Managing the Curriculum

In managing the History curriculum, teachers should take the following considerations into account:

3.4.1 Areas of work

(a) Understanding the curriculum and learning context

 Understand the Senior Secondary Curriculum Guide (CDC, 2007) and this Guide with a view to adapting the central curriculum for school-based curriculum development;

 Understand the school’s vision and mission, strengths and policies, as well as students’

abilities and interests;

 Understand the community culture and the changing needs of society;

 Understand the aims, objectives and learning outcomes of the History curriculum and have a shared vision of history education; and

 Understand the additional requirements for history educators besides qualifications and experience – dedication, enthusiasm and the ability to work with others.

(b) Planning and implementing the curriculum

 Design and implement schemes of work that will enable students to achieve the aims and objectives of the History curriculum;

 Design modes of assessment and tasks to promote learning;

 Put in place arrangements that best meet students’ needs and enhance their progress and achievements in learning; and

 Develop a collaborative learning and teaching culture to promote the effective delivery of the senior secondary History curriculum. Teachers and the school authorities may consider:

- developing an intranet system for teachers to share their work;

- dividing teaching responsibilities at the same level with a view to maximising individual expertise;

- creating a positive learning environment within the school by inviting experts from other institutes, such as the Antiquities and Monument Office or the Hong Kong Museum of History, to deliver talks and conduct workshops. This is particularly important for the teaching of “Local heritage studies’ in the Elective Part; and

- arranging a common time-table for the whole week, with one day or one option block per week designated for the purpose of promoting collaborative learning or professional development among teaching staff.

(c) Evaluating the curriculum

 Evaluate the History curriculum continually through collecting data from different sources and analysing evidence of student learning;

 Review the curriculum and make adjustments whenever necessary; and

 Encourage students to participate actively in class, take responsibility for their own learning process and reflect on it.

(d) Developing resources

 Collect, organise and develop a wide range of learning and teaching resources and provide students with easy access to them whenever needed;

 Make effective use of school and community resources to facilitate student learning; and

 Expand learning and teaching resources by utilising information technology.

(For more ideas about developing learning and teaching resources, please refer to Chapter 6

“Learning and Teaching Resources”.)

(e) Building capacity

 Keep abreast of the latest curriculum developments, teaching strategies and subject knowledge; and

 Build face to face and electronic networks with other schools and conduct peer lesson observations to foster mutual support.

(f) Managing change and monitoring progress

 Teachers should constantly make reference to this Guide to make necessary changes to their schemes of work; and

 Options available in the curriculum should be constantly reviewed to ensure that they are in line with student interests, aptitudes and aspirations, and to make their learning process pleasurable.

3.4.2 Roles of different stakeholders

Principals, panel chairpersons, teachers and parents play different roles in the planning, development and implementation of the History curriculum. A collaborative effort is vital for developing and managing the curriculum.

(a) History teachers

 Keep abreast of the latest curriculum changes, learning and teaching strategies and assessment practices;

 Contribute to curriculum development, implementation and evaluation, and make suggestions with regard to learning, teaching and assessment strategies;

 Encourage active learning;

 Participate actively in professional development, peer collaboration and professional exchange; and

 Participate in educational research and projects in order to promote professional standards.

(b) PSHE KLA co-ordinators /History panel chairpersons

 Lead and plan curriculum development in school, and consult and advise the principal on curriculum policy e.g. time-tabling, textbooks, allocation of teaching duties, medium of instruction, mode of assessment and current curriculum innovations.

 Monitor the implementation of the curriculum, and make appropriate adjustments in learning, teaching and assessment strategies with due consideration of students’ needs;

 Facilitate professional development by encouraging panel members to participate in training courses and workshops;

 Hold regular meetings (both formal and informal) with panel members to strengthen

coordination and communication among them with respect to:

- the choice and use of textbooks;

- curriculum innovation and teaching pedagogy, e.g. heritage studies and the use of the enquiry approach;

- cross-curricular issues such as civic education and environmental education, as well as collaboration across subjects within the PSHE KLA.

 Promote professional exchange in subject knowledge and learning and teaching strategies within the panel, as well as share good practices with schools of a similar background;

and

 Make the best use of resources available in the school and community.

(c) Principals

 Understand the significance of history and heritage education;

 Take into consideration students’ strengths and needs, the school context and the central curriculum framework in formulating the whole school curriculum and teaching and assessment policies;

 Coordinate the work of KLA leaders and subject panels, and set clear targets for curriculum development and management;

 Support History panel chairpersons and teachers to promote a culture of collaboration;

 Understand the strengths of teachers, and deploy them appropriately to teach the Compulsory and Elective Parts of the curriculum;

 Convey a clear message to parents regarding the significance of history and heritage education; and

 Build networks among schools, community sectors and various organisations at the management level to facilitate the development of the History curriculum.

(d) Parents

 Understand the value of history education, and encourage and support their children in enquiry learning;

 Support the development of the History curriculum;

 Assist students’ life-wide learning in history through, for example, museum visits and heritage tours which link history learning in school with real-life situations; and

 Arouse and maintain students’ interest in history through frequent and informal discussions of current issues with historical relevance.

Teachers need to adopt a student-centred teaching style to stimulate students’ interest and motivation, and a range of modes of assessment to assess student learning in all its different aspects. (Please refer to Chapters 4 and 5 for further suggestions on learning, teaching and assessment strategies.)