After a brief overview of the basic education in Hong Kong, this chapter illustrates the historical development and changes of primary science education that have taken place in Hong Kong over 50 years. Following this, efforts are made to describe the current primary science education as integrated in the course General Studies, pupils’ informal learning opportunities in science events as extracurricular activities, and the status of science teacher education. A review of the research is conducted on the implemented curriculum which reflects the concern of Hong Kong science educators regarding primary pupils’ science learning. The final section focuses on discussing three recent trends in Hong Kong primary science education, i.e., STEM education, IT in science learning, and education for environmental sustainability. Copyright © 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature.

The introduction of e-textbooks in elementary schools has attracted growing attention. However, whether the adoption of e-textbooks can bring meaningful learning experience and educational learning environment for elementary school learners is a concern for educators. This study explored elementary school students' perceptions and experiences of learning with a newly designed e-textbook named “Interactive General Studies” via iPads in the science classroom. A total of 15 pupils from 3 Hong Kong elementary schools were interviewed about their views on the usefulness and usability of the e-textbook after they learned it using a cognitive walkthrough technique. Results showed that the majority of the students preferred to use the e-textbook for it better facilitated students' interactions and collaborations and promoted their self-learning and self-assessment. Nevertheless, some indicated that they could not really learn about relevant science concepts through merely doing activities in the e-textbook without teachers' explanations. Some others reported that they encountered difficulties in using drawing, note-taking, or syncing tools, which may affect the effectiveness of the e-textbook on their learning. It is suggested that teachers may more directly scaffold students to discuss key science concepts while doing activities in the e-textbook. Moreover, teachers may provide explicit instruction for students to adopt the use of those tools to promote more effective use of e-textbooks for learning.