The place and design of Liberal Studies in the new senior secondary curriculum has provoked intense public interest. There are intertwining tensions between competing views of knowledge and definition of Liberal Studies, breadth and depth, pedagogical approaches, the ecology of schools, unequal learning opportunities amongst students, examinations and school-based assessment. This chapter provides further direction for the development of Liberal Studies as a core subject for the 2nd consultation exercise on curriculum and assessment, based on the intention to balance the tensions to ensure smoother implementation of the subject to benefit all students.
Original proposal
4.1 Liberal Studies is a core subject in the NSS curriculum. It aims to broaden students’ knowledge base and enhance their social awareness through the study of a wide range of contemporary issues. It was proposed that the curriculum for Liberal Studies would take up 12.5% of the total lesson time of the overall curriculum.
4.2 Liberal Studies will enable students to make explicit connections across knowledge and concepts from different disciplines and enable them to examine issues from multiple perspectives. By adopting an issue-enquiry approach to learning and teaching, the subject will help students to become independent thinkers and life-long learners.
4.3 The curriculum comprises three Areas of Study that represent broad areas of concern about the human condition and the contemporary world, namely “Self and Personal Development”, “Society and Culture” and “Science, Technology and the Environment”. Compulsory units and elective units are proposed for each of the Areas of Study. It was proposed that students would have to study nine compulsory units and six elective units throughout the three years of study.
4.4 The curriculum also requires students to conduct an “Independent Enquiry Study” on an issue of their own choice, which will involve concepts, knowledge and perspectives learned during the course of study.
4.5 An initial proposal for public assessment was put forward for consultation.
This proposed a combination of written examination papers (70%) and a component for SBA (30%).
(A) The Position of Liberal Studies in the NSS Curriculum
Support
4.6 There is a strong consensus on the rationale and curriculum aims of Liberal Studies, which include broadening students’ knowledge base, developing students’ multiple perspectives on contemporary issues and learning to learn skills, and helping students to become independent thinkers. Its position as a core subject in the curriculum is critical as a means to address the bias towards discipline-based subjects in the rest of the curriculum. There is particularly strong support from serving Liberal Studies (ASL) teachers who have witnessed the benefits to their students.
4.7 Most respondents have agreed that Liberal Studies should be a core subject, after a long period of deliberation and discussion with school heads, parents and universities during the consultation period.
Concerns
4.8 Though there is general support for Liberal Studies as a core subject, it has been pointed out that other subjects can also serve the purpose of developing critical and independent thinking among students.
4.9 There are very diverse views amongst academics as to the different traditions and interpretation of Liberal Education and General Education.
The Way Forward
4.10 Liberal Studies will be a core subject and assessed in the same way as other subjects in the new NSS. The 2nd consultation exercise will focus on the detailed design of the subject based on feedback collected during the 1st consultation exercise.
4.11 Liberal Studies plays a unique role in the NSS curriculum by helping students to connect concepts and knowledge across different disciplines, to look at things from more than one single perspective, and to study issues not covered by any single disciplines, such as personal development and Chinese culture.
It is more than just about developing thinking skills and positive values and attitudes.
4.12 The nature of Liberal Studies is different from that of General Education or Liberal Education in universities. It is a curriculum organisation that suits the curriculum contexts of Hong Kong and achieves the learning goals identified for senior secondary education. It is not necessarily tied to a particular ideology such as “humanism” and “classicism”. It subscribes to a common view that all students could construct and expand knowledge through a variety of learning and teaching activities suitable for the age group engaged in senior secondary education.
(B) Balancing Breadth and Depth
Support
4.13 Though there are different perceptions of what is meant by “breadth” in the NSS curriculum, it is generally agreed that the three Areas of Study, namely
“Self and Personal Development”, “Society and Culture”, “Science, Technology and the Environment” and the proposed units within them provide breadth of study relevant to the life of students. It is also generally agreed that such areas will give rise to cross-curricular thinking and knowledge construction.
