Implementing media education in the Hong Kong secondary curriculum

The tremendous influence of today's mass media can hardly be matched by the sum of its works from the past. There are more sources of media, more types of information and entertainment, more interactive modes for consuming these messages of the mass media in a more interconnected global village available than ever before. Since many pupils spend much of their time on the media, the call for media education is urgent. This article first describes the aims and objectives of media education, then portrays the power of the media and how the education sectors have responded. Finally, it argues for the need to implement media education into the secondary curriculum in response to proposed curriculum reform in Hong Kong.     

The secondary school mathematics curriculum in China

This article attempts to give an up-to-date account of the secondary school mathematics curriculum in China. The teaching objectives and curriculum contents are discussed, and the public examination papers and classroom teaching methods are briefly described.     

Primary and secondary curriculum development in Afghanistan

The article analyzes curriculum processes and products pertaining to the overall reconstruction of Afghanistan’s education system after 2002. With the support of several international agencies, including UNESCO’s International Bureau of Education (IBE), as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education succeeded in making important progress with regard to quality education, curriculum planning and design. Based on a careful analysis of needs, new curriculum frameworks for primary and secondary education were developed over the period 2002–2006, and syllabuses and textbooks for primary and secondary education will be developed and disseminated in schools across the country. However, many challenges remain to be tackled, especially with regard to the dissemination of a new curriculum culture and the writing, printing and distribution of quality syllabuses and textbooks at all education levels. The article highlights both the achievements and the obstacles standing in the way of comprehensive curriculum reforms taking place in the difficult context of reconstructing a cohesive societal infrastructure in a country, such as Afghanistan, that is affected by conflict.

Revisiting a student-oriented curriculum in the Nigerian secondary school system

Abstract

The increasing gap between what students learn and what they remember has agitated the minds of educators in recent times. The apparent gap is that teaching tends to be more theoretical than practical. For instance an apparent absence of relevant instructional materials, skilled vocational education personnel and the current lack of awareness on the part of policy makers on the advantages of pragmatic education, constitute current obstacles to the actualisation of pragmatic student-oriented secondary school education curriculum in Nigeria. However, this paper therefore, describes methods by which secondary school education can be made more functional through the introduction of more practical learning schemes which shall ultimately equip graduates with revenue generating and life skills. Fifty teachers and 150 students were randomly selected for the study from formal and non-formal secondary schools in Calabar Metropolis and Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State of Nigeria. Ex-post facto design was adopted. A 16 item questionnaire constructed on a modified four-point Likert-type scale was used for data collection. The data was analysed using simple percentages, independent t-test and a One-way analysis of variance. The findings revealed that, the schools lack adequate instructional materials and adequately trained vocational education teachers. Based on this, it was recommended among others, that a student-oriented curriculum be implemented in line with the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Education For All (EFA) and Universal Basic Education (UBE). Also more practical skills-oriented education and vocational education teachers should be employed to train the students on the development of functional literacy skills.     

Diversifying the secondary school curriculum: The African experience

The paper discusses some African experiences in the diversification of secondary education, which is taken to mean curriculum change in a practical or vocational direction. This approach is intended to provide a wider set of future career options than is offered in the more uniform academic curriculum. The diversification policy has generally been seen as a solution to a number of economic and social problems facing the independent African countries, notably the increasing youth unemployment and the escalating costs of formal education.Studies which have so far been carried out have, however, revealed that diversification programmes have not met the intended objectives, although there is sustained interest in vocationalising formal education. Problems which commonly face these programmes include high unit costs, an absence of clarity in aims and objectives, a shortage of qualified teachers and the low status of vocational subjects as viewed by the students and the community.For future development, it is suggested that diversification programmes be reorganised to relate to more realistic goals through wider community participation and through the work-orientation of post-school training programmes.

