Hong Kongs Curriculum Reform of the 21st Century: Project-Based Learning - Case Study Example

Hong Kong’s Curriculum Reform Of The 21st Century: Project-Based Learning HONG KONG’S CURRICULUM REFORM OF THE 21ST CENTURY: PROJECT-BASED LEARNING Introduction The education sector in Hong Kong has undergone vital reforms in relation to new educational reforms in the 21st century, one of which has been project-based learning. This education reform was instituted to keep pace with other large-scale reforms in the education sectors of many Western countries since the latter years of the 20th century, specifically propelled by strong societal demand for students to learn how to overcome challenges caused by a fast-changing and knowledge-based society (Tse et al, 2011). Schools in Hong Kong are increasingly required to promote their students’ collaborative and critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and communication skills along with their subject-matter knowledge. This has necessitated the use of teaching approaches that are more student-centred, which has increased the viability of project-based learning (Tse et al, 2011). In this case, Hong Kong teachers are expected to enable their students to connect attitudes, values, skills, and knowledge, as well as to construct knowledge, via several learning experiences. Curriculum Reform in Hong Kong’s Education System Education in the 20th century was mainly focused on relatively rigid and fixed bodies of content, not only in Hong Kong but also in other developed countries. However, school systems began to view this model of knowledge of transmission as inadequate in the education sector towards the end of the 20th century. In the contemporary social environment, knowledge is changing rapidly as search engines have enabled unlimited access to information and content, increasing the need for an educational system that views students as life-long learners who are more self-directed (Ho & Chan, 2015). Hong Kong’s school districts, therefore, begun to contemplate curriculum, assessment, and instruction reform in order to ensure its students were more prepared for the 21st century workplace and its complex demands. As such, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers came together in a discussion over the challenges faced by Hong Kong students and teachers, specifically with the aim of reforming the educational system towards learning environments required for the 21st century. Beginning in 1999 and driven by fundamental economic and social shifts, Hong Kong undertook a comprehensive overhaul in their curriculum, structure, instructional language, and assessment across the entire education system (Ho & Chan, 2015). The new system, based on learner-centred reforms, have had significant, far-reaching effects, particularly through a shift in emphasis to learning and away from teaching, as well as expansion of education chances and opportunity and a shift to learning capacity development and away from memorisation (Miller et al, 2012). For example, end-of-primary exams were abolished so as to encourage schools to focus more on active learning, while traditional subject matter was replaced with learning areas in secondary schools. More importantly, these reforms also introduced inter-disciplinary education and project-based learning through system-wide liberal studies’ development. Combined with applied learning, project-based learning was specifically introduced to help students gain practical experience in different economic sectors. Together, these reforms have portended significant success for Hong Kong students, such as the rise from 14th to 2nd in International Literacy Study assessments between 2001 and 2006 for primary school students. However, these reforms have not been without significant tensions (Miller et al, 2012). For example, the shift from the traditional knowledge-transmission mode of teaching to a more active form of pedagogy has been challenging for teachers, as has finding the balance between innovation in the curriculum and parental admission focus on elite institutions due to a booming private industry in tutoring. Project-Based Learning Reforms in Hong Kong Li (2012) suggests that, there are several factors, which could influence the persistence of teachers in educational innovation, including school contextual factors and teacher personal factors. The latter includes alignment between the specific innovation and the instructor’s self-efficacy, philosophy of education, and their perceived value and success expectancy of the innovation. On the other hand, school contextual factors include time requirements, class size, and other practical constraints. This was no different in the implementation of project-based learning in Hong Kong, which placed specific emphasis on the teacher’s role in enhancing practical learning experience. Project-based learning involves academic tasks that require students to work together in small groups, in which the task could involve topical research or investigations. In addition, the topic under investigation requires students to integrate different concepts from several fields of study or disciplines. Today, Hong Kong students in primary and secondary school collaborate to arrive at collective outcomes and results over time, pursuing solutions through the refinement of questions, making predictions, debating ideas, and analysing the collected information and data (Li, 2012). Furthermore, they also collaborate in making conclusions and presenting their findings. As an instructional approach, project-based learning revolves around the conduction of investigative projects, where group or individual activities are implemented and