Mentoring has been widely recognized as an important aspect of the professional preparation of beginning teachers. How mentoring is viewed bears important implications for how mentoring is to be practiced and experienced. This study investigated the views of mentoring held by mentors, mentored in-service teachers and university teachers in a mentoring scheme initiated by a university in Hong Kong. Ten pairs of mentors and mentored in-service teachers and three university teachers participated in in-depth individual interviews designed to explore their views of mentoring with respect to five themes: mentor selection and preparation; mentor roles and responsibilities; mentor-mentee relationships; the mentoring programme; and school-university relationships. The findings show that the dynamic interaction between mentors, mentored in-service teachers and university teachers shaped the learning opportunities for the mentored in-service teachers. This paper argues that teaching practice and mentored learning to teach play an important role in in-service teachers' professional preparation. To strengthen in-service teacher learning, key players in the mentoring scheme should attain a shared vision of mentoring for in-service teachers and work together to create an integrated curriculum for the learning of in-service teachers.
[Copyright of Professional Development in Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19415250903115962]

Traditionally, teachers in Hong Kong schools have used formal tests and examinations to generate summative assessment data for rank ordering students. However, recent education reform, supported by research on science learning, has led to a demand for profound changes in assessment practices, including the adoption of methods novel to many teachers. This paper explores the views of junior secondary science teachers regarding the implementation of alternative assessment tasks in science classes and provides insight into the type and level of support required to facilitate the recommended changes. The findings have implications for the prospects of shifting the current culture of science assessment in Hong Kong and elsewhere. The paper concludes with concrete recommendations for supporting teachers in achieving changes in their assessment practices.
[Copyright of Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics, & Technology Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14926150609556699]