Dr Andrew Low Yiu Tsang

Biography

Dr. Andrew LOW is Associate Professor of Felizberta Lo Padilla Tong School of Social Sciences.  He was an Assistant Professor at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) before joining Caritas Institute of Higher Education.  Before moving into social work education in 2010, Dr. LOW worked for Seventeen years as a registered social worker in a range of different settings in Hong Kong, including school social work, hot-line counselling service, children and youth centre service and being a centre-in-charge of an Integrated Children and youth Centre.  He also worked four years as a private practice social worker mainly providing parenting programmes, leadership training programme and preventive programmes in varies primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong.  He also rendered family therapy, marital counselling and individual counselling to community. 

Education

DipSW HKPolyU, MA (Social Work) University of Hull, UK, DipSW CCETSW UK, Cert Parent Ed. CUHK, PhD (Social Policy) University of Bristol, UK,  RSW

Professional Qualifications / Memberships

• Registered Social Worker, Social Workers Registration Board
• Associate Fellow, Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association

Teaching

I taught a range of courses in social work programme and counseling programme at CityU both at Bachelor's and Master's level.  This includes "School Social Work", "Working with Groups", "Management and Supervision in Social Services", "Inquiry into social work practice", "Social Service Evaluation", "Parent Education and Support", "Team Building and Group Work Skills Laboratory", "Self-Development Laboratory", "Introduction to fieldwork learning" and "Counselling Skills Laboratory and Pre-Practicum".  I was also the coordinator of Practicum of the entire department covering Master of Social Work, Master's in counseling, and Bachelor's in social work programme.  I was also the coordinator of Overseas Social Work Internship of Bachelor of Social Work programme. 

Research

My main research interests are in evaluation of preventive interventions.  This includes areas like parenting programme in Chinese culture to reduce parent-adolescent conflicts; Parent-adolescents' conflicts and its effects on adolescent's development; Suicide Prevention programme in school settings; positive youth development programme in school settings, etc.  At policy level, I am currently evaluating "the pilot scheme of social work service in pre-primary institutions" which has already led to policy change of regularizing this service in next financial year of the Government.  I have also completed a study on the extent and nature of parent-adolescent conflicts during social movement.  My completed studies like evaluation of cognitive behavioral programme for teenagers and children in school setting to reduce their anxiety problem; school-based parenting programme to reduce parent-adolescent conflicts; effectiveness of "positive youth development programme" in school setting; effectiveness of school-based suicide prevention programme etc.  Currently I am collaborating with NGOs to study the effectiveness of "play therapy" for pre-primary students to reduce the negative impact on children's development after experiencing family violence or child abuse.

External Competitive Grants:

• Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office, Public Policy Research Fund (PPR), Adolescents' voices are heard: Conflict resolution strategies and preferred parenting style of Hong Kong Chinese adolescents to resolve parent-adolescent conflicts in the current social situation, April 2020 – Oct 2020, Principal Investigator, HKD 400,000, Completed.
• Hong Kong Government, Social Welfare Department, Evaluating the Pilot Scheme on social work service for pre-primary institutions, 2020 – 2022, Principal Investigator, HKD 2,478,240, On-going.
• Hong Kong Government, Quality Education Fund (QEF), The effectiveness of a school-based prevention programme to reduce suicide risk factors in Hong Kong, 2017-2019, Principal Investigator, HKD 700,600, Completed.
• The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (Hong Kong), P.A.T.H.S. III, a three-year community-based Youth Enhancement Programme, 2012-2016, Co-investigator, HKD 8.074 million, Completed. 
• Bei Shan Tang Foundation (Hong Kong), The Application of Positive Education to Nurture Wellbeing and Promote Mental Health of Primary School Students, 2015-2016, Co-investigator, HKD 4,226,317, Completed.
• Social Welfare Development Fund from the Social Welfare Department to Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Study of an Emotional Coaching Program (ECP) for Children and Adolescent with Anxiety Features - Using Protective Factors to Enhance Positive Changes, 2014-2016, Co-Investigator, HKD 410,000, Completed.
• Social Welfare Development Fund from the Social Welfare Department to St. James Settlement,"An evaluation study on the needs of families in Hong Kong", 2014-2016, Co-Investigator, HKD120,000, Completed.

