The concept of hidden curriculum has been interpreted in various perspectives and the diversity of its functions, patterns and definitions has also cried for a more consensual platform for discussion. It has been linked with values acquisition, socialization, and maintenance of class structures (Vallance, 1991, Anyon, 1981; Bowles & Gintis, 1976), the social structure of the classroom (Dreeban, 1967), the moral dimension (Kohlberg, 1970), hegemony (Apple, 1975) and the social stratification of class, race, and gender (Apple, 1982; Aronowitz & Giroux,1985; Giroux & Purpel, 1983; Oakes, 1985; Weiss, 1988). In this study, hidden curriculum is defined as 'those practices and outcomes of schooling which, while not explicit in curriculum guides or school policy, nevertheless seem to be a regular and effective part of the school experience' (Vallance, 1991, p.40). It involves the cognitive, physical and social environment of a school (Gordon, 1982). Bloom(1972) maintains that the hidden curriculum 'is in many respects likely to be more effective than the manifest curriculum' because hidden curriculum is 'so pervasive and consistent over the many yeas in which our students attend school. Its lessons are experienced daily and learned firmly...' (p.343) and also its transmission is unconscious, thus making the students less likely to resist its influence. Also the outcomes of a hidden curriculum can either be intended or unintended. This study aims to study the functions, patterns and efficacy of the hidden curriculum as perceived by the students and teachers in a primary school in Tai Po. The research was carried out mainly through a two-week attachment scheme initiated by the Hong Kong Institute of Education in which the researcher was arranged to get first hand experience of primary school teaching in the case school. Some follow-up interviews and observation were made within the month after the two-week attachment finished. The findings from the fieldwork has inevitably turned

According to Newmann (1992), Wehlage et al (1989), and Finn (1989), engagement in the milieu of academic and social aspects in schools can be influential in helping students with learning and behavioral problems to overcome their sense of academic failure, alienation and their decision to drop out. Educational and social engagement both call for some essential teacher qualities and characteristics and school reform practices. This is a study of 21 dropouts' reasons of dropping out and their perceptions of suitable schooling for them. In their perceived aspects of ideal schooling, some desirable teacher characteristics and efficacies of pedagogical, cultural, personal and interactional (teacher-student) nature are identified. Personal teacher traits identified include mutual respect, equity, and care. Teacher-student interactional characteristics include accommodation of students' standards and personal needs and problems, acting as the mediator between students and the school and more open to student participation in decision-making as well as mindful of the feeling of social engagement of students to their classmates, teachers and the school. In the realms of pedagogy and curricular knowledge, a successful teacher with at-risk students should teach authentic content and employ various stimulating and success-building teaching strategies. Comparisons with the research findings in the west will be made to highlight the similarities and differences between different contexts (Crowley, 1993; Miller et al., 1988; Wehlage et al 1989; Australian Curriculum Studies Association, 1997; Peterson et al, 1991; Baron et al., 1992). Implications of the findings to the teacher education and school reforms are also discussed.
[Copyright © 2000 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.]

This study is the second phase of a long term evaluation exercise namely: An Evaluation of the 9-year Compulsory Education of Hong Kong. This research is planned to focus on the following areas to delineate the causes of students' learning problems which have not been addressed thoroughly and deeply enough during the first phase: A. the nature (selective vs. universal education) of the formal and instructional curriculum; B. teachers' knowledge and belief learned from teacher education institutions; C. classroom climate and students' cognitive and effective learning process.

Stress is an inseparable part of teacher development (Fimian and Blanton, 1986; Kelly and Berthelsen, 1995). The present study tries to look at late entrants' stress experiences when undertaking teacher training programme in the Hong Kong Institute of Education. The research focuses on the strategies adopted by late entrants to cope with stress during teaching practice. The subjects of the study were formerly professionals in industries but were attracted to enroll in teaching training course. It is a small scale empirical study using stress log (Gmelch, 1993), recordings of group sharing meetings and interviews to investigate into the ways student teachers deal with stress. Qualitative research procedures were employed for data analysis. Various strategies were adopted by the student teachers. It is found that these subjects used both generic and idiosyncratic strategies to cope with stress. They also showed some interesting perception on handling difficult situations in the classroom. Useful implications are found for assisting student teachers in coping with stress.

OBL with its merits and demerits is now being practiced in the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIED) as well as other local tertiary institutes. Some demonize it as a "controller" type of mechanism that focuses on the effectiveness and accountability issue of programme and practice in higher education. Others support it as saying that it builds on the assumption that all learners call learn and succeed (Schwartz (1994). The approach can help give learning clear directions and serve as a basis for determining what learning has taken place. Also as teacher educators, we can use this information only at the end of a course but also during a course to improve further teaching and learning. Nevertheless, the process for creating outcomes at different levels needs to be collaborative and open. Ideally speaking it needs to involve a broad range of stakeholders. In the reality world, whether such opportunity or mechanism could exist is of critical importance. In this paper, the case concerns the implementation of an OBL programme that is developed form top down and in a post hoc manner in the Institute. From our student questionnaires and interview findings, we found great discrepancy between teaching team's and student's preference for and expectation in the CILOs and the assessment modes. These inevitably lead us to think of some philosophical and pedagogical issues like "How to decide what is most important to learn for students? By our professional judgment? Through students' voices? How to resolve the divide?' Some solutions and other issues are also presented for stimulating academic dialogue.

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.