Profile of Dr WONG, Mun Amanda 黃敏 - The Education University of Hong Kong


Assistant Professor	Department of Early Childhood Education

Contact

ORCiD

0000-0002-9568-2301

Phone

(852) 2948 7544

Fax

(852) 2948 7160

awong@eduhk.hk

Address

10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong

Website

https://pappl.eduhk.hk/rich/web/person.xhtml?pid=13887&name=WONG, Mun Amanda

Scopus ID

37262187400

Research Interest

"Young children's stress and coping" "Young children's concept of fairness"

Teaching Interest

Child development, Childhood Stress and Coping

Personal Profile

Dr. Wong Mun’s research interests lie in young children’s social and emotional well-being, including children's concept of distributive justice, how children cope with (1) issues associated with death, (2) stress associated with bullying, peer conflicts, learning, and academic achievement. Her recent longitudinal study examines (1) parents’, teachers’ and children’s role in helping children to cope with stress during the transition from preschool to school; and (2) the links between coping strategies and depressive symptoms among girls and boys during the transition to school. Dr. Wong is the Field Experience Coordinator for the Bachelor of Education (Hons) (Early Childhood Education, 3-year Part-time) Programme from 2008-2015. She is also the Project Leader of Zippy’s Friends at School and at Home Project, an emotional education programme for children and parents in Hong Kong (2006-present). With the sponsorship of Hong Kong Bank Foundation, Zippy's Friends Programme has been launched in 551 kindergartens and 150 primary schools (N=701). More than 2,000 teachers have been trained as Qualified Zippy's Friends teachers. More than 93,000 5-7-year-old children have been benefited from the programme with significant improvement in expressing emotions, solving problems and learning attitude. Dr. Wong has been invited to the Department of Education, University of Oxford as a Visiting Research Fellow from 25 April 2010 to 19 June 2010. Dr. Wong is also the project leader of the Engaging the victimizer, victim and bystander with the aim of reducing bullying among young children- “ECE Peace Ambassador Project” (GRF) and Life Education in Preschool: Child Resilience Nurturing Programme (QEF). She has also been invited by the Education Youth Affairs Bureau in 2007-2015 to conduct inspections and provide consultancy work on the plan and work of the Integrated Evaluation of School (Kindergarten sector) in Macau. In 2015 (Oct), Dr. Wong was invited to be one of the Symposium panelists to present her research on distributive justice at the Asian Conference on Education in Kobe, Japan. Dr. Wong has been invited by the Department of Infant and Child Care, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences to work as visiting scholar and conduct seminars and workshops for students taking The International Dual Master Degree Program( with Montessori Teacher Certification)(2018-2020). She also worked as the Project Consultant for the Caritas Little Angel Project (2016-2019): A Supportive Developmental Project for Enhancing Children's Coping Strategies and Mental Health. Recently, she is appointed as a Specialist of the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (2017-2022).

Research Interest

"Young children's stress and coping" "Young children's concept of fairness"

