Research Question Three: To what extent and in what ways does the PNET Scheme help to improve and increase the local teachers’ use of English in the

(LET focus group) I believe that [the NET’s] presence leads to more resources. We LETs used to teach based on local teaching materials or our own learning experiences, but the NET is good at finding more suitable teaching materials and searching for online stuff that is appropriate for our students in the classroom. So children find learning interesting and the lesson interactive.

(LET focus group) He would give me some advice and would give me some websites and also some group work and how to play the group work or some materials so I think he is very helpful. He can search a lot…

(LET focus group) He is very good at surfing the, searching the information on the net, on the websites, that means. He can use many skills to search the many interesting themes or movies or, what to say? Ah cartoons, comics, the students … like very much.

(LET focus group)

4.4.3.3 Research Question Three: To what extent and in what ways does the PNET

Corroboration with surveys regarding professional development (PD) support

CF11. The Advisory Teaching Team as a whole is active in providing professional development activities both at the school level and in the form of centralised PD workshops.

There is evidence that the school-based activities are tailored to the needs of specific schools and well-received as a result, thus contributing to teachers’ desire to develop professionally.

During the whole process of course we … learn through the collaborations with the NET and also the AT. But then at the end, after finishing the whole project we have invited the AT to help us share the fruit with other Panel members. So to a certain extent that kind of sharing helps promote a sort of professionalism among the Panel members.

(EPC interview) [Interactions with the AT are] very effective. And sometimes I find that she works so hard for example, I something think of something and then I will ‘WhatsApp’ with her … at 8:00 at night or a Saturday night and then she will answer me straight away and then … I wasn’t not expecting her to answer. [She is] so very effective, not just for the PLP-R/W programme but whenever I need some advice from her.

(EPC Interview) My advisory teacher is great. Really, really good. Email communication, WhatsApp communication, always replies within a couple of hours. I couldn’t ask for more, really. ...

I’d quite happily meet her once a week. You know, I’ve got a lot to talk about. I enjoy discussing what I’m doing and trying to improve, and, I see them as quite a valuable resource that I’m going to get as much as I can out of while I can.

[…]

… in the very first meeting that I had with her, she asked if there was anything that I wasn’t sure about, or if there was anything that I wanted to discuss or explore or learn or understand and I said that, you know, whilst I can teach a child to read a book, you know, my experience of it, was somewhat limited. I haven’t been a teacher for very long, and she has been a teacher for 15 years or something, so I said can you show me what to do, basically? What experiences can you share with me and she within I think it was two weeks came and gave us a workshop for the whole English department, shared basically reading strategies, some teaching practice with us, quite simple things but effective you know, things that you need to know, if you don’t. And I picked up enough that I feel a lot more confident about doing it. I’m able now to vary my lessons a little bit more.

(NET Interview) For the DTS Scheme she has been excellent, so much support, but because so much time and effort has been taken up by her with this, ‘cos I know she has a lot of other schools at the same time, any, any other support ... Thankfully I don’t feel like have had any crises that I’ve needed a lot of support. But I think had I, I would have found her time to have been a bit stretched I think. So… but I have seen her very frequently because of this project, and she is always erm, I feel like if I had had a problem she would have made time of course, to kind of help me find a solution.

(NET Interview) Yes. … I’ve actually been to the professional development with my AT. The AT was very

techniques for shared reading and guided reading. She has also sat in … to observe co-planning meetings. So she was very diligent on saying, you know a particular question should be that we need to go into the detail, detail is very important. So it was all centred around co-planning.

(NET Interview) While the general level of satisfaction with ATs was high, some local teachers and English Panel Chairs had suggestions that ATs might consider. Some LETs suggested that workshops be provided exclusively for NETs to introduce them to the culture of the Hong Kong primary school (something which is now addressed in the Induction Programme); one participant in a LET focus group suggested that a LET should accompany the NET to such workshops. Another NET suggested that centralised PD might be provided at a more advanced level specifically for NETs, although LETs would also be invited to attend:

I would like to see more briefings and pre-service sessions organised by the ATs or the NET Section. Topics such as Chinese classroom culture and characteristics of a particular school would help NETs to be better psychologically prepared for the school environment where they would work in.

