The University of Western Australia Graduate School of Education Master of Education EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation Assignment 1 Implementing the New Secondary School Curriculum in Hong Kong
LAM Kai Ming, Peter (20428002) June 8, 2009 1
Abstract
The paper takes a high-level view on the progress of the implementation of the New Secondary School (NSS) Curriculum as at May 2009. The NSS Curriculum is to be launched at all government and aided schools in Hong Kong by the 2009/10 academic year. Its major contents, features and implementation schedule are described and compared to the existing curriculum and an alternative, IB Diploma, which is more popular in the international schools. Then the historic background which influences the goal formulation of the curriculum, plus the implication it brings are explained. Lastly, the observed merits and insufficiencies during the implementation are also discussed.
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
Contents 1
Abstract ..............................................................................................................................1
2
Introduction of the NSS Curriculum ..................................................................................3
3
NSS Curriculum Framework .............................................................................................5 3.1
Goal Formulation ..................................................................................................5
3.2
Situation Analysis .................................................................................................7
3.3
Programme Building ...........................................................................................11
3.4
Interpretation and Implementation......................................................................15
3.4.1
Case Study: West Mount School ........................................................................15
3.4.2
Compare and contrast with the International Baccalaureate curriculum ............19
3.5
Monitoring, Feedback, Assessment, Reconstruction ..........................................22
3.5.1
Monitoring ..........................................................................................................23
3.5.2
Feedback .............................................................................................................23
3.5.3
Assessment .........................................................................................................24
3.5.4
Reconstruction ....................................................................................................25
4
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................26
5
Reference .........................................................................................................................28
6
Appendix 1. Assignment Details .....................................................................................30
7
Appendix 2. Educational reform Timetable (Senior Secondary School).........................31
8
Appendix 3. NSS Subjects and the Key Learning Areas .................................................33
9
Appendix 4. SBA Implementation Timetable .................................................................34
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
2
Introduction of the NSS Curriculum
An imminent change to the local secondary school curriculum and structure is going to have a fundamental impact to students, parents, teachers and the society across the board. The Hong Kong Education Bureau (EDB) has mandated the implementation of the New Secondary School (NSS) Curriculum by September 2009 in all government run or aided schools. The new curriculum, more affectionately known as the “334 curriculum”, will modify the current 3-year junior secondary, 2-year senior secondary, 2-year matriculation, 3-year university structure into a 3-year junior secondary, 3-year senior secondary and 4-year university new structure. In addition, the long existing public examinations Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE for S5/Grade 11) and Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE for S7/Grade 13) will be abolished and replaced by the new Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE for S6/Grade 12) starting 2012. These examinations are critical to all secondary school students, as they are often viewed as key criteria for university or employment admission.
Among the various educational policies implemented in Hong Kong since the sovereignty handover in 1997, implementing the NSS Curriculum can be considered as the most farreaching and with the greatest impact to all stakeholders. Apart from the massive monetary resources it involves, the undertaking has mobilized the entire secondary and tertiary education sectors. Referring to the Senior Secondary Educational reform timetable in Appendix 2 (Table 12 and Table 13), one may realize the NSS 12-year plan starting in the 2000/01 academic year is undeniably long-term and strategic. The “big bang” cut over to the new curriculum will soon take place for the current S3 (Grade 9) students after nine years of planning.
Being part of the grand schema in the educational reform, the NSS Curriculum brings forth both structural and syllabus changes to the senior secondary classes. On the structural side, the 3-year structure and one single exit assessment (the HKDSE) will conform to a more commonly adopted worldwide practice. On the syllabus side, it reforms the subjects and assessment methods. Apart from introducing the most noticeable subject Liberal Studies, some existing subjects are either combined (like Commerce and Principle of Accounts into Business, Accounting and Financial Studies) or split into core and extended modules (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology). The NSS also include Applied Learning Courses, Other Learning Experiences and a Learning Experience Profile for students to explore non-academic discipline and record their experience properly.
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
Undoubtedly, with such a vast-scale permanent change, the impact on various stakeholders is profound, long-term and multifaceted. From the perspective of the students, they can now enjoy one extra year in their respective secondary schools (versus less than 30% currently who may be promoted to S6), deal with just one public examination, and go through one single process advancing their study to tertiary institutes. For their parents, a 4-year undergraduate programme would definitely increase the overall cost of schooling.
For many secondary schools, the abolishment of the HKCEE and HKALE will essentially alter the scene in all classrooms as the two examinations have always been the raison d’être for the S4 and S5 classes. There will be more breathing space to nurture the non-academic side of the students. In particular, with the introduction of Liberal Studies and the emphasis on providing Other Learning Experiences to them, it shifts the teachers’ attention to cater their holistic development needs, which have often been neglected due to the existing highly examination oriented syllabus right now. Furthermore, equipping the teachers to handle the NSS together with the extension of School-based Assessment (SBA) to all subjects has induced a sudden surge of professional development needs. From the logistic point of view, converting the premises to accommodate more S6 students may also have an impact on cost and other resources.
The premise expansion issue is even more critical to the tertiary institutes. Adding more facilities to support a 4-year undergraduate programme is not a straight forward matter. There are 12 degree-awarding institutes, plus 12 more offering certificate or diploma level courses, registered and recognized by the local government1. By lengthening one more year to their undergraduate programmes, it effectively demands for a ballpark 33% growth for all facilities, academic and supporting staff, and other resources. The exercise to align to the 4-year worldwide practice is inevitably huge and complex as seen in other places (like Ontario Canada) which had undergone a similar change. Campus expansion projects have been underway in all major tertiary institutes since the formal announcement of the adoption of the NSS Curriculum in 2005, and by 2012, many of them will be ready for the first cohort of HKDSE graduates.
1
Hong Kong has 12 degree-awarding higher education institutions, eight of which are funded by the
public through the University Grants Committee. The other four are the publicly-funded or selffinanced. There are 12 more colleges and institutes that offer courses up to certificate, diploma or associate degree level. (HKSAR 2007:151)
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
The pathways for advancing to tertiary institutes will also be affected by the NSS Curriculum. Apart from the need of gauging applicants with a completely new mechanism, a major streamlining to the courses available to S5 school leavers is in the horizon. In particular, for those institutes which mainly offer certificate/diploma level programmes that target S5 graduates who do not attain the more demanding matriculation admission requirements, without the 2-year matriculation, their niche position today will be significantly eroded.
Employers may find similar difficulties like the universities in interpreting the grades of the new HKDSE too. Time will tell how well it is recognized both locally and internationally when the NSS and HKDSE completely run in years from now. 3
NSS Curriculum Framework
By referencing Stenhouse’s systematic model as the framework, we shall take a high-level overview of the NSS Curriculum .
Figure 1 Stenhouse's Systematic Model of Curriculum Process.
3.1 Goal Formulation
Tracing backwards, the NSS Curriculum is an action plan from some longer-term and largerscale goals previously set by the educational advisors to the government. Back in 1999, the Curriculum Development Council submitted a proposal for reforming the entire school curriculum (CDC 1999) 2. It stated these three broad reasons for the reform:
2
The CDC Standing Committee on Curriculum Development for S4-S7 is set up within the Curriculum
Development Council to act on its behalf to review existing curriculum policies, to initiate curriculum changes and to ensure a holistic approach to curriculum development from S4 to S7.
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
provide students with a school curriculum which enables them to construct knowledge and develop a global outlook to cope with the changing and interdependent world in the 21st century; develop students’ lifelong learning skills as stipulated in the aims of education (to enjoy learning, to enhance effectiveness in communication, to develop creativity, and to have a sense of commitment) in readiness for a knowledge-based economy and society; set the directions for developing an open, flexible and coherent framework for Curriculum 2000 in order to improve the quality of students through effective teaching and learning.
