Speech by Secretary for Education and Manpower at the HK Institute of Education (Eng only)

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Following is a speech by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mrs Fanny Law, at the Seminar on Teacher Development and Education Reform in Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Institute of Education today (November 9):

Professor Hayhoe, distinguished guests, faculty members of the Institute, ladies and gentlemen,

The seminar today marks the beginning of a new phase of discussion in the long haul of the education reform in Hong Kong. Over the past two years, the Education Commission has provided the backdrop for the education reform and proposed measures to remove constraints in the system that have been stifling change. But, for the education reform to have any real impact on student success, changes must infiltrate the classroom and influence the way teaching and learning are carried out.

2. There is universal agreement that what matters most for students' learning are the commitment and capabilities of their teachers. The challenges from the new era of lifelong learning call for an updated repertoire in teaching, and collaborative learning on the part of teachers, researchers and other education workers. Indeed, teacher development is the critical success factor for the education reform.

3. The Institute of Education currently provides 70% of pre-service and 40% of in-service teacher training places every year, and will play a pivotal role in preparing our teachers for the challenges ahead. This seminar is therefore timely and appropriate, and I thank Professor Hayhoe and her colleagues for the initiative.

4. Teachers learn just as their students do. The way they teach reflects their experience as a student, and what they were taught when they learned to teach. So, if we want a new breed of teachers, the process has to begin with reforming the teacher education programmes. And, the first question to ask is: what do teachers need to know and be able to do?

What do teachers need to know and be able to do?

5. Last April, I visited the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in Michigan. This is a national organisation which establishes high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. The National Board Certification, developed by teachers, with teachers and for teachers, is a symbol of professional teaching excellence. Offered on a voluntary basis, it complements the state licensing systems which set entry level standards for beginning teachers.

6. Five core propositions underpin the National Board's certification requirements:

Teachers are committed to students and their learning;

Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students;

Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning;

Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience;

Teachers are members of learning communities.

I shall elaborate on these propositions to tease out the qualities expected of an accomplished teacher, which are consistent with our vision of education in Hong Kong.

(a) Commitment to student learning

7. Accomplished teachers believe that all students can learn, and act on that belief. They are attentive to individual differences and their influence on learning. They "read" their students by listening to them, watching them interact with peers, and reading what they write. They use their understanding of the students, and knowledge of learning theory and child development, to guide their decisions about how to teach. They strive to provide multiple contexts in which to promote and evaluate student aptitudes and intelligences. They treat students equitably and are concerned with the development of character, aspiration and civic virtues.

(b) Subject knowledge

8. Accomplished teachers appreciate how knowledge in their subjects is created, organised and linked to other disciplines. Understanding the ways of knowing within a subject is crucial to the teacher's ability to teach students to think analytically and generate multiple paths to knowledge. Teaching for understanding also requires students to integrate aspects of knowledge into their habits of thinking.

9. Accomplished teachers keep abreast of available curricular resources and technological developments that have implications for teaching. They constantly evaluate the usefulness of the materials based on their understanding of curriculum theory, of students, of subject matter, and of the school's and their own educational aims.

10. Professional teachers hold high expectations for all students and see themselves as facilitators of learning. They place a premium on student engagement, find ways to capture students' interest, and encourage them in the face of temporary failure. They regularly assess student progress, and use the information to judge the relative success or failure of an instructional strategy. They use a variety of evaluation tools to suit the purpose, timing and focus of an evaluation. They are able to provide constructive feedback to students, parents and themselves. They also help students to engage in self-assessment, instilling in them a sense of responsibility for their own learning.

(d) Reflection

11. Teachers have a professional obligation to be lifelong learners who seek to expand their instructional repertoire, and deepen their knowledge and skill. Aware that experience is not always a good teacher, accomplished teachers stay abreast of current research, incorporate new findings in their teaching, value peer observation and critique, and constantly reflect on their teaching practices.

(e) Learning community

12. Accomplished teachers contribute to school effectiveness by working collaboratively with other professionals on instructional policy, curriculum development, action research and professional development of staff. They are active members of highly productive learning communities. They also work collaboratively with parents, listen to their concerns, respect their perspectives, enlist their support in fostering learning habits, and educate them about school programmes. Professional teachers see the community as a powerful resource for learning with opportunities for enriching projects, lessons and work experiences.

