This study examines the discrepancy between teachers' beliefs and practices in Hong Kong kindergartens and the factors that influence this discrepancy. Three kindergartens, considered by the Hong Kong Education Bureau to be of varying quality, were chosen from different areas of Hong Kong. Questionnaires about teaching beliefs were administered to 35 teachers from these kindergartens. These quantitative data were supplemented with qualitative data gathered during individual interviews with five of the teachers and the three principals. In addition, a focus group of five early childhood education specialists commented on the videotaped observations of the classroom practices of the five interviewed teachers. The findings showed that all of the teachers endorsed the advocated teaching beliefs, but there was a discrepancy between their beliefs and practices. The most significant factors contributing to the discrepancy were teachers' professional education and their attitudes towards personal teaching introspection. Teachers were also under pressure from parents' curriculum requests, demands on the children's academic abilities and expectations for a strong link to Primary One. Enhanced early childhood education training that helps teachers to be introspective about their own teaching practices and beliefs is recommended. Government support is also required to teach parents what constitutes a high-quality learning environment for young children.
[Copyright © 2016 Teacher Development.]

This longitudinal study aimed to examine the role of a professional learning community (PLC) in changing teachers' beliefs and practices. Teachers of a Chinese department in a Hong Kong secondary school were interviewed and observed. The findings indicate that the features of a PLC-facilitating teacher change are development of a coherent structure, a collaborative culture, and effective learning activities. These help teachers to overcome initial difficulties and induce their motivation for transformation. Teacher change in five dimensions (curriculum, teaching, learning, roles of teachers, and learning to teach) and three patterns (change in practice but not in belief, change in belief but not in practice, change in practice and belief) were detected. It is argued that cultivating an effective PLC is significant to teacher development.
[Copyright of Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2014.928122]

Factors leading to successful professional learning communities (PLCs) have been widely discussed in the West, but little is known about how/whether teachers' beliefs contribute to PLCs in the Chinese context. This qualitative case study aimed to investigate teachers' beliefs about teacher learning in PLCs and their influence on collegial learning activities in two departments of a Hong Kong secondary school. Semi-structured interviews and observations were employed to collect data. The findings indicate that teachers in the Chinese Department believed that learning could be achieved in PLCs and their practices of collegial activities were conducive to teacher learning. Conversely, teachers in the English Department did not believe that interacting with colleagues would foster learning and their collegial activities yielded limited accomplishment in teacher growth. It is suggested that teachers' beliefs play an important role in facilitating or impeding reform initiatives on teacher development. Implications for teacher education and further studies are discussed.
[Copyright of Compare: A Journal of Comparative Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2013.872025]

背景：香港中文科課程改革提倡以學生為主體的教學，建議教師避免過多採用灌輸的方式。
目的：本研究的要旨有二：(1)探討教師的教學信念類型、教學方式及兩者的關係，(2)教師的信念與教學方式能否配合新中文課程改革。
調查對象：邀請六位中學中文教師參與。
調查方法：以半結構式訪談、觀課及檔分析蒐集資料。
調查結果：研究發現教師持「傳授觀」教學信念以詳述範文為教學主要任務，多採用講述的方式教學，較少安排小組活動；而持「啟發觀」教學信念的教師傾向綜合讀寫聽說教學，除了運用講述的策略外，還安排各類活動促進學生學習。
總結：研究結果對課程設計、課程實施有很大的啟示，建議開辦發展改變教師教學信念的課程。
Background: There is a call for learner-centred approach in the new Chinese Language Curriculum of Hong Kong, teachers are advised not to overuse didactic strategy.
Aims: This study serves two aims: (1) To examine teachers' teaching beliefs, teaching approaches, and their relationship. (2) Do teachers' teaching beliefs and their teaching approaches meet the requirement of the new Chinese Language curriculum reform?
Sample: Six secondary Chinese teachers were invited to be informants.
Method: Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and document analysis.
Results: This study found that the major concern of teachers with transmission view was to interpret prescribed texts in length; they were unlikely to arrange group activities. For teachers with heuristics view, they believed that integrating reading, writing, listening and speaking were desirable in learning. Apart from delivering lectures to students, they organized a variety of activities to facilitate students' learning.
Conclusion: The results of this study have important implications to curriculum design and implementation. It is suggested that teacher education of conceptual change should be developed.
[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/]

背景：校本評核是教育改革的新方案，不少國家引入校本評核輔助公開考試，拓闊評核的基礎，提升學習效能，然而很多研究發現教師對評核變革的信念足以影響其實施。
目的：香港中學會考中國語文於2005-06學年實行校本評核，本研究以個案形式探討教師對校本評核的信念及其如何回應此變革。
研究對象：兩位高中中文教師
研究方法：採用半結構式訪談及檔分析蒐集資料
研究結果：研究發現乙老師支持校本評核，採取積極態度，安排各種評估活動，豐富學習與評核的內容；而甲老師卻持觀望態度，採取最省時省力的方法實施校本評核而不影響教與學的常態，反而致力幫助學生應付公開考試。
結論：研究揭示教師的信念影響其態度、決策與行動，為政策制定者帶來重要的啟示。
Background: School-based assessment is a new initiative of education reform. Many countries from different parts of the world have introduced SBA to supplement public examinations, broaden the assessment base and enhance learning effectiveness. However, many studies uncover teachers' beliefs, which affect the implementation of SBA.
Aims: SBA has been implemented in Chinese Language of Hong Kong Certificate Education Examination since the academic year of 2005-06. This case study aimed at exploring teachers' beliefs on SBA and how they responded to the change.
Sample: two Chinese Language teachers who teach senior forms
Method: Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis.
Results: The results showed that teacher B supported SBA and his attitude was positive. He was willing to arrange a variety of activities for assessment, enriching the contents of learning and assessment. However, teacher A with dubious attitude towards SBA, adopting time-saving and energy-saving strategies to implement SBA without hampering the norms of teaching and learning. Effort was focused on helping students prepare for the public examination.
Conclusion: This study highlighted the importance of teachers' beliefs, which exerted influence to their attitudes, decision making and action. The findings have important implications to policy makers.
[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/]

Despite growing calls for media education in different parts of the world, little consensus has been reached over what to teach and how to teach. The implementation of related initiatives varies across different contexts as well as cultures. The outcomes depend largely on the beliefs, attitudes and efforts of individual teachers. This study aims to identify and discuss teachers' beliefs about media through an analysis of documents related to school media. It examines how 13 secondary schools in Hong Kong justified their applications for funding to set up a school television station. Using methods in documentary research, the study analyses the claims made for school media. The hidden assumptions held by schools towards school media, new media, mass media, media education and media literacy are discussed.
[Copyright of Asia Pacific Journal of Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02188790802655007]