The umbrella term “Curriculum 2000” was used to refer to the broad reform from kindergarten all the way up to senior secondary education. It was apparent that the policy setters were all aware that the 21st century would require students to be creative and able to learn continuously lifelong in order to get ready for the knowledge-based economy. The Council further elaborated its vision on the variety of learning opportunities a student should receive. For secondary students, they should have: A broad and balanced senior secondary curriculum comprising all essential learning experiences and Key Learning Areas (KLAs); a core curriculum appropriate for the senior secondary exit point and for lifelong learning (including learning how to learn); provision of diversified options for some specialisation Opportunities for more independent and active participation in community services to make personal contributions Opportunities for more contacts with career-related activities to develop positive attitude towards work as well as to explore personal career aspirations Opportunities for pursuing sport and art activities, so as to improve the quality of life Diversified teaching/learning approaches and styles suitable for different purposes of learning, and different potentials, abilities and needs of students Diversified learning environments and resources suitable for different purposes of learning and learning situations
The key themes diversification, opportunities and lifelong learning in this proposal can be easily identified in the subsequent NSS Curriculum. EDB reiterated these themes in its NSS first stage consultation (EDB 2004): The goal … is for ALL students to develop into balanced individuals who can contribute in meaningful ways to society, and who can draw on their own internal resources to continue to learn, apply their strengths and address their weaknesses.
Secondary schools will provide a balanced and diversified curriculum that will enable ALL students to seek further studies, vocational training, or employment suited to their aptitudes, interests, abilities, and to the needs of the society.
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
The NSS goal setting, in general, conforms to an academic rationalist approach that a curriculum should be a function to provide a sound basis for students to become an effective member of the society. Development should be balanced, multi-sided, without early specialization (O’Donoghue 2009). The NSS Curriculum also has some flavors of selfactualization orientation in the slogan like objectives “learning (how) to learn” (Figure 2) and “lifelong learning”. As seen in the later sections about instructor-led programmes for students to explore the so-called Other Learning Experiences on social and artistic arenas, the student Learning Experience Profile and its connection with the Qualification Framework, the presuppositions that students are responsible for their own personal development and teachers as facilitators of learning are fairly apparent.
Figure 2 Four Key Tasks to promote Learning to Learn. (Education Commission 2006)
3.2 Situation Analysis
Historically, the education structure in Hong Kong has got heavy influences from Britain. The post-WW2 era in Britain saw strong criticism to the then Tripartite System where primary school children were promoted to secondary modern, secondary technical or grammar schools. Soon after the wildly adoption of the Comprehensive School System in 1965, Hong Kong followed suit to have a 6-year primary, 5 plus 2-year secondary system (Wiki 2009b, Wiki 2009c). The foundation year courses in the university undergraduate programme were transformed into a 2-year matriculation programme, offloading the effort to secondary schools which would be less expensive to deliver similar subjects. Although there were a lot of changes and fine-tuning to the way how schools being subsidized, school places being allocated and school being administered, the educational structure remains unchanged and lasts until today – 12 years after the Union Jack was lowered from the former crown colony in 1997.
The British GCSE and A-Level have been proven curriculums that produce cohorts of successful graduates for advancing to universities worldwide. Like many other countries and
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
territories of the Commonwealth, the two examinations are adopted here in Hong Kong. The local versions, the HKCEE and HKALE, are modeled after these two examinations. Its syllabus and grading standard were often argued to be more demanding than its British counterparts3 (Wiki 2009a, NARIC 2007). Nonetheless, these examinations are widely and highly recognized academic qualifications.
Until 1988, the higher education section in Hong Kong had only two universities, two polytechnics and a handful of colleges/technical institutes. To a certain extent, stringent examination assessment criteria fulfilled a role to limit the number of candidates advancing to the scarce tertiary level. Such scenario could be easily perceived as proof to the idea of elitism that proliferated in the society during the time.
Level of Education (‘000)
2003-04
2007-08
2008-09
Kindergarten
136.2
138.4
137.6
Primary
472.9
389.9
369.1
Secondary
492.8
507.5
503.8
Post-secondary
221.5
308.0
303.9
Table 1 Student Enrollment By Level of Education (EDB 2009a). Educational Attainment %
2003
2007
2008
7.0
5.5
5.4
Primary
20.2
18.2
18.2
Secondary
46.1
46.3
46.3
Sixth Form
5.3
5.6
5.4
No School/Pre-primary
Post-secondary Non degree courses Degree courses Total
7.8
8.1
8.2
13.6
16.2
16.5
100.0
100.0
100.0
Table 2 Distribution of Educational Attainment of Population Aged 15 and Over. (EDB 2009b)
3
The National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC) for the United Kingdom conducted
a grade equivalent study in 2007 and concluded that the percentage of Hong Kong candidates achieving top grades in HKCEE and HKALE for subjects (excluding English language, which is subject to a separate comparison) of the same academic standard are generally lower and top grades more difficult to achieve than for UK GCSE and GCE A Level. The grades in HK examinations are at least two levels higher than the UK equivalent. (NARIC 2007, HKEAA 2008c).
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
Figure 3 HKCEE Number of Participating Schools and Candidate Entries – 1978 - 2008 (HKEAA 2008a).
Figure 4 HKALE Number of Participating Schools and Candidate Entries – 1980 - 2008 (HKEAA 2008b). No. of JUPAS
No. of Main
Admission
applicants
Round Offers
Percentage
1996
28,610
13,050
45.6%
1997
29,249
13,122
44.9%
1998
33,202
12,903
42.7%
1999
32,128
13,023
40.5%
2000
33,882
13,092
38.6%
2001
34,659
16,994
49.0%
2002
35,136
17,885
50.9%
2003
34,481
18,011
52.2%
2004
33,826
17,075
50.5%
2005
31,821
16,590
52.1%
2006
32,685
14,769
45.2%
2007
34,156
16,070
47.1%
2008
35,298
17,068
48.4%
Table 3 Statistics on Main Round Offer Results (JUPAS 2008). Note: starting 2000, sub-degree programmes are introduced. The number of sub-degree offers was excluded for that transitional year.
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
Figure 5 First-year-first-degree (FYFD) Students of UGC-funded Programmes : 1965/66 to 2007/08 (UGC 2008).
There was a steady rise of HKCEE candidates as the population in the city grew until the peak in the mid 1980s when the post-WW2 baby-boomers reached their secondary school age (Figure 3). This number has been dropping consistently since then, perhaps due to family planning is more prevalent afterwards. A similar up-and-down trend can be seen in the HKALE too. However, the number of HKALE candidates rose sharply in the early 1990s and has almost doubled by 2008 (Figure 4). Embracing the challenges of the knowledge-based society in the 21st century information age, the demographics of population who desire and seek for higher education has changed. As more universities were established or upgraded from the polytechnics and colleges, degree-awarded courses then became abundant. Government funded universities all together have offered near seven times more places since the mid 1980s (Figure 5). Considering as well those places offered by public / privately funded universities and other non-degree-awarding tertiary institutes, by 2007, 24.3% of the population has attained post-secondary qualification (Table 2) comparing to a stingy 2% throughout the 1960s and 70s period (Figure 5). The percentage is comparable to the 27% average among the 30 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries but lacking far behind Canada, United States and Japan which have a proportion of 47%, 40% and 39% respectively (OECD 2008: 44).
