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In a farewell interview with Joy of Learning,
retiring HKIEd Vice-President, Dr Pang King-chee discusses why a
fresh view of teacher education and the role of the Institute is
essential for successful reform. The key to achieving education reform has always been
effective and comprehensive teacher education, according to Dr Pang
King-chee, the Institute's departing Vice-President. This entails
viewing teacher education as a process that spans an educator's
entire career. "I firmly believe that teacher education should
be a lifelong process," says Dr Pang, who was a founding Directorate
member of HKIEd in 1994 and has specialised in induction and teacher
professional development.
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Road to advancement Behind such thinking lies a model of teacher education
that Dr Pang has long advocated: the 'triple I' model: initial,
induction and in-service training. "I am convinced that reform
can only succeed if it is supported by a comprehensive teacher education
system across the three levels so teachers are fully prepared for
the basics before they enter the profession, can get motivated and
exhibit their potential from the first year onwards, and then receive
ongoing support. "If we use the 'three Is' framework to look
at teacher education in Hong Kong, we see it is very backward. The
government emphasises initial teacher education and devotes resources
to it, but does not invest enough in in-service education." Induction, so well established in professions such
as accountancy and law, is often overlooked in the education field.
"The first day a teacher shuts the door of the classroom, he or she has to manage the whole situation like an experienced teacher. But research shows that teachers face a lot of problems at the outset, especially during their first year." And without proper support, teachers may lose enthusiasm and can become so frustrated that they leave the profession altogether. |