(LET focus group) I have a suggestion but I am not sure if it has been implemented. I know that the NET Section will organise sharing sessions for the NETs irregularly. They seem exclusively for NETs. If possible, a LET could go with the NET, so that LETs will understand more about what is happening in the NET Scheme immediately. Accompany the NET to these sharing activities…

(LET focus group) I think [the centralised PD workshops] are good. They certainly help. Because it’s mixed, with NETs and local teachers, I would say I personally that I find some of them perhaps a little bit redundant but they really do help the local teachers, some local teachers, I think, have had to approach it. It might be a good idea if there was a NET workshop where we could delve into something else, something, you know, take it a bit further

[…]

Perhaps guided reading, talking about maybe instead of just talking about the basics of guided reading, okay, picture books, and look at the book, and so on and so forth, maybe we could talk about how can we assess the students while we guide read? Can we use a checklist? Can we see what skills they are using? Something like this. Whereas for guided reading, how can we make a running track to say, okay, and then we use that at co-planning meetings, okay, I see that they can use these skills but they cannot use these skills. Can we work on this? Something like that, just taking it maybe a step further, for example.

[..]

… but I think they’re definitely worthwhile … I see teachers who went to the workshops, who saw something demonstrated, then used it in the class and it worked very well. So in that regard, I think it’s very good. I think they could develop it further, but I think they’re useful.

(NET Interview)

One English Panel Chair suggested that the AT could provide more tailored advice and PD offerings:

… the current communication is relatively one-way. Normally it is I who asks her questions. Actually she could ask me as well. For example, [we were given] circulars about puppet workshops organised by the EDB. I think these workshops are not suitable for students at this school. Then I think the AT should understand what workshop we actually need, for example through a survey, to organise something that suits us. ... I never see she ask about what we need. The ATs organise some workshops, because they think we need them. But from our perspective, not all are necessary. I think they need to survey of our comments. This is win-win. They can organise a meaningful workshop, and we are happy to attend it.

(EPC Interview) Another EPC appreciated the intensive support that accompanied involvement in DTS for the first year (as a P1 seed school), but noted that this entailed less support for other levels.

If the AT can come, not just one level, probably other levels as well, but the visits … not as frequent as like we have this year joining the seed project, so at least there’s someone from the outside want to help or to show, or to signal somebody can offer help from the outside. This is what I want from the AT: more help, more meetings or sharing, not just through the co-planning, probably through different kinds of workshops, school-based workshops, things like that.

(EPC Interview)

CF12. Some LETs found that co-teaching with a NET helped them in professional development and in improving their English.

For teachers, co-teaching enables [the NET] to work as a model or coach. When he is teaching, we also observe and learn his pedagogies. The effect is positive

[…]

I think the Scheme is helpful in professional development. For example, we had the PLP-R programme at the beginning, which was led by our first NET. We also had co-teaching in those days. This programme was developed by NETs, so it might not easy for LETs to grasp the key elements involved. But through co-teaching, we LETs understood how to teach shared reading, guided reading, etc. When we were young we might not interact with such learning methods, so we need to learn from NETs now. And the biggest change to me is that after I grasp the key elements, with the opportunities provided by the school I could take up a whole lesson on shared reading. I become similar to a NET.

I can put what I have learnt into practice. Therefore, I have a feeling that I become more mature on the aspect of teaching.

(LET focus group) To my experience, after I cooperate with the NETs, personally I have learnt a lot of phonics from them. Although I learnt when I was a student, I still lack confidence in teaching them now. Through co-teaching, I also learn phonics when students are learning it. Then I will practise it with my students in my own classes. I also understand that phonics is important to students. The knowledge is helpful to them in the future. So I

also learn through co-teaching, and I strengthen my knowledge of it afterwards. This is of great help to students.

(LET focus group) Also, we said the NET is similar to a resource, a walking dictionary. Sometimes we LETs are not sure about the usage of English, and we will ask him to offer advice. We also enrich our subject knowledge in this way. We also need to communicate with him in English, which increases our use of spoken English. I think we LETs also increase confidence in using English…Sometimes we are not that sure about it, and we will ask for his help. He is able to provide feedback immediately. We learn something as well.

