Dr YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail    袁慧筠 博士
Adjunct Associate Professor
Department of Education Policy and Leadership
Contact
ORCiD
0000-0001-7215-9406
Phone
(852) 2948 7581
Email
gwkyuen@eduhk.hk
Address
10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong
Website
https://pappl.eduhk.hk/rich/web/person.xhtml?pid=69976&name=YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail
Scopus ID
35219450600
Research Interests

Early childhood education policy; child advocacy; teacher development

Teaching Interests

Teahcer professionalism; critical pedagogy; experiential learning; community engagement

External Appointments

Convener, The Alliance on the Fight for 15-year Free Education (2013 - 2017)

Member, Subcommittee on Objectives, Teacher Professionalism and Research, Committee on Free Kindergarten Education, Education Bureau (2013 - 2015)

Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Early Childhood Education Series, Teacher College Press (2010 - 2013)

Review of the Voucher Scheme, Working Group, Council of Non-profit-making Organizations for Pre-primary Education (2009)

Teacher Convention, Working Group, Council on Professional Conduct in Education (2009)

Personal Profile

Dr. Gail Yuen has worked in a variety of educational settings, both overseas and local. Graduated from Teachers College, Columbia University, Dr. Yuen has her expertise built on child and family development, as well as international educational development specializing in early childhood education. She is particularly interested in policy and advocacy for young children. Her recently completed studies on the voucher scheme and early childhood teacher development in Hong Kong have raised public attention on critical issues concerning the sector. Dr. Yuen works collaboratively with colleagues to promote the development of public discourse on pertinent policy issues. She actively promotes reconceptualizing the relation between early childhood and school education. Under her leadership, Dr. Yuen prepared a full proposal on 15-year free education together with a team of comrades. The proposal was submitted to the Hong Kong SAR Government and Legislative Council, as well as widely circulated to facilitate professional and public dialogues. Between 2013 and 2017, Dr. Yuen was the convener of the Alliance on the Fight for 15-year Free Education, representing 30 educational bodies in Hong Kong. She was also a member of one of the subcommittees under the Committee on Free Kindergarten Education of the Education Bureau. Dr. Yuen recently completed another Public Policy Research project which focused on kindergarten space in Hong Kong. The key findings of this project has informed important recommendations on policy and practice. Dr. Yuen followed up her recommendations with an action research project to facilitate practice change in kindergartens with reference to the research results and policy recommendations.

Research Interests

Early childhood education policy; child advocacy; teacher development

Teaching Interests

Teahcer professionalism; critical pedagogy; experiential learning; community engagement

External Appointments

Convener, The Alliance on the Fight for 15-year Free Education (2013 - 2017)

Member, Subcommittee on Objectives, Teacher Professionalism and Research, Committee on Free Kindergarten Education, Education Bureau (2013 - 2015)

Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Early Childhood Education Series, Teacher College Press (2010 - 2013)

Review of the Voucher Scheme, Working Group, Council of Non-profit-making Organizations for Pre-primary Education (2009)

Teacher Convention, Working Group, Council on Professional Conduct in Education (2009)

Research Outputs
Scholarly Books, Monographs and Chapters
Vandenbroeck, M., Lehrer, J., Mitchell, L., Alasuutari, M., Cadart, M., Karila, K., Musatti, T., Rupin, P., & Yuen, G. (2023). Resisting the consumentality of parents. In M. Vandenbroeck, J. Lehrer, & L. Mitchell (Eds.), The decommodification of early childhood education and care: Resisting neoliberalism (pp. 81-146). London: Routledge. Doi:10.4324/9781003218104-4.
Yuen, G. (2018). Masks, masquerades and ironic performances: Getting our(selves) heard. In K. J. Kennedy & J. C. K. Lee (Eds.), Routledge International Handbook on Schools and Schooling and Asia (pp. 441-449). New York; London: Routledge.
Yuen, G. (2017). Ready for ethical and critically reflective practice in supercomplex times? Discourses, knowledge and values in the postmodern society of Hong Kong. In M. Li, J. L. Fox & S. Grieshaber (Eds.), Contemporary issues and challenge in early childhood education in the Asia-Pacific Region (pp. 293-308). Gateway East: Springer.
Yuen, G. (2017). Vouchers in early childhood education: Market still? What to choose next?. In T. K. Tse & M. H. Lee (Eds.), Making sense of education in post-handover Hong Kong: Achievements and challenges (pp. 21-39). London; New York: Routledge.
Ng, S. W., & Yuen, G. (2016). Hong Kong: Social justice and education for justice-oriented citizens in a politicized era. In A. Peterson, H. Hattam, M. Zembylas & J. Arthur (Eds.), The Palgrave international handbook of education for citizenship and social justice (pp. 411-433). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Yuen, G. (2012). Tinkering with early childhood education and care: early education vouchers in Hong Kong. In E. Llody & H. Penn (Eds.), Childcare markets: Can they deliver an equitable service? (pp. 79-95). Bristol: The Policy Press.
Yuen, G. (2010). The displaced early childhood education in the postcolonial era of Hong Kong. In N. Yelland (Ed.), Contemporary Perspectives on Early Childhood Education (pp. 83-99). London: Open University Press.