Where do we stand?

13. These are tall orders. The question is: where do we stand, and are we ready for the challenge?

14. For historical reasons, teaching in Hong Kong can hardly be regarded as a "profession". According to Linda Darling-Hammond, a profession seeks "to ensure that its members understand and use standards of practice that put the interests of clients first and base decisions on the best available knowledge. An occupation becomes a profession when it assumes responsibility for developing a shared knowledge base for all of its members and for transmitting that knowledge through professional education, licensing and ongoing peer review".

15. Teachers in Hong Kong do not yet share a common set of professional teaching standards and ethical commitments. Teacher preparation is uneven and not a pre-requisite for registration. There is no consistent measure of teaching performance, nor any requirement for lifelong learning. Today, among the 45,000 primary and secondary school teachers, about 6,800 (15%) are untrained, and 17,000 (37%) do not yet have a degree.

16. Traditionally, we plan for the supply of teachers on a global basis. This has resulted in many of our teachers not having relevant training in the subjects that they teach. Likewise, at the school level, deployment of teachers is constrained by resource and workload considerations at the expense of relevant training. It is common to find teachers, in particular primary school teachers, covering a number of subjects at various grades. Rotation of teachers is also common from one year to another. The lack of specialisation and weak pedagogical content knowledge affect the efficacy of teaching, and contribute to the heavy reliance on the textbook.

17. Whereas trained teachers are expected to possess adequate pedagogical learner knowledge, they often have difficulty translating theories into practices in the school setting. This is a reflection of the shortcoming of existing teacher education programmes, and also calls into question the effectiveness of the existing practicum arrangement in bridging the gap between idealism and reality. Ideally, teacher education should equip teachers with the ability to innovate and overcome constraints in real life situation.

18. For example, the class size has often been cited as an obstacle in dealing with student diversity, although our teacher to student ratio is not unfavourable. Some successful examples of the strategies, which restructured schools in United States have used to help reduce teaching load and increase contact with students, are:

reduce the number of specialists and non-teaching staff, and increase the number of classroom teachers, so as to spread the teaching load;

organise interdisciplinary clusters of teachers at the grade level to enhance understanding of students and their family situation, and enable better teaching strategies to be developed collaboratively;

introduce flexible scheduling, for example, by adding instructional time on some days in order to free up an afternoon on another day each week to provide shared time for planning and professional development;

employ local recreation services to cover art, music and physical education.

Schools can make use of the flexibility of the non-salary lump sum grant to try out some of these strategies or find other ways of freeing up teachers so that they can focus more on students and teaching.

19. In the final analysis, we must overcome the obstinacy of entrenched practices in the organisation of schools, of classrooms and of teaching itself, such as standard class size, rigid time-tabling, textbook-bound instruction, rote learning, and standardised tests. However, unless people in charge have the courage and conviction to venture into uncharted waters, and are adequately supported, there will continue to be complaints about too much flexibility being an additional burden, and reform will be seen as a fad.

New Strategies for Teacher Development

(a) Setting professional standards

20. Building a truly professional teaching force, with conviction and commitment, is vital to the future development of education in Hong Kong. According to Linda Darling-Hammond's definition of professionalism, this will require the establishment of standards of teaching practices and a shared knowledge base among teachers. More importantly, professional teachers must put the interests of clients above personal interests, and must be committed to lifelong learning and transmission of knowledge among peers.

21. Professionalism cannot be imposed, nor faked. An organization carrying the title "professional" does not automatically become professional. Much will depend on the people within it. I earnestly believe professional standards should be set by members of the profession, but with public oversight. However, unless accomplished teachers, who command respect for their professionalism, are prepared to step forward and lead a self-managing organization, professionalism will not take root and flourish among teachers in Hong Kong. And, unless teachers put the interests of students before theirs, the profession will not command the respect of the community.

22. Ideally, teacher education programmes should reflect the professional teaching standards. There should be consistency across institutions, and the teaching profession should be responsible for quality assurance. At present, this is done on an ad hoc basis through informal channels. A more institutionalized arrangement is desirable.