Concerns
4.14 As the subject is new and demanding to most teachers and students, there is some concern that nine core units and six elective units are too much for teachers and students to cope with.
The Way Forward
4.15 The breadth of the subject is maintained by a choice of units amongst the three areas of study. The number of core units in the curriculum design will be reduced from nine to six in order to allow sufficient time for students to develop a deep enough understanding of the issues, develop their thinking skills to deal with the complex issues, and to develop and reflect on values.
4.16 There will be no required electives, as the time devoted to the Independent Enquiry Study within Liberal Studies will cater adequately for the different interests of students.
4.17 A list of areas for Independent Enquiry Study will be produced in order to help teachers to guide students, and to make initial implementation of the subject more manageable.
(C) Curriculum Design, Framework and Time Allocation
Support
4.18 Students who have studied Liberal Studies have stated that the way the curriculum is designed has successfully opened up their mind, given them confidence in communicating with others, and helped prepare them for further studies. Some parents have also seen their children benefit from Liberal Studies.
4.19 Building on the successful impact of the current Liberal Studies (ASL) on students, there has been very strong support for the Independent Enquiry Study as part of the Liberal Studies curriculum framework.
Concerns
4.20 Some respondents have claimed that the proposed framework is not robust enough to enable a judgement to be made as to whether the objectives have been achieved. There are too many core units. It has been argued that coverage of the knowledge embedded within them will not be deep enough, and that there will not be sufficient time for discussion and the development of independent thinking skills.
4.21 It is argued that since Liberal Studies is a new core subject, the design should be trimmed and it should only take up about 10% of the lesson time of students rather than 12.5% as originally recommended.
The Way Forward
4.22 The following structure is proposed for further development of the curriculum:
Area of Study Unit Self and Personal
Development
• Self and Personal Development Society and Culture • Hong Kong Today
• Modern China
• Globalisation Compulsory Part:
180 hours (30 hours x 6 units)
Science, Technology and the Environment
• Public Health and Biotechnology
• Energy and the Environment Independent
Enquiry Study 90 hours (assessed by SBA)
The study must involve dimensions from both the human world and the physical world as well as perspectives from both personal and social levels. The focus of the study will be chosen among a list of fields such as
• Information and communication technology
• Mass media
• Religion
• Arts
• Sports
• Education
4.23 The minimum lesson time for the subject will be 10% of the total lesson time.
There is no maximum time allocation set. Schools would have the flexibility to align the learning and teaching of Liberal Studies with other curricular planning such as languages, moral and civic education.
(D) Knowledge Base and Connection with Skills, Attitudes and Values, and Rational Thinking
Support
4.24 There is great appreciation by the public that the subject is aiming at promoting critical thinking and learning to learn skills to prepare students for life-long learning.
4.25 The Independent Enquiry Study is valued as a powerful means of developing students’ independent learning capabilities.
Concerns
4.26 Some feel that the subject should help to promote positive values and attitudes, and that the core values, essential to the success of Hong Kong, need to be included.
4.27 There are worries that the knowledge base of the subject is insufficient for supporting discussion of the issues, broadening students’ perspectives and developing rational thinking. It is felt that the issue-enquiry approach may not help expand the knowledge base. Some feel that the spirit of “arts” for
“sciences”, and “sciences” for “arts” has been lost.
The Way Forward
The knowledge base of the subject
4.28 The NSS Liberal Studies is built upon the prior knowledge students have acquired in basic education. The curriculum guide, for the easy reference of
teachers, will identify the prior knowledge expected of students in basic education for the understanding of each unit and the issues as well as their general knowledge base in eight KLAs and moral and civic education.
Information will also be provided on how this prior knowledge is connected to the perspectives for the study of each unit.
4.29 The Liberal Studies C&A Guide will provide more details on the revised framework, and indicate the scope of each unit and the perspectives involved, but without constraining the boundary of student thinking. They will be explained in the Guide through the nature of issues, suggested questions for enquiry, and explanatory notes. The web-resource platform to be provided by EMB, and sample assessment questions to be provided by HKEAA also help indicate the expected scope and depth.
