Chapter 5

Measures and Resources

to Support Schools and
Teachers
Characteristics of Measures and Resources to Support
Schools and Teachers
The purpose of this chapter is to recommend measures and resources to
support schools and teachers (including teacher librarians), premised on
the principles and strategies set out in Chapter Two. We are especially
aware of the concerns of teachers about the know-how to carry out the
reforms and the workload which this will involve. Instead of the top-
down linear model of "syllabus-teacher training-inspection" used in the
past, we recommend the following measures and resources, which are
flexible and diverse enough to suit the different needs of teachers and
the varying contexts of schools:

• Continuous central support for essentials such as curriculum guides,

textbook review, quality assurance

• A respect for professional knowledge, evidence-based practice, and

capacity building amongst all parties involved

• Flexible time arrangements, and a diversity of options of

supportive measures for schools and teachers

• Consideration of incentives for schools and teachers (e.g. recognition

of courses for promotion and the professional career ladder)

• Measures and resources to target specific levels:

➩ Systemic and community level – curriculum guides,

examination reforms, curriculum bank, textbook review,
learning and teaching resources, local and international
consultancies, dissemination strategies and networks

➩ School level – on-site school-based support, collaborative

research and development projects, library development,
dissemination strategies and networks, partnership amongst
all parties

➩ Teacher level - professional development programmes for

teachers and principals, on-site school-based support, creation
of time and space for teachers, dissemination strategies and
networks

➩ Student level – making use of the "space" of learning

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 Curriculum Guides and Documents
Purpose
The purpose of curriculum guides is to make the following
recommendations for planning the whole-school curriculum:

• setting learning targets for learning and teaching based on the

proposed framework in the consultation documents (November
2000) and public feedback

• time allocation and time-tabling

• different modes of organising the framework (e.g. content outline,

subjects, modules) and subject choices

• learning and teaching strategies

• student assessment

• resources, exemplars for practice and any other useful information

Curriculum Guides of Key for teachers
Learning Areas and different Key
Stages.
Schedule
Curriculum Guides

• The new curriculum guides for basic education (P1-6; S1-3) and
all the Key Learning Areas in basic education are scheduled to be
completed in mid 2002.

• CDI will work jointly with tertiary institutions, experts and schools
to conduct "seed" projects to inform recommendations in the
curriculum guides, and/or to try out some of the recommendations.

• Any necessary new subject guides for Key Learning Areas and
General Studies for Primary Schools in basic education arising from
the new framework will be completed in 2003-04.

• All schools should start to implement the new curriculum framework

gradually, starting from 2006-07, with a view to putting it into full
implementation by 2010-11.

• Some examination subject guides (for S4-5, S6-7) scheduled for

revision will be prepared in accordance with the new framework.

• AL Biology Curriculum Guide, Computing Studies and Applications

(S4-5) Curriculum Guide, Integrated Humanities (S4-5) Curriculum
Guide and Science and Technology (S4-5) Curriculum Guide are
combined curriculum and assessment guides, jointly developed
by HKEA and CDC.

100
 Cross-Curricular Guidelines

• The four cross-curricular guidelines (for sex/civic/moral/

environmental education) in the past will continue to serve
schools. Learning and teaching resources as well as exemplars
will be developed for the reference of schools when designing
school-based life event programmes for promoting moral and
civic education.

A schedule for the issue of the curriculum guides is presented in

the following figure:

2001
|
2003

2003
|
2004

2004
|
2005

2005
|
2006

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Teacher and Principal Development Programmes
Purpose and modes
• The purpose of the professional development programmes for
teachers and principals is to enhance their knowledge and skills in
curriculum change, learning and teaching, assessment and
school-based curriculum development, so that they can enable
students to achieve the learning goals and targets in the school
curriculum.

• Different modes of professional development (e.g. web courses,

fixed-hour courses, workshops, action learning) are planned in order
to meet the specific purpose of each programme, and to cater for the
different needs and roles of teachers and principals.

• "Learning through practice" should be a key feature of the

programmes implemented to realise the reforms and provide the
means for teachers to develop a life-long learning capacity. The
contents of the courses will include updating experiences generated
by research and development projects, action research and
evaluation.

Programmes and Schedule

Priority will be given to the following in 2001-02 to 2005-06:

• Nurturing school heads and principals as curriculum leaders in

primary and secondary schools (in all facets of curriculum
development)

• Nurturing curriculum leaders in each Key Learning Area, General

Studies for Primary Schools, and Moral and Civic Education.

