FOREWORD - edb.gov.hk

1 The Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and Qualifications (ACTEQ) has been workingon reforms to improve the professional quality of teachers. This volume, concentrating oncontinuing professional development, is the first of a series of documents that reflect ACTEQ shares the common understanding that reforms in education are effective only whenthey are undertaken by a teaching force with high professional quality. ACTEQ s deliberationsfall into three broad categories: initial teacher education, the professional development ofbeginning teachers and the continuing professional development of practising a nutshell, ACTEQ recommends that teacher education institutions should be constructed aslearning communities favourable to developing teachers capacity for lifelong learning.

2 ACTEQ also recommends an internship system in order to provide new teachers with a comprehensiveenvironment conducive to their development in professionalism. In the realm of continuingprofessional development, ACTEQ recommends a system that recognises and facilitates teachers efforts to continuously refresh and upgrade themselves, as is done in most major these recommendations will be introduced in separate documents to be published at differentstages. ACTEQ has been careful in deliberating the conditions and support with which therecommendations can be most effectively implemented, whilst causing the minimum disturbanceto the practice of teachers.

3 The documents will embrace such conditions and support this document about teachers Continuing Professional Development, the recommendationsare accompanied by a Teacher Competencies Framework, which is designed to provide ameaningful map of the dimensions and stages of individual teachers professional June 2002, when the current discussions started, ACTEQ has been working with the supportand participation, in various ways, of over 200 professionals. What are presented in thedocuments are the results of very intensive and extensive hard work by many parties to whomwe owe our deep ChengChairman, ACTEQFFFFFOREWORDOREWORDOREWORDOREWORDOR EWORDiThe Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and Qualifications (ACTEQ) would like toexpress sincere gratitude to all the frontline practitioners who have participated in theprofessional dialogues and exchanges during the course of developing the generic teachercompetencies framework and the policy framework for teachers continuing professionaldevelopment.

4 They include the academics, teachers and principals who have participated aszealous members of the focus group / task force concerned, representatives of the teacher /education bodies who have generously shared their inspirational thoughts during the informalconsultation sessions, as well as the principals and staff of 10 local schools who haveenthusiastically participated in the interactive process of the development of the generic teachercompetencies particular, ACTEQ would like to extend a special vote of thanks to Mr TSOI Heung-sang, MrCHEUNG Man-biu, Professor LAM Chi-chung, Ms MAK Wai-ching, Dr Magdalena MOK, DrNG Kwok-hung, Dr WONG Ping-man, Professor HAU Kit-tai, Dr Benny YUNG, Mr GwynEDWARDS, Mr IP Kin-yuen.

5 Professor Allan WALKER and Mr Bruce DAVIS for their invaluablecontributions to the content of this 1 1 1 1 1 CCCCCONTEXTONTEXTONTEXTONTEXTONTEXT ANDANDANDANDAND D D D D 2 2 2 2 2A GA GA GA GA GENERICENERICENERICENERICENERIC T T T T TEACHEREACHEREACHEREACHEREACHER C C C C COMPETENCIESOMPETENCIESOMPETENCIESOMPETE NCIESOMPETENCIES F F F F 3 3 3 3 3 TTTTTEACHERSEACHERSEACHERSEACHERSEACHERS C C C C CONTINUINGONTINUINGONTINUINGONTINUINGONT INUING P P P P PROFESSIONALROFESSIONALROFESSIONALROFESS IONALROFESSIONAL D D D D 4 4 4 4 4 RRRRROLESOLESOLESOLESOLES OFOFOFOFOF D D D D DIFFERENTIFFERENTIFFERENTIFFERENTIFFEREN T S S S S STAKEHOLDERSTAKEHOLDERSTAKEHOLDERSTAKEHO LDERSTAKEHOLDERS INININININ T T T T TEACHERSEACHERSEACHERSEACHERSEACHERS CPD CPD CPD CPD 5 5 5 5 5 TTTTTHEHEHEHEHE W W W W WAYAYAYAYAY F F F F of the Advisory Committeeon Teacher Education and Qualifications.

6 21 BMembership of the Focus Group on Teacher Competencies andIn-service Professional Developmentand the Task Force on Teachers CPD .. 22 CTeachers CPD Policies and Practices in Selected Regions .. 23 DThe Generic Teacher Competencies Framework -an Overview and Content of Each Domain .. 24 EMajor Modes of Teachers CPD Activities .. 42 CCCCCONTENTSONTENTSONTENTSONTENTSONTENTS iiiThis decade has seen unprecedented reform in school education; much effort and commitmenthas been directed at improving the quality of education in Hong Kong. Various changes havebeen introduced by schools, focusing on the needs of our children as they journey into a worldrequiring knowledge and attitudes very often different from those taught to their , the pace of change in society has compelled virtually all people, and educators inparticular, to give due weight to the need for lifelong educators, the rapid changes taking place in contemporary society have meant an end tothe sole emphasis on academic achievements.

7 Instead, our schools are concerned to foster thewhole person development of students. A new curriculum has been designed - one capable ofresponding to individual needs and to be tailored by individual school communities. Teachingand learning is no longer confined to classrooms, but extends into the wider willingness and capacity for lifelong learning, which we expect from our students, shouldalso be reflected in our teachers. Every teacher should be a continuous learner in order toadvance the quality of our education system and the quality of students learning. Continuingprofessional development of teachers today is crucial to preparing the citizens of the need for a new emphasis on teachers continuing professional development is widelyacknowledged, it is less obvious how this can be realised in a meaningful, well-planned andcoherent manner.

8 Numbering more than 50 000, Hong Kong teachers require a common referenceframework for establishing direction and creating momentum in continuing development work has been undertaken by the Advisory Committee on Teacher Educationand Qualifications1, which has prepared in this document a framework for teachers continuingprofessional development. The framework is supported by the parallel development of a genericteacher competencies framework. Together, the two frameworks provide teachers and schoolswith an essential tool for the advancement of the planning and practice of their in the education sector are invited to give their views and suggestions about boththe generic teacher competencies framework and the policy framework for teachers continuingprofessional development.

9 Responses should be sent:1 See Appendix A for membership of the Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and by post to :ACTEQ & Professional Development Section, Education & Manpower Bureau,Room 1703, 17 / F, Murray Building, Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong by fax to : (852) 2537 2446 by email to : (Enquiry telephone number : ( 852) 3150 8006)This review report is also available at the following websites :http: / / / ednewhp / teacher / cpdp / english / (English)http: / / / ednewhp / teacher / cpdp / chinese / (Chinese)PPPPPREAMBLEREAMBLEREAMBLEREAMB LEREAMBLE2 CONTEXT AND The need for continuing professional development (CPD) is a deep-rooted conviction inthe teaching profession - to strive in every way for any as to fulfil societyexpectations of a Such a theme recurs constantly in all documents related toeducation CPD, educators meet the rapidly changing needs of students.

10 Over the years,teachers and principals have participated in a wide range of CPD activities through self-initiated learning and school-based staff development. Since the introduction of the SchoolManagement Initiative (SMI) in 1991, SMI schools have been allocating 3 school days perannum for school-based staff development purposes. The practice of arranging 3 staffdevelopment days per school year was further extended to all schools in the territory first formal systematic arrangements for the professional development of school-basededucators were developed in 2002 for principals. For newly appointed principals, ThePrincipals CPD Framework provides a professional development programme for the firsttwo years of service.