Dr KONG, Siu Hang Eric    江肇衡 博士
Assistant Professor
Department of Early Childhood Education
Contact
ORCiD
0000-0002-6977-5379
Phone
(852) 2948 7861
Fax
(852) 2948 7160
Email
shkong@eduhk.hk
Address
10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong
Website
https://pappl.eduhk.hk/rich/web/person.xhtml?pid=176779&name=KONG, Siu Hang Eric
Scopus ID
57201403423
Research Interests
Music in early childhood education
Sociology of music education
Psychology of music
Teacher education
Comparative education
Personal Profile

Education Background

Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education, Hong Kong Baptist University

Master of Arts in Music (Choral Conducting), Hong Kong Baptist University

Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Music), The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Bachelor of Science in Biology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology


Research Projects

Project Title: Parent and community engagement in supporting academic and non-academic learning beyond the classroom among underprivileged young learners (Co-Investigator)

Source: Virtual Interdisciplinary Research Centre, EdUHK

Amount: $1,606,000 


Project Title: Moral Education in Arts Education: Pedagogical Implications in the Greater Bay Area (#04833) (Principal Investigator)

Source: Research Impact Cluster, EdUHK

Amount: $600,000


Project Title: Empowering University Students’ Academic Literacy through Critical and Ethical Use of AI (Co-Investigator)

Source: Teaching Development Grant, EdUHK

Amount: $362,992


Project Title: Enhancing Student Teachers’ Musical Subject Knowledge and Teaching Competence through the Integration of Musicianship and Pedagogical Training: Informed by Shulman’s Theory of Teaching (ITG2023-24/009) (Principal Investigator)

Source: ECE Innovative Teaching Grants, EdUHK 

Amount: $100,000


Project Title: Enhancing Tonal-rhythmic Sensitivity in Early Childhood Education: A Quasi-experimental Investigation of a Novel Music-pedagogical Methodology (CB353) (Principal Investigator)

Source: Research Matching Grant Scheme, UGC/EdUHK

Amount: $40,000


Project Title: Influences of parental cultural and social capital on children’s music activities: A comparative study of Chengdu and Hong Kong (RG 39/2022-2023R) (Principal Investigator)

Source: Start-up Research Grant, EdUHK

Amount: $149,776


Project Title: Developing pre-service teachers’ musical competence and teaching confidence: A training programme for transforming musicianship into pedagogy (ITG2022-23/005) (Principal Investigator)

Source: ECE Innovative Teaching Grants, EdUHK 

Amount: $59,400


Project Title: The effect of language-learning-devised music-pedagogical methodology on the reinforcement of acoustic sensitivity (DRG2022-23/004) (Principal Investigator)

Source: Departmental Research Grant, EdUHK 

Amount: $99,145

Research Interests
Music in early childhood education
Sociology of music education
Psychology of music
Teacher education
Comparative education
Research Outputs
Scholarly Books, Monographs and Chapters
Ho, W.-C., & Kong, S.-H. (2025). Soundscapes of education: Nurturing creativity through music and the arts. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-8241-6
Kong, S. H. (2023). Cultural capital and parental involvement: A comparison of students’ music participation between Beijing and Hong Kong. Singapore: Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9032-8
Kong, S. H. (2018). A study of young students' musical preferences in contemporary Hong Kong. In R. Kyros & M. Lott (Eds.), Public policy and social change: Perspectives, challenges and future directions (89-115). Nova Science Pub Inc.
Kong, S. H. (2016). Parental cultural capital and parental support for students’ participation in music listening and instrumental learning: A study of junior secondary school students in Beijing, China. R.V. Nata (Ed.), Progress in education (169-192). Nova Science Pub Inc.

