New Horizons in Education

Abstract

Background: A middle manager plays an essential role in the school management and daily operation. In the educational reform era, many principals aware the performance and competence of the middle managers is critical for the development of their primary schools in Hong Kong. A few of school sponsoring body provide some central training for the middle managers in their primary schools. In order to support the professional development of middle managers of primary school in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Primary Education Research Association carries out a school-based teacher development project and eight primary schools participate in this project.

Aims: Based on reviewing local and international literatures, this study investigated the feedback and reflection of trained middle manager. After analysis these data, this paper try to link up the theory and practice in the professional development of middle manager.

Sample: Questionnaires were sent to all trained middle managers in these eight primary schools, and a total of 158 questionnaires are filled.

Method: Besides literatures in middle manager professional development and school-based training, qualitative information from middle managers of these schools are used to illustrate their needs, concerns and reflections.

Result: Trained middle managers give a higher responses rate in the session: Role and development of middle managers. They also reflect that there is a need to have more training on the knowledge and skills in team building. Meanwhile, some middle managers enjoy their action learning project and show their professional growth in the dissemination.

Conclusion: Upon these eight cases, the team discovers that reflection of the role of middle-managers, developing competence in team buildings and implementing action learning project contribute to the professional development of middle managers. While, the project enriches the experience in school-based teacher development and the pattern of middle managers training in Hong Kong primary schools.

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