This article reports the move from paper-based marking (PBM) to onscreen marking (OSM) in Hong Kong for the subject Liberal Studies - whose objectives involve broadening students' horizons through critical examination of current issues. While currently a small candidature subject of approximately 3300, from 2009, the subject will become compulsory for all students in Hong Kong's senior secondary school curriculum with a candidature of 80,000. As marking of all public examinations in Hong Kong is migrating to OSM, the current study reports on a project with the entire 2009 Year 13 Liberal Studies marking panel (49 markers), as part of the OSM validation process. The study involved giving all markers both a pre-marking and a post-marking questionnaire to gauge markers' technological competence in and attitudes towards OSM. Results were positive in that markers generally rated themselves as technologically capable. With regard to attitudes towards the implementation of OSM, the outcomes of the post-marking questionnaire showed markers to be more positive than their pre-marking comments suggested. Nonetheless, they are still not happy about having to travel to special marking centres and the preference for PBM remains strong. The results of the study indicate that OSM is being accepted into marker psyche of what marking involves, an important step as OSM is adopted as the sole marking method for all subjects in Hong Kong from 2012 onwards.
[Copyright of Asia Pacific Journal of Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2010.495836]

This research explored student teacher's thinking in science and how they oriented to professional development from pre-service teacher education to beginning teaching. A more holistic view of teacher thinking with four focuses was embedded in this research: (1) conceptions of teaching and learning science; (2) planning; (3) teaching; and (4) reflections. The characteristics of these four aspects and their changes across time, the interrelationships of the four aspects and the change of their coherence in the longitudinal study were the main focus of the study.
An original group of 25 student teachers in Hong Kong were followed for three years, which included their two-year Certificate in Primary Education (Chinese) (Full-Time) Courses (1996-98) at the Hong Kong Institute of Education and their first year of beginning teaching in local primary schools in 1998-99. The student teachers were interviewed about their conception of teaching and learning science and what they had extracted from the experience. Also, they were asked to draw concepts maps to describe their thoughts during planning and were observed in their micro-teaching, school teaching experience and beginning teaching in local classrooms. After each of on these observations, they wrote journals to reflect on their teaching. The research approach involved in-depth qualitative analyses supplemented by quantification when necessary to allow clearer assessment of change in thinking.
In this longitudinal study, student teachers were found to espouse predominant or secondary constructivist conceptions of teaching and learning science to different degrees in different stages of study. Their planning became less intense in terms of lower complexity and fewer thoughts. Besides, teachers' development of constructivist teaching was evident and there was continuing evidence of confronting reflection among teachers throughout the three stages of the study.
An increase in the coherence between the different

In Hong Kong, extensive reading education among junior secondary students has always been overlooked. The significance of extensive reading had always been emphasized at different stages of Chinese Language Curriculum development. The revised Chinese Language Curriculum for secondary schools issued in 2001 further stipulates that the impact of extensive reading on Chinese Language acquisition with detailed elaborations on the setting of reading environment, the design of reading activities, and the criteria of selecting books for extensive reading. Despite the emphasis and effort put on extensive reading, the ranking of local junior secondary school students at the reading assessment of PISA has disappointingly descended from the 6th in 2001 to the 10th in 2003. To reverse the trend and enhance students' reading ability, not only should emphasis be placed on the teaching and learning of reading in the curriculum, but extensive reading must also be promoted to consolidate knowledge students learn so that junior secondary students can develop good attitude of extensive reading. Urgent as it is and to accomplish this task, teachers must further understand the way in which junior secondary students develop their attitude of extensive reading in order to better solve the difficulties encountered in the implementation of an extensive reading curriculum in Hong Kong.
This research is based on the theories and thoughts on extensive reading in western countries and pioneers in adopting 'engaged reading' concept in designing a school-based junior secondary extensive reading curriculum. A 3-year longitudinal action research on Form one students of an English medium secondary school aims at exploring the difficulties and effectiveness of implementing an extensive reading curriculum, the causes of difficulties that may be involved and the reasons why junior secondary students find it difficult in developing good attitude of extensive reading.
The research findings have

