A Research Study and Professional Support for the Development and Implementation of the New Senior Secondary Visual Arts Curriculum for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

As a process and tool of communication, socialization and education, Visual Arts plays an important role in the development of students with intellectual disabilities. With the introduction of the New Senior Secondary Curriculum (NSS) in 2009 and the related Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) in 2012, schoolteachers are concerned with the growing importance placed on art appreciation and criticism in the curriculum and assessment. The aim of this study is answer the following questions: 1) what are the current pedagogical practices of teaching students with intellectual disabilities in the subject of Visual Arts at the senior secondary level? 2) what are the problems, difficulties and challenges of teaching students with intellectual disabilities in the subject of Visual Arts at the senior secondary level? and 3)what are the exemplary strategies of teaching students with intellectual disabilities in the subject of Visual Arts at the senior secondary level? The study will use a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to obtain data. Quantitative data will provide a general picture of the current pedagogical practices in teaching Visual Arts in special schools. Qualitative data will provide rich descriptions of exemplary strategies of teaching and assessment.

Funding Source: HKSAR Govt - Education Bureau