• Enhancing teacher professionalism in :

➩ four key tasks – moral and civic education, reading to learn,

project learning, information technology for interactive
learning

➩ infusing critical thinking and creativity into learning and

teaching of KLAs

➩ assessment for learning

➩ catering for learner differences

➩ curriculum change and school-based curriculum development

102
• Enhancing teachers’ knowledge in the specific requirements of the
Key Learning Areas (e.g. updating knowledge, curriculum planning,
learning and teaching strategies)

• Refresher training for all in-service teacher librarian

• Regular annual induction courses for new teachers and new panel
chairpersons in each Key Learning Area and for new teacher
librarians

Incentives for Teachers

• It is recommended that courses related to curriculum reform should
be regarded as equivalent to "Refresher Training Courses" for
primary and secondary school teachers, teacher librarians or to any
similar course needed for advancement to senior levels.

• Due recognition should also be considered for participation in action

research, and research and development projects related to
curriculum development in the long run.

• Reviews of professional career development in the future should

take into consideration in-service courses in curriculum reform and
participation in research and development projects.

• Schools and principals are adviced to recognise teachers’ professional

development in staff appraisal.

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Teacher and Principal Development Programmes from
2001-02 to 2005-06

Primary Schools heads and middle managers

Secondary School principals and middle managers

Chinese Language Education

English Language Education

Curriculum Mathematics Education

leadership Personal, Social and Humanities
Curriculum
in KLAs, Education
management
General
and Science Education
Studies for
leadership
Primary
Technology Education
Schools and
Moral and Arts Education
Civic
Physical Education
Education
General Studies for Primary
Schools

Moral and Civic Education

Project learning

Reading to learn
Learning and Information technology for interactive learning
teaching
strategies, Assessment for learning
assessment Infusing generic skills e.g. critical thinking,
creativity

Catering for learner difference

Chinese Language Education

Specific English Language Education

needs of
Mathematics Education
KLAs and
General Personal, Social and Humanities Education
Studies for
Primary Science Education
Schools Technology Education

Arts Education

104
 Physical Education

General Studies for Primary Schools

In-service training course for new teacher

librarians
Regular
Refresher courses for teacher librarians
courses
Induction of new teachers in KLAs

Induction of new panel heads in KLAs

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Textbooks and Resources on Learning and Teaching
Textbooks
• Well-written textbooks have a positive role to play in student
learning.

• Textbooks to be written in the future will follow the new

curriculum framework. They will contain the core elements, while
leaving space for students to further acquire and build up
knowledge and for teachers to develop students’ diverse learning
skills.

• Textbooks should not only provide materials to be taught but also

help learners to understand key concepts and use generic skills.

• To facilitate the preparation of textbooks and learning materials,

publishers will be informed of the latest curriculum developments
and the multiple stages of the consultation process through the CDC
Homepage.

• To ensure the quality of textbooks, a set of guiding principles for

quality textbooks supporting the curriculum framework and a
learner-centred approach to learning and teaching has been
formulated for the writing, reviewing and selection of textbooks.

• Teachers should use textbooks flexibly in combination with other

learning materials to achieve learning targets and enhance learning
effectiveness.

• A web site called "Textbook World" is being developed in

HKeducationCITY (http://www.hkedcity.net) to provide teachers, parents
and students with a platform to express their views and provide user
feedback on the standards and contents of textbooks.

Resources on Learning and Teaching for Teachers

The following resources are being developed to support teachers and
schools:

• The Learning and Teaching Series

➩ Guidebooks / Tool kits

➩ Multi-media packages

➩ Exemplars of learning and teaching practices

➩ Self-access learning materials for teachers on specific issues (e.g.

on motivation, catering for learner differences, assessment
for learning)

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 ➩ CD-ROM Curriculum Planners

• Action Research publications

• Reports on research and development projects

• Educational Television programmes and other multimedia

developments

• Life-wide learning database

• HKeducationCITY web site

• Resource lists on web sites (including the updated work of different

organisations)

Collaborative Research and Development ("Seed")

Projects
Purpose
The purpose of collaborative research and development projects is to:

• generate/"seed" useful experiences for the reference of schools,

teachers and the community

• develop a critical mass of curriculum change agents and leaders

(e.g. teachers, school heads, teacher librarians) to enhance the
capacity for reform

