35 results
Search Results
2. Learning‐oriented assessment: a technology‐based case study.
- Author
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Keppell, Mike and Carless, David
- Subjects
LEARNING strategies ,EDUCATION research ,TEACHER training ,EDUCATIONAL evaluation ,TEACHING methods ,TEACHING aids ,STUDENTS - Abstract
This paper focuses on reconfiguring assessment processes so that they support a learning function, in addition to the more traditional measurement function. In the first half of the paper we discuss a framework for ‘learning‐oriented assessment’ derived from a project carried out in Hong Kong. We conceptualize learning‐oriented assessment as containing three key components: assessment tasks as learning tasks; student involvement in assessment; and explicitly forward‐looking feedback. The second half of the paper presents an action research case in which the first author implemented some of the principles of learning‐oriented assessment within a module in a teacher education context. The module, focusing on multimedia and web authoring, was taught through blended learning with an emphasis on peer learning and project‐based learning. A particular feature was the interplay between students’ learning experiences and the module assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Teachers’ experiences of autonomy in Continuing Professional Development: Teacher Learning Communities in London and Hong Kong.
- Author
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Hargreaves, Eleanore, Berry, Rita, Lai, Y. C., Leung, Pamela, Scott, David, and Stobart, Gordon
- Subjects
CONTINUING education ,PROFESSIONAL education ,TEACHER training ,LEARNING communities - Abstract
This paper examines teachers’ experiences of autonomy as they undertook Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in the form of Teacher Learning Communities (TLCs) to develop Assessment for Learning (AfL). Participant teacher interview data were used from two parallel TLC projects, one in Hong Kong and one in London, UK. Autonomy was defined in terms of taking initiatives, acting independently and making critical inquiries. Links between autonomy and effective CPD were argued and the findings indicated that some teachers in both the projects experienced limited autonomy in terms of taking initiatives and being critical, although several described a new sense of professional independence as they attended TLCs. Their limited autonomy looked likely to inhibit the long-lasting impact of the projects, although one TLC in London seemed likely to shape teachers’ AfL principles and practices more profoundly because attendance was voluntary and egalitarian. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Learning to teach in a context of education reform: liberal studies student teachers' decision-making in lesson planning.
- Author
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Lai, Edith and Lam, Chi-Chung
- Subjects
TEACHER education ,LESSON planning ,TEACHER training ,DECISION making ,EDUCATION of student teachers ,CURRICULUM ,SECONDARY education ,CURRICULUM planning ,BACHELOR of liberal studies ,MANAGEMENT - Abstract
Liberal studies is a new subject in the new senior secondary curriculum in Hong Kong. This study attempted to identify factors that shape liberal studies student teachers' decisions in lesson planning. Based on interview data and lesson plans developed by the student teachers, this article maintains that four factors interacted with the subject features of liberal studies to shape the student teachers' planning decisions, namely, teacher knowledge, curriculum requirements, materials and resources, and interaction with equal and more capable partners. This paper further looks into how teacher knowledge expresses itself at different stages of lesson planning. The findings suggest that to facilitate enquiry learning in students, liberal studies teachers need to adopt an enquiry stance in lesson planning. This paper argues that the limitations of liberal studies student teachers' content knowledge need to be addressed in teacher preparation programmes and suggests teacher networking as one way to strengthen novice liberal studies teachers' content preparation. The implications for teacher education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
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5. Teacher education as identity construction: insights from action research.
- Author
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Trent, John
- Subjects
TEACHER training ,ACTION research in education ,TRAINING of English teachers ,STUDENT teachers ,ENGLISH language education ,TEACHING experience ,TEACHER researchers ,QUALITATIVE research - Abstract
This paper reports on the results of a qualitative study that explored the experiences of one group of pre-service English language teachers in Hong Kong as they undertook an action research project as part of their undergraduate teacher training programme. Grounded in a theory of teacher identity construction as both practice and discourse, the paper examines how participation in an action research project by one group of pre-service English language teachers in Hong Kong shaped their experiences of becoming teachers. The study indicates that as teacher researchers, the trainee teachers contested previously held perceptions about their engagement in teaching, their images of teachers and teaching, as well as their alignment with some aspects of contemporary educational discourse. Implications for teacher education and future research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Exploring the tactfulness of implementing play in the classroom: a Hong Kong experience.
