Highlighted Projects
2012-2014:
Teacher commitment, motivation and attributes: What characterizes teachers in Hong Kong Schools?
Teachers are fundamental to the development of a knowledge society. In the Hong Kong context, teachers are facing a lot of challenges due to heavy workload, job stress, and the recent downsizing of schools. It is especially important to examine teacher commitment and explore the psychological factors associated with teachers’ decision to stay in their profession. Therefore, the aim of this research is to explore the nature of teacher commitment, factors that influence it, and its impact on important outcomes such as psychological well-being, job satisfaction, and intention to remain in the profession. Practicing educators at various career levels in primary and secondary schools will be invited to contribute to this study.
This study has important theoretical and practical contributions. In terms of theoretical significance, this will be the first large-scale attempt to map the nature of teacher commitments and the range of teacher motivations and attributes related to commitment. From a practical perspective, this study will help give policy-makers and practitioners empirically-sound recommendations to help Hong Kong build a strong teaching force in the midst of the many challenges facing the teaching profession.
Teacher commitment, motivation and attributes: What characterizes teachers in Hong Kong Schools?
Teachers are fundamental to the development of a knowledge society. In the Hong Kong context, teachers are facing a lot of challenges due to heavy workload, job stress, and the recent downsizing of schools. It is especially important to examine teacher commitment and explore the psychological factors associated with teachers’ decision to stay in their profession. Therefore, the aim of this research is to explore the nature of teacher commitment, factors that influence it, and its impact on important outcomes such as psychological well-being, job satisfaction, and intention to remain in the profession. Practicing educators at various career levels in primary and secondary schools will be invited to contribute to this study.
This study has important theoretical and practical contributions. In terms of theoretical significance, this will be the first large-scale attempt to map the nature of teacher commitments and the range of teacher motivations and attributes related to commitment. From a practical perspective, this study will help give policy-makers and practitioners empirically-sound recommendations to help Hong Kong build a strong teaching force in the midst of the many challenges facing the teaching profession.
2009-2012:
Optimizing the Potential of Hong Kong Students: Harnessing the Interaction Between Psychological Variables and Student Achievement
There is ample international research evidence that students’ school achievement is significantly affected by their self-concept, self-regulated learning, future goals, achievement goals, basic values, perceived value of schooling, learning strategies, and motivation. Nevertheless, there has not been any study that has looked into the effects on achievement of these variables when taken together. Nor has there been any research into the joint effects on achievement of these psychological variables on schooling outcomes. As such, despite the pervasive significance of these variables for the realization of full potential (see, for example, McInerney & Van Etten, 2004; Marsh, Craven & McInerney, 2007), current practices in school settings have not fully capitalized on advances in research demonstrating the importance of these variables. The following question will be addressed: What is the nature of and relationships between academic achievement and psychological factors over time for secondary students in Hong Kong?
Optimizing the Potential of Hong Kong Students: Harnessing the Interaction Between Psychological Variables and Student Achievement
There is ample international research evidence that students’ school achievement is significantly affected by their self-concept, self-regulated learning, future goals, achievement goals, basic values, perceived value of schooling, learning strategies, and motivation. Nevertheless, there has not been any study that has looked into the effects on achievement of these variables when taken together. Nor has there been any research into the joint effects on achievement of these psychological variables on schooling outcomes. As such, despite the pervasive significance of these variables for the realization of full potential (see, for example, McInerney & Van Etten, 2004; Marsh, Craven & McInerney, 2007), current practices in school settings have not fully capitalized on advances in research demonstrating the importance of these variables. The following question will be addressed: What is the nature of and relationships between academic achievement and psychological factors over time for secondary students in Hong Kong?
Other Projects
2007-2008: Building the future for Singaporean students: The relationship of values, future visions, motivational profiles and learning to school success.
2006-2011: Securing the future: Optimising the success of remote Indigenous students at post-secondary education. A cross-cultural study.
2005-2011: Building the future of Indigenous students. The relationship of future vision, learning, and motivational profiles to school success.
2005-2008: Maximising Real Educational Achievement – The REACH Project: Integrating motivation and self-concept to optimise students’ academic outcomes (with H. Marsh & A. Martin)
2006-2011: Securing the future: Optimising the success of remote Indigenous students at post-secondary education. A cross-cultural study.
2005-2011: Building the future of Indigenous students. The relationship of future vision, learning, and motivational profiles to school success.
2005-2008: Maximising Real Educational Achievement – The REACH Project: Integrating motivation and self-concept to optimise students’ academic outcomes (with H. Marsh & A. Martin)
