From teaching to learning through activity approach: An in-the-field teacher development endeavor

Chak CHUNG

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapters

Abstract

This paper disseminates the results of a Learning and Teaching development project that addresses the implementation of a curriculum change in primary schools in Hong Kong, namely the Activity Approach (AA). AA was introduced in 1972 to primary schools in Hong Kong. The innovation has been adopted by originally 6 schools up to about 400 schools at present. It has been launched for more than 20 years. Despite the fact that the rationale of Activity Approach has been widely been recognized among educationalists, its real practice in Hong Kong primary schools is still rare. The reasons for this are various and some are perceived as paramount. There are grumbles about AA among primary school teachers. At any rate, many practitioners retain their traditional approach of teaching in AA format classroom (some laymen would call this practice as “false AA”). The members of this project see that discrepancies of AA implementation take root from two facets: (1) teachers’ general misunderstandings or misconceptions of this pedagogy; (2) insufficient in-the-field support to teachers in their daily practice of teaching. In light of this, the team proposes a simplistic version of primary teachers are facing (such as heavy workload, time constraints, etc.), we suggest somehow “user-friendly” measures; hoping that the spirit of teachers in working out real AA can be enhanced and the effectiveness of AA can be brought to its capacity. This school-based project has been quite successfully launched. Series of classroom observations together with video-recording, lesson analysis and in-school professional support bring about encouraging and stimulating outcome. Apart from researchers’ observation, opinions of the school teachers are drawn through interviews and questionnaires. The possibility of a simplistic approach in AA implementation is verified in the progress of the project. Another fruitful experience learnt from the project is that helping in-service practitioners learning to teach can have an alternate and efficient manner. It is believed that the project can demonstrate its potential in activating the further development of teaching and learning in teacher education in Hong Kong. Copyright © 2000 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of International Conference on Teacher Education 1999: Teaching effectiveness and teacher development in the new century
Place of PublicationHong Kong
PublisherHong Kong Institute of Education
Pages1-7
ISBN (Print)9629490382
Publication statusPublished - 2000

Citation

Chung, C. (2000). From teaching to learning through activity approach: An in-the-field teacher development endeavor. In Proceedings of International Conference on Teacher Education 1999: Teaching effectiveness and teacher development in the new century [CD-ROM] (pp. 1-7). Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Education.

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