This paper reports on an action research study about the use of the flipped classroom approach in the Mathematics classes of a Hong Kong secondary school. It aims at exploring how to design and implement flipped classrooms and investigating student learning outcomes from and attitudes toward the use of this instructional approach. A total of 130 Form 2 (Grade 8) students were involved in the first (n=58) and the second (n=72) action research cycles respectively. Pre-test, post-test and delayed post-test results show significant learning gains in both action research cycles. After teachers made improvements (e.g., more technical support and the use of group competition activities) as informed by the first cycle, class evaluation results and the degree of student engagement became significantly higher in the second cycle. Suggestions concerning technical support, teachers’ preparations for flipped classrooms and students’ readiness of flipped learning are proposed on the basis of teachers’ and students comments as well as existing literature. Copyright © 2017 The Hong Kong Teachers' Centre.

This chapter serves as an introduction to the LPATE training courses initiated by the HKSAR Government to provide in-service teachers of English with developmental and proficiency programmes. The current chapter provides a theoretical foundation highlighting the necessity for teacher professional development through training courses. This chapter then outlines the LPATE training courses provided for in-service teachers in Hong Kong between 2001 and 2005. Various modules put on by different course providers and the details of information on these modules are provided, including purpose of the training courses, the number of trainees enrolled and the attainment rate across different institutions. The chapter ends with remarks from trainees to illustrate how the training courses were perceived by course takers. Copyright © 2018 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

新世紀以來，中國內地和香港都啟動了大規模的課程改革，對教師發展和教師教育提出了新的要求。基於對教師發展與教師教育之間關係的分析，文章指出了二者未來的發展方向，即發展中小學—大學夥伴協作關係，建立教師教育發展網絡，促進多元化的教師發展和教師教育，以及深化教師與教師教育工作者的實踐探究與反思。 The large-scale curriculum reform in the new century puts forward new requirements on teacher development and teacher education in Mainland China and Hong Kong SAR. Based on the analysis of the relationships between teacher development and teacher education, this paper suggests four directions for their future development: developing school-university partnerships; establishing the networks of teacher education and teacher development, facilitating diversified approaches to teacher development and teacher education; and improving the practical inquiry and reflection of teachers and teacher educators. Copyright © 2009 西北師範大學.

學校改進的研究與實踐均指出，院校協作扮演舉足輕重的角色。院校協作項目常涉及眾多項目學校，加強項目學校之間以及項目學校與大學之間的聯繫，是院校協作項目能夠持續發展的重要條件。本研究以香港優質學校改進計劃所舉辦的「聯校教師專業發展日」為個案研究對象，借助「實踐共同體」的理論視角，從理念層面、人際層面、實踐層面，分析「聯校教師專業發展日」這一實踐活動對於院校協作項目中建設實踐共同體的作用。Improving the quality of education through university-school collaboration carries strong theoretical and practical significance for the area of school improvement. A university-school project always involves many project schools. Endeavors in uniting these project schools are important conditions for the sustaining of school improvement project. The project under investigation in this study is Joint School Staff Development Day (JSSDD), a big event of the Quality School Improvement Project (QSIP) of Hong Kong. Through the lens of communities of practice (Cops), this study aims to explore the role of JSSDD to the construction of Cops for QSIP from three perspectives, namely domain, community, and practice. Copyright © 2012 香港中文大學.