Journal Publications
Yuen, G. (2021). Kindergarten Education Scheme in Hong Kong: Policy measures, rhizomatic connections and early childhood teacher education. Children and Society, 35(2), 259-273.
Yuen. G., & Lam, M. S. (2017). Mothers’ experiences of a voucher scheme within the context of Hong Kong’s early education: Issues of affordability and justice. Children and Youth Services Review, 82, 185-194.
Ng, S. W., & Yuen, G. (2015). The micro-politics of parental involvement in school education in Hong Kong : Ethnocentrism, utilitarianism or policy rhetoric!. Educational Review, 67(2), 253-271.
Ng, S. W., & Yuen, G. (2015). Exploring teaching professionals’ constraints in implementation of parental involvement in school education. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 191, 1077-1081.
Yuen, G. (2015). Markets, choice of kindergarten, mothers' care responsibilities, and the voucher scheme in Hong Kong. Children and Youth Services Review, 48, 167-176.
袁慧筠 (2010)。 香港幼兒教育的發展：市場模式與學券制 [Early childhood education development in Hong Kong: The market model and the voucher scheme]。 香港幼兒學報，8(2)，11-16。
Yuen, G., & Grieshaber, S. (2009). Parents’ choice of early childhood education services in Hong Kong: A pilot study about vouchers. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 10(3), 263-279.
Piscitelli, B. A., Chak, A., Wong, K. M. B., Yuen, W. K. G., & Ngan, S. F. (2008). The use of museums by Hong Kong preschools. Hong Kong Journal of Early Childhood, 7 (2), 87-94.
Yuen, G. (2008). Education reform policy and early childhood teacher education in Hong Kong before and after the transfer of sovereignty to China in 1997. Early Years: An International Journal of Research and Development, 28(1), 23-45.
Yuen, G. (2007). Vouchers in Hong Kong: A milestone of early childhood education?. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 8(4), 355-357.
袁慧筠 (2006)。 政策的過程：政策與聲音兩者的關係 [The policy process: Linking policy and voice]。 香港幼兒學報，5(2)，6-13。

Conference Papers
Yuen, G., & Gallagher, M. (2021, 8). Investigating space in Hong Kong kindergartens: An analysis of spatial inequity. Paper presented at Re/framing educational equity: An international collaboration (online), Glasgow, UK.
Yuen, G. (2018, 7). Masks, masquerades and ironic performances: Getting our(selves) heard. Paper presented at the "A Child's World - New Shoes New Direction" Conference, Ceredigion, UK.
Yuen, G. (2016, 6). Young children’s meaning-making and negotiation of spaces in Hong Kong kindergartens. Paper presented at the 6th Asian Conference on Asian Studies, Kobe, Japan.
Yuen, G. (2015, 7). Early childhood teachers: Professional ethics and practice in Hong Kong. Paper presented at the 9th International Convention of Asia Scholars, Adelaide, Australia.
Yuen, G., Lam, M. S., & Choi, B. (2011, 10). What’s more about parents’ choice of early childhood education services? The market experience in Hong Kong. Paper presented at the 19th International Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education Conference, London, United Kingdom.
Yuen, G (2010, 11). Vouchers again? Recent experience with early education in Hong Kong.. Paper presented at the International Center for the Study of the Mixed Economy of Childcare International Seminar, London, United Kingdom.
Yuen, G. (2010, 9). A critique of the voucher system for early childhood education in Hong Kong after three years of its implementation.. Paper presented at the Thomas Coram Research Unit Seminar, London, United Kingdom.
Yuen, G., Lam, M. S., Ng, M. L., & Lee, I. F. (2009, 8). Choice of early childhood service: Issues of class and equity in the recently implemented voucher scheme in Hong Kong. Paper presented at the 19th European Early Childhood Research Association Annual Conference, Strasbourg, France.
Yuen, G. (2008, 12). Accountability and justice: The global-local tensions in parents' choice of service for young children. Paper presented at the second International Symposium on Life and Culture: Globalization and Migration Impacting Family Life Style, Seoul, Korea.
Yuen, G. (2007, 11). The quest for quality early childhood education in Hong Kong. Paper presented at the Early Childhood Care and Development: Perspectives from the Majority World Conference, Canada.
Yuen, G. (2006, 12). From social need to social movement: What it takes to make it happen?. Paper presented at the 14th International Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education Conference, Rotorua, New Zealand.

