Dr CHENG, Anthony K. L.

Teaching areas:

• Curriculum Implementation and Evaluation
• Educational Studies (Inquiry-based)
• Science Curriculum
• Design-based Research
• Education for Sustainable Development

Research Interests:

• Science textbooks and digital texts
• Text analytics

Faculty Outstanding Teaching Award, 2024-25

Co-investigator, Provision of Services for the Certificate Course for Curriculum Leaders in Primary Humanities (2025/26) (Education Bureau, HKSR Government, PI: Dr Eva CHAN, Year of award: 2025, HKD $263,200)

Co-investigator, Provision of Services for Establishing and Supporting a Learning Circle for Secondary Schools Using English as the Medium of Instruction for the Key Learning Area of Personal, Social and Humanities Education. (Education Bureau, HKSAR Government, PI: Dr Simon CHAN, Year of award: 2025, Amount: HKD $869,220)

Co-investigator, Provision of Services for Undertaking a Research Project on Developing Teacher Leaders' Expertise in Designing and Implementing Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Video Clubs to Enhance Teachers' Professional Noticing (2025/27 School Year) (Education Bureau, HKSAR Government, PI: Prof. Kennedy CHAN, Year of award: 2025, Amount: HKD $995,920)    

Co-investigator, Provision of Services for the School-based Support Programme on Developing Curriculum Materials to Enhance Teaching of the Personal, Social and Humanities Education Key Learning Area in the English Medium. (Education Bureau, HKSAR Government, PI: Dr Simon CHAN, Year of award: 2024, Amount: HKD $1,014,090)    

Co-investigator, Provision of Services for In-service Professional Development Programme: Course for Secondary School Teachers on Teaching Personal, Social & Humanities Education Key Learning Area in the English Medium. (Education Bureau, HKSAR Government, PI: Dr Simon CHAN, Year of award: 2024, Amount: HKD $750,800)

Principal Investigator, Promoting Students’ Dialogic Communication Competence through Analytics-supported Assessment Tools and Pedagogy for Interdisciplinary Inquiry. (Teaching Development Grant, The University of Hong Kong, Year of award: 2023, Amount: HKD $248,604)

Principal investigator, Promoting the Use of Educational Technology in Learning and Teaching in Science (S1-S3). (Education Bureau, HKSAR Government, Year of award: 2022, Amount: HKD $1,399,900)

Co-investigator, Promoting Effective Use of Practical Work in Senior Secondary Biology Classrooms through Cognitively Demanding Practical Work and Video Analysis of Teaching Practices. (Quality Education Fund of HKSAR Government, PI: Dr. Kennedy CHAN, Year of award: 2020, Amount: HKD $1,883,800)

Co-investigator, Promoting Productive Classroom Dialogue and Knowledge Building. (Seed Fund for Basic Research of HKU, PI: Prof Carol CHAN, Year of award: 2019, Amount: HKD  $53,260)

Co-investigator, Promoting Classroom Dialogue: Teacher Professional Development Using Online Video Analytics and Collective Inquiry. (Faculty Research Fund of HKU Faculty of Education, PI: Dr Gaowei CHAN, Year  of award: 2019, Amount:  HKD  $59,960)

Principal investigator, Conceptions of Teacher Professionalism in Hong Kong: a Cross-sector Comparative Study. (Faculty Research Fund of HKU Faculty of Education, Year of award: 2018, Amount: HKD  $59,955)

Co-investigator, Dialogic Teaching for Enhancing Productive Dialogue and Student Engagement in Teacher Education, (Faculty Research Fund of HKU Faculty of Education, PI: Dr Queenie LEE, Year of award: 2018, Amount: HKD  $59,634)

Co-investigator, Bridging Theory and Practice through Inquiry-Based School Experience in Pre-Service Teacher Education. (Teaching Development Grant of HKU, Year of award: 2017, PI: Prof Carol CHAN, Amount: HKD  $250,000)

Cheng, K. L. (2026, May). Towards an Interpretive Framework for Comparing the Affordance of AI-Generated Science Texts [Paper Presentation]. EASE 2026 Conference. Hong Kong.

Cheng, K. L. (2026, April). It’s All about Students: Mapping the Discourse Structure of a Teacher-focused Online Discussion Forum [Paper Presentation]. International Conference on Learning and Teaching 2026. Hong Kong.

Cheng, K. L. (2025, August). Systems Thinking in Environmental Chemistry Textbooks: A Systemic Functional Linguistics Analysis [Paper Presentation]. EARLI 2025 Conference. Graz. 