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
Prior to 1997, the Education Commission had been publishing regular advisory reports on educational policy updates approximately every two years4, yet after the handover, the pace of educational reform shifted to the high gear. Now spearheaded by the Education Bureau, reform becomes continuous rather than the used-to-be phases.
The EDB imposed a great variety of policy changes in the past decade. Arguably, these changes often base on some social reform objectives stemmed out of the 1997 sovereignty change, in particular, in setting the goals “National Identity and Responsibility” and “Language Skills”, it induced a lot of controversy on what and how to implement it at the school and classroom activities level. Meeting the challenges of the 21st century information age and better equipping the next generation as knowledge workers, apparently to the author, there is a need to structurally revamp the secondary school system in order to increase the supply of university graduates to the workforce and to maintain the unique competitive advantages of Hong Kong from its colonial legacy. The sign was clear when the current system allowing the teenage population to enroll into government-funded universities had reached a plateau of 18% by mid 1990s (Figure 5). With a 2+2 year structure in the secondary school and two assessments, it limits the supply of students for higher education. It is not a matter of if but when to revamp this 2+2 structure once other major educational policies were adopted, accomplished or failed. 3.3 Programme Building
The NSS Curriculum constitutes 24 subjects comparing to 39 in the current HKCEE syllabus. Students are required to take four core subjects – English language, Chinese language, Mathematics and a newly introduced Liberal Studies, plus two or three subjects from a list of 20 electives, plus others on Applied Learning (career-oriented training) or other language courses depending on availability from school to school (Figure 6). This arrangement breaks away from the traditional concept of Arts, Science, Commerce, Industrial streams where 4
Education Commission was set up in February 1984 as a non-statutory body to advise the Hong Kong
Government on the overall development of education in the light of the community's needs. It had published seven policy reports all together. Report No. 1 was published in October 1984. Since then, around every two years, a new report stipulating updates to adopted education policies and recommended changes or next steps. The rest of the reports were published in 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1996 and 1997. The last report was published shortly after the sovereignty change of Hong Kong. Since then the Commission ceased publishing further policy reports, but a proposal to education system reform in 2000 and progress reports. Perhaps it is due to the more high-profile involvement of the Education and Manpower Bureau after 1997. The commission is still continuously providing inputs to relevant advisory and executive bodies of the new SAR Government.
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
combinations of subjects are pre-defined with little or no crossover. In addition, students are encouraged to build their own Learning Experience Profile recording their Other Learning Experiences, academic performance in school and awards/achievements outside schools. A high-level comparison of the current and NSS curriculums can be found in Table 4.
Current System
New System
Core Subjects
S4-S5:
SS1-SS3 (S4-S6):
Subjects taken by all students
Chinese Language, English
Chinese Language, English
Language (Syllabus A and Syllabus
Language, Mathematics and Liberal
B) and Mathematics
Studies
S6-S7: Chinese Language and Culture and Use of English Elective Subjects
S4-S5:
SS1-SS3 (S4-S6):
Subjects that students can select
Typically 4-5 other subjects
Typically 2-3 other subjects
within the choices by schools
S6-S7: Typically 2-3 “A” level or “AS” level subjects
Other Qualifications
No formal recognition or
Recognition and encouragement to
encouragement of courses leading
be given to courses that provide
to other qualifications
different pathways to post-school options
Other Learning Experiences
Little or no time allocated to other
Typically 15-35% of a student’s total
Moral and civic education
learning experiences
lesson time in school allocated to
Community service
Incorporated where possible into
other learning experiences
Aesthetic and physical activities
regular subject teaching
Career-related experiences
Table 4 Comparison of the Current and New Senior Secondary Curriculum. (EDB 2004)
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
Figure 6. Percentage of School that would offer the NSS Subjects. (EDB 2005)
Herbart’s idea of correlation and cross-discipline (or in EDB’s term cross-sectoral) learning is found in the NSS Curriculum. The newly introduced Liberal Studies is in fact an integration of existing subjects like Economy and Public Affairs, Integrated Humanities, Ethics, History, Geography, plus input from current social issues, life experiences or instructor-based project learning. The new subject is content rich and full of contemporary topics, albeit there is a recommended focus on three domains and six main topics as listed in Table 5.
Three Domains
Six Main Topics
Self and Personal Development
Personal Development and Interpersonal Relationship
Society and Culture
Hong Kong Today
Science, Technology and the Environment
Modern China Globalization Public Health Energy, Technology and Environment
Table 5 Domains and Topics of the subject Liberal Studies.
In general, NSS is designed to portray pragmatic life problems in front of the students, intending to keep them engaged with the society, tackling those problems by applying what they have learnt, but not merely staying at the cognitive level of just knowing and understanding the situation. It is more skewed towards the application of knowledge than learning the theories. Project learning and School-based Assessment (SBA) are seen more widely adopted than in the current curriculum.
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
The curriculum suggests students to allot 405 hours to gain Other Learning Experience (OLE) over three years. Students have to gain experiences on Moral and Civic Education, Community Service, Aesthetic and Physical Activities, and Career-related experiences through instructor-led courses, events, seminars, field trips or workshops. OLE is drawing the resources from organizations and private companies outside the schools. Perhaps students may find no surprise to what they would encounter from these course suppliers. A search of the OLE examples finds these courses or events are fairly similar in nature as those being available at present. (HKEdCity.net 2009b)
Despite the massive media publicity by the government to keep everybody aware of the NSS Curriculum, a recent survey reveals that near 80% of students have expressed worries about it (Sun 2009, Sing Tao 2009). They are not confident to adapt and deal with the potential difficulties. Worse still, near 60% of them have little idea of what OLE stands for and almost 20% are unaware that it would require up to 35% of their learning hours.
Part of the NSS initiative is to formalize an individual Learning Experience Profile. Never before, there is a mandatory requirement to keep track what sort of extra-curricular activities a student has participated. By mandating and encouraging students to take part OLE, it becomes meaningful to profile their experiences and activities. This initiative is consistent with the practice in primary schools where centralized databases (SAMS and WebSAMS5) are extensively deployed. As students progress to senior levels, it is a natural extension of the same arrangement. Furthermore, through a systematic collection of both academic, vocational training and experiences, the Learning Experience Profile will provide an accredited resume for the students once they approach their adulthood. Launched officially in May 2008, the Qualification Framework and the Qualification Register has given a “crosssectoral� quality assurance mechanism to define standards of different qualification (EDB 2008a). The Applied Learning Courses under NSS are well integrated within the Qualification Framework. Together with the Learning Experience Profile on hand, students may plan ahead their own pathway to lifelong learning. With the enabling technology and practices in place, the timing seems right to bridge the gap between the primary and adult stages of a student, providing them support to collect and profile all their learning experiences. It will, hopefully and eventually, entice NSS graduates to enjoy lifelong learning. Employers may also
5
SAMS is Student Administration and Management System. The subsequent web version WebSAMS
is deployed in more than 1,000 public-funded primary and secondary school in Hong Kong.
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
understand better about their qualifications under the same reference system of the Qualification Framework, albeit it may take ten years or more before the practice to mature.
3.4 Interpretation and Implementation
How does the strategic level mandate from the EDB get translated into classroom level action items at school? Within the curriculum, there are rooms for schools to interpret and implement on their own. We shall use a case study to look into the implementation issues. We shall also compare, at a high-level, the similarities of the NSS with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma to see how this new curriculum stands in the world.
