Understanding Teacher Mindsets: IT and Change in Hong Kong Schools

In 1998, the Hong Kong government introduced a new policy to use information technology (IT) as a “catalyst” for change in classroom practices. The desired effect was to create a shift from a predominantly teacher-centred approach to more learner-centred teaching. This investigation explores the impact of IT on teaching practices in Hong Kong schools from the perspective of teachers, through the collection of data from surveys and reports into individual school practices, group discussions and follow-up individual interviews. The data was analysed using Fullan’s 2001 framework for understanding leadership within a culture of change. This framework was chosen to facilitate a better understanding of the problems facing classroom teachers. The analysis revealed that while the teachers in this study had indeed taken up the challenge to use IT in their teaching, their practices were little changed. IT was used mainly to support the existing teacher-centred approach. This study identified that the lack of clear and systematic leadership support, the inflexibility of the curriculum and assessment processes, time constraints, and limited appropriate professional development were the main reasons for the restricted impact of IT on the teachers’ practices in the classroom.