Implementation matters: Teachers’ pedagogical practices during the implementation of an interdisciplinary curriculum in Hong Kong

Ying ZHAN, Wing Mui Winnie SO, Nga Yee Irene CHENG

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlespeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

An interdisciplinary subject, liberal studies, was introduced as a compulsory and core subject into the New Senior Secondary Curriculum in Hong Kong in 2009 with the purpose of expanding students’ knowledge base and increasing their social awareness through investigation into a variety of issues. However, transforming curricular innovations into real classroom settings and maintaining them is a complicated process. This study aimed to investigate, during its first round of implementation, teachers’ pedagogical practices in 21 local schools through in-depth interviews and documentary analysis. The results reveal that the school administrators and teachers were more likely to adapt their teaching approaches and teaching materials than their teaching content and assessment. Both good practices and examination-oriented practices in the process of curriculum implementation were evident in this study. These findings contribute to our understanding of the implementation of an interdisciplinary curriculum in examination-oriented systems and inform the practitioners of school-based practices of curriculum implementation. Copyright © 2016 De La Salle University.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)527-539
JournalThe Asia-Pacific Education Researcher
Volume25
Issue number4
Early online dateJan 2016
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2016

Citation

Zhan, Y., So, W. M. W., & Cheng, N. Y. I. (2016). Implementation matters: Teachers’ pedagogical practices during the implementation of an interdisciplinary curriculum in Hong Kong. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 25(4), 527-539.

Keywords

  • Liberal studies
  • Fidelity
  • Adaptation
  • Pedagogical practices
  • Examination-orientated educational system

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