Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 3, Issue 1, Article 10(June, 2002) Teresa T S WONG A Case Study of School-Based Science Curriculum Development: Overview of Project Approach and Process of Implementation Contents Next

Contents

• Abstract
• Background to the School-Based Science Curriculum Development Project
• The SBSCD Process
• The Planning Phase
  • Stage 1 - Pre-selecting Objectives
  • Stage 2 - Situational Analysis
  • Stage 3 - Action Plan Formation
• The Implementation Phase
• The Evaluation Phase
• Developing an Interactive Approach for SBSCD
• Conclusion
• Reference

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Abstract

Under the impetus of the Hong Kong education reform, curriculum development has brought a whole new range of perspectives with an emphasis on "Learning to Learn". Schools are encouraged to formulate their own curriculum development plan according to their individual situation and readiness. (Curriculum Development Council, 2001a). This School-Based Science Curriculum Development (SBSCD) project was established to echo the need for professional guidance and support in this area, with a focus in science education. The SBSCD project is one of the initiatives under the Hong Kong Schools Around the World (HKSAW) project funded by the Quality Education Fund. The benefits of mobilizing the resources from the Schools Around the World project in the SBSCD project is explained in the paper. This project, with a participation of seven schools, was designed for one academic term and has adopted an interactive approach embedded within three main phases: planning, implementation and evaluation. The aim of this short-term project is to reveal a naturalistic model of SBSCD that may lead the participating schools to realize their future science curriculum directions. Instruments were developed to obtain data on the school's existing situation as relevant to the SBSCD implementation, to investigate factors affecting the interaction between the schools and the HKSAW Curriculum Development Team, and to find out teachers' awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of their own teaching after the SBSCD. This paper serves as a preliminary report of this case study. Therefore, its main purpose is not to report on empirical findings, but rather to define the factors for the above study areas and to provide an initial reference on the process of implementation for school practitioners.