背景：政府建議通識科列為必修，發表了課程及評估架構建議，引起很大的爭議。然而，通識科仍歷經三次諮詢定稿。
討論焦點：從政策層面和學校層面的角度，分析通識教育科課程的適切程度。
論點：從該科的基本理念來看，通識教育科適應全球和本地發展的趨勢、切合本土教育發展、引入社會議題、聯繫不同學科的知識，以及引入較新的學與教策略。然而，其原有通識科的銜接、知識基礎的問題、課程組織的問題、考試的文化、教與學的轉變和教師的專業培訓等方面，則仍與學校層面的脈絡格格不入。
總結：不同層面的持分者有自己的關注。通識教育科的設計者，必須掌握學校層面教師的關注和實施，否則該科的理念仍無法實現。
Background: The government proposed Liberal Studies as a core subject and issued the curriculum and assessment guide, which aroused controversial debate. Nevertheless, the subject was finalized after three consultative stages.
Focus of discussion: This paper attempts to analyze, from perspectives at societal and school levels, the appropriateness of Liberal Studies curriculum.
Arguments: This paper argues that the basic rationales of this subject suit the global and local development trends, local educational development, emphasis of social issues, trends in associating knowledge from various disciplines and using new strategies of teaching and learning. However, this subject is incongruent with school level context, as it is not in line with the original Liberal Studies, knowledge-base, curriculum organization, examination culture, teaching and learning traditions and teacher professional development in Hong Kong.
Conclusion: Stakeholders in different levels have different concerns. The curriculum designers need to learn the concern and implementation of teachers in school level. Or, the ideas in this subject could not be implemented.
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本文目的是探討本港中小學科學課程在現階段和朝向廿一世紀的發展。世界科學教育的主要潮流是甚麼？是否有普世性的新方向？若有的話，香港能否作出相應的配合呢？
香港現時經已開展數項科學課程的革新。小學方面：於1996年實施了嶄新的常識科課程，它把社會、科學、健教三科綜合為一，而在科學部份則強調「科學、技術與社會」的關係和有關環境的課題。中學方面：新的初中綜合科學課程將於公元二千年實施，強調科學的探討，藉以發展學生在科學探究技巧上的能力，亦有考慮到小學與中學科學課程的銜接；高中科學課程在日後修訂時，探討性課題(包括科技對社會及環境的影響並科學探究技巧)亦將會成為重點。另一重點乃是資訊科技發展，現時香港政府正全力向中小學推廣。
This paper intends to look at what is happening and what will happen in the Hong Kong primary and secondary science curricula from now to the years beyond 2000. What are the major trends in the world about science education? Are there any new global directions? If yes, is Hong Kong ready for the change?
There are several innovative curriculum projects being initiated in Hong Kong. In primary education, a new General Studies (GS) curriculum has been implemented in 1996, emphasizing on the integration of 3 primary subjects: Science, Social Studies and Health Education. In the science component of GS, more emphases have been placed on the inter-relationship between STS as well as issues concerning our environment. In secondary education, a new Integrated Science syllabus has been developed recently for implementation in the year 2000, placing strong emphasis on science investigative work which develops students' proficiencies in science process skills, and paying due respect to vertical integration between GS and IS. In other science subjects at higher levels, investigative work involving process skills and studies on the impact of Science and technology on society and environment constitute significant elements in the future revised curricula. Another hot topic is Information Technology Education, currently the Hong Kong Government is in full swing to promote it to secondary and primary schools.
[Copyright of New Horizons: The Journal of Education, Hong Kong Teachers' Associationl is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Association at http://www.hkta1934.org.hk/]

In Hong Kong, various changes in education policy have taken place since the 1980s in response to the different impacts generated by globalization, the application of information technology and changes in political, economic and educational en vironments. During the transitional period, various education policies on curriculum reform were implemented for the preparation for the return of sovereignty to China. In 1996 General Studies, a new integrated subject, was introduced as one of the core s ubjects in the primary curriculum. It aims at preparing children for a comprehensive education in the course of the primary education. Children are guided to acquire basic knowledge related to the individual, family, society, science and technology and th e natural world. General Studies also aims to equip children "with skills and attitudes and enable them to solve problems which they encounter now and in the future so that they can gain understanding of their world, develop positive attitudes and be read y to be good citizens". As Hong Kong was going to reintegrate with the People's Republic of China, in order to help pupils to have increased knowledge about China, the syllabus contents of Primary five and six were extended beyond Hong Kong to China and t he world as a whole. This paper analyses the aims, objectives, contents and the implementation of the General Studies syllabus. The aim is to study whether the subject helps develop the national identity in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the P eople's Republic of China. The significance of this study is to provide suggestions to strengthen pupils' awareness of their Chinese national identity.
自80年代以來，因應全球化、資訊科技的應用、政治、經濟和教育環境 的轉變，香港推行不少教育改革。過渡期間，香港的課程亦作出不少改革。一九九六年 開始常識科已成為香港的小學的共同核心課程中的一科。常識科不單培養兒童獲取 知識，亦著重技能和正確的態度。 目的是讓兒童學會如何解決問題、培養積極的態度、和做個良好的公民。因中國對 香港恢復行使主權，常識科的課程選材亦由香港擴闊至中國和世界。本文分析常識科 課程的目標、宗旨、內容和推行的情況，旨在研究常識科能否培養學生認同中國人的 身份，並提出建議以增強學生對中國人的身份的醒覺。
[Copyright of New Horizons: The Journal of Education