This paper begins with an account of the various measures for promoting the professional development of teachers and principals as the complementary strategy of the Hong Kong government when it introduced a new accountability framework in 2003. Then, drawing on the evidence derived from a landmark study in Hong Kong secondary schools that looked into the impact of principal leadership on student outcomes using both cognitive and affective data, this paper presents part of the findings that showed how principals also tend to emphasise the professional development of teachers and key staff as a way to strengthen alignment within the school and between school and government policies. Specifically, this leadership dimension was most highly correlated with the dependable variable, the school condition Alignment, Coherence and Structure. Using hierarchical multiple regression, this leadership dimension was also found contributed to about 20% of the variance. This paper further seeks for evidence in interviews with principals and their key staff to explore the significance of professional development in schools demonstrated continuous significant school improvement. Teachers reported that their principals could succeed to align school policies with the contextual demands imposed on the schools, such as medium of instruction policy and the New Curriculum Structure by setting goals for teaching and learning. While these principals could enhance teachers' aspirations and translate meanings for their work, teachers' achievements in administration and teaching further strengthened their confidence and reinforced their participations. Many current key staff teachers who took up new, and more, duties were not necessary those teachers who were previously responsible for more formal roles such as vice principals. Many effective principals reported that they led their staff to meet strategic goals in an accountability context by mentoring and training and development. This builds up

Recently, the school and co-operating teachers have an increasingly important role, by offering stronger support during the teaching practice. Being congruent with similar developments in teacher education programmes in other countries, this development in Hong Kong is strengthened by research studies examining the process of learning to teach. By arguing that the process of learning to teach can be examined from a personal constructivist view of learning, this paper examines the experience from the student-teachers' perspective. The finding reports on the problems perceived by the student-teachers during the student teaching practice and the support provided by the co-operating teachers. The problems encountered and the support obtained were compared and contrasted to reveal the possible roles of the co-operating teachers. The process of learning to teach is extended from a personal view to include support from the social milieu. This paper proposes to consider the process from a social constructivist view of learning. Drawing on the findings, it concludes with implications on how the school and the teacher education institute can collaborate and support the student-teachers from a social constructivist view of learning.
[Copyright © Nanyang Technological University & National Institute of Education.]

In this paper, qualitative results of a case study about the professional knowledge in the area of argumentation and proof of future teachers from universities in three countries are described. Based on results of open questionnaires, data about the competencies these future teachers have in the areas of mathematical knowledge and knowledge of mathematics pedagogy are presented. The study shows that the majority of the future teachers at the participating universities situated in Germany, Hong Kong and Australia, were not able to execute formal proofs, requiring only lower secondary mathematical content, in an adequate and mathematically correct way. In contrast, in all samples there was evidence of at least average competencies of pedagogical content reflection about formal and pre-formal proving in mathematics teaching. However, it appears that possessing a mathematical background as mandated for teaching and having a high affinity with proving in mathematics teaching at the lower secondary level are not a sufficient preparation for teaching proof.
[Copyright © FIZ Karlsruhe 2008.]

This paper aims to validate a theoretical model for developing teacher collective learning by using a quasi-experimental design, and explores the management strategies that would provide a school administrator practical steps to effectively promote collective learning in the school organization. Twenty aided secondary schools in Hong Kong were selected by cluster sampling, and 777 teachers took part in the questionnaire survey. A structural equation model was applied to identify the interrelationship of the 5 disciplines of Senge’s (1990) learning organization model. Results showed that personal mastery and systems thinking are individual and collective level predictors respectively for teacher collective learning. Building a mental model and shared vision in a sequential order predict systems thinking. Management strategies in cultural, policy and leadership domains are recommended to school administrators who wish to promote teacher collective learning as a means of coping with the changes generated by the curriculum reform in Hong Kong.
[Copyright © 2011 David Publishing Company,USA. The journal web site is located at http://www.teacher.org.cn/]

Teacher Concerns Questionnaire (TCQ) was administered to 75 Hong Kong pre-service and in-service student teachers of primary physical education prior to their teaching practice or the commencement of teaching supervision period. Results showed no significant differences in all concern scale scores between groups and the three-factor structure of TCQ could not be replicated. Recommendations for future research were made: First, a modified TCQ for physical educators needs to be specifically designed. Second, qualitative data should be collected for more in-depth study of teacher concerns. Third, longitudinal research design should be used. Fourth, other factors that are likely to influence teacher concerns should also be considered.
[Copyright © 1999 Department of Physical Education, Hong Kong Baptist University.]