The contribution of teacher knowledge to learning outcomes at the beginning stages of literacy acquisition is of growing concern because the ability to provide quality instruction is central to successful literacy acquisition, particularly for pupils with dyslexia. To date, the majority of research has focused on teachers of English as a first language. Yet, English is the most widely taught foreign language today. The present study extends the exploration of teacher knowledge by probing two heretofore unexamined groups of teachers who are responsible for teaching beginning stages of literacy in English as a foreign language: regular class teachers who are non-native English-speaking (N = 96) and native English-speaking teachers (N = 24) working in the kindergarten setting in Hong Kong. As these two teacher groups serve as gatekeepers of beginning English as a foreign language literacy for kindergarten children in Hong Kong, it is crucial to gather information about the depth and quality of their teacher knowledge. This information can be instrumental to improving the quality of beginning literacy instruction in English and assisting early identification of dyslexia. Both groups completed the basic language constructs survey (Binks-Cantrell, Joshi, & Washburn, Annals of Dyslexia, 62, 153–171, 2012a). Results showed while native English teachers performed significantly better than non-native English teachers, total percentage correct scores were below 50%, except for phonological awareness tasks. All teachers scored higher in items requiring syllable as opposed to phoneme manipulation. Only teacher type predicted teachers’ performance on the survey. The need for quality instruction, particularly for children at-risk for dyslexia or those struggling at the beginning stages of literacy acquisition, is addressed. Copyright © 2020 The International Dyslexia Association.

Extending Shulman’s work, this study investigated kindergarten teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in developing play-based learning. Data were collected from focus group interviews with 29 teachers, head teachers, and principals in Hong Kong. Findings suggested the development of play-based learning is contextual. Teachers believed that ongoing complexities and dilemmas regulating their practice which required them to modify pedagogical strategies. Situated forms of knowledge were found as dispensable component shaping their professional practice. This study highlighted how teachers developed pedagogical wisdom to complement their practice involving the construction of effective play-based learning. Copyright © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

This study examined the relationships between teachers' perceptions of faculty trust, professional learning communities, and their professional learning among a sample of 2106 Hong Kong kindergarten teachers. It analysed the differences between the effects of faculty trust in various stakeholders (i.e., colleagues, parents, and the principal). The results show that while trust in colleagues exerted a positive effect on teacher professional learning, the direct effects of trust in the principal and trust in parents were non-significant. Meanwhile, professional learning communities positively mediated the effects of teachers’ perceived faculty trust on their learning. Implications for teacher learning in kindergartens are presented. Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The present study seeks to explore the long-term impact of an overseas immersion programme on pre-service teachers’ professional learning in Hong Kong. In-depth interviews with 11 pre-service teachers about their immersion experiences and post-immersion learning revealed their professional gains and challenges brought by their exposure to different cultures and educational systems in foreign countries. In particular, they reported on the sustained influences of immersion on their cultural awareness and pedagogical thinking in their current classroom teaching practice. The paper concludes with suggestions for the improvement of immersion programmes as an important component of current pre-service teacher education. Copyright © 2020 Informa UK Limited.

This article is principally designed to examine social workers' retrospective views on their past educational experiences with case management in disability services to supply a deficiency that very little literature attention has been paid to how prior professional education shape their case management practice. Using qualitative methods, 13 social workers selected by purposive sampling were invited to participate in in-depth interviews. The qualitative data were analysed to generate some themes. Three themes found are "from 'rarely heard of it' to 'remember it being referred to'"; "buy a lottery ticket before starting a field placement"; and "Ambiguity". These themes indicate that social work education related to case management was lagging behind, which may exacerbate social work's polarisation and lead to social workers' confusion about their professionality. As a result, an urgent need for greater knowledge of case management in university education and in-service training should be addressed in Hong Kong.
[Copyright of China Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge.]

Through focus group interview, this study explored teachers' perceptions and experiences of the general university requirements (GUR) in the new four-year undergraduate degree program of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong. A total of 52 colleagues involved in teaching and coordination work participated in focus group interviews. Eight focus group sessions were formed to understand the views of teachers on the eight GUR curriculum components. Results showed that teachers generally had positive views of subject content as well as student learning and engagement. Teachers also demonstrated deeper understanding of teaching with active involvement. Teachers also had gained multidisciplinary working experience through teaching GUR subjects. Teachers perceived their subjects and related teaching as beneficial to students' all-round development, particularly in communication, critical thinking, confidence and self-esteem.
[Copyright of International Journal of Child and Adolescent Health is the property of Nova Science Publishers, Inc.]