Major Studies in the Use of Different Medium of Instruction Mode in Hong Kong

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(Please note that research projects 1, 3 and 7 do not provide Abstract/Executive Summary)

Research

Research Purpose / Design

Major findings / Recommendations

1. Survey on the language used in secondary schools in HK
(ED, 1982)

Questionnaires were sent to principals, panel heads and school teachers to find out the spoken language used by teachers and students in classrooms, and language used in school activities outside the classrooms.

- Fair amount of Cantonese was spoken by both teachers and students in class for all subjects apart from the subject of English.
- Less Cantonese was spoken in higher forms.
- Many teachers advocated that using Cantonese in teaching would help to promote students’ learning.

2. An investigation of the effectiveness of various language modes of presentation, spoken and written in Form 3 in Hong Kong Anglo-Chinese Secondary Schools
(ED in collaboration with HKU,
1985)

Videotaped material or printed texts in a 20-minute lesson were presented to 1296 Form 3 students in 10 schools. The videotapes were in 3 different language modes: English, Cantonese and bilingual. And the texts were in 5 versions: English only, English with Chinese glossary, bilingual, Chinese with English glossary, and Chinese only.
Tests in Chinese and English were given after the lessons, and students’ English proficiency was also measured.

- 30-40% of students with high language proficiency had good performance in both the English and Chinese versions of the experimental test.
- Some 30% of students can perform effectively in English. Another 30% have severe difficulty and the remainders were somewhat in between.
- The 30% who experienced severe difficulty preferred to work fully in Chinese and could perform effectively in this medium.

3. The effects of the medium of instruction on the achievement of Form 2 students in Hong Kong Secondary Schools
(ED in collaboration with HKU,
1985)

Topics in History and Science at Form 2 / Middle 2 level were selected and taught for a period of 6 weeks. Different approaches were used in teaching ability groups in 29 secondary schools.

- English proficiency was the main determinant of ability to pursue learning through English.
- For 70% of students, the use of English texts were a definitely disadvantage, even if enhanced in Chinese, where testing is in English.
- For the 30% who are most proficient in English, there is disadvantage in English instruction where the subject is heavily language dependent and tested in English.
- There is a strong correlation between proficiency in English and proficiency in Chinese.

4. Studies on the Modes of Language of Instruction at Junior Secondary Levels in Anglo-Chinese Secondary Schools
(ED, 1985)

7500 students in S1-S3 of 15 Anglo-Chinese secondary schools were studied for 2 years.
Tests in English, Chinese, Maths and History were administered at 2-3 occasions to measure their attainment.
Questionnaires were also administered to enquire on the languages used in classes.

- Teachers were using more spoken Cantonese in class.
- Students with a low proficiency in English had difficulties with teachers’ oral instructions in English and English textbooks.
- Students with low English proficiency had poorer results.
- Students from English primary schools were among the best in English.

5. A Comparison of Academic Performance of Junior Secondary Students in Anglo-Chinese and Chinese Middle Schools
(ED, 1985)

Three cohorts of students, each of about 1400 students, at S1, 2 and 3 were studied. Language proficiency tests and achievement test in Maths, Science and History were administered on three occasions from 1983-85.

- Controlling for students’ ability, family background and teacher qualifications, students in Anglo-Chinese schools performed better in the subject of English.
- Students in Chinese Middle schools did better in the subjects of Chinese and History.
- The differences in Science and Maths did not show a steady pattern.

6. Study on the relation between initial language proficiency at secondary 1 level and subsequent HKCEE performance for medium of instruction grouping
(ED 1992)

Using a back tracking approach, a cohort of S5 students sitting in the 1990 HKCEE were traced to relate their P.6 language proficiency in 1985 to their HKCEE performance.

- There was a significant correlation between students’ Secondary School Places Allocation (SSPA) scaled scores in English and Chinese and their HKCEE results.
- There was no significant difference between using English or Chinese as a criterion to find out students’ rate of success in the HKCEE.
- For students in Anglo-Chinese schools that used English as the sole medium of instruction ( MOI), the cut- off point at or above which they could have a higher rate of success in the HKCEE was identified to be the 60th percentile in both English and Chinese.