Other Grants:

• City University of Hong Kong Teaching Development Grant (TDG), Applications of interactive pedagogical learning model in promoting intergenerational communication to enhance the teaching and learning of GE2226/SS4512/SS3293/SS4293, 2021-2022, Co-Investigator, HKD 239,999, On-going.
• City University of Hong Kong, Strategic Research Grant (SRG), An exploration of coping strategies of Chinese Adolescents in Adolescent-Parent Conflict, 2017-2020, Principal Investigator, HKD 78,080, Completed.
• City University of Hong Kong, Strategic Research Grant (SRG), The effectiveness of School-Based Suicide Prevention Programme to Reduce Adolescent Suicide Risk Factor in Hong Kong., Principal Investigator, 2017-2019, HKD 91,450, Completed.
• City University of Hong Kong,  Strategic Research Grant (SRG), Evaluation of School-based Adolescent Suicidal Prevention Programme, 2016-2020, Principal-Investigator, HKD 96,790, Completed.
• City University of Hong Kong Teaching Startup Grant (TSG), Web-based Learning Environment for Counselling practicum Students, 2014-2016, Principal Investigator, HKD 99,721, Completed.
• City University of Hong Kong, Teaching Development Grant (TDG), A Pilot Project to provide in-house practicum and research training o MSSC students: Inerfacing Research and Practice for Knowledge Development in the Context of Practicum and Research Training in Counsellor Education, 2014-2016, Co-Investigator, HKD179,985, Completed.
• City University of Hong Kong Strategic Research Grant (SRG), A 'process-outcome' study of a "learner-responsive" approach to parent education: How parents learn and what they learn in a four-session "Self-learning in Parenthood", 2013-2015, Co-Investigator, HKD 100,000

Selected Publications

Book

• Low, Y.T.A. (2019), A Comparison of Eastern and Western Parenting: Programmes, policies and approaches, Routledge.

Journal Articles

• Low, Y.T.A. (2021), Family conflicts, Anxiety and Depressive symptoms, and Suicidal Ideation of Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. Applied Research in Quality of Life. [SSCI-listed, Q2: Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary, 39/108; 5 year Impact factor: 1.784]
• Low, Y.T.A., Lo, T.W., Cheng, H.K., (2020), Family dynamic and antisocial adolescents in Macau, Child and Youth Care Forum. Doi: 10.1007/s10566-020-09568-z [SSCI-listed, Q3: Psychology Developmental, 57/77; 5 year Impact factor: 1.813]
• Low, Y.T.A., Lee, T.Y. & Lau, K.L. (2018). Subjective experience of early adolescents after joining a positive youth development program in Hong Kong. International Journal on Disability and Human Development. 17(3), 423-432
• Low, Y. T. A., Kwok, S. Y., Tam, H. L. C., Yeung, W. K. J., & Lo, H. M. H. (2017). The relationship between childhood physical abuse and suicidal ideation among Chinese university students: Possible moderators, Children and Youth Services Review, 81, 94-100. Doi: 10.1016/j.chilyouth.2017.07.026.  [SSCI-listed, Q2: Social Work, 16/42; 5 year Impact factor: 1.383]
• Low, Y. T. A., Busiol, D., & Lee, T. Y. (2016). A review of research on civic and political engagement among Hong Kong youth. International Journal of Child and Adolescent Health, 9(4), 423-432.
• Low Y.T.A., (2015) Can Hong Kong Chinese parents and their adolescent children benefit from an adapted UK parenting programme? Journal of Social Work. 16(1), 104-121. DOI: 10.1177/1468017314568860 [SSCI-listed, Q4: Social Work, 34/41; 5 year Impact factor: 0.921]
• Low, Y. T.A., (2014). Parents' perception of Effective Components of a Parenting Programme for Parents of Adolescents in Hong Kong. Revista de Cercetare şi Intervenţie Socială, (46), 162-181. [SSCI-listed, Q2: Social Work, 20/40 ; 5 year Impact factor : 0.642]
• Low, Y.T.A., (2013). Can Parenting Programme Reduce Parent-Adolescents Conflicts in Hong Kong?. Revista de Cercetare şi Intervenţie Socială, (42), 7 – 27.[SSCI-listed, Q1: Social Work, 10/40; 5 year Impact factor : 1.354]

Book Chapter

• Low, Y.T. A., Lee, T.Y., & Lau, K.L.R. (2017) Experience of early adolescents after joining a positive youth development program. In D. T. L. Shek, J.T.Y. Leung &T. Y. Lee (Eds.),  Psychosocial needs : Success in life and career planning, New York : Nova Science.
• Low, Y. T. A., Busiol, D., & Lee, T. Y. (2016). Civic and political engagement among youth. In D. T. L. Shek, T. Y. Lee & J. Merrick (Eds.), Children and Adolescents: Future challenges (pp. 33-44). N.Y.: Nova Science Publishers

Community Participation and Achievement / Public Service

• Programme Validation Panel on Re-Validation of Higher Diploma in Social Work (QF Level 4) in Hong Kong College of Technology (Aug 2020)
• International Advisory Panel Member (School Social Work) in Lutheran Community Care Services Singapore (since 2014)
• Advisor in Advance Children Charity Play Therapy Centre (since 2018)