- Author
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Pui-Wah, DorisCheng
- Subjects
EARLY childhood education ,EDUCATION ,SCHOOL plays ,TEACHER training ,OCCUPATIONAL training - Abstract
'Learning through play' in early childhood education is widely advocated, but studies show that play is not easily enacted in classrooms. The quality of learning through play has been questioned in various countries, especially when learning outcomes are a global concern. This paper examines how one teacher implemented learning through play within a formal and didactic Hong Kong pre-school classroom. Following this real-life adaptation of the play pedagogy, this paper aims to illuminate the practical theories of linking play with learning in the classroom. The findings support the adoption of 'play' in young children's learning and reveal tactful ways in which a teacher can encourage the evolving 'flow' of children's play while simultaneously scaffolding their learning. The paper analyses the tact involved in the above process and suggests key dimensions for realizing 'learning through play' in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
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7. Understanding mainland Chinese students' motivations for choosing teacher education programmes in Hong Kong.
- Author
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Xuesong Gao and Trent, John
- Subjects
CHINESE students ,TEACHER training ,ENGLISH language education ,COMPETENCE & performance (Linguistics) ,PSYCHOLOGY - Abstract
In this paper, we report on an inquiry exploring the experiences of 10 mainland Chinese student teachers of English so as to understand why they came to Hong Kong for a teacher education programme. The study revealed that these students were largely attracted to teaching in Hong Kong because of its extrinsic benefits such as professional stability, the prestige associated with the English language teaching profession and the opportunities to acquire valued skills transferable to other professions including English competence. Facing challenges as non-local students, they were also uncertain of becoming teachers in the new context. As 'elite' Chinese students were often unwilling to become teachers, we found it strategic to attract a large number of talented non-local students to the teaching profession and retain them. We conclude the paper with recommendations for various stakeholders to support these non-local students' adaptation and development as committed and competent teachers in local schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. The Use of Learning Study to Enhance Teacher Professional Learning in Hong Kong.
- Author
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Ming Fai Pang
- Subjects
TEACHER training ,ECONOMICS teachers ,LEARNING ,CAREER development ,PROFESSIONAL education ,TEACHING ,RESEARCH - Abstract
The study that we report in this paper, named as learning study, is a hybrid between a design experiment as characterized by Brown and Collins, and a Japanese lesson study as characterized by Yoshida, and Stigler and Hiebert. This paper aims at tracing the development of the learning study and examining its impact on teacher professional learning, through the example of an empirical study conducted in Hong Kong. First, the notion of learning study is explicated, together with the related ideas of the lesson study approach, the teaching research group and design experiments. Second, an empirical study is reported, which documents how a group of economics teachers in Hong Kong worked collaboratively within the learning study model to improve student learning, and in doing so enhanced their own professional learning. Finally, the implication of learning study for teacher professional learning is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
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9. The dynamics of school-based learning in initial teacher education.
- Author
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Sylvia Yee Fan Tang
- Subjects
- *
TEACHER training , *FIELD research , *LEARNING , *HIGH school teachers , *TEACHING - Abstract
Student teachers' learning in the field experience is seen as being at the heart of their professional training in initial teacher education. This paper reports a qualitative case study of preservice student teachers' learning experiences in school placements in Hong Kong. A multi-case study was conducted in a concurrent teacher education programme for secondary school teachers, with the examination of seven student teachers' professional learning journeys over two years. Methods of data collection included interview, field observation, document analysis and audio-recording of supervisory conferences. Progressive focusing characterized the research process. Student teachers' professional learning is conceptualized as learning how to frame teaching situations. By exploring pre-training influences, the teacher education programme and the student teaching context, the paper seeks to examine the dynamics and complexity of learning how to frame teaching situations. It develops an integrated framework for understanding student teachers' professional learning as the dynamic interaction of the teaching self, knowledge construction in the teaching repertoire and the framing process. This framework can be used as an analytical tool for understanding the dynamics and complexities of student teachers' professional learning and exploring the contribution of coursework and fieldwork to such learning in initial teacher education. The findings of the study reveal that the strength of the teaching self, the richness of the teaching repertoire and the appropriate mix of challenge and support in the student teaching context are important variables that constitute student teachers' productive learning experiences. Implications for practices in initial teacher education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2004
- Full Text
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10. An analysis of continuous teacher development in Hong Kong.
