In-Service Teacher Training Needs in Hong Kong

Teachers attending a 5-week in-service retraining course completed a survey asking them to rate their current competencies and training needs in 24 variables (N = 210). Intuitively, teacher competencies and their perceived needs of retraining should be negatively correlated. However, the correlations between teacher competencies and perceived needs were found to be small and mostly not statistically significant. Teachers at various stages of their professional development were found to have varying competencies but they tended to have very similar needs. The results suggested that neither an analysis of the current teacher competencies nor that of their perceived needs alone would be adequate to guide the consideration of the contents of curriculum for in-service teachers. Instead, the teachers' current stage of professional development should be seriously considered in order to provide them with the most appropriate in-service training program. (Contains 3 tables.)