This small-scale study aimed to explore how the reporting and feedback system in an inviting school in Hong Kong attempts to facilitate students' learning and development. In particular, the study examined how students in an inviting setting felt about the reporting system in relation to their own learning and development. Any associations between feedback given to students and their subsequent development of greater self-regulation were considered. Data were generated from individual and focus group interviews with a small sample of Grade 7 and Grade 10 students. The results revealed four key aspects of the school context that students regarded as helpful to facilitate the function of the reporting system. The potential relationship between feedback and reflection, and the roles these play in the acquisition of self-regulation in students, are discussed.
[Copyright of Pastoral Care in Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02643944.2012.671344]

This paper discusses the changing concepts of leadership in early childhood education (ECE) in England and Hong Kong during a period of significant education reform. We seek to illustrate the interplay between the impact of the policy agenda and the emerging quality leadership perspectives found in the theoretical literature, by first considering the recent education reform context in both England and Hong Kong, before examining the importance of leadership for quality provision given the constraints and drivers of policy expectation. The paper explores transformational, distributed and authentic models of leadership in the 'New Leadership' paradigm and uses these constructions to examine the developing problems and opportunities for quality leadership as expected by the current policy reform agenda and understood by the practitioners. In conclusion, we raise questions about the interplay between policy agendas and the development of theoretical models of leadership for ECE in England and Hong Kong.
[Copyright of International Journal of Leadership in Education: Theory and Practice is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2011.644327 ]

Western frameworks for school improvement, including the stakeholder model and the model of decentralized leadership, have recently been promoted as solutions for school improvement. Using early childhood education in Hong Kong as an illustrative case, this article focuses on the power and authority of leadership in school decision making. The interview data collected from the two case study schools reveal a paradox of power in leadership that is characterized by tensions between centralization and decentralization in the change process, where decentralization is advocated by policymakers but traditional hierarchical cultures remain. The relationship between the leaders and school stakeholders incorporates a concept of harmony that functions to defuse the potential power struggle embedded in decision making.
[Copyright of Peabody Journal of Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0161956X.2012.664479]

Deliberative mode of curriculum development has been hailed as one effective way of developing schoolbased curriculum. Its participatory, egalitarian and discursive characteristics have helped to generate the much-needed synergy and ownership feeling among the curriculum team members that lead to curriculum success. Nevertheless there is little such research in Hong Kong and thus very little is known as to the what, why and how in doing deliberative mode of curriculum development. Aims: This study intended to examine the patterns of curriculum development of a local primary school and how they had evolved over the span of four years. Method: The case school was selected due to its successful curriculum innovations over the years. Two site visits were made to the case school, one in 2003 and one in 2007. Eight teachers and the principal were interviewed and some lesson observations were made. Results: It was found that the success of the school's curriculum development pattern is similar to Decker Walker's 'naturalistic model' which is premised on the notion and practice of deliberation. It is also found that the school's ethos, organizational arrangements and professional relationships contribute to the success of the school's deliberative mode of curriculum development. Conclusion: With the knowledge gained in this study as to the what, why and how of doing a deliberative curriculum development, it is hoped that it will illuminate for local teachers, school administrators and school curriculum development personnel the kind of personal, organizational and social context in order that deliberative curriculum development can thrive and sustain.
[Copyright of New Horizons: The Journal of Education, Hong Kong Teachers' Association is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Association at http://www.hkta1934.org.hk/]

香港校長研討會由香港教育學院、香港津貼中學議會和津貼小學議會主辦，並香港特殊學校議會協辦。為各校校長及副校長提供一個獨特及重要的專業交流平台。研討會將針對教育的國際趨勢，校長們關心的議題，讓與會者互相交流及分享經驗，並發表真知灼見。一般的學術會議都會以學者為中心，而本研討會則以校長及副校長們為重心，輔以學者的專業意見。本研討會也將成為校長專業持續發展的其中一個模式。