Document Type: Conference Papers
Pages: 108-128
Year published: 2004
Conference: 2nd Asia-Pacific Art Education Conference 2004: Art, Education, Community (2004: The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong)
In recent years there are increasing global interests and concerns in interdisciplinary and integrative learning across various subjects. Locally in Hong Kong, the concept of integrated learning of the arts subjects is at its blooming stage. Since 2001, the Department of Creative Arts in the HKIEd has implemented programme modules and explorative research projects on "Integrative arts learning and teaching" for students in the pre-service and in-service teacher-education programmes. A constructivist approach (Sunal, 2000) is adopted in the design of the modules in which students are exposed to the experiences of integrative learning of visual art, music, dance and drama activities. The module implementation data and project research findings have shown some facts that students successfully constructed meaning through the authentic experiences they involved and were able to integrate ideas and skills being learned. However, we are still facing a lot of constraints that are to be resolved, especially in the curriculum planning and implementation in the local school settings. The presentation will discuss on exemplars of our module implementation and explorative projects in schools; and analyze the strength, weaknesses and constraints of implementing integrated learning of the arts subjects in Hong Kong.