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Zusammenfassung In diesem Artikel werden einige afrikanische Erfahrungen mit der Diversifikation der Sekundarbildung behandelt, wodurch eine Änderung des Curriculums zu einem praktischen oder beruflichen Schwerpunkt bewirkt werden sollte. Dieser Ansatz soll eine größere Auswahl bei der späteren Berufswahl ermöglichen als sie das einheitlichere akademische Curriculum bietet. Die Politik einer Diversifikation wurde allgemein als Lösung für eine ganze Reihe wirtschaftlicher und sozialer Probleme der unabhängigen Länder Afrikas gesehen, besonders hinsichtlich steigender Jugendarbeitslosigkeit und eskalierender Kosten formaler Bildung.Bis heute durchgeführte Studien zeigten jedoch, daß die Diversifikationsprogramme die angestrebten Ziele nicht erreichen konnten, obwohl ein anhaltendes Interesse an einem mehr beruflichen Schwerpunkt formaler Bildung besteht. Probleme, mit denen diese Programme gemeinhin zu kämpfen haben beinhalten hohe Kosten für jeden einzelnen Posten, das Fehlen klar umrissener Ziele, ein Mangel an qualifizierten Lehrern und die geringe Anerkennung beruflicher Fächer durch Schüler und Gesellschaft.Zur Weiterentwicklung wird der Vorschlag einer Umstellung der Diversifikations-programme gemacht, damit realistischere Ziele durch eine erweiterte Beteiligung der Gesellschaft und durch die berufliche Orientierung der Fortbildungsprogramme nach Beendigung der Schule erreicht werden können.

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Résumé On examine dans le présent article quelques expériences africaines en matière de diversification de l'enseignement secondaire, dont l'objectif est de donner une orientation pratique ou professionnelle au curriculum. Cette approche cherche à offrir un plus grand choix d'options professionnelles que ne le font les programmes d'études théoriques plus uniformes. Cette politique de diversification est généralement considérée comme une solution à un certain nombre de problèmes économiques et sociaux auxquels font face les pays africains indépendants, notamment le chômage des jeunes et l'augmentation du coût de l'éducation formelle.Les études ayant été effectuées jusqu'ici ont, cependant, révélé que les programmes de diversification n'ont pas atteint les objectifs fixés, bien qu'on s'applique particulièrement à donner une orientation professionelle à l'éducation formelle. Les problèmes qu'on rencontre habituellement dans ces programmes incluent des coûts unitaires élevés, une absence de clarté dans les buts et les objectifs, un nombre insuffisant d'enseignants qualifiés et le bas statut des matières d'enseignement professionnel perçu par les élèves et la communauté.En vue de renforcer davantage le développement, on suggère de réorganiser les programmes de diversification afin qu'ils s'apparentent à des objectifs plus réalistes grâce à une participation accrue de la communauté et à des programmes de formation postscolaire orientés vers le travail.

     

An analysis of the competency-based secondary mathematics curriculum in Sri Lanka

In education, there is a growing interest in the concept of competency especially in vocational training and professional development. The concept is strongly associated with the ability to apply knowledge and skills in effective ways in unanticipated situations. In Sri Lanka, a new competency-based mathematics curriculum was introduced in 2007 for grade 6 and the implementation was completed in 2010 for grade 11 as part of a reform process. The main aim of this implementation was to eliminate previous transmission methods of teaching and to assign a transformational role to the teacher. In this study, I analyzed the suitability of this new curriculum as a competency-based curriculum and examined whether it has achieved its objectives. The results showed that the new curriculum was better in elaborating the subject content and teaching methods. However, in a broader sense, it has not fulfilled its objectives as a competency-based curriculum. The analysis led one to conclude that competency-based teaching and learning approaches were superficially introduced in mathematics education in Sri Lanka. The curriculum documents did not properly reflect their intended objectives.     

新课程理念下中学数学的创新教育

新课程理念下中学数学教材内容通俗易懂,但里面包含着丰富的信息,如何把教材所包含的信息挖掘出来,并进行系统整理,让知识内涵和外延知识间的联系充分展现出来,是一个主动构建知识,发展能力,形成正确的情感态度与价值观的过程。本文着重论述了在这种新的理念下教育方法体系的改变,以及如何更好的进行数学教育的创新。     

Challenges in embedding numeracy throughout the curriculum in three Queensland secondary schools

The Australian Curriculum identified seven General Capabilities, including numeracy, to be embedded in all learning areas. However, it has been left to individual schools to manage this. Whilst there is a growing body of literature about pedagogies that embed numeracy in various learning areas, there are few studies from the management perspective. A social constructivist perspective and a multiple case study approach were used to explore the actions of school managers and mathematics teachers in three Queensland secondary schools, in order to investigate how they meet the Australian Curriculum requirement to embed numeracy throughout the curriculum. The study found a lack of coordinated cross-curricular approaches to numeracy in any of the schools studied. It illustrates the difficulties that arise when teachers do not share the Australian Curriculum cross-curricular vision of numeracy. Schools and curriculum authorities have not acknowledged the challenges for teachers in implementing cross-curricular numeracy, which include: limited understanding of numeracy; a lack of commitment; and inadequate skills. Successful embedding of numeracy in all learning areas requires: the commitment and support of school leaders, a review of school curriculum documents and pedagogical practices, professional development of teachers, and adequate funding to support these activities.     

