Factors shaping the introduction of process writing in Hong Kong secondary schools

Abstract This paper describes the initial stage of a research project designed to evaluate the adoption of process writing by a group of eight secondary English teachers in Hong Kong. The discussion of the project and the profile of its participants is set in Rogers’ (1983) framework for describing the process of adoption of innovations, including the nature of the innovation and how it is perceived by potential adopters, the communications channels for disseminating it, the time needed for adoption, and the social system in which the adoption takes place. A range of adoption attitudes are identified among the participants, based on the compatible and incompatible factors they perceive in relation to the innovation and the conditions they believe would need to change to ensure a smooth adoption process. The teachers’ profile suggests that they can be assisted in actualising the necessary conditions for implementing the process approach by provision of suitable materials and various types of support, including training to build a knowledge base and a repertoire of teaching techniques for process writing and to develop skills for self‐reflection and pedagogical problem‐solving.