Project Objectives

The project adopts a research-based and data-driven approach to enhancing teacher training programme. It aims at investigating how the BEd. in Language Education (English) students at the Faculty of Education shape and change their beliefs as English language teachers-to-be and its implications for teacher preparation and curriculum development. Extensive observation, narrative inquiry and description and analysis of teaching have been carried out to provide empirical data to discover patterned and systematic variation of individual acts. The findings of the project have led to the framing of programme-level changes to curriculum design, course contents, teaching practice supervision and professional support.

Description of process and deliverables

• Blog-based Platforms for Language Teacher Education (PLaTE), available at http://plate.fed.cuhk.edu.hk
• English Teacher Education on the Net (ETENet), available at: http://plate.fed.cuhk.edu.hk/ETENet/
• Chinese Teacher Education on the Net (CTENet), available at: http://plate.fed.cuhk.edu.hk/CTENet/
• Netter, available at: http://plate.fed.cuhk.edu.hk/netter
• Bo Yu, available at: http://plate.fed.cuhk.edu.hk/boyu
• Teaching Portfolio, available at http://ledblog.fed.cuhk.edu.hk/ledtp/index.php
• Directed support system, e.g. Teaching Practice workshops, Teaching Practice Mentorship
• English Teacher Self-efficacy survey (ETSE)
• Professional development workshops and learning activities, e.g. Learning English through drama, visit to Institute of English Language Education of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS) and the attached secondary and primary schools

Evaluation of outcomes

In the 1 year and 11 months project period, extensive observation, narrative inquiry and description and analysis of teaching provided empirical data to discover patterned and systematic variation of individual acts. All deliverables outlined in the proposal were completed as planned. The deliverables which aim at programme-level change were also achieved. An evaluation exercise which collected the opinions and comments on the deliverables: TP workshops, TP debriefing session, and Teaching portfolio were conducted.

Dissemination of results & deliverables

• A Faculty seminar was held on 22 June 2007 with the staff members to share and discuss the findings.
• Tang, E. (2007). “The Use of Portfolios for Learning and Assessment in Preservice Teacher Education.” Third International Forum on Teacher Education: Teacher Education Innovation and Teacher Professional Learning for Sustainable Human Development. International Center of Teacher Education, East China Normal University, China. 14-16 November 2007
• A seminar on Blog-based Teaching Portfolio was held on 7 April 2008 with the presence of Faculty staff members and students.
• Promotional talks and pamphlets on Netter
• An article “BEd Students Visit University in Guangdong” was published on CUHK Newsletter on 19th March 2008
• An article titled “Reflections on Classroom Observation in the Institute of English Language Education of Guangdong Unviersity of Foreign Studies (GDUFS) and the English School attached to GDUFS ” was published on Faculty of Education Newsletter in June 2008
• A post-Guangzhou visit sharing session was held on 1 February 2008 with Faculty staff members and students
• Workshops on “Compiling a blog-based Teaching Portfolio” were held on 27th May 2008 with all YELD and YCLD students.
• An international conference presentation was delivered on 9th June 2007 at the Asia TEFL in Malaysia. The title of the paper is “From Second Language Learner to Second Language Teacher: possible factors that affect professional development”.
• Launching of PLaTE website on 26 September 2008
• A paper on ETSE “Dimensionality and Correlates of Self-Efficacy in English Language Teaching among Chinese Prospective Teachers in Hong Kong” has been submitted to Journal of Education Studies for reviewing.
• Tang, E., Ng, E. and Li, E. (2008). “Platforms for Language Teacher Education”. Poster and Paper presentation, EXPO: Excellence Online 2008. The Chinese University of Hong Kong. 17 October 2008.
• Tang, E & Li, E. (2009). “Introduction and Development of a blog-based Teaching Portfolio: a case study in the pre-service teacher education programme”. Paper presented at The Sixteenth International Conference on Learning, University of Barcelona, Spain. 1-4 July, 2009.
• Tang, E. (forthcoming). Introduction and Development of a Blog-Based Teaching Portfolio: A Case Study in a Pre-Service Teacher Education Programme. International Journal of Learning.
• Tang, E., Lee, J. and Chun, C. (reviewing). How to teach English?: a study of pre-service teachers’ belief and practices in Hong Kong.