Creative and Literary Works, Consulting Reports and Case Studies
袁慧筠 (2022)。 幼稚園空間和空間實踐： 教育實驗及教師專業發展之行動研究 - 個案一。香港: 香港教育大學教育政策與領導學。
袁慧筠 (2022)。幼稚園空間和空間實踐： 教育實驗及教師專業發展之行動研究 - 個案二。香港: 香港教育大學教育政策與領導學
Lee, T. H., Yuen, G., & Choi, T. H. (2020). Introduction to the contexts that impact teacher professionalism. Hong Kong: Faculty of Education and Human Development, The Education University of Hong Kong.
Yuen, G., & Lee, L. T. (2019). Case-based blended learning online package. Hong Kong: The Education University of Hong Kong.
Yuen, G., & Lee, T. H. (2018). Virtual museum: History of education development in Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Faculty of Education and Human Development, The Education University of Hong Kong.
Yuen, G., & Lee, T. H. (2017). Two video cases on teacher professionalism. Hong Kong: Faculty of Education and Human Development, The Education University of Hong Kong.

All Other Outputs
袁慧筠 (2021)。本港幼稚園遊戲空間研究與前瞻。智樂通訊, 3, 3
袁慧筠 (2020)。 《探討參與幼稚園教育計劃之幼稚園的空間》研究。香港: 香港教育大學教育政策與領導學。
袁慧筠和余惠冰 (2016)。 跨年齡界限、跨專業社群：教育政策論壇2016「教改15年學生全人發展的現況與展望」- 報告及建議。香港: 香港教育大學教育及人類學院和教育政策與領導學系。
袁慧筠 (2015)。 政治之教與學:幼兒教育，輯於李展華編《「學校教育與政治:學校的公民使命」研討會暨圓桌論壇研討文集》 (頁4-7)。香港: 香港教育學院管治與公民研究中心。
Choi, T.-H., Yuen, G., & Cheung, K. L. (2014). Enhancement of student learning with English as the medium of instruction: Students interview findings. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Education.
Yuen, G., Choi, T.-H., & Cheung, K. L. (2014). Enhancement of student learning with English as the medium of instruction: Survey results. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Education.
袁慧筠 (2014)。 專題研討 (五)：幼兒教育與十五年免費教育，輯於香港政策研究所編《共建香港教育藍圖：香港教育政策圓桌研討會發言集》，(頁43-48)。香港: 香港政策研究所有限公司。
袁慧筠和余惠冰 (2014)。 跨學習階段專業對話 2013-2014。香港: 香港教育學院教育及人類發展學院和教育與領導學系。
袁慧筠 (2013)。 從千禧教改到十五年免費教育：全日制幼兒學校的困局，輯於非牟利幼兒教育機構議會編《十周年紀念特刊》，(頁44-45)。香港: 非牟利幼兒教育機構議會。
15年免費教育工作小組 (2012)。 全面資助幼兒教育—落實十五年免費教育建議書。香港: 香港教育學院教育政策論壇。
袁慧筠和余惠冰 (2010)。 《家長選擇全日制幼兒服務調查研究》報告。香港: 香港教育學院教育政策與領導學系教育政策論壇。
袁慧筠、黎國燦和羅家儀 (2010)。 學券制下的幼兒教師工作。香港: 香港教育學院策略規劃處。
Wong, K. M. B., Yuen, G., & Chak, A. (Eds.) (2010). Practical guide for BEd(ECE) (Full-time) field experience (revised edition)(in Chinese). Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Education.
Wong, K. M. B., Yuen, G., & Chak, A. (Eds.) (2009). Practical guide for BEd(ECE) (Full-time) field experience (in Chinese). Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Education.