outputs like performance, presentation, and product are expected (Yuen et al, 2012). Teachers in Hong Kong have a critical role to play as facilitators, guiding learners in the various stages of the project. As the students complete their projects, they are encouraged to take part in searching for information and evaluating the resulting information and data. In Hong Kong, this innovation has also proved effective in teaching learners, who may possess different ability levels, different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and different styles of learning. Students who are part of project-based learning in Hong Kong have also been found to be more interested in exploring specific interests that appeal to them (Yuen et al, 2012). This, in turn, nurtures their enthusiasm and personal strengths in working on projects. In this case, the learners tend to develop increased self-responsibility because the learning process is put in their hands. Project-based learning in Hong Kong has been implemented in various forms in secondary schools. For instance, personal, social, health, and economic education or PSHE projects have been introduced and implemented in Geography, history, and other individual subjects. Some of these projects have been implemented either as an inter-disciplinary project across subjects with the same key learning areas, or even across key learning areas (Carless & Harfitt, 2013). Various Hong Kong secondary schools have also come up with various forms of implementation on the basis of their school’s peculiarity, as well as the student’s learning needs. In this case, implementation can be viewed as the process through which a set of new activities, programmes, ideas, and structures are put into practice with the expectation of change. School administrators, principals, students, front-line teachers, and parents are either indirectly or directly involved in this change to project-based learning. Because the students and teachers are the most important players in this reform, how they perceive project-based learning is critical to its success (Carless & Harfitt, 2013). Project-based learning was one of four tasks undertaken in reform of the curriculum to enhance the effectiveness of teaching and learning. Between 2001 and 2006, reform in the curriculum encouraged the development and promotion of learning to learn for students in primary and secondary schools (Cheung & Man Wong, 2012). Teaching students how to learn was based on several important tasks on the basis of the student’s circumstances and readiness. As noted above, how students and teachers perceive project-based learning is critical for the success and effectiveness of implementation. The teacher’s role in project-based learning has been transformed into that of a facilitator, rather than a knowledge transmitter, while the student’s role has been transformed into that of an active participant in the learning process, instead of a passive participant. For the teacher, authentic assessment is an important role in project-based learning specifically to collect and act on the students’ achievement of skills. In this case, assessment and evaluation has focused on group and individual work, including presentations, observations, written work, and informal questions and discussions (Cheung & Man Wong, 2012). Community feedback, self-reflection, teacher evaluations, and peer reviews also play a role in assessment. Project-based learning has been widely accepted in Hong Kong as a powerful teaching strategy, especially due to its ability to enhance self-directed learning and self-motivation among Hong Kong students. However, Hallinger et al (2013) note that although it is highly regarded because of its effectiveness as an educational innovation within the wider context of 21st century educational reform in Hong Kong, it is still not widely accepted by the teaching fraternity in the country. Indeed, as with most imports from the West since Hong Kong returned to mainland China, project-based learning has encountered some resistance and significant scepticism from local instructors with differing cultural backgrounds compared to Western instructors. Indeed, majority of Chinese language teachers in Hong Kong continue to instruct using teacher-led approaches. One of the reasons given for this reluctance to implement project-based learning is that this innovation has little resemblance to how Hong Kong teachers have traditionally experienced and learned teaching as students, as well as to current practices (Chu et al, 2011). It is also important to note that these challenges are not specific to the Hong Kong education system and, in fact, these challenges are common where education reform emphasises student-centred teaching. Social Constructionism Perspective of Project-based Learning in Hong Kong Social constructionism is s knowledge model in communication theory and sociology that focuses on how understanding of the world is jointly constructed. In the Hong Kong project-based learning classroom, this involves the use of reciprocal teaching, in which a teacher and several students collaborate together in a group, investigating a topic by taking turns in leading dialogue on the problem (Summers & Dickinson, 2012). Such dialogue has helped to enhance the application of four major cognitive strategies for the students, including questioning, summarising, clarification, and prediction. In turn, it also allows the creation of a zone of proximal development, where students increasingly become more responsible for the learning material. Through collaborative effort, project-based learning has helped students in acquiring vital learning skills needed for day-to-day