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Teaching Reading and Writing in Primary Grades in Macao: A Qualitative Study

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The Hitchhiker's Guide to Writing Research

Part of the book series: Literacy Studies ((LITS,volume 25))

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Abstract

In order to capture the dynamic nature of teaching reading and writing in primary grades in Macao, China, an interview-based qualitative approach was used in this study. Fifteen grades 1–3 Macao Chinese language teachers from nine private schools which included Chinese, English, and international schools were interviewed. The study revealed that the participants adopted a balanced approach to teaching Chinese reading and writing, although what they focused on varied; PIRLS affected reading instruction; limited word recognition reduced reading and writing performance; limited time was arranged for teaching writing compositions; and reading and writing were influenced by institutions, society, culture, and policies. Because school regulations shape instructional practices, it is urgent to do research on how to balance reading and writing instruction through school-based curriculum development.

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Funding

This research was supported by the Higher Education Fund of the Macao SAR Government [14/DSESHSS-UM/2019].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Macau, Macao, China

    Tien Ping Hsiang

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  1. Tien Ping Hsiang
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Correspondence to Tien Ping Hsiang .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Foreign Languages, Yang Yong Man Building, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

    Xinghua Liu

  2. School of Education, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA

    Michael Hebert

  3. Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências de Educação, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Rui A. Alves

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Hsiang, T.P. (2023). Teaching Reading and Writing in Primary Grades in Macao: A Qualitative Study. In: Liu, X., Hebert, M., Alves, R.A. (eds) The Hitchhiker's Guide to Writing Research. Literacy Studies, vol 25. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36472-3_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36472-3_17

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-36472-3

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