Projects
Kindergarten Space and Spatial Practice: Action Research for Experimentation and Professional Development
The overarching goal of the project is to apply the new knowledge of space and spatial practice generated by the recently completed PPR study titled “Investigating Space in Kindergartens under the Free Quality Kindergarten Education Scheme” in real settings to create social impact. The objectives include:
1. To conduct action research with two kindergarten cases based on a negotiated context-specific plan with identified aspects of space and spatial practice for experimentation and professional development;
2. To strengthen the professional capacity of teachers as researchers at kindergarten level to address issues of space and spatial practice; and
3. To produce two case experiences to support future effort in shaping new thinking on space and spatial practice through teacher education and professional development.
Project Start Year: 2021, Principal Investigator(s): YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠
 
Personal Project: How Does the IB Middle Years Programme’s Capstone Experience Impact Students, Educators, and School Communities? (Research Matching Grant)
..
Project Start Year: 2021, Principal Investigator(s): WRIGHT, Ewan Thomas Mansell (YUEN, Wai Kwan, Gail as Team Member)
 
Kindergarten Space and Spatial Practice: Video Cases for Constructing Alternative Discourses in ECE
The purpose of the project is two-fold: to design and produce two video cases which demonstrate the changes made in the spaces and spatial practices of two KES kindergartens in an action research project, as well as to use these video cases to enable wider discussion on ‘think outside the box’ practices and the space issue in kindergartens as informed by the PPR study. The project is considered an initial stage of development in facilitating the processes of constructing alternative professional and policy discourses in the ECE sector. The videos are not meant to present exemplary cases. Rather they will be used as an inquiry tool and a training resource to elicit varying responses and provoke critical dialogues on kindergarten space and spatial practice.
Project Start Year: 2021, Principal Investigator(s): YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠
 
Personal Project: How Does the IB Middle Years Programme’s Capstone Experience Impact Students, Educators, and School Communities?
A multi-cultural research team based at the APCLC consisting of Dr Darren Bryant, Prof Allan Walker, Dr Ewan Wright, Dr Chrysa Keung, Prof Sylvia Tang and Dr Gail Yuen have been awarded a competitive International Baccalaureate (IB) research grant to investigate the impact of the IB Middle Years Programme’s capstone experience on students, educators, and school communities. More specifically, the research will:1. Use extant IB data to examine how IB Middle Years Programme students’ Personal Project completion associates with subsequent performance in the IB Diploma Programme. The academic performance of IB and non-IB students will be examined to assess the impact of Personal Project experience.

2. Gather interview data from six schools across six jurisdictions that cover the IB’s three regions: (i) Africa, Europe and the Middle East, (ii) The Americas, and (iii) Asia Pacific. In-depth interviews and focus groups will be conducted with principals/vice-principals, IB coordinators, Personal Project supervisors and coordinators, Extended Essay supervisors and coordinators, students who recently completed the Personal Project, and Diploma Programme students taking the Extended Essay. Thematic and cross-case analyses will explore the impacts of the Personal Project experience on students, educators, and school communities.

3. Compare quantitative and qualitative datasets to investigate context-specific nuances that impact PP outcomes and the generalisability or transferability of study findings.
Project Start Year: 2021, Principal Investigator(s): WRIGHT, Ewan Thomas Mansell null, BRYANT, Darren Anthony null (YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠 as Team Member)
 
The next normal: Blending synchronistic and asynchronistic e-pedagogies to improve and sustain online teaching and learning
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, universities and schools internationally shifted from face-to-face to online learning. Despite these efforts, EdUHK data indicated that more could be done to enhance the quality of online learning. Teachers still grappled with how to design high-quality online learning experiences for their students.

Moving into a new academic year, these issues and challenges faced by students and teachers must be addressed at both the meta- and micro-level of the learning and teaching environment. EdUHK must lead the way in enhancing the quality of online learning and teaching by investigating, developing, implementing and disseminating high quality e-pedagogies that can be sustained into the “next normal” (Bryant, Chen, Dorn, and Hall, April 2020).

This project proposes to create “virtual classrooms” marked by features of quality learning: interaction among teachers and students, differentiation of instructional practices, creativity, mobility, and mastery. It conceptualizes blended learning (combining online and face-to-face learning) as a blend of synchronistic and asynchronistic online e-pedagogies. It accounts for diverse needs of colleagues and students with regard to disciplinary requirements, their readiness as users of online technologies and mastery of e-pedagogies, and location of delivery.

Project Start Year: 2020, Principal Investigator(s): TSUI, Kwok Tung 徐國棟 (YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠 as Co-Investigator)
 
Building Networks and Engagement for Social Impact
This project aims to establish, enhance and formalise EPL’s networks and partnerships, which are necessary to create social impact of research. Concurrently, it initiates two potential impact cases which build on and develop synergies across existing research, teaching, PD and KT projects. Hence, each individual item is part of an overarching strategic project to establish the departmental infrastructure and collaborative networks that are essential to long-term and sustained impact through KT.

Each of the below items links directly to EPL’s Action Plan and EPL Review Panel recommendations for creating impact. The focus is on shaping conditions that are conducive to having impact, and in seeding potential impact case studies in anticipation of the next RAE.