(LET focus group) Limitations regarding PD of LETs

CF13. While participants in the interviews generally found professional development effective, some limitations were highlighted. One of these was the timeframe required for PD to actually result in teacher change, a problem compounded by the heavy workload of local teachers in both teaching and non-teaching work which detracted from their ability to focus on professional development.

Advisory Teachers with significant experience as teacher educators providing professional development noted that, to be effective, a long-term perspective is needed, allied with ongoing monitoring and support, to ensure that PD results in actual ‘take-up’, that is adoption and implementation of the new procedures and practices introduced to them through PD. This was perceived as important particularly for non-programme schools, where the intensive support associated with a programme might not be available to such a degree and where school personnel may be used to more traditional modes of teaching.

Some local teachers cited heavy workload as a reason for not thinking about ‘how to do better’

in their teaching, as reflected in the following view expressed in one of the focus groups:

When the schedule is so tight, there is a lot of administrative work, there is barely space for us to think about how to do better. I just follow. I don’t have time to think about improvement on teaching. Is there anything that I can skip? Fewer forms to fill in, less work, etc. uses up our time. If we don’t have to do these, we can do many other things.

(LET focus group) CF14. Professional development workshops provided by the NET in some schools appear to be relatively rare due to some NETs’ lack of experience and training.

The only Professional Development workshops mentioned in the interviews as involving NETs in a facilitating role were sharing sessions related to DTS, which were co-organised with the ATs concerned and involved more than one seed school:

I did … a workshop at the EDB so I did some, I had some meetings about that as well, quite regularly through the year actually. … It was actually related to the text sets, so we gave feedback on what we’d done and shared what we’d done with other schools and gave them some ideas of what they could do and kind of, what they need to think about if

One NET who had many years’ experience of training teachers in her home country talked of the informal training she provided to her local colleagues:

Not that I'm training these teachers. I don't want to imply that, but teachers who are less experienced with the PLP-R/W, I can offer support and so on. Often I'll just meet them over the coffee corner in the staff room and say, "Oh something went really well today.

That was really good. I liked the way you did X." Then, "Oh, it didn't work quite so well when we did Y. Perhaps next time we could think about doing X, Y, Z. But that reading at the end went really, really well." I try the sandwich approach, good, improve, good.

(NET Interview) Another NET felt that NET-directed workshops would be more feasible if the school hired another NET to cover the KS2 classes:

A NET for KS1 and KS2, I think at least. That way the NETs can have collaboration … and do professional workshops together. Focusing on whichever strength and helping the local teachers.

(NET Interview) Additional insights on the Scheme’s positive impact on LETs

CF15. Interviewees generally recognised the role of the Scheme in increasing the amount of English used in the classroom and improving the LETs’ spoken English.

I remember the first year she came we worked in a P1 classroom. To me P1 was always not easy to handle. She [the NET] set a good example to me. She can explain everything very clearly and systematically. [Even though] she’s a NET, she never speaks quickly in front of the students. She speaks at the right pace, but I always speak too fast. When I was standing behind a student and looking at her being a teacher I noticed that I was always speaking too fast in my P1 class. I learnt from her.

(LET focus group) Because of the existence of the NET, I required all English teachers, whether inside or outside the classroom, to speak English with the students. It would be better for them to be led by a NET. The LETs might feel very embarrassed, because Chinese people are very ashamed to speak English even though they are English teachers. They were really shy and feared grammatical mistakes. They were afraid of being laughed at by their colleagues.

(SH Interview) We have [used English] many many times [during] assembly in the hall. Whenever an English teacher is in the hall, we ask them to speak in English and deliver the message in English to the students.

(SH Interview) CF16. Examples of expanded pedagogical practices were cited in relation to projects such as PLP-R/W and DTS. There was also some evidence of NETs as agents of change in this regard.

The NET has first-hand life experience and can demonstrate teaching methods to us.

This is a good thing through which we have learnt a lot.

(EPC interview) Actually I am not very sure about this because this is my first year teaching, but I think if, if I, I talk more and communicate more with the NET, he will give us more idea of some creative teaching or some activities that we may not usually use in Hong Kong.

So he may bring some new ideas like from his own country to help with learning English. I think this is the good thing that affects us.

(LET focus group) Perhaps due to co-planning… in old days LETs didn’t have much opportunity to exchange ideas when preparing for a lesson. There were exchanges, but not in-depth.