3.4.1 Case Study: West Mount School
Let us look into how West Mount School (real name withheld) implements the NSS Curriculum. West Mount is a Catholic boys’ school in the western district on Hong Kong Island. Originally it was a trade school founded 80 years ago and transformed into a grammar school during the 1960s. This renowned school is serving the community well with its primary, secondary and matriculation sections. West Mount secondary section is an aided (public funded) English medium instruction (EMI) school with more than 1100 students at present.
Class 4A
Core Subjects
Electives
English Language
Economics
Chinese Language
Principles of Accounts
Additional Mathematics
Mathematics
Commerce
Computer & Info Technology
Religious Studies
Physics
-
Chinese History
4C
Chemistry
-
Economics
4D
Biology
4B
-
Additional Mathematics
4E
Integrated Humanities
Visual Arts
Principles of Accounts
Table 6. West Mount School S4 Curriculum 2008-09. Class
Core Subjects
No. of
Electives
Electives 4A
4B
4C
English Language
Mathematics
Chinese Language
(compulsory part only)
Liberal Studies
Mathematics
2
Chinese History Visual Arts
2
Ethics and Religious Studies
(compulsory part +
Info. And Comm.
module 1)
Technology
Mathematics (compulsory part only)
2
Physics Chemistry
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
4D
4E
Mathematics
Physics
Biology
(compulsory part +
Chemistry
Combined Science x2
module 2)
Biology
Economics
Mathematics
3
Business, Accounting and
3
(compulsory part +
* Choose any one
module 1)
out of three subjects
Financial Studies ** choose any two electives
Table 7. West Mount School S4 Curriculum 2009-10. Students who opt for Combined Science may choose any 2 out of 3 science subjects from Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Only the core syllabus of them will be examined. E.g., Combined Science (Chemistry + Biology).
The class arrangement of its S4 (Grade 10) classes before and after implementing the NSS Curriculum are shown in Table 6 and Table 7. The present arrangement reflects a fairly traditional “streamed” approach where the combinations of the electives are pre-defined. Being a boy’s school, having four out of the five classes in the science stream may have shown both the parents’ future career planning for their teenagers or the students’ preference towards the science subjects. Yet there is inadequate information on hand to explain this phenomenon. S4 students can opt for at most one elective from a list of limited choices.
The S4 curriculum in the 2009-10 academic year sees all elements of the NSS. Now Liberal Studies becomes part of the core, with Religious Studies turning into an elective. Mathematics no longer covers the full syllabus for all students. Two classes will cover the compulsory topics only, and the others classes will go further to study one of the extended modules. The list of electives is now longer, even though the choices are predominantly repackaging the existing subjects. Likely such arrangement can be interpreted that existing academic staff, relevant facilities and resources may sustain to the immediate future without major disruption.
West Mount School seems maintaining a strong emphasis on the science subjects. Despite two classes of students must choose one out the three science subjects (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) as their elective, there is no longer requirement that they must choose all electives under the traditional arts, science and commerce “streams”, but a mix and match according to their own preferences and academic abilities.
There are also options for students who want to take the full syllabus of the three traditional science subjects or just two of the three covering only the core syllabus. This concept of core versus extended syllabus is a not really new as it can be seen today in Mathematics and Additional Mathematics. Now it is applied to the science subjects as well.
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
Worth paying attention is that Religious Studies is no longer a core subject. Many schools here in Hong Kong were founded and managed by churches or organizations of various beliefs. The largest school organizer is the Catholic Church and its affiliated organizations. All together they operate near 130 schools of various grades and disciplines in the city. Religious Studies has been traditionally part of the core subjects in these schools with formal assessment in the HKCEE. It may be the watershed year to see it diminish in the classrooms after the NSS Curriculum is in place since only 20% of all schools have expressed their intention to offer the subject Ethics and Religious Studies (Figure 6).
Area of Study
Modules
Form / Lessons
Assessment / Examination
Self & Personal
1. Personal Development &
S4 1st term
Paper 1: Data-response
Development
Interpersonal Relationships
2 lessons/ cycle (18 L)
questions (50%) – 2 hours
Society & Culture
2. Hong Kong Today
3. Modern China
S4
2nd
term
Paper 2: Extended-response
2 lessons/ cycle (24 L)
questions (30%) – 1 hour and
S4 1st term & 2nd term
15 mins
2 lessons/ cycle (42 L) 4. Globalization
S5 1st term 3 lessons/ cycle (27 L)
Science, Technology &
5. Public Health
the Environment
S5 2nd term 3 lessons/ cycle (18 L)
6. Energy Technology & the
S5 2nd term
Environment
3 lessons/ cycle (18 L)
Independent Enquiry
Suggested themes: Media/
S4
School-based Assessment
Study (IES)
Education/ Religion/ Sports/
1 lesson/cycle (21 L)
(SBA) (20%)
Art/ Information and
S5
Written or non-written
Communication Technology
2 lessons/ cycle (42 L)
Table 8 West Mount School – NSS Liberal Studies Curriculum Framework.
For the delivery of Liberal Studies West Mount School refers to its experience in the matriculation classes to design the approach for S4 – the use of collaborative instructions. A team of teachers are going to handle different modules of the syllabus according to their subject matter expertise. In its handbook to parents, West Mount highlighted that “most liberal studies teachers are not experts, instead they have their own expertise in a discipline”. It is paradoxical that teachers are also specialized experts in the discipline of instructing. Yet in order to foster collaborative learning among students, they are shedding their roles as the sole knowledge resource of all subject matters, moving away from being an instructor to a facilitator. Collaborative instructions set a good role model for students to follow suit in their learning. It also highlights the constant demand of professional development on teachers through peer-support.
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
A side issue in implementing Liberal Studies is the available of teaching material / resources in both Chinese and English. Currently, secondary schools in Hong Kong are separated into Chinese and English medium instructions (CMI and EMI). References and printed materials about local or mainland Chinese events are often exclusively in the Chinese language only, which pose some logistic issues to translate them into English for EMI school students. The language policy in education has always been a controversial issue in Hong Kong. In May 2009, the EDB announced a revised plan to abolish the relatively rigid school-level CMI / EMI arrangement and to replace it with a more flexible class-based policy (EDB 2009d). Its effect is yet to come when the current cohort of P4 (Grade 4) students advance to the junior secondary schools by 2010. For West Mount School, it states clear that it would allow students to get access to resources irrespective of the languages.
The Independent Enquiry Study (IES) component within Liberal Studies, as stipulated within the curriculum, demands students to develop their inquisitive skills and multiple perspectives on current issues and affairs (Table 9). The emphasis coheres with the general EDB goal enabling students “learning (how) to learn”. West Mount, with reference to its matriculation experience again, realizes that students must dedicate 50-60% of the enquiry process to acquire the content knowledge in order to be proficient enough to understand the background and nature of the issues being explored. This is fairly demanding for S4 students for training on critical thinking is not seen in existing junior secondary classes. West Mount has shortlisted a broad spectrum of topics like Media Education, Religion, Sports, Arts, Information and Communication Technology for the IES. In general this conforms to the EDB guidelines (Table 5), however, perhaps it may be a bit pre-mature to comment on the appropriateness of the exact choices until IES is actually running on the floor.
Processes of Issue-enquiry
Relationship with development of multiple perspectives
Mastering facts, understanding phenomena, clarifying
Different sources of information
concepts
Different interpretations and explanation Different way of collecting data Different associations
Understanding the differences and conflicts involved
Different values Different convictions Different interests
Reflection, evaluation, judgment, solution, action
Considering all sides of the argument Weighing the pros and cons Putting forward reasons and justifications Taking action, evaluating and accepting consequences Revising judgment
Table 9 West Mount School – Process of Issue-enquiry and Development of Multiple Perspectives.
