1. 為了讓學生獲得通識教育科文憑試較佳成績，本學年，我運用以下教學策略：
In order to allow students to obtain the Liberal Studies diploma test and get better results this year, I use the following teaching strategies:
agree Disagree Strongly disagree a. 直接培訓學生答題技巧
Direct training of students’ answering skills 38.9%*
30.4%# 50.0% Alternative form of direct teaching for students to construct the learning process
11.1%
Modeled on the form of design teaching and learning content to the requirements of public examinations
To the requirements of public examinations, designing formative assessment strategies
Adopting sample questions for examination as training for answering technique
50.0%
Current issues for teaching and learning to enhance students’ higher order thinking skills
Reference printing issues, so that students are grouped to explore and discuss, in order to enhance students’ higher order thinking skills
Remarks: * Responses from teachers with 4 years or more of LS experience
# Responses from teachers with 3 years or less of LS experience
Appendix 2
2. 為了讓學生獲得通識教育科文憑試較佳成績，我認同中六學年透過以下教學過 程，以提升學生學業水平：
In order for students to get better grades in the LS Diploma assessment test, I agree with the teaching process below, in order to enhance the academic level of students:
agree Disagree Strongly disagree a. 課堂時事討論
The classroom current affairs discussion 16.7%*
8.7%# 44.4%
issue-enquiry approach during the lessons 22.2%
4.3% 55.6%
The teaching of thinking skills. Such as brain mapping, six Wherewith, creative problem solving, six thinking hats, etc.
5.6%
Learning through activities such as role play, debate, situational learning
Increase the number of practice simulation sample questions
Remarks: * Responses from teachers with 4 years or more of LS experience
# Responses from teachers with 3 years or less of LS experience
3. 就通識教育科，我有以下意見：
agree Disagree Strongly disagree a. 中六時，協助學生應試策略較導引學生
探究學習更重要
It is more important to help Sixth Form students with test-taking strategies than guiding students to explore learning
41.2%* learning-oriented strategy is not compatible with each other
LS examination can help to develop students’ independent thinking The issue-enquiry approach of this subject in F.6 can help students in written examinations 升成績 Written examination can assess students’ comprehensive and thinking ability, memorization cannot help the examination result
Accumulation of factual knowledge cannot help students’ LS written examination results The design of LS examination can help teachers and students to put emphasis on the learning process including life reflection and experience sharing
Recognizing LS examination can help raise students’ learning motivation
agree Disagree Strongly disagree
i. 培訓學生答題技巧而非只著重知識的掌
握，將有助提升筆試的成績 Not only emphasis on knowledge acquirement but training answering technique which can help with the examination result
LS examination can help students pursue broader basic knowledge
LS examination can direct students to think from more perspectives and to acquire critical thinking
LS examination can promote students’
ability in life-long learning
Remarks: * Responses from teachers with 4 years or more of LS experience
# Responses from teachers with 3 years or less of LS experience
(a) The responders’ teaching strategies and teaching process
Teaching strategies of the LS teachers: to guide students to know how to master the skills of answering issue-based questions, more sample paper questions practices, recitation of basic and crucial concepts, demonstration and reconstruction issue-enquiry approach of hot issues and so on. The following are some of the teachers’ responses.
T1. “It is the focus of answering techniques because it is very important in LS.”
T4. “It is true to write one time in the white block, to teach them how to write ideas or opinion. To try one time, two times, three times, to teach them how to write arguments.
This is two kinds of training. To enhance their knowledge and answering technique need to be done at the same time.”
T6. “In teaching, teachers should make use of current affairs to stimulate students’ interest not just teaching knowledge from textbook. To a certain extent, teachers should teach students’ test-taking skills, e.g. compared this year’s questions to previous year’s to find out the difference. Therefore, teaching knowledge is important, teaching answering technique is also important. After the completion of the sixth form’s curriculum, to enable students to do a variety of different kinds of questions to practice is necessary.”
T8. “Students need to revise this subject, but students may not apply what they have learnt…
In fact, the volume of opportunities students do is not too much. That kind of practice for an exam was not enough. Students should take further steps to quote some materials and to explain based on their understanding ... If you want to be effective in a short period of time, it is necessary for exam-based repetitive exercises and to know more of the criteria of the marking system, to know how to score and how to get higher marks. Or even to memorise some key words which will help in getting higher marks.”
T9. “Students expect teachers to give information a little faster, or have digested a good idea to give them. The questions will be more drills in class, even if not practicing the test questions, but also will give students test mode on certain issues due to some of the framework opinions. ... Students’ learning culture is to look up to authority, or look up a credible answer they think. If they believe, they will go back, will repeatedly learn. ... A lot when the concept is difficult to construct, for example, you want the students to grasp M-type society, or inter-generational poverty, such as the concept of the discipline, and I think the teachers explaining to students would be more effective.”