• act as an impetus to school-based curriculum development

Themes
All projects are geared towards promoting the learning capabilities of
students to achieve the learning targets of the school curriculum in KLAs,
General Studies for Primary Schools and other relevant contexts. The
following themes will either stand alone as separate projects (in line with
the key emphases of the reforms) or act as an integral part of projects in
Key Learning Areas:

• Critical thinking and creativity

• Catering for learner differences

• Assessment for learning (including portfolio)

• Four key tasks – moral and civic education, reading to learn, project
learning, information technology for interactive learning

• School-based curriculum development

• Curriculum organisations and learning and teaching strategies in

KLAs/subjects
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Characteristics
Each project:

• begins with practical issues (e.g. enhancing students’ capability to

learn in the classroom, assessment needs, KLAs) in the natural
settings of schools and the community in Hong Kong.

• is based on principles/theories and puts them into practice.

• is evidence-based, evaluative, adaptable to other situations, and

suggests actions for improvement.

• is collaborative, involving the participation of schools, curriculum

developers, tertiary institutions, and local and international
consultants.

• empowers teachers and schools.

• varies in size and objectives (e.g. a single lesson, an activity, a unit,

a 3-year longitudinal study), and in the way development and
research components interact.

• may build on some earlier success that has worked to the benefit of
students learning, for example:

➩ innovations initiated by the schools themselves

➩ consultancy studies on learner differences

➩ action research projects in school undertaken by CDI, QEF and

tertiary institutions.

• serves the immediate needs of schools faster than basic research,

which segregates development from research and is not yet
translated into practice.

• will be evaluated and improved on the basis of experience at the

end of each year, in terms of change processes, teacher change and
impact on learning.

• the experience generated from the “seed” projects will be

disseminated through effective channels.

Participation
• There will be an invitation to schools each year. Schools who have
successfully completed a project and nurtured curriculum leaders
can help other schools in the next year. It is quality rather than
quantity that matters. Additional resources (e.g. in the form of
supply teachers) should be given to schools in which teachers will
play the role of leaders.

108
• There will be continuous liaison among schools, ED, tertiary
institutions, QEF, SCOLAR and research associations to exchange
information, collaborate and complement the work of each other.

Curriculum Bank
Purpose
• A curriculum bank of authentic exemplars showing how students
can learn in the curriculum has been developed. It is available at
http://cd.ed.gov.hk and its purpose is to provide:

➩ useful references to inform daily practice

➩ ready-to-use learning and teaching resources

➩ opportunities for teacher development through the

conceptualisation of useful experiences in the exemplars

➩ a platform for contributions from teachers and the exchange of

experiences

Focus
• The bank will focus on the key emphases of curriculum
development for 2001-02 to 2005-06:

➩ Development of generic skills (critical thinking, creativity and

communication), and values and attitudes through the contexts
of KLAs

➩ Learning and teaching processes to achieve learning targets in

KLAs

➩ How new forms of curriculum organisation in KLAs facilitate

the achievement of learning targets

➩ The four key tasks of moral and civic education, reading to learn,
project learning, IT for interactive learning

➩ Catering for learner differences

➩ Assessment for learning

➩ School-based curriculum development

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 Sources and Schedule
• The bank of exemplars is to be enriched by research and
development projects. Contributions from teachers and schools,
tertiary institutions and all partners will be highly valued.

• By 2005-06, a full bank of exemplars for the whole curriculum

framework will be available.

Seven Steps to Access the Curriculum Bank

❶ ❷ The web page is divided into 2

parts:
search criteria in ❶, and exemplars
displayed in ❷

Select from different categories of

criteria ❸, such as Key Learning
Areas, key tasks, levels and generic
❸ skills

Press the Submit button ❹

A list of exemplars is displayed.

Click on the desired exemplar ❺
to view the summary

❹
Click on the hyperlink ❻ to view
❺ the detailed description

❼ 4 tiers in the structure of each

exemplar:
❻
a description– introduction and
learning targets
b resources– learning and
a teaching materials and web sites
c learning, teaching and
b assessment strategies
d impact on learning (as seen by
❼ students, teachers and schools)
c

Screen Capture of Seven Steps to Access the Curriculum Bank

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Library Development
Our vision for school libraries is that they should empower each
student to attain information literacy through collaborative teaching and
resource-based learning. We recognise the importance of having profes-
sional full-time teacher librarians in schools and expect each of them to
play a new role as information and media specialist, teaching partner,
curriculum change agent and learning and teaching resources
coordinator.

