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LAU Ngar-sze, Elsa

Senior Lecturer

LAU Ngar-sze, Elsa

BSSc, PGDE, MA (CUHK), MPhil (Oxford), PhD (Lancaster)

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Dr. Lau has received training in sociology, social anthropology, and religious studies. She has promoted mindfulness education for undergraduates, pre-service teachers, and in-service teachers since 2007. Her research interests include contemplative practices, mindfulness, values education, and teachers’ ethics.

Before joining Faculty of Education at CUHK, Dr. Lau had worked as a registered teacher and subject panel of Ethics and Religion at a secondary school. She also held positions as a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, and EDD co-supervisor at the Education University of Hong Kong. Currently, she is also an Assistant Professor (part-time) and MA thesis supervisor of Foguang University.

Dr. Lau has been actively involved in serving the education field (selected):
Member of Assessment Panel (Values Education) of Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching Excellence (2024-25)
School Manager of Incorporated Management Committee of an aided secondary school (2024- )
Committee member, International Association for Children’s Spirituality (IACS)(2017- )
Course instructor, Positive Pedagogy: An Applied Framework for Positive Education
(EDB commissioned) (2017-2021)
Course instructor, Advanced course on Catering for Diverse Learning Needs (EDB commissioned) (2018-2021)
Member, the CDC-HKEAA Committee on Ethics and Religious Studies (Senior Secondary), HKSAR (2004-08)
Member, Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) (2005-07)

Award:
Inaugural Caring Teaching Award, FEHD, Education University of Hong Kong (2020-21)
Excellent FE Supervision, Education University of Hong Kong (2021-22)
Certificate of Appreciation of School-based Curriculum Project Scheme of Education Department (2000)