4.30 Based on past experience, it is estimated that content knowledge will constitute about 50-60% of the coverage/enquiry process to support sufficient understanding of the background and nature of the issues. Some may require more due to the nature of units and the limited prior knowledge students may have, e.g. units in “Science, Technology and the Environment” and in “Society and Culture”.
4.31 It should be noted that the broadening of the student’s knowledge base in Liberal Studies is to be brought about by continuous knowledge acquisition, construction, building and reflection processes by students in frequent interaction with teachers, other students, people and learning and teaching resources through activities inside and outside classrooms. An introduction to the theory of knowledge will be useful for helping students understand the views of knowledge and how knowledge grows.
4.32 Cultural perspectives and scientific literacy will be strengthened in the next stage of design. Other suggested areas of study, such as consumer education, legal studies, equality and Chinese values can be accommodated within appropriate units and guiding questions to enable better connection of knowledge, concepts and values.
Generic skills
4.33 The generic skills involved in studying the issues in Liberal Studies are both tools for building and expanding knowledge as well as products of learning and teaching of the subject. A clear set of skills to be developed would be provided in the C&A Guide.
Value education in Liberal Studies
4.34 Along with the development of multiple perspectives and respect for different values and views held by others, there is a need to uphold core values (e.g. civic responsibility and national identity in the context of Hong Kong). Students will be guided through a variety of learning and teaching strategies to reflect on their own values and those of others and to make their own judgment.
4.35 Positive values and attitudes will be articulated more explicitly in each unit.
Priority values in moral and civic education such as commitment, responsibility, national identity and perseverance will be included.
4.36 Values and attitudes associated with the issues will be identified in the curriculum to help students understand the perspectives involved in the issues.
These values and attitudes will form part of the learning objectives to be nurtured through appropriate rational thinking and reflections.
(E) The Issue-enquiry Approach
Support
4.37 The issue-enquiry approach is appreciated by respondents as it will encourage students to expand their knowledge and broaden their horizons by pursuing questions relevant to each unit. There are a variety of pedagogical practices compatible with this approach and able to provide meaningful learning experiences to students.
4.38 The issue-enquiry approach will help students develop a better understanding of things happening around them.
Concerns
4.39 Some query whether senior secondary students will have any experience of the issue-enquiry approach.
4.40 There is concern that the use of an issue-enquiry approach will only encourage students to criticize. It is felt that it would not be desirable to develop a culture of “criticism” that is not constructive to society. Instead, more positive values and attitudes should be emphasized.
4.41 Some worry that too high demands and expectations will be placed on students in the approach.
The Way Forward
4.42 The issue-enquiry approach has already been used in different curricula to motivate students to acquire contextual knowledge through the enquiry process, including the successful experiences of the current Liberal Studies (ASL).
NSS Liberal Studies will build on existing good practices and it continues to serve the purpose of student learning. More successful exemplars in the learning and teaching of the current Liberal Studies, and other similar approaches should be disseminated and shared among teachers.
4.43 The issue-enquiry approach aims to encourage students to develop self-learning capacity to pursue knowledge and to open up their minds to alternative views through discussion. To avoid over-emphasis on criticism, the C&A Guide and Liberal Studies web-resource platform will provide guidance for teachers to take a developmental and balanced approach to help students understand the background of the issues and analyse the issue and perspectives involved (e.g.
differences, conflicts). Students will be helped to understand the consequences of adopting different positions, reflect on their own thinking, make personal judgement, suggest and take positive actions to improve the
well-being of society, rather than being allowed merely “to criticize” in a negative way. The choice of activities would have to match the nature of learning objective and also the learning styles and abilities of students.
4.44 Perennial and contemporary issues will be carefully chosen for the three Areas of Study to suit the developmental stage of students.