Cheng, K. L. (2025, July). Understanding Science Texts in the Era of Artificial Intelligence [Invited Lecture]. East-Asian Association for Science Education (EASE) Summer School 2025.  Guilin.

Cheng, K. L. (2024, July). Epistemic Uncertainty in Science Education: A Position Paper [Paper presentation]. EASE-ICMSCE Joint International Conferences 2024. Bandung. 

Cheng, K. L., Chan, C. K. K., Tu, Y., & Hu, X. (2024, July). Examining Students’ Online Learning and Collaboration Using Analytics-Supported Assessment Tools and Dashboards [Paper presentation]. The 24th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies. North Nicosia. 

Chan, K. L., Cheng, K. L. A., & Chan, K. H. (2024, June). The Use of DragGame E-Learning Activities to Enhance Curricular Decision-making [Paper presentation]. International Science Education Conference 2024. Singapore.

Cheng, K. L. (2023, August). STEM learning experiences as boundary objects? The Hong Kong case [Paper presentation]. 20th Biennial European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI) Conference. Thessaloniki.

Cheng, K. L. (2023, June). Nature of Technology Elements in the Undergraduate STEM Curricula: A Curriculum Proposal [Paper presentation]. International Conference on Learning and Teaching for Future Readiness 2023. Hong Kong.

Cheng K. L. (2022). Could Official STEM Curriculum Documents Function as Enablers of Successful Boundary-Crossing? The Hong Kong Case. EASE Letters, 1(1), 1-9.

Cheng K. L. (2022, July). Could Official STEM Curriculum Documents Function as Enablers of Successful Boundary-Crossing? The Hong Kong Case [Paper presentation]. 2022 EASE Online International Conference, Online.

Cheng K. L. (2021, August).Are Students Invited into Socioscientific Discussion? A Discourse Analysis of Science Textbooks[Paper presentation]. 19^th Biennial EARLI Conference, Online.

Cheng K. L., Chan C. K. K., Ho S. M. S., & Shiu W. H. C. (2021, August). Teachers for The Futures? Neglected Sociomaterial Dimension of Teacher Professionalism[Paper presentation]. 19th Biennial EARLI Conference, Online.

Cheng K. L. (2021, June).Taming Nanotechnology into Curriculum Content: Textbook Analysis through the Lens of Dark Pedagogy[Paper presentation]. 2021 International Conference of East-Asian Association for Science Education, Online.

Chen, G., Cheng, K. L. A. and Chan, C. K. K. (2020, June). Improving classroom dialogue: An analytics-supported, video-based teacher professional development approach [Paper presentation]. International Conference of the Learning Science (ICLS) 2020, Nashville, TN, USA.

Cheng, K. L. (2019, December). Obstacles to Interdisciplinary STEM Curriculum: A Bernsteinian Analysis [Paper presentation]. 2019 International Conference on Advances in STEM Education, Hong Kong.

Cheng, K. L. (2019, August). Human vis-a-vis Nature: Analytical perspective implicated in Chinese ESL textbooks [Paper presentation]. 18th Biennial EARLI Conference, Aachen, Germany.

Cheng, K. L. (2019, February). Interdisciplinary Dialogue in a CSCL Environment for Preservice Teachers [Invited paper presentation]. 2019 East Asian Graduate Student Symposium on the Learning Sciences, Hong Kong.

Cheng, K. L., & Chan, K.H. (2018).  Evolution Education in Hong Kong (1991-2016): A Content Analysis of the Biology Textbooks for Secondary School Graduates. In  H. Deniz, & L.A. Borgerding (Eds.), Evolution Education Around the Globe (pp. 315-333). Cham: Springer.

Cheng, K. L. (2018, December). Biotechnological Issues Portrayed in Chinese Textbooks [Paper presentation]. 2018 International Conference of East-Asian Association for Science Education (EASE), Hualien, Taiwan.

Cheng K. L. (2018, December). Technology Fixes for Energy-Use-associated Environmental Issues? An Analysis Of The Constructions In Chinese Physics Textbooks [Paper presentation]. 2018 International Conference of East-Asian Association for Science Education (EASE), Hualien, Taiwan.

Chan, K. H., Cheng, K. L. A., Chan, C. K. K., & Yung,  H. W. B. (2018, June). Using A Video-based Approach to Develop Pre-service Science Teachers' Understanding of How to Teach Nature of Science [Paper presentation]. 13th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS), London, United Kingdom.

Chan C. K. K., Chan K. H., & Cheng K. L. A. (2018, June). Developing Theory-practice Understanding Through Online Discourse In Online Courses [Paper presentation]. 13th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS), London, United Kingdom.

