A team of researchers from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology conducted an action-focused study titled “eCitizen Education 360”, to understand the preparedness and experiences of students, parents, teachers, and school leaders before, during and after the first school suspension between February-June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.   

In this press conference via ZOOM, Professor Nancy Law, Deputy Director, Centre for Information Technology in Education (CITE), Faculty of Education, HKU, will present the fourth batch of research findings. It focuses on how school leadership practices before the pandemic, both general and e-learning specific, influence teachers’ preparedness for and effectiveness in online teaching. The findings also shed light on how multi-level school leadership have fostered a culture of trust and collaboration for pedagogical innovation that is regarded essential in the New Normal. Recommendations for actions based on the findings will also be presented.

The first three releases reported on the impact of online learning during school suspension on students from different socioeconomic backgrounds, what school-level e-learning arrangements contributed to better e-learning preparedness for teachers and students, and the four categories of teachers in terms of their preparedness for online teaching and its impact on online learning effectiveness.