Now with the programme, we have a chance and time to communicate about teaching and the teaching methods to be used in a class.

(LET focus group) NETs can bring new ideas to LETs from the west, such as new pedagogies, process writing, formative assessment. NETs are playing an important role of providing ideas of this kind.

(EPC interview) I think textbook is restricted by something. But with the PNET Scheme, the PLP-R/W programme, when the NET Section produces these books as the basis, there should be no business concern. They just run a reading and writing programme from a teacher development perspective. Then the elements of teaching reading and writing are back to the school. I think this enables teachers to move forward without the constraints of textbook. … So I think the PNET Scheme allows us to tentatively put aside the textbook and reconsider how to do a better curriculum.

(SH interview) Oh, a lot of... the intonation... for example... a hen. A hen is talking... [the NET] has different voices. [Coo coo... imitating the sound of a hen]... Very interesting. I love her reading the story. Just like the kids. When she reads the story, I'm like ... just like the kids. When she reads the story...I'm being one of the kids. I'm not as good as her, but yeah yeah. Yeah, I can do the hen talk. Yes, but not as good as her. Okay... but that's why I can... I learned from her.

(EPC interview) I think more games are included in the lesson, more storytelling and singing in it. When we hurry for finishing the syllabus we often neglect the elements in cooperative learning.

But once students enter the English room, they are surrounded by a happy environment.

Then I know that I need to implement cooperative learning through gaming. The Scheme increases my awareness of this.

(LET focus group) Evidence for the benefit of co-teaching for local teachers was cited by NETs. In one case the NET perceived this as the opportunity to make use of skills local teachers were already trained to use and capable of using but did not have the chance to use in their regular GE

impacting on general approaches adopted in GE, related, for example, to the use of readers.

Other NETs had similar observations regarding the transfer of skills related to Phonics teaching, and collaborative learning techniques such as ‘Think, pair, share’:

But I would say, actually, I definitely can say [co-teaching is] very effective. And how can I tell? Is because, they’re using it in the GE. So for example, they’re taking skills that they’ve learned here or that they’ve already known but didn’t really think that they could apply …to the style that they have been doing it in, let’s say, and using it. So for example, the look, say, spell, cover, write, check kind of formula for, you know, doing, you know, practising for their dictation, let’s say, right. ‘Oh, I got only 27 in dictation, so the teacher will go, this is in GE, and then do look, say, spell, cover, write, check, teach them the skill, take it from here and do it in there. When they do readers now, they used to have on the, for the English, for GE maybe let’s say three readers per term. For GE, now they’ve cut it back to perhaps two and spending longer time on it, rather than one reader, one lesson, then it’s finished, you know. They’re doing more of a process, maybe cover, picture walk, reading the book. They’re also giving them the books according to their level, because we’re now levelling the students.

(NET Interview) I’ve had kindergarten experience so, I’m quite good at bringing phonics to the teachers, and the teachers have been quite, quite a lot of the teachers have been open to teaching phonics this year and, and they’ve put quite a lot of the tech, the techniques that I used at the beginning of the year into their own lessons as the year’s gone on. So they’ve gone and used the phonics whilst they’re doing their reading and things.

(NET interview) I’d say that, Hong Kong teaching is still trying … I think it’s been improving in terms of holistic teaching, but I still think it’s quite talk and chalk and quite teacher-based learning and, … but I can see some of the teachers taking those ideas that we’re trying to put through the NET Scheme in terms of pair talk, pair teaching, Think Pair Share stuff, and asking the students to speak together in English before they, the teacher, and you know, creating participation using that kind of thing, rather than just telling them, and then doing the worksheet, which I think is what generally happens.

(NET interview) There’s many terms. I would say number one, important: is “creative”. It is important to be creative, and this is something a NET can bring, something different and something different to the lessons. ... And ... resourceful. Definitely, you need to get the resources ready for the teaching. And if the resources are not there, not all the teachers have time to get them, so I need to make sure they’re prepared.

(NET interview) Data from the observation of co-teaching supports the transfer of skills learned from the approaches used by the NET in teaching PLP-R/W, Phonics and Reading to local teachers. The quotations below from observation field notes suggest that, in the more effective case study schools, the roles of NET and LET in the classroom were broadly similar, both equally capable to taking the lead to teach Phonics or other skills: