IEMA

Centre News Archive


December 2014
APCLC Leader Learning Workshop for outstanding Chinese Mainland principals from New School Academy

On Dec 29-30, 2014, Dr. Lu Jiafang, APCLC Associate Director and Associate Professor of EPL, conducted a Leader Learning workshop for outstanding Chinese Mainland principals from New School Academy. The learning workshop looked at principals’ skills and knowledge on leading change and hence advancing China leaders’ and educators’ leadership and capacity.

Visit for Deputy Director of School of Continuing Education of The Open University of China

Mr. Liu Yuxin (Deputy Director of School of Continuing Education of The Open University of China) visited the APCLC on December 12, 2014. During his visit, he and Prof. Allan Walker (Joseph Lau Chair Professor of International Educational Leadership and Director of APCLC), discussed on how the two units can work together to improving e-learning courses in China.

EPL - APCLC Knowledge Transfer Seminar on December 12, 2014

Dr. James Ko, Assistant Professor at EPL and Research Fellow of The Joseph Lau Luen Hung Charitable Trust Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change of HKIEd (hereafter APCLC) conducted a Knowledge Transfer Seminar on 'Arbitrariness in building education leadership theories' for HKIEd faculty on December 12, 2014.

  • Date: Dec 12, 2014 (Friday)
  • Time: 12:00noon to 1:00pm
  • Venue: D3-LP-02, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po Campus
  • Enquires / Registration: Tel: 2948 8476 (Aaron Chan) Email: ayfchan@ied.edu.hk

About the Seminar
In this seminar, Dr. Ko will discuss arbitrariness in educational leadership theory building and argue that educational leadership theories such as transformational leadership and instructional leadership had major shortcomings as they tended to characterize school leadership on its specific rather than generic aspects.

Based on the data of a study examining the dynamic impacts of school principals on changes in student learning through school improvements, a series of structural educational models were set up with a set of variables related to principal values, principal efficacy, policy enactment, and leadership practices addressing rival theories of educational leadership. Evidence for the study was provided by 168 senior teachers of 41 schools to a survey, along with value-added student achievement data between 2006 and 2008. Path analytic techniques were adopted to address the objectives for the study.

Models set up to test the relative significance of constructs. Results showed that school leaders’ efficacy also had the strong, positive impacts on the enactment of education reforms and school improvements. Constructs under-researched, like values and qualities of principals, were found to be an important antecedent of principal efficacy. These findings suggest the shortcomings of leadership theories that failed to address policy enactment. Results also indicated that neither model-fitness nor parsimoniousness should not be the only criterion for evaluating rival models.

Keynote presentation at Hong Kong Education Policy Roundtable Forum 2014

Prof. Cheng Yin-cheong, APCLC Senior Research Fellow and Research Chair Professor of Leadership and Change, was invited to give a keynote presentation at Hong Kong Education Policy Roundtable Forum with the theme “Collaborating for Hong Kong Education Development”, co-organized by the Hong Kong Institute of Education (Centre for Governance and Citizenship), Roundtable Education and Hong Kong Policy Research Institute on 12 December 2014.  The topic of Prof. Cheng’s keynote presentation is “Hong Kong education reforms in a global perspective: Development, review and prospect”.

To know more about the conference, please visit the website.

Keynote presentation at International Conference in Beijing Normal University

Prof. Cheng Yin-cheong, APCLC Senior Research Fellow and Research Chair Professor of Leadership and Change, was invited to give a keynote presentation at the International Conference in Beijing on 3-5 December 2014, under the theme of “Social Emotional Learning and Enhancement in Basic Education”. The topic of Prof. Cheng’s keynote presentation is “School management improvement for quality enhancement in social emotional learning.”

APCLC Knowledge Transfer Seminar on December 3, 2014

Dr. Liu Peng, Assistant Professor at EPL and Research Fellow of The Joseph Lau Luen Hung Charitable Trust Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change of HKIEd (hereafter APCLC) conducted a Knowledge Transfer Seminar on 'Transformational Leadership' for faculty and post-graduate students from Tin Ka Ping Educational Research Institute at Zhejiang Normal University on December 3, 2014.

To know more about the seminar, please visit the website.

November 2014
Public Lecture by Professor Howard Gardner – Beyond Wit and Grit

Professor Howard Gardner gave a public lecture at The Hong Kong Institute of Education on Nov 13, 2014. The event was co-hosted by the Faculty of Education and Human Development and Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change. Professor Gardner’s talk was titled “Beyond Wit and Grit”. An audience of more than 500 school principals, academics, scholar-practitioners and students shared the experience.


Keynote presentation at Thailand’s Educational Leader Sympoisum 2014

Prof. Cheng Yin-cheong, APCLC Senior Research Fellow and Research Chair Professor of Leadership and Change, was invited to give a keynote presentation at the Thailand’s Educational Leader Sympoisum 2014  on 26-27 November 2014, under the theme of “Steps toward Success in Educational Institute Management of the 21st Century”. The topic of Prof. Cheng’s keynote presentation is “Towards the 3rd wave teacher development for learners of the 21st century.”

TELS 2014 provides an opportunity for experts and executives to impart and exchange their experience in determining visions and planning the educational institute management to be consistent with changes in the 21st Century. Ultimately, the participants can apply the ideas and experience gained to ensure the best management practice.

To know more about TELS 2014, please visit the conference website.


Paper presentation at The 42nd Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Comparative and International Education Society

Prof. Allan Walker (Joseph Lau Chair Professor of International Educational Leadership, Director of APCLC and Dean of FEHD), Prof. Lee Moosung (International Affiliate of APCLC and Centenary Professor of University of Canberra) and Dr. Ewan Wright (Former Researcher of The University of Hong Kong) gave a paper presentation at The 42nd Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Comparative and International Education Society at Brisbane, Australia on November 26-28, 2014. Their paper topic is “The emergence of elite International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) schools in China: A skyboxification perspective”.

To know more about Prof. Walker, Prof. Lee and Dr. Wright’s paper presentation, please visit the conference website.


The Second Annual Conference of Hong Kong Principals’ Institute

The Second Annual Conference of Hong Kong Principals’ Institute was held at the Cityview Hotel Hong Kong on November 25, 2014. It was co-hosted by the Hong Kong Principals’ Institute and The Joseph Lau Luen Hung Charitable Trust Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change of the Hong Kong Institute of Education. Ms Marg Warren and The Hon. Jasper Y. S. Tsang delivered their keynote speeches in topics of “Using the Lessons of Leadership to Achieve Results – The Ontario System” and “Citizenship in ‘One Country, Two Systems’” respectively. The Conference brought together 150 educational leaders and scholar practitioners to discuss the development trends of education and Principal Leadership of Hong Kong.

To know more about the Conference, please visit: http://www.hkpi.org.hk/images/anuual/hkpi2014_02.pdf.

28th Annual UCEA Convention

The 28th annual UCEA Convention was held at Hilton Washington on November 20-23, 2014.

Prof. Allan Walker (Joseph Lau Chair Professor of International Educational Leadership, Director of APCLC and Dean of FEHD), Prof. Yang Xiaowei (Senior Research Fellow of APCLC and Professor of East China Normal University) and Dr. Qian Haiyan (Research Fellow of APCLC and Assistant Professor of EPL) gave a paper presentation at the paper session of Contexts for Learning: Leadership in Improving School Climate and Culture. The presentation topic is "Building and Leading Learning Cultures: A Case Study of a Shanghai Primary School".

At the 2014 International Summit of the 28th annual UCEA Convention, Prof. Allan Walker and Research fellows of APCLC (Dr. David Gurr, Dr. Lawrie Drysdale, Dr. Elson Szeto and Dr. Annie Cheng) were  invited to share their findings on successful leadership research.   During the Convention, Senior Research Fellow of APCLC, Prof. Philip Hallinger, was given the UCEA Award in recognizing his contributions to scholarship, teaching, student development, and the improvement of educational leadership preparation and practice.

To know more about the UCEA Convention 2014, please visit the convention website.

Visit for Dr Jane Wilkinson, Griffith Institute for Educational Research (GIER), Griffith University

Dr Jane Wilkinson, Associate Professor, School of Education and Professional Studies and Griffith Institute for Educational Research (GIER), Griffith University, visited the APCLC on Nov 20, 2014. During her visit, she discussed a proposal for an edited book: “'Interrogating leadership: Examining cultural sites for leading practices' and possible collaborative research endeavours between the GIER and the APCLC.

APCLC Research Fellow Dr. Choi Taehee received the Young Scholar Best Paper Awards (The Asia Pacific Educational Research Association)

Dr. Choi Taehee received the Young Scholar Best Paper Awards 2014 sponsored by Springer. This award is given by the division in recognition of quality contributions to academic research and writing among young scholars who present papers at the APERA-HKERA Conference 2014.

