The professional development of Macau school principals: Making the most of the best

The author's aim is to explore the school principal training and development landscape in Macau. The continuities and changes in the professional development of principals in Macau over the last two decades are identified. Using Huber's theoretical framework, key pre- and in-service policy documents from 1993 to 2017 that have shaped the development are examined to better understand principal development and assess the role of the government in determining the aims, methods and substance of the development. The author provides a concise description of the status quo of the professional development of principals in Macau, particularly focusing on providers, orientations, conceptions, and multiple approaches. She argues that although training efforts are intended to gradually increase, there is a lack of hierarchical classification guidance and systematic establishment; limited formal evaluation being done to evaluate the effectiveness of the development programs while coping with the educational changes, the government still sticks to the traditional way and thus the training provided sometimes cannot keep pace with the current situation. However, there are some things that the government can do to improve the current situation. The primary concern should be to focus on providing effective transitions into the principal role, improving the assessment system, and establishing a systematic knowledge base in the years to come. Copyright © 2018 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.