Personality  
 
Bond - The Name is Bond

On no less than two Institute fundraising occasions we have seen him impersonating James Bond. In his trademark sunglasses and impeccable black suit, with of course the black revolver as a prop, a Bond-girl on his arm and the 007 theme music in the background, he raised a stir at both events. But it is an entirely different story when he sat down with the editorial team to talk about his professional life and academic research. The name, in this case, is Professor Trevor Bond, who joined the HKIEd in August 2005 as Head, Department of Educational Psychology, Counselling and Learning Needs.

Teaching - a childhood aspiration turns into an international career
Professor Bond cannot attribute his passion for teaching to any one teacher in his childhood. However, he does recall that he has always wanted to be a teacher, ever since he was in Primary 3. This aspiration has guided him along his career path. In his native Australia, he started in a primary school, teaching every subject. He then moved on to secondary schools to teach PE, putting his love of sport into practice as well. In parallel with his teaching activities, Professor Bond also worked to advance his teaching credentials, moving from his Certificate to a Diploma, then a Bachelor's, until finally attaining his Ph.D.

In the course of his under-graduate research, Professor Bond first learned of Jean Piaget - a Swiss scholar whose theories on education and psychology have greatly influenced developments in the field. Much as he wanted to delve into the work of Piaget, unfortunately many of his books were not available in English. This desire to fully understand Piaget's writings became a motivating force and Professor Bond began to learn French. With his knowledge of French providing the key, he pursued Jean Piaget's works, leading to a career that would span the globe.

As author of the best-selling book, Applying the Rasch Model: Fundamental Measurement in the Human Sciences, he has worked and given talks around the world, which apart from his native Australia include the US, UK, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Serbia, Canada, Switzerland and Japan, before joining the HKIEd in Hong Kong.

1993: with Piaget's colleague, Inhelder, taken in Geneva.


1969: PE teacher and hockey coach.
"A coach can train up a swimmer to win Olympic Gold Medals. But an Olympic Gold Medal swimmer does not automatically train up other award-winning swimmers. "

Complexities of "Measurement" and "Teacher Education"
In his view, with the imminent 3-3-4 education reform to be introduced in Hong Kong, schools will face a drastic change, if not revolution, in the assessment and measurement of student achievement. Applying the Rasch Model - a scientific method to elicit scores with qualitative meaning and an area in which Professor Bond is internationally acclaimed as a leading specialist - is expected to open up new horizons on assessment for teachers and educators. With the high applicability of the Rasch Model in a wide array of fields, Professor Bond has consulted at institutions such as hospitals and other research agencies, while also giving talks on the subject to the professional staff. He has also been actively involved in the assessment training workshops, organised by the HKIEd Centre for Assessment Research and Development, for teachers in Hong Kong.

Expressing his views on teacher education, according to Professor Bond, long gone are the days when teachers were thought to be able to turn into professional teachers by having on-the-job training. He envisages that as the education reform moves forward, teachers will want to upgrade their abilities to stay abreast of the new requirements. It is against this background that the HKIEd introduced the Doctor of Education programme in January 2007. Under this programme, Professor Bond is taking charge of the "Educational Measurement and Assessment" strand, in conjunction with other experienced HKIEd colleagues.

"To measure body temperature, one can use a simple domestic thermometer; or resort to a sophisticated calibrated device, if necessary, at the hospital. "









Bond's views on the complexities of
"measurement" and "teacher education"


The HKIEd beyond Hong Kong's borders
As a scholar with a wealth of international experience, Professor Bond has also been appointed a Member of the Humanities, Social Sciences and Business Studies Panel of the HKSAR Research Grants Council (RGC). In his capacity as an RGC Panel H Member and a specialist journal reviewer, he has ample opportunity to review research work from universities around the world. His observations are therefore both relevant and valid. He speaks highly of the HKIEd in terms of our research and scholarship capacities, especially as our research foci take the needs of the education community into account. Outside Hong Kong, Professor Bond has also frequently come across scholars from various parts of the world, who have high regard for the Institute. Their views on HKIEd are further affirmed when they visit us and witness the Institute's achievements for themselves.

Professor Bond concluded the interview by saying, "HKIEd is a teacher education institution widely recognised internationally. Its unique contributions should be seen in their proper perspective and in the global context by Hong Kong's education and the wider community."