Teaching values in religious studies lessons in Hong Kong

Religious education is one of the ways traditionally used to implement moral and values education in schools. In Hong Kong, more than half of the schools are religious schools. It is important to understand how the religious schools promote moral values in Hong Kong schools. In particular, based on the data collected from document reviews, individual interviews and observations in three religious elementary schools, this paper explores how the schools carry out moral and values education and how teachers teach values in religious lessons. The paper has three major research questions: (a) What are the schools’ curriculum of moral and values education?; (b) What are the teachers’ perceptions of teaching values, especially in Religious Studies lessons?; and (c) How do the teachers teach values in the observed Religious Studies lessons? The study finds the teachers rely on textbooks, other teaching materials or on their own understanding of religious beliefs, etc to teach in the observed lessons. The paper argues that the teacher plays an important role in moral and values education and that relevant teacher education is necessary.