Experience of and support for beginning English teachers : a qualitative Hong Kong case study

This thesis reports on qualitative case study research into the experience of six novice English teachers in Hong Kong (HK). It describes their perceived experience, particularly the problems and challenges they encountered, as well as the induction and mentoring support they received during the first year of teaching. While the benefits of different forms of induction support (mentoring in particular) have been established, few studies have focused on specific factors that affect the perceived effectiveness of mentoring, from the point of view of both the mentors and the mentees. The current study therefore breaks new ground in investigating the perspectives of different stakeholders in the mentoring process. What is more, the majority of research reports the nature of the first year of teaching in one snapshot, often not paying attention to the professional development and changes throughout the year. The study follows a group of novice language teachers for the whole of their first year in teaching. The purpose of the case study is to give voice to the perspectives of individual novice teachers within the complex wider sociocultural context that these teachers have to negotiate. Consequently, the thesis begins by establishing key aspects of the HK context that impact on the experience of HK teachers and especially that of novice teachers in their first year. It then provides a literature review that details important contributions to an international understanding of induction and mentoring, as well as relating these to the specific HK situation. After presenting the research methodology and the issues involved, the thesis provides a discussion that both details the needs and challenges of the six participating novices and investigates the provision and perception of school-based induction and mentoring, as well as the roles these mechanisms play in their professional development, support and socialisation. As a subsidiary research question, the project also investigates whether and how the Induction Tool Kit (ACTEQ, 2009), the first official document supporting HK schools in providing support for beginning teachers, is used in schools the participants teach in. It also examines how challenges of first-year teachers, support for them, and professional development are understood by ACTEQ, the commission that advises the HK government on teacher education and development policies, manifested in the design and language of the tool kit. These are compared to the actual experience of the participating novices in the case study. The thesis concludes by suggesting the implications of the findings, as well as providing recommendations on how ACTEQ, teacher-training universities and schools can better support novice English language teachers and their mentors. The limitations of the project and ways of disseminating the findings will also be discussed after outlining these contributions

University campus as service site : addressing campus needs through service-learning

Service-Learning (S-L) has been proven in many studies to be a good means for promoting university students’ civic / community engagement (e.g. Vickers, Harris & McCarthy, 2004; Astin et al., 2006). A vast majority of the services in S-L courses in Higher Education take place in partnering service agencies and communities they serve, such as elderly homes and social enterprises. The idea that university campus is a community with unique needs and therefore a potential service site is often neglected. There are indeed social needs within university campuses, such as food waste (e.g. UC Berkeley, 2012; The City University of Hong Kong, 2012) and food insecurity (e.g. The Florida State University, 2013), which have been identified and addressed by students and faculty, albeit few. At Lingnan University, Hong Kong, the Office of S-L offers an introductory S-L course, titled Community Engagement through Service-Learning. Students are exposed to the basic S-L theories and engage in discussion related to social welfare, a selection of social issues, S-L and critical reflection. They are also required to design, implement and evaluate a S-L project that addresses a specific need on the Lingnan campus. This study aims to explore the impact of different service site arrangements on students’ perceived learning outcomes (with regard to the generic intended outcomes for all S-L courses in the university) and service experience. This will be done qualitatively, by analysing the contents of students’ group project proposals and final reports, as well as that of a mid-term reflective meeting and an end-of-term focus group with the students (N=7). Also, half of the class (4 out of 7) have had S-L experience in other courses, in which they served in external agencies. They will be able to offer comparisons between these two types of service experience (i.e. those on campus and outside campus). The preliminary findings will be available in late May, 2013

Teaching and learning global citizenship through service-learning : the success story of cross-border service-learning summer institute, Lingnan University, Hong Kong

Global Citizenship education is an important concept in the curricular reforms worldwide and Lingnan University’s internationalization strategy. Since 2012, this concept has been integrated in the teaching and learning in different Service-Learning courses and programs, including the Cross-Border Service-Learning Summer Institute (SLSI), which is a 7-week summer course (bearing 3 credits) that has been offered since 2010. It is one of the first international Service-Learning programs in Asia that enables students from different cultural backgrounds to engage in learning of and discussion on global issues and their regional implications, as well as putting into practice what they have learned, through services and research. Students learn to be global citizens, being prepared for future social and civic challenges. According to Morais and Ogden (2010), Global Citizenship consists of three dimensions: Social Responsibility, Global Competence and Global Civic Engagement: 1. Social Responsibility: Students can perceive a certain level of interdependence and show concern to others, society and the environment 2. Global Competence: Students are open-minded, actively seeking to understand others’ cultural norms and expectations and utilizing this knowledge to interact, communicate, and work effectively even outside their environment 3. Global Civic Engagement: Students demonstrate a predisposition toward recognizing local, state, national and global community issues and respond through actions such as volunteerism. Service-Learning is the platform in SLSI upon which students become global citizens following these three aspects. They are given the service and research opportunities to apply course materials to authentic situations and develop high-level knowledge and skills (e.g. intercultural competence) in the process. Through the diverse teaching and learning activities (which include guest lectures, Service-Learning practicums both in Hong Kong and Mainland China etc), students’ sense of civic responsibility and qualities as competent global citizens are enhanced. Results from the pre- and post-course questionnaires and content analysis of the end-of-course focus group show that Service-Learning, in particular SLSI, is an effective pedagogy in supporting the development of global citizen efficacy among undergraduate students

A handbook for using elder academy as a platform of other learning experiences

This handbook will discuss how school syllabus, Other Learning Experiences (OLE) and Elder Academy (EA) can be integrated. It will provide some structures for schools as a reference and help develop a comprehensive learning plan. Besides, the handbook will mention different roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, as well as the suggestions and guidelines for assessment. The programs and activities in the “Elder Academy at Lingnan” will be taken as examples to demonstrate the guidelines. This can provide a better understanding of the operation mode of the integration between school curricula, OLE and EA. Hence, interested stakeholders can perform their own plans more systematically and effectively.https://commons.ln.edu.hk/osl_book/1000/thumbnail.jp

Elder academy : curriculum design and operation model = 長者學苑 : 課程設計與運作模式

Ever since the launching of the Elder Academy in 2007, numerous schools have joined the fray bringing with them valuable innovations, presenting the elderly and students with a wide variety of educational activities. The experiences of the Elder Academy at Lingnan and other academies are summarized in this handbook, in order to provide a frame of reference and an operation guide for other schools and organizations, so that they may design their own comprehensive teaching and learning plans. In this handbook, the roles and responsibilities of participating organizations are explained, and there are guidelines and suggestions regarding assessment methods. Apart from the instructions on teaching and learning activities, examples of course syllabi and activities are also included to offer some insights into the operation of the schools and their courses, allowing institutions to better carry out similar projects in a more systematic manner.https://commons.ln.edu.hk/osl_book/1001/thumbnail.jp

The role of mentoring in supporting novice English language teachers in Hong Kong

This article reports on qualitative case study research into the experience and support of four novice English language teachers in Hong Kong (HK). It describes their perceived experience and socialisation, particularly with regard to the induction and mentoring support they receive during the first year of teaching. While the benefits of different forms of induction support (mentoring in particular) have been established, few studies have focused on specific factors that affect the perceived effectiveness of mentoring, from the point of view of both the mentors and the mentees. The current study therefore breaks new ground in investigating the perspectives of different stakeholders in the mentoring process. What is more, the majority of research reports the nature of the first year of teaching in one snapshot, often not paying attention to the professional development and changes throughout the year. This study follows a group of novice language teachers for the whole of their first year in teaching