success, as well as forged high-level thinking group expectations. Moreover, project-based learning in Hong Kong has also integrated cooperative learning in classroom curriculum, which focuses on the use of expert peers to spur student development, while also adjusting the process to fit in the zone of proximal development for less mature children (Summers & Dickinson, 2012). Situated learning has also been a major aspect of collaborative construction of meaning in project-based learning in Hong Kong, which was integrated into the school curriculum because of previous concerns that learning in schools led to inert and limited forms of knowledge that only benefited the students in passing their examinations (Lee et al, 2015). Project-based learning has been especially emphatic on the need for knowledge to be active and, therefore, must be done in a meaningful context that allows for collaborative construction of meaning and knowledge. Since knowledge taught in an abstract manner was already identified as a problem of Hong Kong’s education curriculum, situational learning became increasingly important, especially with the situation of learning in an authentic and relevant context (Lee et al, 2015). Such a context allows students to learn in an environment, which drives collaborative construction of knowledge. Finally, anchored instruction has also gained traction as part of project-based learning, in which teachers are expected to help students engage in learning more actively by situating instruction on interesting topics (Notari et al, 2014). Classroom or learning environments are increasingly designed to stimulate thoughtful engagement between students and the teacher, helping the students develop effective attitudes and thinking skills. In turn, this also contributes to the students’ development of effective critical thinking and problem solving skills in a collaborative setting. Indeed, anchored instruction is more focused on the need for the education curriculum to provide students with the chance to consider and work out problems, while also emphasising on the importance of collaborative or group problem solving with jointly constructed knowledge being the outcome (Notari et al, 2014). Increased collaboration has been especially useful in the processing stage, where students form and organise their groups, collaboratively constructing artefacts and sharing knowledge. Conclusion Project-based learning has had numerous advantages in the classroom, although there are specific strategies that help in ensuring its success. These are increased ability to solve problems collaboratively, increased motivation to discover together, improved research skills, and increased resource-management skills. For instance, students are allowed to choose the topics that they want, how it is presented, and the range of content, which is highly motivating for the students and aid in knowledge construction. Project-based learning has also encouraged students to participate in collaborative and independent work, which makes it easier for them to engage in ill-defined and complex contexts. References Carless, D., & Harfitt, G. (2013). Innovation in secondary education: A case of curriculum reform in Hong Kong. Innovation and Change in English Language Education, 4(2), 172 Cheung, A. C., & Man Wong, P. (2012). Factors affecting the implementation of curriculum reform in Hong Kong: Key findings from a large-scale survey study. International Journal of Educational Management, 26(1), 39-54 Chu, S. K. W., Tse, S. K., Loh, E. K. Y., & Chow, K. (2011). Collaborative inquiry project-based learning: Effects on reading ability and interests. Library & Information Science Research, 33(3), 236-243 Hallinger, P., Lee, T. H. T., & Szeto, E. (2013). Review of research on educational leadership and management in Hong Kong, 1995–2012: Topographical analysis of an emergent knowledge base. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 12(3), 256-281 Ho, L. M., & Chan, L. S. (2015). Problem-Based Learning as the Instructional Approach to Field Learning in the Secondary School Setting. Essential Readings in Problem-Based Learning: Exploring and Extending the Legacy of Howard S. Barrows, 1(1), 179 Lee, D., Huh, Y., & Reigeluth, C. M. (2015). Collaboration, intragroup conflict, and social skills in project-based learning. Instructional Science, 4(4), 1-30 Li, Y. L. (2012). The negotiated project-based learning: understanding the views and practice of kindergarten teachers about the implementation of project learning in Hong Kong. Education 3-13, 40(5), 473-486 Miller, L., Hafner, C. A., & Fun, C. N. K. (2012). Project-Based Learning in a Technologically Enhanced Learning Environment for Second Language Learners: Students Perceptions. E-Learning and Digital Media, 9(2), 183-195 Notari, M., Baumgartner, A., & Herzog, W. (2014). Social skills as predictors of communication, performance and quality of collaboration in project‐based learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 30(2), 132-147 Summers, E. J., & Dickinson, G. (2012). A longitudinal investigation of project–based instruction and student achievement in high school social studies. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, 6(1), 6 Tse, S. K., Chu, S. K. W., & Chow, K. (2011). Using collaborative teaching and inquiry project-based learning to help primary school students develop information literacy and information skills. Library & Information Science Research, 33(2), 132-143 Yuen, T. W., Cheung, A. C., & Man Wong, P. (2012). A study of the impact of the first phase of the curriculum reform on student learning in Hong Kong. International Journal of Educational Management, 26(7), 710-728 Read More