- Author
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Ng, Ho Ming
- Subjects
TEACHER training ,PROFESSIONAL education ,SCHOOL administration ,EDUCATION policy - Abstract
Education in Hong Kong has developed rapidly since the 70s in parallel with the economic boom. To support such development, the government has invested heavily in initial teacher education and will soon impose professional training and graduate qualifications as prerequisites for entering the profession. Continuous teacher education (CTE), generally regarded as equally important as initial teacher education if not more so, is not given comparable emphasis. This paper aims to study CTE in Hong Kong, including its policy, practice and provision at the system level. Some special features of the system are identified and scrutinized, including ad hoc, policy led, and competence based. The centrally provided CTE is also closely examined in terms of its relevance to the profession, impact on schools, and cost-effectiveness. The paper ends with a close look at its latest developments, obstacles encountered and prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2003
- Full Text
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11. From 'civilising the young' to a 'dead-end job': gender, teaching, and the politics of colonial rule in Hong Kong (1841-1970).
- Author
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Chan, AnitaKit-wa
- Subjects
WOMEN teachers ,EDUCATION ,GENDER studies ,TEACHER training ,CIVILIZING process ,TEACHING methods ,EDUCATION methodology ,IMPERIALISM ,BRITISH rule of Hong Kong, 1842-1997 ,HISTORY - Abstract
The feminisation of teaching is an important topic in education and gender studies. Discussions have been enriched by comparative and international studies as well as a gendering perspective in which a complicated view of the role of the state has emerged. In colonial Hong Kong, although the government was limited in its support of teacher training, its strategic control was not ineffective. Through regulating the teaching force, the colonial regime was instrumental in training women to help civilise the young and in creating a dead end job that of a 'primary school teacher'. It also constantly (re)constructed the nature and role of 'Chinese teacher' and 'Chinese women'. By revealing some seldom-explored strategies and disrupting the fixed meanings of 'Chinese teacher', 'Chinese women', and 'primary school teacher', this paper unravels the intervention and (re)invention of the colonial regime in the teaching occupation and probes their implications for a patriarchal society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. A case study of teacher learning in an assessment for learning project in Hong Kong.
- Author
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Sylvia Yee Fan Tang, Pamela Pui Wan Leung, Alice Wai Kwan Chow, and Ping Man Wong
- Subjects
CASE studies ,LEARNING ,ACTIVITY programs in education ,ACADEMIC enrichment ,TEACHER training - Abstract
Changes in assessment practices in the direction of assessment for learning (AfL) can be a powerful force to enhance student learning. This article presents a case study of teacher learning in an AfL project in Hong Kong. In the Project, AfL strategies were adopted in Chinese Language and English Language classrooms at the junior secondary level. By examining subject leaders' and classroom teachers' experiences with the project reported in interviews, the paper enriches our understanding of the variations in the subject department contexts of teacher learning, the situatedness of teacher learning in terms of knowledge about student learning, understanding of AfL and curriculum leadership, as well as the relationship between teacher learning and changes in assessment practices. The article concludes with suggestions on fostering subject departments to be expansive environments for teacher professional learning and to be a vehicle of internal change, alerts the importance of integration of AfL into teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and the subject curriculum, and highlights the cultural dimension as an issue for further study in AfL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. Educating teachers in Hong Kong for leadership in the age of the internet: a re-conceptualisation.
- Author
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Katyal, Kokila
- Subjects
TEACHER education ,PROFESSIONAL education ,TEACHER training ,INTERNET - Abstract
There is very little argument that one of the major developments to have impacted in schools in the past decade is the rapid and world-wide development of information and communication technologies (ICT), particularly the Internet. In Hong Kong, reforms in the ICT teacher training policy, and the fact that Hong Kong is a 'wired' city, has resulted in pre-service teachers being well versed in the technical competencies of computer usage and its pedagogical manifestations. However, there has been scant attention paid to the fact that students are actively engaged in large-scale autonomous, teacher-less learning via the Internet. In this paper, it is argued that for teachers to be leaders in contemporary classrooms, teacher education programs need to focus more on the deeper and wider implications of ICT and the Internet in education than has hitherto been the practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Paradigms, perspectives and dichotomies amongst teacher educators in Hong Kong.
