Teachers’ perceptions of a reporting system for learning and development in an ‘inviting school’ in Hong Kong

Abstract

This study was conducted in a Hong Kong secondary school and investigated teachers’ views of a nontraditional reporting system referred to as “the narrative student report.” The report facilitates delivery of descriptive feedback to students to encourage their development as self-regulated learners. A single location case-study was used with ethnographic components (long-term observation in natural setting, interviews, discussion). Information was collected mainly from observations and individual interviews with 15 teachers. The school is an “inviting school” that has adopted the Invitational Education model as a way of energizing students to realize their full potential. The findings here confirmed data from a previous study that examined students’ views of the same system. The students identified four crucial influences that affect the success of the system. To this list, teachers here have added three more influences — teachers’ shared beliefs, various learning opportunities, and teachers’ professional development. The findings are interpreted from the perspective of invitational education.