About Dr. Choi Taehee

Dr. CHOI Taehee is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Policy and Leadership (EPL), Hong Kong Institute of Education. She is also a Research Fellow of the Institute's Joseph Lau Luen Hung Charitable Trust Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change (APCLC) and Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy (FHEA). She received her MA degree in Second Language Studies at University of Hawaii at Manoa, US, and her doctoral degree in Education from King’s College London, UK. Her current research focuses on education policies and reforms in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in the areas of policy and reform implementation, evaluation of reforms, teacher development in reform context, and English language education or language-in-education.

Previously she was a visiting lecturer at King’s College London, UK (2010 – July 2013), was actively involved in teacher education of pre- and in-service teachers and policy advisory in South Korea (2005-2009), English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching (1995-2009) and publication of numerous EFL learning and teaching resources.


Visit for Dr Paul Chua, Centre for Research in Pedagogy & Practice at National Institute of Education (Singapore)

Dr CHUA Meng Huat Paul on behalf of the Centre for Research in Pedagogy & Practice at National Institute of Education (Singapore) visited the APCLC on Nov 20, 2014. During his visit, he will discuss possible collaborative research endeavours between the CRPP and the APCLC.



Keynote presentation at The Asia Pacific Education Research Association International Conference 2014

Prof. Cheng Yin-cheong, APCLC Senior Research Fellow and Research Chair Professor of Leadership and Change, was invited to give a keynote presentation at The Asia Pacific Education Research Association International Conference 2014, under the theme “Managing global changes and education reforms: Asia and Pacific Reponses”. The topic of Prof. Cheng’s keynote presentation is “Conceptualizations and dilemmas in measuring teacher effectiveness”.

To know more about his presentation, please visit the conference website.


Paper presentations at The 3rd International Conference of Exploring Leadership & Learning Theories in Asia (ELLTA)

The 3rd International Conference of Exploring Leadership & Learning Theories in Asia (ELLTA) was held at Penany, Malaysia on November 17-19, 2014.

Dr. Dora Ho, (Research Fellow of APCLC and Associate Professor of ECE) and Dr. Liu Peng (Research Fellow of APCLC and Assistant Professor of EPL) gave paper presentations at the conference. Their paper topics are "Leadership for School-based Teacher Professional Development in Early Childhood Education: A Study of Preschools in Hong Kong”, “Making a Place for Teachers’ Voice: Understanding Shared Leadership in Western-Style Preschools in Hong Kong” and “A framework for understanding Chinese leadership: A cultural approach”.

To know more about their presentations, please visit the conference website.


Knowledge Transfer Seminar on November 17, 2014

Dr. Elson Szeto, Assistant Professor at EPL and Research Fellow of The Joseph Lau Luen Hung Charitable Trust Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change of HKIEd (hereafter APCLC)conducted a Knowledge Transfer Seminar on 'From Recipient to Contributor: The Story of a Social Justice Leader in a Hong Kong Primary School' for HKIEd faculty on November 17, 2014.

  • Date: Nov 17, 2014 (Monday)
  • Time: 12:30pm to 1:30pm
  • Venue: D2-LP-18, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po Campus
  • Enquires / Registration: Tel: 2948 8476 (Aaron Chan) Email: ayfchan@ied.edu.hk

About the Seminar
This seminar is based on a recently published paper titled From recipient to contributor: The story of a social justice leader in a Hong Kong primary school. I shall present a principal's story of social justice practice in a Hong Kong primary school. The narration accounts for the notion of social justice through his practice in various ways. Studying in a 'rooftop' primary school located in a public housing area in Hong Kong was the principal's salient memory of his first year of schooling in times of limited resources. Perhaps because of a change in education policy, he was subsequently transferred to a better school sponsored by a charitable organization under the subsidy scheme of the then colonial government. As a recipient, he found a great contrast between the two schools in terms of teaching and learning resources and school environments. The principal's personal educational experiences and teachers' educational ideology sowed the seeds of social justice for the students and the community in which the school is located. The story suggests how the principal made sense of social justice through his practice. it reflects the values of social justice which benefit not only students and teachers but also the community with equity and equality in education.

About Dr. Elson Szeto
Dr. Elson Szeto is Assistant Professor in the Department of Education Policy and Leadership and Research Fellow of APCLC. He has been teaching in post-secondary level over 15 years. His research interests include successful and effective school leaders, effects of mentorship on principals' leadership development, principals' leadership qualities and social justice leadership. He also publishes articles in international peer-reviewed journals for continuing dialogues on related educational issues.

Keynote presentation at the International Conference on Education Reform Review

Prof. Cheng Yin-cheong, APCLC Senior Research Fellow and Research Chair Professor of Leadership and Change, was invited to give a keynote presentation at International Conference on Education Reform Review on November 14-16, 2014 at Faculty of Education of National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan. The topic of his presentation is “Hong Kong education reforms: Review for future developments”.

EPL - APCLC Knowledge Transfer Seminar on November 14, 2014

Dr. Darren Bryant, Assistant Professor at EPL and Associate Director of The Joseph Lau Luen Hung Charitable Trust Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change of HKIEd (hereafter APCLC) conducted a Knowledge Transfer Seminar on 'The International Baccalaureate Continuum: Student, Teacher and School Outcomes' for HKIEd faculty on November 14, 2014.

  • Date: Nov 14, 2014 (Friday)
  • Time: 12:30pm to 1:30pm
  • Venue: D4-G-04, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po Campus
  • Enquires / Registration: Tel: 2948 8476 (Aaron Chan) Email: ayfchan@ied.edu.hk

About the Seminar
In 2006, the IBO reconstituted its Primary Years Programme (PYP) student profile for application to all IB programmes as the learner profile (LP). The 10 attributes of the LP provide a framework to support the articulation of pedagogy, curriculum, and assessment across the three-program continuum, PYP, MYP and DP. The time elapsed since the introduction of the LP has permitted (potentially) one cohort of full-continuum students to graduate with the LP informing their learning experience.

Exploring the impact of the IB continuum is important given the rapid expansion of IB authorized school internationally, and in Southeast Asia in particular. Many of these schools are international schools with highly mobile student populations. With limited research in these contexts, this presentation reports on the findings of a mixed methods study that ask three questions:

What is the impact of the IB continuum on student outcomes?
What is the impact on teachers of implementing the full IB continuum?
What is the impact on schools of implementing the full IB continuum?

The results have led to the development of a Framework of Leadership in IB schools comprising 11 leadership constructs. The presentation will relate the framework and compare full and partial continuum student and school outcomes, which are informed by qualitative data. Participants will be invited to respond to the findings.

The findings are relevant not only to IB schools, but also to school or school systems which aim to align teaching and learning to broadly defined programme learning outcomes.

This data emerges from an APCLC International Education Research Project with Professor Allan Walker (Joseph Lau Chair Professor of International Educational Leadership, Director of APCLC and Dean of Faculty of Education and Human Development) and Professor Moosung Lee (Centenary Professor, University of Canberra).

About Dr. Darren Bryant
Dr. Bryant is Assistant Professor in the Department of Education Policy and Leadership at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. He completed the PhD in Hong Kong University’s Policy, Administration and Social Sciences Education department in 2011. He has conducted studies related to teacher collaboration around school-based curriculum, innovation sustainability, international leader preparation and implementation of formative assessment. Previously Dr. Bryant served for 12 years as a teacher and mid-level leader, holding positions of school-wide curriculum and accreditation coordinator, humanities panel chair and history teacher. These positions provided practical experience as a mid-level leader in leading teams involved in school-based curriculum development, outcomes-based education, programme design and evaluation, and social sciences education. He is also Associate Director of the APCLC; Managing Editor for the Journal of Educational Administration, based in the APCLC, and programme coordinator of the International Executive Master of Arts in Leadership and Change, HKIEd.

FEHD-APCLC Public Lecture Beyond Wit and Grit by Professor Howard Gardner

A Public Lecture entitled “Beyond Wit and Grit” by Professor Howard Gardner, Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, was held on Nov 13, 2014.  It was co-hosted by the Faculty of Education and Human Development and The Joseph Lau Luen Hung Charitable Trust Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change of the Hong Kong Institute of Education.

Details below:

Date: November 13, 2014 (Thursday)
Time: 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm
Venue: Block C, Lower Podium, Lecture Theatre 11
Hong Kong Institute of Education
10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po.
Speaker: Professor Howard Gardner
Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Lecture topic: Beyond Wit and Grit
(also see the Lecture abstract by Professor Gardner attached)
Enquiries/
Registration:
Tel: 2948 6257 or 2948 8270
Email: adw-pd@ied.edu.hk
Online Registration: please click HERE

About Professor Howard Gardner
Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education

Howard Gardner is the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He also holds positions as Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and Senior Director of Harvard Project Zero. Among numerous honors, Gardner received a MacArthur Prize Fellowship in 1981 and the University of Louisville’s Grawemeyer Award in Education in 2000. He has received honorary degrees from twenty-nine colleges and universities, including institutions in Bulgaria, Chile, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, South Korea and Spain. He has twice been selected by Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines as one of the 100 most influential most influential public intellectuals in the world. In 2011, Gardner received the Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences.

