On-site Professional Support Services for Secondary Schools/Special Schools Science Education
Schools can apply for the following Science Education school-based support services:
Support Service Type I - Science Education
1. Support Service Coordinator
School-based Curriculum Development (Secondary) Section, Curriculum Support Division, Education Bureau
2. Area of Support
Curriculum development, learning and teaching of Science Education in secondary schools
3. Examples of Support Services
The curriculum support officers of the Education Bureau will collaborate with teachers on different aspects of Science Education. Some examples of the support services are as follows:
To develop school-based curriculum to cater for the diverse needs of students (e.g. the learning needs of gifted students, students with SEN and NCS students) in learning Science
To strengthen the interface between the junior secondary and senior secondary school-based Science curricula with regard to the development of science process skills and scientific thinking for students to learn science and to build a solid knowledge base
To develop effective learning, teaching and assessment strategies such as self-directed learning and e-assessment, to help students construct science knowledge, and enhance their learning interest, as well as develop their generic skills, positive values and attitudes at junior and senior secondary levels
To promote national security education through connecting naturally and integrating organically the elements of national security education with the content of Science curriculum
To enhance the learning of science through cross-subject collaboration/cross-curricular planning, such as promotion of STEM Education and Reading across the Curriculum
To cultivate teachers’ curriculum leadership and strengthen their professional capacity
To establish a learning community in school and to promote the culture of sharing and exchange among teachers
To promote experience sharing and professional exchange culture through inter-school professional network activities
4. Modes of Exchange and Collaboration
To promote curriculum leadership and facilitate exchange and collaboration among teachers, the following modes are adopted:
On-site Professional Support
In the light of the school’s context and developmental needs, curriculum support officers provide diversified collaborative support services, including reviewing and planning school- based curricula, lesson studies, assessment for learning, formulating development plan and professional development programmes (e.g. seminars, workshops and sharing sessions), as well as pedagogical designs. The primary aim is to promote curriculum leadership for strengthened professional capacity, refined professional practices and sustainable school development.
Support through Professional Network
Professional Network is complementary with the on-site professional support. It facilitates collegial sharing and dissemination of effective practices and resources, thus promoting inter- school sharing.
5. Expectations on Participating Schools
To make the best use of the support services, participating schools are expected to:
delegate a designated personnel, say a Vice principal or a panel chairperson, to lead a core team of teachers to take forward the on-site professional support services, liaise with curriculum support officers and map out the collaboration work plan;
schedule a common time slot for all school personnel involved for regular meetings (around 1.5 hours per week/cycle, preferably within the timetable) to ensure ample opportunities for professional discourse on curriculum development, collaborative lesson preparation, tryout and lesson observation, review and follow-up tasks, so that the communication and collaboration among teachers will be strengthened. Curriculum support officers would provide views and advice throughout, to step up curriculum leadership and professional capacity of teachers;
share with other teachers their experiences in school-based curriculum development and the materials and resources they develop, e.g. work plans, learning and teaching materials, research reports, student work. (The copyright of these materials will be co-owned by the EDB and the schools concerned. The EDB also reserves the right to compile and refine the materials before disseminating them for educational purposes.)
observe strictly their legal obligations and, in all cases, comply with the Copyright Ordinance in developing school-based learning and teaching materials
6. Points to Note
The duration of on-site support services normally lasts for one year.
The School-based Curriculum Development (Secondary) Section, in collaboration with teachers, generates knowledge from classroom practices, such as exemplars of learning and teaching, experiences in collaborative lesson planning etc., part of which has been uploaded to the Section’s homepage. For details, please visit the website: http://www.edb.gov.hk/sbss/sbcds
7. Enquiries
Mr CHENG Pak-chung
School-based Curriculum Development (Secondary) Section Tel: 2639 4704
E-mail: scsosbcds3@edb.gov.hk