- Author
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Katyal, Kokila Roy and Pang Ming Fai
- Subjects
TEACHER educators ,TEACHER training ,UNIVERSITIES & colleges ,PEDAGOGICAL content knowledge ,LEARNING ,CONTINGENCY (Philosophy) ,CONFUCIANISM ,NOTIONS (Philosophy) - Abstract
This paper argues that the concepts, beliefs and understandings of local and non-local teacher educators in a Hong Kong university are grounded in their own cultural cognition and antecedents. It presents the viewpoint that contemporary notions of good practice were compromised when applied to a context that is strongly influenced by the tenets of Confucianism. Thus the conclusion is that the contingencies of teaching and learning contexts are sufficiently different to compromise the goal of having pre-constructed notions of good teaching. The alternative is that university tutors and future researchers re-conceptualise good teaching practices within a context that gives it meaning and purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Closing the gap between the theory and practice of teaching: implications for teacher education programmes in Hong Kong.
- Author
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Cheng, May M. H., Cheng, Annie Y. N., and Tang, Sylvia Y. F.
- Subjects
STUDENT teaching ,TEACHER training ,TEACHER qualifications ,THEORY-practice relationship ,EXPERIENTIAL learning ,KNOWLEDGE gap theory ,LITERATURE studies ,SERVICES for students - Abstract
The gap between the theory and practice of teaching is an issue of concern in teacher education. Although researching this gap is not new, few studies have been conducted in Hong Kong. It is worth investigating the contemporary Asian models of teacher education that can provide reference to the international literature. This paper examines this theory-practice gap by reporting a study that researched the inconsistencies between student teachers' best teaching strategies and their most commonly employed ones. Specifically, we investigated: (1) the considerations that contribute to the inconsistencies in the student teachers' conceptions of teaching; and (2) the enhancing factors of the teacher education programme which help to close the gap between the theory and practice of teaching. Through examining the interview data, the findings revealed three main dimensions of consideration attributing to the inconsistencies in the conceptions of teaching: pre-training experience, teaching context and student needs. These considerations lead to expansive or constraining impacts on the student teachers' selections of teaching strategies. Influences from the teacher education programme that might close this gap are identified. Implications for improving teacher education programmes are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. The roles of supervised teaching practice and peer observation in teacher education in Hong Kong: implications for partnership.
- Author
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Sivan, Atara and Chan, DennisW.K.
- Subjects
STUDENT teachers ,TEACHING ,LEARNING ,CAREER development ,TEACHER training - Abstract
This paper examines the views of student teachers in Hong Kong on two mechanisms - supervised teaching practice and onsite peer observation (OPO) - which involve school-university partnership. Data were collected by using self-administered questionnaires (n = 59) and semi-structured interviews (n = 40). Results of the study indicated that student teachers regarded the two mechanisms as contributing to their learning and professional development. However, they highlighted a lack of school support for conducting OPO. Findings are discussed with reference to existing models of school-university partnership pointing to the possible existence of some aspects of a university-led model in which the university takes a dominant role in teacher education. Recommendations are made to formalise the operation of OPO in schools and to initiate a dialogue and cooperation between the participating parties involved in OPO so as to better facilitate student teachers' learning within a supportive school-university partnership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. Remaking Chinese identity: hegemonic struggles over national education in post-colonial Hong Kong.
- Author
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Kwan Choi Tse, Thomas
- Subjects
NATIONALISM ,PATRIOTISM ,CIVIL society ,CURRICULUM ,TEACHER training ,EDUCATION policy ,EDUCATION - Abstract
Following the resumption of Chinese sovereignty in 1997, the Hong Kong Government has introduced a new national education project which aims at building nationalism and patriotism. With an active involvement of the state and civil society in promoting national education in recent years, there have been certain drastic changes in the school system - reforms in the curriculum with more weight to national identity and China's topics, more nationalistic or patriotic extra-curricular activities and rituals, and more training for teachers to conduct national education. Informed by a Gramscian notion of hegemony, this paper analyses the advent of and struggles over the national education policy and illustrates the collaboration and contests among various groups in the nation-building project - with the controversies over display of the national flag and liberal studies curriculum as examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. Teacher Development through Computer‐supported Knowledge Building: Experience from Hong Kong and Canadian teachers.
