Development of a new dual major science teacher education programme in Hong Kong: Approaches and implications for STEM education

Development of a new dual major science teacher education programme in Hong Kong: Approaches and implications for STEM education

• Yeung, Yau Yuen The Education University of Hong Kong

The 2016 International Conference of East-Asian Association for Science Education (EASE 2016): Innovations in Science Education Research & Practice: Strengthening International Collaboration (2016: Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan)

• G Curriculum, Teaching & Learning: Specific Disciplines
  • GC Mathematics & Statistics
• G Curriculum, Teaching & Learning: Specific Disciplines
  • GD Science & Technology
• G Curriculum, Teaching & Learning: Specific Disciplines
  • GG Engineering, Manufacturing & Construction
• Q Philosophy of Education, Educational System & School At Different Levels
  • QJ Educational Institutes, Colleges, Research Institutes, Various Universities

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Post-Secondary Education

In response to the Hong Kong government’s call for renewing and enriching “the curricula and learning activities of Science, Technology and Mathematics, and enhance the training of teachers, thereby allowing primary and secondary students to fully unleash their potential in innovation”, the author collaborated with a team of science teacher educators and scientists to develop a new dual major science teacher education programme called Bachelor of Education in Science (BEd(Science)) which prepares competent graduates for teaching two senior secondary science subjects (physics, chemistry or biology) as well as the junior secondary science. Compared with the conventional Bachelor of Science (BSc) programme offered by many other universities, our BEd(Science) has the special programme features of not only offering three kinds of dual majors (physics + chemistry/chemistry + biology/biology + physics) but also deliberately integrating subject knowledge with pedagogical content knowledge in many science courses, practising pedagogy in field experience (to be conducted in school environment) and delivering the programme by a teaching team composed of both scientists and science educators. Apart from five foundation courses in science and science education, there are nine advanced science subject courses plus a subject-specific pedagogy course in each chosen major. Besides, our design of the curriculum content of the BEd(Science) programme is based on a detailed examination of the local school science curricula so that it is ensured to cover all the subject knowledge necessary for the effective teaching of the corresponding school science subject. Hence, those advanced science courses or topics such as advanced quantum mechanics, which are usually required for specific scientific research but are not relevant nor required for the teaching of secondary science, will be replaced by other educational courses or topics which could effectively help school pupils remove their common misconception in science learning or get more in-depth understanding of the topics etc. Comments and feedback on our programme structure and course outlines as received from various internal quality assurance bodies and external review by three overseas scholars will be discussed together with the detailed rationales, framework, structure and the modifications of the programme as well as the foreseeable implications for STEM education in Hong Kong and her neighbouring regions.

Paper presented at the 2016 International Conference of East-Asian Association for Science Education (EASE 2016): Innovations in Science Education Research & Practice: Strengthening International Collaboration, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan.

• English

Conference Papers

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/dbb8c3de

2017-11-13