Teacher Education in a Postcolonial Hong Kong: Forms, Drivers, Influences, and Agency

Abstract

<p>With the unique character of Hong Kong in a postcolonial context, where eastern philosophies and approaches meet those of the west, it could be presumed that it is an ideal system for generating innovative ideas and practices (Bautista et al. in Int J Res Educ 46:203–260, <a title="Bautista, A., Ho, Y. L., Fan, T., Yeung, J., & Bryant, D. A. (2022). Teacher professional development in Hong Kong: Describing the current infrastructure. International Journal for Research in Education, 46(2), 203–260." href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-28620-9_3#ref-CR8">2022</a>; Lu and Campbell in Practice 3:67–72, <a title="Lu, J., & Campbell, P. (2021). Conceptualising innovation and professional learning in the Hong Kong context. Practice, 3, 67–72." href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-28620-9_3#ref-CR52">2021</a>). However, understanding the role, influence, and impact of teacher education as a career-long pursuit in Hong Kong remains both contested and under-theorised (Bautista et al. in Int J Res Educ 46:203–260, <a title="Bautista, A., Ho, Y. L., Fan, T., Yeung, J., & Bryant, D. A. (2022). Teacher professional development in Hong Kong: Describing the current infrastructure. International Journal for Research in Education, 46(2), 203–260." href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-28620-9_3#ref-CR8">2022</a>). While Hong Kong enjoys a complex and sophisticated teacher education infrastructure which includes a range of opportunities and legislated time to dedicate to the varied forms of teacher education throughout a teachers’ career, such opportunities are frequently reported on as a being too demanding, rigid, or unrelated to practice (Lu and Campbell in Practice 3:67–72, <a title="Lu, J., & Campbell, P. (2021). Conceptualising innovation and professional learning in the Hong Kong context. Practice, 3, 67–72." href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-28620-9_3#ref-CR52">2021</a>; Pang et al. in Asia Pac J Educ 36:231–247, <a title="Pang, N. S. K., Wang, T., & Leung, Z. L. M. (2016). Educational reforms and the practices of professional learning community in Hong Kong primary schools. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 36, 231–247." href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-28620-9_3#ref-CR58">2016</a>). This chapter begins by exploring the context of Hong Kong, and the nature and functions of teacher education. Following this, varying conceptualisations of teacher education, professional learning, and agency, with a particular focus on Hong Kong, are explored. Finally, this chapter explores new ways of understanding the role of teacher agency in the context of teacher education and the implications of this for policy, practice, and research as we imagine the future possibilities of teacher education and education more broadly.<br></p>