Purpose – Teacher learning communities (TLCs) formed within subject departments are conceptualized as reform platform for facilitating school improvement and teacher development. The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways in which three TLCs were structured and managed for generating change capability in secondary schools in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach – A review of the literature on the contribution of learning communities to teacher professional development, and the functions and styles of subject leadership provides the theoretical background of the study. Participant observations and semi-structured interviews were employed as the main instruments for the investigation into the potentials of TLCs for enhancing professional renewals. Narrative accounts were obtained from a total of 21 teachers (including three subject leaders) on the nature and process of their participation in the renewal projects. Findings – The findings of the interview study reveal the landscape of subject leadership orientations that shaped the collaborative practices, power relations and knowledge representations within TLCs. Variability is noted in the subject leaders’ concerns for harmonious relationship, executive control, professional growth and leadership empowerment. The spectrum of knowledge structure in these communities is marked by a hierarchical relationship on one end, and a heterarchical relationship on the other. Research limitations/implications – This paper portrays the dynamics within three TLCs, and depicts a continuum of three leadership styles. The literature on subject leadership in TLCs could be enriched with further investigations into the contextual variables and sources of influence that affect the choice of leadership orientations of subject leaders who grapple with a balance between managerial imperative for control and accountability and a learning imperative for participative explorations that satisfy teachers’ aspirations for autonomy

This paper reports the impacts of university-school partnership on the development of English language teachers’ capacities for self-regulated professional renewals. Two classroom based enquires were undertaken in two secondary schools in Hong Kong which aimed to enhance students’ ability in English reading comprehension. The two projects were conducted in Secondary 2 classes and a Secondary 4 classes respectively. In both projects, a cognitive approach was adopted to the learning of English as a second language, with the former focuses solely on vocabulary while the latter deals with both vocabulary and textual analysis. A case study method was adopted in understanding the impacts of the enquiries as experienced by the teachers. The investigative process occurred in a spiral of actions which began with problem identification, and continued with action planning, implementation, evaluation and then further planning. The action cycle engaged teachers in making critical reflection on their prior pedagogical practice and their understanding of learners’ needs. Data were collected through group discussions, lesson observation and semi-structured interviews. Findings show that while teachers acknowledged the benefits that the projects had brought to both teachers and students, they were aware of the limitations of such one-off projects and felt skeptical about the sustainability of the positive effects, if the issues of expertise, ownership and differing conceptions of goals are not properly addressed. This paper will first outline the enquiry cycles of the two projects, which will then be followed by the teachers’ reflection on the impacts of the projects on their pedagogy, as well as the challenges they encountered. It will then conclude with a discussion about the enabling conditions that would help empower teachers with the intellectual orientation and capacity for embedding the enquiries as part of their everyday professional lives.