587
Views
6
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Articles

The impact of the integrative perceptual approach on the teaching of Chinese characters in a Hong Kong kindergarten

, &
Pages 665-679 | Received 25 Jan 2010, Accepted 10 Mar 2010, Published online: 28 Jun 2010
 

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of the integrative perceptual approach (IPA) to enhancing Hong Kong kindergarten children’s Chinese character learning. The study applied the IPA to an experimental group of 29 lower form (K2) children. A group of 30 upper form children taught via traditional methods the year before, served as the control group. Quantitative data consisted of pre‐ and post‐test scores, analysed using dependent and independent t‐testing. It was found that the pupils in the experimental group had significantly improved their ability between pre‐ and post‐testing in three aspects of Chinese character mastery: shape, sound and meaning recognition. The progress made was significantly superior to that made by control group counterparts. Qualitative data gathered through teacher and parent interviews indicated that the pupils in the experimental group displayed increased awareness of the composition of several components and structures of Chinese characters.

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge Dr Terry Dolan for his input to this article. We would also like to thank the principal and the teachers of the kindergarten for their contribution to this research.

Notes

1. The calculation of effect sizes of different parts of the test employed in the experiment is based on the following formula:

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.