Journal Publications
Kong, S.-H., & Xiong, X. (2025). Pre-service kindergarten teachers’ confidence and beliefs in music education: A study in the Chinese context. Education Sciences, 15, 772, Article 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15060772
Choi, W., Lai, V. K. W., Kong, S.-H., & Bautista, A. (2025). Examining the cognitive and perceptual perspectives of music-to-language transfer: A study of Cantonese–English bilingual children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 249, Article 106069. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2024.106069
SDGs infomation: 4 - Quality Education
Pan, Y., Bautista, A., & Kong, S. -H. (2025). Importance attributed to music education by Hong Kong parents and prediction of children’s music participation. Education Sciences, 15(2), 250. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15020250
SDGs infomation: 4 - Quality Education
Kong, S.-H. (2024). Music education training for kindergarten teachers: A workshop integrating Shulman’s pedagogical content knowledge and pedagogical reasoning and action model. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 46(1), 85-102. https://doi.org/10.1080/10901027.2024.2410399
Wong, J., Bautista, A., Ho, Y. L. & Kong, S. H. (2023). Preschool teachers’ music-specific professional development preferences: Does teaching experience matter? Research Studies in Music Education, Doi:10.1177/1321103X221139992.
Kong, S. H. & Wong, W. K. (2022). Stressors and psychological distress: Music listening as a coping strategy for pre-service kindergarten teachers. International Journal of Music Education, 40(2), 260-275. https://doi.org/10.1177/02557614211050986
Kong, S. H. (2021). A study of students’ perceptions of parental influence on students’ musical instrument learning in Beijing, China. Music Education Research, 23(3), 287-299. https://doi.org/10.1080/14613808.2020.1832978
Kong, S. H. (2019). Influences of cultural capital on junior secondary school students’ musical preferences in Hong Kong, China. Current Politics and Economics of Northern and Western Asia, 28(1), 1-22.
江肇衡 (2017)。 家庭文化資質及支持對中學生音樂活動參與的影響：以香港特別行政區初中生為例的研究。 音樂傳播，2017(1)，63-71。
Kong, S. H. (2016). A study of parental support for junior secondary school students’ musical activities in Hong Kong. Journal of Youth Studies, 19(1), 119-133.

Conference Papers
Kong, S.H., Choi, W., & Yung, W. H. K. (2024, April). Language learning devised music-pedagogical methodology for children’s tonal-rhythmic sensitivity: Randomized control trial protocol. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting 2024, Philadelphia, US.
Kong, S. H. (2023, November). Enhancing music education in early childhood teacher education: A quasi-experimental study on pre-service teachers’ musical competence and teaching confidence. The 15th Asian Conference on Education, Tokyo, Japan.
Kong, S. H. (2023, October). Addressing the gap between pre-service teachers’ beliefs and practices in music education: Insights from a responsive teacher education course in Hong Kong. Asia Qualitative Inquiry Association 2023, Seoul.
Kong, S. H. (2023, August). Developing musical competence and self-confidence through a pilot music professional development workshop for pre-service kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong. Asia-Pacific Symposium for Music Education Research 2023, Seoul.
Kong S. H. (2023, January). Pre-service teachers’ confidence and the perceived importance of music teaching in Hong Kong early childhood education. International Conference on Music Education Technology 2023, Hong Kong.
Kong, S. H. & Wong, W. K. (2020, December). Stressors and psychological distress under Covid-19 pandemic: The use of music as a coping strategy. FSTE Conference: Emotional and Mental Wellbeing for Whole Person Development, Hong Kong, China.
Kong, S. H. (2019, November). The influence of parental cultural capital and support on Chinese students’ musical instrument learning. The IAFOR Conference for Higher Education Research & The Asian Conference on the Liberal Arts (CHER/ACLA2019): Uncertain Futures, Hong Kong, China.
Kong, S. H. (2019, July). The impact of societal factors on young student musical preferences in contemporary Hong Kong. The 12th Asia-Pacific Symposium for Music Education, Macau, China.
Kong, S. H. (2018, December). The influence of parental cultural capital and support on Chinese students’ musical instrument learning. The Hong Kong Educational Research Association International Conference 2018, Hong Kong, China.
Kong, S. H. (2017, December). Societal influence on young students’ music preferences in contemporary Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Sociological Association annual meeting 2017: Social transformations in Chinese societies, Hong Kong, China.
Kong, S. H. (2017, July). The influence of parental involvement and cultural capital on instrument learning among Chinese junior secondary school students. The 11th Asia-Pacific Symposium for Music Education Research (APSMER 2017): Music Education Transcending Borders, Melaka, Malaysia.
Kong, S. H. (2016, December). Influence of parental cultural capital and parental support on students’ music listening: A comparative study of Beijing and Hong Kong. The 18th Annual Conference of the Hong Kong Sociological Association, Hong Kong, China.
Kong, S. H. (2016, July). Students’ perceptions of parental influence on their participation in the activities of music listening: A comparative study of Beijing and Hong Kong. The 32nd World Conference on Music Education, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Kong, S. H. (2015, December). Impact of parents’ cultural capital and social capital on secondary school students. The Hong Kong Sociological Association 17th Annual Conference: Sociological Imagination in a Pluralist World, Hong Kong, China.
Kong, S. H. (2015, July). Students’ perceptions of parental influence on their participation in music activities in Hong Kong. The 10th Asia-Pacific Symposium for Music Education Research (APSMER 2015), Hong Kong, China.
Kong, S. H. (2014, December). A study of parental influence on student’s participation in music activities in Hong Kong. The 16th Annual conference of the Hong Kong Sociological Association, Hong Kong, China.
Kong, S. H. (2014, December). A study of parental influence on student’s participation in music activities in Hong Kong. The Forum on Graduate Ethnomusicology, Taipei, Taiwan.

