Life in Hong Kong International School Classrooms: A Case Study of Curricula Reform at the Primary School Level
Recent years have witnessed changes in the curricula used in Hong Kong international schools. Primary schools of the English Schools Foundation (ESF) and several in the private sector were previously using the National Curriculum of England and Wales (NC)
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Life in Hong Kong International School Classrooms: A Case Study of Curricula Reform at the Primary School Level David Sorrell Abstract Recent years have witnessed changes in the curricula used in Hong Kong international schools. Primary schools of the English Schools Foundation (ESF) and several in the private sector were previously using the National Curriculum of England and Wales (NC). The curriculum, however, was replaced with the International Baccalaureate’s (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) in all ESF primary schools and in the international school discussed in this chapter. First-hand experiences as a primary classroom teacher during and after the transition phase with regard to the implementation of the PYP shall be discussed. Parents in terms of their initial concerns regarding lack of assessment and students in terms of adapting to changes in teaching style and the choices they had in personal learning approaches will also be discussed. Keywords Hong Kong • IBO • International Baccalaureate Organisation • Inquiry- based learning • International schools • Primary • Primary Years Programme • PYP The number of international schools in Hong Kong offering the “international education programs” (Law et al. 2012) of the IB has greatly increased in recent years. Up until the late 2000s, the schools of the ESF and most English medium of instruction (EMI) independent international schools were using the NC. Many of the EMI schools decided to adopt the PYP in primary schools and the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP) in secondary schools and colleges. There is now a fourth programme, the IB Career-related Certificate, and similarly to the DP, it is aimed at students aged 16 to 19 years old, but as the name suggests, its content is career related, whereas the DP is aimed at university preparation. In 2013, there were 27 primary international schools in Hong Kong offering the PYP (IB 2013a).
D. Sorrell (*) Faculty of Education and Human Development, The Education University of Hong Kong, 10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, New Territories, 852 Hong Kong, SAR China e-mail: [email protected] © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2017 R. Maclean (ed.), Life in Schools and Classrooms, Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects 38, DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-3654-5_15
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The influence and reputation of the IB within international education have been explored in studies (Law et al. 2012; Resnik 2012; Tarc 2009) and claimed to provide an important educational service to students displaced around the world (Hill 2003) or a curriculum for schools to adopt for students who are “globally mobile” (Cambridge 2002; Doherty 2009). It has been described as a “recognized leader in the provision of K-12 international education” (Tarc 2009). International schools have been described as adopting the programmes of the IB in order to have “internationalism and academic quality” (Law et al. 2012). Students returning to their home country or intending to move to a “new” country for u
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