Impact strategy: 1. Establish the local and regional networks to develop partnerships that are needed for impact in schools and educational organizations, and policy planning, enactment and improvement. 2. Establish Research Impact Clusters in order to develop synergies across current research and teaching projects; and disseminate research-derived resources for application in these above networks, e.g. PD tenders, workshops, forums, briefs. 3. Develop and track actual impact.

Summary of KT activities and products:
1. Informing policy change through policy briefs and video briefs released generally, but also strategically targeted to relevant stakeholders;
2. Informing practice through partnership network e-newsletters, annual school forums, and instructional materials that embed EPL research in professional development and tendered leader development projects;
3. Changing practice through partnership projects;
4. Seeding potential impact cases.
Project Start Year: 2020, Principal Investigator(s): BRYANT, Darren Anthony (YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠 as Co-Principal Investigator)
 
Developing Teachers, Developing Futures
Teacher professionalism is grounded in the context of education that constantly evolves around multi-faceted changes in all directions. Teachers are increasingly expected to meet diverse and sometimes competing needs emerged from not only local situations and policies, but also global developments and concerns. The high expectations of teachers in fulfilling local and global responsibility to construct new imaginaries and better futures have serious implications for teacher education and professional development. This points to the importance of a continuous and critical inquiry of what constitutes the basic professional capacity of new teachers and how this capacity can be developed and shaped to move towards desirable directions so as to transform practice and cultivate passionate leadership for upholding teacher professionalism and realizing educational aspirations and innovative ideas.

The overall purpose of the proposed project is to generate research-teaching impact on practice and policy through teacher education and professional development by establishing momentous cycles of inquiry and change. The project weaves together the context of education like the above-mentioned, knowledge transfer of staff research, international collaboration, capacity building of staff and students, and support for new research to expand impact. It engages both academic and teaching staff within and across departments. The project involves both preservice and in-service teachers, as well as serving teachers, principals and other related stakeholders. The research-teaching impact cycle established through the project can facilitate further enhancement of courses and programmes that benefit students, schools, and society.
Project Start Year: 2020, Principal Investigator(s): YUEN, Wai Kwan, Gail, TANG, Yee Fan, Sylvia
 
How Educational Policy Supports Low SES Students' Academic Achievement: Students' Experiences
The project is an exploratory case study that aims to understand whether and how education policy has supported low SES students’ academic achievement, drawing on the learning and teaching experiences of stakeholders in schools in Hong Kong. In exploring the experience of students, visual research methods (e.g., picture prompter, photo-taking) will be adopted to help them to share their feelings and day-to-day experiences.
Project Start Year: 2019, Principal Investigator(s): CHOI, Tae Hee 崔太僖 (YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠 as Co-Investigator)
 
Investigating Space in Kindergartens under the Free Quality Kindergarten Education Scheme
Kindergarten spaces are not meeting the policy goal of promoting children's holistic wellbeing set by the Hong Kong government. These spaces are limited in size, and characterised by spatial practices that privilege static desk-based tasks over active play, physical movement and multi-sensory experiences.
The proposed study will address these problems by producing new knowledge about the spaces and spatial practices of kindergartens participating in the Free Quality Kindergarten Education (FQKE) scheme. One important direction of the FQKE policy is to improve premises and facilities, as well as identify possible options to increase premise provision in the long run. This new policy therefore has set the stage for rethinking the spaces and spatial practices of kindergartens.
Grounded in social theories of space, the proposed study will adopt a mixed-methods approach, using participant observation, child-led walking tours, walking interviews with teachers and principals and a large-scale questionnaire survey. Qualitative data will be generated from five kindergartens selected for case studies (35 children, teachers and principals in total). Quantitative data will be produced through a survey to all FQKE kindergartens (around 750). The study will produce new knowledge about the availability and use of space in Hong Kong kindergartens, and how different kinds of space and spatial practice affect children’s wellbeing and learning in these kindergartens. The results will have significant implications, both for policy planning and improvement of kindergarten premises and related measures (e.g. facilities, spatial standards), and for developing professional capacity to enhance the quality of education through better use of space.
Project Start Year: 2019, Principal Investigator(s): YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠
 
Policy Trajectories, Policy Types, and a Theoretical Model of Policy Processes
The project, an expansion of an ongoing project titled
'Historical development of educational policies in Hong Kong' (PI: Lo, Wai Yin, Co-PI: Choi, Tae-Hee, Co-I: Hui, Hon Wing Joe), will investigate the historical development of key educational policies in Hong Kong, Australia, Mainland China, and Korea. Comparative understanding of the history of select policies will help understand the evolution of policies in interaction with the contexts and actors within. It will be informed by policy enactment theory (Ball, Maguire & Braun, 2012), and draw on frameworks which capture the complexities of policy processes (e.g., Choi, 2018; 2019), and analyse historical policy documents, research reports, public addresses and the media records, in addition to the academic literature.

