Request for Proposal : Research for the British Council Hong Kong into the current policy guidelines and stakeholder motivations for English medium instruction (EMI) in the vocational sector

The British Council Hong Kong wishes to commission research into current policy guidelines and stakeholder motivations for English medium instruction (EMI) in the vocational sector in Hong Kong. With mutual agreement, there is room to extend this scope to investigate the available resources vocational institutions have and need to implement EMI effectively

Reserach specification

Background

We are looking for a leading research institute in conjunction with vocational partners in Hong Kong.

Research Objective

The study aims to investigate the current state of vocational EMI policy and resources in Hong Kong, so it should provide a comprehensive analysis of various vocational institutions’ current policies and resources in order to identify strengths and weaknesses and current impact. The research should present the evidence in a compelling and digestible way with recommendations on improving policy guidelines and ability to implement EMI effectively within the Hong Kong context.

Rationale EMI Research

• Research the current state of EMI policy in Hong Kong, and understand the vocational sector’s capacity for effective implementation within the context of wider internationalisation goals and priorities, and links to initiatives such as the Greater Bay Area.
• The research results will be diseminated at a future British Council hosted EMI conference/event.

Possible Research Questions

• What are the current government policies and objectives for EMI in the vocational sector in Hong Kong and how are these supported through local policies and implementation strategies? What are the current needs?
• To what extent does current vocational EMI guidance represent good practice? What are the perceptions of vocational institute management, instructors and students?
• How well equipped are vocational institutes to deliver effective EMI courses? If there are no resource limitations, what are the ‘needs’ and ‘wants’?
• Is there a standardised and unified vision of EMI being articulated by different vocational institutes throughout Hong Kong?
• Is there a gap between the policy articulated by vocational institutes and what EMI instructors actually deliver in the courses?
• What are the approaches and forms of EMI currently being implemented in vocational institutions in Hong Kong? For what purposes? How could they be improved?
• How and by whom is quality of EMI pedagogy being defined, evaluated and safeguarded in Hong Kong?
• What are the current instructor/student motivations for EMI in vocational teaching and learning?
• What are the current gaps and barriers for instructors/students in EMI in vocational teaching and learning? How are the instructors/students coping?

Key Audiences and Research Users

The potential key audiences and users of this research are:

• Education Bureau
• Vocational institution leadership
• Language department staff/teachers
• Vocational students
• Parents
• Potential UK HE / ELT / vocational sector partners
• School counsellors

Key Deliverables and Timeframe

• Expression of Interest by 24 January 2020
• Research grant awarded by 31 January 2020
  • The research proposal will refine the information presented in the initial proposal to bring greater precision to the planning and design of the research. It will be based on a preliminary review of the documentation and initial discussions with key stakeholders during the planning stage. 
• Research report draft by end of March 2020
• The research report and presentation should cover the following:
  • Rationale and purpose of research
  • Contextual overview of EMI in the vocational sector (global, regional and national)
  • Research scope and questions
  • Research methodology
  • Research findings
  • Recommendations
  • Bibliography

• Research summary presentation (for key stakeholders) by end of May 2020
• The presentation should provide a summary of the report appropriate for delivery at a policy round table or conference format.

For details, please refer to the attached PDF file.