Developing support for inclusion: A professional learning approach for teachers in Hong Kong

Professional learning for teachers is important if they are to be prepared for teaching in inclusive classrooms. This is particularly pertinent in Hong Kong where teachers have little personal experience of inclusion and where teaching continues to be didactic and examination oriented. Since Hong Kong implemented a whole school approach to inclusion in 2003, teachers have been able to access ad hoc courses, attend local conferences or seminars, or enroll in self–funded post graduate programs, if they wanted to upskill in the area of becoming inclusive teachers. A new initiative implemented in 2007 is a major attempt by the Education Bureau to provide teachers with a structured and consistent professional learning program to enable them to obtain basic skills required of an inclusive teacher. This paper considers the impact of the government funded course on teachers’ dispositions about inclusion and their perceived self–efficacy in implementing inclusive practices. Copyright © 2010 Whole Schooling Press.