This chapter reports on two studies conducted in both Hong Kong and Australia. The purpose of these research studies was three-fold: first, to evaluate the secondary business education curriculum; second, to explore its role in both Hong Kong and Australia, in order to determine the future directions in the light of perceived social, environmental, technological and political changes; and third, to make appropriate recommendations to policymakers in the respective countries. The results of the two studies demonstrated that the current secondary business education curriculum in Hong Kong and Australia has moved towards, but is not yet fully conversant with the need for, a paradigm shift from a predominantly skills-based curriculum to a dynamics-based curriculum. The notion of competence and its origin are discussed. A move towards a more holistic perspective of competence, that is, an interpretative-relational perspective is proposed and illustrated for business education. The introduction of competency standards for the clerical-administrative occupations in private industry tends to restrict the curriculum to the achievement of skills and outcomes, rather than move towards a broader base. It is recommended that the aims of secondary business education be under constant review; the image of business education be updated; there be an increased emphasis on vocational education, provision of resources, and opportunities for professional development for business education teachers. Implications for research, policy and practice including a business education curriculum based upon an interpretative-relational model of competence are drawn.
[Copyright © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009.]

Despite sharing a common cultural heritage, recent developments in gifted education in several countries and regions within East Asia, including the People’s Republic of China (mainland China), Taiwan, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), Singapore, Japan, and South Korea, show that each country and region is now characterized by different approaches to gifted education. However, the challenges facing many of these countries and regions are remarkably similar, including a number of fundamental issues such as misconceptions as to the role of gifted education within communities that are dominated by extensive and pervasive examination systems, and the limited roles of indigenous research in conceptions of giftedness and curriculum development. In contrast, gifted education in Japan has had a “virtual” existence over many years, although the ability of its education systems – both public and private – to meet the specific needs of its “gifted” students is yet to be determined.
[Copyright © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009.]

The purpose of this article is to describe the outcomes of a study that investigated the embedding of a problem-based learning (PBL) instructional approach in traditional undergraduate teaching curriculum. This article reports the outcomes of the study, which involved two groups of full-time hotel and catering management sub-degree and degree students in face–to–face mode at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The results of the study suggest that students appreciate a self-directed approach to learning. The results also indicate that there are significant perceptual differences between the pre-PBL intervention scores and the post-PBL intervention scores. Furthermore, the outcome of student feedback indicates that students are willing to embrace PBL methods—methods based on student-centred learning as opposed to teacher-centred learning. The students in the study mainly experienced traditional methods of teaching and learning during their education, and were accustomed to a teacher-led, passive style of learning. However, after exposure to PBL methods, students demonstrated that they were able to take a more pro-active role in their learning. Of the classroom activities that students participated in, group activities rated the highest. Qualitative feedback from the students also highlights that they value communicative and interactive learning activities more than the traditional lecture-led method of learning. One negative finding was that students were concerned about the amount of time required for the PBL approach to learning compared with traditional lecture-led learning methods.
[Copyright © 2004 Elsevier.]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine gender identities of Chinese male and female middle leaders in secondary schools and how gender dynamics play in the leadership process and impact on career aspirations and career development. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws on the data of a larger qualitative study conducted using the life history approach. Cases of four male and female middle leaders, which are able to demonstrate the “efficacy” of life stories to enhancing our appreciation of the process of gender negotiation and the impact of gender dynamics on leadership behaviour, are reported. Findings – Evidence suggests that traditional Chinese gender identities played out in the leader-follower relationships although signs of hybrid gender identities were also evident in some cases. Gender identities and the family role perception of the middle leaders have impact on their career aspirations and development. Research limitations/implications – Findings yield implications for the professional development needs of Chinese middle leaders not only regarding their professional role but also their personal understanding of how gender identities and family role perception impact on their career development. Further study with overlapping and complementary methods to a larger sample could be more illuminating to this complex and multifaceted issue. Originality value – In the context of global concerns about the shortage of leader talent, the present study illuminates gender identities and the dynamics of the interactions between Chinese superiors and subordinates of different sexes and adds perspective to the leadership development literature.
[Copyright © 2013 Emerald Group Publishing Limited.]

School-based management (SBM) or school self-management has been an important worldwide school restructuring movement since 1980s. This paper aims to map out how SBM in terms of self-management at the school, group and individual levels is related to school performance at different levels. From a sample of 82 schools, the strength of multi-level self-management in school was found to be strongly related to the quality indicators of organizational performance, moderately correlated to the quality indicators of group social norms of teachers, and individual teacher job performances. The profiles of strong and weak self-management schools were also found to be significantly different in most indicators of school performance at different levels. The findings provide preliminary evidence to support that the success of SBM implementation for achieving school quality depends on the involvement of the school, groups and individual teachers as a whole in continuous self-management and self-learning cycles.
[Copyright © 2003 Emerald Group Publishing Limited.]