Research Interests
  • Mindfulness education
  • Education Ethnography
  • Inclusive Education
  • Teacher Professional Development
  • Qualitative Methods
  • Religious and Spiritual Education
  • Life and Values Education
Courses Taught
  • EDUC 3201 Ethics and Professional Standards for Teachers
  • EDUC 3290 Meaning Concerns, Death and Life Education
  • PGDE 5222/ PGDP 5312 Values and Moral Education
  • PGDE 5234/ PGDP 5318 Ethics and Professional Standards for the Teaching Profession
  • PGDE 5236 Life Education and Pursuit of Meaning
  • UGED 2663 Human Existence & Values Education
  • UGED 2674 Contemplative Practices and Holistic Education
Recent Publications
  • Lau, N.S. (2024). Implementing Contemplative Practices for Enhancing Spirituality in Hong
    Kong Schools. In Lee, J.C.-K., & Kennedy, K.J. (Eds.). (2024). The Routledge International
    Handbook of Life and Values Education in Asia (1st ed.). Abingdon: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003352471
  • Cheung, R.Y.M., Wang, I.Y., Lau, E.N. (2024). Mindfulness facets and psychological well-being
    among meditators: serenity as a mediating process. International Journal of Mental Health
    Promotion, 26(3), 177-187. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2024.047190
  • Lau, N. S., & Tse, T. K. C. (2024). Education for Buddhist Modernism: Buddhicised education and
    reform in Hong Kong schools. British Journal of Religious Education, 1–14.
    https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2024.2344176
  • Chan, K.K.S., Lau, E.N.S. & J.C.K. Lee. (eds). (2024). Mindfulness for Child and Adolescent Well-Being:
    International Perspectives. Abingdon: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003314882
  • Chan, K.K.S., Lau, E.N.S., & J.C.K. Lee. (2024). Chapter 1 Mindfulness and well-being among
    children and adolescents. In Mindfulness for Child and Adolescent Well-Being: International
    Perspectives. Abingdon: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003314882
  • Kuang, Xiaoxue, Zhang, Xingzhou, Lee, C.K. John & N.S. Lau. (2023). The Relationships Between Teachers’ Spiritual Well-being and Subjective Quality of Life: A Hong Kong Perspective. Education Journal.
  • Lau, N.S. (2023) Practicing transnational meditation in contemporary China for wellbeing: from vipassana to mindfulness. Sinosfere (in Italian) https://sinosfere.com/
  • Lau, N.S., Cheung, R.Y.M., Lai C.K.S., Lau, A.Y.T., Fung, M.C. (2023). Effects of Mindfulness
    on Stress, Life Satisfaction, and Savoring Beliefs Among Hong Kong Chinese Adolescents During
    the COVID-19 Pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1118288.
  • Li, X., Lau, E.N.S., Chan, S.K.C. et al. (2023). Effects of Mindfulness-Based Intervention to Improve
    Bracing Compliance in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Patients: a Randomized Controlled Trial. Mindfulness 14, 322–334. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-02021-3
  • 劉雅詩 (2022)〈以學校的宗教和靈性教育促進共同生活的人類博愛〉《天主教研究學報》第13期: 112-132 LAU, Ngar-sze Elsa, “Facilitating Human Fraternity for Living Together through Religious and Spiritual Education in Schools”
  • Lo, H.H.M.; Liu, K.H.K.; Ho, W.C.; Lau, E.N.S.; Poon, M.F.; Lo, C.S.L.; Tam, H.S.W. (2022). Using Photovoice in a Mindfulness-Based Program to Understand the Experiences of Caregivers of Young Adults with Psychosis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 19, 15461. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315461
  • Lo, H.H.M., Au, A., Cho, W.V., Lau, E.N.S., Wong, J.Y.H., Wong, S.Y.S., Yeung, J.W.K. (2022).
    Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Caregivers of Frail Older Chinese Adults: A Study Protocol. Int. J.
    Environ. Res. Public Health, 19, 5447. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095447
  • Zheng X, Zhang D, Lau ENS, Xu Z, Zhang Z, Mo PKH, Yang X, Mak ECW and Wong SYS (2022).
    Primary School Students’ Online Learning During Coronavirus Disease 2019: Factors Associated With
    Satisfaction, Perceived Effectiveness, and Preference. Front. Psychol. 13:784826.
    https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.784826
  • Lau, N.S. (2022). Equality of Access? Chinese Women Practicing Chan and Transnational Meditation in Contemporary China. Religions, 13, 61. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13010061
  • Lo, H.H.M., Lau, E.N.S., Tam, C.H.L. et al. (2021). Effects of a Mindful Parenting Workshop for Parents of
    Adolescents and Young Adults Following Social Unrest in Hong Kong. Mindfulness.
    https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-021-01790-7
  • Lau, N.S. (2021). Teaching transnational Buddhist meditation with vipassanā (neiguan內觀) and
    mindfulness (zhengnian正念) for healing depression in contemporary China. Religions. 12(3), 212; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12030212
  • Cheung Y.M.R. & Lau, N.S. (2021). Is Mindfulness Linked to Life Satisfaction? Testing Savoring Positive
    Experiences and Gratitude as Mediators. Frontiers in Psychology
    https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.591103
  • Au, T.C. & Lau, N. S. (2021). Private music teachers’ knowledge of and attitudes toward students with
    autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04809-5
Research Projects
  • Co-investigator with Lo, Herman H.M. (PI). The effects of an online mindfulness-based intervention for parents of children with ADHD: A randomized controlled trial. General Research Fund, 2024-26
  • Co-Principal investigator with Gu, Mingyue Michelle (PI), Y.M. Rebecca Cheung, M. M. Chiu, Corey F. Huang, Liz Jackson, J. S. Lee, Zhenlin Wang, J. Luo, M. Harrison, Lucas Kohnke. Wellbeing in online social networking. Multi-disciplinary Research Capacity Building Scheme. EdUHK, 2022-24
  • Co-investigator with Tse, T.K.T. (PI). Religious Education Curricula in Hong Kong Schools: A Comparative Study across Religious Bodies and Time. General Research Fund, 2020-22
  • Co-investigator with Lo, Herman H.M. (PI), Wong Samuel Y.S., Wong Janet Y.H., Yeung, Jerf W.K., Au, Alma. Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Caregivers of Frail Older Chinese Adults: Testing a Model of Intergenerational Caregiving. General Research Fund,
    2021-23
Other Link

https://ngarszelau.academia.edu