As I mentioned in week one Senge’s five disciplines model: 1. Personal Mastery, my organization has taken its active role in providing professional development to teaching staff. For instance: Outcome-based Teaching and Learning (OBTL) Seminars and Workshops have been held to share professional advice from Scholars with the teachers. Teachers who participate in these seminars and workshops learn the core values of OBTL and take up opportunities for self-reflection during the whole process. It will have a long way to go before a systematic Professional Development System is well-defined by the organization.
What strategies does your organisation have in place to encourage development, change and innovation?
1. Extra Resources bidden for Special Project
Since my organization is at the beginning stage of implementing professional development, it has started to bid extra resources through the Education Bureau on implementing special projects like Outcome-based Teaching and Learning. Reflections have been done by participants. It is expected that a thorough report that gives a clear portrayal for the outcomes of the project based on all the facts and feedbacks submitted will wrap up the project and provide ideas on how professional development can be further encouraged in the organization.
2. Appraisal focusing on Professional Development
Like other educational institutions, my organization has also implemented the Annual Appraisal Review Mechanism. To facilitate the changing needs for Professional Development in different departments, a mid-year review of appraisal by each individual and his/her supervisor is enabled so that each staff member and his/her supervisors can make appropriate adjustments on one’s development plan and encourages active dialogues on problems or concerns encountered. This is a good practice for giving a chance for staff to review their performance in the middle of the year.
3. Education Subsidy for Professional Development
To encourage teaching staff to strengthen their professionalism towards the area they are working on, Education Subsidy is provided for Professional Development for teaching staff that pursue continuing education in fields that highly relevant to their job responsibilities. Also, discounted price is also offered to teaching staff on taking short courses provided by the night school of my organization to encourage further studies after work.
References:
Quality Enhancement Grant Scheme . 2008. Information Portal for Accredited Post-secondary Programmes - "iPASS". http://www.ipass.gov.hk/eng/support_insti_qegs.aspx
References:
Quality Enhancement Grant Scheme . 2008. Information Portal for Accredited Post-secondary Programmes - "iPASS". http://www.ipass.gov.hk/eng/support_insti_qegs.aspx
Jeff:
ReplyDeleteI've also worked in a school where PD intiatives were implemented, and where few existed previously. I must say, the energy required by staff and the organisation in general is very high in these initial phases. I guess like learning any new skill the 'cognitive load' is higher in the initial learning phase. I think the van Pelt & Vernooy-Gerritsen (1994) model is really important for management to conscious of so they are aware of the energy use required for change/learning. the increased load to achieve each new level of facilitation is high at the beginning and tapers of over time. This has to be factors into their change management plans so that staff and the organisation in general does not burn out.
Hi Jeff,
ReplyDeleteAs I know, education subsidy is a good way to promote PD developing. But I have a question, in order to get more education subsidy, some of the staffs in the university will have academic corruption, it is very common in mainland China. If it happens, how to avoid it? Maybe HongKong is doing best in such area.
It is really hard to get rid of corruption completely. Anyway, the subsidy given to teachers in Hong Kong is not big and there is designated use of the money. So corruption is usually not a problem in local educational institutes.
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