Creating ICT-enriched learner-centred environments requires a holistic approach that calls for changes at three levels — teacher, schooling environment and learning activities. Fundamentally, however, it is teachers who, with support from parents, administrators and policy makers, can optimise the benefits of ICT-enriched environments to make learner-centred learning a reality. This chapter therefore pays due attention to the salient issues confronted by teachers in the creation of ICT-enriched learner-centred environments, by using Hong Kong as an example to highlight the myths, gaps and challenges. Reviewed in the chapter are three myths that many educators in Hong Kong subscribe to, including ICT having limited values, ICT being a panacea to learning problems and technical knowledge of ICT being paramount. Highlighted are the gaps that can be observed in the field, of which include gaps in perception; the theory and practice of teaching every student; team-building; and the desire to use ICT. The challenges discussed include teachers encouraging students to become active participants; teachers assisting students to understand their weaknesses and strengths; changing classroom dynamics; leadership in existence; and teachers having an individual sense of how they are able to successfully influence student learning. In the discussion, literature is reviewed and practical solutions are offered.
[Copyright © 2006 Springer.]

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.]

This study attempted to identify effects of trust between principal leadership and teacher professional learning in Hong Kong primary schools. To verify the potential mediating effects of trust as a component of school capacity, survey data with a sample of 970 teachers from 32 local primary schools was used. Two questionnaires were combined to investigate principal leadership and school capacity in the schools. Baron and Kenny’s four-step causal process for mediation analysis was employed to have a preliminary inquiry. To compensate weaknesses of the orthodox regression based approach, significance of the mediating effects of trust were tested using the Sobel’s test and bootstrapping method. Next, the seven core sets of principal leadership practices were used as multiple predictors, and mediating effects of trust between them and teacher professional learning were also examined. The findings affirmed the role of faculty trust as a mediator between principal leadership and teacher professional learning in Hong Kong primary schools.
[Copyright © 2015 The Author(s).]

In the recent education reform, teachers are encouraged to take a more active guidance role in teaching, learning and solving student disciplinary problems under the comprehensive school guidance system promoted in public documents in Hong Kong. The whole school approach to student guidance has been evolved for more than a decade in schools, but to what extent is the comprehensive guidance system approach an advance in education leadership, or just another empty slogan? This paper investigates how teachers coping with change in five primary schools perceived their changing guidance roles under the system approach model: from understanding the aims of education and guidance; strategies used for teacher-student interaction and solving student problems, participation in guidance activities in schools; to the design and implementation of the personal growth and guidance curriculum since the education reform in 2002. Qualitative research methods include the use of survey questionnaires; in-depth interviews, classroom observation and school visits. Results showed that teachers appreciated the education and guidance rationale for whole person development for the majority of students with educational, developmental and preventative approaches whilst specialists would be provided for remedial service. Most participant teachers considered that teaching was their primary role and sitting for the competence language tests was their immediate concern for job survival in the current education reform. Although teachers were more prepared to take a broader perspective to respond to the needs of students implicitly, to participate more in the guidance activities and involve more in the design and implementation of the guidance curriculum, they found it difficult to achieve an effective guidance role owing to the lack of time and resources. Unless more resources and support are provided for teacher development, the comprehensive guidance system approach for a child’s whole person development

Given that the concept of community college in Hong Kong has only been introduced 10 years ago, with the new “3-3-4” education structural reform, the leadership in community college will become more challenging. In this paper, the aim is to provide a personal philosophy on how educational leaders should lead in community college settings given the highly diverse student backgrounds. The perspective of why we, as educational leaders, should reflect, reconstruct, and reengineer on community college leadership will be discussed. We will give insights on how different it is between leading in university and in community college, particularly in Hong Kong. Common issues and difficulties encountered by top managements, supporting staff, teachers, and students are identified and explained. The importance of relationship and dialogues in our context of building a true community is presented. The paper will conclude with the notion of how an authentic leader should be in leading community college in Hong Kong. It is expected that the direction of this personal philosophy will have a major impact in the both local and global leadership in education.

This paper provides a new gender-based analysis of survey data collected on Hong Kong academics in 2008. First, it illustrates the gender differences that exist in the Hong Kong academy. Second, it discusses possible explanations for these differences as informed by the data. And third, it offers a novel argument, again informed by the data, for the importance of addressing these differences, particularly with respect to the issue of women and academic leadership.
[Copyright of Higher Education Research & Development is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2013.864618]

Drawing on data gathered from British Council seminars in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Dubai on Absent Talent: Women in Research and Academic Leadership (2012-2013), this paper discusses academic women's experiences and explanations for women's under-representation as knowledge leaders and producers in the global academy. Participants from South and East Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, Australasia and Europe shared experiences and identified desires for future action in the form of a Manifesto for Change. The paper combines empirical data on enablers, impediments and attractions with consideration of debates on women's exclusions and disqualifications from academic leadership and knowledge production. A key question is whether women are desiring, dismissing or being disqualified from senior leadership positions in the global academy.
[Copyright of Higher Education Research & Development is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2013.864611]