Purpose Guided by situated learning theory, this study explores the influence of a professional development program on the evolving perceptions of middle leaders as entrepreneurial leaders. It investigates which elements of situated learning design foster the growth of middle leaders' entrepreneurial behavior. Design Using a narrative case inquiry approach, 20 participants from five primary and seven secondary schools in Hong Kong. These participants engaged in a situated middle leader development programme designed to enhance teacher entrepreneurialism in authentic, job-related contexts. Findings This study uncovers the incremental learning growth of middle leaders across three phases: initial struggle with authority constraints; reflection on the role of entrepreneurial middle leaders; and eventual advocacy of innovative opportunities to colleagues. It underscores the importance of authenticity and guided reflection in the situated learning program design, which fosters a social environment stimulating reflective dialogue and enables middle leaders to reflect on their leadership behavior. Originality This study broadens the application of situated learning theory by demonstrating how the interplay of contextual, social, and individual-level environments can enhance the professional development of middle leaders, particularly in fostering entrepreneurial behaviours. Copyright © 2024 Routledge.

Entrepreneurial STEM, an interdisciplinary approach blending STEM and entrepreneurship education, has become a new trend for cross-subject collaboration that aims to instill an entrepreneurial mindset in students, enabling them to apply their STEM knowledge across various contexts. In this study, we investigate the challenges and corresponding strategies of head science teachers who initiated an entrepreneurial STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) curriculum in their schools. Grounded in social exchange theory, we explore how head science teachers with entrepreneurial attributes navigated asymmetrical power distribution presented by principals and other subject heads. This collective case study focuses on three schools in Hong Kong that successfully implemented a renowned entrepreneurial STEM curriculum. The findings reveal a common trajectory among head science teachers: initial enthusiastic promotion of the curriculum while meeting resistance; a downscaling and team reform struggles; and a handover and scale-up. This study illuminates the intricate process of balancing power dynamics and stakeholder perceptions through reciprocal negotiation, which were in turn shaped by societal norms. Copyright © 2025 Springer.

In today's evolving educational landscape, the ‘broker teacher’ plays a pivotal role. These educators manage cross-sector partnerships involving government, business and non-profit sectors to introduce innovative practices in schools. This study seeks to explore broker teachers' nuanced roles and the perceptions, which have not yet been extensively studied. Applying the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique, our research focuses on broker teachers in Hong Kong, investigating how they enact their roles and influence innovative practices through these partnerships. By focusing on the perspective of broker teachers, this study diverges from previous research that often concentrated on schools' external partners. As such, the study highlights the unique challenges and opportunities that broker teachers face as agents of change. In three case studies, we show how broker teachers align their roles with the stakeholders' expectations during school initiatives. The findings unearth the dynamic nature of broker teachers' roles, highlighting the need for explicit role definitions and robust support structures. These elements are fundamental for broker teachers to effectively navigate the complexities of cross-sector partnerships and to drive sustainable educational reforms. Context and implications Rationale for this Study: Schools' cross-sector partnerships are rapidly developing to drive educational innovation. Research understood these partnerships as brokering activities. However, educational brokering is under-studied from the perspective of the broker teacher, who is in charge of the partnership from within the school. Why the New Findings Matter: This study investigated the nuanced roles of broker teachers, highlighting their more specific roles. For practitioners, this study underscores the importance of clear role definitions and robust support structures for broker teachers to effectively manage cross-sector collaborations. Implication for Policy and Practitioner: Policy

This study examines 'Faux Comprehension' and 'Pseudo-Understanding' among middle leaders and teachers in curriculum development, where apparent agreement masks deeper misalignments. Through a comparative case study and theoretical lens of action-driven sensemaking, the study analyzes four Hong Kong schools using questionnaires, interviews, and observations. Findings reveal: Faux Comprehension, where teachers superficially comply with leaders' directives, and Pseudo-Understanding, where misaligned goals are concealed by overconfidence. Both reflect overbearing leadership and cognitive biases. The study enriches sensemaking literature by incorporating compliance and cognitive bias perspectives, while recommending clearer guidelines and communication strategies to align educational practices with reform goals and enhance engagement. Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). 

Against the background of expanding parental choices and declining global birth rates, schools are experiencing rising competition regarding student enrolment. Schools have responded by strategically presenting information about their students' academic achievement and whole-person development orientation in the hope of attracting parents' interest. However, few studies have investigated the impact of these factors on student enrollment, particularly in the context of diverse school types and educational orientations. Accordingly, this study utilized data from 327 secondary schools in Hong Kong to examine the effects of academic achievement orientation and whole-person development orientation on student intake. Using hierarchical regression analysis, we found a positive association between high whole-person development orientation and student intake in aided schools with a strong academic development orientation. The result implies parents are increasingly concerned about their children's academic achievement and whole-person development at school. The study contributes to a broader understanding of the factors influencing parental choice in high-performing education systems, providing valuable insights for policymakers and educators seeking to improve educational offerings, enhance school transparency, and be better aligned with parental expectations. Copyright ©2024 Springer.

