This paper argues with evidence that conditions for teacher professional development can be enhanced for mentor teachers through a Learning Centre (LC) project which has been introduced in Hong Kong as a collaborative project between the government, a primary school, a secondary school, and the Hong Kong Institute of Education. The LC teachers perform the role of mentor teachers to enhance professional development of other teachers through web-based workshops or forums, face-to-face teacher education workshops, and school-based support. While the LC teachers are expected to gain professional development themselves as mentors, as suggested in the literature, the environment that may enhance their own professional development is not clear. Using structured interviews, the authors identified the professional development environment that the LC teachers experienced. The paper concludes with recommendations for environmental conditions enhancing the professional development of teachers in schools and conditions to support LC teachers.
[Copyright of Teacher Development is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2010.504018]

背景：香港進入了兩文（中、英文）三語（英語、粵語、普通話）的新紀元。藉訓練普通話口語的同時亦教導思維技巧，是一項創新課程的設計及具挑戰的教學安排。
調查對象：研究對像是普通話興趣班的學生，分別來自小學及初中，依年齡分為6-10 和11-14 歲。
調查方法：採用質量調查方法，透過導師的觀察和收集學生的導圖作品進行評估。
調查結果：研究結果發現心腦導圖對學生學習興趣和說話內容的組織程度有幫助。
總結：本文報導的普通話科使用心腦導圖的行動研究，在學生來說除了是一種新的體驗外，對教師的教學素質也是一種提昇。
Background: Hong Kong has entered a new era with the usage of two written languages (Chinese and English) and three spoken languages (English, Cantonese, and Putonghua). To teach Putonghua and thinking skills at the same time is a creative and challenging lesson arrangement.
Aims: This paper reported the findings of an action research involving the introduction of mind map not only as tool to help the students organizing their thinking and learning but also to further enhance the quality of the spoken Putonghua.
Sample: The participants of the research were primary and junior school students aged between 6 and 10 as well as 11 and 14 respectively. They were all interested in learning Putonghua.
Method: Qualitative method was used to gather data for the study and involved teacher observations and the evaluation of the mind maps drawn up by the students.
Results: It was found that the mind maps had been helpful in student motivation and organization of the contents of the spoken Putonghua.
Conclusion: The action research reported in this study had provided very insightful experiences for the students on one hand and had raised the quality of teaching Putonghua on the other.
[Copyright of New Horizons: The Journal of Education, Hong Kong Teachers' Associationl is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Association at http://www.hkta1934.org.hk/]

本文旨在分享廣悅堂基悅小學自2007年4月至11月期間所推行的行動研究。內容分享這個行動研究報告推行的背景、現況、實施情況與成效等，藉以推廣「以閱引思，以思帶讀」的中文教與學新文化。
This article shares the analysis of an action research project of Kwong Yuet Tong Excel Foundation Primary School from April to November in 2007. This action research is "Reading to think, thinking to read". This report reviews the school background, situation, process and effectiveness etc, aiming to promote the new Chinese teaching and learning culture.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre Journal is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre at http://www.edb.org.hk/hktc]

本文闡釋了利用「通達學習」教授數學，照顧個別差異和提升學習動機的行動研究。研究者發現「通達學習」有效照顧班中尖子和能力稍遜學生的學習，使學生差異度收窄，增強了學習的興趣。研究亦顯示，通過有計劃的安排，制定明晰的教學目標與課業，以輔導和增潤課程設計，有效地改變了教學的效能和學習的程式。「通達學習」是值得推廣的，只是教師需要更多教學時間和支援。
The paper reports an action research on the use of Mastery Learning in the teaching of primary six Mathematics. It is reported that Mastery Learning is able to cater for the needs of a wide range of individual ability in the class. The pupils' motivation is enhanced. With good preparation and clearly defined objectives and learning activities, the effectiveness of teaching and learning is enhanced. However, teachers need more support and resources in order to prepare and conduct lessons for Mastery Learning.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre Journal is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre at http://www.edb.org.hk/hktc]

