'Learning Study' for Primary School English Teachers: A Case Story from Hong Kong

This paper describes Learning Study as an approach to in-service English teachers' professional development. Learning Study, as an indigenous variation of the Lesson Study approach revitalised by Ference Marton's Variation Theory, has been developed to support both curriculum and teacher development in Hong Kong. We describe our experiences involving six primary school English teachers in Hong Kong with regard to a recently completed Learning Study project on pupils' use of pronouns. In the process, we found that not only had pupils' learning of English pronouns improved, but the teachers were also empowered in their professional growth. They developed a broader conception of English teaching and a better understanding of pupils' learning, and they engaged in a collaborative initiative of innovative pedagogic activities leading to a greater control of their professional practice.