The author of twenty-nine books translated into thirty-two languages, and several hundred articles, Gardner is best known in educational circles for his theory of multiple intelligences, a critique of the notion that there exists but a single human intelligence that can be adequately assessed by standard psychometric instrument . During the past two decades, Gardner and colleagues at Project Zero have been involved in the design of performance-based assessments; education for understanding; the use of multiple intelligences to achieve more personalized curriculum, instruction, and pedagogy; and the quality of interdisciplinary efforts in education. Since the middle 1990s, in collaboration with psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and William Damon, Gardner has directed the GoodWork Project – a study of work that is excellent, engaging, and ethical – which is now a component of the larger Good Project. More recently, with long time Project Zero colleagues Lynn Barendsen and Wendy Fischman, he has conducted reflection sessions designed to enhance the understanding and incidence of good work among young people. With Carrie James and other colleagues at Project Zero, he is also investigating the ethical dimensions entailed in the use of the new digital media. Among new research undertakings are a study of effective collaboration among non-profit institutions in education; a study of conceptions of quality, of effective collaboration among nationally and internationally, in the non-profit contemporary era; and a major study of the traditional 4-year residential college experience. His latest book with co-author Katie Davis, The App Generation: How Today’s Youth Navigate Identity, Intimacy, and Imagination in the Digital World, was published in October 2013.



Visit for Head of School of Education and Director of the Centre for School Leadership, Charles Darwin University & CEO of Queensland Education Leadership Institute

Prof. Peter Kell (Head of School of Education, Charles Darwin University), Prof. Gary Fry (Director of the Centre for School Leadership, Charles Darwin University) and Dr. Stephen Brown, CEO of Queensland Education Leadership Institute (QELI) visited the APCLC on Nov 10, 2014. During their visit, they and Prof. Allan Walker (Joseph Lau Chair Professor of International Educational Leadership and Director of APCLC) discussed on how the two Institutions can work together to further promote research and leader development in the Asia Pacific region.

APCLC Leader Learning Workshop for Lions Clubs International Ho Tak Sum Primary School

On November 7, 2014, Dr. Lu Jiafang, APCLC Associate Director and Associate Professor of EPL, gave a Leader Learning workshop for faculty of Lions Clubs International Ho Tak Sum Primary School. The learning workshop looked at cooperative approach to teamwork and conflict management with faculty of Lions Clubs International Ho Tak Sum Primary School and eventually helped advance their capacity as a team of teaching professionals.

APCLC Senior Research Fellow Prof. Cheng Yin-cheong as Influential Expert of the 2014 World Innovation Summit of Education (WISE)

Prof. Cheng Yin-cheong, APCLC Senior Research Fellow and Research Chair Professor of Leadership and Change was invited as an influential expert in attending the 2014 World Innovation Summit of Education (WISE) that was held on November 4-6, in Doha, Qatar, under the theme “Imagine – Create – Learn: Creating at the Heart of Education”.

Since 2009, WISE has brought together decision makers, influential experts and practitioners at an annual Summit in Doha, to explore groundbreaking innovations and take concrete steps to make significant improvements to worldwide education. The annual World Innovation Summit for Education is the premier international platform dedicated to innovation and creative action in education where top decision-makers share insights with on-the-ground practitioners and collaborate to rethink education.

The annual WISE Summit is the premier international platform dedicated to innovation and creative action in education where top decision-makers share insights with on-the-ground practitioners and collaborate to rethink education.

More than 1,500 leading experts, innovators, prominent thought leaders, influential political and corporate decision-makers from over 100 countries gathered for the sixth annual Summit to debate, network, share and explore innovative solutions to pressing challenges facing education.

To know more about the WISE Summit, please visit the website.

October 2014
Visit for Director of Professional Learning of Ontario Principals’ Council and CEO of International School Leadership Ltd.

Joanne Robinson, Director of Professional Learning of Ontario Principals’ Council (OPC) and CEO of International School Leadership Ltd. (ISL) visited the APCLC on Oct 28, 2014. During her visit, she discussed possible collaborative professional development programmes for teachers, principals, school heads between the OPC / ISL and the Centre.

APCLC Senior Research Fellow Prof. Cheng Yin-cheong as the Advisory Board Member of Global Education Futures (GEF) Forum

Prof. Cheng Yin-cheong, APCLC Senior Research Fellow and Research Chair Professor of Leadership and Change was invited as the advisory board member of Global Education Futures (GEF) Forum.

Global Education Futures Forum is a global gathering of carefully selected stakeholders who represent key forces that are shaping the future of education.

The goal of the forum is to catalyze systemic institutional transformations and emergence of impactful educational initiatives and startups across the globe that will make educational systems more flexible, open, accessible, and capable of addressing human learning needs across different stages of life.

Global Education Futures (GEF) Forum aims to produce actionable outcomes for the international community of education leaders. It therefore will aim to present, pivot or even generate transformational initiatives and high-potential education startups based on 'maps of the future' co-created by the forum participants. It is a platform where the future of education should actually be shaped.

The forum design will be created as a series of participatory processes where every forum's participant will be able to share and discuss their ideas with others. More traditional element of keynote presentations and panels will only take a fraction of the forum, and it will help to frame pressing problems of the present or of the dystopian scenarios, and to pinpoint some of the dramatic opportunities that will be further explored in group sessions.

GEFF events will be held sequentially in three places: San Francisco, San Paolo and Singapore – to address regional and cultural specifics. The primary operator of GEFF is Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (SkolTech), co-founded by Skolkovo Foundation (Russia) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Higher School of Economics – Institute of Education is the event content partner.

To know more about the GEFF, please visit the GEFF website.



Expert Discussion at Advisory meeting of the International Advisory Committee for the implementation of Saudi Arabia K-12 Education Reform Strategy

Prof. Cheng Yin-cheong, APCLC Senior Research Fellow and Research Chair Professor of Leadership and Change was invited to participate in the expert discussion at the advisory meeting of the International Advisory Committee for the implementation of Saudi Arabia K-12 Education Reform Strategy on October 20-21, 2014 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for furthering the educational reform forging through the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Public Education Development Project (Tatweer).

Tatweer is the title of the King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Public Education Development Project—a $2.4 billion program aimed at changing the way the country's nearly 5 million students are educated. The ostensible idea of Tatweer is to improve the quality of graduates in Saudi Arabia—that as the country's population explodes (more than 70 percent of Saudi Arabia is under the age of 30) and oil revenues dwindle, the kingdom needs more critical thinkers prepared to enter a modern, diversified workplace. Guided by the Tatweer, the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia is embarking on an ambitious journey to transform the education system and provide all students with the knowledge and skills they need in the 21st. Century.

Currently Prof Cheng is the advisor for the International Advisory Committee for the implementation of Saudi Arabia K-12 Education Reform Strategy.

Keynote Presentation at The IB Africa, Europe & Middle East Regional Conference 2014

Prof. Allan Walker, Joseph Lau Chair Professor of International Educational Leadership and Director of APCLC, gave the keynote presentation at The IB Africa, Europe & Middle East Regional Conference 2014 on October 16-19, 2014 in Rome, Italy. The presentation topic is "Leadership (aspiring) – Forging a Path to Leadership in a Global Context."

To know more about Prof. Walker's presentation, please visit the conference website.


Keynote Presentation at Open Innovations Forum

Prof. Cheng Yin-cheong, APCLC Senior Research Fellow and Research Chair Professor of Leadership and Change, was invited as a special guest and to give a keynote presentation at Open Innovations Forum on October 14-16, 2014 at Technopolis Moscow, Russia. The scope of Professor Cheng’s keynote presentation will be “Dynamics in Education: New Players and Models of Disruption”.

To know more about Prof. Cheng's presentation, please visit the conference website.

Visit for Director of the Griffith Institute for Educational Research and Associate Professor of School of Education and Professional Studies of Griffith University

Prof. Greer Johnson (Director, The Griffith Institute for Educational Research of Griffith University) and Dr. Bev Fluckiger (Associate Professor, School of Education and Professional Studies of Griffith University), visited the APCLC on October 3-10, 2014. During their visit, they and Prof. Allan Walker (Joseph Lau Chair Professor of International Educational Leadership and Director of APCLC), discussed on how the two Centres can work together to further promote research in the Asia Pacific region. They also shared with the HKIEd faculty the “Principals as Literacy Leaders with Indigenous Communities Project” as well as their research and ideas on leadership, literacy and pedagogy in early childhood education.

September 2014
APCLC Knowledge Transfer / Academic Exchange Programme –
Leaders' Learning for scholar-practitioners of “University (University of Melbourne) High School”

The APCLC offered a Leading Learning programme for scholar-practitioners of “University (University of Melbourne) High School” (hereafter UHS) from Sep 21, 2014 to Sep 27, 2014.