* References
1. Ball, S., Maguire, M., & Braun, A. (2012). How schools do policy: Policy enactments in secondary schools. London: Routledge.
2. Choi, T.-H. (2018). Implementation and impact of language-in-education policies: Insights from South Korea and Hong Kong. In K. J. Kennedy & J. C.-K. Lee (Eds.), Routledge international handbook for schools and schooling in Asia (pp. 518-524). London: Routledge.
3. Choi, T.-H. (2019). Structure, agency, and the “Teaching English in English” policy: The case of South Korea. In G. P. Glasgow & J. Bouchard (Eds.), Agency in language policy and planning: Critical inquiries (pp. 214-236). Oxon: Routledge.
Project Start Year: 2018, Principal Investigator(s): CHOI, Tae Hee (YUEN, Wai Kwan, Gail as Co-Principal Investigator)
 
CRAC FEHD Project: Developing digital resources
To develop digital resources for core courses (e.g., Teachers and Teaching in Context)
Project Start Year: 2018, Principal Investigator(s): TANG, Yee Fan Sylvia 鄧怡勳 (YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠 as Team Member)
 
Case-based Blended Learning Pedagogies for Pre-service Teachers: Building a Community of Practice in Higher Education Settings
This project aims to (a) explore and examine innovative blended learning (BL) pedagogies that effectively integrate case-based learning (CBL) to enhance student engagement and learning of pre-service teachers, and (b) build professional capacity of BL in higher education settings. This project is grounded in a continuous endeavor to address wide-ranging needs and issues related to teaching and learning of the Education Studies (ES) Core Courses of pre-service programmes. Initial effort has been made to develop contextualized case materials to facilitate course delivery. The next stage of inquiry is to investigate the use of these materials along with pedagogically sound BL strategies. Research on BL focuses mostly on student learning, having limited understanding of pedagogical practices for professional development. The proposed project contributes to this aspect of scholarship by bringing together faculty members to try out case-based BL pedagogies. The collegial process of investigation enables the cultivation of a community of practice that is more open to the pedagogical possibilities brought forth by BL to strengthen the professional component of pre-service teacher education. The project will produce a training package with an online library of exemplars and resources that guides faculty members to formulate their own desired path of BL.
Project Start Year: 2017, Principal Investigator(s): LEE, Tai Hoi Theodore 李泰開, YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠
 
What we want for Hong Kong education: Challenges and possible solutions
The project has the following objectives: (1) understanding the opinion and idea of stakeholders in preparation of the upcoming educational reform; (2) sharing generated knowledge with the public; (3) conducting impactful policy research
Project Start Year: 2017, Principal Investigator(s): CHOI, Tae Hee 崔太僖 (YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠 as Co-Investigator)
 
Localizing the curriculum of the Education Studies course (Teachers and Teaching in Context) through building ICT support
The project is to evaluate and explore ways to improve a LTTC-funded pilot project which aims at producing locally relevant resources and blended learning strategies for use in the targeted course, as well as to expand the pilot project with further development of locally relevant resources and blended learning strategies.
Project Start Year: 2016, Principal Investigator(s): YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠
 
Designing systematic blended learning strategies with locally relevant resources to support teaching and learning of a core Education Studies course
The overall purpose of the proposed project is to make use of systematic blended learning strategies to facilitate the contextualization of teaching and learning in multi-lingual classrooms. This, in turn, would help promote student engagement and address issues related to diverse needs in teaching and learning, the EMI mode of delivery and field experience. Since TTC benefits several hundred students annually, systematic blended learning strategies can ensure a more consistent delivery of guidance and support to students across course groups.
Project Start Year: 2015, Principal Investigator(s): YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠
 
Making sense of spaces in Hong Kong kindergartens: An exploratory study on children’s perspectives and early childhood practices.
The overall purpose of the study is to explore children’s perspectives on spaces and early childhood practices in Hong Kong kindergartens. The physical environment or space of schools captures the multi-faceted influence of various groups of stakeholders and evolving changes in society. Minimally supported by the Hong Kong government, the physical space of local kindergartens reveals not only the abovementioned influence and changes but also the obvious impact of the education market. This study aims at researching with children, who are frequently being treated as an invisible group of stakeholders in education, and enabling their participation as social actors to construct and improve their own experiences.
Project Start Year: 2015, Principal Investigator(s): YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠
 