Cheng K. L. (2016, December). Towards A Citizenship Education Curriculum for e-democracy [Paper presentation]. Hong Kong & Macao SAR Youth: Identity, Citizenship Education and Civic Participation 2016 Conference, Hong Kong.

Cheng K. L. (2014, December). Science Curriculum Policy Initiatives in Hong Kong: an Analysis of Their Impacts Using TIMSS Results 1995–2011 [Keynote speech]. 2014 KASE International Symposium: Present and Future of Science Education in East Asia: Focusing on Curriculum, Seoul, South Korea.

Cheng, K. L.,& Wong, S. L. (2014).  Nature of Science as portrayed in the Physics curricula and textbooks in Hong Kong and the mainland of the People’s Republic of China.  In C. Bruguiere, A. Tiberghien & P. Clement (eds.)9th ESERA Conference Contributions: Topics and trends in current science education (pp. 519 – 534).  Dordrecht: Springer.

Wong, S. L., Z. H. Wan, & Cheng, K. L. (2014).  One Country Two Systems: Nature of Science (NOS) Education in Mainland China and Hong Kong.  In M. R. Matthews (ed.) International Handbook of Research in History, Philosophy and Science Teaching (pp. 2149-2175). Dordrecht: Springer.

Cheng, K. L., & Wong, S. L. (2009).  A comparative study of the historical elements in the official Physics curricula and corresponding textbooks of Guangzhou and Hong Kong.  Proceedings of the 2009 EASE International Conference of East-Asian Science Education: First Biennial EASE Conference (pp. 105 – 117).

Cheng, K.-L., Li, H.-W., & Ng, D. K. P.  (2004).  Synthesis and Characterization of meso-Ferrocenylethynyl 5,15-Diphenylporphyrins.  Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, 689, 1593 - 1598.

Jiang, J., Liu, W., Cheng, K.-L., Poon, K.-W., & Ng, D. K. P.  (2001).  Heteroleptic Rare Earth Double-Decker Complexes with Porphyrinato and 2,3-Naphthalocyaninato Ligands.  Preparation, Spectroscopic Characterization, and Electrochemical Studies.  European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 2001(2),413 - 417.

Wu, Y. & Cheng, K. L. (2026, May). Cultivation of Senior High School Students’ Systems Thinking about Chemistry-related Socio-scientific Issues [Paper Presentation]. EASE 2026 Conference. Hong Kong.

Poon, W. M. & Cheng, K. L. (2026, May). Development of an AI-powered EdTech Platform and Teacher Professional Development Package to Promote Primary Students’ Self-Directed Learning [Paper Presentation]. EASE 2026 Conference. Hong Kong.

Wu, Y., & Cheng, K. L. (2025, August). The Analysis of Systems Thinking in the Official Chemistry Curriculum and Textbooks in China [Paper Presentation]. JURE 2025 Conference. Graz. 

Ho, S. L. E. & Cheng, K. L.(2023, June). Learning Critical Thinking in Secondary Schools and Universities: Perspectives of the Students [Paper presentation]. International Conference on Learning and Teaching for Future Readiness 2023. Hong Kong.

Yu, K. C. & Cheng, K. L. (2022). Teacher-Level Factors of the Implementation of STEM Curriculum: Two Cases from Hong Kong. EASE Letters​​​​​​, 1(1), 19-28.

Yu, K. C. & Cheng, K. L. (2022, July). Teacher-Level factors of the Implementation of STEM Curriculum: Two Cases from Hong Kong [Paper presentation]. 2022 EASE Online International Conference, Online.

So, H. W. & Cheng, K. L. (2022, June). Instructional dialogues in an inquiry-based classroom: Towards a typology of teacher self-positioning [Poster presentation]. International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS) Annual Meeting 2022, Online.

Lo, J. & Cheng, K. L. (2021, December). Shaping Future Scientists’ Ideas About Science: Factors Influencing the NOS Ideas of Research Postgraduate Students [Paper presentation]. International Conference on Learning and Teaching 2021, Online.

Mok, K. C. & Cheng, K. L. (2021, December). Values Development Through Science Education: Application of Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm in Science Classrooms [Paper presentation]. International Conference on Learning and Teaching 2021, Online.

Tsang C. L., & Cheng K. L. (2021, September) Towards Decontextualized Neutrality - Modern Chinese History as Portrayed in the History Textbooks in Hong Kong [Paper presentation]. Emerging Researchers' Conference, European Conference on Educational Research 2021, Online.