This is an abridged report on an exploratory research project on the suitability of Andragogy and Action Learning approaches to management education for local adult learners. Adult learners of the Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) taking hig her-lever courses in business and management were invited as respondents. The objectives were to find out respondents' predominant learning styles, learning preferences, motivation of study and possible influence of local Chinese culture which might have impact on the suitability of the two approaches and management education. The research findings revealed that the predominant learning styles and learning preferences were mainly the Reflector style and Reflective activities, compatible with the general expectation and stereotype of local Chinese learners as discussed elsewhere in various literature, local and overseas. It appeared that Chinese culture would have some impact on the learning styles of local learners. However, the preliminary attempt to est ablish a closer link/relationship between the local Chinese culture and the learning styles by using Hofstede's cultural framework and Honey and Mumford's learning styles typology was inconclusive. The study nevertheless did reveal that the Andragogy and Action Learning approaches were not very much in favour as most features of these approaches did not quite match the predominant learning style, predominant learning preferences or the most important motivation of study of the respondents.
本研究利用問卷調查《運用成人學習方式》及《行動學習法於管理 教育》對本地成人學生的恰當性。目的是探討調查對象的主要學習風格，學習偏好， 學習動機及本地中國文化對該兩種學習法運用於管理教育方面的可能影響。 調查顯示學生的主要學習風格及喜好是沉思型及思考類型的學習方／活動，與一般 海內外公認的華人學習形式（Chinese learning stereotypes）相同。似乎支持中國 文化對學習風格及喜好有一定影響的論點。調查嘗試以Honey & Mumford的學習風格 類別（Learning style typology）及Hofstede的文化指標（cultural framework） 進一步探討中國文化與學習風格的關係， 但沒有肯定結論。無論如何，調查結果顯示《成人學習》及《行動學習法》兩種 學習方式，整體來說並不符合學生的主要學習風格，喜好甚至動機。如果上述調查 結果可以一般化，則《成人學習》及《行動學習法》兩種學習方式，對本港成人學 生來說，學習效果（effectiveness）並不高；但從管理教育方面考慮，上述兩種 方法仍有可取之處（usefulness）

This study explores the views of mentoring held by mentors, mentees and university teachers in a distance education programme for in-service teacher education offered by the Open University of Hong Kong. Ten pairs of mentors and mentees and three university teachers participated in in-depth individual interviews designed to explore their views of mentoring with respect to five aspects: mentor roles and responsibilities; mentor-mentee relationships; mentoring programmes; mentor preparation; and school-university relationships. The findings show that mentors, mentees and university teachers held different views of mentoring and that the impact of mentoring on the mentees was different from what the University had expected. This study is significant in the following ways. First, it will contribute to a better understanding of mentoring in the context of in-service teacher education. Second, it will provide important information on how different views of mentoring will influence how mentoring is realized. Third, with the proposed teacher registration requirements in Hong Kong that place a heavy emphasis on the role of mentoring during internship, there is a critical need for information on views of mentoring held by different stakeholders to facilitate dialogue with teachers and schools and to build a common vision of mentoring.
[Copyright of Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) at http://www.aare.edu.au]