- Author
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Chan, Carol K. K. and van Aalst, Jan
- Subjects
TEACHER training ,CAREER development ,PROFESSIONAL education ,COMPUTER assisted instruction ,LEARNING ,TEACHERS - Abstract
In Hong Kong and Canada, indeed globally, slogans about learning to learn and teaching for 21st-century knowledge and skills are common. However, there are few examples of how teacher education courses or programs are responding to these new demands. In this paper, we propose a framework for designing teacher education premised on the theoretical perspective of knowledge building. We describe two courses, a pre-service teacher education in course Hong Kong teachers and a joint graduate course for Hong Kong and Canadian teachers. In both cases, participants engaged in knowledge-building discourse mediated by a computer-supported learning environment. We present the design and illustrate how the teachers were able to work as collaborative inquirers and knowledge creators in a knowledge-building community. Implications of knowledge building for teacher development as related to socio-cultural contexts are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
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19. Understanding Teacher Professional Development during the Field Experience Period Using a Sociocultural View of Learning.
- Author
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May Cheng
- Subjects
GRADUATE study in education ,TEACHER training ,ACADEMIC degrees ,PRIMARY education - Abstract
The field experience component in the four–year Bachelor of Education programme (Primary) at The Hong Kong Institute of Education offers a number of opportunities for students to observe or teach in a school. The aim of this article is to analyse the learning of the student–teachers and the supporting teachers during the field experience period in the second and the final years of the programme and to explain this learning using a sociocultural view of learning. Student–teachers and their supporting teachers in their second year of study in 1999–2000 as well as those in their final year of study in 2001–02 were interviewed. The findings describe the professional development of the student–teachers and the construction of knowledge in teaching. The article analyses the role of supporting teachers as social agents, and describes their use of mediational means, including teaching resources, and information about pupils’ abilities and habits, in facilitating the learning of the student–teachers. The findings also compare the sharing of aims between the lecturers and the supporting teachers. Finally, the paper summarizes suggestions on how professional development of the student–teachers during the field experience may be analysed by adopting a sociocultural view of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. Developing Reflective and Thinking Skills by Means of Semantic Mapping Strategies in Kindergarten Teacher Education.
- Author
-
ENG LIM, SWEE, WAH CHAN CHENG, PUI, SEUNG LAM, MEI, and FONG NGAN, SO
- Subjects
KINDERGARTEN ,EARLY childhood education ,CURRICULUM ,TEACHER training - Abstract
As part of the module "Further Studies in Kindergarten Curriculum" in the Certificate in Kindergarten Teacher Education Course conducted by the Hong Kong Institute of Education, teacher-educators made use of semantic webbing to help kindergarten teachers/principals develop reflective and thinking skills regarding subject matter content and teaching curriculum. Semantic webbing/mapping or semantic networking or plot maps may be defined as a strategy in which information is categorically structured in graphic/visual form. However, its use in teacher education is more recent. Kindergarten teachers/principals were interviewed to discern how they developed critical thinking and evaluative skills concerning subject matter content and teaching curriculum through the use of semantic webbing. Interviews of a random sample of participants and analysis of their mind-maps revealed a change in perspectives and attitudes towards subject matter content and teaching curriculum. The present paper examines some of the affective outcomes for both teacher educators and student-teachers resulting from the use of semantic webbing/mapping as a strategy for facilitating reflective and critical thinking skills in four components of the module "Further Studies in Kindergarten Curriculum"; namely, Art, Language, Mathematics/Science, as well as Social Studies. Implications for teacher education are drawn from the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2003
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. Trainee teachers' perception of their knowledge about expert teaching.
- Author
-
Jegede, Olugbemiro, Taplin, Margaret, and Chan, Sing-Lai
- Subjects
TEACHER training ,PERCEPTION testing ,EXPERTISE - Abstract
The current global movement in the reform of education seems to focus on a number of issues that include standards, quality and teacher preparation. With regard to the latter, while teacher education curricula in most parts of the world attempt to strike a balance between content and professional training, the emerging scenario is that of training expert teachers. Three types of knowledge identified as necessary for expert teaching are content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. For Hong Kong to embark on a satisfactory and effective public education reform, it is essential that its most valuable human resource (i.e. teachers) must be comprehensively and adequately developed. Attention must be paid to both pre-service and in-service to raise an excellent quality-oriented teaching force. Teacher educators and researchers make important and well-informed decisions about what should be included in pre-service and in-service teacher development programmes. However, it is also important to take into account the teachers' own perceptions about the areas in which they feel confident and knowledgeable and those inwhich they do not. One practical avenue of sourcing such information is the teacher in training who is learning to acquire and display expertise. This paper reports on an investigation using a sample of 183 science and mathematics trainee teachers. A 60-item instrument, the Science and Mathematics Expert Teacher Preparation Survey (SMETPS),was developed to gather data on trainee teachers' perceptions of their current knowledge and what they think they need to know to become expert teachers. The data, analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics, indicated some of the areas in which trainee teachers identified the need for future professional development that would contribute towards expert training. Several issues which emerged from the results are discussed, with reference to implications for current efforts in expert teacher training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2000
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Personal and Social Education and Teacher Development in Hong Kong.