本研究以行動研究方式，探討英文科說話教學的設計與實施對提升學生學習的動機和說話能力的影響。過程中，教師亦反思如何可以透過調整教學策略和選材， 提升學生英語說話能力和自信心。研究對象來自其中一位研究員所任教的四年級學生，資料收集方式包括︰學生填答問卷、深入訪談、課堂錄影、研究日誌、諍友的觀課和分析學生習作。研究發現教師若能夠在教學的過程中不斷反思，因應畢生的特性和掌握程度，調節教學的設訓，有助提升學生說英語的信心和動機。要提高學生講英語的信心，有以下四個重要因素：選取教學活動要切合學生的能力、學生要有自主性、良好的師生的關係和教師對教學工作的投入。研究亦發現適應學生的個別差異，教師要提供多元化的教學設計和給予學生自由繼擇的空問。此外，研究結果亦指出，透過行動研究有助教師的專業成長。
This action research project investigated the effects of a teacher's instructional design and implementation on students' motivation and development in the teaching and learning of English Language speaking skills, as well as the teacher's reflection on the whole process. The subjects of the study were Primary Four students taught by one of the investigators. Data was collected from student questionnaires, in-depth interviews, lesson video recordings, research logs, lesson observations by critical friends, and students' work. The study found that sustained teacher reflection for ongoing instructional adaptations in light of learners' characteristics and progress is conducive to raising students' motivation and self-confidence. Four crucial factors for raising students' confidence in speaking English were identified: instructional activities that match learners' ability; promotion of learner initiatives; a good teacher-student relationship; and teacher commitment. The study has also confirmed the need for flexible and open instructional design in catering for individual differences, and the positive contributions of action research to teachers' professional development.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre Journal is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre at http://www.edb.org.hk/hktc]

Despite the imperatives of policy and rhetoric about their integration in formal education, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are often used as an "add-on" in many classrooms and in many lesson plans. Nevertheless, many teachers find that interesting and well-planned tasks, projects, and resources provide a key to harnessing the educational potential of digital resources, Internet communications, and interactive multimedia to engage the interest, interaction, and knowledge construction of young learners. To the extent that such approaches go beyond and transform traditional "transmission" models of teaching and formal lesson planning, this paper investigates the changing requirements and new possibilities represented by the challenge of integrating ICTs in education in a way which at the same time connects more effectively with both the specific contents of the curriculum and the various stages and elements of the learning process. Case studies from teacher education foundation courses provide an exemplary focus of inquiry in order to better link relevant new theories or models of learning with practice, to build upon related learner-centered strategies for integrating ICT resources and tools, and to incorporate interdependent functions of learning as information access, communication, and applied interactions. As one possible strategy in this direction, the concept of an "ICT-supported learning activity" suggests the need for teachers to approach this increasing challenge more as "designers" of effective and integrated learning rather than mere "transmitters" of skills or information through an add-on use of ICTs.
[Copyright of Language Learning & Technology is the property of Heinrich-Heine-University in Düsseldorf.
Access via Directory of Open Access Journals: http://llt.msu.edu/]

This article reports on both writers' experiences as participants in a collaborative action research project in Hong Kong. The article draws a distinction between teachers as research consumers and teachers as research producers. The authors suggest that active teacher agency in research is a positive element in the professional development of English teachers. Teachers primarily become research producers through involvement in some form of action research project. Although action research is increasingly recognized as a teacher competency in Hong Kong, it is nevertheless difficult for teachers to initiate and conduct when research is not seen as a core professional activity by their school with subsequent limited support. The authors view collaboration with professional researchers as a positive way for teachers to be apprenticed into the research process. The article ends by suggesting possible strategies that would support and encourage teachers to undertake research.
[Copyright of English Teaching: Practice & Critique is the property of Universidad del Zulia.
Access via Directory of Open Access Journals: http://edlinked.soe.waikato.ac.nz/research/journal/index.php?id=1]

The qualitative educational research literature is increasingly advocating the use of literary/artistic techniques. This article describes and evaluates educational action researches by three art teachers, and questions why they have not capitalised methodologically on their artistic expertise. Analysis of commonalities in practitioner-based research in education and practice-based research in art and design reveals significant differences in these two paradigms however. Whereas artists and educational researchers both engage in qualitative problem solving and may use the same kinds of materials and tools, they develop different kinds of hypotheses, look for different sorts of evidence and apply different quality controls.
[Copyright of Educational Action Research is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09650790500200305 ]