During the programme, Principal Robert Newton and his team and Dr David GURR, Senior Lecturer of Graduate Division of Education at University of Melbourne visited different secondary schools in Hong Kong, namely, (i) The Renaissance College Hong Kong, (ii) The King George V School, (iii) The Jockey Club Ti-I College, (iv) Shatin Pui Ying College and (v) St. Paul’s Co-Educational College, as well as meeting leaders from international educational organizations. They were also offered a formal learning session that was held at The Hong Kong Institute of Education.

At the formal learning session, Prof. Allan Walker, Joseph Lau Chair Professor of International Educational Leadership, Director of APCLC and Faculty Dean of Education and Human Development, provided a focus on themes related to intercultural and strategic leadership. Dr. Qian Haiyan, Assistant Professor of Department of Education Policy and Leadership and Research Fellow of APCLC, led discussions related to intercultural leadership and leading world class schools. Dr. Darren Bryant, Assistant Professor of Department of Education Policy and Leadership and Associate Director of APCLC also discussed about developing teacher leaders.


APCLC – FEHD Knowledge Transfer Seminar on September 24, 2014

Dr. David GURR, Senior Lecturer in educational leadership within the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne, and Research Fellow of APCLC conducted a Knowledge Transfer seminar on “Reflections in the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP)” for HKIEd faculty in September. Details below:

  • Date: Sep 24, 2014 (Wednesday)
  • Time: 2:00pm to 3:30pm
  • Venue: D1-LP-08, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po Campus
  • Enquires / Registration: Tel: 2948 8270 (Eugene Wong) Email: apclc@ied.edu.hk

About the Seminar
Since 2002 the ISSPP has been exploring the characteristics and practices of successful school leaders. With more than 20 countries involved, over 100 case studies, four books, seven special journal issues and more than 100 refereed articles and chapters, it is perhaps the largest project of its type ever conducted.

In this seminar, a founding member of the project, Dr. David Gurr will use recent writing of his to reflect on understanding about school leadership gained through research as part of the ISSPP. Topics covered are likely to include: the history of the ISSPP; common understandings about school leadership; the influence of context and culture on leadership; heroic leadership; and, leadership models (including a discussion of middle-level leadership).

Paper presentations at British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Meeting 2014

Prof. Allan Walker (Joseph Lau Chair Professor of International Educational Leadership, Director of APCLC and Dean of FEHD) and his HK and UK counterparts of the ESRC-RGC research project gave paper presentations at the Symposium of ‘Reshaping Educational Practice for Improvement: How Successful Schools Enacts Government Reforms in England and Hong Kong’ in BERA Annual Meeting 2014 at Institute of Education, London on September 24, 2014.

Their presentations at the Symposium include:

  1. Overview of the Research Design of the ESRC-RGC Research Project
    “Reshaping Educational Practice for Improvement”

  2. Models of the Perceived Impact of Headteacher Leadership on Improvements in Pupil Outcomes:
    Results from the Survey Research on Senior and Middle Leaders

  3. Enacting Values and Educational Purpose:
    How Leaders of the Case Studies Schools Mediate Policy for Improvement

  4. How Successful Secondary Schools in England and Hong Kong Reshape External Educational Reforms:
    Key Messages from the Research

To know more about Prof. Walker and his ESRC-RGC research project team’s paper presentations, please visit the BERA 2014 website. For more information about the project, please visit: http://www.ied.edu.hk/apclc/research_19.html.

APCLC Knowledge Transfer / Academic Exchange Programme – Leaders' Learning for Leaders of “Leading Educators Around the Planet (LEAP)”

The APCLC offered a Leading Learning programme for Leading Educators Around the Planet (LEAP) in which principals, vice-principals and supervisory officials from New South Wales, Australia were invited to participate. The APCLC has been in collaboration with the English Schools Foundation to provide the learning at the Hong Kong session.

On September 22, 2014, a full day learning session was held at The Hong Kong Institute of Education. During the programme Prof. Allan Walker, Joseph Lau Chair Professor of International Educational Leadership, Director of APCLC and Dean of Faculty of Education and Human Development, provided a focus on themes related to intercultural and strategic leadership. Dr. Qian Haiyan, Assistant Professor of Department of Education Policy and Leadership and Research Fellow of APCLC, led discussions related to intercultural leadership and leading world class schools. Dr. Darren Bryant, Assistant Professor of Department of Education Policy and Leadership and Associate Director of APCLC discussed about developing teacher leaders. The participants are offered an opportunity to visit an international school in Hong Kong to exchange experience and knowledge with international education leaders in Hong Kong.

In 2009, Leading Educators Around the Planet (LEAP NSW) was launched. The programme enables headteachers to experience the excitement, exhilaration and professional growth that come from international collaborative learning with colleagues across the globe.

Visit for Dr. David GURR, University of Melbourne

Dr. David GURR visited the APCLC from Sep 22-26, 2014. During his visit, he provided HKIEd faculty professional consultation for the development of regional and international research projects and conducted a knowledge transfer seminar on “Reflections in The International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP)” to HKIEd faculty and students on Sep 24, 2014.

About Dr. David GURR
David is a Senior Lecturer in educational leadership within the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne, and has a 33-year background in secondary teaching, educational psychology, school supervision, and research in educational leadership. He is a founding member of the International Successful School Principalship Project, and the International School Leadership Development Network. He has more than 100 publications and has presented at more than 100 international conferences. David has been the Vice-president of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders and past Editor of Hot Topics, Monograph and the academic journal Leading and Managing. He has received several honours from ACEL including being awarded the National Presidential Citation in 2004, a national fellowship in 2006, the Hedley Beare Educator of the Year award in 2012, and Gold Medal in 2014.

David is a research fellow of the Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change, and member of the advisory board for the International Executive Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Change, both at The Hong Kong Institute of Education; an International Associate of the Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change at the University of Glasgow, and a Faculty Fellow at Western University in Ontario.

Keynote Presentation at The Malaysian Chinese Education Conference 2014

Prof. Cheng Yin-cheong, APCLC Senior Research Fellow and Research Chair Professor of Leadership and Change, gave the keynote presentation at The Malaysian Chinese Education Conference 2014 titled: “Education reform and future development in globalization: International trends and implications” on September 16-17, 2014. The keynote topic is "Prospects of education research in challenges of globalization".

The Presentation was warmly received and reported by the Malaysian Chinese community and media.

APCLC Senior Research Fellow Prof. Cheng Yin-cheong as International Jury Member of the WISE Awards 2014

APCLC Senior Research Fellow and Research Chair Professor of Leadership and Change Cheng Yin-cheong was invited as the International Jury Member of the Qatar Foundation’s World Innovations Summit in Education (WISE) Awards 2014.

Each year, the WISE Awards recognize and promote six successful innovative projects that are addressing global educational challenges. Since 2009, WISE has received more than 2000 applications from over 140 countries. Today, 30 projects have been awarded, from a wide variety of sectors and locations for their innovative character, their positive contribution and their potential for scalability and adaptability. These projects represent a growing resource of expertize and sound educational practice. Year by year, WISE is building a community of educational innovators which offers a fertile environment for groundbreaking collaborations.

Today the WISE Awards network comprises of pioneering projects that are helping bring real change to societies and communities.  Professor Cheng was invited to deliberate and finalize the assessment in the Meeting in Doha, Qatar on September 3.

To know more about the WISE Awards 2014, please visit http://www.wise-qatar.org/wise-awards.

Visit for Director of the Center for Educational Leadership at University of Otago

Prof. Ross Notman, Director of the Center for Educational Leadership at University of Otago, visited the APCLC on Sep 3, 2014. During his visit, he discussed possible collaboration between the two Centres with Prof Allan Walker, Joseph Lau Chair Professor of International Educational Leadership and Director of APCLC.

Paper presentation at the European Educational Research Association (ECER) Annual Meeting 2014

Prof. Allan Walker (Joseph Lau Chair Professor of International Educational Leadership, Director of APCLC and Dean of FEHD) and Prof. Christopher Day (Senior Research Fellow of APCLC and Professor Emeritus of University of Nottingham) gave a paper presentation at the ECER Annual Meeting 2014 at the University of Porto, Portugal on September 1-5, 2014. Their paper topic is “How successful school leaders mediate and enact government reforms”.

To know more about Prof. Walker and Prof. Day’s paper presentation, please visit the ECER 2014 website.

August 2014
APCLC Director Prof. Allan Walker becomes Adjunct Professor to University of Canberra

Joseph Lau Chair Professor of International Educational Leadership Allan Walker has been appointed as Adjunct Professor to University of Canberra (UC) in Australia, which is rated in the top 10 Australian universities for their teaching and learning. In this capacity Professor Walker will advise the senior UC faculty on teaching, professional activities and research strategy advice on education, as well as regional and international research into school leadership and change.

