This article is an exploration of the emerging narratives on learning and teacher education in the United States and Hong Kong, as found in official policy statements and curriculum documents. Particular attention is given to Hong Kong's initiative in implementing an interdisciplinary liberal studies curriculum, and the continued professional development of teachers for this proposed Change. This recent trend is used to illustrate the possibilities for a broader vision of creating and substantiating knowledge and learning in teacher education programs in the United States.
[Copyright of Roeper Review is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00131946.2011.573606]

Exploring teachers' attitudes towards research is always interesting. With the Education and Manpower Bureau's policy of introducing the position of Primary School Master/Mistress (Curriculum Development) to local Hong Kong primary schools, to understand the beliefs these curriculum leaders hold onto research - as a means to help schools to reflect upon their strengths and to decide how best to bring about reform in curriculum becomes significant. A survey of 209 PSM(CD)s suggested although people in general favour research in their work, there still reservations. A five-factor model indicated that, on the one hand, the majority of the respondents perceived themselves having ability to do research, valued research for professional development and providing solutions to teaching and learning deficiencies, and found the action research course that they participated useful. On the other hand, they preferred courses focussed on improving their teaching competencies to an action research course. It was shown that while demonstrated research experience and qualification of higher degrees revealed no significant difference in research attitudes, these factors associated positively with their commitment to school, self-efficacy and an internal locus of control. The work contributes to the understanding of how PSM(CD)s feel towards supporting doing and facilitating research for curriculum development in schools.
[Copyright of Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) at http://www.aare.edu.au]

Importing a Western curriculum to another culture is contentious. Through a content analysis of guidance materials in selected primary schools, the authors explore the appropriateness of adopting a Western guidance curriculum in Hong Kong. Using a multi-dimensional framework derived from Lawton's (1973) model of curriculum development, they report the sociological contextual features of the materials and present a content analysis to develop an understanding of the different approaches to psychology embodied in the curriculum. Three forms of the same Western guidance curriculum, as used in three Hong Kong primary schools, are analysed to illustrate how Western notions of 'self' do not fit within an 'East meets West' context such as Hong Kong.
They argue that because of the 'East meets West' context of Hong Kong, there is a need to develop a 'hybrid' guidance curriculum that draws on a psychology guided by an understanding of the 'hybrid self', and that reflects the social and psychological contexts of Hong Kong. Implications of the findings for countries with Confucian heritages are discussed.
[Copyright of Journal of Educational Enquiry is the property of University of South Australia, Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work.
Access via Open Journal Systems: http://www.ojs.unisa.edu.au/index.php/EDEQ]