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 (YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠 as Co-Investigator)
 
Enactment of medium of instruction policy: Enhancement of student learning in courses with English as a medium of instruction (教學語言政策的推行：提升學生以英文作為教學語言的學習)
This project aims to understand the implementation of medium of instruction policy at the institute and identify the ways to support staff and students to enhance students’ learning in courses with English as the medium of instruction.
Project Start Year: 2014, Principal Investigator(s): CHOI, Tae Hee 崔太僖 (YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠 as Co-Investigator)
 
The (im)possibilities of a postmodern ethic
Recently, ethical thinking has turned away from universalist approaches to ethics, towards a postmodern understanding of professionalism in early childhood education. Rather than following a prescribed set of rules based on what one is obliged to do in general terms, a postmodern approach to ethics requires early childhood teachers to consider their responsibilities in specific situations. A postmodern ethic demands that early childhood professionals engage with critical reflection about knowledge and truth. However, it is still unclear how critical reflection and a postmodern ethic might be understood within the context of Hong Kong. The purpose of this project is to develop, implement, and evaluate pedagogies and assessments that support early childhood preservice and inservice teachers’ critical reflection that enables them to develop a culturally appropriate postmodern ethic.
Project Start Year: 2011, Principal Investigator(s): BLAISE MINDY (YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠 as Co-Principal Investigator)
 
Study on Students’ Attitudes and Views on Sexual Harassment
This study is aimed at assessing students’ attitudes towards sexual harassment, Wonjokyuje, premarital sex and teenage pregnancy. It is intended that the survey will provide information and useful data for assessing students’ sexual attitudes and concept of sexual harassment in particular. The results will reflect timely referencing points in discerning a spectrum of sexual attitudes from students covering a growth period from childhood to adulthood.
Project Start Year: 2011, Principal Investigator(s): LUK-FONG YUK YEE, PATTIE 陸方鈺儀 (YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠 as Co-Investigator)
 
A territory-wide study on the impact of the voucher scheme on parents’ choice of early childhood education services
Funded by the Central Policy Unit of the Hong Kong Government, this public policy research aims to identify the factors and processes that are pertinent to parents’ decision-making as they select an early childhood education service for their child; examine the roles of socio-economic status, cultural background, and geographical location, and their impact on choices available to parents; analyze the ways in which parents understand and articulate their views about what constitutes an appropriate, quality service for their child and an exemplary provision in general; investigate the extent to which the vision and aims of the voucher scheme have been achieved in the context of parents’ choice of services; as well as make recommendations on policy improvements to achieve affordable, quality early childhood education.
Project Start Year: 2010, Principal Investigator(s): YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠
 
Parents’ Use of Full-Day Early Childhood Education Service
As an effort to use research to influence policy, the Education Policy Forum worked in collaboration with the Council of Non-profit Making Organizations for Pre-primary Education (CNOPE) and conducted a large-scale questionnaire survey, in 2010, with over 10,000 parents on their use of full-day service and views on the voucher scheme introduced to kindergartens three years ago. The survey was a timely response to the recent policy review undertaken by the government. It also served to advocate for providers and parents of full-day service who had been most affected by the new policy due to inequities in resource allocation.
Project Start Year: 2010, Principal Investigator(s): YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠
 
Study on the Work and Professional Development of Early Childhood Education Teachers in Hong Kong
To follow through its reform agenda, the Hong Kong Government introduced the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme in the 2007/08 school year, setting further policy targets to raise the qualification requirements of early childhood teachers, strengthen the quality assurance mechanisms, and support school-based development. Since its implementation, the new policy seems to have attracted much discussion on whether it has enhanced the work of early childhood teachers. This study, funded by the Strategic Planning Office, aims to examine the work of early childhood teachers in light of the policy emphasis on professional development and specifically the recently implemented voucher scheme.
Project Start Year: 2010, Principal Investigator(s): YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠
 
Exploring the Promotion of Gender Equity Education in Seoul-Joint project of Gender Matters Interest Group and SAO
A three-day study tour to Seoul, South Korea, as hosted and organized by the Korean Institute for Gender Equality Promotion and Education so as to see how does the Korean Government apply gender policies in the country. The group has been led to visit institutes and organizations working for the gender equality and sex education in Korea. The group managed to participate in the opening ceremony of a conference about gender.
Project Start Year: 2009, Principal Investigator(s): LUK-FONG YUK YEE, PATTIE 陸方鈺儀 (YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠 as Co-Investigator)
 