Professor Walker is Dean of Faculty of Education and Human Development and Director of The Joseph Lau Luen Hung Charitable Trust Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. He serves on the editorial boards of the top ranked journals in his field and has published over 300 books and articles with international publishers and in the world’s most prestigious academic journals. He is also co-editor of the Journal of Educational Administration.


APCLC-HKPI Monograph Series 2014

The latest APCLC-HKPI Monograph "International Perspectives on Urban School Leadership" by Bruce Barnett and Howard Stevenson is released in August.

This monograph focuses on educational leadership in urban schools in a broad range of international contexts and highlights findings from the International School Leadership Development Network, an international collaborative research project sponsored by the British Educational Leadership Management and Administration Society and the University Council for Educational Administration. The authors begin by describing how global discourses are dominating the field of education, particularly at the school or campus level. The context of urban education is then examined, including promising ways urban school leaders are attempting to tackle the persistent problems facing their school systems. Next, research findings are presented from ISLDN team members who are exploring two interrelated topics germane to urban schools -- leadership for social justice and leadership in high-needs schools. The authors explore how school leaders in different international settings strive to overcome economic and social disadvantages by examining the interface between macro-level policies and leadership practices at the institutional level. The monograph concludes by discussing the lessons that can be learned from international comparisons about urban leadership and examining the implications for preparing and developing leaders for urban schools.

The Monograph can be accessed at http://www.ied.edu.hk/apclc/monographs.html

Visit for Director of Asia Education Foundation, Australia

Mr. Kurt Mullane, Director of Asia Education Foundation (AEF) visited the APCLC on August 6, 2014. During his visit, experiential learning and academic exchange programmes for leaders from Asia Pacific as well as the further collaboration of the AEF and the APCLC in 2014/15 were discussed.

July 2014

School Improvement Institute 2014

Each year the Executive MA in Leadership and Change (IEMA) hosts a School Improvement Institute (SII) for school leaders from throughout the region.   The 4th such Institute was held in Hong Kong in early July. It attracted school leaders and professionals from Korea, Japan, Thailand, Canada, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Mainland China. The key theme this year was Team Leadership in Context – which was addressed by a mixture of provocative lectures, simulation activities, in-course project presentations, team audits and guest lectures. Dr Kabini Sanga from Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, talked about ‘teamship’ from an indigenous philosophical perspective. This SII received very positive comments from participants. The IEMA is a cutting-edge online program that has successfully attracted high quality students from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the US, the UK, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Hong Kong and many provinces in China.  We are proud of the innovative an international nature of the IEMA, and the recognition it has received from school leaders and other bodies.


APCLC Director Prof. Allan Walker becomes Distinguished Overseas Professor to East China Normal University (ECNU) in Shanghai

Joseph Lau Chair Professor of International Educational Leadership Allan Walker has been appointed as a Distinguished Overseas Professor to East China Normal University (ECNU) in Shanghai, which is one of the nation’s top research universities. In that capacity he will advise the Collaborative Innovation Center for National Education Policy Making (CICNEP) located at ECNU, which is a national advisory center to the Chinese government for educational policy and planning on a national scale.

ECNU is a highly ranked comprehensive research university. Its mission is to provide research and development data and policy for the national educational policy apparatus in China. The ECNU was chosen by the city of Shanghai and the Ministry of Education to house the CICNEP in 2007. The CICNEP at ECNU will play a significant role in shaping China’s education for the 21st century.

Professor Walker will provide support on regional and international research into school leadership and change. The collaboration between ECNU and the HKIEd has positioned both institutions to have an impact on China’s continued leader learning and development.

Professor Walker is Dean of Faculty of Education and Human Development and Director of The Joseph Lau Luen Hung Charitable Trust Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. He serves on the editorial boards of the top ranked journals in his field and has published over 300 books and articles with international publishers and in the world’s most prestigious academic journals. He is also co-editor of the Journal of Educational Administration.


APCLC Research Fellow Dr. Edmond Law won research grant from Research Grants Council’s General Research Fund scheme for 2013/14

Dr. Edmond Law, Research Fellow of the Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change and Associate Professor of Department of Curriculum and Instruction, received a General Research Fund (GRF) grant of HK$389,494 from the Research Grants Council (HK). The research grant is for a project entitled “A study of team as agencies of distributing curriculum leadership practices in HK primary schools”.

For more information about the study, please visit http://www.ied.edu.hk/apclc/research_27.html.


APCLC-FEHD Knowledge Transfer Seminar on Jul 10, 2014

Prof. Kabini Sanga conducted a Knowledge Transfer Seminar on 'Inspiring a new generation of leaders for the Asia Pacific region: Lessons from the Leadership Pacific story' for APCLC in July. Details below:

  • Date: Jul 10, 2014 (Thursday)
  • Time: 11:00am to 12:00noon
  • Venue: B4-LP-08, Learning Commons (Adjacent to the HKIEd Pacific Coffee) Tai Po Campus, HKIEd
  • Enquires / Registration: Tel: 2948 8270 (Eugene Wong) Email: apclc@ied.edu.hk


About the Seminar


Starting six years ago as a mentorship initiative with five university students at Victoria University of Wellington, the Leadership Pacific has become an international cause movement; spanning Oceania and making inroads into Asia. Today, the Leadership Pacific Movement continues to be student-led, with a strategic vision of mobilizing ten thousand new generation Oceania leaders by December 2015. In this seminar, the story of the Leadership Pacific Movement will be shared and potential opportunities for Asia-Pacific connections are explored. It is hoped that this seminar will be inspirational to students, mentors and those who serve leaders. 

About Prof. Kabini Sanga

Kabini Sanga, PhD (Sask) is a Solomon Islands educator, Associate Professor of Education at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand and Research Fellow of The Joseph Lau Luen Hung Charitable Trust Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership. He undertakes research, teaching, supervision and offers consultancies to Pacific Islands governments and international organizations on aspects of development education, leadership and public ethics. He is senior Fellow of the Leadership Pacific Movement and mentors hundreds of New Generation leaders throughout the Pacific region.

APCLC Research Fellow Dr. Darren Bryant becomes Associate Director of the Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change

Dr. Darren Bryant, APCLC Research Fellow and Assistant Professor of Department of Education Policy and Leadership, was appointed as Associate Director of the Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change with retrospective effect from July 1, 2014. His research interests include educational reform, leadership preparation, and middle leadership in local and international schools.


APCLC Research Fellow Dr. Qian Haiyan won research grant from Research Grants Council’s Early Career Schemes for 2013/14

Dr. Qian Haiyan, Assistant Professor of the Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change and Department of Education Policy and Leadership, received an Early Career Scheme (ECS) grant of HK$429,494 from the Research Grants Council (HK). The research grant is for a study entitled “Leading school based research to improve student learning: Lessons from Shanghai”.

For more information about the study, please visit http://www.ied.edu.hk/apclc/research_26.html.


APCLC Associate Director and Research Fellow Dr. Lu Jiafang becomes Associate Professor of Department of Education Policy and Leadership

Dr. Lu Jiafang, Centre Associate Director and Research Fellow of the Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change, was appointed as Associate Professor of Department of Education Policy and Leadership. Her research interests include School management teams; simulation-based training; work-life role interaction; cooperation and competition in leadership, teamwork and conflict management; affect at work.



APCLC Senior Research Fellow Professor Cheng Yin Cheong becomes Research Chair Professor of Leadership and Change of Department of Education Policy and Leadership

Professor Cheng Yin Cheong, APCLC Senior Research Fellow and emeritus Vice President (Research and Development) of HKIEd, was appointed as Research Chair Professor of Leadership and Change of Department of Education Policy and Leadership.  Professor Cheng’s research interests include educational effectiveness, leadership development, teacher education, school management, quality assurance, educational reforms and paradigm shift in education.

June 2014
Visit for Chief Executive Officer and Senior Associate of Learning First, Australia

Dr Ben Jensen, CEO of Learning First, and Ms Amelie Hunger, Senior Associate from the Learning First visited the APCLC on June 10, 2014. During their visit, they discussed possible collaborative systemic change in school education projects of schools in Hong Kong and Australia.
Visit for Director of School Support & Evaluation of Council of International Schools, The Netherlands

Dr Graham Ranger, Director of School Support & Evaluation of Council of International Schools, The Netherlands, visited the APCLC on June 5, 2014.  During his visit, he discussed possible collaborative school improvement and student experiential learning projects of international schools in Hong Kong and Europe.
May 2014
Visit for Presidential Chair and Professor, College of Education at University of Oregon

Prof. Yong Zhao Presidential Chair and Professor, College of Education at University of Oregon, visited the APCLC on May 28, 2014. During his visit, he discussed major reform efforts in HK in education over the past few decades and possible research collaboration between the FEHD, APCLC and the University of Oregon with Prof Allan Walker, Joseph Lau Chair Professor of International Educational Leadership and Director of APCLC.
APCLC Director Prof. Philip Hallinger received Excellence in Research Award 2014 of the American Educational Research Association (AERA)

Prof. Philip Hallinger received Excellence in Research Award 2014 conferred by AERA. This award is given by the division in recognition of outstanding contributions to the field of administration, organizational theory, or leadership.