This paper aims to study the current challenges of Chinese language education in the multilingual societies of Hong Kong and Singapore through policy documents. After the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, the role of Putonghua is far more important than before due to political and economic reasons. However, the medium of instruction for the Chinese Language subject in Hong Kong has long been Cantonese since the British colony days. A change in the medium of instruction from mother-tongue Cantonese to Putonghua is a shift from L1 to L2. This paper will discuss the feasibility of this long term policy of Hong Kong Education Bureau with reference to Singapore’s experience. Currently, Singapore faces the problem of declining standard of reading and writing in Huayu (Putonghua in China) and this paper will investigate the reason for that and suggest possible remedies.
[Copyright © 2008 Canadian Center of Science and Education.]

In view of the rapid need for using information and communication technology (ICT) in TVET, teachers need to realize and generate technology-based strategies. This study aimed to transform modules to online learning by using engaged learning theory via Blackboard system. Through a collection of students’ and teachers’ reflections, assignments and online records, it was found that students and teachers increased their level of participation in an e-learning environment but some costs and challenges were also identified. This paper employs a Business Studies module to illustrate the online learning transformation with Blackboard to report students’ and teachers’ responses. Furthermore, it identifies their changing roles throughout. The costs, benefits, and challenges of using Blackboard in TVET are also discussed.
[Copyright © 2010 International Vocational Education and Training Association.]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the progress of the curriculum reform in Hong Kong in the implementation phase from 2001-2006, with the agreement and support of heads and teachers on the reform. Design/methodology/approach – Survey questionnaires and focus group interviews were used to collect data from various stakeholders. A stratified random sampling method was employed to select 150 primary schools and 120 secondary schools to participate in the study. Findings – It is found that with the agreement and support of school heads and teachers, there is good progress in the reform items on teaching and learning. Findings of this paper also suggest that teachers who agreed with the reform items made changes with their practices in terms of learning and teaching strategies, catering to learner diversity, assessment for learning, developing students' language proficiency, cross-curricula learning, playing multiple teachers' roles and preparation for the new senior secondary curriculum. This study thus supports most findings from the change literature with its empirical data that educational changes and innovations with the agreement and support of school heads and teachers tend to have a greater chance of succeeding. Originality/value – The paper contributes by examining to what extent findings and views established in change literature elsewhere can be justified and enriched with the case of Hong Kong.
[Copyright © 2011, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.]

Purpose – This paper aims to review and analyze the functions, strategies and related issues of developing a regional education hub in the trends of education development in China as well as the Asian Pacific region. Design/methodology/approach – Taking Hong Kong as an emerging case, it examines through literature and international comparison the relationship between education hub development and higher education development as well as the strategic functions of an education hub to the future development of Hong Kong. Findings – The development of an education hub was found closely linked to the demand for higher education in the Asian Pacific region as well as the internal dynamic of higher education and society in Hong Kong. The mode of education hub development in Hong Kong should be driven by soft-power building instead of industrialization. The requirements for successful implementation include the huge demands for higher education in the region, the strengths of the higher education sector, the supporting policies and measures for international students and education service providers, and the leadership and support of central agencies. Originality/value – This paper provides a new typology of higher education developments and a new mode of education hub development to analyze the strategic functions and requirements of developing education hub in the context of Asia-Pacific Region. The discussion and analysis in this paper will contribute to the related literature, policy development and initiative implementation in the areas of education hub and higher education not only in Hong Kong but also other parts of the world.
[Copyright © 2011 Emerald Group Publishing Limited.]

The article reviews the roles of nonstate actors (NSAs) in general in Taiwan–Hong Kong relations during the administration of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's first Chief Executive, Tung Chee-hwa (1997–2003), in order to explore the contributions and limitations of these agencies in constructing political spaces between Hong Kong and Taiwan. The first part of the article explains the reasons behind the short appearance of NSAs in Taiwan–Hong Kong relations after 1997. The second part, the case studies, looks at two selected NSAs: the Hong Kong Policy Research Institute in Hong Kong and the Friends of Hong Kong and Macau Association based in Taipei. The reasons for the setbacks they faced after 2003 and their possible roles following leadership changes in Hong Kong and Taiwan in the run-up to 2010 will be analyzed in the last section.
[Copyright © 2010 Policy Studies Organization.]