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
3.4.2 Compare and contrast with the International Baccalaureate curriculum
Does the NSS Curriculum promote students to be world-class citizens? A peek into the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum may provide some clues to us. The IB curriculum is quickly thriving around the world. Arguably, there are shadows of IB Diploma contents or approaches in the NSS Curriculum. Although there is no intent here to appraise the merits of the two, the focus is on what unique contents the NSS have offered to Hong Kong students as compared to a worldwide available alternative.
IB Diploma is a fairly mature curriculum developed since 1968 and is currently adopted in schools in near 120 countries. Students have to work on six subjects of their choice, a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course, participate in Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) and complete an independent research assignment in order to get the diploma. Many of the NSS components may find an IB Diploma counterpart.
Three core subjects within the NSS Curriculum are similar to the IB Diploma. Both have to study two languages and mathematics, yet the choices of the languages is fixed in the NSS. Besides, IB Diploma being an international curriculum, it does cater the ethnic background of the students, allowing them to choose an appropriate first and second language. The level of details in studying the second language also varies from beginner, intermediate to advance. IB Diploma students may learn a second language according to their previous exposure and competency to it. This concept is not seen in the NSS. Quite on the contrary, the HKCEE combined the used-to-be two levels syllabus for English Language examination into one in 2006 and changed the assessment from a statistical distribution of grades to a benchmarking standard. The HKDSE follows the same idea.
The NSS Curriculum offers French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Hindi or Urdu as an elective subject6. Yet, it is not a perfect scenario in spite of the vast majority of the population in the city is homogenously ethnically Chinese. No matter if you are ethnic minorities in town (mostly South Asians), new immigrants from the mainland who often have a higher proficiency in Mandarin than the local spoken dialect Cantonese, or overseas born Chinese 6
Under NSS, students can take other languages (including French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Hindi
and Urdu) as elective subjects and sit for the international examinations on these languages jointly administered by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority and Cambridge International Examinations. Students’ performance in the international examinations on other languages will be reported in their Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) certificates by using the same way of reporting adopted by overseas examination bodies.
19
EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
who had little exposure to the Chinese language, all students have to learn English and Chinese under the same syllabus in the NSS and assessed the same way in the HKDSE. NSS lacks differential treatment on the choices of first and second language. Rather, it mandates everybody to learn the same two languages with a rationale that they would have a better understanding of the local culture. EDB has issued a guideline to schools to adapt the Chinese language curriculum for non-Chinese speaking students. It also has suggested those students to take the UK IGCSE instead (EDB 2007a).
Furthermore, in equipping students to live in the knowledge base society, computer science is a core subject in IB Diploma but only an elective in NSS. IB also requires students to study one subject each in Individuals and Societies group (social science and art subjects) and Experimental Science group (Physics, Chemistry, Biology etc.). The arrangement in NSS is fairly close, but all these subjects are designed as electives. A NSS student can still in theory choose all science subjects or all social science subjects much like the “streamed” approach at present.
Both IB and NSS encourage students to actively participate in the society and gain real life experiences. The CAS module in IB asks for a minimum of 150 hours of involvement to nonacademic activities over two years, whilst Other Learning Experience (OLE) in NSS is more demanding asking for 405 hours over three years. On a yearly basis, NSS requires students to dedicate 80% more time than their IB peers. Is it due to classroom activities in Hong Kong for S4-S5 students are dominated by the public examination preparation so that EDB given suggested that many hours of OLE? Perhaps school life will be more balanced for future NSS cohorts.
The highlight for NSS is the introduction of Liberal Studies. Its “cross-sectoral” research and analysis approach closely resemble to the extended essay module of IB. NSS students are required to handle an Independent Enquiry Study (IES) applying what they have learnt on a real life situation or social issue. As NSS is in its infant stage, it is unjustified to turn the IES component in Liberal Studies to be an exit requirement as the IB students. Yet, that should not undermine the importance of project learning which demands students a good grasp of the subject matter in research, plus mastering the research skills itself too. Perhaps in order to achieve the general goal of “learning (how) to learn”, Hong Kong students should have critical thinking training like the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) module in IB. The IB curriculum put much emphasis on developing the cognitive abilities of the students. In Dewey’s notion, the curriculum should “prepare the individuals not only to solve (life) problems but also to anticipate them” (O’Donoghue 2009: 36). “How do you know” is a core
20
EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
theme in the TOK module. NSS, in its road to develop and mature, should put more emphasis on critical and reflective thinking as well. Students should be able to think more clearly and rationally. The curriculum should also develop the elements of judgment, emotional awareness or sensitivity, imagination, reasoning and the presence of certain attitudes in Dewey’s idea of reflective thinking, which is a weak spot complained by many local employers (Apple 2006).
Assessments are both done externally and internally for both IB and NSS students. The idea of formative and summative assessment can be found in both curriculums, even though School-based Assessment (SBA) will not be in place for all NSS subjects right away in the first year of implementation but gradually phasing in.
A unique feature of NSS is having Applied Learning Courses as additional electives outside the 20 subjects. These courses are vocation oriented programmes, mostly offered by those non-degree awarding tertiary institutes. Students may take these vocational training over the weekend or in summer, or through partnership programmes with schools. NSS seems to attempt ambitiously consolidating all sorts of courses currently available to students above S3 under the same curriculum framework and exit assessment by HKDSE. This is definitely not the design of IB Diploma which aims at preparing students for undergraduate university programmes only.
IB Diploma
NSS
Observation
Duration
2 year
3 year
History
Since 1968
Starting 2009
Level
Pre-university
Senior Secondary to Pre-university
Core Subjects
Study 6 subjects from 6 subject
4 core subjects – English Language,
Choices in NSS electives
groups – Language A1, Second
Chinese Language, Mathematics,
often bounded by the
Language, Individuals and
Liberal Studies
availability of teaching
Societies, Experimental Science,
2 to 3 electives from 20 other
resources
Mathematics and Computer
subjects
Science, The Arts Independent
Extended Essay.
No equivalent requirement.
IB places much higher
Research
An externally assessed,
However, projects within various
emphasis on independent
independent research assignment
subjects may require cross-sectoral
research. The thesis like
of 4,000 words in one of the six
research and analysis. In particular,
essay is a graduation
subject areas.
the Independent Enquiry Studies
requirement. NSS IES only
(IES) component of Liberal Studies
constitutes 20% of the
requires students to conduct an
subject marks in Liberal
independent self-directing learning
Studies.
21
EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
on social issues. IES is assessed internally. Knowledge
Follow a theory of knowledge
No explicit requirement, although
IB focuses on developing
Building and
course (TOK).
educational reform often call for
students in their critical
Critical
An internally and externally
“learning (how) to learn” and there is
thinking ability. Like
Thinking
assessed interdisciplinary
some requirement in the IES
resolving the issue “How
component that explores the
component of Liberal Studies on
do you know?” on a cross-
different concepts of knowledge
personal reflection and critique on
subject problem.
found in the subject areas. (i.e.,
the research area.
cross-discipline the six subjects chosen by the student) Non-academic
Participate in Creativity, Action,
Other Learning Experience (OLE)
On a yearly basis, NSS
exposure and
Service (CAS).
Students are required to spend 405
students has to dedicate
experiences
a minimum of 150 hours of
hours over 3 years (15-35% of the
80% more time on non-
participation over the two years in
learning time) on gaining exposure
academic experiences than
creative, physical and service
on Moral and Civic Education,
IB Diploma students.
activities in the local community.
