The recently implemented HKCEE Chemistry curriculum has adopted a STS approach which is relatively new to this subject in Hong Kong. It was thus considered appropriate to find out how the teachers adapt to this change in approach. Consequently, a survey in the form of questionnaire was conducted in April, 96 to seek the opinions of teachers on the change. The questionnaire was designed to survey the teachers' opinions on the change in content, the new activities, availability of suitable resources and the format of the examination. Questionnaires were sent to 300 schools, in which 164 schools responded, giving a response rate of 54.6%. 12 of the schools surveyed do not offer Chemistry at HKCEE level. The results revealed that 78% of the teachers claimed that they are aware of the rationale behind the change in the Chemistry curriculum. In addition, about 80% of the teachers agreed that the introduction of society related topics are useful to students intending to study Chemistry beyond HKCEE level. However, over 60% of the teachers surveyed claimed that the new curriculum do not provide enough chemical knowledge for students to pursue further studies in chemistry. In addition , about 60% of the teachers think that the omission of certain topics from the old curriculum is likely to lead to inadequate background knowledge in chemistry. As to the new teaching activities , 48% of the respondents admit that they have never carried out the debates while over 90% of the teachers claimed that they have carried out the decision-making exercises with the students. Furthermore, 54% of the teachers found that the students participate actively in the new activities. As to the non-inclusion of the new activities in the teaching process, 80% of the teachers claimed that they do not have enough time to do so. With regard to the format of the examination, 76% of the interviewees welcome the change in the format of the HKCEE examination. However, over 70% of the teachers found that

This paper describes the outcome of a collaboration project, a science school-based curriculum development proje between the Hong Kong Institute of Education and five primary schools. The project was an attempt to address thre problems perceived by the teachers concerning primary science teaching including, lack of subject knowledge, lacki resources and feeling of insufficiency in facilitating pupils' learning. In addressing these problems, the project tea devised a number of strategies for the teaching of science based on a constructivist view of learning and supported teachers through a school-based curriculum development model. Strategies used include: designing a series of teachir packages to lessen the burden of teaching in terms of time and resources constraints; and organizing school-bas workshops to facilitate professional discussion and reflection on teaching practices. This paper describes the variourj phases of the school-based curriculum development project including the planning, implementation and evaluation of I project. The effectiveness of the project in terms of professional interaction and application of the teaching kit examined by analyzing the interview responses. The findings of the project provide evidence that there were improvements in the learning and teaching of science in primary classrooms. Finally, drawing on the findings, the paper introduces ways of improving the project and future directions of research.

在香港的幼稚園推行科學學習可算是創新嘗試。本文報導一項在優質教育基金的支持下成功開展的聯校開拓探究式的幼兒科學新課程計劃和體驗。透過十所幼稚園的通力合作，幼兒科學的「教與學」理念得以發展、試驗和交流。
[Copyright © 2003 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.]

Group work, which is also known as collaborative or cooperative learning, is one of the best researched of all teaching strategies. Research results have shown that students who have opportunities to work collaboratively learn faster and more efficiently, have greater retention, and feel more positive about the learning experience (Johnson, Johnson & Smith, 1991). Although these teaching/learning strategies have undergone nearly fifty years of research and scores of studies, the extent of their recognition and application varies tremendously in various parts of the world. During a 3-week International On-line Collaboration Discussion Seminar, (an event arranged by the Schools Around the World program held by the Council for Basic Education, Washington), teachers and national/regional facilitators from six participating nations/ regions shared their ideas and knowledge based on their experiences in implementing group work, particularly in the subject of science. Three major topics were explored within the seminar: defining group work, assessment of group work, and professional development for supporting implementation of group work. This paper provides insights for group work in science education by drawing references from the shared ideas in the international seminar, in order to provide its implication in the future direction for science teaching in Hong Kong consistent with the current reform. As stated in the Hong Kong Government curriculum development document, a design for a student-focused curriculum is called upon for meeting the best interest of students and developing their different intelligence (Curriculum Development Council, 2000). Group work consists of various teaching and learning strategies with a sound record of research history and experimental results worldwide; therefore, it can provide resources for meeting these objectives. This on-line seminar provides a global educational community for teachers in Hong Kong (General Studies teachers at primary

Learning Study, in the form of an action research, has been proved to be an effective platform for school-based teacher professional development in Hong Kong. It is grounded in the Variation Theory developed by Ference Marton. In each Learning Study, teachers of a certain subject in a school work collaboratively with staffs from the Hong Kong Institute of Education to plan and teach a lesson targeting to achieve some important goals and/or to solve some learning difficulties in the curriculum of that subject. This presentation is about a Learning Study of a junior secondary school science topic "Eyes and Vision". In this Learning Study, drawing of ray diagram was identified to be a critical learning difficulty of the students. Activities were then designed based on the Variation Theory. Students were expected to develop the ability to use ray diagrams to describe, explain and predict phenomena about seeing sharp and blurred images through these activities. They could investigate light propagation and the formation of image through one phenomenon without involving advanced knowledge in either reflection or refraction. The whole process of conducting the Learning Study will be reported. It includes the identification of learning difficulties, the planning and the teaching of the lesson and the evaluation of the learning outcomes.

This study investigates Hong Kong primary science teachers' understandings of inquiry learning, perceived difficulties in implementing inquiry learning, as well as their current practices of and resistance to using online resources, in order to identify their needs and propose suggestions to address these needs. An online survey has been used to collect data from the primary science teachers taking part in a professional development course. Simple descriptive analyses of the data show that although the teachers' conceptions of inquiry learning seem to match well with the idea of inquiry learning in general, their misconceptions and high level of perceived difficulties in implementing inquiry learning warrant our attention. As for teachers' use of online resources, it is found that traditional Web 1.0 resources are more commonly used, and when these online resources are used, teachers take the more dominant role in using them to support lecturing and explaining. Moreover, some associations between inquiry practices and use of online resources are observed. Accordingly, ways to overcome challenges in implementing inquiry learning and using online resources for the teaching and learning of science are discussed.
[Copyright of Education 3-13 is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2012.710640]

This study investigated the mental representations of metallic bonding and the malleability of metals held by three male students aged 14-15 (Year 10) who were attending a Hong Kong school. One student was selected by their chemistry teacher as representing each of the highest, the medium, and the lowest level of attainment in chemistry in a school that admitted students of average general attainment. The students were interviewed and their understandings probed through their provision of drawings and their interpretation of the diagrams that had been previously used by their teacher. Dual coding theory was used to interpret the relative significance of visual and verbal input and the interaction between the two for their understanding. There was evidence that students relied on verbal recall in providing their initial understandings and showed an appreciation of the nature of the structural components of the electron-sea model of metallic bonding. However, they varied in terms of their appreciation of the electrostatic force which was responsible for the malleability of metals. The study suggests that a clearer understanding of the electrostatic force involved can be attained when students experience visual and verbal representations simultaneously, a conclusion supported by dual coding theory. Principles for good practice in using diagrams in teaching are discussed.
[Copyright of International Journal of Science Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2013.867089]