AERA does not confer this prestigious and competitive award every year (there was no award given in 2010 and 2013).

About Prof. Philip Hallinger

Prof. Hallinger is a world renowned scholar in educational leadership and change, with a special emphasis in the area of school improvement. He is acknowledged as an intellectual leader in the scholarly domains of instructional leadership, educational change, leadership development, and school improvement. Early in his career, he authored the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS), which became the most widely used survey instrument in the world of measuring instructional leadership. During the 1990s, his scholarship brought attention to the importance of examining how culture impacts the work of school leaders, as well as pioneering the adaptation and application of problem-based learning to the field of leadership development.

To know more about Prof. Hallinger ’s award, please visit the Association’s website.

APCLC – FEHD Research Excellence Seminar on May 22, 2014

Prof. Philip Hallinger, Director of APCLC and Joseph Lau Chair Professor of Leadership and Change conducted a Research Excellence Seminar on 'Strategies for Sustainable Research Performance' for HKIEd faculty in May. Details below:

• Date: May 22, 2014
• Time: 10:30 am – 12:00 nn
• Venue: D1-LP-07, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po Campus
• Enquires / Registration: Tel: 2948 8862 or Email: ckfchung@ied.edu.hk


About the Seminar


The adage of publish or perish has hit Asia with full force. In this presentation Professor Hallinger will share perspectives and strategies on publication in international refereed journals. He will briefly examine the changing context of higher education in East Asia in order to place HKIEd's current publication requirements in a regional context. He will then share practical strategies that faculty can employ to create a sustainable foundation for long-term publication. The presentation is designed for the purpose of achieving sustainable research performance in one's academic career.

Objectives of this seminar:

  1. To discuss the role of publication in the changing context of higher education in East Asia
  2. To share strategies that can assist in successful publication

Paper Presentation at The First Asia Pacific Congress on Creating Inclusive Schools

Prof. Allan Walker (Director of APCLC and Dean of FEHD) and Dr. Qian Haiyan (APCLC Research Fellow) gave a paper presentation at The First Asia Pacific Congress on Creating Inclusive Schools organized by the ACEL at Sydney, on May 1, 2014. Their paper topic is "Pursuing Equity in a Hierarchical and Authoritarian Political System: The Case of Shanghai”.

To know more about Prof. Walker and Dr. Qian’s paper presentation, please visit the Congress website   



April 2014
APCLC Research Fellows won Institute Level Teaching Development Grant of HKIEd

Dr LAM Bik-har and Dr. Darren BRYANT, Research Fellows of the Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change and their Faculty of Education and Human Development (FEHD) colleagues, namely Dr. Theresa ALVIAR (C&I), Dr. Emma BUCHTEL (PS), Dr. Kenneth CHAN (EPL), Dr. Christina HAN (ECE), Dr. Xinyun HU (ECE), Dr. Vivienne LEUNG (ECE), Dr. William SIN (IELL) and Dr. Savio WONG (SEC), received the Teaching Development Grant of HK$748,700 from the HKIEd to conduct a 24-month teaching development project titled: Practicing Blended Learning on a Collaborative Platform – A Pilot Study in FEHD.

The project aims to bring together colleagues of the FEHD to pilot blended learning (BL) as an innovation across the Institute. It introduces an inter-departmental platform coordinated by the FEHD to support Faculty colleagues’ practice of BL.

The project will consist of about 15 sub-projects or cases involving at least 600 students, where each case refers to a course of study taught by a project team member. Participating faculty (n=10) will utilize existing e-learning platforms and professional development events to plan ways in which to apply BL in their instruction. Throughout the study’s duration, the project’s leadership team will organize dissemination sessions to exchange lessons learned at the individual project level and an overall session to synthesize the outcomes at the meta-project level.

Both qualitative and quantitative data will be collected and analyzed. Pre- and post-course surveys will determine students’ levels of enthusiasm about their experiences with BL; whereas, teachers will evaluate their BL trial lessons through guided reflection on key domains of planning and delivery. Exemplars of blended learning course materials, a blended learning pedagogy/strategy inventory, a blended learning interest group seminar series, a case album containing individual blended learning projects, a column in a learning and teaching website are expected as outputs to be widely disseminated. Participating faculty and teams will, in addition, publish academic journal papers in order to publicize individual project findings and the project’s overall results. The study may have great impact on student learning across programmes and disciplines in the FEHD. The experience of promoting pedagogical innovation at the faculty level will be shared to make implication for institutional support to teachers at the time of change and reform of teaching in higher education.

APCLC-FEHD-RDO Knowledge Transfer Seminar on April 29, 2014

Prof. Allan Walker conducted a Knowledge Transfer Seminar on 'Seeding Sustainable Leader Learning Communities' for HKIEd faculty in April. Details below:
  • Date: April 29, 2014 (Tuesday)
  • Time: 1:00pm to 2:00pm
  • Venue: C-LP-02, Learning Commons (right next to the HKIEd Pacific Coffee) Tai Po Campus, HKIEd
  • Enquires / Registration: Tel: 2948 6257 or 2948 8270 (Anthon Chu or Eugene Wong) Email: adw-pd@ied.edu.hk

About the Seminar


This seminar details a concerted strategy to design, implement and embed school leadership learning communities as a way of improving education leadership and school improvement. Given the impact of school leaders on school and student outcomes it holds that knowledgeable, ethical and connected leaders are a key ingredient in any improvement effort. The philosophy underpinning a suite of programmes for local and international educators holds that to be worthwhile, learning must be context-based and context-placed; and focus on building enduring learning networks, not simply on the transmission of established knowledge. For this to happen, strategies must adapt to fluid school realities and disentangle traditional learning hierarchies and institutional boundaries. Design strategies combine: respect for new and emerging knowledge, ‘flexibility’ within structure’, individual and group responsibility and participation, inquiry learning, an ethical focus and holding a future-orientation. The seminar will outline an initiative designed for leaders of international schools. Ongoing research into completed programs provides a number of useful insights for making sustainable leadership learning networks work and for planning their further spread.

About Prof. Allan Walker

Allan is Joseph Lau Chair Professor of International Educational Leadership, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Human Development and Director of The Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change at The Hong Kong Institute of Education.

Allan has experience as a teacher, school principal, university teacher and administrator, and consultant in a range of local and international settings. He has worked full time in universities in Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. He has and conducted leader development courses and/or research in countries such as China, Taiwan, Norway, Finland, Vietnam, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Canada, the US, UK, New Zealand and Australia.

Allan spends a lot of time working with teams of principals and middle leaders to develop, write and co-ordinate innovative programs designed purposefully around contextual sensitivity and energizing leader learning networks. He works with leaders across a wide spectrum, including aspiring, beginning and very experienced Hong Kong principals and middle leaders and principals in international schools. His research focuses on expanding knowledge of school leadership in Chinese and other Asian societies and disseminating this internationally.


EPL - APCLC Knowledge Transfer Seminar on April 15, 2014

Dr. Qian Haiyan, Assistant Professor at EPL and Research Fellow of APCLC conducted a Knowledge Transfer Seminar on 'Building and Leading Learning Cultures: A Case Study of a Shanghai Primary School' for HKIEd faculty on April 15.


About the Seminar


A positive learning culture is important to effect meaningful changes in schools. Literature has established that successful leaders can build and nurture learning cultures. However, less than known about how school leaders can shape the culture and make learning conditions happen at the school in the Chinese education context. This seminar reports an in-depth qualitative case study of a primary school in Shanghai. Using data collected from the principal, vice principal, mid-level leaders and teaches, the study attempts to answer these two questions: how do the school leaders build and nurture a positive learning culture, and how does this culture impact teachers’ sense of belonging to the school and their dedication to ongoing learning?
(The speaker wants to acknowledge the support of the Regional Research Grant Award Scheme of the APCLC)


About Dr Qian Haiyan

Dr Qian is Assistant Professor at EPL and Research Fellow of APCLC. Her research focuses on understanding the cultural and contextual influence on rapidly changing face of school leadership and educational change in China.



The 52nd Annual Meeting of Journal of Educational Administration


On 5 April, the 52nd Annual meeting of the Journal of Educational Administration (JEA) was held in Philadelphia, USA in conjunction with the American Educational Research Association’s Annual Meeting 2014. At the meeting, JEA authors, reviewers, board members and affiliates of the APCLC attended the function. Highlights of the meeting include the honoring of:

Senior members of JEA Advisory Editorial Board who have made enduring contributions to the field of educational leadership. Each of them contributed a Legacy Paper for the JEA Legacy Series:

  Larry Cuban
Emeritus Professor
School of Education, Stanford University

Legacy Paper @ JEA, 51(2): 109-125
Why so many structural changes in schools and so little reform in teaching practice?

