Seminar

On 21st and 25th November, the Comparative Education Research Centre (CERC) and the Consortium for Research on Early Childhood Development and Education (CORE) at the University of Hong Kong jointly hosted two seminars featuring Professor Akiko Hayashi from Keio University.

In the first seminar on 21st November, titled Preschool in Three Eras in Japan: 1984, 2002, and 2022, Professor Hayashi shared findings from her new ethnographic study at Komatsudani Hoikuen in Kyoto. By comparing video data across 40 years, she found that while daily teaching practices have remained largely stable, the social environment surrounding preschools has changed significantly, marked by low birthrates and system reforms.

The second seminar, Teaching Expertise in Three Countries: Japan, China, and the United States, held on 25th November, introduced insights from her recent book. Drawing on interviews with 112 experienced teachers, Professor Hayashi highlighted common patterns in how teachers grow with experience, alongside key cultural differences across the three countries. Her work underlines the powerful role of mentorship, peer learning, and practical experience in teacher development.

Through both seminars, Professor Hayashi offered valuable perspectives on the continuity, change, and cultural contexts shaping early childhood education through comparative perspectives.

The Shadow Education SIG recently held another CGSED graduates’ capstone session, featuring Miss Xiang Xinyu and Miss Shrutti Rajgarhia, who have completed their studies on shadow education in the contexts of Mainland China and Hong Kong. Both studies highlighted the agency of parents and children in choosing private tutoring.

Xinyu’s research explores the changing perceptions of shadow education under the Double Reduction policy and how parents have adjusted their strategies in selecting these services. Shrutti’s work, part of a larger project conducted by the University of Hong Kong, underscores children’s agency in decision-making around private tutoring and challenges the traditional perception of parentocracy.

The Shadow Education SIG remains active in providing a platform for knowledge exchange for those interested in this topic. We welcome inquiries about presenting your research findings and designs at our future seminars. All are welcome!

On November 1st, the Shadow Education SIG held a seminar featuring the capstone research projects of two CGSED program graduates, Mr. Xie Yifan and Mr. Hu Shenglin, attracted 19 participants from around the world. This online session also provided an inspiring opportunity for new master’s students to learn from their accomplished peers.

Yifan presented his research on the rise of memory courses in China’s shadow education sector. His study assessed these courses’ effectiveness on Grade 9 students in subjects like Chinese, English, and Science, critically analyzing their practicality and potential implications for future educational reforms. Shenglin followed with his research on the ‘motherhood penalty,’ focusing on the unintended consequences of China’s 2021 Double Reduction Policy in Suzhou. His findings revealed that despite the policy’s aim to reduce educational pressures, mothers have ended up dedicating even more time to their children’s education, intensifying their daily challenges.

The seminar offered an insightful glimpse into the diverse and impactful research conducted by CGSED students, fostering an exchange of ideas among attendees and sparking discussions on educational trends and policy effects.

Today, Prof. Liz Jackson launched her new book, exploring the role of emotions in social life and education. Attended by CERC members, CGSED students, and an international online audience, the event highlighted how emotions, shaped by factors like gender, race, and ethnicity, are often unfairly labeled as ‘positive’ or ‘negative’. Prof. Jackson discussed her writing process, aiming to help educators and students better understand the significance of emotions in shaping social experiences and learning environments.

The Shadow Education SIG recently hosted a seminar examining family investment in shadow education (SE) and its impact on school placement in Germany and Japan. The event was attended by members of the University of Hong Kong’s shadow education research team and researchers from around the world.

The seminar presented findings from a comparative analysis using national panel data from both countries. In Germany, the study found that SE is pursued largely independent of socio-economic status, with little effect on gaining admission to more prestigious schools. In contrast, Japanese families face high costs—both monetary and non-monetary—yet SE provides significant advantages for educational progress.

The seminar sparked discussions on how SE contributes to educational success and social inequality within different cultural and institutional settings, offering valuable insights for the global education community. We will have more seminars from our CGSED students’ capstone projects. Please stay tuned for our upcoming events.

The Comparative Education Research Centre (CERC), under the leadership of new Director Prof. Jeremy Rappleye, launched its first seminar with a hybrid event featuring Dr. Israel Moreno Salto, Professor of Educational Sciences at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexico.

Dr. Moreno Salto’s talk, titled Harmony and Cacophony in Large-Scale Assessments in Education, focused on the complexities of “assessment assemblages,” where multiple large-scale assessments overlap at various educational levels. He addressed the tensions, redundancies, and challenges these assessments create, offering attendees a critical “thinking toolbox” to help navigate their own assessment systems. This talk is based on his newly-released book “Harmony and Cacophony: Large-scale Assessments in Education”.