Appendix 3
Teachers often use the teaching process:
T7. “To establish the foundation of skills will start from Form Four such as what perspective thinking skills are. What the concept of ‘to what extent’ is. More in depth issues, and focus on how to analyze, more discussion of the questions will be on Fifth Form. More examination-oriented training of exercises and practice across different units are in the sixth.”
T8. “When I teach in Form Four and Form Five, I will focus on course content and subject matter first. Then I will associate different units together. I have not started to catch all the key words of the exam questions at the beginning. However, I will start to drill students on how to answer the exam questions at the end of Form Five. Both training exam techniques and to grasp the concept advocated by the LS are necessary.
T9. “More time can be spent on the process of constructing knowledge in Form Four and Five. There may be a variety of activities to help them to master the issues. Significantly in Form six, more drilling in answering techniques is in class…” On certain issues due to test mode, teachers will give students some framework views for examination.”
T10. “In fact, we have slowly infiltrated some skills from Form Four. And then constantly increase and strengthen. We do not deliberately teach skills to test when the exam is coming. Usually we have to teach skills.”
T11. “Class seems to do an examination question together with students, but the class content or material is a very informative process. The case constructs the entire scene as in the examination. Students face and deal with all the materials or subject matter in the classroom. They need to think and make decisions during the thinking process. The whole lesson is to repeat or duplicate the exam process, but a higher degree of complexity.”
T12. “Using one LS question to associate key concepts is the strategy. Start from the beginning to say the question, (teacher) writes the topic on the blackboard. Throughout the entire class it is around this topic. Even with the introduction of some information, tell the students to talk about some concept, or explain some of the examples it is all around this topic. Usually students can learn LS exam contents and strategies in lessons. Different topics with the most appropriate analytical framework to teach …”
(b) The responders’ opinions on whether LS subject’s examination-oriented teaching strategy and nurturing a higher level of thinking skills are both compatible
Some teachers believe that the exam will be obstacles to the development of students’ higher order thinking skills, because:
T1. “If the teacher puts too much emphasis on test taking skills, it will indeed be a bad influence. Will at least reduce the students’ interest in learning.”
T2. “They do not ask how to think, just ask how the high scores will be achieved ... (teachers) made it clear that this test, students will read. ”
T3. “There are candidates who recite and memorise exercises of the HKEAA practice volume and sample papers during the simulation exam.”
Three teachers to a certain extent believe that the exams will be obstacles to the development of students’ higher order thinking skills because:
T3. “I figured Liberal Studies for moderate or more students can improve their independent thinking, but moderate or less students’ learning is more narrowed.”
T7. “There is a little paradox. Because I teach Band One students, they are more realistic.
Without examination specifications to study and without proper fractions to promote them, their motivation will not be much. The exam really can compel the Band One students to pay attention to current events and to understand the social aspect. The exam can train students in multiple perspectives, but to truly be critical, there remain...”
T11. “The exam needs ways of thinking…but it is a little tool in nature. If LS wants to cultivate the kind of independent thinking and hold onto the surrounding environment caring attitude, it is not necessarily encouraging. ... Conversely, exams do not help, if there is discussion of issues in depth during the lesson, it may help students to look at issues from different perspectives and in depth.”
T12. “I think it is indeed stressed on exam skills ... they rely heavily on student expression.
Indeed, it is not entirely linked to nurturing multiple perspectives and life-long learning ability, but I think it is helpful ...”
Five teachers believe exams will not be obstacles to the development of students’ higher order thinking skills because:
T4. “Students more now than before may be very utilitarian, but the test will still be able to give them a motive. Examination of the LS questions can help them to think about... For example one question with both for and against, they will ask if I only write the FOR side, how many marks can I get? If there is no exam to ask them to look at both sides, they may only answer the FOR side and they will not answer the AGAINST side. In order to fight for higher marks, they will think thoroughly. Therefore, exams can motivate them to learn more and learn in depth.”
T6. “Thinking ladder of the Liberal Studies about the analysis, evaluation and creative thinking is higher-order thinking. Unlike the lower level which depends on copying or reciting to get answers. I think the standard of LS criteria is very high, but I think the students after a few years training, should do this.”
T8. “Can really train students to think. However, most of the students’ language ability is weak, it needs a lot of time in this regard to improve. Sometimes students’ thinking is correct, but they do not know how to express it.”
