The Arts-in-Education (AiE) Programme was an initiative that involved artists and arts organizations working closely with school teachers in the formal curriculum to enhance student learning by using an interdisciplinary approach. This three-year programme (2000–2003) was organized by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and co-organized by the Curriculum Development Institute of the Education and Manpower Bureau and the Creative Arts Department of the Hong Kong Institute of Education. It received a total of HK$4 million sponsorship donated by the Hong Kong Bank Foundation. The programme had three main aims: To facilitate partnerships between professional practicing artists and schools to create programmes that enhance the study of the arts and other curriculum areas through the arts; To provide students, through working with the artists, with greater experience with the arts, encouraging them to explore different ways of thinking and work more creatively in the arts and other subjects; To facilitate the sharing and exchanging of ideas between arts and non-arts teachers and professional artists, so they could learn new ways of approaching their topic (Hong Kong Arts Development Council, 2000).
[Copyright © 2008 Springer Science + Business Media B.V.]

With the Hong Kong Government advocating the use of IT in education and the stress on student-focused teaching in education reform, this paper investigates the effects these innovations have on students' learning. Bernstein's concept of strong/weak framing is employed analytically to conceptualise the transaction of teaching and learning. Different levels of framing inherent in the music software and related teaching strategies and the ways they affect children's achievement in composing in lower secondary school settings are investigated, using an experimental study. The results show that children achieved best with very weak framing conditions using the computer to compose, suggesting that a student-focused approach facilitated composing and creativity, and this has several implications to teachers and teacher education today.
[Copyright © 2001 Aichi University of Education.]

The aims of the recent arts education reform is to build on the strengths of existing practices, to allow greater autonomy for schools to fully develop their school-based arts curriculum and to provide space for more new art forms for students to pursue their preferences in the arts. This paper investigates the effects of the ‘Arts-in-Education’ project (2001-2002), piloted in two secondary schools in Hong Kong, on the school curriculum and student learning. Results of the case study where the artist worked collaboratively with the schoolteachers during formal and informal hours on a musical production revealed that special timetabling arrangements could greatly facilitate a successful model. Other factors contributing to effective student learning included the commitment and dedication of the artist, a strong artist/school partnership, common goals, sufficient funding and full support from the school management and parents. Qualitative data, collected from lesson observation, interviews, focus group meeting and project documents had revealed successful ingredients for the across-the-arts and the interdisciplinary approaches, while pressing issues also emerged, to which educators need to pay special attention when responding to arts education reform.
[Copyright © 2003 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.]

This paper examines the effects of computerised music instruction on student motivation to learn music through a case study of five secondary schools in Hong Kong. Two main types of music software were used: the sequencing Technology-based Music Learning (TBML) type for composing, arranging and creating sound projects and the closed-package Computer-assisted Music Instruction (CAMI) type for enhancing musical knowledge such as the introduction of the musical instruments, Chinese operas and music theory. The researcher observed 16 lessons and 2sessions of extra-curricular activities in all and interviewed 5 teachers and 44 students. Analysis showed that use of the divergent sequencing software generated more student interest. It also showed that peer and independent learning took place more readily and that students demonstrated musical understanding more vividly through their creative work. When using the closed-package CAMI software, most teachers and students enjoyed the attractive visual effects, the organised sequential instruction and efficient feedback. The results may help music educators to review several pressing issues in the 21st century, including music curriculum design catering for teenagers with different learning styles when using music technology. The results may also have implications for teaching styles, changes in the teacher’s role with increased student autonomy, and the need for hardware and software support for classroom music lessons.
[Copyright © 2002 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.]

At the turn of the 21st century, the governments of Hong Kong and Taiwan initiated curriculum reforms, which aimed to expand children's arts experience, develop their generic skills and connect their knowledge in and through the arts. In Taiwan, the arts curriculum adopts an integrated design while in Hong Kong, it adopts an integrative learning approach that connects not only the arts, but also other Key Learning Areas. Working with tertiary institutions, the Taiwanese Government has provided an advisory group and other resources to prepare teachers for an integrated arts curriculum. Although the Hong Kong Government co-organised projects with tertiary institutions and the community, and commissioned a professional development course for primary school teachers, secondary school teachers seemed to be neglected. This paper compares official curriculum frameworks and their implementation, primary textbooks and teacher preparation among the two programmes. Many challenges are identified, and recommendations, such as increased collaboration among stakeholders and research on various integration approaches, are offered. It is hoped that these recommendations will help the successful implementation of the integrative /integrated arts curriculum in both places, as well as other parts of the world.
[Copyright of Asia-Pacific Journal for Arts Education is the property of Hong Kong Institute of Education.]