Three key publications from September 2000 point to rapid changes in the educational and arts environment in Hong Kong that will impact on the development of dance education. This paper provides some contextual details on the current state of dance education in Hong Kong and also examines the influence and possible ramifications implicit within these publications. A brief outline of the prevailing scope of professional activity is also provided. The necessity for teacher training to facilitate change is then discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of Research in Dance Education is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14647890220129131]

As part of the module "Further Studies in Kindergarten Curriculum" in the Certificate in Kindergarten Teacher Education Course conducted by the Hong Kong Institute of Education, teacher-educators made use of semantic webbing to help kindergarten teachers/principals develop reflective and thinking skills regarding subject matter content and teaching curriculum. Semantic webbing/mapping or semantic networking or plot maps may be defined as a strategy in which information is categorically structured in graphic/visual form. However, its use in teacher education is more recent. Kindergarten teachers/principals were interviewed to discern how they developed critical thinking and evaluative skills concerning subject matter content and teaching curriculum through the use of semantic webbing. Interviews of a random sample of participants and analysis of their mind-maps revealed a change in perspectives and attitudes towards subject matter content and teaching curriculum. The present paper examines some of the affective outcomes for both teacher educators and student-teachers resulting from the use of semantic webbing/mapping as a strategy for facilitating reflective and critical thinking skills in four components of the module "Further Studies in Kindergarten Curriculum"; namely, Art, Language, Mathematics/Science, as well as Social Studies. Implications for teacher education are drawn from the findings.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0300443022000022422 ]

Dance education has not played a significant role in Hong Kong schools. Teacher education may be at a crossroads in determining its future directions in relation to dance as art rather than physical activity. Taking Marcel Mauss's characterizations of the techniques of the body as the ways in which, from society to society, people learn how to use their bodies, this paper looks back at the context in which forms of dance education were introduced into the physical education curriculum of Hong Kong schools and examines social, cultural and political constraints upon their directions and development in a colonial and post-colonial society. Viewing dance education as forms of socially mediated practices, we show how bodies that are subjected to formal and informal programmes of dance education can be both inscribed and inscribing. Developments in dance education inevitably involve statements about the body, attempts to capture it, impose disciplines upon it, or mitigate their force. To reflect upon Hong Kong's changing destiny is to ask how the history of colonialism's disciplining of the body can be shaken loose from the domination of categories and ideas it produced and incorporated into the educational system, and what potency might dance education practices have in the future for troubling and negotiating meanings around identity and "Chinese-ness".
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13573320601081575 ]

This paper reports a study that aims to find out the views of teachers and student teachers about the aims of the Hong Kong education system with respect to their teacher education courses. The findings suggest that student teachers need help to understand the fitting together of their teacher education courses to become the body of professional knowledge for all educators.

This is a report presenting a review of the support services provided for Band 5 students and then recommendations for improvement. Issues of teaching environment and administration, curriculum, and teacher education are also discussed.

The author followed five graduates of the City University of Hong Kong BA Teaching of English as a Second Language (TESL) course in their first year of teaching looking at their language use, lesson planning and decision-making, teaching approach, professional relationships and responsibilities, and perceptions and values.

The first part of this paper sets out to describe the curriculum change in initial and in-service art education in Hong Kong. The second part of the paper presents findings of case studies of curriculum projects of in-service teachers and their approaches in the planning and implementation of their curriculum. The key findings are that, firstly, different conceptions of art result in different approaches in teaching and, secondly, four themes are identified in their projects - art as expression, art as critical study, art as social comment, and art as cultural heritage. The paper concludes with implications for a more content-based art education to include works of art and cultural heritage from diverse cultures in pre-service and in-service teacher education.

This paper reports that the implementation of a project in which computer technology was incorporated into a module of art curriculum design of a teacher training program had generated some rewarding and valuable experiences and provided insights for further improvement.

The focus of this paper is on a research project pursued to examine four key features in an in-service teacher education course for secondary art teachers in Hong Kong: practice into theory; good art teaching as a frame; dialogue journals for reflection on practice; and self-evaluation using standards of good practice. While the data collected provide a basis for enhancing a better understanding of good art teaching, professional development, and differences between art teaching in Hong Kong and Western countries, the discussion of this paper revolves around professional development.