General,collective, and domain-specific teacher self-efficacy among Chinese prospective and in-service teachers in Hong Kong

This study assessed two global (general and collective) and seven domain-specific sets of teacher self-efficacy beliefs among 273 Chinese prospective and in-service teachers in Hong Kong. While teachers generally reported having the highest confidence in teaching highly able learners and the least confidence in classroom management, there were significant teacher group differences. Among four groups of teachers, the experienced teachers reported the highest level of global and domain-specific teacher self-efficacy, suggesting that there could be a trend of rising teacher self-efficacy as a teacher went through preparation and teaching practice to becoming a novice and then a more experienced teacher.     

上海市在职教师融合教育自我效能感的调查研究

本研究采用Sharma等人编制的<教师融合教育自我效能感量表>以及<融合教育忧虑量表>对上海市110名特殊教育学校教师以及213名普通学校教师进行了调查,结果发现:两类教师对开展融合教育具有一定水平的自我效能感;特殊教育学校教师的自我效能感要高于普通学校教师;普通学校教师在开展融合教学以及与他人合作方面的自我效能感普遍低于特殊教育学校教师,但在行为管理方面,则与特殊教育学校教师没有差异;两类教师对开展融合教育抱有中等水平的忧虑,且融合教育自我效能感与其忧虑水平存在显著负相关,教师对开展残疾学生教学的自信心水平越高,则对融合教育的忧虑越少.教师融合教育忧虑程度对自我效能感的方差贡献率超过50%以上.     

Improving teachers’ self-efficacy in applying teaching and learning strategies and classroom management to students with special education needs in Hong Kong

This study examines the impact of a revised one-week training course on teacher self-efficacy in terms of improving teaching and learning strategies and classroom management to support students with special educational needs (SEN) in ordinary schools in Hong Kong. Various teacher-related variables (i.e., level of prior training in special education, confidence in teaching students with SEN, knowledge of legislation and policies, years of teaching, teaching experience with students with SEN, gender, and school type) are analyzed among 347 regular primary and secondary teachers. Teacher confidence and school type are determined to be significant predictors for the self-efficacy of teachers in inclusive education.     

ESL student teachers' perceptions of a short-term overseas immersion programme

In recent years there has been an increasing demand for teachers to develop the international knowledge and skills necessary to help promote their students' global perspectives. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has seized the initiative to provide mandatory overseas immersion programmes for pre-service English teachers to enhance their language proficiency and cultural understanding. This study involved a group of Hong Kong English language student teachers who joined a six-week immersion programme in Auckland. The aim of the present investigation was to address our dearth of knowledge as to the impact of such a programme on student teachers, and the benefits that they could derive from it. Several obstacles that might hinder maximal benefits were also identified.     

新加坡与香港地区教师教育比较

1970年,新加坡总理李光耀在香港大学年会上以\"双城记\"为题做了一场发人深省的演讲,除了讲述新加坡和香港地区所取得的相似成就与优势以外,还进一步做出预测,表示两地在未来将会取得更大的成功.在此基础上,笔者试图从一个更为广泛和更具批判性的视角进行深入分析,首先梳理出二者基本差异,进而再讨论是哪些特定的政治、文化和教育因素最终导致了二者的不同发展路径和成果.国际研究学者围绕同一主题共同创作了一篇具有独到见解的文章,这使得1970年发表的这篇文章在35年后又被重新提起.     

Evaluating the effect of a teacher training programme on the primary teachers’ attitudes,knowledge and teaching strategies regarding special educational needs

Research has consistently stressed that regular school teachers are important in determining the success of implementing inclusive education. It was also found that teachers’ attitudes, their knowledge about special educational needs (SEN) and teaching strategies are prerequisites for implementing inclusive education successfully. This study examines the effects of an in-service teacher training programme on regular primary school teachers’ attitudes and knowledge about SEN and about teaching strategies. A pre- and post-test control group design study was set up (N_{experimental group} = 33, N_{control group} = 34), comprising 11 public primary schools. The training programme consisted of 32 hours face-to-face training sessions, covering topics about attitudes and knowledge about SEN and about teaching strategies. In order to establish the effects of the training programme, attitudes and knowledge were measured at two moments: before and after the training programme was performed. The outcomes of ANCOVA revealed significant positive effects of the training programme on most dependent variables (attitudes, knowledge about SEN and about teaching strategies) with medium to large effect sizes. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.     

网络教学平台使用的师资培动——香港理工大学的经验

面授和网上教学有机结合的整合式教学越来越成为高校教育和培训的主要模式。本文旨在介绍和分析香港理工大学教学发展中心（简称EDC）如何通过网上教学平台的功能,与面授教学结合起来,发挥面授教学和网上教学的各自优势,使教师培训更加有效。EDC的实践表明,在大学教师培训课程中,发挥网上教学的优势,能帮助学员弥补由于有限的面授教学产生的师生之间、学员和学员之间互动的不足。在网上学习中,通过互相的学习观摩和观念碰撞,能激发学员的学习兴趣,有效地促进学员之间进行探究性学习,同时,这种集体学习的方法,能促进在职教师之间的友好交往和学术交流。     

香港幼儿教师法律与政策研究:特点及其启示

近年,香港特区政府重视通过制定法律政策,保障并不断促进幼儿教师社会地位和专业水平的提升,有力地推动了香港学前教育事业的健康持续发展。通过对香港重要的幼儿教师法律政策的分析,可以看出其主要具有以下四方面的特点:明确特区政府在幼儿教师队伍建设中的重要职责;参照公务员标准实施幼儿教师薪级津贴制度,保障并提高幼儿教师待遇;明确并不断提高幼儿教师和园长的资质要求,完善准入机制;加强幼儿教师在职培训,提高教师队伍质量。香港幼儿教师政策法律对我国内地幼儿教师政策法律的制定和学前教育事业发展具有重要的启示与借鉴价值。     