Teaching Interest

Child development, Childhood Stress and Coping

Selected Output


Scholarly Books, Monographs and Chapters Chapter in an edited book (author) 黃敏 (2014)。自尊感對孩子心理健康的影響。輯於郭曉明等編，《百分百家長》 (頁14-18)。澳門: 澳門特別行政區政府教育暨青年局劉寶蓮 (2012)。消解衝突。黄敏主編， <比比和朋友え旅> (73-82)。香港: 香港教育學院陳麗娜,劉寶蓮 (2012)。溝通。黃敏主編，比比和朋友え旅 (54-62)。香港: 香港教育學院黃敏 (2012)。面對改變和失去：說再見。輯於黃敏主編，《比比和朋友之旅香港》 (頁83-92)。香港: 香港教育學院黃敏 (2011)。《比比和朋友》：幫助孩子瞭解自己、與人建立關係和正面解決問題。陳惠玲，香港教育學院匯豐幼兒發展中心十週年特刊 (33-37)。香港: 香港教育大學幼兒發展中心黃敏 (2006)。幼兒理財教育。陳惠玲(主編)，彩虹橋, 家長通訊 (5-7)。香港: 香港教育學院匯豐幼兒發展中心 Edited book (editor) 黃敏(主編) (2012)。《比比和朋友之旅　香港》。香港: 香港教育學院
Journal Publications Publication in refereed journal T.G. Power, & M. Wong (2021). Chinese mother’s scaffolding of young children’s responses to stress and children’s depressive symptoms during the first year of primary school.. Children and Youth Services Review, 131, 1-10 Doi:doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106284. M.Wong & T.G. Power (2021). Parental Depressive Symptoms, Parent Attributional Style, and Child Coping as Predictors of Depressive Symptoms in Children of Parents with Anxiety or Mood Disorders.. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, published online, 1-13 Doi:doi: 10.1007/s10578-021-01248-w. Wong, M. (2019). Chinese preschool children’s understanding of death. Early Years: An International Journal of Research and Development, Online, 1-16 Wong, M., & Power. T.G. (2019). Links between coping strategies and depressive symptoms among girls and boys during the transition to Primary school.. Early Education and Development,DOI: 10.1080/10409289.2018.1544811, 30(2), 178-195 Wong, M., & Power, T.G. (2019). Childhood depressive symptoms during the transition to primary school in Hong Kong: Comparison of child and maternal reports.. Children and Youth Services Review, doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.03.024, 100, 183-190 Wong, M. (2018). Perceptions of school life among a sample of Chinese children in Hong Kong. Early Child Development and Care, 188(6), 800-818 Wong, M. (2017). Chinese children's perceptions of aggression among peers at school. Early Years, 37:2, 143-157 Smetana, J.G., Ball, C., Yau, J., & Wong, M. (2017). Effect of type of maternal control on American and Chinese children's evaluations of personal domain events. Social Development, 26(1), 146-164 Wong, M. (2016). A longitudinal study of children’s voices in regard to stress and coping during the transition to school.. Early Child Development and Care, 186(6), 927-946 Wong, M. (2015). Voices of children, parents and teachers: How children cope with stress during school transition.. Early Child Development and Care, 185(4), 658-678 Wong, M., & Nunes, T. (2014). Preschoolers consider the recipient's merit and the role of allocator when distributing resources. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 39(2), 109-117 Smetana,J.G., Wong, M., Ball,C., & Yau, J. (2014). American and Chinese children's evaluations of personal domain events and resistance to parental authority. Child Development, 85(2), 626-642 Wong, M. (2013). Learning to cope with stress during transition from kindergarten to school. The International Journal of Early Childhood Learning, 19 (2), 49-59 Wong, M. (2011). Chinese children's justifications for sharing resources: why do we have to share?. Early Child Development and Care, 181(9-10), 1199-1214 Wong, M. (2010). Care-based and justice-based morality in kindergarten. The International Journal of Learning, 17(9), 271-284 Wong, M. (2010). Chinese children's understanding of death. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 35(2), 63-71 Wong, M. (2008). Helping young children to develop adaptive coping strategies. Journal of Basic Education, 17 (1), 119-144 Bale, C. & Wong, M. (2007). Using Zippy's Friends to promote the mental health of young children.. Hong Kong Journal of Early Childhood, 6 (2), 20-27 Wong, M. & Lau W.C. (2007). Talking about death and coping strategies with young children.. Hong Kong Journal of Early Childhood, 6 (2), 12-19 Wong, M. & Ng, M.L. (2007). Zippy’s Friends: Teachers’ Training and Its Effectiveness. Hong Kong Journal of Early Childhood, 6(1), 65-73 黃敏、成子娟、黎寶燕及伍瑞顏 (2006)。比比和朋友──一個增強兒童抗逆能力的計劃。香港幼兒學報，第5期第1卷，頁57 黃敏、胡婉姍 (2006)。小一適應問題：焦慮、壓力與應對方法。香港幼兒學報，5(1)，頁39-45 黃敏 (2005)。促進兒童的數學思維及解決問題之能力。香港幼兒學報，4(1)，21-22 Wong, M. (2004). The characteristics of Hong Kong children's moral development.. Journal of Basic Education, 13 (1), 1-23 黃敏 (2003)。非典型肺炎與兒童的認知學習。香港幼兒學報，2(2)，17-19 Wong, M. & Nunes, T. (2003). Hong Kong children's concept of distributive justice.. Early Child Development and Care, 173 (1), 119-129 Publication in non-refereed journal 黃敏 (2018)。幫助孩子愉快地適應小學生活。香港教育大學幼教通訊，3，頁3
