The issue of the “research-practice gap” has been a long-standing concern in the education community. To tackle this issue, there is a growing interest in research–practice partnerships (RPPs) to connect research with practice by providing solutions for improving practice in schools. Although studies have reported that constructive relationship would produce positive outcomes, establishing long-term and mutually beneficial RPPs requires further investigation. In Hong Kong, the Learning Study (LS) approach with Variation Theory derived from phenomenology as the theoretical framework for pedagogical design has been adopted as a RPP model and has sustained for two decades. Like many RPPs models, LS approach has been facing different challenges when teachers are increasingly held accountable for meeting new demands from education reform. In this respect, this paper explores the challenges and strategies of the LS approach as a RPP model and its conditions of success. It reports a case study of how a group of English Language teachers adopting a LS approach while integrating education initiatives in their instructional design. The findings have identified trust building, teacher’s capacity building and visible outcomes as possible key factors of effective RPP model. This paper may shed light on the implementation of research–practice partnerships. Copyright © 2022 National Institute of Education, Singapore.

Capacity building is a term widely used in relation to different organisations and public institutions for improvement. This chapter aims to discuss how RE can be better sustained through capacity building at the individual, institutional and societal levels by comparing the RE practices amongst a local university, the Education University of Hong Kong and some universities in United Kingdom, including the University of Manchester, University of Sheffield and the University of Cambridge. It is expected that a better understanding of the relationship between capacity building and RE advancement, including both its credits and limitations, can be achieved through this chapter. Suggestions for further strengthening RE in universities by capacity building in the three different levels will be recommended. Copyright © 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

2001年，香港課程發展議會發表《學會學習：課程發展路向》，開啟全面和影響深遠的課程改革。2014年，課程發展議會、香港考試及評核局、教育局檢視學會學習的實施後，發表《基礎教育課程指引─聚焦•深化•持續（小一至小六）》，以更新課程指引；新指引除回顧過去14年之實施成果外，亦補充舊課程指引之不足。本研究為回應教育局之小學課程指引，分為兩部分︰一、檢視課程改革的成效；二、分析課程改革受局限之根本問題。簡言之，香港課程改革歷經十多年，獲得一定成效，但仍存在不少的隱憂。從課程改革進展報告、質素保證視學報告、學校周年報告和國際研究報告，皆顯示課程改革取得不錯的成果。然而，學生雖在國際評量中表現優異，但承受著極大的學習和考試壓力；教師雖在課程改革和教學實踐中努力不懈、表現卓越，但仍面對沉重的工作壓力。香港課程改革要持續、有效地實施，亟需加強利害關係者之能量建構。In 2001, Hong Kong started a comprehensive and massive impacted curriculum reform through introducing the Learning to Learn. In 2014, Curriculum Development Council, Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority, and Education Bureau introduced the Basic Education Curriculum Guide: To Sustain, Deepen and Focus on Learning to Learn (Primary 1-6) to review the progress and achievements since the Learning to Learn curriculum reform. The Basic Education Curriculum Guide emphases for the ongoing curriculum renewal and updating over the past 14 years. This paper aims to review and discuss the Basic Education Curriculum Guide in 2014. The article is divided into two parts. First, it examines the effectiveness of curriculum reform. Second, it highlights the fundamental problem of curriculum reform in Hong Kong. In precise, even though the curriculum reform is more remarkable in Hong Kong over the last decade, it still challenged with a lot of impacts. The curriculum reform progress report, the quality assurance inspection report, annual school report and the international research report all show that the achievements of curriculum reform have been observed. However, students are pressed by course workload and examination pressure even their performance has been impressive in international assessments. Teachers always work hard in curriculum reform and teaching practice with exhibited outstanding performance. Nevertheless, the reform has led the intensification of teachers’ workload. Sustained and effective implementation of curriculum reform in Hong Kong depend on capacity building of difference stakeholders

This paper describes the process of school capacity building in Hong Kong's early childhood education at a time when there was a quest for quality education. A local preschool was selected for the study, which took part in a university-school support programme through which consultancy was hired from a university to provide school-based support. An action research approach was chosen in the research design. The process of building capacity was examined in the selected preschool over a year. The findings indicated that the preschool went through a process of capacity building, from the status quo ante, through the exploration stage to the initial implementation stage of change. Restructuring and reculturing were emerging in the change process, with the support of the school consultants.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2013.800476]