG)

• Writing motives was assessed using Writing Motivation Questionnaire. • Writing self-efficacy was assessed using a revised Writing Self-efficacy Scale. • Measurement invariance was established across Shanghai and Hong Kong students. • Latent means comparison found differences between these two groups. • A direct-mediational model examined the relationship between these constructs. What motivates Chinese students to write? In the present investigation, we examined Chinese students' writing motives and writing self-efficacy. Grades 4 and 5 Chinese students in Shanghai (n = 332) and Hong Kong (n = 305) completed a survey questionnaire assessing motives for writing using the Writing Motivation Questionnaire and writing self-efficacy based on a revised Writing Self-efficacy Scale. Using multigroup confirmatory factor analyses, measurement invariance was established by examining configural, metric, scalar and residual invariance. Latent means comparison located significant differences between the Chinese groups in relation to writing self-efficacy and writing motives derived from a focus on curiosity, competition and grades. Multigroup structural equation analyses verified a hypothesized direct-mediational model depicting the relationship between writing motives and writing self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]