Support Strategies
• Strategies to support library development include:

➩ Promoting resource-bases learning through a collaborative

planning and teaching (CPT) “seed” projects

➩ Developing an interactive problem-solving and skill-learning

web site known as "Internet Hunt" for Primary 3 to 6 students

➩ Developing and maintaining an updated reading list on

recommended materials across the school curriculum

➩ Providing a web-based sharing database on library materials to

facilitate cataloguing work among schools

➩ Assisting schools in library automation

➩ Seconding teacher librarians to the Library Section of the ED to

support schools without central libraries

Enhancing the Professionalism of Teacher Librarians

• To enhance teacher librarians’ professionalism, the following
measures have been drawn up:

➩ Refresher workshops/courses for all serving teacher librarians

➩ A resource pack to be developed embodying practical ideas for

school heads/principals, teachers, teacher-librarians, parents
and students, on how to make effective use of library and
information services for promoting learning to learn among
students

➩ Annual induction for all new teacher librarians

➩ Close liaison with professional associations and tertiary

institutions on latest developments, and with the Leisure and
Cultural Services Department on the interface between public
and school libraries, to promote the collaboration between teacher
librarians and teachers

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School-based Curriculum Development Support
Professional Support to Primary Schools
• The CDI school-based curriculum development primary team will
provide the following professional support to primary schools to
help promote students’ learning to learn capabilities:

➩ Conducting collaborative action research with teachers

➩ Adapting the central curriculum through collaborative lesson

preparation

➩ Providing a consultancy service on curriculum-related areas in

line with the curriculum reform

➩ Helping schools to link experience obtained at teacher level to

the whole school through:

✧ setting up a school-based curriculum policy

✧ coherence of curriculum initiatives

✧ teacher development

✧ generating and conceptualising different models of change

for the reference of schools

✧ contributing to the curriculum and leadership course for

primary school heads

Professional Support to Secondary Schools

• The CDI school-based curriculum development secondary team will
provide professional support to secondary schools which have a
high concentration of academically low achievers or have a wide
mix of students of different abilities, in the following areas:

➩ curriculum planning

➩ learning, teaching and assessment strategies

➩ catering for learner differences

➩ life-wide learning

➩ curriculum management and leadership

• The support given will also be in line with the focuses for actions
in Key Learning Areas and whole-person development, and will
ultimately contribute towards whole-school curriculum
development.

112
Other Support
• The Regional Education Offices (REO) will work in collaboration
with schools in their development.

• The Advisory Inspectorate Division will provide post inspection

support to schools which have undergone quality assurance
inspection.

Creating Time and Space for Teachers and Learners

Teachers can create more time and space to help students learn in
the following ways:
• "Trim down" the curriculum as recommended in Chapter Three

• Re-engineer work processes and reduce unnecessary

administrative workload of teaching staff, supported by the
principal and the School Management Committee (SMC)

• Introduce common lesson preparation time during which

teachers can discuss and work together on how to help students
to achieve learning targets

• Reduce the number of tests/examinations, to be replaced by the

effective use of formative feedback

• Trust that all students can learn, so that some rules/regulations

can be relaxed

• Reduce the amount of direct transmission of knowledge, so as

to offer more space for student thinking (as suggested for
learners below)

• Use readily available materials and resources for learning and

teaching rather than preparing over-sophisticated ones

• Design flexible time-tables with flexible time allocation, and use

library support

• Make good use of the Capacity Enhancement Grant (CEG)

• Harness the contributions of senior students to support younger

learners and cultivate their responsibility and commitment

• Share useful practices with other teachers through networks

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Learners can gain more learning “space” through the opportunities
offered by teachers and their initiatives in the following ways:
• Take part more in life-wide learning activities outside the
classroom

• Read more, see more, and think more about the meaning of what
they read and see

• Reduce rote-learning, ask why things are as they are, and reflect
on the answers

• Find better ways of studying and doing things, and find ways of
making things better