Community Service, Aesthetic and
The CAS requirement allows
Physical Activities, and Career-
students to gain real-life experience
related Experiences.
beyond the classroom.
Applied Learning. Career-oriented courses are available, with qualification recognized under the Qualification Framework.
Assessment
Recognition
Assessment is varied and takes
HKDSE as a centralized exit
NSS consolidates the
place over two years, with final
summative assessment by the local
existing HKCEE and
examinations in each subject.
examination board HKEAA. All
HKALE and becomes the
Students' work is assessed by an
subjects will eventually have a
HKDSE. A single exit
international board of examiners
School-based Assessment (SBA)
assessment aligns to
component by 2014.
worldwide practice.
Local only
IB is already in a mature
Overseas recognition pending.
stage.
119 countries
Table 10 Comparison of IB Diploma and NSS.
3.5 Monitoring, Feedback, Assessment, Reconstruction
Building a curriculum requires a feedback loop cycle to inform the designer of the outcomes. Regardless the yardstick in use, and whether on an individual basis up to the system level, monitoring and assessment is necessary in all stages of planning and implementation. The collected data or opinions may always be referenced for future fine-tuning.
22
EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
3.5.1 Monitoring
When the first cohort of NSS students graduates by 2013, it will create a double-cohort year for all tertiary institutions (Table 11). With reference to a similar experience in Ontario Canada when it abolished its Grade 13/OAC year7, the double-cohort was being closely monitored. From the time they were still at Grade 12, progressed into their undergraduate procgrammes until they graduated, their academic standing was tracked and studied. The Ontario Ministry of Education had issued four evaluation reports during 2001 to 2005 to examine the implementation of its 3-year high school programme and the subsequent impact towards university enrollment. These series of studies focused on the graduation successful rate and the recognition of the graduates by universities and employers. Evaluating how well the Hong Kong students achieve under the NSS may probably go through a similar exercise.
First Year
Second
Third
Fourth
Later
Year
Year
Year
Years
Total
Graduates
2011/12
14,500
14,500
14,500
6,500
50,000
14,500
2012/13
29,000
14,500
14,500
6,500
64,500
14,500
2013/14
14,500
29,000
14,500
6,500
64,500
14,500
2014/15
14,500
14,500
29,000
6,500
64,500
14,500
2015/16
14,500
14,500
14,500
6,500
64,500
14,500
14,500
Table 11 Hong Kong's Double Cohort Moves Through Undergraduate Degrees. (Olsen & Burges 2007).
EDB has announced a formal review of the NSS by 2013. That will be exactly the doublecohort year. During the coming years, constant monitoring can be expected. In a panel meeting within the Legislative Council (LEGCO), EDB committed its support to schools to tackling the challenges faced by the double cohort (LEGCO 2008a). What does it entail exactly? It was not mentioned apart from providing professional development courses and grants for teachers involved. From the Ontario experience, inadequate school places and the recognition of the new qualification were the focal point. The recognition issue is discussed further in Section 3.5.3 Assessment. 3.5.2 Feedback
For a broad scale curriculum imposed top-down by the government, feedback channels tend to be more formal. LEGCO, for example, has a standing panel on educational issues that meets and discusses regularly on the educational reform. Indeed, the only voice representing the education sector inside LEGCO is from a teacher’s union, one would expect the feedback 7
Ontario Canada abolished the “Ontario Academic Credit” year in 2003. This OAC year, often
regarded as Grade 13, was a general admission requirement for Canadian universities. (Wiki 2009d).
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
might tend to protect the interests of the academic staff more often. The implementation of the School-based Assessment on all NSS subjects, for instance, had been under debate on its timeline and administration. (LEGCO 2008a).
Other established formal channels include all schools, various school associations, universities and accreditation agencies. Up to this date, however, there is little publicly known feedback from the students or the parents apart from some news reports about surveys on them about the NSS (Sun 2009a, Sing Tao 2009a). 3.5.3 Assessment
There are two folds of assessment here. In a micro level, students are assessed both internally and externally. In a macro level, the NSS Curriculum itself should also be assessed as a whole.
For individual students, although one may contend that having a single exit examination can be easily considered as a biased assessment on a student, the element of School-based Assessment (SBA) must be taken into account as well. SBA is a form of formative assessment. At present, it is adopted only in English and Chinese language subjects at both HKCEE and HKALE. Rather than a one-off summative assessment, the SBA will have a three-year timeframe to assess the student academic progress. SBA on practical skills complements a written examination, if one considers Bruner’s idea of “Enactive, Iconic and Symbolic” modes of internal model making to facilitate learning (O’Donoghue 2009:33). Students are assessed on how they act (Enactive) and make things (Iconic), plus how they interpret and express their knowledge using language (Symbolic). Yet put it into practice, SBA draws criticism from teachers on how to maintain a fair and consistent assessment over the board, and the never-ending issue on perceived additional workload pressure (Han 2009). Due to the strong demand from the teachers, SBA implementation has slowed down. There is even no timeline planned for the subject Mathematics (Table 15).
From an overall standpoint, by 2012, there will be the first cohort of students sitting in the new HKDSE. With a fundamental change in the syllabus, benchmarking concept in assessment, plus the introduction of SBA to all subjects, how would the new grades be recognized is a legitimate concern.
Local universities has affirmed its support to the new curriculum which can foster “better individual aptitudes and interests”, and stated the general admission requirement would require all four core subjects and one to two electives (LEGCO 2008b). However, they also expressed difficulties in interpreting the new grades in HKDSE as mid to low grades students
24
EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
will be more homogenized under the new grading system. Ranking them and deciding who may be accepted based on these broad grades would result in a chaos (Apple Daily 2009a). While the EDB continues to discuss with all post-secondary institutes on the alignment of HKDSE with their admission requirements, more shake-up can be expected in those certificate, diploma and associate degree courses.
Some overseas educators have also called for looking into the issue of recognition of the HKDSE as well. They have noticed a collaborated effort may be beneficial to universities while setting their basic entrance requirements (Olsen, Burges 2007). Indeed, the organizer of HKDSE, the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA), has been promoting the new examination and benchmarking scheme to accreditation agencies and leading universities worldwide (Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom) in aspiration that, the HKDSE may ultimately be recognized with comparable academic standing like the existing HKCEE and HKALE8 (HKEAA 2009, LEGCO 2008a, LEGCO 2008b).
Besides, the EDB is working with the Civil Service Bureau on aligning the HKDSE qualification with the requirements of various branches in the government hierarchy. This would illuminate a path for other employers how to benchmark the new qualification in the future. 3.5.4 Reconstruction
The word “reform” has been rephrased as “fine-tuning” by the government. In its latest language policy change, the EDB has used this term to refer to the new arrangement and criteria on what students and what schools may delivery classes in English or Chinese. Reconstructing the infant stage NSS Curriculum is definitely unsound until there are more evidences on hand, but continuous fine-tuning may better accommodate the issues discovered once it is implemented inside the classrooms than any abrupt changes.
Perhaps from the lesson learnt from the failed Target Oriented Curriculum in the early 2000s, the government has given more attention to publicity at schools and on other media, to parents, students and the general public on the NSS and its potential benefits. For example, there were
8
The HKEAA has approached international agencies including Cambridge International Examinations
(CIE), National Recognition Information Centre (NARIC), Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS) in the UK and the Australian Education International (AEI) in Australia to conduct benchmarking and comparability research on HKDSE (HKEAA 2009).
25
EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
TV ads and dedicated websites about the highlights of the curriculum, its features like the Other Learning Experience module, plus its interfaces to the Qualification Framework and the expansion projects in all local universities. All of them provide an urgent message to the parents and students that an imminent change is coming.