This paper might be described as a case study, depicting the process of vision development for a new institution of teacher education, established in a time of political transition for Hong Kong. The focus is on issues of cultural identity, and the first part of the article lays out a framework for civilizational dialogue in the post Cold War period. Next the context of educational development is analysed, including the emergence of this new institution, and the demands placed upon it to support a range of educational reforms after Hong Kong's return to China in 1997. The third part of the paper describes the process of developing a vision statement, and the ideas that informed it. The fourth part provides a careful look at four of the nine guiding values chosen for the Institute, showing the particular shape they give to the development of the vision, and the ways in which they are linked to the dialogue of civilizations.
[Copyright © 2001 Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business.]

A questionnaire was administered to 231 teacher education students of a university in Hong Kong to examine their epistemological beliefs, conceptions of learning, and learning strategies. The three variables were measured respectively using the Epistemological Beliefs Scale (EBS) (Chan & Elliott, 2002), Conceptions of Learning Inventory (COLI) (Purdie & Hattie, 2002) and Revised Two Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) (Biggs, Kember, & Leung, 2001). Correlation and path analysis showed significant relations between epistemological beliefs and conceptions of learning and learning strategies. The results suggest the significant roles of epistemological beliefs in learning, through their impact on and relations with the conceptions of learning and strategies adopted by the students. Implications were drawn with suggested ways for further research on their relationships and other metacongitive variables in learning such as achievement or motivation goals. The research findings would provide significant and valuable knowledge in this area and enable a better understanding of the nature and process of learning.
[Copyright © 2007 De La Salle University, Philippines.]

Background: Seventeen pre-service teachers from The Hong Kong Institute of Education involved in a service education project during the summer vacation in 2008. They spent seven weeks in an orphanage and a commune in Vietnam to provide various services for disabled children and to help constructing a house for the poor villagers respectively. They learned how to cope with challenging environment through developing service leadership, problem solving and communication abilities in a different cultural context. Aims: To reveal what respondents have experienced, reflected and gained through involving in the cross-cultural service exposure project and how such fruitful learning experiences can be enhanced. Sample: All seventeen pre-service teachers involved in the project. Method: Content analysis was conducted on service-learning journals, day logs and writings prepared by the students after the service-learning experience. Results: The analysis based on respondents’ reflective writings revealed that the development of genuine relationship among participants through mutual care, their generic skills, leadership abilities and cultural competencies are enhanced while they work collaboratively and support each other to overcome difficulties. Conclusion: As a multicultural service-learning co-curricular activity, participants can acquire new knowledge, change attitudes and develop constructive behaviors through a genuine and caring environment and reflection. They are perceived to attain gains in leadership abilities, cultural competence skills and professional commitment.
[Copyright © 2009 New Horizons in Education.]

This study investigated benefits for pre-service teachers of participating in a community art education project called ‘A Street in Hong Kong’. The study was part of a collaborative project involving the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd), schools and artists between 2007 and 2008. The data for the study was collected by means of questionnaires, individual and focus group interviews and classroom observation. Feedback was also obtained from the school principals, artists, school art teachers and primary-school pupils. The study found that the pre-service teachers benefited in several ways: they learned ceramic-making skills from the artists they could teach in primary schools and how to design art lessons through teamwork with peers and about classroom teaching from schoolteachers. They also learned how to find resources for community-based art lessons; and to help them organize a group exhibition; and were pleased to receive financial support for the project.
[Copyright © 2009 Intellect Ltd.]

In recent years international trends towards teacher empowerment and leadership have gained increased attraction in East Asia's education policy and practice. Yet, as scholars have noted, the values underlying these practices often conflict with traditional cultural norms of East Asian societies which stress hierarchical and status differences. This study explored the efficacy of an approach to developing distributed curriculum leadership among school teachers. The research employs discourse analysis of video-taped meetings of teachers in a mathematics curriculum development team in order to explore the leadership and teacher learning. The results provide initial support for strengthening school-level capacity for teacher leadership as a means of fostering teacher learning in East Asian schools. Implications include the need for incorporating programmes that build leadership and team development into more general staff development for teachers.
[Copyright © 2011 Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business.]