Patents, Agreements, Assignments and Companies
Kong, S.-H., & Lee, C.M. (2024). Apparatus and Method Based on Convolutional Neural Network for Sound Recognition on Music Learning. [Patent granted]. Hong Kong: Intellectual Property Department, HKSAR Government. Hong Kong
SDGs infomation: 4 - Quality Education, 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, 10 - Reduced Inequality

Projects
Exploring the Role of Cultural and Social Capital in Inequalities of Children’s Arts Education: A Comparative Study in the Greater Bay Area
Equity is crucial in education, but educational inequality perpetuates social disparities and limits individual potential, widening gaps between privileged and disadvantaged groups. It reinforces poverty cycles and systemic injustices, undermining society. While education has the potential to address inequality, it can unintentionally perpetuate existing disparities.

Drawing upon the alarming wealth disparity in Hong Kong and mainland China, this underscores the urgent need to address educational inequality and its role in perpetuating systemic injustices. Schools inadvertently foster inequality, particularly in arts learning, which is seen as a symbol of middle-class privilege, exacerbating the gap between privileged and marginalized groups.

In the context of the pervasive “education fever”, this comparative study examines the cultural and social capital in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), to understand how capital is transmitted across generations through out-of-school arts activities. Data will be drawn from 1,600 questionnaires and 80 interviews involving parents of children aged three to eight years old residing in four cities within the GBA—Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Dongguan, and Foshan.

The study aims to uncover the transmission of cultural capital through arts activities, exploring parental involvement and support across social classes. It also examines the interplay between social and cultural capital and the experiences and barriers faced by disadvantaged families with high aspirations for their children’s arts education. By delving into these aspects, the study aims to advance our understanding of the inequalities in arts education and beyond.At a macro level, a comparative analysis across GBA cities will be conducted to examine the cultural and social capital theory in the context of social reproduction in China. It considers the dynamic cultural, social, and political contexts at the national level. The study explores how political and cultural factors influence parental attitudes towards arts education, considering the “One country, two systems” policy and its impact on parental decision-making.

By uncovering the connections between national policies, cultural influences, and parental choices regarding arts education, this research provides insights into the role of parental cultural and social capital in children’s arts learning in the Chinese context. It identifies culturally significant forms of cultural capital in arts learning and assesses the effectiveness of leveraging social capital influenced by cultural norms. The study aims to advance theoretical understanding and stimulate policy discussions to address educational inequality and examine the impact of state educational policies on reinforcing or mitigating educational inequality.
Project Start Year: 2025, Principal Investigator(s): KONG, Siu Hang, Eric

 
Wearable Speech Training Device for Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
This project aims to develop a wearable speech training device for underprivileged children aged 5 to 6 with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to enhance their communication skills through real-time feedback during daily interactions.
Project Start Year: 2024, Principal Investigator(s): KONG, Siu Hang, Eric

 
Empowering University Students’ Literacy in Academic Reading and Writing through Critical and Ethical Use of AI
This project aims to develop a pedagogical framework to enhance university students’ academic reading and writing literacy regarding their critical and ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in source-based academic writing.
Project Start Year: 2023, Principal Investigator(s): YUNG, Wai Ho, Kevin, ZHANG, Yuefeng, Ellen (KONG, Siu Hang, Eric as Co-Investigator)

 
Enhancing Tonal-rhythmic Sensitivity in Early Childhood Education: A Quasi-experimental Investigation of a Novel Music-pedagogical Methodology
Music and speech share acoustic commonalities, and extensive research has demonstrated the interchangeably reinforcing effect between music and language learning. Humans possess an innate capacity for music acquisition, mirroring the natural programming for language. Drawing on the hypothesis from the Principal Investigator’s previous project, the effect of language-learning-devised music-pedagogical methodology on the reinforcement of acoustic sensitivity (DRG2022-23/004), this study posits that music training focused on tonal-rhythmic sensitivity can strengthen acoustic sensitivity and capture the reciprocal benefits between speech and music. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study will implement the proposed pedagogical methodology in the context of a music classroom. The research aims to (1) investigate whether incorporating the pedagogical methodology into music training intervention can enhance participants’ tonal-rhythmic sensitivity, and (2) examine whether the pedagogy maintains participants’ motivation. Forty children aged three to six will be recruited to participate in the project. The effectiveness of the proposed pedagogical methodology will be evaluated by assessing participants’ musical ability and motivation using the Primary Measures of Music Audiation (PMMA), Absolute Pitch Test (APT), and Learning Motivation (LM).
Project Start Year: 2023, Principal Investigator(s): KONG, Siu Hang, Eric

