Curriculum Planning Strategies

In planning the implementation of the Senior Secondary Liberal Studies curriculum, schools should consider adopting the following curriculum planning strategies.

3.3.1 Interpreting the curriculum

The curriculum of this subject is mainly described in terms of groups of enquiry questions.

Teachers should interpret the curriculum by translating these enquiry questions into issue-enquiry learning and teaching processes. It is also important that teachers help students to see the relevance of the curriculum to their everyday life experience. The PDP on Senior Secondary Liberal Studies (organised by the Curriculum Development Institute, EDB) includes a core component on ―Understanding and Interpreting the Curriculum‖, which provides advice on designing an issue-enquiry teaching plan for a module, a theme or a cross-modular thematic unit in Liberal Studies.

From the curriculum document to an issue-enquiry teaching plan

An experienced Liberal Studies teacher of Sha Tin Methodist College takes the following steps to draw up the teaching plan of a module in the curriculum.

● Careful study of the enquiry questions set out in the curriculum and identification of the key concepts embedded in the questions with due consideration to the students‘ prior knowledge, student interest and the time available

● A mapping out of the interrelationships among the key concepts

● Identification of issues that involve the key concepts

● Development of smaller enquiry questions for each issue

● Drawing up a teaching plan for a series of lessons, including the learning targets (in terms of knowledge, skills and values), the learning and teaching activities, and the extended activities and assignments, together with assessment designs.

Please refer to Appendix 2 on p. 152 for an example of a teaching design for a topic in the module on Personal Development in IH (S4–5).

3.3.2 The interface between the junior secondary and senior secondary curricula The design of the Senior Secondary Liberal Studies curriculum, like other senior secondary subjects, is based on students‘ balanced learning experiences in the eight KLAs during basic education. Schools should review the junior secondary curriculum in accordance with the recommendations in Learning to Learn (CDC, 2001), Basic Education Curriculum Guide and the KLA Curriculum Guides of the eight KLAs (CDC, 2002), and ensure that students have a solid foundation in the different disciplines, and sound development of generic skills and positive values and attitudes. Prior learning experiences in the various subject disciplines are shown in the ―relevant learning experiences in basic education‖ section at the beginning of each module in this Guide (p. 17, 25, 33, 39, 44 and 49). This is an important reference for teachers. Teachers of Senior Secondary Liberal Studies are encouraged to communicate with teachers at the junior secondary level to assess the students‘ attainments in the different areas of their studies.

In the document Basic Education Curriculum Guide (CDC, 2002), four Key Tasks - Moral and Civic Education, Reading to Learn, Project Learning and IT for Interactive Learning - were proposed for the development of students‘ generic skills and the enhancement of their ability to learn independently. With the implementation of these Key Tasks, junior secondary students will have a solid foundation as a prerequisite for studying the Senior Secondary Liberal Studies curriculum.

Cross-subject / KLA project learning at the junior secondary level

Cross-KLA project learning, an effective means of developing higher-order thinking skills and multiple intelligences, has already been adopted as one of the key curriculum reform strategies for junior forms in many secondary schools. Committees or working groups have been set up in schools to develop curriculum plans for project learning, and sufficient lesson time is now allocated for this purpose (e.g. lessons for Project Learning Workshops). Successful implementation of project learning in the junior secondary curriculum will certainly contribute to better preparation of students for conducting IES in Senior Secondary Liberal Studies. (Please read Project Learning, Booklet 3C in Basic Education Curriculum Guide Series (CDC, 2002), and also visit http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/projectlearning/index_e.html for more information about project learning.)

One objective of Liberal Studies, amongst others, is to enable students to identify values behind issues, to develop and apply critical thinking and creativity, and to develop multiple perspectives relevant to making sound judgements. In the junior secondary curriculum, a wide range of learning and teaching strategies relevant to this objective, such as debate, role-play and group discussion, can be employed to foster students‘ spirit of enquiry and to develop their discernment abilities.