• Pay more attention, and pay attention to more

Dissemination Strategies and Networks

Effective strategies for documenting, collecting and disseminating useful
experiences and for building up networks of people are important for
developing the overall capacity of schools, teachers, the community and
the government. Through forming a variety of learning groups, everyone
can benefit from everyone else’s experiences of how to help students
achieve learning targets, raise levels of achievement and work effectively.
The following are examples of important networks:

• Learning communities in research and development projects formed

by the participants, consultants and the Curriculum Development
Institute

• University partnership projects

• District Teacher Networks (DTN) formed by professional education

associations

• Regional Education Offices networks formed by the Education

Department

• Professional and subject-based academic associations

• Self-initiated networks of principals and teachers

• HKeducationCITY

• Curriculum expert groups to be formed by the government of Hong

Kong and Mainland China

• International educational networks

114
Local and International Consultancies
• To cope with the scale of the reforms, professional
input and evidence-based practice are essential for capacity building
of quality assurance. Local and international consultancies should
be harnessed so that we can learn from and share experiences with
other countries in order to meet international standards.

• A global community of partners can be formed for specific areas:

➩ learning and teaching

➩ critical thinking and creativity

➩ assessment for learning

➩ curriculum planning for each KLA

➩ moral and civic education

➩ curriculum change and evaluation

Partnership – All to Contribute

A major strategy and characteristic of the mode of curriculum
development presented in this report is the call for partnership among
all parties. Many parties can contribute in different ways to helping our
students to learn effectively. A spirit of partnership and concerted effort
is advocated so that all will collaborate and act together. The specific
roles of each party are suggested below.

Parties Tasks
Government ➩ Steer the direction of curriculum
development with the CDC
➩ Support schools, teachers and students
with different measures
➩ Conduct continuous review and
evaluation

School heads/principals ➩ Lead whole-school curriculum

development
- consider students’ needs and the
school’s context
- develop a curriculum and learning
plan for the schools
- broaden students’ opportunities for
whole-person development and
life-long learning

115
 ➩ Encourage teachers to take part in
professional development programmes
➩ Evaluate the impact of change in school
➩ Suggest measures to improve learning

Department heads/ ➩ Develop plans for relevant KLA and

middle managers curriculum areas in collaboration with
in schools other subjects/departments whenever
necessary
➩ Assist principals in implementing
curriculum plans
➩ Develop a professional development plan
for staff in the department
➩ Evaluate and improve continuously

Teachers ➩ Promote priority generic skills

(critical thinking, creativity
communication) in the learning
and teaching of KLAs
➩ Use appropriate teaching, learning and
assessment strategies to motivate
students and to improve learning
➩ Develop a personal plan of professional
development and life-long learning

Teacher librarians ➩ Work collaboratively with other teachers

in planning, teaching, and topping up
library resources
➩ Help students to use the library in ways
that are conducive to learning to learn
➩ Improve the library service in schools
e.g. extend the opening hours with help
from other people where appropriate

Students ➩ Take responsibility for their own

learning
➩ Provide feedback to teachers on how to
help them learn better
➩ Contribute, along with schools, teachers,
and other parties to their own
whole-person development

Parents ➩ Support the school’s curriculum plans

➩ Complement the work of the school in
moral education at home
➩ Communicate with the school on
expected changes
➩ Share the values of learning to learn and
support the students and the school

116
 ➩ Develop a culture of parent participation
in the curriculum development of the
school

Employers ➩ Broaden recruitment criteria

➩ Provide work experience opportunities
for students
➩ Provide feedback to the government on
- Students’ capabilities in the workplace
- Areas requiring improvement

Teacher educators ➩ Develop and conduct RD and longitudinal

research projects to inform curriculum
policy and practice in schools
➩ Share the significant findings of the
research through contributions to the
bank of exemplars
➩ Strengthen pre-service and in-service
programmes
- to help teachers promote learning to
learn
- to fill gaps in areas such as assessment
for learning
- to provide life-long learning
opportunities to teachers

Other government ➩ Provide more services for the school

departments and sector
non-government ➩ Provide opportunities for teacher
organisations development in the field
(to support life-wide ➩ Provide students with appropriate
learning) learning experiences

Publishers ➩ Follow the new curriculum guidelines for

textbook writing
➩ Provide more quality reading and
learning materials

Conclusion
The measures and resources needed to support schools and teachers
are more diversified than before and serve a range of purposes. It is
important for the users (i.e. schools and teachers) to judge their own
needs in areas which can have effects on promoting the independent
learning capabilities of students.

117