ABSTRACT This article presents the results of a mixed‐method study investigating lay conceptions of critical thinking (CT) among 506 English‐ and French‐speaking participants, with a focus on beliefs relevant to the teaching of CT: its value, its teachability and participants' beliefs about their own CT skills. Our results suggest that CT is widely perceived as important and valuable, and as a skill that can be taught rather than an innate ability. However, most participants, regardless of age, tend to consider themselves more critical than others. This better‐than‐average effect is partly explained by positive beliefs about CT skills and by the idealization of CT. We discuss the implications of these results for the teaching of CT and its potential pitfalls.
ABSTRACT This study examined a new speaking task, the reading‐while‐listening speaking (IntRLS) task, in comparison to the traditional independent speaking (IndS) task. Linguistic features of oral performances and their impact on human ratings were analysed using data from 108 ESL learners. Performances were compared on fluency, vocabulary, grammar and content. Paired‐samples t ‐tests and regression analyses revealed performance differences between the tasks, particularly in fluency, vocabulary and content. Most linguistic features did not predict human ratings. However, content quality was a predictor for the IndS task, and word type for the IntRLS task. These findings enhance understanding of task demands and rater expectations, indicating that IntRLS and IndS tasks measure distinct aspects of the L2 speaking construct. Incorporating the IntRLS task in speaking assessments may offer a more comprehensive representation of learners' English speaking proficiency.
ABSTRACT The extinction of experience—the loss of direct contact with nature—has eroded ecological literacy among successive generations including primary pre‐service teachers (PSTs), challenging their capacity to deliver mandatory science curricula. This qualitative case study evaluates an interdisciplinary initial teacher training (ITT) programme where eight European PSTs conducted a coastal safari as role‐playing naturalists, subsequently reconstructing the shore via art‐integrated habitat dioramas. Questionnaires, participant observations and peer feedback revealed that first‐hand fieldwork shifted trainees towards accurate, locally specific species identification, while model‐making consolidated pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Analysed via Murcia et al.'s creativity framework, the intervention fostered experiential learning and collaboration, offering teacher educators an adaptable, scalable model that simultaneously builds biodiversity literacy and outdoor pedagogy.
ABSTRACT This article explores the evolving construction of good citizenship in Hong Kong, particularly in the context of significant socio‐political changes following the implementation of the National Security Law in 2020. By analysing government documents and endorsed curricula, the study identifies a shift from previously diverse interpretations of citizenship to a more politicized narrative that emphasizes Chineseness, uncritical patriotism, national identity and law‐abidingness. Utilizing a four‐dimensional framework—personal, societal, political and global—the article highlights how each dimension has been reconceptualized to align with governmental objectives, often at the expense of critical engagement and inclusivity. The findings raise important questions about the implications of these changes for citizenship education, the autonomy of educators and the voices of ordinary citizens. Ultimately, the article underscores the need for further research on the impact of these constructions on students and educators, while advocating for a more pluralistic understanding of good citizenship in Hong Kong.
ABSTRACT The rapid spread of generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) technologies into various aspects of second/foreign language (L2) education has recently attracted increasing scholarly attention. However, the way GenAI literacy may be associated with English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' emotional state has received insufficient attention. To address this gap, the present quantitative study drew on control‐value theory (CVT) and the broaden‐and‐build theory (BBT) in examining the role of GenAI literacy and emotional literacy in EFL teachers' teaching enjoyment in the context of AI‐mediated instruction. Three questionnaires were completed by 679 Chinese EFL teachers. The results revealed positive pairwise correlations among GenAI literacy, emotional literacy and teaching enjoyment. Moreover, structural equation modelling showed that both GenAI literacy and emotional literacy were positively associated with teaching enjoyment when modelled simultaneously. The study offers practical implications for EFL teachers and teacher educators, inviting them to pay more attention to the emotional aspects of AI‐integration, fostering more enjoyable L2 instruction.