Preparing students for group discussion

Group discussion is a learning and teaching activity which teachers frequently employ in Liberal Studies classrooms. However, students need a range of skills before they can

the subtle communication skills involved in group dynamics. Teachers across subjects need to work together to equip students with this range of skills through a division of labour among the different subject teachers in the junior secondary curriculum.

Students can then make the best use of time in group discussions and group work activities when they are in Senior Secondary Liberal Studies lessons. Peer learning and teamwork are essential for developing lifelong learning skills. Teachers may refer to Appendix 3 on p. 153 for a short report on how a teacher employs various strategies to prepare students to participate effectively in group discussion.

While schools are advised of the importance of providing balanced learning experiences through organising the junior secondary curriculum flexibly, preparation for Liberal Studies at senior secondary level does not require a corresponding ―Liberal Studies‖ subject in the junior secondary curriculum. It is certainly not advisable for schools to spare lesson time for a junior secondary ―Liberal Studies‖ subject by cutting out essential contents from other KLAs (e.g. Personal, Social and Humanities Education and Technology Education), which are important to students‘ knowledge foundation.

3.3.3 Catering for student diversity

In order to help all students achieve the learning goals of the curriculum, teachers may vary the degree of support and guidance according to the level of student ability.

Catering for student diversity in ability

In trying to understand the background of a certain issue, students of higher ability may be able to sort out important facts and information with minimum teacher input, while less able students may need the teacher to provide more information before they can start their own exploration.

Teachers can adjust the learning tasks to suit the abilities and needs of students. For example, some students may find doing an independent study on their own very challenging. In such cases, using small and less demanding tasks, with teacher guidance, can gradually build up their capacity and confidence. On the other hand, many students will need challenging tasks to motivate them and fulfil their full potential.

The curriculum plan designed for Liberal Studies should include different types of learning activities to suit students with different styles of learning and to develop different abilities.

Catering for student diversity in learning style

Some students learn most effectively through listening and reading, and others learn better through an experiential mode. Most need a variety of learning modes in order to develop different abilities, to sustain interest and to engage in reflective thinking. A variety of resources, including textual, visual and audio materials should be available.

Differences among students can create good learning opportunities. Teachers may make use of these differences to arrange group learning activities that involve the playing of various roles and that invite students to make different contributions.

Learning opportunities with student diversity Students with different strengths

Students with different strengths can work together to accomplish tasks and in the process learn from their peers. For example, in a group discussion, a member with good leadership skills can be assigned to be the convenor; one with better language abilities can be given the role of summarising and reporting the conclusions of discussion; more outspoken members can be invited to give their views on the discussion topic; and those members with better analytical skills can be asked to observe and give comments. To start with, students may be asked to take roles which are more closely related to their abilities and orientations, but the roles can be rotated later when they are better acquainted with the learning process in discussion. At other times it will be important to ensure that individual students‘ weaker areas are strengthened rather than always playing to their strengths.

Students from different backgrounds

Students of different SES have different views and experiences to share. For example,

the country. Discussion on the quality of life in Hong Kong will also be more comprehensive if teachers can solicit the experiences and views of students with different family backgrounds. Teachers may like to read the views of a teacher from Nam Wah Catholic Secondary School on this issue in Appendix 4 on p. 155.

Students taking different electives

Students taking different elective subjects can share what they have learnt. For example, students studying History or Chinese History may help others in connection with, for example, the historical development of modern China, or the historical background of the WTO; and students taking Biology or Chemistry may contribute to discussion on health-related issues by collecting information on disease and reporting it to the class.

3.3.4 Encouraging self-directed learning

Teachers should help students to develop skills and habits that will enable self-directed learning. For example, teachers should help them to acquire certain information skills, including searching the Internet, as early as possible, so that they can use these skills in the rest of the course. (Please read Information Technology for Interactive Learning, Booklet 3D in the Basic Education Curriculum Guide Series (CDC, 2002), and also visit http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?langno=1&nodeID=2400 for more details on how IT can support interactive learning.)

