This paper investigates the implementation of outcome-based learning (OBL) in a core course entitled Enhancing Teaching in Small Classes of the Professional Development Course for Small Class Teaching in Primary Schools and makes recommendation based on an effective OBL implementation. The course is introduced to in-service primary teachers as a response to the policy on small class teaching which has come to effect in Hong Kong primary schools since 2000. Originally designed in a non-OBL Format to meet the needs of the local primary teachers, the course objectives and contents are prepared with reference to the relevant literatures, overseas as well as local studies on small class teaching. The course has then been revised according to the principles of OBL and then offered to the in-service primary teachers. Near the completion of the course, data were collected from the teachers using questionnaires and individual interviews. . It was found that the teachers were highly motivated to learn and they agreed that the course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) could enrich their knowledge and skills of a professional teacher, and the teaching and learning activities and assessment tasks could help them to achieve the CILOs. The result suggests that learners' needs are significant to the effective implementation of OBL.

Since the launching of outcome-based learning (OBL) in higher education in Hong Kong, institutional reforms are evident and have aroused various concerns of the stakeholders. The major elements of OBL identified as tile intended learning outcomes, teaching and learning activities and assessments are assumed to be the areas of change in the curriculum contest. This paper reports the findings of the implementation in teacher education courses. Through the implementation f OBL in the courses of curriculum and teaching, it was found that various factors have contributed to the degree of success in the actual implementation. Although the OBL implementation is at its beginning stage, its rationale and value needs to be recognized by both the teachers and students.

In response to the open invitation of the University Grants Committee's (UGC) to adopt Outcome-based learning (OBL) in higher education sector, universities and institutes have started reforming their curriculum by using the outcome-based approach in Hong Kong since 2004. In the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd) since 2007, seven generic outcomes expected of graduates were generated for learning outcomes to be further developed at different levels, such as faculty and department. In the following years, learning outcomes of various formats were formulated within departments under a "bottom-up" approach. The Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) succeeded in constructing a set of six departmental learning outcomes after gaining the consensus of faculty members within the department. In the process, key features of the department and desired attributes of the graduates among thirteen core modules from Bachelor degrees and Postgraduate Diplomas were identified and reviewed and main principles of OBL were considered at the same time. This paper examines the puzzles and challenge we faced in the reform process and shares our experiences and insights gained from such curriculum reform in teacher education.