Abstract
Since the late 1990s, early childhood education in Hong Kong has progressively lounged a series of reforms to raise the quality of early year education. Along with the emphasis on adopting the ‘child-centred’ concept of children’s learning, the Guide to the Pre-primary Curriculum issued in 2006 recommend an integrated approach in the curriculum design. The integrated “holistic” approach calls for a shift of paradigm from the formal didactic teaching of academic knowledge to an informal development of the children through quality teacher-children interactions. Hitherto, small class teaching environment is created via the increase in teacher-student ratio at the start of the 2003-2004 academic year. A review of literature on small class teaching suggested that teacher-children ratio, classroom settings and the relevant pedagogic applications are important ingredients for the philosophical enhancement of the small class spirit. This paper will report some preliminary data collected in a pilot study conducted in two classrooms in a Hong Kong Kindergarten. The findings are reported as case studies which suggest that the spirit of small class teaching is not restricted in an informal teaching environment but in some formal teaching settings in the school as well. Discussion and implications on this understanding will be made.
Original language | English |
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Publication status | Published - Feb 2014 |
Event | Comparative Education Society of Hong Kong Annual Conference 2014: Policy and Educational Development in a Global Context - University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China Duration: 28 Feb 2014 → 01 Mar 2014 https://ceshk.net/conference/ceshk-annual-conference-2014/ |
Conference
Conference | Comparative Education Society of Hong Kong Annual Conference 2014: Policy and Educational Development in a Global Context |
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Abbreviated title | CESHK Annual Conference 2014 |
Country/Territory | China |
City | Hong Kong |
Period | 28/02/14 → 01/03/14 |
Internet address |
Citation
Lau, G., & Tai, Y. Y. T. (2014, February). The realization of small class spirit in a kindergarten in Hong Kong, how far does the understanding ally with the early childhood educational reform policy and development in Hong Kong? A pilot investigation. Paper presented at the Comparative Education Society of Hong Kong (CESHK) Annual Conference 2014: Policy and educational development in a global context, HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education, China.Keywords
- 先導個案研究:怎樣實現小班精神及能夠支持香港幼兒教育的教育政策改革與發展