- Author
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Pattie, Luk, Luk Fong Yuk Pattie, and Lang, Peter
- Subjects
TEACHER training ,TEACHING ,EDUCATION ,EDUCATIONAL counseling - Abstract
This paper looks at the developmental needs of teachers in relation to facilitating the personal and social development of students. It goes on to describe a module, 'Personal and Social Education', offered to all pre-service teachers in the Hong Kong Institute of Education which aims at equipping trainee teachers to carry out the guidance role of a teacher in the context of Hong Kong, particularly in the role of a class teacher. It concludes with the results of a survey seeking the views of these trainees on the module they had undertaken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2000
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Teachers’ ambivalence in integrating culture with EFL teaching in Hong Kong.
- Author
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Luk, Jasmine
- Subjects
AMBIVALENCE ,PSYCHOLOGY of teachers ,ENGLISH as a foreign language ,ENGLISH teachers ,PSYCHOLOGY - Abstract
An increasingly important curricular aim of teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) is to develop learners' intercultural competence for communication with people from different cultures through English. English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' perceptions and practices in relation to integrating culture with English learning have been investigated mainly in Europe and the USA, whereas in Asia, these issues seem to have been less explored. This article reports an interview study that collected views about culture and language teaching from 12 secondary school English teachers in Hong Kong, including native and non-native English teachers. The findings showed that the teachers were unanimously positive in their attitudes towards the motivating power of culture (including popular culture) in language teaching, but also revealed ambivalence or contradictory feelings about the means and the end of culture-integrated TEFL in terms of what cultural resources to draw on; the connectivity between cultural components and examinations; and the role of teachers. The findings suggest the need for EFL teachers to deploy culture as a discursive resource for meaning-making, and to consider culture pedagogy as interlingual and intercultural exploratory dialogues with the students. The need for a closer collaboration among EFL teachers from different sociocultural backgrounds is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. IT and geography teaching in Hong Kong secondary schools: a critical review of possibilities, trends and implications.
- Author
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Yeung, StephenPui-ming
- Subjects
TEACHER training ,INFORMATION technology ,GEOGRAPHY education ,SOCIAL learning ,COGNITIVE development ,CHILD development ,CREATIVE ability ,INTELLECTUAL development - Abstract
Many countries have invested heavily in facilities and teacher training for the infusion of information technology (IT) into various school subjects. The background besetting this innovation and how far learning has improved thereby are important concerns for the education sector. They are examined here with respect to Hong Kong, which is a mixed Chinese-western society now seeking to promote independent learning in all areas of the school curriculum. Geography is chosen for study because IT makes possible numerous changes and benefits to teaching and learning the subject. Among others, IT can help in testing hypotheses and solving problems of an environmental and spatial nature. Literature reviews, however, suggest that the frequency, extent and level of use are limited. This discrepancy between expectation and reality suggests that many necessary teacher and organisational conditions for implementation are not present, including the lack of appropriate hardware and software, technical support and teacher training and confidence. To address the problem, teachers need to take up constructivist approaches and the role of learning facilitators, while the curriculum authority should be more humanistic and considerate of reality in making decisions on policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Environmental education in Hong Kong kindergartens: what happened to the blue sky?
- Author
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Lo, Eva Yuen Yi
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL education ,EARLY childhood education ,CURRICULUM ,TEACHER training ,KINDERGARTEN - Abstract
The Hong Kong government has sought to encourage environmental education (EE) in schools. However, little is known about how government and private initiatives impact at the level of the kindergarten. This article, based on a small-scale study, investigates what is happening in Hong Kong kindergartens in EE. The findings show that there have been positive changes in EE in Hong Kong kindergartens in the last decade: more hands-on environmental activities and resourcefulness of teachers in sourcing teaching materials. Teachers and parents were found to have positive attitudes. However, teachers had to tackle the following issues: the overloaded school curriculum and isolated environmental learning experience, teacher's insecurity and inadequate knowledge of EE, weakness of government support in terms of formal teacher training programmes and funding on EE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. Teachers Talking about Effective Practice: Understanding the Knowledge and Practice of Teachers.