Reading to learn is a strategy for helping students to acquire knowledge and broaden their perspectives on their own, without requiring teacher supervision or extra lesson time.

Teachers can encourage reading by incorporating a reading list into each module, organising book clubs, or designing award schemes to motivate reading. There is considerable room here for collaboration with the teacher librarian and language teachers. (Please read Reading to Learn, Booklet 3B in the Basic Education Curriculum Guide Series (CDC, 2002), and also visit http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?langno=1&nodeID=2398 for more information about reading to learn.)

3.3.5 Making use of ad hoc issues and life events and designing cross-module topics of study

Liberal Studies provides many opportunities for students to study what is happening around them and issues which affect their lives. Teachers should make use of up-to-date sources on contemporary affairs. Flexibility should be provided in the planning of the curriculum in order to make room for discussion on ad hoc issues and life events. Liberal Studies must link study to daily life. (Please read Moral and Civic Education, Booklet 3A in the Basic Education Curriculum Guide Series (CDC, 2002), and also visit the following website:

http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeid=2397&langno=2 for more information about the Life Event Approach to teaching Moral and Civic Education.)

These ad hoc issues or life events can often be used to link up themes and questions from different modules in the three Areas of Study. Teachers can re-organise the enquiry questions suggested in the curriculum by using such cross-module topics so as to help students appreciate the interconnection between the different modules, and appreciate the cross-disciplinary, multi-perspective nature of the subject. Some suggested schemes of work are provided in Appendix 5 on p. 157 to illustrate how this might be done.

There is no need for students to go over the questions listed in each module one by one in the sequence suggested in this C&A Guide. The sequence suggested for each module is just one of many possible pathways of enquiry to cover the learning objectives of the module.

However, careful curriculum auditing is necessary in this case to ensure adequate coverage of the learning objectives in the Areas of Study. The ―Understanding and Interpreting the Curriculum‖ PDP will help teachers to make use of the open and flexible central curriculum framework to develop their school-based Liberal Studies curriculum.

3.3.6 Linkages to other learning experiences (OLE) and life-wide learning opportunities

The three-year senior secondary curriculum provides for some 10% - 15% of the total lesson time for OLE, including those related to moral and civic education, community service, career-related experiences, and aesthetic and physical activities. These learning experiences enrich Liberal Studies, while meeting their own specific aims. For example, students conducting IES on the theme of ―Art‖ can make use of the aesthetic activities

Life-wide learning experiences can enrich and extend students‘ learning. Through community services, students acquire personal knowledge of some aspects of the community, and have to reflect on their own commitment to society. Study tours to neighbouring regions give students a comparative perspective on issues in Hong Kong.

(Please read Life-wide Learning – Enriching Learning through Authentic Experience, Booklet 6 in Basic Education Curriculum Guide Series (CDC, 2002), and also visit the following website for more advice:

http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/curriculum-development/major-level-of-edu/life-wide-learning/.)

Students’ reflections on an investigation of Hong Kong’s economic problems A group of S4 students from Sha Tin Methodist College conducted field visits to Shamshuipo and Happy Valley to study the issue of uneven distribution of wealth in Hong Kong for their study of IH¹. They were astonished to find the great disparity of living standards between the residents of Shamshuipo and those of Happy Valley. One of the students reflected, ―I used to think Hong Kong is an international finance centre and people here should be richer than those in many other countries. When I visited Shamshuipo, I was shocked to see so many poor people living hand-to-mouth. I interviewed an old lady there who spends $30 dollars a month renting a tiny, shabby corner in a very old building, but she earns less than $1 a day. Now I have a deeper understanding of the problem of uneven distribution of wealth in Hong Kong, because I have seen it.‖

Another student echoed the same point. ―The study opened my eyes. I would not have imagined such a great difference between the living standards of the two districts in our small Hong Kong. The visits helped me to learn more about Hong Kong, and to extend my horizons beyond the estate in which I live.‖

3.3.7 Cross-curricular collaboration

Teachers may wish to explore possibilities for cross-curricular collaboration to fulfil the connecting function of Liberal Studies in the curriculum. Language teachers and Liberal Studies teachers may jointly run an annual inter-class debating competition, with the former taking care of communication skills and the latter the exploration of issues and arguments.