Conference Papers Invited conference paper Wong, M. (2021, 12). Covid-19 and children’s mental health. Conference for Research in Early Childhood Education, Hong Kong Wong, M., & Wan, W.K. (2021, 12). Non-labelling intervention means to support children of parents with anxiety disorder or mood disorder. Learning & Teaching Expo 2021, Hong Kong Wong, M. (2017, 7). Chinese children’s perception of school life. Paper presentation at the Children and Childhoods Conference, University of Suffolk, United Kingdom Wong, M. (2017, 5). Children’s stress and coping during the transition to primary school.. Invited paper presentation at the Conference for Research in Early Childhood Education – Social, Emotional, and Moral Development of Young Children, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Wong, M. (2017，5). 兒童升小學面對的壓力和應對策略。論文發表於「幼教研討會2017：幼兒的社交、情緒和道德發展」，Hong Kong Wong, M. (2017, 3). Chinese children's perceptions of aggression among peers at schools.. Paper presented at the Departmental Research Development Committee Research Seminar at The Education University of Hong Kong., Hong Kong Wong, M. (2015, 10). Distributive Justice: Development and Learning in Families, Classrooms, and Cultures.. Invited paper presentation at the Asian Conference on Education: International, Intercultural, Interdisciplinary, Kobe, Japan Refereed conference paper Wong, M. (2019, 7). Helping kindergarten children in Hong Kong to understand issues of death. Paper presentation at the Twenty-sixth International Conference on Learning, Belfast, UK., Belfast Wong, M. (2018, 4). The relationship between maternal and teachers' scaffolding behaviors and Hong Kong children's depressive symptoms during the transition to school. Paper presented in International Conference on Education and Global Studies, Osaka International House Foundation, Osaka, Japan Wong, M. (2016, 7). Children’s, Parents’ and Teachers’ Perceptions of Bullying in the First Year at School. Poster presentation at the 24th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development, Vilnius, Lithuania Wong, M. (2015, 7). A longitudinal Study of Children's Stress and Coping during Transition to School.. Paper presented at the Twenty-Second International Conference on Learning, Madrid, Spain Wong, M. (2015, 6). Children's gendered perceptions of peer bullying before and after transition to school.. Paper presentated at to the Quality Childhood Conference International 2015., Hong Kong Wong, M. (2015, 4). Voices of children, parents and teachers: How children cope with stress during school transition. Paper presented at the Conference for Research in Early Childhood Education, Hong Kong Wong, M. (2014, 8). Children’s and parents’ views on transition to school: indicator of smooth transition from preschool. Paper presented at the EARLI Conference on SIG 5 Learning and Development in Early Childhood, Jyväskylä, Finland Wong, M., & Nunes, T. (2013, 7). Preschoolers consider the recipient's merit and role of allocator when distributing goods. Paper presented at the 18th Biennisal Conference of the Australasian Human Development Association, Gold Coast Smetana, J.; Wong, M.; Ball, C; & Yau, J. (2013, 4). American and Chinese Children's Evaluations of Personal Domain Events and Resistance to Parental Authority. Paper Presentation at the 2013 SRCD Biennial Meeting, Seattle, Washington, USA, Seattle Wong, M. (2012, 8). Learning to cope with stress during transition from kindergarten to school.. Paper presentation at the 19th International Conference on Learning., London Wong, M. (2011, 10). Chinese young children’s tendency to balance claims to personal jurisdiction with compliance to adult authority. Paper presentation at the International Conference on Moral Education: Cultivation Morality: Human Beings, Nature and the World, Nanjing, China Wong, Mun (2010, 8). Chinese Children's concept of death.. Paper Presentation at the OMEP XXVI World Congress, Göteborg, Sweden. Wong, M. (2010, 7). Care-based and justice-based morality in kindergarten. Paper presentation at the 17th International conference on Learning, Hong Kong Wong, M. (2009, 7). Young children's judgements of classroom rules.. Paper presented at the Association of Moral Education Conference, Utrecht, Netherlands Wong, M. (2008, 7). Empowering children to cope with loss.. Paper presented at The Third International Conference on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology., United Kingdom Wong, M. (2007, 7). Parents' and teachers' views of transition to school and children's coping strategies.. Paper presented at the 15th Biennial Conference of the Australiasian Human Development Association, Sydney, Australia Wong, M. (2006, 7). Distribution of resources: Institution contexts, characteristics of recipients and resources.. Paper presented at the Association for Moral Education, Fribourg, Switzerland Other conference paper Wong,M. & Su, B. (2017, 5). Comparing mother’s, first born and last born child’s strategies in resolving sibling conflicts. Poster presentation at the Conference for Research in Early Childhood Education – Social, Emotional, and Moral Development of Young Children, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Lam,T.K., Wong,M., Leung, Y.W..& Yuen,W.K. (2015，5). 如何藉繪本啟發幼兒對公民意識的思考？。論文發表於「「學生民主文化的培育：『後佔領運動時代』的學校公民使命」研討會」
All Other Outputs Journal editor ('editorial membership' should be excluded) Wong, M. (2013). Associate Editor. International Journal of Technologies in Learning , Volume 19, Issue 3. Australia: Common Ground Publisher Wong, M. (Associate Editor) (2010). The International Journal of Learning, 17 (9).. Australia: Common Ground Publishing LLC Wong, M. & Chan, M. S.(Eds.) (2007). Young Children's Holistic Health.. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Institute of Education Review of books or of software Wong, M. (2012). Review manuscripts submitted to Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood.. Nicola J. Yelland, & Susan J. Grieshaber, Contemporary Issues of Eacly Childhood. Oxford, UK: Symposium Journals Ltd Wong,M. (2011)。 Review manuscripts submitted to Hong Kong Journal of Early Childhood.。Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Education Other outputs Wong, M. (2022). Review manuscripts for Early Years. USA Wong, M. (2022). Review manuscript for Child Psychiatry & Human Development. USA Wong, M. (2021). Review manuscript for School readiness in Mainland China: A Narrative Literature Review. China Wong ,M. (2021). Review a book proposal for Routledge - Adolescent-Parent Schoolwork Conflicts in China: Understand Chinese Families and Adolescents’ Autonomy Development. Singapore Wong, M. (2020). Review manuscripts for Early Years. USA Wong, M. (2020). Review manuscript for Early Child Development and Care. UK Wong, M. (2020). Review manuscript for the Open Psychology Journal. Wong, M. (2020). Review manuscript for Asia-Pacific Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education. China Wong, M. (2019). External Examiner for Ed.D Oral Defense, Nothereastern University, College of Professional Studies. Wong, M. (2019). Review abstract/papers submitted for the Global Conference on Education & Research. Wong, M. (2019). Review manuscript for the Open Psychology Journal. DOI: 10.1002/acp.1391. Wong, M. (2019). Review manuscript for the Educational Review. USA Wong, M. (2019). Review Proposals submitted for the Innovative Teaching Beyond E-Learning Grant, FEHD, EdUHK. Wong, M. (2019). Review abstracts/papers for Global Conference on Education and Research. USA Wong, M. (2018). Review manuscript submitted to the Educational Research and Reviews. Kenya: Academic Journals 黃敏 (2018)。如何回答孩子關於死亡的問題？(2018.05.30)《星島日報》, 頁F2。 Wong, M. (2018). Review of manuscript submitted to Early Child Development and Care from 2016-present. United Kingdom: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group Ltd. Wong, M. (2017). Review of Internal Research Grant Proposal (2015-16, 2016-17). Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Institute of Education Wong, M. (2017). Editorial board member of the Global Studies of Childhood (2010-present). London: SAGE Publications 黃敏 (2016)。兒童快樂嗎?(2016.10.18)。《星島日報》, 頁F2 黃敏 (2016)。孩子眼中小一生活的苦與樂 (2016.10.4)。《星島日報》, 頁F2。 Wong, M. (2016). Internal Review of General Research Grant (2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17 proposals). Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Institute of Education Wong, M. (2016). Review of manuscripts submitted to European Journal of Developmental Psychology. Oxford: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group Ltd. Wong, M. (2016). Review manuscript submitted to European Journal of Developmental Psychology. United Kingdom: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group Ltd.. 黃敏 (2016)。兒童間的攻擊行為(2016.1.12)，《星島日報》, 頁F2。。黃敏 (2015)。家長如何幫助孩子適應小學生活(2015.10.13),《星島日報》, 頁F2。。 Wong, M. (2015). Review of manuscript submitted to Education Journal. Hong Kong: The Chinese University of Hong Kong 黃敏 (2015)。兒童、家長、老師對小一生活的看法(2015.4.14)，《星島日報》，頁F2。 Wong, M. (2014). Internal Review of Quality Education Fund.. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Institue of Education Wong, M. (2014). Review of Internal Research Grants Proposals. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Institute of Education Wong. M (2014). Review of manuscript submitted to Spanish Journal of Psychology. Spain: Cambridge University Press Wong, M. (2014). Review of manuscripts submitted to the Asia-Pacific Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education. Seoul: Hakjisa Publisher Wong, M. (2013). Review of manuscript submitted to Spanish Journal of Psychology. Spain: Cambridge University Press Wong, M. (2013). Internal Review of the General Research Fund for 2014/15. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Institute of Education. Wong,M. (2010). Editorial advisor and Journal reviewing of submissions to Global Studies of Childhood. Oxford UK: Symposium Journals Ltd. Wong, M. (2010). Editorial board member of the Global Studies of Childhood. Oxford UK: Symposium Journals Ltd.

Project


Engaging the Victimizer, Victim and Bystander with the Aim of Reducing Bullying among Young Children- “ECE Peace Ambassador Project” .. Project Start Year: 2021, Principal Investigator(s): WONG, Mun Amanda 黃敏
優質教育基金: 幼稚園生命教育：抗逆小天使--兒童成長計劃本項目配合《幼稚園教育課程指引2017》，以生命教育其中三大主題（人與己、人與人、人與環境），協助教師以生活化的主題開發校本生命教育課程，主要涵蓋「品德發展」、「大自然與生活」及「個人與群體」三大幼兒發展目標，為其提供生活化、重視感官探索和富趣味的學習經歷。本項目亦為教師提供專業發展，並向學校提供校本支援服務，協助學校紮根於校本的經驗和優勢，配合其辦學理念、學校條件、幼兒特質等，優化其校本課程，更有效地培育幼兒正面的價值觀和積極的態度，使幼兒學會愛護環境和關懷社群。而本項目的家長教育部分，能令家長為幼小銜接作準備，以達至協同學校、家庭與社區參與，讓學校與家長攜手，幫助幼兒愉快和自信地迎接學校生活。本項目同時配合優質教育基金的優先主題(5)價值觀教育。本計劃旨在培育學生的抗逆力、自我尊重、對他人的尊重和關愛、對環境的尊重和愛護。本計劃為幼稚園教師提供《生命教育理論與實踐》培訓工作坊，將這些價值和態度融入幼稚園的辦學理念和課程中，以促進兒童的健康生活方式及正向發展。本項目旨在幫助兒童培養認識生命的意義和價值；確立自我的價值。透過推行幼稚園生命教育計劃，讓兒童明白： (1) 不同成長階段的挑戰和可能遇上的困境， (2)認識自己的獨特性， (3)接納自己的弱點， (4)自我肯定， (5)自我關懷， (6)珍惜自己， (7)對自己負責，和 (8)以積極樂觀的態度面對困境。 Project Start Year: 2020, Principal Investigator(s): WONG, Mun Amanda 黃敏
“How Parents' Talk about Death is Linked to Children's Understanding of Death” Aim/Purpose: 1. Examine how children’s understanding of five subcomponents of death differs across age in a Chinese sample 2. Examine similarities and differences between Chinese children’s and parents’ explanations of death concepts, using scientific and supernatural beliefs. 3. Examine how parents talk about death with children at different ages. 4. Explore possible influences on the development of death understanding: How parents talk about death (using five death subcomponents, supernatural beliefs or not), Socioeconomic status, previous experience of death in the family, and parents’ religion (religiosity and belief in afterlife). Method: A total of 400 participants (200 children and 200 parents) will be recruited. The sample will consist of four age groups, 4- and 5-year-olds, 6- and 7-year-olds, 8- and 9-year-olds, 10- and 11-year-olds, with 50 children in each age group and their parents. Children will be recruited from two kindergartens and two primary schools in Hong Kong. Children will be interviewed individually about their concept of death, using death concept interview used by previous studies (see Panagiotaki et al., 2018 for a review of the literature). Parents will be interviewed about their explanations of death to young children Panagiotaki et al. (2018) argue research on children’s understanding of death are directly relevant to ‘clinicians, practitioners, and health professionals who seek to explain to and reassure children who try to make sense of the death of a loved one’ (p.111). If parents know that young children can understand the irreversibility of death, and they are interested in the socio-cultural practice associated with death, such as how adults maintain bonding with the deceased; parents will talk with children about how they maintain love with the deceased (e.g. talking about happy memories and viewing pictures of the deceased ancestor). By doing so, parents can share their ways in coping with the fact that death of the love ones is irreversible. Findings may also show that some adults may avoid talking about death with children, and some may have underestimated their children’s ability to understand the sub-concepts of death. These findings also explore children’s feelings towards death. These findings can provide useful information for teachers and parents to discuss how adults can talk about death with children of different ages, including children’s understanding and feelings towards death. Project Start Year: 2018, Principal Investigator(s): WONG, Mun Amanda 黃敏
Programme Evaluation of the Caritas Little Angel Project (明愛童心藝伴行計劃): A Supportive and Developmental Project for Children of Parents with Mental Illness Dr. Amanda Wong was invited as the project consultant to work with Professor Thomas Power to evaluate the effectiveness of the Caritas Little Angel Project (2016-2019) in helping children of parents with mental illness to cope with stress in family. The Project Objectives include: 1. To provide support for the children of parents with mental illness and family members for increase understanding of mental health and coping with stress in family by using a wide range of art and family interventions. 2. To empower the children of parents with mental illness with their strengths and resilience with the use of creative means of art for all-rounded and balance development. 3. To liaise with different parties from schools to mental health professionals for providing sustainable social support and to recognize the needs of children and family with mental illness. 4. To utilize the recovery experience of children with parents will mental illness for mutual support by workshops and trainings so as to co-create a mental health friendly and non-stigmatized atmosphere. 5. To promote social integration and social acceptance for people with mental illness and to encourage the public for positive interaction with children and their families with mental illness by mentorship programs. Project Start Year: 2016, Principal Investigator(s): WONG, Mun Amanda 黃敏
Children’s stress, appraisal, coping and adults’ scaffolding during transition to school. This study involves collaboration between Dr. Amanda Wong (Education University of Hong Kong) and Professor Thomas Power (Washington State University). First, this study explores factors that may affect children’s coping strategies during the transition to school, including types of stress situations, evaluation of problem seriousness, and emotion attribution. Second, this study examines the relation between children’s coping strategies and adjustment. Third, the association between teachers’ and parents’ strategies in helping children to cope with stress and children’s coping and adjustment are explored. 100 children and their parents and teachers were involved in the study. Children were interviewed during the third months at Year 1. Children’s responses to a set of hypothetical stress situations during transition to school were elicited using enactive assessment (Mize & Ladd, 1988; Green, Cillessen, Rechis et al., 2008). Hypothetical stress situations during the transition to schools include: 1) reduced playing time, increased learning activities at home;2) nervousness about authority; and 3) bullying. Children’s depressive symptoms during the transition to school were measured using the Chinese version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Child (Li et al, 2010). Teacher and parental strategies in helping children to cope with stress at school were measured by asking parents and teachers to complete a questionnaire. The results of the study will add to the existing knowledge and provide direct practice implication by generating robust data on children’s coping difficulties and strategies during transition to primary school, and the cultural context of transition, coping and parenting in the Chinese society. The preliminary result of this study was presented at the Conference for Research in Early Childhood Education – Social, Emotional, and Moral Development of Young Children, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (2017, May). Details of research outputs: (1)Wong, M. & Power, G.T. (2019) Links Between Coping Strategies and Depressive Symptoms Among Girls and Boys During the Transition to Primary School, Early Education and Development, 30(2), 178-195, DOI: 10.1080/10409289.2018.1544811. (2) Wong, M., & Power, G.T. (2019). Childhood Depressive Symptoms during the Transition to Primary School in Hong Kong: Comparison of Child and Maternal Reports. Children and Youth Services Review 100, 183-190, Doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.02.035 Project Start Year: 2015, Principal Investigator(s): WONG, Mun Amanda 黃敏
Developing a learning community for student teachers to use children's literature to teach civic education in early childhood education The project explores student teachers' understanding of citizhenship and their effectiveness in using picture books as a pedagogical tool for civic learning of young children. Project Start Year: 2014, Principal Investigator(s): LAM SZE CHING, CICI 林絲靖 (WONG, Mun Amanda 黃敏 as Co-Investigator)
A study of children's stress and coping during the transition to school. In 2012-15, this project explores (1) how parental and teacher scaffolding and children’s coping strategies contribute to children’s adjustment during the transition from preschool to school; and (2) how children’s perception of stress and coping are constructed over time. The sample included 216 6-year-old children, their parents and teachers. The parents, teachers and children reported that many children encountered social stress and being incompetent at school, and most of the children used either direct problem solving or seeking social support leant from the Zippy's lessons to cope with stress; but had not used emotion focused coping strategies learnt at preschool. Compared with the parents’ and teachers’ responses, the children reported more incidences of social stress. Compared with the children’s responses, more parents and teachers reported children being incompetent in learning or self-help skills at school. Implications of the study were discussed at the end of the article. The findings are published in various international peer reviewed journals:(1)Wong, M. (2017). Chinese children’s perceptions of aggression among peers at school, Early Years, 37 (2), 143-157. DOI: 10.1080/09575146.2016.1178711. (2)Wong, M. (2016). Perceptions of school life among a sample of Chinese children in Hong Kong., Early Child Development and Care, DOI:10.1080/03004430.2016.1238361.URL of the publication: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09575146.2016.1178711. (3)Wong, M. (2016). A longitudinal study of children's voices in regard to stress and coping during the transition to school, Early Child Development and Care, 186(6),927-946, DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2015.1068769. (4) Wong, M. (2015). Voices of children, parents and teachers: how children cope with stress during school transition, Early Child Development and Care, 185(4), 658-678, DOI:10.1080/03004430.2014.948872. Project Start Year: 2012, Principal Investigator(s): WONG, Mun Amanda 黃敏
