Conference Papers

Curriculum reform and restructuring of senior secondary education in Hong Kong: Perceived challenges and implications

Title:
Curriculum reform and restructuring of senior secondary education in Hong Kong: Perceived challenges and implications
Authors:
Year Published:
2010
Conference:
The Global Chinese Conference on Science Education 2010 (2010: The Hong Kong Institute of Education, China.)
Education Categories:
- Q Philosophy of Education, Educational System & School At Different Levels
  - QD Secondary Education
- R Educational Policy & Administration
  - RG Education Reforms
Region:
- Hong Kong
Period:
- 1997.7 onwards
Level:
- Secondary Education
Abstract:
The restructuring of the academic structure and curriculum of the senior secondary education in 2009 has witnessed the on-going drive of the Hong Kong Education Reform in 2000 for a “more flexible and diversified” curriculum (Education and Manpower Bureau, 2005, p.9). To develop students’ ability to make connections across knowledge and concepts from different disciplines and to examine issues from multiple perspectives, new interdisciplinary subjects like Liberal Studies and Integrated Science are introduced into the new senior secondary curriculum. Whilst their introduction would definitely create stress and concerns of teachers, in preparing for new but broader subject content that may require completely different teaching strategies, teachers of traditional disciplinary subjects would also face new challenges through changes in the subject curriculum, teaching and assessment. This symposium therefore aims to discuss how teachers perceive the challenges of teaching interdisciplinary subjects and discipline-based subjects. Before the actual implementation of those new curricula, we have developed and administered specific research tools (in form of interview guidelines and questionnaires) to collect qualitative and quantitative data from curriculum planners and school teachers for the aforementioned interdisciplinary subjects and a number of disciplinary subjects, including Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Geography. Interview data will be used to discuss on how teacher-practitioners’ views are compared with the curriculum planners towards the implementation of Liberal Studies and Integrated Science, whereas both interview and questionnaire survey data from teachers of disciplinary subjects of Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Geography have been analysed to reveal the teachers’ key concerns and perceived problems as arisen from the change in curriculum organization and structure, emphasis on nature of science, science, technology, society and environment, fieldwork and inquiry approach of learning as well as school-based and field enquiry assessment. It is anticipated that through such sharing, a better and more informed understanding of the concerns of teachers would be collected to highlight implications for curriculum review and development as well as teacher education. The symposium comprises 6 presentations, listed as follows: Interdisciplinary curricula 1. Integrated learning and Liberal Studies 2. Integrated learning and Integrated Science Disciplinary curricula 3. Curriculum organization – a case of Biology 4. Nature of science and Science, Technology, Society and Environment – a case of Physics 5. Inquiry and school-based assessment – a case of Chemistry 6. School-based assessment and fieldwork enquiry – a case of Geography
Note:
Paper presented at the Global Chinese Conference on Science Education 2010, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, China.
Language:
- English
Document Type:
Conference Papers
Permalink:
https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/db08267f
Entry Date:
2015-03-25