This paper analyzes the aims of Hong Kong primary mathematics curricula in years 1973, 1983, 1995 and 2001(Proposed). The aims, goals, objectives and assumptions of primary mathematics curricula are studied using George J. Posner's framework. A comparison of progressive educational aims is also made. Literature search on relevant documents of curriculum changes and personal interviews were also conducted. The implications of this research for mathematics education are also discussed. The findings of this study would be valuable to curriculum planners, mathematics educators and primary school teachers in Hong Kong.
[Copyright © 2000 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.]

Home economics has a long history in Hong Kong schools. Although it is still in the secondary school curriculum, its value is always being challenged. This is particularly so when it is amongst the educational changes and reforms that are currently undertaken in Hong Kong. In order to understand its present situation in school and to inform the future development of the subject, a survey has been conducted to collect teachers' views. It is believed that the data collected will help put contemporary Hong Economics teaching in schools in context as well as identifying factors that might have affected its development in schools. Most importantly, the results help to provide a basis for practitioners in the field to rethink the relevance of Home Economics in the school curriculum in the new century.

Hong Kong has embarked on a raft of educational reforms and prominent amongst them is a call for school students to 'learn to learn' so they can be lifelong learners. Such a reform direction is common in many countries as the demands of knowledge economies become increasingly clear and politicized. However, the extent to which such a goal is achievable depends significantly on the nature of the school and classroom learning environments in which students and teachers participate. This paper argues that many of the conditions necessary for developing metacognition, an essential requirement for 'learning to learn' and lifelong learning, are still lacking in relation to the context of science education in Hong Kong. It suggests reform directions that, if implemented, would positively impact on school and classroom learning environments and increase the possibilty that 'learning to learn' and lifelong learning might rise above the rhetoric of reform in Hong Kong.

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.

This paper attempts to analyze the organization of the primary mathematics curriculum in Hong Kong. We follow the guidelines of Posner (1995) by answering five questions he posed on curriculum organization. The macro-level, micro-level, media employed, organization principles, and relative status of subject matter of the curriculum are discussed.
[Copyright © 2000 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.]

Textbooks have long been very important tools for the relevant subject teachers in Hong Kong. But very few teachers and researchers have discussed and investigated the role of textbooks in the teaching of Economic and Public Affairs (EPA). The aim of this paper is to highlight important aspects of the characteristics of EPA textbooks in Hong Kong and examine the ways that teachers have used EPA textbooks. In Hong Kong the shortage of time means that teachers often rely on textbooks to help them to present the teaching points to the students. This should not constitute a hindrance to the teaching process if textbooks are well written and teachers are aware of the limitations of textbooks and appropriate steps are taken to overcome these limitations. But when the case of EPA teaching and learning is examined it is found that the situation is deplorable. One of the reasons is that EPA textbooks have not been written in such a way that enquiry learning is promoted. After a content analysis of EPA textbooks is made, it is found that most writers of EPA textbooks are concerned with providing great amount of information to the students. Few attempts are made to give students the opportunity to probe and reflect on the controversies associated with the issues in public affairs in Hong Kong. Moreover, the issue of depth versus breadth is also aroused. In short, the writers of textbooks consider that breadth is more important than depth. Hence few single issues are discussed in greater depth in EPA textbooks. This shortcoming of textbooks can be overcome if teachers use EPA textbooks more appropriately. But due to shortage of time most teachers just overwhelmingly follow textbooks and they are not willing to supplement the use of textbooks by other resources and materials. Worse still, in many cases the teaching and learning of EPA is reduced to underlining and short explanation of important and key sentences in textbooks. The issue should cause concern among textbook writers,

The Primary General Studies Syllabus consists of four major content areas, namely Healthy Living, Living Environment, Natural World and Science & Technology. When these content areas are examined, discrete and rather independent elements are found in the topics of Science, Health Education and Social Studies, although a high degree of flexibility exists with respect to integration of these elements in teaching different themes of General Studies. The area of Living Environment is heavily social oriented whereas the areas of Natural World and Science & Technology are heavily science oriented. Furthermore, within the area Healthy Living, there is a high proportion of biology and health-related content knowledge associated with the topics covered. Given the significance of science and health components in the General Studies syllabus, a study has been initiated by our group of HKIEd Science Department staff to investigate the teaching competency of primary teacher trainees in science and health education components of General Studies. The study is a continuous one and is divided into several stages. In the initial stage of the project, a teaching competency self-evaluation questionnaire was designed and administered to representative groups of full-time and part-time HKIED teacher trainees to seek their self-evaluation feedback on their competency to teach science and health components of the General studies curriculum (Lui, Chan & Tsang, 1996). The competency questionnaire was composed of 3 major parts: a) Knowledge, b) Pedagogy, and c) degree of mastering specific General Studies science and health education topics (knowledge/ pedagogy). The teacher trainees felt that they needed to be better equipped with science and health knowledge for the teaching of science and health aspects of the General Studies curriculum. Furthermore, they felt there was not enough treatment of pedagogy as well as pedagogical content knowledge in science and health related components in HKIEd

Bioethics is defined in the Encyclopedia of Bioethics as'The systematic study of human conduct in the area of the life sciences and health care, insofar as this conduct is examined in the light of moral values and principles" (Reich, 1978). The term bioethics is almost synonymous with biomedical ethics (Beauchamp & Childress, 1989). Brody & Engelhardt (1987) point out: 'because we are all either prospective patients or family members of prospective patients, the bioethical issues raised by contemporary health care are unavoidable.' Therefore, bioethical issues are inevitably confronted by everyone sooner or later. In the classrooms, bioethical issues arc likely to be increasingly in the spotlight in coming years (Simpson, 1996), and there are several justifiable reasons for placing bioethical issues in the curriculum (O'Brien, 1996). Many modern advances in science and technology have social implications. Notably among them are bioethical issues, such as human fertility controls, sex pre-determination, birth controls, abortion, AIDS & sexually transmitted diseases, homosexuality, euthanasia, genetic manipulations, animal experimentation, and environmental protection. Attitudes towards these bioethical issues not only affect the welfare of the present generations, but also have serious social repercussions extending to the future generations. The Hong Kong Government have urged schools to help students develop moral qualities so that they would become ethical and responsible citizens. Such an aim of education as to build up moral and ethical character has been strongly advocated since 2500 years ago by Confucius, and recently notably by Johann Friedrich Herbart (Gangel & Benson, 1983). Therefore it is of great importance to see whether our Hong Kong college students have conscientious judgment in these bioethical issues. The present study intends to investigate (i) the concepts of ethics and bioethics, (ii) the attitudes & rationales towards various bioethical issues