- Author
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Li, Yuen Ling
- Subjects
ACTIVE learning ,KINDERGARTEN teachers ,TEACHER training - Abstract
The idea of active learning was first introduced to kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong in 1981 when they received their in-service teacher education. In a two-year, school-based project, 60 teachers in five schools were asked to create collaborative videos about models of good practices after sharing "effective" teaching episodes with peer teachers who were experimenting with "desirable" learning activities in their classrooms. This study reports on the planning, implementation, classroom ethos and adult support displayed in the project deliverables (videos) so as to portray the kinds of emergent innovations that were being adopted. The findings of the study suggest that there was some significance to the use of collaborative reflection to activate teachers' creativity and sensitivity in giving children's learning first priority in their pedagogy. As well, it points toward using collaborative reflection as an element of teacher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. Teachers' perceptions of integrated kindergarten programs in Hong Kong.
- Author
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Cheuk, Jenny and Hatch, J. Amos
- Subjects
EARLY childhood education ,KINDERGARTEN ,QUALITATIVE research ,SPECIAL education ,CHILDREN with disabilities ,EDUCATIONAL tests & measurements ,CHILDREN'S Skills Test ,INCLUSIVE education ,MIXED ability grouping (Education) ,TEACHER training - Abstract
This article reports findings from a qualitative interview study that examined the provision of integrated kindergarten education for children with disabilities from the perspectives of general education teachers implementing integrated kindergarten programs. Analysis of interviews with eight informants led to the identification of two broad generalizations: the interviewed teachers emphasized teaching academics to children without disabilities, but they focused on social development at the exclusion of academic instruction for children with disabilities; and, according to the teachers, instruction was academic and skill-oriented in the integrated kindergarten programs. Research procedures are described and data supporting the findings are presented. Ways to improve program quality are discussed in terms of three major components: the Hong Kong government should include early childhood education within the compulsory education system, and enforce the formally recommended approach of developmental appropriateness; teacher education institutions should prepare prospective teachers to work in school settings where program goals may be contradictory with the ideology of inclusion; and educational researchers should monitor program quality in integrated childcare centers by conducting further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. The intercultural sensitivity of secondary teachers in Hong Kong: a comparative study with implications for professional development.
- Author
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Westrick, Jan M. and Yuen, Celeste Y. M.
- Subjects
TEACHER training ,EDUCATIONAL planning ,EDUCATION research ,CULTURAL awareness ,MULTICULTURAL education ,CROSS-cultural studies ,DIVERSITY in education - Abstract
Teacher education programs and teachers' own lives in the relatively homogeneous communities of the past have hardly equipped them to assist their students to become interculturally sensitive, global citizens. This study compares the levels of intercultural sensitivity of secondary school teachers in four Hong Kong schools using the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). Findings indicate unique IDI profiles at each of the four schools in the study and a wide range of IDI scores at each school. Implications of the findings provide the basis for recommendations for the professional development of teachers in these schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. Professional formation in Hong Kong: yin & yang in a free-market economy?
- Author
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Forrester, Victor
- Subjects
BEGINNING teachers ,CAREER development ,TEACHER training ,EDUCATIONAL change ,FREE enterprise - Abstract
The relationship between the professional formation of beginning teachers, education reforms and Hong Kong’s free-market economy is explored. An overview of educational change and then beginning teachers’ professional formation within the context of economic cycles provides a contextual background against which two research projects are contrasted. The first reports views of school managers who hire new teachers while the second reports the experiences of newly hired beginning teachers. Findings drawn from interview and questionnaire data show that where secondary school managers embrace traditional conceptions of professionalism, in contrast, beginning secondary teachers describe their reality as conforming to a different tradition. Despite the incongruity between these two views a resulting accommodation is achieved. This accommodation is discussed in terms of illustrating the ‘yin and yang’ of professional formation of beginning teachers in Hong Kong’s free-market economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Coming to Grips with Change: The Initial Training of Geography Teachers in Hong Kong.
