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.
[Copyright of Pastoral Care in Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1468-0122.00195 ]

This study examines the post-observation interactions between six English as a Second Language (ESL) student teachers and their university tutors during their teaching practicum in Hong Kong. Data consist of interviews with university tutors, transcriptions of recorded conferences and stimulated recall interviews with student teachers. Case studies of two student teachers are used to examine the impact of the tutors' feedback and to highlight the way that the student teachers' response is affected by the power relations involved in the dialogue. The article also considers some areas in which miscommunication occurred between tutors and student teachers and discusses possible reasons for this.
[Copyright of Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13611260500493535]

This article outlines some of the ways in which foreign teachers, who wish to teach English in modern China, need education of a special kind. Starting with Hong Kong, now part of China, some of the difficulties for English language teachers, stemming from Hong Kong's colonial history, are outlined, and the necessity of cultural adaptability in expatriate teachers is emphasised. This is even more necessary in Mainland China, where differences in ideas on pedagogy and in approaches to educational administration can prove frustrating for foreign teachers. From another perspective, the article also considers the rewarding aspects of teaching English in China-the enthusiasm and industry of the students, the cultural challenge, and the sense that one is doing a worthwhile job-all positive motivating factors for the teacher who is adaptable and willing to learn.
[Copyright of Journal of Education for Teaching is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02607470050127063]

Three key publications from September 2000 point to rapid changes in the educational and arts environment in Hong Kong that will impact on the development of dance education. This paper provides some contextual details on the current state of dance education in Hong Kong and also examines the influence and possible ramifications implicit within these publications. A brief outline of the prevailing scope of professional activity is also provided. The necessity for teacher training to facilitate change is then discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of Research in Dance Education is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.
[Copyright of Research in Dance Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14647890220129131]

There are a number of theoretical perspectives established for studying adult participation in education, but they are seldom examined together in single studies; neither are participants and non-participants examined simultaneously. This study examines the relative power of the major perspectives in distinguishing between and predicting participants and non-participants. Secondary school teachers who were participating or not participating in continuing professional education programmes were taken as target respondents. Results show that the theoretical perspectives of situations, dispositions, attitudes and beliefs in continuing professional education, and social norms and pressure, do not discriminate teacher participants and non-participants and are therefore not good predictors of the participation status of teachers. Only a few factors in the perspectives of motivations and socio-economic background are significant and meaningful in distinguishing the two teacher groups and in predicting participation status.
[Copyright of International Journal of Lifelong Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/026013799293559]

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.
[Copyright of Early Child Development and Care is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0300443022000022422 ]