 
Enhancing Tonal-rhythmic Sensitivity in Early Childhood Education: A Quasi-experimental Investigation of a Novel Music-pedagogical Methodology
Music and speech share acoustic commonalities, and extensive research has demonstrated the interchangeably reinforcing effect between music and language learning. Humans possess an innate capacity for music acquisition, mirroring the natural programming for language. Drawing on the hypothesis from the Principal Investigator’s previous project, the effect of language-learning-devised music-pedagogical methodology on the reinforcement of acoustic sensitivity (DRG2022-23/004), this study posits that music training focused on tonal-rhythmic sensitivity can strengthen acoustic sensitivity and capture the reciprocal benefits between speech and music. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study will implement the proposed pedagogical methodology in the context of a music classroom. The research aims to (1) investigate whether incorporating the pedagogical methodology into music training intervention can enhance participants’ tonal-rhythmic sensitivity, and (2) examine whether the pedagogy maintains participants’ motivation. Forty children aged three to six will be recruited to participate in the project. The effectiveness of the proposed pedagogical methodology will be evaluated by assessing participants’ musical ability and motivation using the Primary Measures of Music Audiation (PMMA), Absolute Pitch Test (APT), and Learning Motivation (LM).
Project Start Year: 2023, Principal Investigator(s): KONG, Siu Hang, Eric

 
Moral Education in Arts Education: Pedagogical Implications in the Greater Bay Area
Morality is considered the most essential element of Chinese tradition (Fung, 2019). Philosophers and sages throughout history have asserted the importance of arts education on the moral formation of the young and the reproduction of a responsible, cohesive, and robust society in both Western and non-Western worlds (Ho, 2010). Cultivating positive moral values help children build up their personality and handle social problems more appropriately at the preschool stage, and early intervention will benefit their learning and future development (Reynolds et al., 2001). In response to the Hong Kong and Chinese governments’ recent emphasis on moral development in the domains of early childhood education, with particular reference to the Greater Bay Area, this proposed comparative study aims to examine in-service kindergarten teachers’ views on the introduction of moral concepts through arts education and complex comprehension of moral education and pedagogical implications. The study will adopt a mixed-methods approach, drawing data from (1) a target of 800 questionnaires and 60 interviews with teachers from kindergartens, (2) class observation, and (3) teaching and learning materials used in moral education in kindergartens. Synthesis of qualitative and quantitative data will help address the following four research questions:1. How is moral education integrated into various disciplines of arts education teaching and learning activities in kindergarten?
2. How do teachers perceive the implementation of moral education in arts education, and what challenges do they face?
3. To what extent do social and cultural factors at the micro- to macro-level impact teacher self-efficacy in moral education, and how is this related to teacher engagement and emotional labour in the context of arts education?
4. Are there any differences in integrating moral education into arts teaching and learning activities between cities in the Greater Bay Area?

By synthesising the data and drawing exemplars from kindergartens in the Greater Bay Area, the study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the implementation of moral education in arts education in kindergarten, including the impact of teacher self-efficacy on teacher engagement and emotional labour and teachers’ perceptions. Additionally, the study will examine potential differences in integrating moral education into arts teaching and learning activities between cities in the GBA.

Building on insights from prior research conducted by the Arts and Creativity RIC, which focused on identifying high-quality pedagogical practices in Hong Kong kindergartens across various art forms, this proposed study will elaborate on the design of a set pedagogical conditions and develop a collection of learning and teaching resources for the efficient building of moral development through arts education in kindergartens.
Project Start Year: 2023, Principal Investigator(s): KONG, Siu Hang, Eric

 
The Effect of Language-Learning-Devised Music-Pedagogical Methodology on the Reinforcement of Acoustic Sensitivity
Music and speech exhibit acoustic commonalities. Extensive study has proven the interchangeably reinforcing effect between music and language learning and that humans are equipped by nature for music acquisition in much the same ways as they are programmed for language. Proposed by OPERA hypothesis, musical activities which fulfil five conditions (i.e. overlap, precision, emotion, repetition, and attention) are predicted to enhance the neural encoding of the speech (Patel, 2011). Musical training leads to adaptive plasticity in speech-processing networks, and would, therefore, improve linguistic reading abilities (Patel, 2011). However, a recent study revealed that music training did not necessarily enhance one’s musical ability from the perspective of the acoustic sensitivity (Choi, 2022). Music training should strengthen acoustic sensitivity to capture the reciprocal benefits between speech and music. This proposed study, adopting an experimental design, aims to (1) devise a music-pedagogical methodology based on commonalities between the learning of music and language; and (2) investigate whether such pedagogical methodology might, if incorporated into music training intervention, enhance one’s musical ability, particularly one’s tonal-rhythmic sensitivity. Thirty-six kindergartens will be recruited and assessed for their musical ability, using the Primary Measures of Music Audiation (PMMA) and Absolute Pitch Test (APT) to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed pedagogical methodology.
Project Start Year: 2023, Principal Investigator(s): KONG, Siu Hang, Eric

 
Developing Pre-service Teachers' Musical Competence and Teaching Confidence: A Training Programme for Transforming Musicianship into Pedagogy
Music education is regarded as high-brow culture in Chinese society and a specialised educational discipline. As in other places in Asia, teacher training in early childhood education in Hong Kong provides interdisciplinary education, with non-music specialist trainee teachers having minimal specialist musical knowledge. Lack of subject discipline-oriented education about music results in teachers’ low confidence levels when teaching music. Teachers’ lack of confidence in their ability to play musical instruments and read music is often a major obstacle, particularly for pre-service teachers without musical training. Research has proven the association between teacher beliefs and teacher behaviour (Bernard, 2009) and that teachers’ beliefs about the priority and challenges of music education will impact their attitudes and practices when teaching in schools (Russell-Bowie, 2009). This could become a barrier to children’s music learning and enjoyment.

These two proposed three-hour professional development sessions in music will present a training approach to transforming musicianship into pedagogy, constructed by the project leader. This training programme incorporates intensive yet efficacious musicianship training in teacher education to enhance teachers’ musical competence and pedagogical skills for conducting music appreciation, music performance, and music creation activities in an early childhood setting. As active possessors, student teachers acquire musicianship, which simultaneously informs their pedagogical skills. They are given opportunities to consolidate their pedagogical knowledge and skills by demonstrating the learned musicianship by implementing music activities.
Project Start Year: 2023, Principal Investigator(s): KONG, Siu Hang, Eric

 
Influences of Parental Cultural and Social Capital on Children’s Music Activities: A Comparative Study of Chengdu and Hong Kong
Inequality is a critical issue in education. Differential access to resources and cultural and social capital profoundly shape social advantage. While education can compensate for social inequality, it can also breed inequality. When China’s and Hong Kong’s governments introduced equality in education policies, middle-class parents deliberately sought to maintain the existing inequalities to get their children into elite institutions through intensive investment in extracurricular cultural activities. This competition for cultural endowment is motivated by the current generation’s emphasis on credentialism in Chinese culture. Music education, a middle-class cultural endowment, maintains the familial and social status quo and legitimates inequality. While financial support is explicitly related to opportunities to learn music, children’s unequal cultural capital and achievement in music learning require examination of parents’ cultural and social capital.
In the context of the pervasive “education fever” in contemporary China, this study will elucidate the complexity of cultural (Bourdieu, 1986, 1989) and social capital (Coleman, 1988) to explain the intergenerational transmission of capital via at-home or out-of-school music activities. The study captures the role of capital in allowing privileged parents to secure for their children a patina of cultural sophistication that underprivileged parents struggle to provide. The study will also provide insights into how parents’ orientation toward music education affects their support for and influences children’s music learning motivation and unequal school education opportunities. By comparing the contextual differences between Chengdu and Hong Kong, this cross-cultural comparative study provides further insights into how social and cultural factors drive parents’ capitals to dynamically influence children’s participation in cultural activities.
Project Start Year: 2023, Principal Investigator(s): KONG, Siu Hang, Eric

 
Patents
Apparatus and Method Based on Convolutional Neural Network for Sound Recognition on Music Learning
This invention relates to an apparatus and a method using machine-learning (ML) techniques of sound recognition on music learning by implementing a convolutional neural network architecture. - G/G10
 
Music learning system using pose analysis and emotion analysis
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method that utilize machine-learning (ML) techniques for music learning, incorporating pose and emotion analysis through the implementation of a convolutional neural network architecture - A/G16
 
Apparatus and Method Based on Convolutional Neural Network for Sound Recognition on Music Learning
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method using machine- learning (ML) techniques of sound recognition on music learning by implementing a convolutional neural network architecture. - A/G10