This paper describes the development of Learning Study in Hong Kong and analyses the factors that lead to the success and ready acceptance of Learning Study by the school community in Hong Kong. The paper first describes how Lesson Study, as described by Stigler and Hiebert, was brought into the Hong Kong context through a three year project in 2000. It was then further developed and renamed Learning Study to differentiate it from the Japanese Lesson Study. The potential of Learning Study as a powerful tool for teachers' professional development was quickly recognized. Two subsequent projects led to the adoption of Learning Study by over 100 primary and secondary schools in a matter of four years. The success of Learning Study in Hong Kong will be analysed under the following factors: methodology, partnership with higher education institutions, positioning, reform context and culture, and dissemination strategy. Its contributions to pre-service education, teachers' continuing development, research and development in education, and also to improving the status of the profession as a whole are also discussed.
[Copyright of Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) at http://www.aare.edu.au]

The Lecturer Attachment Scheme (LAS) advocated in the Hong Kong Institute of Education aims at creating opportunities for the teaching staff to update their school teaching experience, participate in a real school setting and experience the work life of local teachers. Through the school attachment, the teacher educator will not only update their teaching experience and possibly build collaborative relationship with schools in staff development and research activities.
This paper describes two lecturers from the English Department of the Hong Kong Institute of Education who joined the Institute's attachment Scheme for their own professional benefit and development. During the two-week attachment period, the lecturers took over English teaching duties from two regular teachers and worked closely with the teachers. All their lessons were observed by the regular teachers and were video-taped. The lecturers tried different teaching approaches such as the incorporation of big books for the teaching of reading and materials adaptation. The lecturers brought with them what they perceive as 'good' language teaching in the classroom and attempted to verify whether theory and practice can be coherently integrated.
Field notes and journal data recording the lecturers' reflection and experience on the scheme and interview data probing into the teachers' evaluation of the LAS will be presented. It is affirmed that such attachment scheme can enhance professional development both for the teacher educators and for the teachers. It also enabled an avenue for follow-up school-based collaborative projects.
[Copyright of Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) at http://www.aare.edu.au]

Exploring teachers' attitudes towards research is always interesting. With the Education and Manpower Bureau's policy of introducing the position of Primary School Master/Mistress (Curriculum Development) to local Hong Kong primary schools, to understand the beliefs these curriculum leaders hold onto research - as a means to help schools to reflect upon their strengths and to decide how best to bring about reform in curriculum becomes significant. A survey of 209 PSM(CD)s suggested although people in general favour research in their work, there still reservations. A five-factor model indicated that, on the one hand, the majority of the respondents perceived themselves having ability to do research, valued research for professional development and providing solutions to teaching and learning deficiencies, and found the action research course that they participated useful. On the other hand, they preferred courses focussed on improving their teaching competencies to an action research course. It was shown that while demonstrated research experience and qualification of higher degrees revealed no significant difference in research attitudes, these factors associated positively with their commitment to school, self-efficacy and an internal locus of control. The work contributes to the understanding of how PSM(CD)s feel towards supporting doing and facilitating research for curriculum development in schools.
[Copyright of Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) at http://www.aare.edu.au]