Student teachers’ and in-service teachers’ peer learning: a realist synthesis

The aim of this review in the form of a realist synthesis is to understand what makes peer (student) teacher learning activities effective. Three types of peer learning were explored: collaborative, coaching, and assessment activities. Hypotheses were developed and tested against a set of 63 studies. These hypotheses indicated what mechanisms (i.e., characteristics of the activities) would influence the effectiveness of the activities and which contexts (i.e., factors) influenced this process. Findings showed that activities wherein participants gain subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge and apply this into practice made such learning effective. Peer learning is also reinforced by facilitators, reflection, and feedback, and influenced by personal and interpersonal factors. The main contribution of this realist synthesis is the practical implications for developers of peer learning activities, for school leaders and teacher educators, and for (student) teachers.     

Which inclusive teaching tasks represent the highest level of teacher efficacy in primary and secondary schools?

A hierarchy of inclusive teaching tasks by associated level of teacher efficacy is derived from a group of primary and secondary school teachers in Hong Kong using a Rasch rating scale model on 536 in-service teachers attending a professional development course. Findings show collaboration tasks represented the highest teacher efficacy in primary and secondary teachers. Managing behavior represented the lowest level of teacher efficacy but slightly more in primary than in secondary school. Hence, future training regarding inclusive practices should be specific to the school level, with a strong focus on collaborations between school, parents, and the community.     

Exploring the Relations between In-service Training,Prior Contacts and Teachers’ Attitudes towards Persons with Intellectual Disability

This study investigates the relations between teachers’ attitudes towards persons with intellectual disability (ID), in-service training on ID, and prior contacts with persons with ID. A sample of Canadian elementary school teachers (N?=?118) completed the Attitudes Toward Intellectual Disability Questionnaire, which measures cognitive, affective and behavioural components of attitudes towards persons with ID. Correlational and multivariate regression analyses were performed. Frequent contacts with persons with ID and experience of including a child with ID increased the likelihood of reporting prior positive contacts with persons with ID. In turn, this was associated with less discomfort towards persons with ID and more willingness towards interactions. In-service training on ID was related to better knowledge of rights and capabilities of persons with ID. Experience of including a child with ID in general education classrooms increased the likelihood to report feeling competent in teaching children with ID, which predicted more willingness to include children with ID.     

Understanding teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy in inclusive education: implications for pre-service and in-service teacher education

Although there are clear differences in national policies regarding inclusive education, the international debate has not fully considered their impact on implementation within different countries, for example on teacher education. This paper reports on results from a comparative study of in-service teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy in implementing inclusive practices in South Africa and Finland and its implications for teacher education in these countries. A sample of 319 South African and 822 Finnish primary and secondary education teachers completed a questionnaire containing a scale measuring sentiments, attitudes and concerns on inclusive education as well as a scale measuring teachers’ self-efficacy in implementing inclusive practices. A comparative analysis indicated that whereas the overall sentiments towards disabilities were positive in both countries, teachers had many concerns about the consequences of including children with disabilities in their classrooms. While the most positive aspect of self-efficacy among the South African teachers was their self-efficacy in managing behaviour, the Finnish teachers saw this as their weakest point. Self-efficacy, in particular efficacy in collaboration, was clearly related to overall attitudes towards inclusion. The implications of these findings for pre-service and in-service teacher education are discussed.     

A study of early childhood teachers’ conceptions of creativity in Hong Kong

The study aimed to uncover the conceptions of creativity among early childhood teachers in Hong Kong. The sample comprised 563 early childhood teachers. Factor analysis supported the multidimensional hypothesis of teachers’ conceptions of creativity. Five dimensions were found: novelty, product, problem solving, cognitive processes and personal attributes. Early childhood teachers in Hong Kong ascribed high importance to these dimensions as defining characteristics of creativity, with a person’s cognitive processes and personal attributes being ascribed relatively more important while product as relatively less importance. In particular, imagination, multiple perspectives and curiosity were perceived as very important concepts of creativity. Teachers with different teaching backgrounds shared very similar conceptions of creativity. Significant results were found with regard to product only. The findings have implications for early childhood teacher education programmes and professional development in Hong Kong.     

高师院校英语教师职前与职后教育衔接策略

高师院校作为一个承上启下的教师教育基地,在英语教师的职前教育与职后培养中起着至关重要的作用。从我国当前教师职前教育与职后培养的实际出发,立足教师的专业化发展,构建一个机构合理、体系完整、内容科学的教师教育一体化运行模式,是高校教师教育改革的必经之路。针对高师院校对英语专业师范生的职前教育与教师职后培养衔接中的现存问题,以教师发展终身化为标准,依据资源配置原则,从培养目标、课程设置、师资队伍建设、师德教育程度四大方面,提出促进高师院校英语教师职前与职后教育衔接的策略和可行性建议。     

从“平等”的概念分析香港融合教育发展中的利与弊

在香港,无论是融合教育的前线工作人员,还是社会人士,对融合教育的发展情况都是褒贬不一。在此背景下,结合教育机会平等和个别差异认同中的平等概念,总结香港融合教育发展过程中的利与弊,无论是对香港融合教育的发展,或是其它地区融合教育的发展,都具有启迪意义。