Teacher professionalism in educational reform: The experiences of Hong Kong and Shanghai

Teacher professionalism in educational reform: The experiences of Hong Kong and Shanghai

• Lai, Manhong Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Lo, Leslie N. K. Chinese University of Hong Kong

Compare: A Journal of Comparative Education, 37(1), 53-68, 2007

Routledge

2007

• R Educational Policy & Administration
  • RG Education Reforms
• M Teachers & Education for Teachers
  • MG Identities, Attitudes & Opinion of Educational Workers
• P Social Context of Education
  • PB Comparative Education

Schools of Education Educational Change Teacher Attitudes Educational Quality Educational Benefits Educational Policy Comparative Education Teacher Evaluation Government School Relationship Teacher Empowerment

• Hong Kong
• Shanghai

• 1990-1997.6
• 1997.7 onwards

• Unknown or Unspecified

Beginning in the 1990s, the education departments of Hong Kong and Shanghai began to actively initiate reform with a focus on the quality of education. In reviewing the implementation of educational reform in these two societies, the authors found that Hong Kong teachers tended to only adopt those policies which they felt were beneficial for students' learning, whereas Shanghai teachers tended to conform more to the state's requirements. Teachers in Hong Kong strongly expressed their frustration over the intensification of their work, while teachers in Shanghai seldom expressed disagreement over the state initiatives. Concerning the meaning of teacher professionalism, teachers in Hong Kong were more able than their counterparts in Shanghai to develop their own interpretations. However, at the same time, teachers' work in Hong Kong was still being monitored by the emerging schooling market, while the work of Shanghai teachers was monitored by the state. Teachers' work in both societies can be interpreted as 'confined professionalism'. In addition, in both of the two societies teachers' awareness of their professionalism was comparatively weak. Further empowerment in this area is needed.
[Copyright of Compare: A Journal of Comparative Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03057920601061786]

• English

Journal Articles

• 03057925

• 10.1080/03057920601061786

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/59e3adb7

2011-03-24