- Author
-
Stimpson, Philip
- Subjects
TEACHER training ,GEOGRAPHY teachers ,GEOGRAPHY education ,CURRICULUM ,TEACHER educators - Abstract
This article is concerned with the impact of various changes in the teacher education curriculum for the initial training of geography teachers in Hong Kong, China. The author notes that geography teacher trainers in Hong Kong have not been unaware of global trends in teacher training. Ideas such as school-university partnership, problem-based learning, and first steps on professional ladders have been strong in the rhetoric if not always so apparent in practice. Changing social and economic conditions in China, however, have caused geography teacher educators, as others, to think more seriously about substantive, sustained reform in the ways teachers are trained.
- Published
- 2004
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Facing the Challenges of Education Reform in Hong Kong: An Experiential Approach to Teacher Development.
- Author
-
Harris, Belinda
- Subjects
CURRICULUM ,CONTINUING education ,LEARNING ,TEACHER training - Abstract
Belinda Harris's opening discussion of developments in Hong Kong will have a familiar ring to many readers. There is a recognition that the current curriculum is not an adequate preparation for life and there is now an emphasis on lifelong learning and a wider view of development. Such a move has significant implications for the development of attitudes and skills amongst teachers. The issues that surround such educational reform in Hong Kong are analysed. This is followed by the detailed description of a study which involved a group of Hong Kong teachers in a structured experiential learning activity. It was found that though the teachers concerned acknowledged the value of their experience, they felt that given the culture and ethos of their own schools it would not be possible for them to undertake similar work with pupils. On the basis of these outcomes the writer suggests that there will need to be considerable emphasis on teacher development in Hong Kong if the reforms are to succeed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2001
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Portfolios: promoting teaching.
- Author
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Klenowski, Val
- Subjects
PORTFOLIOS in education ,EDUCATIONAL tests & measurements ,TEACHER training - Abstract
This article is based on the findings of a study that examined the use of portfolios for assessment and learning purposes in an initial teacher education course in the Hong Kong Institute of Education. Progressive refocusing of the research led to an investigation of the extent to which the use of portfolios for such purposes promoted the development of reflective practice and teaching skills. Constraints and supports for the implementation of portfolios were identified through the use of observation, documentary analysis, surveys, video recordings and interviews with pre-service teachers and their lecturers. The implementation process and the teaching and learning outcomes are described. Teacher educators requested portfolio exemplars, more specific grading criteria and more examples to illustrate standards. Six principles that underpin the use of portfolios for assessment purposes, that emerged from an analysis of the research data and findings, are briefly described. An interactive CD ROM and a set of guidelines were produced as implementation resources. Details of these resources are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2000
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Distance Language Teacher Education: new challenges for Hong Kong.
- Author
-
Cheng, Liying
- Subjects
DISTANCE education ,FOREIGN language education ,TEACHER training - Abstract
An urgent need for a relatively large number of qualified Putonghua language teachers in Hong Kong has led the Open University of Hong Kong to establish a distance education programme for in-service language teachers, most of whom are non-native speakers. The programme designed by the university involves distance study coupled with regular face-to-face tutorials, and is designed to enable the in-service teachers to apply their learned knowledge directly in their daily teaching. The article explains how evaluation of the first presentation of the course in 1996 showed that the course alone could not fully address the actual deficiencies in the teachers' Putonghua listening and speaking skills while, additionally, there was also a need to restructure the teaching methodology component of the course. The basis upon which these judgements were made is explained, and the steps taken to strengthen the course to meet these perceived deficiencies, while not adding to the students' workload, are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2000
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Environmental challenge and curricular responses in Hong Kong.
- Author
-
Stimpson, Philip G.
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL education ,TEACHER training - Abstract
Discusses the changing perceptions of environmental problems and challenges in Hong Kong which have led to the environmental education initiatives. Chinese appreciation of the beauty of nature; Societal responses to environmental problems; Teacher education for environmental education.
- Published
- 1997
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. How sustainable are in-service teacher-training courses?
- Author
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Yuen-Kwan, Wendy Lam
- Subjects
TEACHER training - Abstract
Evaluates the sustainability of in-service teacher-training courses, evaluating four courses at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. Description of methodologies used in this research; Analysis of statistical data on participants in these training courses; Examination of the usefulness and relevance of these courses.
- Published
- 1998
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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