   
  Joseph Murphy
Frank W. Mayborn Chair of Education
Vanderbilt University

Legacy Paper @ JEA, 51(3): 252-263
The architecture of school for school improvement.
   
  Gene Hall
Professor of Educational and Urban Leadership
University of Nevada

Legacy Paper @ JEA, 51(3): 264-289
Evaluation change processes: Assessing extent of implementation (constructs, methods and implications).
   
Outstanding scholarly contributions to the JEA via

Ross Thomas Outstanding Paper Award’
(two Highly Commended Papers are also acknowledged)

Outstanding Paper:
Raymond A. Gonzalez and William A. Firestone. (2013). Educational tug-of-war: Internal and external accountability of principals in varied contexts. JEA, 51(3), 383-406

Highly Commended Papers:
Megan Tschannen-Moran, Regina A. Bankole, Roxanne M. Mitchell and Dennis M. Moore, Jr. (2013). Student academic optimism: A confirmatory factor analysis. JEA, 51(2), 150-175.

Rose Ylimaki and Stephen Jacobson. (2013). School leadership practice and preparation: Comparative perspectives on organizational learning (OL), instructional leadership (IL) and culturally responsive practices (CRP). JEA, 51(1), 6-23.

 

‘Emerald / European Foundation for Management and Development (EFMD)
Outstanding Doctoral Research Award’
(Highly Commended Doctoral Research is also acknowledged)

Outstanding Doctoral Research:
Dr. Jessica Rigby
Postdoctoral Fellow, Vanderbilt University
“First-year principals’ Engagement with instructional leadership: The presence, pathway, and power of institutional logics”, University of California, Graduate School of Education.

Highly Commended Doctoral Research:
Dr. Jason Giersch
Lecturer, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
“Standardized distraction: Why the emphasis on high-stakes testing can’t resolve educational inequality”, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Political Science and Public Administration.

Paper Presentation and Professional Discussion at American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting 2014

Prof. Allan Walker (Director of APCLC and Dean of FEHD), Dr. Darren Bryant and Dr. James Ko (APCLC Research Fellows) gave a paper presentation at the Symposium of ‘Reshaping Educational Practice for Improvement’ in AERA Annual Meeting 2014 at Philadelphia on April 6, 2014. Their paper topic is "How Do School Leaders in Hong Kong Shape Policy Enactment”.

Prof. Philip Hallinger (Director of APCLC) was invited as professional discussant at the Symposium of ‘Synthesizing Conceptualizations and Findings on Leadership and Learning’ in AERA Annual Meeting 2014 at Philadelphia on April 4, 2014.

To know more about Prof. Walker and his ESRC-RGC research project team’s paper presentation as well as Prof. Hallinger’s professional discussion, please visit the AERA 2014 website.




20140401banner FEHD-APCLC Knowledge Transfer Talk on April 1, 2014

Professor Allan Walker, Joseph Lau Chair Professor of International Educational Leadership, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Human Development, gave a Knowledge Transfer talk to the most recent batch of secondary and special school beginning principals. The principals are currently engaged in the Structured Support Scheme for Newly Appointed Principals run by Dr. Ng Shun-wing and Dr. Elson Szeto.

In the talk, Professor Walker shared his experience as a principal and some of the things he has learned since becoming a Dean. Professor Walker highlighted that beginning principals could feel a little lonely in their jobs. They know they have much to learn but are unsure when, how or where to access this learning. Professor Walker believes the best way to do this is through a structured yet supportive programme built upon principal collegiality, up-to-date knowledge, shared experience and networking. He believes the Structured Support Scheme for Newly Appointed Principals provided through the HKIEd will help them start their principalship on a positive note.

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March 2014
APCLC-HKPI Monograph Series 2014

The APCLC-HKPI Monograph "Principals Leading Literacy in Secondary Schools" by Neil Dempster, Claire Wyatt-Smith, Greer Johnson, Mary Neville, Peta Colbert will be released in late March.

This monograph reports on progress being made by secondary school principals engaged in a project designed to enhance their capabilities to lead improvements in literacy in their schools. Motivation for the project is threefold. First, in Australia, work on an inaugural national curriculum has placed the onus directly on secondary school teachers, no matter their subject speciality, to be teachers of literacy; second, the imminent movement of year seven students into secondary schools in several Australian states where this has not been the case, has increased the pressure on secondary principals to be accountable for student performance in the tests associated with the National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). Third, while there is much in the leadership literature about the management intensity principals in secondary school face, there is little useful knowledge available in empirical research findings on the way in which they can link their daily work effectively with learning.

The Monograph can be accessed at http://www.ied.edu.hk/apclc/monographs.html


APCLC – FEHD Quality Teaching and Knowledge Transfer Seminar on March 19, 2014

Prof. Philip Hallinger, Director of APCLC and Joseph Lau Chair Professor of Leadership and Change conducted a Quality Teaching and Knowledge Transfer Seminar on 'The Art and Science of Designing and Delivering Great Lectures' for HKIEd faculty in March. Details below:

• Date: March 19, 2014
• Time: 11:30am to 1:00pm
• Venue: D1-LP-08, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po Campus
• Enquires / Registration: Tel: 2948 8862 or Email: ckfchung@ied.edu.hk


About the Seminar


In this seminar, the speaker shared what he has learned about the art and science of delivering lectures to large groups. He discussed the constraints imposed by the lectures setting and teacher attitudes that underline the art of delivery stimulating lectures. Then he shared a planning framework and instructional strategies that teachers could employ in the design and delivery of lectures that attract, engage and maintain the productive attention of learners.

Objectives of this seminar:

Prof. Philip Hallinger has taught at every level of schooling from 1st grade to PHD, and in more than 20 countries. He will draw on 40 years of experience as aa teacher and coach of teachers in K-12 and university settings.
  1. To understand a framework for analyzing time management
  2. To identify how your time management is limiting your productivity and personal satisfaction
  3. To shift your time management routines from reactive and proactive
  4. To develop strategies for using your time to increase professional effectiveness and personal satisfaction

Visit for Professor Bruce Barnett, University of Texas at San Antonio

Prof. Bruce Barnett, Professor in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Department at the University of Texas at San Antonio and Senior Research of Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change, HKIEd visited the APCLC from March 3, 2014 to March 11, 2014. During his visit, Prof. Barnett, on top of providing HKIEd faculty professional consultation for the development of regional and international research projects, he also conducted:
  • a Knowledge Transfer Seminar co-hosted by the Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change (APCLC) and the Faculty of Education and Human Development (FEHD) on March 6, 2014 for all HKIEd faculty and students. The Seminar titled “Reflective Practice for Educational Leaders”.

  • a Knowledge Transfer Blue Line Forum co-hosted by the APCLC and the Hong Kong Principals' Institute (HKPI) on March 7, 2014 for Hong Kong Principals and Deputy Principals. The Forum titled “Embedding Reflection in the Principals’ Capability Framework”.
  • a Knowledge Transfer Workshop co-hosted by the APCLC, the FEHD and Department of Education Policy and Leadership on March 10, 2014 for HKIEd faculty and postgraduate students. The Workshop titled “The International Knowledge Base on Instructional Leadership: Expanding What We Know in Different Cultural Contexts”.



About Prof Bruce BARNETT

Prof. Barnett is Professor in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Department at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Previously, he has worked at the Far West Laboratory, Indiana University, and the University of Northern Colorado. Besides developing and delivering master’s, certification, and doctoral programmes, his professional interests include:

  • Educational leadership preparation programs, particularly cohort-based learning and school-university partnerships
  • Mentoring and coaching
  • Reflective practice
  • Leadership for school improvement
  • Realities of beginning principals and assistant principals
Prof. Barnett’s work in these areas appears in a variety of books, book chapters, and journals including Educational Administration Quarterly, Journal of Educational Administration, International Journal of Urban Educational Leadership, Journal of Research on Leadership Education, Journal of School Leadership, Journal of Staff Development, and Leading and Managing.

For over a decade, he has become involved in international research and programme development, co-authoring books on school improvement; researching mentoring and coaching programmes operating around the world; and presenting workshops in Australia, New Zealand, England, Ireland, and Canada. In 2008, Bruce was appointed as the Associate Director of International Affairs for the University Council for Educational Administration. His role is to: (1) increase international cooperation and partnerships, (2) encourage international memberships in UCEA, and (3) develop international research and learning opportunities. One of the current projects being implemented is the International School Leadership Development Network, a collaboration of colleagues around the world examining leadership preparation and development in different cultural contexts.


