The introduction of "differentiated" instruction (DI), tailored to meet students' individual needs, has influenced educational policies throughout the world, including Hong Kong. The impart of Tomlinson's model on curriculum planning is recognized widely and informed thinking on this project. Reported benefits include addressing students' readiness and interest in learning related to content, process, product and learning environment. © 2023 Informa UK Limited.

Despite extensive research on student teachers' engagement with university coursework, teaching practicums, and research projects in teacher education curriculums, empirical studies on the coherence among these components are lacking. Coherence refers to the degree to which curriculum supports, reinforces , and reflects shared goals. This research explores curriculum coherence and its influences on teacher learning in a Hong Kong pre-service language teacher education program. The study attempts to answer: How do student teachers perceive the connections between the university courses, teaching practicum, and research projects in the program? © 2023 Informa UK Limited.

In-person teaching abroad experiences, where pre-service teachers spend a defined period teaching in schools in a foreign country, have received considerable research attention in recent years. However, virtual alternatives have yet to be explored. This exploratory study sought to understand the effects a virtual teaching abroad experience had on pre-service teachers' professional learning. Data included teaching logs and reflective writings of two groups of pre-service teachers from Hong Kong who participated in a virtual teaching abroad experience hosted by a university in the United Kingdom and interviews with their course coordinators. The findings suggest that the PSTs found the virtual teaching abroad experience novel and unique, contributing to professional learning. Specifically, the experience (a) increased the PSTs' confidence and flexibility; (b) improved their synchronous online teaching skills; (c) gave them greater awareness of learner differences and needs; and (d) exposed them to innovative pedagogical approaches. The study suggests that virtual teaching abroad experiences could have a place within initial teacher education, especially as the financial costs associated with them are lower than in-person experiences. However, they do not seem adequate to replace a sustained period immersed in an overseas school context. Copyright ©2023 Routledge.

This study assessed the effect of a teacher professional development (PD) programme that incorporated culturally responsive teaching on Chinese kindergarten teachers' perceptions of learning motivation of ethnic minority (EM) vs. Chinese pupils in Hong Kong. The moderating role of classroom ethnic composition was examined. Forty-five teachers in the intervention group attended 20 sessions of PD courses over 10 months, whereas 40 teachers who did not attend the current programme formed a control group. Pre- and post-tests were conducted to assess teacher perceptions of learning motivation and engagement of Chinese and EM pupils. Hierarchical structure of data was accounted for with multilevel modelling. Results showed that the intervention resulted in positive changes in teacher perceptions of learning motivation of EM (vs. Chinese) pupils among teachers working in classrooms with low proportions of EM pupils when compared to teachers in the control group. The findings highlighted that teachers' cultural diversity training programmes should be evaluated in relation to classroom ethnic composition and other contextual factors that influence the quality and frequency of interethnic contact. Copyright © 2022 Routledge.

The present study investigated 69 local Hong Kong English language education students' cross-cultural learning as a result of an Internationalization at Home (IaH) initiative that made use of international students' knowledge of English language education in contexts outside of Hong Kong. An analysis of written responses to open-ended questionnaire items revealed that most students reported acquiring superficial cultural facts related to teaching methods, testing methods, and public versus private education in international contexts; however, some students reflected more deeply on perceived cultural differences by challenging their own prior assumptions about English language education and, as a result, demonstrated cultural humility and enhanced empathy towards teachers in contexts outside of Hong Kong. This research suggests that teacher education programs should consider implementing IaH initiatives that capitalise on international student populations to satisfy program-level cross-cultural learning objectives. Copyright © 2022 Routledge.

This study assessed the effect of a teacher professional development (PD) programme that incorporated culturally responsive teaching on Chinese kindergarten teachers’ perceptions of learning motivation of ethnic minority (EM) vs. Chinese pupils in Hong Kong. The moderating role of classroom ethnic composition was examined. Forty-five teachers in the intervention group attended 20 sessions of PD courses over 10 months, whereas 40 teachers who did not attend the current programme formed a control group. Pre- and post-tests were conducted to assess teacher perceptions of learning motivation and engagement of Chinese and EM pupils. Hierarchical structure of data was accounted for with multilevel modelling. Results showed that the intervention resulted in positive changes in teacher perceptions of learning motivation of EM (vs. Chinese) pupils among teachers working in classrooms with low proportions of EM pupils when compared to teachers in the control group. The findings highlighted that teachers’ cultural diversity training programmes should be evaluated in relation to classroom ethnic composition and other contextual factors that influence the quality and frequency of interethnic contact. Copyright © 2022 International Review of Finance Ltd.

This paper documents the process and outcome of the development and validation of a coding scheme to analyse mathematics classroom discourse in the context of Hong Kong primary schools. The objective of this coding scheme was to systematically analyse teacher discourse behaviours before and after an intervention programme; the programme aimed to assist in-service teachers to develop conceptual and practical tools for engaging students in dialogical discourse in mathematics classrooms. This paper provides a detailed outline of what took place in designing and refining the coding scheme as well as improving its validity and reliability. The developed coding scheme can be effective for highlighting dialogic discourse, authority structures and student participation in mathematics classrooms and beyond. Consequently, it was possible to assess the efficacy of the teacher intervention programme. On the other hand, the developed coding scheme could be used to help teachers to gain a sense of efficacy over their instruction by giving them a roadmap for what they can do before and during instruction. Copyright © 2021 Routledge.

Teachers play a crucial role in promoting motor development in early childhood. A series of focus-group discussions was conducted with kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong to co-design movement activities. This paper reports the process and implications to teachers’ professional development. Copyright © 2021 International Review of Finance Ltd.

This study aimed to identify teachers’ perceived challenges in implementing assessment-as-learning (AaL) in classrooms, and evaluate the impact of a one-year professional development programme (PDP) designed for 47 teachers in a Hong Kong primary school to promote AaL implementation. Findings showed that the PDP increased the frequency and appropriateness of AaL implementation when on-site support was also provided, otherwise changes were not substantial. It suggests that systematic supporting measures should be provided together with PDPs to address the challenges teachers encountered in implementing AaL. Copyright © 2021 International Review of Finance Ltd.

This report describes the adaptations made to one initial teacher education course at a Hong Kong university designed for face-to-face instruction that was required to be delivered exclusively online due to the suspension of face-to-face classes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It describes the adaptations the tutor made, and the challenges faced adapting to the new mode of delivery. It is hoped that others can learn from the author’s experience and be prepared for the suspension of face-to-face classes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic or other health emergencies. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Ltd.