Implementing the integration: What are teachers' beliefs about curriculum integration?

Implementing the integration: What are teachers' beliefs about curriculum integration?

• Chan, Kin Sang Jacqueline 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)

• M Teachers & Education for Teachers
  • MG Identities, Attitudes & Opinion of Educational Workers
• D Curriculum
  • DB Development & Evaluation

Teacher Education

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Secondary Education
• Post-Secondary Education

Traditionally, Hong Kong teachers are trained and performed as subject teachers in the secondary schools. The present study aimed to explore teachers' beliefs about curriculum integration in a secondary school in Hong Kong. Curriculum integration in this particular school meant the fusion of three subjects, i.e. Geography, History and Economic and Public Affairs. Case study was adopted in this study. The unit of analysis was the individual teacher. Multiple methods were used, i.e. documentary evidence, interview and observation. Triangulation of data was ensured. It was found that the teachers generally perceived curriculum integration as a means to solve the problems of the crammed curriculum. Individual teachers' beliefs about integration varied according to their different profiles of professional development. Teachers' implementation was found in accordance with their beliefs. Discussions of the case were in three dimensions, i.e. the influence of school context on teachers' beliefs, the influence of teachers' personal judgments derived from past experiences and the dialectical relationship between teachers' working context and their personal judgments. The results of the study shed light on the literature of teacher development in the upheaval of curriculum innovation. For the policy makers, it is important for them to be aware of teachers' beliefs, which, as the results of the teachers' professional development, were significant factors to the access of curriculum innovation. For the teachers, it is important to help them to be aware of their own beliefs and their respective impact on educational practice.

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/9425a0b0

2015-01-23