APCLC – FEHD – EPL Knowledge Transfer Workshop on March 10, 2014

Prof. Bruce Barnett, Professor of University of Texas at San Antonio and Senior Research Fellow of Asia Pacific for Leadership and Change conducted a Knowledge Transfer Workshop co-hosted by the APCLC, the FEHD and Department of Education Policy and Leadership on March 10, 2014 for HKIEd faculty and postgraduates students. The Workshop titled “The International Knowledge Base on Instructional Leadership: Expanding What We Know in Different Cultural Contexts”. Details below:

· Date: March 10, 2014
· Time: 9:30am to 11:30am
· Venue: C-LP-02 @ Learning Commons, Tai Po Campus, HKIEd (right next to the Pacific Coffee, HKIEd)
· Enquiries / Registration: Tel: 2948 8270 or Email: apclc@ied.edu.hk

About the Workshop

During this KT Workshop, Prof. Bruce Barnett examined past and present conceptualizations of instructional leadership and identified global factors influencing how instructional leadership was interpreted and practiced in different cultural contexts. Emerging trends in current-day instructional leadership practice and future lines of research were highlighted. Particular attention wias devoted to reflective interviewing, a data collection process allowing research participants to examine the rationale and values underlying their leadership and teaching practices. Challenges and obstacles to effective reflective interviewing also were addressed. To know more about the Workshop, please refer to the Workshop Flyer attached.

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The FEHD-APCLC-HKPI Knowledge Transfer (Blue Line) Forum 2014

The Knowledge Transfer (Blue Line) Forum 2014 co-hosted by the Faculty of Education and Human Development (FEHD) and Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change (APCLC) of the Hong Kong Institute of Education and the Hong Kong Principal’s Institute was held on March 7, 2014 at the Cityview Hotel, Hong Kong.

The Forum titled: “Embedding Reflection in the Principals’ Capability Framework” which helped around 100 principals, deputy principals, officials and representatives from Education Bureau (EDB) as well as Committee on Professional Development of Teachers and Principals (COTAP) gain a greater understanding of the reflective process and explored how it could be useful in their professional growth according to the Principals’ Capability Framework.

At the Forum, Professor Allan Walker, Dean of FEHD and Director of APCLC and Prof Bruce Barnett, Professor of University of Texas at San Antonio and Senior Research Fellow of APCLC provided participants background and common understanding of reflection and its connection of improved practice. They also demonstrated how reflection could be applied to the domains and career stages of school leaders and how school leaders could use reflection in their own professional development related to the Principals’ Capability Framework.

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APCLC – FEHD Knowledge Transfer Seminar on March 6, 2014

Prof. Bruce Barnett, Professor of University of Texas at San Antonio and Senior Research Fellow of APCLC conducted a knowledge transfer seminar titled “Reflective Practice for Educational Leaders” for HKIEd faculty and students in which the elements of reflection and how educational leaders could use this process to enhance their professional practice were examined. Details below:

· Date: March 6, 2014
· Time: 1:00pm to 2:30pm
· Venue: B4-LP-08 (adjacent to the Pacific Coffee, HKIEd)
· Enquiries / Registration: Tel: 2948 8270 or Email: apclc@ied.edu.hk

About the Seminar

During the seminar, Professor Barnett provided an overview of reflection and illustrated how educational leaders not only could enhance their professional reflective abilities, but also could extend the process to their school settings. Participants examined their personal reflection tendencies. To know more about the Seminar, please refer to the Seminar Flyer attached.

February 2014
Knowledge Transfer (Quality Teaching) Seminar: “‘Live’ examples of Blended Learning” by APCLC Research Fellow Dr Darren Bryant

Dr. Darren Bryant, Research Fellow of APCLC, conducted a KT Seminar on Quality Teaching at HKIEd.

Details below:

· Topic: ‘Live’ examples of Blended Learning
· Date: Feb 20, 2014
· Time: 2:30pm to 3:30pm
· Venue: D2-LP-04, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po Campus

· Enquires / Registration: Tel: 2948 8862 or Email: ckfchung@ied.edu.hk

About the Seminar

Dr Bryant shared his experiences with implementing blended learning practices in postgraduate and undergraduate courses. Examples of a few strategies were shared along with the benefits and challenges encountered in experimenting with blended learning. The seminar focused on the use of resources available at HKIEd. Ideally, participants exchanged their experiences and considered ways to improve instructional practice.


APCLC Leader Learning Workshop for Ho Fung College

On February 19, 2014, Dr James Ko, APCLC Research Fellow and Assistant Professor of EPL, conducted a Leader Learning workshop for faculty of Ho Fung College. The learning workshop looked at consistency and variation in Ho Fung’s faculty in different classes in which reciprocal relationship between teaching practices and students’ learning processes was explored, and eventually helped teachers establish students’ self-regulated learning to cater for students’ individual differences, improve teaching and learning for both teachers and students in Ho Fung College.

January 2014
Trust Supports School Leadership

The Joseph Lau Luen Hung Charitable Trust Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change (APCLC) announces the receipt of a new donation of HKD10.55 million from The Joseph Lau Luen Hung Charitable Trust. The gift will be used to continue and extend the development of the APCLC as a hub linking regional and global leadership institutes, centres, and scholars for the purposes of (i) developing new knowledge grounded in local, regional and global contexts; (ii) building and sustaining capacity for research and leadership development among scholars and institutions in the Asia Pacific.

The donation is the largest that the APCLC has ever received from a private donor.

“We are immensely pleased that the donor – The Joseph Lau Luen Hung Charitable Trust would recognize the importance leadership and leadership development for achieving sustainable change in school systems. These represent key targets for the APCLC which focuses on creating research-based knowledge on the practices of leading change, innovation and school improvement in the region, a gift of this magnitude are paramount to our ongoing success, and we are deeply grateful for the generosity of The Joseph Lau Luen Hung Charitable Trust.”
- Chair Professor Allan Walker and Chair Professor Philip Hallinger, APCLC Directors.

The APCLC was founded in 2009 as one of the four Institute-Level Research and Development Centres located in the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd). In a short span of time, the APCLC has achieved an international reputation as the foremost knowledge centre focused on educational leadership and change in East Asia. During late 2011, the APCLC was granted Institute-Level Centre of Excellence (CoE) status. Within Hong Kong, status as a Centre of Excellence denotes demonstrated success in conducting high quality research and development of international impact.

APCLC Senior Research Fellow Professor Cheng Yin Cheong Receives Prestige External Appointments

Jury for the 2014 WISE Awards


Professor Cheng Yin Cheong, APCLC Senior Research Fellow, Vice President (Research and Development) at The Hong Kong Institute of Education and President of the World Education Research Association, has been invited to serve as a member of the Jury for the 2014 World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Awards. The WISE Awards annually identify and promote six successful innovative educational projects from around the world for their proven impact and potential for scalability.

Chairman of the Advisory Council of Tin Ka Ping Foundation


Professor Cheng has also been elected and appointed as Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Tin Ka Ping Foundation at the Joint Annual General, Advisory Council and Directors Council Meeting for three years from 2014. This is Professor Cheng’s second term as chairman. He was also appointed a Director of the Directors Council of the Foundation from 2014.

Member of the International Advisory Committee for Saudi Arabia’s National Education Reform

Professor Cheng was appointed a Member of the International Advisory Committee for Saudi Arabia’s National Education Reform: King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Project for Development of Public Education in October 2013. The Project is being implemented by the Tatweer Educational Services Company, which is a subsidiary of the Tatweer Education Holding Company (THC).

Please click here for more information of Prof Cheng’s Prestige External Appointments.
Knowledge Transfer Workshop “An Introduction to Multi-level Modelling with MLWin” by APCLC Research Fellow Dr James Ko Yue-on

Dr. James Ko Yue-on, Research Fellow of APCLC, conducted a knowledge transfer workshop at the Assessment Conference 2014.

Details below:

· Topic: An introduction to Multi-level Modelling with MLWin
· Date: January 24, 2014
· Time: 9:00am to 5:00pm
· Venue: E-1-07, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po Campus

Contents of this workshop:

1. Introduction to Multi-level Modelling and the Unique Features of MLWin
2. Discussion on the Research Questions Used to Explore Multi-level Data
3. Interpretations of Multi-level Models
4. Intensive Workshop Designed for Participants to Trial on Model Building.

To know more about the workshop, please visit: http://www.ied.edu.hk/ac2014/ac2014_files/workshop.htm .
Paper Presentation at the 2nd Bangkok International Conference on Social Science (BICSS 2014)

Prof Philip Hallinger gave a paper presentation at the 2nd Bangkok International Conference on Social Science (BICSS 2014), Bangkok, Thailand, on January 17-19, 2014. The presentation topic is "Accelerating Knowledge Production in East Asia: Implications for Strategic Research Development in ASEAN Universities.".

To know more about Prof Hallinger's paper presentation, please visit the conference website .

Paper Presentation at the 27th International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement

Prof Allan Walker and Dr James Ko gave a paper presentation at the 27th ICSEI Congress that was held at Yogyakarta, Indonesia on January 2-7, 2014. The presentation topic is "The Dynamic Roles of School Principals in Leading and Improving School Improvements in the 21st Century".

To know more about Prof Walker and Dr Ko's paper presentation, please visit the conference website .