The physical, social and temporal dimensions of the classroom environment have an important role in children's learning. This study examines the level of support for child-centred learning, and its associated beliefs, that is provided by Hong Kong's pre-service early childhood teachers. Two hundred and seventy-five students from a pre-service early childhood teacher training programme completed a questionnaire; in general, these students believed that teachers should create physical, social and temporal environments which are child-centred in early childhood education settings. Linear regression analyses showed that the students' perceived importance of fostering children's social and communication competence in early childhood programmes, and their belief in children's competence in self-learning, were significant positive correlates of their level of support for all dimensions of child-centred learning environment. Their self-perceived competence in managing children's behaviours was, however, a significant negative correlate of their level of support for child-centred social and temporal environment. This study then discusses the implications of these findings for pre-service early childhood teacher education.

Over the past decade, Chinese language teachers in Hong Kong have experienced a series of educational reforms. They are now expected to design and implement their own school-based Chinese language curriculum, and adopt innovative pedagogies and customized materials in the classroom. The current literature suggests that some teachers are not ready for or even resist changes amid new challenges and paradigm changes. This case study highlights the role of emotionality as a key factor for successful teacher change by proposing a local adaptation of the classic model, while pointing out that a combined mode of support inclusive of collective lesson preparation and teaching demonstrations/practical sessions in professional development programs is a key element that helps facilitate teachers' change and provides teachers with experiential learning opportunities and enhanced confidence, leading to their voluntary adoption of the approach and gradual change in their beliefs and attitudes after witnessing the feasibility and effectiveness of the newly introduced concepts.
[© 2017 Teacher Development]

教師資格制度是國家對教師實行的法定職業許可制度,規定了從事教師職業所應具備的基本資質和準入條件。為了保障教師來源質量,提升教師隊伍整體素質,教育部正在推行中小學教師資格制度改革。本文梳理了香港中小學教師資格制度的歷史沿革,從教師資格申請人接受教師教育專業培養、教育實習、考試認定三個方面,對現行香港中小學教師資格制度進行剖析,為改革和完善內地中小學教師資格制度提供借鑒。

This presentation will detail a programme designed to deliver field-based mode of training for language teachers in special schools and set up a school cluster system for teachers to have a platform for the interactive exchange of ideas, resources, services, and expertise. During the training period, lectures, demonstration observations and cross-site visitations were held. Members in the school cluster included a university educator, two specialist professionals of the supporting school and 10 teachers of participating schools. With the positive response of the participants, we feel that the programme presents a possible model for training and intervention.

The aim of the program was to deliver a field-based mode of training for language teachers of special schools and to set up a school cluster system for teachers to have a platform for an interactive exchange of ideas, resources, services, and expertise. Lectures, observation of demonstrations, and cross-site visitations were held. A number of two-school clusters were organized. Members in a school cluster included university educators, specialist teachers, and teacher trainees. University educators worked with specialist teachers to design and conduct the training program. Twenty teachers participated in the study as trainees. The responses from trainees were very positive.

在香港，要成為註冊教師，除了獲得教育學位外，還必須過學校體驗與實習的過程。本文介紹了學校體驗與實習需完成的課程，學校體驗與實習前後的準備，實習的內容以及評估的方法。

本文旨在探討實習教師在香港新高中課程改革的路途上，如何就新課程的學科發展、學生背景和學科教學知識，建構他們的新知識，及所面對的挑戰。研究發現實習教師在建構新課程的教學知識過程中有很多疑慮，這些疑慮，主要來自新課程的學科知識變化所帶來的不確定感，學生的多元背景和課堂教學的挑戰，以及來自學校與社會的文化氛圍所帶來的影響，研究結果有助當局對課程發展的檢視，並教師教育的發展。
[Copyright © 2013 香港青年協會.]

升讀副學士課程的學生當中，不少對教育工作是抱有熱誠與希望的。香港推行融合教育已有 15 年之久，平等機會委員會在其《融合教育制度下殘疾學生的平等學習機會研究》鄭重地指出準教師於大學畢業前的特殊教育需要(SEN)的培訓是香港融合教育走向成功的一個路向。本研究以問卷形式，收集了副學士在接受培訓課前並於完成培訓及實習後對支援有特殊學習需要的學生在學習、教學支援、學生行為管理、與他人合作和行政支援的看法，以作為副學士課程的學生經歷了接觸及教育有特殊學習需要的學生之後感受的對比。數據分析顯示副學士對融合生的觀感正面，完成培訓及實習後於「教學支援」和「學生行為管理」方面有顯著的正增長。他們勇於接受 SEN 的個別差異，態度正確。需要指出的是若以男性與女性的副學士作對比時，女性對培訓的增長較男性大。此外，是次研究留意到副學士學生相當有耐性，可塑性極高。因此，若她/他們欲投身教育界，副學士畢業生會是擔任教學助理 (Teaching Assistant, TA) 的合適人選。
[Copyright © 2016 特殊教育學會有限公司.]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report the design and evaluation of an inter-university collaborative project entitled "Blended learning for building student-teachers' capacity to learn and teach science-related interdisciplinary subjects." The project is a response of the science education faculty of three Hong Kong tertiary institutes to the challenge of catering to the diversity of academic backgrounds among student-teachers. Design/methodology/approach: E-learning modules have been produced covering four content domains of science. These modules are designed based on the 5E learning model and are delivered to students using the learning management system provided by Moodle. The design of the modules is iterative, based on the evaluation of three consecutive rounds of trials through student surveys, and focus group interviews with students and course lecturers. Findings: The evaluation findings indicate positive outcomes for certain attributes such as conceptual understanding, eagerness and confidence in learning science, and metacognitive reflection on students' own learning. There are challenges to be met in relation to instructional design to cater for the diversity of student abilities, and enhance motivation in self-directed learning. Practical implications: The project indicates the ways to develop students' basic science knowledge in a mixed-ability setting through the design of self-directed e-learning modules blended with their major courses and possible measures to address the limitations of such design. Originality/value: The study represents a conscious effort for the science teacher education faculty of different universities to pull together to tackle a perennial teaching and learning problem. The findings provide important insights into possible ways to blend e-learning with face-to-face learning approaches to better cater to the needs of science learners with mixed abilities to prepare them for interdisciplinary teaching.
[Copyright ©

The Chinese Language, unlike the Latin alphabetic family, is an ideographic writing system, which makes learning to write in Chinese a real challenge even for native speakers. In Hong Kong, most children start learning to write Chinese Characters (Hanzi) form in kindergarten and acquire about 4,000 commonly used forms in primary school. The teachers usually adopt the only two official traditional Chinese Characters references promulgate by governments, including Lexical Lists for Chinese Learning in Hong Kong by Hong Kong Education Bureau and Teacher’s Handbook of Standard Form of Chinese Characters by Taiwan Ministry of Education. However, some frequently used Hanzi are found to be in different forms under these two standards. The usage of simplified Chinese characters from mainland China further complicates the issue. Furthermore, even though some high-frequency word forms are aligned under these two standards, prospective teachers may still make mistakes due to the complexity of Hanzi Characters form and their calligraphic variations. Writing in different form or wrong way of Hanzi form may also affect Hanzi stroke count and order. As prospective teacher is the role model of students in handwriting, it is important to find out the common mistakes made by the prospective teacher. In this study, we will investigate the potential problems to the Hanzi form handwriting of Hong Kong prospective teachers and the rationale behind the intrigues.