This article draws on data from cases of high-performing and improving schools in Hong Kong. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with principals, middle leaders, and senior teachers to identify key policies and steps taken for their enactment, and to solicit interpretations of the policies. Principals were found to actively select, prioritize, and emphasize policies based on clearly articulated values. These values-led and contextually informed decisions formed the basis for redesigning the school organization and leadership structures, allocating resources, and aligning multiple initiatives to policies. School-based and mandated policies worked in synergy, and school principals responded rather than reacted to mandates. Copyright © 2018 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Many education systems have implemented systemic reforms covering numerous new initiatives in nine trends since the turn of new century. After decades of implementation, it would be significant to know what impacts these reforms have made on key aspects of the education systems and what lessons can be learnt from them for future policy analysis, formulation and implementation locally and internationally. This article aims to provide a preliminary exploration of these issues with Hong Kong’s systemic education reforms. In Parsons’ construct of structural functionalism (Parsons, 1966), it is argued that a social system should serve four systemic functions such as adaptation, goal achievement, integration and pattern maintenance to survive and flourish in an environment of change and uncertainties. To explore the above issues, this article investigates what impacts of the reform have been made on the four functions of education system including “Has education been more effective?” (goal achievement), “Has the teaching workforce been better brought into work?” (adaptation), “Have stakeholders been more satisfied and united?” (integration), and “Have education policies been more legitimate and acceptable?” (pattern maintenance). It is hoped that such a preliminary observation with multiple sources of empirical data can provide an illustrative case to explore the possible issues and concerns of systemic education reforms initiated in the last two decades in different parts of the world and draw local and international implications for further development of new initiatives in education for the future. Copyright © 2018 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Outsourcing of the curriculum delivery to educational service providers (ed-outsourcing) has been widely practiced around the globe. Hong Kong is not an exception, but the phenomenon remains rather hidden and under-researched. Drawing on a survey with teachers from 62 schools in Hong Kong (N=215), this study investigates the current practice of ed-outsourcing across subjects, teachers’ and school leaders’ perceptions of it, and its implications on the issues of quality and equity of education. Some interesting and even controversial findings from the study show that there are efforts to ensure the quality and equity of outsourced education, but more is needed. Copyright © 2018 CESHK.

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

Recent years have witnessed changes in the curricula used in Hong Kong international schools. Primary schools of the English Schools Foundation (ESF) and several in the private sector were previously using the National Curriculum of England and Wales (NC). The curriculum, however, was replaced with the International Baccalaureate's (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) in all ESF primary schools and in the international school discussed in this chapter. First-hand experiences as a primary classroom teacher during and after the transition phase with regard to the implementation of the PYP shall be discussed. Parents in terms of their initial concerns regarding lack of assessment and students in terms of adapting to changes in teaching style and the choices they had in personal learning approaches will also be discussed. Copyright © 2017 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

香港高校自2012年起推行四年新學制以及新的課程架構，其特點為：(1)課程理念與目標已經超出傳統學術與智性發展範疇，開始融入與共通能力、態度有關的元素。(2)課程架構以必修課與分佈選修結合為主要特徵。分佈選修的範疇圍繞人文與藝術、社會與文化、科學與技術三大知識領域展開，必修科目的內容存在明顯差異，有的大學圍繞智性探究，有的大學還在智性探究範疇之外增加語言溝通、共通技能、統整融合的元素。(3)課程內容超越知識探究，關注當代社會重要議題以及未來生活需具備的能力與素質。(4)課程發展採取成果為本方法。(5)建立完善的質素保證機制，對通識課程進行定期檢討，從不同管道搜集持份者意見，對通識課程、教學做出持續改進。A new academic system and new curriculum has been implemented in Hong Kong higher education since 2012. This paper reviews the factors that affect the change of general education in Hong Kong and outlines the characteristics of general education(GE)in Hong Kong since2012. Five characteristics can be identified: 1)The purposes and objectives of GE curriculum has gone beyond the domain of academic study and intellectual inquiry and infused generic skills and attitudes into the new curriculum; 2)Most higher education institutions have adopted a structure of core curriculum and distributive requirement; 3)The themes of curriculum address important issues in the current era; 4)Outcome-based approach has been adopted in the curriculum development across the institutions; 5)Quality assurance scheme has been established to monitor the implementation and quality of overall teaching and learning with general education included as one component. Copyright © 2018 武漢理工大學；中國交通教育研究會高教研究分會；高教研究分會.

This paper aims to contribute to the theorisation of effective teacher development (TD) provision in a reform context. Based on a literature review, the paper identifies key reform features, i.e., ambiguity and conflict generation, that shape teachers' engagement with pedagogic reforms and suggests a framework for designing TD programmes that address reform-specific needs. It then explores the utility of this heuristic framework through an in-depth case study of implementation of, and perceptions about, eight reforms in two schools in Hong Kong. The case study confirmed that customising the TD provision to perceived reform characteristics could contribute to teachers' positive perceptions of and experience with reforms. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

With the arrival of the new millennium, school leadership in Hong Kong is at a crossroads. School leaders are called upon to be more professional, more accountable and more active than ever before. Public pressure for better quality schools, and policy moves toward School-Based Management place new and increasing demands on school principals and other educational leaders. Knowledge and information are more available and transferable than at any time in history. Such an environment challenges school leaders to constantly search for ways to develop their skills, knowledge and thoughts. In line with this challenge, a group of professional educators met in May 1999 to reflect on and to analyze school leadership practices in Hong Kong. The group's brief was to consider school leadership specifically within the Hong Kong context and to identify and describe the key functions of the principal's role in Hong Kong schools. The outcome of their deliberations is the present document; a multi-level and multi-dimensional profile of contemporary school leadership practices in Hong Kong. The profile is not presented as a definitive description of school leadership in Hong Kong, nor do we expect everyone to embrace it as a professional tool. Rather, we hope that principals will use the profile as a resource when considering their key roles in school - and that through reading and reflecting upon the profile they will think more deeply about their own and others' roles in furthering the quality of education offered to Hong Kong students.
[Copyrigt© 2000 by Hong Kong Centre for the Development of Educational Leadership, The Chinese University of Hong Kong]

With restructuring characterising many school systems throughout the world, and major change leaving few schools untouched, school leaders are facing major challenges. This study focuses on a group of Hong Kong principals who conceptualise some of their challenges as dilemmas. The paper draws on previous literature to highlight the importance of articulating principals' perceptions of dilemmas in their daily lives, and identifies typologies and categories of dilemmas. It notes that dilemma research to date is grounded in Western examples and cultural settings, and that dilemmas faced by principals in non-Western settings have been ignored. Analysing dilemma situations recounted by Hong Kong principals, we identify the sources, coping mechanisms and outcomes of their dilemmas and examine the relationships between these phenomena. Among our findings are that dilemmas are multifaceted and irresolvable situations, and that principals tend to rely on a narrow range of deeply embedded Chinese cultural values as coping strategies. Copyright © 2000 Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).