(b) Developing ethical standards

23. Apart from professional knowledge, the ethical dimensions of teaching distinguish it from other professions. Unique demands arise because teachers deal with young persons of impressionable age, whose attendance in schools is compulsory. Not every person has the pre-disposition to be a good teacher. It is therefore incumbent on teacher educators to instill in student teachers the values and personal ethics that we wish students to emulate. This is particularly important at a time when the community expects schools and teachers to re-establish traditional virtues and social values, e.g. filial piety, hard work and volunteerism, which are gradually being eroded in an increasingly materialistic world.

24. One of the main objectives of teacher training is to equip potential and serving teachers with the necessary pedagogical content and learner knowledge to be effective teachers. I shall leave the professional details to more knowledgeable members of the panel.

25. I just wish to highlight three areas of particular concern. First, the textbook has become synonymous with curriculum, and drilling synonymous with teaching. This must be changed. Second, we must change the function of assessment from ranking students for selective purposes to evaluating how well students have learned as a feedback to teaching.

26. Third, teachers must master a repertoire of instructional skills and strategies to deal with individual differences. They must be exposed to new knowledge of multiple intelligences, inclusive education, cooperative learning, authentic assessment, flow, constructivist learning and curriculum integration etc. in order to influence teaching practices. We look to teacher educators to make these changes.

(d) Linking theory with practice

27. At present, pre-service teacher training is seen as the responsibility of teacher education institutions. Not all schools feel that they have an obligation towards teacher development by providing opportunities for practicum and in mentoring student teachers. As a result, teacher education institutions face many constraints in arranging practicum for their students. There is also a tendency on the part of teacher educators to focus on the theoretical aspects of teaching and learning, with insufficient attention being given to its application in the context of the school environment in Hong Kong.

28. We may have to consider designating schools for professional development of teachers where programmes are planned and taught jointly by university and school staff. Like teaching hospitals in medicine, these schools provide an authentic environment in which to support the training of new teachers, and sponsor collaborative research and inquiry. Senior teachers will serve as mentors, adjunct faculty, co-researchers and teacher leaders. Teacher educators should also teach in schools to obtain first-hand experience of the school environment and the problems which a teacher has to face.

(d) Building alliance

29. Faced with the complexities of the reality in a school, we need an alliance of researchers, teachers, and education officers in order to develop an integrated knowledge base and provide the resources to support teaching and learning. An integrated approach to school-based development, which combines tacit knowledge embedded in the culture and structures of the specific schools with expert knowledge from outside, enables collaborative learning beneficial for both individual and organisational growth. Various school effectiveness studies have confirmed the usefulness of the school as the site for reform, as well as professional development.

(e) Professional development of teacher educators

30. As teachers of teachers, our teacher educators should also possess the qualities of accomplished teachers. They must practise what they preach and be the role model for student teachers. They have to undergo continuing professional development to keep up-to-date with new knowledge and assimilate it into their teaching, giving due consideration to applicability in the Hong Kong context. With their knowledge and experience, they are also well placed to provide professional support for teachers in school-based action research.

31. Teacher educators are also goal-keepers for teacher registration. I wish to appeal to you to ensure that only "qualified" teachers are allowed to graduate. Ideally, quality control should begin at the point of entry. But, no matter what the quality of the student intake is, we must ensure that the output meets the basic requirements, in terms of knowledge, attitude and skill. I would rather have one less teacher than having a poor substitute, as the insidious damage to our young people is long-lasting and irreparable.

32. By the same token, I would not wish to see unqualified and uncommitted teacher educators in teacher training institutes. There is no place for by-standers at a time of education reform. Everyone must pitch in. Those who cannot stand the heat, I regret to say, will have to leave the kitchen.

Conclusion

33. Within the time available, I have outlined what an accomplished teacher is expected to know and be able to do, reviewed where we are regarding the professionalism of teachers, and explored possible areas of improvement to teacher development. These are the perspectives of an administrator who has a deep concern and commitment for education. They are clearly not exhaustive and are meant to trigger further thought and discussion. As the Chinese saying goes, I am merely casting a brick, and hope to draw in a gem from the audience. Thank you.

End/Thursday, November 9, 2000

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