7. A comparison of Pupils' HKCEE Results between Schools Using Chinese as Medium of Instruction (MOI) in All Subjects and Schools Using Chinese as MOI by Subject
(ED, 1994)

The study investigated the effect of the use of different teaching medium in secondary schools on pupils' HKCEE results, particularly to compare the results of pupils from schools using Chinese as MOI in all subjects and those from schools using Chinese as MOI by subject.
In order to identify schools using Chinese as MOI in all subjects and those using Chinese by subject, the proportion of teaching periods conducted in Chinese to the total number of teaching periods, term as C/T ratio, was used.

- The raw score averaging over all pupils in the group using Chinese as the teaching medium in all subjects is higher than that in the other group.
- Pupils from schools using Chinese as MOI in all subjects performed significantly better in most subjects, particularly in Chinese, English (Syllabus B) and language loaded subjects such as Geography, History and Economics.
- There were no significant difference found in science subjects between the two groups.
- Students taught solely in one language had a higher rate of success in the HKCEE than those taught through a mixed code of English and Chinese.

8. Research on Change of Medium of Instruction in Secondary Schools
(ED, 1994)

The study was aimed to examine the effects of change of medium of instruction to Chinese on the academic performance of students, to study the learning process and related variables in schools adopting Chinese as the medium of instruction, and to establish the relation between students' performance and the language environment in school.
It involved about 4500 S1 students in 1988/89 in 11 Anglo-Chinese schools with over 50% of subjects switched to the Chinese medium.

- In language-loaded subjects such as History, Geography and Science, students in Chinese medium schools outperformed those in English medium schools.
- Students of low English competence should not be placed in a language environment which is predominantly English. Otherwise, they are likely to have poor motivation and to apply superficial learning strategies like rote memorization to deal with the secondary curriculum, especially in studying language-loaded subjects.
- Schools should adopt a single-medium approach in class-teaching.

9. Evaluation Study on the Implementation of MOI Grouping in Sec Schools (1994/95-1998/99)
(ED, 2000)

11,000 students from 56 schools were followed from S1 to S5.
- Schools under study were grouped into EMI, Mixed (i.e. use of English or Chinese by subject) and CMI.
The study aims to gauge the effects of the different modes of teaching medium on the academic achievement of pupils.
For gauging students’ achievement, standardized achievement tests in the subjects of Chinese, English, Maths, Science, Geography and History were administered in S1-S3. At S5, fine grade point scored by students in the HKCEE was taken as the main output measure.
Questionnaires were administered to look at learning process and self-perception.

- At S1 –S3 levels, the group of students taught in two-mode by subject obtained, most of the time, the lowest mean score in all the six subjects when compared with other MOI groups.
- Two-medium teaching by subject is not a desirable choice of MOI for schools.
- There is no evidence that attending an English-medium-instruction school would help students achieve higher proficiency in English Language.
- Mother-tongue teaching contributed to students’ value-added performance in most school subjects throughout the entire secondary schooling period, especially in the subjects of sciences and social sciences.

10. Evaluation on the Implementation of the MOI Guidance for Secondary Schools (1999-2002)
(CUHK, 2004)

(Please see Executive Summary uploaded)

11. The Study of Good Practices in Secondary Schools for Enhancing Students’ English Language Proficiency
(HKU, 2004)

(Please see Executive Summary uploaded)

12. Development of Support Measures for Student Adaptation in English-medium Schools
(CUHK, 2004)

(Please see Abstract uploaded)

13. Study on an English Enrichment Programme in Chinese-medium Schools
(HKUST, HKIEd, 2005)

(Please see Abstract uploaded)

14. Further Evaluation on the Implementation of the MOI Guidance for Secondary Schools (2002-2004)
(CUHK, 2006)

(Please see Executive Summary uploaded)

15. Study on Extended Learning Activities Conducted in English in Chinese-medium Schools in Hong Kong
(OUHK, 2012)

(Please see Executive Summary uploaded)