This paper identifies the diverse aims of the formal music curriculum and compares them to teachers' perceptions of those aims. Data was collected by the authors through a questionnaire which was completed by 48.5% (n=203) of music teachers in the secondary schools in Hong Kong. Analysis of the results showed that the predominant view of the respondents regarding the aims of music education was that it would enable students to appreciate music. Further, musical experiences associated closely with listening were perceived to be more important than the other components of a balanced music curriculum, namely performance and composition.

Noting that there are many definitions of a music curriculum, the author attempts to find out some changes in the music curriculum for Hong Kong primary schools since the 1960s. The discussion focuses on two aspects of the music curriculum for Hong Kong primary schools: the "formal curriculum" and the "operational curriculum". The scope of the author's study is mainly on the analysis of documents available.

The main purpose of the author's research is to investigate the similarities and differences of the music curriculum in Hong Kong and Xiamen (city in Fujian Province, China). The main foci is on the proportion of Western and Chinese music in the curriculum, the extent that teachers follow the curriculum, and the difference in teaching method in conducting the curriculum.

Three key publications from September 2000 point to rapid changes in the educational and arts environment in Hong Kong that will impact on the development of dance education. This paper provides some contextual details on the current state of dance education in Hong Kong and also examines the influence and possible ramifications implicit within these publications. A brief outline of the prevailing scope of professional activity is also provided. The necessity for teacher training to facilitate change is then discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of Research in Dance Education is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.
[Copyright of Research in Dance Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14647890220129131]

The author points out that the practice of art assessment has been a complex task for many art teachers and educators since the past decades, and that, to make improvement in the examination, in general, more than half of the art teachers accepted the assessment of art knowledge and art history in addition to practical examination. From literature review, as the author reported, it is also found that the assessment of students' portfolios was considered a more reliable and objective assessment strategy which helped relieve the pressure of examination. The author concludes that such initiatives would bring about significant changes in the future development of curriculum planning and pedagogy design in Art and Design education.