If there is only one change to the NSS Curriculum, it should beef-up the development of critical thinking skills. The introduction of Liberal Studies, for instance can be illustrated as a width and depth of knowledge issue. Students are expected to access to diverse sources of information, and dwelling into the details to reflect or tackle on a broad issue. Yet the tools required for reflection is missing or ill-equipped. The legacy to the education system from the British influence had never nurtured Hongkongers to be independent thinkers, at least inadequate in expressing original ideas. A knowledge theory module like that in the IB Diploma should bridge the missing gap. 4
Conclusion
If there is one word to describe the NSS Curriculum, it would be “alignment�. From the case study on how a local school implements the curriculum, and the comparison with the IB Diploma, there is no significant originality found in the NSS Curriculum. Quite on the contrary, its alignment to a worldwide 6+4 secondary-university structure having a single exit assessment is obvious. The provision of diverse choices of academic subjects and learning experiences outside the classroom, again, is an alignment to a worldwide popular alternative curriculum.
So much so for the sake of nurturing a new generation to join the knowledge workforce of the 21st century, the secondary education has taken a paradigm shift from training highly specialized social elites to developing all-rounders. NSS is a slow-paced but large-scale educational reform, changing some of the fundamental practices in use for decades. It is evolutionary, as seen in the arrangement of the core and elective subjects, but revolutionary as seen in the abolishment of the existing public examinations and the introduction of the subject Liberal Studies which demands student to apply their diverse knowledge and experiences. It is a one-off change involving highly complex planning with collective effort from secondary schools, universities and assessment authority.
Bolwes and Gintis considered there is little bargaining power for students to control the curriculum for them (cited O’Donoghue 2009:62). There is no exception, even in this fairly liberal city which had been under long-term British influence. Hong Kong had undergone a significant political change. Differentiating itself from the mainland China or blending in new
26
EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
norm, that is the question. In maintaining and developing the competitiveness of the students, NSS is still on the passive side addressing present needs of the society. Liberal Studies, Other Learning Experiences, Applied Learning courses, all in all, may enable students to keep upto-date with the changing world, but without proper developing on their critical thinking skills, it is quite unlikely for them to “intervene actively to shape their own futureâ€? from a social reconstructionist viewpoint. â–
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
5
Reference Apple Daily (2006), Lack of Discipline Among Young Employees Employers Feel Unsatisfied (求職者準備馬虎 衣飾失 當
難獲垂青 僱主多不滿青年僱員欠自律), Apple Daily News, July 17 2006
Apple Daily (2009a), Examination Reform in 2012 Surge of Similar Grade Students Chaos in University Acceptance Expected (會考轉制 2012 年同分考生激增 大學收生勢混亂), Apple Daily News, February 16 2009. CDC (1999), A Holistic Review of the Hong Kong School Curriculum Proposed Reforms, Curriculum Development Council, http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?langno=1&nodeID=4042 Cheung M.K. (2008), LEGCO Focus –Three Breakthroughs in School-based Assessment ( 立法焦點 校本評核 三大突破), Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union, http://www.hkptu.org/ptu/director/pubdep/ptunews/542/cmk-legco.htm EDB (2004), The New Academic Structure for Senior Secondary Education and Higher Education - First stage consultation document , Curriculum Development Institute, Education and Manpower Bureau, http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_4745/main.pdf EDB (2007a), The Positioning of Chinese Language Education in the New Senior Secondary Academic Structure, Education Bureau, Hong Kong SAR Government, http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeID=5877&langno=1 EDB (2008a), Qualification Framework – Introduction, Education Bureau, Hong Kong SAR Government, http://www.hkqf.gov.hk/guie/HKQF_intro.asp EDB (2009), Hong Kong SAR Government statistics in 2008/09 school year, Education Bureau, Hong Kong SAR Government, http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?langno=1&nodeID=396 EDB (2009a), Student Enrolment by Level of Education, General Information on Education in Hong Kong, Education Bureau, Hong Kong SAR Government, http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?langno=1&nodeID=6497 EDB (2009b), Distribution of Educational Attainment of Population Aged 15 and Over, General Information on Education in Hong Kong, Education Bureau, Hong Kong SAR Government, http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?langno=1&nodeID=6504 EDB (2009b), Other Learning Experiences, Curriculum Development Branch, Education Bureau, Hong Kong SAR Government, http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/lwl/ole/01_intro_01.asp EDB (2009c), NSS Subjects – Enquiries / Views and Suggestions, Education Bureau, Hong Kong SAR Government, http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeid=5808&langno=1 EDB (2009d), Leaflet on Fine-tuning of Medium of Instruction for Secondary Schools, Education Bureau, Hong Kong SAR Government, http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_7372/leaflet-eng.pdf Education Commission (2000), Learning for Life Learning through Life – Reform Proposals for the Education System in Hong Kong, Education Commission, http://www.e-c.edu.hk/eng/reform/annex/Edu-reform-eng.pdf Education Commission (2006), Progress Report on the Educational reform (4), Education Commission, http://www.ec.edu.hk/eng/reform/Progress%20Report%20(Eng)%202006.pdf EMB (2005), Summary of Findings for Second Survey on the New Academic Structure for Senior Secondary Education and Higher Education, Education and Manpower Bureau, Hong Kong SAR Government, http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_4745/2nd_survey_findings_e.pdf Han LS (2009), SBA Nightmare (SBA 惡夢), Education Review, Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union, http://www.hkptu.org.hk/ptu/director/pubdep/ptunews/542/edu-talk.htm HKEAA (2007a), Press Release – Strategic Implementation of School-based Assessment, Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority, http://www.hkeaa.edu.hk/DocLibrary/HKDSE/School_based_Assessment/press_20070319_eng.pdf HKEAA (2008a), HKCEE Statistics of Entries and Results Over the Years, Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority. HKEAA (2008b), HKALE Entries and Results Statistics Over the Years, Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority. HKEAA (2008c), Press Release – HKEAA Welcomes Results Of Comparison Study On Hong Kong And UK Examinations Qualification, Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority, http://www.hkeaa.edu.hk/DocLibrary/IR/press_20080125_eng.pdf
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