A Review of "A Practical Guide for BEd(ECE) (Full-time) Field Experience"
This project is an extension of the TDG project "A Practical Guide for BEd(ECE) (Full-time) Field Experience" (FPECE/RDG/07-08/06). A course pack titled “Becoming an Early Childhood Teacher: A Practical Guide for Field Experience” was developed as a result of the previous project. In view of the fact that the Practical Guide aims to support students’ independent learning throughout their course of study, all BEd (ECE) (Full-time) students and respective practicum tutors got a copy in the 2008/09 academic year. The purpose of the newly proposed project is threefold: (1) to conduct a follow-up on the use of the Practical Guide, (2) to further improve and enrich the content of the guide, and (3) to explore alternative modes of delivery of the guide and ways to formalize this independent learning approach.
Project Start Year: 2009, Principal Investigator(s): WONG KIT MEI, BETTY 黃潔薇 (YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠 as Co-Investigator)
 
A Practical Guide for BEd (ECE) (Full Time) Field Experience
BEd(ECE)(FT) commenced in September 2005, is the first pre-service degree programme to prepare early childhood practitioners in Hong Kong. As the curriculum and physical settings of early childhood institutions vary significantly in comparison with those of primary schools, the roles of early childhood teachers are more complex and therefore they need to master a relatively different set of knowledge and skills. This guide aims to provide student teachers with experiences that develop practical knowledge and skills, as well as build professional confidence, to suit the unique characteristics of early childhood education. This guide will be produced based on view collected from student teachers, practicum tutors, and preschool principals and teachers of placement schools in School Attachment and Teaching Practices of the 1st 3 cohorts.
Project Start Year: 2008, Principal Investigator(s): WONG Kit Mei Betty (YUEN Wai Kwan Gail as Co-Investigator)
 
Young Children’s Learning in Hong Kong Museums
Few studies of young children’s learning have been undertaken in Asian museum contexts, so this project aims(a) to investigate how preschool children in Hong Kong experience museums and their collections, (b) to analyse Museum policies, and (c) to develop strategies for building links between museums and preschools. Children from two Hong Kong preschools will make multiple visits to two museums respectively over the course of one year. The research employs innovative approaches to data gathering and analysis, and will build on Australian research tools used in groundbreaking studies of young children’s museum learning.
Project Start Year: 2007, Principal Investigator(s): CHAK Amy (YUEN Wai Kwan, Gail as Co-Investigator)
 
Shaping Forces of Early Childhood Education in Hong Kong: Choice and Quality of Service from Parents’ Perspectives
The investigation attempts to explore two central elements of the impending voucher system in Hong Kong, that is, choice and quality, from parents' perspectives in the field of early childhood education. The aim is to show how parents choose the service and view quality service, especially in the light of the new policy. Chinese parents with children aged 3 are the targeted participants. The present study can provide initial insights into a policy issue that has not yet been explored by local researchers.
Project Start Year: 2007, Principal Investigator(s): YUEN, Wai Kwan Gail 袁慧筠
 
Prizes and awards
Outstanding Paper Award for the Hong Kong Studies Annual Conference (2017-18)

Date of receipt: 24/10/2018, Conferred by: Academy of Hong Kong Studies
 
President's Award for Outstanding Performance in Knowledge Transfer 2017/18
The President’s Award for Outstanding Performance in Knowledge Transfer (KT) was established to recognise, encourage and reward individual academic staff members or teams for transferring University-owned knowledge, expertise, know-how, skills or technology to society through outstanding, innovative or profitable KT activities, practices, cases or projects that lead to economic or social improvements; or for the academic, professional, social and policy impact of their KT activities, practices, cases, projects on education in the local, regional or international community.
Date of receipt: 14/5/2018, Conferred by: The Education University of Hong Kong
 
Faculty Publication and Knowledge Transfer Awards 2016/17
The work was based on a strong, empirical Public Policy Research project investigating choice practices in the early childhood market and the intended outcomes of vouchers as a demand-side policy tool in relation to mothers’ socio-economic backgrounds. The project resulted in several high quality journal articles and transferred the knowledge generated to the media and various stakeholders using multiple platforms. A key impact was to bring together kindergartens, parents, scholars, think tanks and policy makers to enact a social paradigm shift in early childhood education by reshaping public discourse and quality kindergarten education policy. The empirical evidence generated by the research has implications for the government's role in financing and developing the early childhood education sector.
Date of receipt: 15/6/2017, Conferred by: Faculty of Education and Human Development, The Education University of Hong Kong
 
Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award

Date of receipt: 7/12/2005, Conferred by: National Association for Early Childhood Teacher Educators/Merill-Prentice Hall, United States