Liberal Studies teachers may also partner with Mathematics teachers in designing activities

1 Integrated Humanities (IH) (S4–5) is a cross-disciplinary subject in the Personal, Social and Humanities

to develop statistical literacy. Teachers of Liberal Studies and of Chinese History may also coordinate their teaching schedules on, say, the development of modern China; or they could jointly provide activities with the Moral and Civic Education programme team to enhance understanding of Hong Kong society and to develop civic awareness.

Collaboration between Integrated Humanities (IH) and English Language Pui Ching Middle School offered IH (S4–5) with English as the medium of instruction (MOI) to a group of 20 students. These students have high academic ability, and took IH as the tenth subject in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) 2005. They had only three lessons per cycle for IH, which were team-taught by an IH teacher and an English teacher, who was also teaching them English Language for 7 periods per cycle. When teaching language skills in the English lessons, the English teacher, like many other English teachers, made use of many newspaper articles and magazine texts. However, for this class, he chose those related to the IH modules whenever appropriate. He also adapted learning resources for IH to strengthen students‘ reading skills. Written assignments were designed to consolidate students‘ learning in IH and at the same time to improve their writing skills by engaging them in different writing styles. Speaking and listening skills were also practised when students were asked to exchange views with their classmates and express their own opinions on issues related to the IH modules.

The English teacher spoke positively about the collaboration between IH and English:

―IH is a good complement to the senior secondary English Language curriculum.

Since much of the English Language lesson time is spent on practising language skills, IH fills the gap and provides a platform for students to learn more about society and current issues. Besides, IH helps to improve writing and reading ability as it requires students to read and write a lot.‖ The students took part in the first HKCEE of IH and the teachers were very satisfied with their students‘ results.

With the introduction of the open and flexible curriculum framework in Chinese Language (S4–5) in 2005, similar cross-curricular collaboration is also possible between Chinese Language and IH, and in fact has been implemented in certain IH classes. Such collaboration between Liberal Studies and the languages in the senior secondary curriculum can bring benefits to learning in both Liberal Studies and the language subjects.

3.3.8 A whole-school approach to curriculum planning in Liberal Studies

As mentioned before, Liberal Studies may be linked to different educational programmes in the school. For example, Moral and Civic Education, Environmental Education, Sex Education, Life-wide Learning, Service Learning, Media Education, Life Education, Health Education can all contribute to enhancing the learning of issues related to Liberal Studies.

Students will benefit from a well coordinated whole-school approach that links up different educational programmes.

Linking Liberal Studies with other school programmes

Well-known speakers can be invited to address certain Liberal Studies issues in the weekly or morning assemblies. The class-teacher‘s period can be linked to issues related to personal development and interpersonal relationships. Schools can also link their counselling programme with the issues of enquiry in Module 1. Summer or long holiday programmes, such as study visits to other places or summer camps, can also enhance student enquiry in certain Liberal Studies modules.

The coordination of different school programmes with learning and teaching in Liberal Studies requires collaboration between the Liberal Studies panel and different school departments or committees, curriculum leaders, vice-principals and school heads. It would of course not be sensible for all programmes in the school to focus on Liberal Studies, but if students are able to see the linkages and can learn from linked programmes, the learning time for Liberal Studies will not be confined to 250 hours over three years.

3.3.9 Integrating learning with assessment

Assessment is an integral part of the learning and teaching process. It provides a further opportunity for learning, in addition to measuring achievement. The learning tasks in Liberal Studies should include assessment of student learning and provision of feedback on how learning and teaching can be improved.

For example, IES in Liberal Studies is a learning task for skills development and knowledge construction. At the same time, it is an assessment process through which teachers monitor student progress and the direction the research is taking. Students are kept informed of how

they are performing through continuous feedback from teachers and in some circumstances from their peers.