HKEAA (2009), International Recognition – Introduction, Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority, http://www.hkeaa.edu.hk/en/ir/Introduction HKEdCity.net (2009a), Educational reform Timetable (教改時間表), Hong Kong Education City Limited, http://www.hkedcity.net/article/reform_timetable_content/070922-001/topic03_overall.phtml HKEdCity.net (2009b), NSS Curriculum Other Learning Experiences Activity Databank, Hong Kong Education City Limited, http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/lwl/activity/OLE/index_en.asp HKSAR (2007), Education, Hong Kong Year Book 2007, Chapter 7, Hong Kong SAR Government IBO (2009), Diploma Programme Curriculum Core Requirements, International Baccalaureate Organization, http://www.ibo.org/diploma/curriculum/core/ JUPAS (2008), Offer Statistics, Joint University Programmes Admission System, http://www.jupas.edu.hk/jupas/content_stat_mainround.htm King A.J.C. et al (2005), Double Cohort Study Phase 4 Report For The Ontario Ministry Of Education, Social Program Evaluation Group, Queen’s University, http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/reports/phase4/index.html LEGCO (2008a), New academic structure for senior secondary education and higher education – Updated background brief prepared by the Legislative Council Secretariat for the meeting on 12 June 2008, Legislative Council, Hong Kong SAR Government, LC Paper No. CB(2)2164/07-08(05) LEGCO (2008b), Recognition and articulation of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education qualification – Background brief prepared by the Legislative Council Secretariat for the meeting on 10 November 2008, Legislative Council, Hong Kong SAR Government, LC Paper No. CB(2)215/08-09(02) McGaw B. (2006), An International View of Hong Kong Educational reform, Hong Kong Education Commission, http://www.e-c.edu.hk/eng/reform/Prof%20Barry%20McGaw%20Speech.pdf NARIC (2007), A research study into comparison of grades achieved in the Hong Kong HKCEE and HKALE with the GCSE and A level examinations, National Academic Recognition Information Centre, United Kingdom, November 29 2007, www.britishcouncil.org/eumd-hongkong-naric_briefing_note_29nov07.pdf O’Donoghue (2009), Unit Outline and Notes – Curriculum Context, Development & Innovation, University of Western Australia OECD (2008), Education At A Glance 2008 – OECD Indicators, Organisation For Economic Co-Operation And Development, http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/23/46/41284038.pdf Olsen A., Burges P (2007), Ten Years On: Satisfying Hong Kong’s Demand for Higher Education, Strategy Policy and Research in Education, IDP Education P/L. Sing Tao (2009a), 80% of Form Three Students Worry Being Unable To Adapt to New Curriculum (八成中三生憂不適應 新學制), May 26 2009, http://www.singtao.com/yesterday/edu/0526go01.html Sun, C. (2009a), Form Three pupils worried by new curriculum: survey, South China Morning Post, May 26 2009 Tan J. (2006), New Senior Secondary Liberal Studies: Must schools make exceptional efforts to get junior secondary students and primary pupils prepared for it?, Education Bureau, Hong Kong SAR Government, http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?langno=1&nodeID=5794 UGC (2008), First-year-first-degree (FYFD) Students of UGC-funded Programmes : 1965/66 to 2007/08, Student Numbers (Full-time Equivalent), University GrantsCommittee, http://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/doc/ugc/stat/chart.pdf Wiki (2009a), GCE Advanced Level, Wikipedia, April 30 2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-Level Wiki (2009b), Education in Hong Kong, Wikipedia, May 26 2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Hong_Kong#British_System_after_1971 Wiki (2009c), Comprehensive School, Wikipedia, May 22 2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comprehensive_School Wiki (2009d), Ontario Academic Credit, Wikipedia, May 7 2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_Academic_Credit
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6
Appendix 1. Assignment Details
a. Write an essay describing, analyzing and evaluating curriculum materials of your choice; or b. Write an essay discussing a curriculum in action in one school or other educational setting; or c. Write an essay on a curriculum topic to be negotiated between you and your lecturer.
The essay should be 5000 words in length.
You will find the accompanying Assignment Aid helpful for doing your assignment.
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EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
7
Appendix 2. Educational reform Timetable (Senior Secondary School)
Table 12 Secondary School Reform Timetable (EdCity.net 2009).
31
2005/06
2006/07
2008/09
2009/10
Curriculum
2000/01 Incremental
2001/02
2002/03
2003/04
2004/05
June to Sep. 2005, implemented
March 2007,
Catalogue of
To complete
Full introduction of
Reform
reformed the
the 2 consultation to the
completed the
suitable textbooks
developing
benchmarking
curriculum,
syllabus and assessment methods
syllabus and
ready in August
teaching and
reference in the HK
allowing students
to the new secondary school
assessment
2008.
learning resources.
Diploma of
nd
rd
to learn how to
subjects. The 3 consultation
guidelines of 24
learn, possessing an
was done in mid-2006.
NSS subjects.
all-rounded
Jan 2006, announced
Introduced
learning
consultation documents to
benchmarking
experience, and
further consult the new structure
reference in the
acquiring job-
for career-oriented and special
language subjects
related experience.
education schools. Report
of the HKCEE.
2007/08
2010/11
2011/12
2012/13
Education.
announced in August. Started editing textbooks, teaching and learning resources. (on-going) Started developing benchmarking references and establishing the structure of school-based assessment (ongoing). Structural
Established a
Abolished HKCEE
Further
Oct. 2004, EDB
Mid 2006 announced the
Sep. 2009, first
2011, depending on
First batch of NSS
Sep. 2012, first
Reform
working committee
and HKAL minor
implemented
announced
acceptance criteria of various
cohort of year-1
the number of
students to sit in
cohort of NSS
to study the
score per grade.
teacher assessment
consultation document
university courses/ departments.
students under the
candidates,
HK Diploma of
students to enroll 4-
fesibility of
on certain subjects,
on “secondary and
Held a series of development
NSS.
HKEAA to
Education.
year undergraduate
implementing a 3-
included partially
tertiary educational
courses for principals and
Students under
organize one last
Students under
university
year secondary
the student’s school
reform – invest in the
teachers on the NSS, providing
existing curriculum
examination for
current curriculum
progrrammes.
school structure.
performance into
future” and conducted
ample preparation of them to
to sit in the final
HKCEE repeaters.
sit in the final
HKEAA to
HKAL results.
a 3-month
implement the NSS Curriculum
HKCEE 2010.
HKAL examination
organize one last
Working
consultation.
(on going).
in 2012.
examination for
committee
May 2005, EDB
submitted advisory
announced the
report on secondary
consultation report
school structure.
and decided to introduce the NSS structure by September 2009.
Table 13 Secondary School Reform Timetable. English translation.
HKAL repeaters.
8
Appendix 3. NSS Subjects and the Key Learning Areas
Key Learning Area
Subject
Chinese Language Education
Chinese Language Chinese Literature
English Language Education
English Language Literature in English
Mathematics
Mathematics Liberal Studies
Personal, Social and Humanities Education
Chinese History Economics Ethics and Religious Studies Geography History Tourism and Hospitality Studies
Science Education
Biology Chemistry Physics Integrated Science
Technology Education
Business, Accounting and Financial Studies Design and Applied Technology Health Management and Social Care Information and Communication Technology Technology and Living
Arts Education
Music Visual Arts
Physical Education
Physical Education
Table 14 New Secondary School Subjects (EDB 2009).
33
EDUC 8678 Curriculum Context Development and Innovation
9
Appendix 4. SBA Implementation Timetable
Subjects Chinese Language English Language Chinese History Design & Applied Technology History Information & Communication Technology Liberal Studies Visual Arts Biology Chemistry Physics Science Chinese Literature Economics Ethics & Religious Studies Geography Health Management & Social Care Technology & Living Tourism & Hospitality Studies Literature in English
Physical Education
Music
Business, Accounting & Financial Studies Mathematics
Timeline Commence full implementation in 2012.
Implement the laboratory work component in 2012 and 2013, with full implementation in 2014.
Defer implementation for two years (2012 and 2013). Full implementation in 2014.
Defer implementation for two years (2012 and 2013). Full implementation in 2014. In 2012 and 2013, students’ learning portfolio will be submitted to the HKEAA for assessment. Defer implementation for two years (2012 and 2013). Full implementation in 2014. In 2012 and 2013, the HKEAA will administer an externally assessed practical examination. Defer implementation for two years (2012 and 2013), followed by a school trial in 2014 in which all schools will implement SBA and submit marks for feedback, but SBA marks will not count towards the subject result. Full implementation in 2015. Defer implementation for two years (2012 and 2013), followed by a school trial in 2014 and 2015 in which all schools will implement SBA and submit marks for feedback, but SBA marks will not count towards the subject result. Full implementation in 2016.
Table 15 School-based Assessment Implementation Timetable (HKEAA 2007a).
34