The seminar, which welcomed both onsite and online participants, marks the first in a series of CERC events designed to foster dialogue and research on critical issues in education. Prof. Rappleye and other CERC members highlighted the significance of the session, setting the tone for future academic engagements at the center. Please stay tuned for CERC next activity on September 26th, on which Prof. Liz Jackson will give a book launch of her new book on Emotion for education.

The Shadow Education SIG (Special Interest Group) has successfully held a seminar featuring Dr. Andrew Frankel, a renowned scholar who has extensively studied Shadow Education.

Drawing on his seven years of teaching experience in Western China, Dr. Frankel presented his research on the topic of ‘Rethinking Supplementation: A Study of Amdo Tibetan Educators in Qinghai, China.’ His findings challenge the conventional understanding of supplemental education programs and highlight their potential to promote diversity and critical engagement with mainstream education.

The seminar was attended by a diverse group of educators and researchers who engaged in lively discussions and debates around the implications of this research for future educational policies and practices. We are grateful to Dr. Frankel for sharing his insights and expertise with us and look forward to further exploring this important topic.

CERC is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of its two seminars on May 16 and 17, which explored important topics in the field of education. These seminars provided valuable insights and thought-provoking discussions for educators, policymakers, and researchers.

The first seminar on May 16 critically examined the emergence and implementation of the School Autonomy with Accountability (SAWA) reform model. Professor Antoni Verger discussed the complex measures introduced by numerous governments to improve quality assurance and learning outcomes in schools. Attendees gained valuable insights into the varying policy trajectories and assemblages of SAWA policies, as well as a comparative analysis of different administrative cultures, degrees of educational marketization, and approaches to teachers’ professional regulation. This seminar was based on a 5-year, multi-scalar research initiative funded by the European Research Council, conducted in Norway, Chile, and Spain.

The second seminar on May 17 explored how educational institutions utilize data from Large Scale Assessments (LSAs) to inform decision-making and educational practices. Attendees discovered how teachers’ beliefs about the fairness and validity of LSAs influence their engagement with the data and explored the crucial roles of teacher cooperation and trust in school leadership. The seminar presented a comprehensive analysis of data gathered from a teacher survey conducted under the ERC-funded Reformed-project, focusing on urban schools in Chile, Norway, and Spain (Catalonia). Professor Melanie Ehren also joined Professor Verger to present her findings from a configuration synthesis that analyzed results from previous studies in six countries (South Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Honduras) about teachers’ accountability in school settings.

Both seminars offered insightful discussions and engaged attendees in meaningful conversations on essential aspects of educational reforms and data utilization in schools. We hope that attendees gained valuable insights and that these seminars inspired further discussion and research in the field of education. Stay tuned for CERC’s upcoming events and seminars.

CERC hosted a seminar on May 14th, featuring Dr. Ibrar Bhatt, who presented his research on the intricate connections between the literacies of religious practice, food heritage, and artistic expression within Sino-Muslim communities in Mainland China.

The seminar aimed to shed light on the significance of heritage literacy in understanding and preserving the rich cultural heritage of Sino-Muslims. Dr. Bhatt’s presentation drew from a comprehensive dataset of images, artefacts, and interviews collected during his study on Sino-Muslim heritage literacy. His research delved into the semiotic materials prevalent in Sino-Muslim daily life and heritage practice, including restaurant signage, religious education, and various art forms such as calligraphy, paper-cutting, and Kung Fu.

During the seminar, Dr. Bhatt emphasized the importance of everyday heritage literacy in expressing, constructing, and remembering Sino-Muslim heritage. He highlighted how these intertwined spheres of social activity provide a platform for the diverse and nuanced display and manipulation of Sino-Muslim heritage. Currently engaged in fieldwork in Hong Kong SAR for a project funded by the British Academy, Dr. Bhatt concluded his presentation by offering further insights into how heritage literacy intersects with commercial conditions and population flows. His findings pointed to the significance of heritage literacy as an important field of study, which can complement ongoing research on heritage language and heritage education in Hong Kong SAR and the Greater Bay Area.

The seminar, organized by CERC and chaired by Prof. Yang Lili, provided a valuable platform for researchers, academics, and individuals interested in heritage literacy to engage in meaningful discussions and exchange ideas. It served as a significant step forward in understanding the complex dynamics of Sino-Muslim heritage and its role in contemporary society.