T9. “Part of the higher thinking skills is answering technique. If students can handle this well, they understand the questions and give answers clearly. Examination can test students’
level of higher thinking skills. They can fully understand thoroughly and give answers carefully. Nowadays, examination is more complicated to demand students’ higher level of thinking skills. It is not easy for them to take the easy route by ‘Catch the Road’ or recite answers. Fortunately, the exam mode is kind of complex, requiring candidates to have the skills of thinking, it is within the capacity, not in a short time you can develop.
We do, the exam can reach the target of Liberal Studies.”
T10. “When higher order thinking promotes multi-diversity with several angles, exams in LS in fact can obtain this. Because I’ve seen most of the candidates have in many ways analysed, even to the point of different stakeholders to answer. ... Because usually we apply discussion to explore, the public exam is to let you discuss and explore results written out. Taught through a consensus process in class, or with the examination as the strategy, there is not much gap.”
(c) Teachers’ experiences to develop students’ HOT skills Nurturing of
life-long learning
T3. “First, motivate students to read newspapers. There are some lively examples of real life from newspapers. Second, LS can also reflect the attitude of life, for example, a policy is feasible for young people.
What impact? If there are such questions during examination, it is to help students to reflect on their own attitude to life, think about, and writing. It is the only way to improve.”
T8. “We need to teach the basic concepts of LS. Of course, we need to direct students to discuss current affairs during the lesson to see how they give comments to the issues and associate the issues to the exam.”
T2. “It is important to master the concepts. Use concepts to associate all the discussion. Explore different concepts via issue inquiry. Teach higher level of thinking skills from lower secondary form. “The most important is to be flexible. Do not be dragged by the discussion of current affairs, but direct by the conceptual discussion.”
T4. “I feel higher level of thinking skills can be trained via discussion in depth during the lesson. We should let the students understand that issue. But how do they discuss? For example, if we know the causes of that issue, what is the impact of that issue? Detailed discussion should be the learning process during the lesson. There is a slogan at my school: LS is life. What they experience is LS. This subject matter may come from our living environment at any minute or even the current affairs from TV. We can get from anywhere and then fit into any single unit. If you can use Mind map, you can write anything which associates to the issue. This may be interesting.”
T1. “LS cannot include all the training of how to think at school. It is mainly synthesis of all the subjects’ thinking methods.”
Development of multiple-dimensional perspectives
T9. “Basically, I believe the small group discussion, cooperative learning. Good organised cooperative group work will help a lot, but it depends on the effort done by the teacher. If teachers only throw to the students to think about a topic, students may not grasp this. This may be worse than directly taught. I think if the teacher organizes well cooperative learning or group discussions, teachers design the various steps, guide, appropriate materials, I believe it can lead to the construction of knowledge. Students will enjoy the learning.”
T7. “There must be debate and discussion during the lesson, but the interactive activities are more important among students. If we want to train thinking in different perspectives, different people should explore the same subject in different perspectives. Guidelines will be given to them to discuss, to question, to criticise different viewpoints in groups. Questioning whether their suggestions or opinions are reasonable. LS curriculum is broad and time is limited in each lesson.
There is no need for every subject to issue inquiry. It may depend on the importance of hot issues and time to look for or collect more materials before or after lessons.”
T12. “We always stressed to students at different angles to see one thing.
The easiest is the same anti-possible angle, and then some other aspects, such as a macro: an economic point of view, the political point of view, the social point of view, the cultural perspective;
microscopic: personal basic necessities the angle, the angle of the point of view of different stakeholders, government, individuals, society, or some groups. So if he mastered these analytical frameworks or is thinking on the answer, he would have compared easily rendered to his higher-order thinking ... so that students know the different analytical framework can be used in different issues, or the contrary, the same issues to do with a different analytical framework. If he mastered these analytical frameworks or method of thinking, his ability to think critically, he sees anything that goes with these analytical frameworks.”
Scaffolding for independent thinking
T11. “Through habits of scaffolding method used to help students or colleagues familiarize the subject, first observed facts, gradually penetrated into the push to higher-order observation. .... If the lesson has started from issue-based discussion of different cases, students may have interest and learn actively. In some cases students may not be interested in hearing, or on their own initiative. If it is introduced by teachers, students may have wider views and think in depth.”
T6. “Higher-order thinking skills need to be divided into different stages to achieve. To motivate students’ interest it should start in Form Four and try to stimulate their interest of this LS subject. And then they will be interested in watching news. Independent thinking skills should be learnt and taught through Independent enquiry study in Form Five. To promote students’ analytical and critical ability should happen in Sixth Form.”
*All interview transcripts can be seen in Creative Teachers Association (CTA) Limited website: www.cta.org.hk