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Teacher appraisal has been widely practised in China for decades. With the introduction, in 2009, of the teacher performance pay system, however, teacher appraisal has undergone certain changes. This study explores the practice of teacher appraisal, using a qualitative approach and taking public schools in Shanghai as its research sites. The methods adopted include interviews with teachers and school administrators, observation of relevant activities and document analysis. The study reveals that teacher appraisal in schools in Shanghai is not a one-off event. Although the procedure for generating appraisal results occurs at the end of each year, data collection activities for appraisal--including lesson observation, student evaluation of teachers and checking teachers' tasks--are conducted throughout the whole year. The current teacher appraisal system has been a success, and this study identifies four factors contributing to that success. First, administrative and developmental appraisal coexist as one single appraisal system. Second, teacher appraisal is integrated with other aspects of schools' business. Third, teacher appraisal is perceived by teachers as credible and fair. Fourth, non-technical aspects of appraisal, such as teachers' psychology and social dynamics, are taken into account during the appraisal process.

"Y-series" small-molecule acceptors (SMAs) have attracted extensive research interest as they boost the power conversion efficiencies of organic solar cells (OSCs) and research communities have begun to concentrate on the structure–property relationship and further structural optimization of this "A–DA′D–A" type SMA. In this study, we developed a novel Y-series SMA, called Y6–Se–O, by adopting benzoselenadiazole as the central core and alkoxy side chains on the β-position of thiophene moieties. The alkoxy substitution yields obvious effects on frontier orbitals of molecules and thus open-circuit voltage (VOC) of the corresponding devices. The lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) level of Y6–Se–O is up-shifted compared to that of Y6–Se, therefore, a higher VOC of 0.94 V was attained. Additionally, when mixed with the donor polymer PM6, the Y6–Se–O-based blend films can maintain optimal morphology with stronger crystallinity and reasonable phase segregation, which leads to efficient charge dissociation, suppressed recombination, and balanced charge transportation. As a result, the PM6:Y6–Se–O-based devices reached a better efficiency of 17.5%. Our study demonstrated that the introduction of alkoxy side chains is an effective approach to tuning the optoelectrical properties of SMAs and facilitates both VOC and efficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature has confirmed that teacher appraisal can and should facilitate the professional development of teachers. In the past, teacher appraisal in China has been conducted mainly for administrative purposes; nowadays, it is increasingly being viewed as a means of teacher professional development. However, the way in which teacher appraisal affects teacher professional development has not been fully recognized. This case study, of a junior secondary school in Shanghai, China, explores how teacher appraisal has been carried out and how teachers and administrators have perceived it in relation to teacher professional development. The research findings identify the mechanism by which the teacher appraisal system in question facilitates professional development. The system creates pressure and extrinsic incentives that "push and pull" teachers to improve, and supports their growth through guidance and directions. In addition, environmental factors such as school culture contribute to the positive impacts that teacher appraisal has on professional development.

Background/Context: For centuries, the notions of citizenship and citizenship education have been associated with the nation-state and civic elements. However, since the late 20th century, these traditional notions have been challenged by globalization. In the discourse of globalization, citizenship, and citizenship education, some scholars suggest a simplistic replacement or shift from national citizenship to global citizenship, regional citizenship, or local and group identities. Against these simplistic, single-leveled approaches is the argument for both the continuing importance of nation-specific characteristics of citizenship and the strong need to diversify the nation-state-oriented and civic-specific framework to form multileveled and multidimensional ones. They accommodate individuals' engagement in the various domains of human activities and their memberships at various levels, ranging from individual to community, local, national, and international or global ones. Some scholars have advocated a multidimensional model of citizenship education by regrouping human relationships and activities into four major dimensions--personal, social, spatial, and temporal--which can intersect with various levels in the multilevel polity. However, these general, static frameworks are not backed by strong empirical evidence and do not explain the complexity of interplay among different actors at the same level and/or between levels. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: The purpose of the article is twofold. First, it aims to provide empirical evidence for the general framework of multileveled and multidimensional citizenship education by assessing students' views of citizenship in a multileveled polity with reference to Hong Kong and Shanghai in China. Second, with the help of the comparative study, the article is intended to supplement the general framework by proposing a theoretical framework that explains the complex interplay of different actors in their choices of citizenship elements from a multileveled polity. Setting: The study took place in three public junior secondary schools in Shanghai and three aided secondary schools in Hong Kong and assessed their students' views of the global, national, local, and personal-social domains of multiple identities in a multileveled polity. Research Design: The study adopted a mixed methodology of observations, questionnaires, and interview surveys to collect data. Data Collection and Analysis: Data are drawn from questionnaires completed by 1,402 students attending Grades 7-9, and 38 interviews with principals, teachers, and students from both societies between 2002 and 2003. Conclusions/Recommendations: The study shows that although students of Hong Kong and Shanghai were aware of having multiple citizenships, some of their views of the relative importance of, and the interrelationships among, four dimensions of citizenship differed. The patterns of their perceptions of multiple citizenships reflect similarities and differences in the organization of citizenship education between schools in Hong Kong and Shanghai, the nation-state's influences on local citizenship curricula, and local governments' development considerations in remaking collective identity. With the help of the comparative study, the article supplements the general framework by proposing a theoretical framework for interpreting citizenship and citizenship education as dynamic, context-bounded, and multileveled social constructions reinvented through the intertwined interactions of different actors in response to social changes, including globalization.

Describes benefits and problems of "Creation of Income" practices in selected public schools in Guangzhou, China. Concludes that while controversial and opposed by many Chinese educators, "Creation of Income" appears to be an effective short-term means of alleviating problems associated with inadequate funding of public schools. (Contains 28 references.) (PKP)

Teacher appraisal has been widely practised in China for decades. With the introduction, in 2009, of the teacher performance pay system, however, teacher appraisal has undergone certain changes. This study explores the practice of teacher appraisal, using a qualitative approach and taking public schools in Shanghai as its research sites. The methods adopted include interviews with teachers and school administrators, observation of relevant activities and document analysis. The study reveals that teacher appraisal in schools in Shanghai is not a one-off event. Although the procedure for generating appraisal results occurs at the end of each year, data collection activities for appraisal – including lesson observation, student evaluation of teachers and checking teachers’ tasks – are conducted throughout the whole year. The current teacher appraisal system has been a success, and this study identifies four factors contributing to that success. First, administrative and developmental appraisal coexist as one single appraisal system. Second, teacher appraisal is integrated with other aspects of schools’ business. Third, teacher appraisal is perceived by teachers as credible and fair. Fourth, non-technical aspects of appraisal, such as teachers’ psychology and social dynamics, are taken into account during the appraisal process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visiting schools abroad has become a popular form of exchange for school practitioners around the world. Participants generally find such study tours interesting and eye-opening. However, it is uncertain that such visits contribute significantly to the professional development of the participant, or bring about genuine changes or developments in their schools, because the exposure is usually brief and the purpose of the visit is not always clear. This paper aims to introduce a new model of study tour that is characterized by its thematic nature, process of sensitization, investigative approach and connection to school development. This model has been adopted in the training of newly appointed principals in Hong Kong, as well as in upgrading training for principals in Mainland China. The experience and feedback obtained from such programmes will be used in analyzing the effectiveness of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]