4.45 The use of guiding questions to help define the scope and perspectives of the issues mentioned in para. 4.32 will ensure necessary guidance to students for the enquiry process. Positive values and attitudes involved would also be identified for the issues concerned, e.g. conservation, responsibility, national identity. They are conducive to fostering students’ sense of community involvement, responsible citizenship, and taking positive actions to improve the well being of society.
4.46 The issue-enquiry approach supports the following notions about learning:
Learning is enhanced when teachers identify and work from learners’
current knowledge and beliefs.
Learning is most effective when it results in well-organised knowledge and deep understanding of concepts and their applicability.
Learning is enhanced by the ability to monitor one’s own learning.
(F) Assessment and Examination
Support
4.47 There is support for the belief that SBA in Liberal Studies will contribute to a more valid assessment since it can cover a wider range of learning outcomes, and can have positive impact on learning motivation.
4.48 The Independent Enquiry Study based on students’ choice of project themes and guided by teachers is regarded as an essential component in SBA.
Concerns
4.49 Some respondents have reservations about the objectivity of public assessment of the subject. Worry about the potential increase in teacher workload is also expressed.
4.50 Several respondents have suggested that Liberal Studies becomes an elective and be assessed and reported at fewer levels, for example “pass” and “fail” or graded as “outstanding”, “satisfactory” and “unsatisfactory” at least for the initial years of implementation.
4.51 There are widespread concerns among teachers about being held accountable for the assessment of student performance in what, for most, will be a new and unknown subject. This calls for effective provision of professional development and training in this area.
The Way Forward
4.52 HKEAA has accumulated rich experience in the assessment of subjects in which issue-enquiry approach is used. Open-ended questions will continue to be used to assess the different thinking skills of students in suitable contexts of learning. To ensure reliability of marking of questions involving open-ended responses, double marking will be adopted for the written examination of Liberal Studies.
4.53 From a measurement point of view, HKEAA sees that there is nothing unique about the assessment of Liberal Studies and no special reason why HKEAA should not immediately report using the 5-level system. HKEAA has been successfully assessing in areas involving student opinions and open-ended responses for many years, for example in Chinese and English composition and in History, and it has been assessing Liberal Studies (ASL) for many years.
Other examination boards assess subjects similar to Liberal Studies using questions very much like those that are proposed for the Liberal Studies examination, including the Mainland, Australia and UK.
4.54 One guiding principle underlying assessment and reporting arrangements for Liberal Studies and indeed for any subject should be that they do not lead to a lower status when compared to other subjects. Therefore, the suggestion that the grading in written examination be in terms of “outstanding”, “satisfactory”
or “unsatisfactory” is regarded as problematic. Firstly, this would run counter to the philosophy of SRA, since it would reintroduce the notion of “pass” and
“fail”. Secondly, it would mean that Liberal Studies would be assessed differently from all other subjects and this might create difficulties for establishing credibility for Liberal Studies locally and in gaining recognition for the HKDSE internationally. Thirdly, it would disadvantage those who have taken this core subject seriously, and who wanted their results to be treated in the same way as for other subjects. Hence, the 5-level reporting system will apply for Liberal Studies.
4.55 The concern expressed regarding assessing student performance in Liberal Studies which for most will be a new and unknown subject is acknowledged.
Adequate professional development and training will be provided to teachers (see Chapter 9).
4.56 The importance of Independent Enquiry Study will be supported by the ways in which SBA will be developed in other subjects in the NSS. The assessment programme of students in typical student programmes will be monitored and designed in such a way to give space to students while doing the Independent Enquiry Study of Liberal Studies.
4.57 The expected learning outcomes of Independent Enquiry Study will be specified. These outcomes can be assessed through a variety of products (e.g.
multi-media, graphical, experimental, models, oral and written presentations etc.) produced during and outside class, which will allow students to build on and apply their knowledge and/or skills developed in other subjects.
4.58 Local universities have already expressed their initial intention to require the subject of Liberal Studies for university admission and the minimum admission requirement is likely to be set at a threshold level (see Chapter 8).