浅论中等专业学校语文课程改革

阐明中等专业学校语课程改革是中专学校教育改革当务之急。并着重从社会需要、语学科特点和学生的发展三方面论述中专学校语课程改革的思路，以及为了课改的顺利实施，应在课程评价方法上做出相应的改革。     

Pre-vocational education in the curriculum: the case of Norwegian lower secondary education

This article investigates the composition of the Norwegian lower secondary school curriculum with a special emphasis on pre-vocational education from a contemporary perspective. The data consist of four official national curricula enacted from the 1970s until the present. Despite differences between the curricula, the main structure of school subjects has remained stable over time. Norwegian lower secondary school curricula mainly include academic subjects, even though pre-vocational education is, to varying degrees, present in all curricula, especially amongst elective subjects. This consolidated position of academic subjects results in a consistency in the composition of the curriculum. Curriculum change is most likely to happen amongst electives and is related to changes in policy making and societal changes. Pre-vocational education is mainly included in the first and current curriculum contrary to the second and third curriculum. These findings indicate that the international policy agenda and its emphasis on the relevance of education through stressing the linkage between education and the world of work only has a minor impact on Norwegian curricula. Further, the allocation of teaching hours shows that the status of pre-vocational subjects is low compared to that of academic subjects. International policies emphasizing basic skills strengthen the academic subjects even further.     

中学语文新课程课堂教学评价改革

建立以促进学生发展为目标的新课程课堂教学评价体系，是当前评价改革的重要任务。纠正课堂教学评价实践中存在着的误区，探究评价的重心及多元评价法，使评价与教学有机地结合起来，充分发挥评价促进学生成长和教师教学改进的重要作用。     

Current status of secondary school mathematics curriculum development in China

In this article, we intend to give a brief account of secondary school mathematics curriculum development in China. Some experimental teaching materials and teaching methods are introduced. One of the most influential projects is described in detail.Heartfelt gratitude is due to our supervisor, Professor David F. Robitaille at the University of British Columbia. It is under his encouragement and guidance that this article sees the light.Appendix 1–3 are quoted from Leung's (1987) article.     

A Critical Literacy Frame for UK secondary education contexts

This paper presents a pedagogical, analytical and heuristic tool for the critical analysis of texts, the Critical Literacy Frame, developed through a critical textual and discourse analysis of the genre of broadcast adversarial political interviewing, further informed by questionnaires and interviews with key informants. It is grounded in a social‐constructionist orientation to language, and is underpinned theoretically by insights from Critical Discourse Analysis and Critical Literacy. The potential for such a frame, in the context of UK secondary education, particularly with reference to A level English Language and Citizenship, is considered and recommendations for pedagogy, curriculum, teacher‐education, policy and further complementary research are offered.     

英国中小学“社会与情绪学习”课程述评*

近年来,儿童与青少年的情绪与心理健康问题日益突出,发达国家与发展中国家同样面临严峻挑战。2007年联合国儿童基金会的研究报告中将英国儿童评为欧洲最不幸福的儿童,引起了英国政府的高度重视。同一年,英国引进了国际组织CASEAL开发的“社会与情绪学习”课程,在缓解儿童与青少年情绪与心理健康问题上取得了良好的效果,所采取的应对措施和成功经验,值得我国学习借鉴。     

新课改下对中学写作教学的认识

作文教学在中学语文教学当中是重中之重,作文也是最能考察学生语文综合素养的模块,新课标理念下的高中语文作文教学较之原来的<大纲>教学,重点凸显新课标的核心理念"自主、合作和探究".     

Teaching thinking skills in the social studies curriculum of Saudi Arabian secondary schools

This paper examines how effectively thinking skills are being taught in the social studies component in Saudi Arabian secondary schools. Two methods of data collection were employed: (1) classroom observation in which instances of activities which promoted the teaching of thinking skills were recorded, and (2) interviews with the teachers to determine their perceptions of what thinking skills are, how well they believe they succeed in teaching thinking skills, and what factors they believe aid or impede their teaching of thinking skills. The major conclusion is that the social studies teachers were aware of the importance of teaching thinking skills, but were basically unaware of what that teaching involves. A second conclusion is that there are administrative, curricular, textual and extra-textual impediments hindering the teaching of thinking skills in the secondary-level social studies component.