Purpose: Framed by social cognition theory, this study examines the impact of environmental factors (e.g. social norms) on students' entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ES) and entrepreneurial intention (EI). Design/methodology/approach: We obtained responses to a survey from 811 senior secondary students in Hong Kong. We then employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the proposed hypothesis. We removed non-significant parameters in testing the model and obtained the final SEM. Findings: Among these students, those who were male or spoke English at home showed stronger social norms of entrepreneurship and greater entrepreneurial SE, which was linked to greater EI. Among students perceiving stronger social norms of entrepreneurship, those who lived in private housing or spoke English at school showed greater entrepreneurial intention. Originality/value: The study provides a new social cognitive perspective for examining EI that emphasizes learning and development through the interaction of environmental and cognitive factors. It supplements previous research by demonstrating the significant influence of social norms and the conditional role of parental influence, adding complexity to our understanding of how these factors' interplay. Copyright ©2025 Emerald Publishing Limited.

Purpose: This study addresses a gap in the knowledge on how longitudinal engagement in a school improvement initiative influences change in middle leaders’ (MLs') interactions and assesses how school–university partnerships around school improvement can support teachers with formal leadership roles (i.e. MLs’) leadership development. Design/methodology/approach: Using a two-year longitudinal research design, university staff facilitated middle leadership training in a school-defined improvement initiative on lesson study. Results from a pre-test followed by two post-tests administered at one-year intervals were collected on social networks. Analyses examined changes in indegree and brokerage patterns among groupings of senior leaders (SL), subject leaders, cross-school specialists and teachers. Findings: Accounting for staffing changes, 27 of 67 staff members participated in each survey, yielding 1,623 distinct ties connecting school members. Over the first year, advice-seeking increased by 225%. SLs’ initial propensity to consult peers shifted towards MLs and teachers. Subject leaders advising other leaders and teachers increased tenfold. Teachers’ peer-to-peer consultation increased by 2,000%. Specialists with school-wide responsibilities became the dominant group for advising other leaders, such as SLs and subject leaders. These shifts were sustained over the second year. Originality/value: The study demonstrates that engagement in the school–university partnership support and the corresponding structural changes stimulated robust cross-school dialogue among teachers and various leaders. Brokerage patterns indicated an enhanced role for MLs in driving the school-defined improvement initiative which corresponded to university-designed development activities. Copyright © 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited.

Entrepreneurship is crucial for fostering innovation and opportunity in a rapidly evolving global economy. Introducing it in secondary schools is challenging due to potential cognitive overload and the complexity of the skills required. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a Learning Management System (LMS) using Cognitive Load Theory for improving entrepreneurial skills among secondary students in Hong Kong. In the study, 280 students from 16 schools completed the LMS intervention. Through a series of t-tests, ANCOVAs, and multilevel models, we examined the effects of an LMS on students' entrepreneurial attributes and aspirations. The results indicated that the LMS enhances students' perceptions of entrepreneurial concepts. However, the effectiveness of the LMS was influenced by two key factors: the level of student engagement with the system and their previous entrepreneurial experiences. Higher engagement with the LMS and more extensive prior entrepreneurial experiences were found to significantly boost students' entrepreneurial attributes and aspirations. The outcomes indicate that by organizing content to minimize cognitive overload, the LMS facilitated the development of sophisticated cognitive schemas essential for entrepreneurial thinking. Copyright © 2024 The Author(s).

Entrepreneurial STEM, an interdisciplinary approach blending STEM and entrepreneurship education, has become a new trend for cross-subject collaboration that aims to instill an entrepreneurial mindset in students, enabling them to apply their STEM knowledge across various contexts. In this study, we investigate the challenges and corresponding strategies of head science teachers who initiated an entrepreneurial STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) curriculum in their schools. Grounded in social exchange theory, we explore how head science teachers with entrepreneurial attributes navigated asymmetrical power distribution presented by principals and other subject heads. This collective case study focuses on three schools in Hong Kong that successfully implemented a renowned entrepreneurial STEM curriculum. The findings reveal a common trajectory among head science teachers: initial enthusiastic promotion of the curriculum while meeting resistance; a downscaling and team reform struggles; and a handover and scale-up. This study illuminates the intricate process of balancing power dynamics and stakeholder perceptions through reciprocal negotiation, which were in turn shaped by societal norms. Copyright © 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.

Against the background of expanding parental choices and declining global birth rates, schools are experiencing rising competition regarding student enrolment. Schools have responded by strategically presenting information about their students’ academic achievement and whole-person development orientation in the hope of attracting parents’ interest. However, few studies have investigated the impact of these factors on student enrollment, particularly in the context of diverse school types and educational orientations. Accordingly, this study utilized data from 327 secondary schools in Hong Kong to examine the effects of academic achievement orientation and whole-person development orientation on student intake. Using hierarchical regression analysis, we found a positive association between high whole-person development orientation and student intake in aided schools with a strong academic development orientation. The result implies parents are increasingly concerned about their children’s academic achievement and whole-person development at school. The study contributes to a broader understanding of the factors influencing parental choice in high-performing education systems, providing valuable insights for policymakers and educators seeking to improve educational offerings, enhance school transparency, and be better aligned with parental expectations. Copyright © 2024 The Author(s).