Zippy's Friends at School and at Home Program in Kindergarten in Hong Kong With sponsorship from the Hong Kong Bank Foundation, this project provides Zippy's Friends teachers training for teachers and parents workshops for enhancing children's socio-emotional health (2011-2014). From 2015 to present, we had continued to provide Zippy's Friends teachers' training for B.Ed (hons) part-time students using Government's Matching Grant. The Centre for Child and Family Science is providing Zippy's Friends teachers' training for teachers in the community. A total of 688 schools (538 kindergartens and 150 primary schools) had been participated in this project, we had trained more than 2000 teachers to run the Zippy's Friends Programme. Over 92,000 children had been benefit from the project. The effectiveness of Zippy's Friends Programme on children's ability to cope with stress during the transition to schools had been reported in international peer reviewedjournal: Wong, M. (2016). A longitudinal study of children's voices in regard to stress and coping during the transition to school, Early Child Development and Care, 186(6),927-946, DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2015.1068769 Project Start Year: 2011, Principal Investigator(s): WONG, Mun Amanda 黃敏
American and Chinese children's evaluation of personal domain events and resistance to parental authority 267 5-, 7-, and 10-year olds, 147 in Hong Kong and 120 in the U.S., evaluated hypothetical personal (and moral) events described as either essential or peripheral to the child’s identity. Straightforward personal events were overwhelmingly evaluated as acceptable based on personal justifications, although more so when events were described as essential to the character’s identity, among American than Chinese, and among older than younger children. Children mostly endorsed compliance but attributed negative emotions to actors when mothers prohibited personal choices, especially those described as essential to identity. Conventional justifications declined and pragmatic justifications for these judgments increased with age, as did judgments that children should decide personal events. Decision locus and rule legitimacy differed for moral and personal events. The findings of this study is published in two international peer reviewed journals:(1)Smetana, J.G., Ball, C., Yau, J.; & Wong, M. (2017). Effect of type of maternal control on American and Chinese children’s evaluations of personal domain events. Social Development, 26(1), 146-164. doi:10.1111/sode.12178; and (2)Smetana, J. G., Wong, M., Ball, C., & Yau, J. (2014). American and Chinese children's evaluations of personal domain events and resistance to parental authority. Child Development, 85(2), 626-642. Project Start Year: 2010, Principal Investigator(s): Judith G. Smetana (WONG, Mun Amanda 黃敏 as Co-Principal Investigator)
Zippy's Friends Programme in Kindergarten in Hong Kong Zippiy's Friends (ZF) is an international programme designed to promote young children's emotional and social competence. With sponsorship from Hong Kong Bank Foundation, in 2011 a total of 240 teachers from 120 kindergartens has been trained trained to run the programme and 17,000 young children and parents have been benefited from the programme. Based on our study on children particating in Zippy's Friends Project, we will publish a book to share our experience from Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai in 2011-12. This book will provide useful resources for students and teacher in Hong Kong. Project Start Year: 2009, Principal Investigator(s): WONG, Mun Amanda 黃敏
The Effects of Young Children’s Participation in Rule Making on Children’s Moral Reasoning and Concept of Rule The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of young children's participation in rule making (fair rule of sharing, care-based or justice-based rule) on children's moral reasoning. The findings of this study is published in international peer reviewed journals: (1)Wong, M. (2011) 'Chinese children's justifications for sharing resources: why do we have to share?', Early Child Development and Care, 181(9-10),1199-1214; and (2)Wong, M. (2010). Care-based and justice-based morality in kindergarten.The International Journal of Learning, 17 (9), 271-284. Project Start Year: 2007, Principal Investigator(s): WONG, Mun Amanda 黃敏
