Teacher collaboration: Changes in practice in junior secondary science lessons

Teacher collaboration: Changes in practice in junior secondary science lessons

• Chan, Man Tak The Hong Kong Institute of Education
• Kwok, Ping Wai The Hong Kong Institute of Education

2004

International Council on Education for Teaching (ICET) World Assembly 2004: Teachers as learners: Building communities for professional development (2004: Hong Kong, China)

• G Curriculum, Teaching & Learning: Specific Disciplines
  • GD Science & Technology

Teacher Education and Professional Development Secondary Education

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Secondary Education

Teachers from three secondary schools together with the authors initiated a project to develop teaching strategies and resources to implement a new Hong Kong Junior Secondary Science Curriculum (JSSC) introduced in 2000. The teachers met regularly to share their experiences of the teaching designs and classroom practice. Through working together, teachers became mentors and learners of the other teachers. Data were collected from records of teacher meetings, lesson observations, teacher interviews and student interviews to evaluate the effectiveness of the project. Findings of this study revealed that teaching approaches of these teachers changed significantly, particularly towards more student-centred modes of learning. Active student participation encouraged the teachers to explore and try out innovative ways of learning and teaching of science. The positive feedbacks from students stimulated the teachers to reflect their role as facilitators and curriculum decision-makers rather than passive transmitters of the curriculum. To be successful in making changes in the teaching culture, findings indicated that the teachers shared the common goal of delivering quality science education. The change had also to be taken place in a context in which high quality teaching resources developed by the teachers had an impact on pupils' learning. The change was not only on the pedagogical content knowledge applied in classes. It was also a change in the belief in science education. However without the characteristics of a competent teacher such as good science background and good presentation skills, such changes would not be able to succeed.

Paper presented at the International Council on Education for Teaching (ICET) World Assembly 2004: Teachers as learners: Building communities for professional development

• English

Conference Papers

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/8832494b

2015-07-29