Educational Visits and Exchange with ECE Institutions in Mainland Funding was granted by HKIEd Faculty Grant Committee to sponsor educational visits and Exchange with Early Childhood Education Institutions in Mainland China. Same as the arrangement in 2005-2006, different modes of education visits to China will be offered to a total of 253 students from different early childhood teacher education programmes with sponsorship from the HK Bank Foundation. It will take place during Christmas and Easter holidays in 2006-07. The visits will include workshops, visits to local preschools and culture visits. In addition to the education visits to China, it is proposed to invite our Mainland counterparts to visit the HKSAR, including two specialists in dance and/or music and a Professor in early childhood teacher education. A range of academic exchange activities would be organized that will be of benefits to the visitors, our in-service and pre-service students, children and staff of the HKIEd HSBC Early Childhood Learning Centre, staff members of the Department of ECE and the local early childhood field. Project Start Year: 2006, Principal Investigator(s): WONG NGAI CHUN, MARGARET 黃艾珍 (WONG, Mun Amanda 黃敏 as Co-Investigator)
Educational Visits to the Mainland (funded by The Hong Kong Bank Foundation) Funding was granted by the Hong Kong Bank Foundation to sponsor educational visits and Exchange with Early Childhood Education Institutions in Mainland China. Same as the arrangement in 2005-2006, different modes of education visits to China will be offered to a total of 253 students from different early childhood teacher education programmes with sponsorship from the HK Bank Foundation. It will take place during Christmas and Easter holidays in 2006-07. The visits will include workshops, visits to local preschools and culture visits. In addition to the education visits to China, it is proposed to invite our Mainland counterparts to visit the HKSAR, including two specialists in dance and/or music and a Professor in early childhood teacher education. A range of academic exchange activities would be organized that will be of benefits to the visitors, our in-service and pre-service students, children and staff of the HKIEd HSBC Early Childhood Learning Centre, staff members of the Department of ECE and the local early childhood field. Project Start Year: 2006, Principal Investigator(s): WONG NGAI CHUN, MARGARET 黃艾珍 (WONG, Mun Amanda 黃敏 as Co-Investigator)
Zippy's Friends Programme in Kindergarten and Primary Schools in Hong Kong (2005-2009) It teaches children how to cope with everyday difficulties, to talk about their feelings and explore ways of dealing with them, and to help other people with their problem. Up to now, a total number of 149 primary schools and 400 kindergartens have participated in the project. 1,374 teachers were trained to run the ZF program. A total of 21,017 kindergarten children and 9,621 Primary One children have benefited from Zippy's Friends' Program with enhanced emotional and social competence. The Zippy's Website was launched in 2005-6 in order to provide further professional support for teachers and parents.The Hong Kong Bank Foundations has contributed 2,885,000 to support the Hong Kong Institute of Education in introducting Zippy's Friends' Programme from 2006-2009. (Zippy Friends Phase 2). This programme teaches children how to cope with everyday difficulties, to talk about this feelings and explore suitable coping strategies. Zippy's Friends members are responsible for training teaches (kindergarten and primary) to implement the programme at school and evaluate the effect of the programme on children's development. Project Start Year: 2006, Principal Investigator(s): WONG Mun, Amanda
Effects of Zippy's Friends' Programme on Young Children's Use of Coping Strategies Across Situations Zippy's Friends (ZF) is an international programme designed to promote young children's emotional and social competence. The study aims at examining the effectiveness of ZF programme in developing children's coping strategies. It was expected children who participated in ZF would use significantly more positive coping strategies and show significant improvement in recognizing difficult feelings. In order to evaluate whether ZF's programme can help children to improve their coping skills, teachers are asked to state whether they have noticed change in the children who experienced the programme and children's used of coping strategies before and after attending the programme will be compared. Project Start Year: 2006, Principal Investigator(s): WONG Mun, Amanda
An Overall Evaluation of Piloting Zippy's Friends Programme in Kindergartens and Primary Schools of Hong Kong The purpose of this action research is to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the first phase piloting of Zippy's Friends programme in Hong Kong which will be solely sponsored by funding provided by HSBC Foundation. Zippy's Friends is a systematic programme aims at training ECE educators, enabling them to provide early emotion and social education to young children through experiential activities. The evaluation study serves to indicate the fluency of the implementation and the effectiveness of the programme on children's emotional and coping skills so that the decisions can be made regarding how the subsequent phase will be conducted. Project Start Year: 2004, Principal Investigator(s): LAM, Yan Grace 林茵 (WONG, Mun Amanda 黃敏 as Co-Investigator)